Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Guide

Baldur's Gate 3 Barbarian Guide

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Barbarian: An Overview
Starting Out As A Barbarian
Class Features
Barbarian Subclasses
Berserker (Subclass)
Wildheart (Subclass)
Barbarian Companions

In the wild world of Baldur’s Gate 3, the Barbarian class offers one of the most straightforward and powerful roles on the battlefield. Tailor-made for those who enjoy a direct and forceful approach to combat, the Barbarian are unparalleled juggernauts that excel as sturdy frontline strikers.

The core feature of the Barbarian is their Rage, a formidable ability that imbues the Barbarian with amplified damage output and potent resistance to physical damage. If the complexity of spells and convoluted strategies aren’t your style, the simple and robust Barbarian class might provide the perfect experience for you.

Barbarian: An Overview

The Barbarian is an extremely resilient frontline striker, excelling in taking massive amounts of damage and dealing it back in turn. Bolstered by their wide range in martial proficiencies, the Barbarian is unrivaled in its simplicity and brute force. Barbarians, if built correctly and given the right supports, can become one of the best melee brawlers of the game.

Barbarian Level	Proficiency Bonus	Rages	Rage Damage	Features
1	+2	2	+2	– Unarmored Defense (Passive)
				– Rage (Action)
2	+2	2	+2	– Danger Sense (Passive)
3	+2	3	+2	– Reckless Attack (Action)
				– Subclass (Berserker, Wildheart, Wild Magic)
4	+2	3	+2	– Ability Improvement OR Feat
5	+3	3	+2	– Extra Attack
				– Fast Movement

Though few can hold a candle to the Barbarian’s ability to hold their ground and soak up damage, the Barbarian’s scope is considerably lower when it comes to versatility—with the class largely focusing on being an unyielding force on the battlefield. If you’re planning on running a Barbarian, it could be helpful to keep around a party member with proficiencies that can make up for the Barbarian’s social and utility shortcomings.

Starting Out As A Barbarian

Ability Scores

Strength: The Barbarian’s most important score is Strength—this is what your weapon attacks will scale with, and should be the first one that you max out.
Constitution: Close behind in importance is Constitution, which will bolster your durability. It’s hard to brutally tear through your foes when you’re bleeding out on the ground, after all!
Dexterity: Dexterity influences your Armor Class through Unarmored Defense, which in turn directly influences your durability. It is also possible to build a Dexterity—instead of Strength—Barbarian, but it’s much more unconventional and may not be as effective.
Intelligence, Wisdom & Charisma: Though Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma have less influence on mechanical benefits, they still impact skill checks, making them worth considering, depending on the type of character you are trying to build.

Skills Proficiencies

Barbarians start out with the standard two skill proficiencies, available in skills related to the natural world and physical strength.

Saving Throw Proficiencies	Strength, Constitution
Skill Proficiencies	Choose two from the following: Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival
Equipment Proficiencies	Light Armor, Medium armor, Shields, Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Hit Dice	1d12
Starting Equipment	Barbarian Clothes (10 AC), Simple Boots, 1x Greataxe, 2x Handaxe, 2x Potion of Healing, 1x Scroll of Revivify, 1x Supply Pack

Class Features

In this section, we’ll go over each Barbarian class feature, what they mean, and how to effectively use them.

Unarmored Defense (Level 1)

While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier.
You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Clothes do not count as armor.

This feature essentially allows you to add your Constitution modifier to the standard 10 + DEX mod Armor Class of other classes. In the early game, this gives you roughly the equivalent of Medium armor, making it a solid, but not outstanding, feature. Further investment in Constitution will, of course, boost the usefulness of Unarmored Defense.

Rage (Level 1)

Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: Self
Replenishes On: Long Rest
Duration: 10 Turns
While raging, you deal 2 extra damage with melee and improvised weapons, and when throwing objects.
You also have Resistance to physical damage and Advantage on Strength checks and Saving Throws.
Rage ends early if you don’t attack an enemy or take damage each turn.
You can’t cast or concentrate on spells while raging.
Wearing Heavy Armor impedes your Rage.

Rage is the bread and butter of the Barbarian class. Though it locks the Barbarian entirely out of spellcasting, it offers the Barbarian a ton of features that perfectly complement its role on the battlefield—extra damage, extra durability, and the ability to fling enemies around like ragdolls.

Although the Barbarian’s resistances during Rage only apply to physical damage (bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing), those are by far the most common damage types of the early game, and among humanoids, monstrosities, beasts, and other common enemies.

Danger Sense (Level 2)

You have Advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws against traps, spells, and surfaces.
To gain this benefit, you can’t be blinded or Incapacitated.

Known as the “Big Three”, the three most common Saving Throws by far among spellcasters and traps are Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom.

Danger Sense, combined with the Barbarian’s innate proficiency in Constitution saves, gives the Barbarian significant coverage against all traps and spellcasters, further enhancing their durability.

Reckless Attack (Level 2)

Casting Time: 1 Action
Until your next turn, you have Advantage on Attack Rolls, but enemies also have Advantage against you.

Use this whenever you can. Though it might seem like a risky and even trade of damage, it’s important to consider that the Barbarian has the highest hit dice in the game, is probably capable of doing more damage due to Rage and Extra Attacks, and also likely has access to healing that the computer-controlled enemies might not.

More likely than not, you’ll come out on top when trading blows with advantage.

Other Features

The following section contains spoilers for the story of Baldur’s Gate 3. After activating your Illithid Wisdom Checks enough times and recovering from its physical toll, you’ll wake up to find that you’ve gained the Illithid Power Class Action of your corresponding class.

Endless Rage
– Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
– Range/Area: Self
– Duration: Until Long Rest
– Replenishes On: Short Rest
– While Raging, deal an additional 1d4 damage with weapon attacks, but receive 1d4 Psychic damage each turn.
– Prevents Rage from ending early.

Barbarian Subclasses

As you reach your third level in Barbarian, it’s time for you to choose what aspects of battle you’d like to specialize in.

Subclass	Overview	Combat Role	Other Focuses
Berserker	Berserker Barbarians capitalize on the Barbarian’s raw, brute strength—and do it well. They receive an extra attack that can be used during the duration of their Rage.	Striker	–
Wildheart	Wildheart Barbarians draw strength from the spirit of a selected animal totem during their Rage. Each totem grants unique abilities and helps the Barbarian specialize in an aspect of combat utility.	Striker	Mobility, Support
Wild Magic	Wild Magic Barbarians harness the chaos of the Weave, unleashing unpredictable but powerful effects each time they enter their Rage.	Striker	Summons, Mobility, Support (Random)

Berserker (Subclass)

Frenzy (Level 2, Berserker)

Your Rage turns into a frenzy!
You gain Frenzied Strike and Enraged Throw. You can also make an Improvised Weapon Attack as a bonus action.

Frenzied Strike

As a bonus action, make a melee attack with your equipped weapon.

Frenzied Throw

Pick up an item or creature and throws it at a target, dealing Bludgeoning damage and knocking it Prone.
Your Strength affects how much weight you can throw. Heavier items deal more damage.
The damage of Thrown Weapons is the same as the Weapon’s melee damage.

The Berserker subclass capitalizes on the Barbarian’s brute strength by giving them an additional Bonus Action attack.

When used in combination with Reckless Attack and future core Barbarian features, this feature skyrockets the Barbarian’s damage output—to almost unrivaled levels among the other martials, especially if combined with a feat such as Great Weapons Master.

Wildheart (Subclass)

Speak With Animals (Level 2, Wildheart)

You gain the ability to cast Speak with Animals.

This is a pretty straightforward feature—though it adds little to combat ability, it’s a nice boost to the very lacking roleplay capabilities of the Barbarian.

Bestial Heart (Level 2, Wildheart)

Bestial Heart	Rage Effects	Action
Bear Heart	– Rage: Bear Heart	– Unrelenting Ferocity
	– Enter a rage that makes you tough enough to stand up to any punishment.	– You are stronger than you think. Muster up your stamina to heal yourself (1d8+2).
Eagle Heart	– Rage: Eagle Heart	– Diving Strike
	– Enter a Rage that makes you near untouchable.	– Wildheart subclass can use Diving Strike
	– Foes also have Disadvantage on Opportunity Attacks against you, and you can use Dash as a bonus action.
Elk Heart	– Rage: Elk Heart	– Primal Stampede
	– Enter a Rage that grants you extraordinary swiftness.	– Charge forward, attacking all hostile creatures in your way.
	– Your Movement Speed increases by 4.5m.	– Deals (1d4+2) Bludgeoning damage and knocks targets Prone.
Tiger Heart	– Rage: Tiger Heart	– Tiger’s Bloodlust
	– Enter a Rage that empowers your leaps.	– Lash out to attack up to 3 enemies at once and make them Bleed.
	– Your jump distance increases by 4.5m.
Wolf Heart	– Rage: Wolf Heart	– Inciting Howl
	– Enter a Rage so inciting it spurs on your allies.	– Stir your allies’ fervor.
	– Each ally within earshot can move an additional 3m during their next turn.

Each animal totem that the Wildheart Barbarian receives grants them a passive and active ability, ranging from increased mobility, damage, healing, jump distance, utility support, and area-of-effect damage. Naturally, which of these you pick depends on your preferred playstyle and party composition—and they all greatly increase the Barbarian’s versatility.

Barbarian Companions

A reluctant soldier trying desperately to escape her past, Karlach is a feisty Barbarian whom you can meet early on in the game, shortly after the Nautiloid crash.

You can find her by the Risen Road (X:111, Y:503), where you’ll be able to ask her to join you on your travels.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Guide