Baldur's Gate 3: 12 Classes and a Party Picker

For every class, each level from 1 to 12 tells you the single thing to pick. Build your four below and the site will name whatever role you are still missing.

Game version: 4.1.1 (Patch 8) · Last updated: 3 August 2026

All twelve classes

Sorted from easiest to hardest. Difficulty measures learning load, not power: 1 = the class plays itself, 5 = every turn needs planning. Click a class and it joins your party below — you can even pick the same class more than once.

Party picker

All four are players — there are no story companions with you. That means healing, persuasion and lockpicking all have to come from the party itself.

Coverage matrix

Suggestions for the next slot

Which class suits you?

Three questions. Your answers rank the 12 classes by fit — then you can drop one straight into your party.

Compare two classes

Torn between two? Put them side by side: which ability you raise, how much health you get and how you manage your resource is where the difference shows.

Multiclassing

This guide is deliberately single-class focused: all twelve classes are playable pure from 1 to 12. The builds below are the three where branching into a second class genuinely pays off.

Illithid powers

Illithid powers are tied to a story choice rather than a class: any class can take them. That is why they live here and not on the class pages.

Story content — click to open (26 power names and effects will be revealed)
Quick summary

Guides for all twelve classes

Sorted from easiest to hardest. The roles at the end of each line are the needs that class covers in a party.

  • Fighter — the easiest class, no resources to manage. Roles: Frontline · Melee damage
  • Barbarian — protected by fury instead of armour. Roles: Frontline · Melee damage
  • Warlock — a ranged attack that never runs out. Roles: Ranged damage · Face (Charisma) · Area control
  • Ranger — a scout who shoots from range. Roles: Ranged damage · Stealth / lockpicking
  • Rogue — picks locks and strikes from the shadows. Roles: Melee damage · Stealth / lockpicking · Ranged damage
  • Paladin — holy warrior and the party's voice. Roles: Frontline · Melee damage · Face (Charisma) · Healing
  • Cleric — healer and area controller. Roles: Healing · Buffs · Area control · Frontline
  • Bard — the supporter who wins every conversation. Roles: Face (Charisma) · Area control · Buffs · Healing
  • Monk — an unarmoured, fast punching machine. Roles: Melee damage · Frontline
  • Druid — a nature caster that turns into animals. Roles: Area control · Healing · Frontline · Summons
  • Sorcerer — bends the rules of magic. Roles: Ranged damage · Area control · Face (Charisma)
  • Wizard — the widest spell library. Roles: Area control · Ranged damage

Party building rules

All four are players — there are no story companions with you. That is why a four-person party has to cover each of these four roles with at least one character:

  • Frontline — without one, nobody in the party can soak up damage.
  • Healing — without it, nobody can pick a fallen ally back up.
  • Face (Charisma) — without it, no one has high Charisma and you will lose most conversations.
  • Area control — without it, you will have to clear crowded fights one enemy at a time.

Beyond those four, stealth / lockpicking, melee damage, ranged damage, buffs and summons are tracked as "extra coverage": they are not mandatory, but they show where the party stays weak.

Multiclassing

This guide is deliberately single-class focused: all twelve classes are playable pure from 1 to 12. The three builds where branching into a second class genuinely pays off are covered on the Rogue, Paladin and Monk pages.

Illithid powers

Illithid powers are tied to a story choice rather than a class, so any class can take them. All 26 powers across six tiers are named and explained on the hub page, inside a section kept closed behind a spoiler warning.

The party picker itself needs JavaScript; its rules are summarised above.

Game version: 4.1.1 (Patch 8) · Last updated: 3 August 2026

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