Baldur’s Gate 3 has many different Races, Classes, and Subclasses to select from when building your character. While this enables you to customize your build to your liking, it can also make finding and enhancing the best strengths and abilities of your character a rather intimidating task. If you’re looking to take on the role of a fearsome Barbarian and embrace a strong melee frontline role, then look no further; we’ve got you covered. Follow along below for all the information you’ll need to create the best Barbarian build in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Best Barbarian Build Guide
The first and most important thing to consider when building a Barbarian character are the primary stat for this Class. This where you’ll want to prioritize any further Ability Increases or buffs, so knowing what they are will make your adventure much more satisfying, allowing your character to shine in certain areas.
The Barbarian’s most important stats are Strength, followed by both Dexterity and Constitution.
- Strength is the Barbarian’s main stat, as this will determine their power with Strength-based Weapons, as well as allowing them to excel in Actions such as Shove or Throw. Lastly, Strength is essentially the core of a Barbarian’s kit, due to Rage, which grants Advantage on Strength checks and Saving Throws. Because of this, if you have both a high Strength Modifier and Advantage, you’ll find your successes far outweigh the odd failure you may get every now an again.
- Constitution determines the max amount of HP your Barbarian character will have. As Barbarians belong on the frontline of combat, they will need this extra HP for more survivability when it comes to tanking incoming hits from the enemy.
- Dextertiy may seem odd at first, as this is usually the key stat for smaller, stealthier Classes. However, Dexterity also determines you maximum Armor Class Modifier, so putting some extra points into your DEX will ensure your AC is at it’s max, making you harder for the enemy to hit in battle.
Recommended Babarian beginning stats: STR 17, DEX 15, CON 15, INT 8, WIS 8, CHA 10
Keeping these core stats in mind, there are a few Races that synergize with the Barbarian nicely. It won’t be the end of the world if you stray from the options mentioned below, but if you’re looking to make your Barbarian as much of a powerhouse a possible, then we’ve rounded up the best contenders.
Recommended Babarian Races:
- Half-Orc – Half-Orc has become somewhat known as the Barbarian Class, due to the synergy between the Critical Hit improvements from this Race and Class combo. Half-Orc Barbarian has the best Critical Hit rate out of any other Barbarian and potentially any other Melee Weapon frontline, making this race a powerful choice.
- Human – When it comes to a Barbarian, Humans have the Skill Versatility Trait, which will allow you to select an additional Skill to be Proficient in; Athetics is always a good choice here, as this will enable you to have more success with the Shove Action. On top of this, Humans also receive an increased carrying capacity, meaning you can collect and lug around a few extra items to trade off for Gold.
- Wood Elf or Half Wood Elf – Wood Elves of both the full blood or half blood variation have the best Movement Speed in the game, which is highly effective in quickly getting Melee Classes to the frontline of battle, where they need to be to shine. Wood Elves will also gain an Advantage on Saving Throws against being charmed due to their Fey Ancestry, which can come in handy from time to time.
- Zariel Tiefling – Zariel Tieflings gain resistance to all Fire damage, as well as both Searing Searing Smite and Branding Smite as they progress in level. Smites are the perfect bonus for strong Melee Classes such as the Barbarian, as they add extra damage die or de-buffs to your opponents on a hit.
- Dragonborn – Dragonborn can work quite nicely with a Barbarian build, as their Breath Weapon uses their CON Modifier to determine the Saving Throw DC, and CON is one of the Barbarian’s more prioritized stats. Additionally, depending on which color Dragonborn you opt to go for, you will also gain resistance against a certain type of damage, which is incredibly useful when you spend your time up close and personal with opponents on the frontline.
Recommended Babarian Subclass:
When it comes to the Barbarian, there are two Subclasses that stand out, depending on your personal preferences and Race. The first of these opinions is the Champion Barbarian, however, this build only gains maximum value if you play a Half-Orc character. This is because the Champion’s improved Critical Hit rate works hand in hand with the Half-Orc’s improved Critical Hit rate to create a Crit-fishing powerhouse build.
Pair this massively improved Crit rate with the utility of Action Surge and Second Wind from the Fighter Class, and you’ve got yourself one of the strongest Melee Weapon frontline builds in the game. We’ve covered this build in our best Baldur’s Gate 3 Multiclass combinations guide, so feel free to check this out if you’re looking to replicate this approach with your character.
For every other Race, the best Subclass choice is the Berserker Barbarian. This is due to the utility Frenzy brings to the build, adding some nice effects to your Rage, as well as letting you make an Improvised Weapon Attack as a Bonus Action each turn.
This means that you can pick up large objects and throw them at opponents to deal damage, or in some cases, even pick up certain enemies and hurl them into one another. On top of this, there are several obtainable Weapons in the game that return to your hand when thrown, which only enhances the utility of Thrown Attacks for a Barbarian. Because of this, you should heavily consider the Throw Action as a core mechanic of your build, alongside Rage.
The best Berserker Barbarian Build combines 6 levels of Barbarian, 2 levels of Fighter, and 4 levels of Rogue. While this may seem like a bizarre combination at first, the Rogue has a unique change to the Thief Subclass in BG3 that allows them multiple Bonus Actions in a turn. Pair this with the Barbarian’s Frenzy, and suddenly you’re able to fling multiple objects and people around in one turn. You’ll also gain Dash as a Cunning (Bonus) Action, which can allow you to quickly engage on the frontline at the start of battle. With the addition of certain Equipment and Feats, this build can single-handedly carry your party.
Recommended Berserker Babarian Level Selections:
Upon creating your character, you will need to take your first five levels in Barbarian. This ensures you unlock the Barbarian’s Extra Attack as soon as possible, enabling you to attack twice per Action. Pair this with Rage, and you’ll soon notice just how much value you can gain from this addition.
At Level 3, you will need to select your Barbarian Subclass. Berserker is essential for this build, so go ahead and select this as your choice.
At Level 4, you will be able to select your first Feat. Here you’ll need to select Tavern Brawler. This is one of the most powerful Feats in the entire game, allowing you to add your Strength Modifier twice to any Attack or Damage Rolls using Improvised, Unarmed, or Thrown Weapons. This will give you a little boost early in the game with your Enraged Throw Bonus Action, but later on once you add your Thief Rogue levels, Tavern Brawler will bring you immense value due to the multiple Bonus Actions per turn.
At Level 5, you will gain your Extra Attack. Now that you’re set up with the initial levels in Berserker Barbarian, it’s time to take your next four levels in Rogue.
At Level 8 (Rogue Level 3), you will need to select your Rogue Subclass, so go ahead and choose Thief. Now you will have an extra Bonus Action per turn, enabling you to double the value from Enraged Throw, as well as significantly boost your damage output through Tavern Brawler.
At Level 9 (Rogue Level 4), you will need to select another Feat. This time, select Ability Improvement and add +2 to your Strength, bringing it to a total of 19. This will increase your STR Modifier, which will in turn both make your Tavern Brawler/Enraged Throw Attacks deal more damage, as well as hit more consistently.
Now that you’re set with five levels of Barbarian and four Levels of Rogue, you’ll need to dip into Fighter for your next two levels. This will add some of the best Melee Class abilities to your build, buffing your kit with the likes of Action Surge and Second Wind.
At Level 10 (Fighter Level 1), you will gain Second Wind. This is a Bonus Action that allows you to heal yourself for a burst of HP once per Short Rest. As Barbarians live on the frontline, there may be a time when your designated healer can’t reach you, or you find yourself in an unfavorable situation. Second Wind adds a little bit more survivability to your character for such scenarios, and it also fits perfectly with the Thief Rogue’s extra Bonus Action per turn, meaning you don’t have to sacrifice dealing an Attack or Enraged Throw to utilize Second Wind.
At Level 11 (Fighter Level 2) You will gain Action Surge. Action Surge is an Ability that can be used once per Short Rest, giving you a second Action for the round of combat. This means that you can deal a significant amount of damage in a single round.
For example, you may choose to Action Attack (2x swings thanks to Extra Attack), Action Surge, Action Attack Again (also 2x swings), Bonus Action Enraged Throw, and then Bonus Action Enraged Throw again (via the Thief’s extra Bonu Action). This essentially means that you can deal six attacks in a single round, which is huge for your damage output.
Lastly, for your final level, you’ll need to dip back into Barbarian to round out your build. At Level 12 (Barbarian Level 6) you will gain an additional Rage charge, as well as Mindless Rage, which will prevent you from being Charmed or Frightened while Raging.
Recommended Babarian Equipment:
- Head – Bonespike Helmet: When you Rage, hostile creatures in a 3m radius must succeed a Wisdom Saving Throw or take 2-8 Psychic Damage. The targets receive half damage on a save. Gain Menacing Attack (Melee) as an Action. You can pick this Helmet up from Voiceless Penitent Bareki at Lower City Sewers.
- Armor – Bonespike Garb: You gain 15 temporary hit points whenever you Rage. Reduce all incoming damage by 2. When the wearer is struck by a melee attack, the attacker takes 2 Piercing damage. You can purchase this Armor from Exxvikyap, the Dragonborn Merchant at Rivington General.
- Cloak – Cloak of Protection: Armor Class and all Saving Throws receive +1. You can purchase this Cloak from Quartermaster Talli at Last Light Inn or the Moonrise Towers courtyards before heading into battle against Z’rell.
- Gloves – Reason’s Grasp: When the wearer chooses to End their Rage, they gain 15 Temporary Hit Points. You can find these Gloves in a locked Chest inside the Gnoll Cave at Risen Road.
- Boots – Evasive Shoes: Gain a +1 to Acrobatics and a +1 to your AC. These Boots can be purchased from Mattis at Last Light Inn.
- Melee Weapon – Nyrulna: This Weapon will return to your hand when thrown, and you cannot be forced to drop the trident. When thrown, the Weapon creates an explosion that deals 3-12 Thunder damage in a 6m blast centered on the target. You gain a +3m bonus to Movement Speed and Jump distance. Equipping this weapon gives you Immunity to Fall damage, and creates a light in a radius of 6m. To secure this powerful Melee Trident, you’ll need to trick Akabi at Circus of the Last Days in Rivington by winning the Jackpot. In response, he will send you to the Jungle, where you can find Nyrulna within a Chest.
That’s everything you need to know about how to create the best Barbarian build in Baldur’s Gate 3. Now that you know all about this Melee powerhouse, why not check out some of our other build guides, such as the best Paladin build in BG3? After all, it’s important to have a balanced party during your playthrough.
