Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Cleric Class Build
Baldur’s Gate 3 can be a tough game for someone new to the series, or new to CRPG Dungeons and Dragons-like games in general. A well-balanced party composition should have some kind of support class, which the Cleric happens to excel at. The best Cleric builds aren’t necessarily those that deal the most damage, but those that make full use of this class’ unique quirks.
Contents
- 1 Cleric Class Introduction & Overview
- 2 Best BG3 Cleric Build: Life Domain Overview
- 3 Best BG3 Cleric Build: Roleplay, Character Creation, & Leveling Choices
- 3.1 Best BG3 Cleric Race: Duergar
- 3.2 Best BG3 Cleric Deity: Selûne or Bahamut
- 3.3 Best Cleric Backgrounds in BG3: Folk Hero or Guild Artisan
- 3.4 Best BG3 Cleric Skill Proficiency Choices: Insight and Persuasion (or Medicine and Religion)
- 3.5 Best BG3 Cleric Feats: Alert, War Caster, and Tough
- 3.6 Best Cleric Ability Scores & Stat Distribution
- 4 Feats, Spells, & Leveling Choices For Life Domain Cleric Builds
- 5 Best Cleric Equipment: Armor, Accessories, & Weapons
- 6 Best Cleric Multiclass Choices & Builds
All Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Subclasses, Ranked
The Cleric Class in Baldur’s Gate 3 channels divine power from their god, and each subclass represents a different divine domain they can draw from.
The Life Domain is one of four Domains players can choose in BG3, and it’s a fantastic way to build a Cleric thanks to its variety of always-prepared support spells. This leaves players open to pick up other spells when leveling, giving the Cleric more variety, and making it one of the most versatile classes in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Updated March 8, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: When progressing through the game, players have to make a lot of choices to form the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Build. Feat selection is one of the most particularly impactful choices, made at regular intervals while leveling a Cleric . When creating the strongest Cleric build BG3 players’ Feat choices should prioritize combat and ability-oriented Feats, not those that increase your out-of-combat skills. Though Feats that increase your Skill Checks and other roleplaying skills are useful, they don’t contribute to the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric build as much as the selections recommended below. In addition to the level-by-level suggestions in this guide, check the Character Creation section for newly updated details on the Feats we recommend as the best choices for the BG3 Evocation Cleric build.
As a guide-in-progress, this
BG3
best Cleric build walkthrough will be continually updated with new information on what makes the Life Domain the best Cleric build
BG3
offers to players.
Cleric Class Introduction & Overview
Cleric Playstyle & Signature Abilities
“Clerics are representatives of the gods they worship, wielding potent divine magic for good or ill.”
The Cleric is a multi-faceted class that puts equal emphasis on support and damage in virtually every BG3 Cleric build. Clerics are capable of being one of the game’s strongest healers and source of party buffs, but they can also be incredibly powerful spellcasters and melee brawlers that have access to spells similar to the Druid or Wizard’s repertoire. No matter which BG3 Cleric domain you choose, all players get access to the Turn Undead, Destroy Undead, and Divine Intervention abilities at various levels, too.
Baldur’s Gate 3: 13 Best Legendary Weapons, Ranked
All legendary weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3 offer players great power, but which of them are definitive choices to bring into the party to win the fight?
The Cleric’s unique features are related to one’s choice of Domain, including unique always-prepared spells and Channel Divinity abilities that correspond to the chosen BG3 Cleric subclass. Domain spells work just like other spells, and are highlighted in the spell list when leveling to avoid picking them twice. Channel Divinity abilities vary from domain to domain, and offer powerful effects from limited Channel Divinity charges. Clerics gain Channel Divinity charges at Level 2 and 6, which replenish on either a Short or Long Rest.
Cleric Subclasses
- Life Domain: Improves healing ability on target and caster. Grants always-prepared support and healing abilities & Heavy Armor proficiency.
- Light Domain: Grants ability to impose Disadvantage on attacks. Gives Light, Burning Hands, and Faerie Fire at level 1.
- Trickery Domain: Can improve Stealth checks for party members. Grants Disguise Self and Charm Person.
- Knowledge Domain: Control and RP oriented. Grants Arcana and History proficiency x2. Grants the Command and Sleep spells.
- Nature Domain: Gain Proficiency in select skills and a Druid cantrip. Grants Heavy Weapon proficiency and other Druid-like spells.
- Tempest Domain: Can retaliate against attackers for 2-16 Lightning damage. Grants Martial Weapon & Heavy Armor proficiency and Storm-related spells.
- War Domain: Can make additional Bonus Action attacks. Grants Heavy Armor and Martial Weapon proficiency and close-combat control, buff, and damage spells.
Cleric Class Proficiencies
- Cleric Armor Proficiencies: Light Armor, Medium Armor, & Shields
- Cleric Weapon Proficiencies: Simple Weapons, Flails, & Morningstars
- Cleric Saving Throws: Charisma & Wisdom
- Cleric Skill Proficiency Choices: History, Insight, Medicine, Persuasion, & Religion
Baldur’s Gate 3: Hardest Classes To Master
Baldur’s Gate 3 features a nice variety of 12 different classes to choose from, but not all classes are equally simple to master.
Cleric Class Features – Level By Level
|
Class Feature |
Proficiency Bonus |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Cleric Lvl 1 |
|
+2 |
|
Cleric Lvl 2 |
|
+2 |
|
Cleric Lvl 3 |
+2 |
|
|
Cleric Lvl 4 |
+2 |
|
|
Cleric Lvl 5 |
|
+3 |
|
Cleric Lvl 6 |
+3 |
|
|
Cleric Lvl 7 |
+3 |
|
|
Cleric Lvl 8 |
|
+3 |
|
Cleric Lvl 9 |
+4 |
|
|
Cleric Lvl 10 |
|
+4 |
|
Cleric Lvl 11 |
+4 |
|
|
Cleric Lvl 12 |
+4 |
Cleric Spell Slots & Prepared Spells – Level By Level
|
Prepared Spells |
Cantrips Known |
Lvl 1 Slots |
Lvl 2 Slots |
Lvl 3 Slots |
Lvl 4 Slots |
Lvl 5 Slots |
Lvl 6 Slots |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cleric Lvl 1 |
1 + WIS modifier |
3 |
2 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
|
Cleric Lvl 2 |
2 + WIS modifier |
3 |
3 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
|
Cleric Lvl 3 |
3 + WIS modifier |
3 |
4 |
2 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
|
Cleric Lvl 4 |
4 + WIS modifier |
4 |
4 |
3 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
|
Cleric Lvl 5 |
5 + WIS modifier |
4 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
– |
– |
– |
|
Cleric Lvl 6 |
6 + WIS modifier |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
– |
– |
– |
|
Cleric Lvl 7 |
7 + WIS modifier |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
– |
– |
|
Cleric Lvl 8 |
8 + WIS modifier |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
– |
– |
|
Cleric Lvl 9 |
9 + WIS modifier |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
– |
|
Cleric Lvl 10 |
10 + WIS modifier |
5 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
– |
|
Cleric Lvl 11 |
11 + WIS modifier |
5 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Cleric Lvl 12 |
12 + WIS modifier |
5 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Best BG3 Cleric Build: Life Domain Overview
What Makes The Life Domain The Best Cleric Subclass?
“The Life domain is an aspect of many good deities, offering spells that protect and restore the mind, body, and soul.”
The Life Domain Cleric isn’t the most powerful Cleric build when it comes to raw damage output. But when one considers the breadth of buffs and support skills available to this subclass, it’s easy to see its benefits and its ability to get a party to get through otherwise overwhelming foes, where extra damage wouldn’t help.
7:19
Baldur’s Gate 3: How to Get to Underdark (& All Entrances)
The Underdark takes up an enormous amount of the underground of Baldur’s Gate 3’s first Act – here are four ways to reach the Underdark in BG3.
As a support sub-class, the Life Domain Cleric can deal damage when it needs to, but most of the time players will stay far from enemies and close to their teammates, ready with a buff or a heal when needed. The Disciple of Life passive gives a bit of extra healing with each spell cast, and can even heal themself with each cast at later levels.
The build is notably proficient in Heavy Armor, a proficiency granted by the Life Domain subclass itself. It also has several Cantrips that keep allies alive and enemies weak when their relatively limited spell slots are expended – but their Domain Spells are always prepared, leaving room for other spells to diversify options.
At several levels, players are given free spells that don’t need to be slotted in and out of the spellbook. These spells include Bless and Cure Wounds at Level 1, Aid and Lesser Restoration at Level 3, and Revivify and Beacon of Hope at Level 5. These are some of the most powerful healing and support-oriented skills in the game, not to mention the AoE heal in the form of Preserve Life, a Channel Divinity skill gained at Level 2.
Life Domain Subclass Features – Level By Level
|
Life Domain Cleric Lvl 1 |
|
|---|---|
|
Life Domain Cleric Lvl 2 |
|
|
Life Domain Cleric Lvl 3 |
|
|
Life Domain Cleric Lvl 5 |
|
|
Life Domain Cleric Lvl 6 |
|
|
Life Domain Cleric Lvl 7 |
|
|
Life Domain Cleric Lvl 8 |
|
|
Life Domain Cleric Lvl 9 |
|
Baldur’s Gate 3: Missing Feats From Dungeons & Dragons That Should Be Added
Baldur’s Gate 3 includes plenty of feats from D&D, but there are still a few significant ones missing. Here are the best feats that missed out.
Best BG3 Cleric Build: Roleplay, Character Creation, & Leveling Choices
Best BG3 Cleric Race: Duergar
The Duergar race is one of the best races for Clerics in Baldur’s Gate 3 because of their powerful Duergar Resilience passive, which is granted from level 1. This passive grants Advantage against Saving Throws for being Charmed or Paralyzed by enemies, as well as against Illusion magic.
At level 3, Duergar get the ability to Enlarge themselves, altering their Strength stat and direct weapon damage. At Level 5, Duergar gain the ability to cast Invisibility as a racial ability. However, unlike many limited-use abilities, Duergar can cast Invisibility on themselves at will when out of combat, though it can only be used once per long rest in combat. This is incredibly powerful for setting up the Cleric in an optimal position before combat, then once in combat, Invisibility gives the Cleric a way to get out of dangerous spots.
Being a Dwarf means having a slightly reduced total Movement Distance, but what it lacks in mobility it makes up for with Dwarven Resilience, Superior Darkvision, and several weapon proficiencies Clerics don’t normally have.
Best BG3 Cleric Deity: Selûne or Bahamut
One’s choice of deity as a Cleric doesn’t affect the game altogether too much, aside from unlocking some unique dialogue options. As a Life Domain build that’s focused on healing and support, it makes the most sense to go with either Selûne or Bahamut when it comes to deity choice in character creation.
Selûne is the goddess of the moon and stars, and is the most impactful deity choice because of the many dialogue options it opens up with Shadowheart – a worshipper of Selûne’s nemesis, Shar. Bahamut also makes a lot of sense as the god of mercy and justice, and is a classic choice for a good-aligned Cleric whose righteous cause is helping others.
Baldur’s Gate 3: 8 Fun Overpowered Builds
There are some entertaining and overpowering builds in Baldur’s Gate 3. Here are some great examples.
Best Cleric Backgrounds in BG3: Folk Hero or Guild Artisan
The Folk Hero background can be useful for Clerics because it gives proficiencies to the Animal Handling and Survival skills, both of which rely on the Cleric’s main stat Wisdom. Animal Handling and Survival are both skills that the Cleric typically doesn’t have access to at character creation for its starting proficiencies, too, making them . Typically, Folk Hero characters will earn Inspiration from performing feats of folk heroism, like saving NPCs lives or taking on fearsome foes then bragging about it later.
However, it can also be useful to pick up the Guild Artisan background instead because the bonuses to Insight and Persuasion can be extremely helpful in dialogue and RP encounters throughout Baldur’s Gate 3. Players will have tons of opportunities to trigger these Inspirations, but it means these two skills are pulled out of the total five Cleric starting skill proficiency choices.
Best BG3 Cleric Skill Proficiency Choices: Insight and Persuasion (or Medicine and Religion)
Depending on your choice of background, your choices for Cleric starting skill proficiencies will change. By choosing the Guild Artisan background, players gain Insight and Persuasion proficiency, so it’s ineffective to select these two skills again. Instead, go with Medicine and Religion.
But, if you go with the Folk Hero background, all five Cleric starting skills are up for grabs. In this case, go with Insight and Persuasion over Medicine and Religion.
Either way, be sure to have Persuasion on your cleric as it’s one of the most often-used skills in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Best BG3 Cleric Feats: Alert, War Caster, and Tough
- Alert Effects: You gain +5 to Initiative and can’t be Surprised
- War Caster Effects: Grants two new passive abilities, War Caster: Concentration and War Caster: Opportunity Spell
- Concentration is a passive that grants Advantage on Concentration Saving Throws
- Opportunity Spell lets you cast Shocking Grasp on enemies that move away from melee range instead of attacking them normally
- Tough Effects: +2 HP for every level (up to a max of +24 at Level 12). Works retroactively.
All Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter Subclasses, Ranked
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Fighter Class is a Weapons and Armor Master by default, with each subclass offering additional capabilities and utility.
Best Cleric Ability Scores & Stat Distribution
|
STR |
DEX |
CON |
INT |
WIS |
CHA |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Base |
10 |
14 |
16 |
8 |
10 |
16 |
|
Modifier |
0 |
+2 |
+3 |
-1 |
0 |
+3 |
Feats, Spells, & Leveling Choices For Life Domain Cleric Builds
|
Class Level |
Choices & Recommendations |
|---|---|
|
Level 1 |
|
|
Level 2 |
|
|
Level 3 |
|
|
Level 4 |
|
|
Level 5 |
|
|
Level 6 |
|
|
Level 7 |
|
|
Level 8 |
|
|
Level 9 |
|
|
Level 10 |
|
|
Level 11 |
|
|
Level 12 |
|
Best Cleric Equipment: Armor, Accessories, & Weapons
This section covers the best equipment for Life Domain Clerics in BG3 across all three Acts. Some pieces from early Acts may still be powerful in later ones, though, and will remain equipped through several Acts.
- Items with bolded names are new options for the build in each Act, and may replace older pieces of equipment.
- Items with unbolded names must be acquired in earlier Acts, but are strong enough that they don’t need to be replaced in Acts 2 or 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Weapons To Get Early
Get a leg up against the enemy in the early parts of Baldur’s Gate 3 by grabbing these powerful starting weapons.
Best Cleric Items & Equipment: Act 1
|
Name |
Effect |
Location |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Head |
Wapira’s Crown |
|
Accept Zevlor’s offered gold after defeating the Goblin camp |
|
Cloak |
None Available |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Chest |
Slippery Chain Shirt |
|
Open a locked and trapped chest in the Festering Grove |
|
Gloves |
Hellrider’s Pride |
|
Rewarded by Zevlor for stopping the ritual in the Emerald Grove |
|
Boots |
Boots of Aid and Comfort |
|
Purchased from Grat the Trader at the Goblin Camp |
|
Neck |
Periapt of Wound Closure |
|
Purchased from Lady Esther just outside the Rosymorn Monastery |
|
Ring 1 |
Ring of Salving |
|
Purchased from Omeluum in the Myconid Colony |
|
Ring 2 |
The Whispering Promise |
|
Purchased from Grat in the Goblin Camp, or Brem in the Zhentarim Hideout |
|
Main Weapon |
Blood of Lythander |
|
Explore the depths of the Rosymorn Monastery, after collecting all Ceremonial Weapons and earning the right to collect it. Or, try to steal it. |
|
Offhand |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Best Cleric Items & Equipment: Act 2
|
Name |
Effect |
Location |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Head |
Wapira’s Crown |
|
Accept Zevlor’s offered gold after defeating the Goblin camp (Act 1) |
|
Cloak |
Cloak of Protection |
|
Purchased from Quartermaster Talli in the Last Light Inn |
|
Chest |
Slippery Chain Shirt |
|
Open a locked and trapped chest in the Festering Grove (Act 1) |
|
Gloves |
Hellrider’s Pride |
|
Rewarded by Zevlor for stopping the ritual in the Emerald Grove (Act 1) |
|
Boots |
Boots of Aid and Comfort |
|
Purchased from Grat the Trader at the Goblin Camp (Act 1) |
|
Neck |
Periapt of Wound Closure |
|
Purchased from Lady Esther just outside the Rosymorn Monastery (Act 1) |
|
Ring 1 |
Ring of Salving |
|
Purchased from Omeluum in the Myconid Colony (Act 1) |
|
Ring 2 |
The Whispering Promise |
|
Purchased from Grat in the Goblin Camp, or Brem in the Zhentarim Hideout (Act 1) |
|
Main Weapon |
Blood of Lythander |
|
Explore the depths of the Rosymorn Monastery, after collecting all Ceremonial Weapons and earning the right to collect it. Or, try to steal it (Act 1) |
|
Offhand |
Sentinel Shield |
|
Drops from Lann Tarv, a Bugbear within Moonrise Towers. |
Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Clubs, Ranked
Fans who want to carry a trusty club into combat can’t go wrong with the following options.
Best Cleric Items & Equipment: Act 3
|
Name |
Effect |
Location |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Head |
Wapira’s Crown |
|
Accept Zevlor’s offered gold after defeating the Goblin camp (Act 1) |
|
Cloak |
Cloak of Protection |
|
Purchased from Quartermaster Talli in the Last Light Inn (Act 2) |
|
Chest |
Slippery Chain Shirt |
|
Open a locked and trapped chest in the Festering Grove (Act 1) |
|
Gloves |
Reviving Hands |
|
Purchased from Vicar Humbletoes in Stormshore Tabernacle in the Lower City |
|
Boots |
Boots of Aid and Comfort |
|
Purchased from Grat the Trader at the Goblin Camp (Act 1) |
|
Neck |
Amulet of the Devout |
|
Purchased from Lady Esther just outside the Rosymorn Monastery (Act 1) |
|
Ring 1 |
Ring of Salving |
|
Purchased from Omeluum in the Myconid Colony (Act 1) |
|
Ring 2 |
The Whispering Promise |
|
Purchased from Grat in the Goblin Camp, or Brem in the Zhentarim Hideout (Act 1) |
|
Main Weapon |
Blood of Lythander |
|
Explore the depths of the Rosymorn Monastery, after collecting all Ceremonial Weapons and earning the right to collect it. Or, try to steal it (Act 1) |
|
Offhand |
Sentinel Shield |
|
Drops from Lann Tarv, a Bugbear within Moonrise Towers (Act 2) |
Best Cleric Multiclass Choices & Builds
Players can choose to Multiclass beginning at Level 2. Look for the “Add Class” button on the top right of the level up overview menu – this will open up a new menu where players can choose one of any other class in
Baldur’s Gate 3
when selected.
Fighter Multiclass – Cleric 10/Fighter 2
It might not seem like a natural fit, but dipping two levels into the Fighter class as a Cleric grants an incredibly powerful ability: Action Surge. One of the iconic abilities of the Fighter class, Action Surge is a Bonus Action that grants the caster another Action that turn.
Action Surge can be used once every short or long rest, granting the Cleric another Action to cast a spell when needed. This Cleric multiclass requires two levels in Fighter because Fighters do not start with this ability. Because of this requirement, players can only put 10 levels into Cleric, locking the character off from Level 6 spells – Clerics unlock the ability to use Level 6 spells at Level 11.
Wizard Multiclass – Cleric 11/Wizard 1
One of the biggest benefits of multiclassing into the Wizard class is that, with just one level dip into the Wizard, a character gains the ability to learn spells from scrolls. When paired with the Cleric – another Spellcaster class that uses Prepared Spells – this multiclass combination vastly opens up a character’s spell repertoire.
This multiclass choice has little impact on a character’s ability to use high-level spells. Because both classes are Prepared Spellcasters, and the ability to learn from scrolls only requires one level, a Cleric 11 Wizard 1 character will still be able to use Level 6 spells and have Level 6 spell slots unlocked.
Baldur’s Gate 3
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
