In the wild world of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Baldur's Gate 3, the Barbarian class offers one of the most straightforward a💛nd powerful roles on the battlefield. Tailor-made fo💫r those who enjoy a direct and forceful approach to combat, the Barbarian are unparalleled juggernauts that excel as sturdy frontline strikers.

RELATED: 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Baldur's Gate 3: How To Multiclass

The core feature of the Barbarian is their Rage, a formidable ability that imbues the Barbarian with amplified d🌊amage 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.

Updated August 23, 2023: We've gone ahead and updated this guide to fill in all the information we were missing during the Early Access period. Happy raging!

Barbarian: An OverviewBaldur's Gate 3 - A Barbarian Human speaks to Lae'zel

The stron🔜g embrace the wild that hides inside - keen instincts, primal physicality, and most of all, an unbridled, unquenchable rag🗹e.

The Barbarian is an extremely 168澳洲幸运5开奖网: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.

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.

The Barbarian subclasses can greatly vary, and several can change their whole playstyle!

Make sure to read the tooltips carefully before you choose.

Starting Out As A Barbarian

Baldur's Gate 3 - A Barbarian Human speaks to Shadowheart

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 mo🗹re 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 typeꦅ of character you are trying t🐓o 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 and Constitution

Skill Proficiencies

Choose two from the following: Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival

Equipment Proficiencies

Light Arm🔯or, Medium Armoꦿr, Shields, Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons

Hit Dice

1d12

Starting Equipment

(10 AC), , 1x , 2x , 2x , 1x , 1x

Class Features

4-2

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

Unarmored Defense (Level 1)

Unarmored Defense

  • 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, ꦐof course, boost the usefulness of Unarmored Defense.

Rage (Level 1)

Rage

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.

No, really—with the abundant verticality of combat in Baldur's Gate 3, shoving goblins off of cliffs with that huge boost to Strength checks can be a very effective strategy.

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 enem𝄹ies.

Unlike in tabletop, the extra damage from Rage does work with Dexterity-based attacks, making a Dexterity-based Barbarian feasible, though unconventio🥂nal.

Danger Sense (Level 2)

Danger Sense

  • 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" Saves, 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)

Reckless Attack

Casting Time: 1 Action

Until y💞our 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, gains resistance to physical (or more) damages when raging, 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.

Extra Attack (Level 5)

Extra Attack

  • When you make an unarmed or weapon attack, you'll be able to make another free attack.
  • Does not stack with Extra Attack features from other classes

This is another simple but staggeringly effective passive ability that'll effectively double your damage as soon as you hit level 5.

Fast Movement (Level 5)

Fast Movement

  • While you don't have Heavy Armor equipped, your Movement Speed is increased by 1.5m / 5ft

Since you have Unarmored Defense, it's unlikely that your Barbarian would be wearing Heavy Armor—or any form of armor at all, really.

This is an especially helpful feature as the base Barbarian class lacks range, and this will help you position yourself better in combat.

Feral Instincts (Level 7)

Feral Instincts

  • You can no longer be surprised
  • You gain a +3 bonus to Initiative rolls

Yet another great passive ability that'll automatically work for all rolls going forward—hey, we said the Barbarian was a straightforward class, didn't we?

Because Initiative rolls in Baldur's Gate 3 work off a smaller scale than the tabletop—a 1d4 instead of 1d20—a flat increase to Initiative is a massive boost.

Brutal Critical (Level 9)

Brutal Critical

  • On a critical hit, roll an extra damage dice in addition to the normal critical hit roll.

Though this is a solid damage boost—especially if you're using a two-handed weapon—critical hits are not guaranteed, so this ability may get less use than the other generally very reliable Barbarian featu💎res.

Note that you roll a single extra damage die. This means greataxes (with their 1d12 damage die) are better than nearly any other weapon in terms of utilizing Brutal Critical.

Relentless Rage (Level 11)

Relentless Rage

Cooldown: Short Rest

  • While raging, when you drop to 0 HP, you will regain 1 HP instead of going into a Downed state.

Once again, this is a rather situational feature for such a high level—and if your Barbarian frontliner is dropping to 0 HP, you might be in more trouble t🍷han one additionﷺal hit point can salvage.

Still, this could mean the difference between life and death in certain fights.

RELATED: 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Baldur's Gate 3: How To Change Classes And Respe𝓰c

Barbarian Subclasses

Baldur's Gate 3 - A Barbarian Woman engages in conversation with Shadowheart

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.
  • Their subclass features focus on supporting allies, by giving them extra spell slots, as well as buffs to Saving Throws, Attack Rolls and Ability checks.

Striker, Utility, Support

Summons, Mobility (Random)

Berserker (Subclass)

Baldur's Gate 3: Barbarian human entering a frenzy

Violence is both a means and an end. You follow a path of untrammeled fury, slick with blood, as you thrill in the chaos of battle, heedless of your o✨wn well-being.

Frenzy (Level 2, Berserker)

Frenzy

  • 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.

Mindless Rage (Level 6, Berserker)

Mindless Rage

  • While in Frenzy (rage), you can no longer be Charmed or Frightened.
  • no longer ends your Frenzy (rage).

Though situational, this feature comes into play much more in later parts of the game, where enemies begin to use crowd-control debuffs such as Charmed and Frightened much more liberally.

Intimidating Presence (Level 10, Berserker)

Intimidating Presence

Cost: Action

WIS Save

  • Inflict the "Fear" condition on an enemy
  • Enemies who are "Fearful" drop everything, cannot move, and are easier to hit.
  • If an enemy resists your Intimidating Presence, they cannot be targeted with it again until a Long Rest.

Because it costs an action to use, this feature is pretty lackluster, especially for such a high-level feature. An action spent multi-attacking will almost always be significantly more effective in a fight when you're a level 10 Berserker.

Wildheart (Subclass)

Baldur's Gate 3 - Barbarian enters rage behind a sheep

Your attunement wi꧅th nature and its beasts inspires your rage, empowering you with supernatur📖al might.

Speak With Animals (Level 2, Wildheart)

Speak With Animals

  • 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

  • Enter a rage that makes you tough enough to stand up to any punishment.
  • You can use Unrelenting Ferocity and have Resistance to all damage except psychic damage.

Unrelenting Ferocity

  • You are stronger than you think. Muster up your stamina to heal yourself (1d8+2).

Eagle Heart

Rage: Eagle Heart

  • 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.

Diving Strike:

  • Leap down unto a foe below you, dealing Weapon Damage Slashing Damage and knocking them Prone.
  • You do not take Falling damage.
  • You must be at least 1.5m above your target.

Elk Heart

Rage: Elk Heart

  • Enter a Rage that grants you extraordinary swiftness.
  • You can use Primal Stampede, and your Movement Speed increases by 4.5m.

Primal Stampede:

  • Charge forward, attacking all hostile creatures in your way.
  • Deals (1d4+2) Bludgeoning damage and knocks targets Prone.
  • Doesn't provoke Opportunity Attacks.

Tiger Heart

Rage: Tiger Heart

  • Enter a Rage that empowers your leaps.
  • You can use Tiger’s Bloodlust, and your jump distance increases by 4.5m.

Tiger's Bloodlust

  • Lash out to attack up to 3 enemies at once and make them Bleed.

Wolf Heart

Rage: Wolf Heart

  • Enter a Rage so inciting it spurs on your allies.
  • You can use Inciting Howl, and your allies have Advantage on melee Attack Rolls against enemies within 2m of you.

Inciting Howl

  • 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 part𝔉y composition—and they all greatly increase the Barbarian's versatili𒈔ty.

The Wolf Heart is especially excellent for a party with lots of melee martials, such as Fighters, Rangers, Paladins and Rogues.

Animal Aspect (Level 6 / 10, Berserker)

Animal Aspects

Bear

  • Your carrying capacity is doubled
  • You gain advantage on Strength Checks

Chimpanzee

  • You gain Resistance to Falling damage (damage you take is halved).
  • You can throw Camp Supplies to Blind targets
    • Blinded targets have Disadvantage on attack rolls, and attack rolls against a Blinded target has Advantage.

Crocodile

  • You gain 3m / 10ft of movement on water-based surfaces
  • You gain Advantage on Saving Throws against going Prone while on slippery surfaces.

Eagle

  • You gain Darkvision up to 12m / 40ft.
  • You gain Advantage on Perception Checks

Elk

  • You and your nearby allies gain 1.5m / 5ft of movement speed

Honey Badger

  • There is a 50% chance that you Rage for free if you are Poisoned, Frightened or Charmed at the start of your turn

Stallion

  • When you use the Dash action, you gain temporary HP equal to twice your level.

Tiger

  • You add double your Strength Modifier to Attack rolls against Bleeding or Poisoned targets
  • You gain proficiency in the Survival skill

Wolf

  • You and nearby allies add your Dexterity modifier to Stealth checks
  • You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill

Wolverine

  • Your attacks against Bleeding or Poisoned targets maim them for one turn
  • Maimed targets cannot move and have Disadvantage on Dexterity Saving Throws.

These are all relatively small additions to the class, but you'll get two of them—at level 6 and 10. We'll always recommend picking features that fit your playstyle and roleplay goals more, rather than mechanically strong ones, as Baldur's Gate 3 is a well-balanced game that you can get through without optimizing.

That said, consider your party composition while picking your Animal Aspects! Several of these work well with certain features and spells from other classes, or can be used to fill in gaps in your party composition.

Land's Stride: Difficult Terrain (Level 8, Wildheart)

Land's Stride: Difficult Terrain

  • Difficult Terrain no longer imposes a movement speed penalty on you

Though situational, this feature can come in handy during fights—especially in the wilderness of Act 2 and the sewers of Act 3, as the Barbarian generally lacks the mobility and instant-displacement of high-level casters.

Wild Magic (Subclass)

Baldur's Gate 3 - Barbarian enters rage behind a sheep

The wild influence of magic has transformed you, suffusing you with an arcane power that churns within you, waiting to be 💟relea𒈔sed.

Rage: Wild Magic Surge (Level 2, Wild Magic)

When you enter Rage, you gain a random magical effec༒t.

Rage: Wild Magic Surges

Wild Magic: Weapon Infusion

  • While raging, your weapons deal an additional 1d6 Force damage
  • During this time, your weapons also gain the Light and Thrown properties.
  • When your weapons are thrown, they immediately reappear in your hand.

Wild Magic: Magic Retribution

  • While you are raging, any enemies that land a hit on you will take 1d6 Force damage.

Wild Magic: Protective Lights

  • While you are raging, you and any nearby allies (within 10ft) gain a +1 bonus to their Armor Class.

Wild Magic: Intangible Spirit

  • While you are raging, you can summon a Flumph with a Bonus Action.
  • This Flumph will explode at the end of your turn to deal 1d6 Force damage to every creature nearby (within 7ft) if they fail a Dexterity Saving Throw.

Wild Magic: Bolt of Light

  • While you are raging, you can shoot a Bolt of Light as a Bonus Action (30ft range).
  • This Bolt of Light deals 1d6 Radiant Damage and will Blind the target if they fail a Constitution Saving Throw.

Wild Magic: Vine Growth

  • While you are raging, the ground within 17ft of you is considered Difficult Terrain.
  • Movement Speed on Difficult Terrain is halved.

Wild Magic: Teleport

  • While you are raging, as a Bonus Action, you can Teleport to an unoccupied space within 60ft of you that you can see.

Wild Magic: Dark Tendrils

  • When you first enter rage, you drain 1d12 hit points from all nearby creatures.
  • The health you drain is added to you as temporary hit points.

Unlike the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Wild Magic Sorcerer, all of these features are largely positive, and none are especially disruptive to gameplay.

That said, several of the Area of Effect effects can damage teammates (such as Intangible Spirit, Bolt of Light, and Dark Tendrils) so be careful of your positioning.

This is a really fun feature, especially if you like a bit of randomness in your gameplay. The effects of your Wild Magic Surges are also very useful and largely Bonus-Action oriented, which is good for action economy.

However, it's worth noting that this also makes your features very situational. Only y🍨ou can decide if the usefulness of these features are worth the inconsistency!

Magical Awareness (Level 3, Wild Magic)

Magical Awareness

Cost: Bonus Action

  • Any of your allies within 10ft of you add their Proficiency Bonus to Saving Throws against spells.

This adds a nice bit of supportive capability to the Barbar𒈔ian, which otherwise gets little to none📖.

At higher levels, Proficiency Bonuses grow, making this a feature that scales well into the late game.

Bolstering Magic: Boon (Level 6, Wild Magic)

Bolstering Magic: Boon

Cost: Action

Duration: 10 turns

  • You or an ally gains a 1d4 bonus to Attack Rolls and Ability Checks.

Though the Ability Check boost can be outclassed by the Cleric cantrip, Guidance, a 1d4 boost to Attack Rolls is significant.

Due to its sizable duration, you can also cast this before a fight to ensure your valuable Actions are freed up during the heat of battle.

Bolstering Magic: Spell Slots (Level 6/9, Wild Magic)

Bolstering Magic: Spell Slots

Cost: Action

Range: Touch

  • You or an ally recovers a Level 1, 2 or 3 spell slot.

This is, again, an excellent supportive ability for your caster party members.

An extra spell slot can go a long way in combat or dire situations, especially in areas where you are unable to long rest or teleport, such as the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Necrotic Laboratory of Act 2 or 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Cazador's Dungeon of Act 3.

Unstable Backlash (Level 10, Wild Magic)

Unstable Backlash

  • While you are raging, you trigger another Wild Magic effect that replaces the current one when you take damage or fail a saving throw.

Considering that:

  • By level 10, you should have plenty of rages for each combat.
  • You'll be consistently taking damage as your party's front-line.
  • All of the Wild Magic rages are positive effects, provided that you don't catch your allies in the area effects.

This is an absolutely fantastic feature that sh🧸ould be getting lots of use in the late game.

Barbarian Companions

D&D art showing Karlach, Fury of Avernus by Billy Christian.
Karlach, Fury of Avernus by Billy Christian

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.

NEXT: Baldur’s Gat🌊e 3: What To Do With Edℱowin And The Cultists