Best Race for Every Class - Baldur's Gate III Guide - IGN (2024)

There are a total of 11 races in Baldur's Gate 3 and 12 classes. Unlike previous Baldur's Gate games, you can pair any race with any class, which is a welcome change. If you want to make a Gnome Barbarian, nothing is stopping you. That said, some races are perfectly suited for certain classes. This guide will lay out which race is best for every class.

Best Race for Bard Class in BG3

The best race for a Bard in Baldur's Gate 3 is the Zariel Tiefling. They gain the Thaumaturgy cantrip for free at first level, which frees up one of the few choices you get for spells as a Bard. Tieflings also receive the Hellish Resistance trait, which makes them resistant to Fire damage. Since Bards tend to be lightly armored, and they don't receive much in the way of hit points, mitigating one of the most common damage types will help keep them in the fight.

Best Race for Barbarian Class in BG3

The Half-Orc is the best choice for the Barbarian class in Baldur's Gate 3. They receive a nice bonus to damage when they critically hit in the form of an extra damage die, and they're hard to put down thanks to their Relentless Endurance feature. Barbarians may have the most health, but they tend to be unarmored, so being able to shrug off death once per Long Rest makes a big difference.

Best Race for Cleric Class in BG3

The Duegar is the best race to select for a Cleric in Baldur's Gate 3. Any Dwarf would do because they get extra proficiencies for many different bludgeoning weapons. However, the Duergar is the best choice for a Cleric because they also gain advantage against being charmed or paralyzed. It wouldn't do to have your healer or tank turn against you, and these stout warriors have an edge against just that.

Best Race for Druid Class in BG3

The Strongheart Halfling is the strongest choice for a Druid in Baldur's Gate 3. Their Lucky feature makes them good for just about any class, but Strongheart Halflings also gain resistance to Poison damage and advantage against being Poisoned. They also have advantage against being Frightened. Offensive Druid magic tends to spread poison and cause Difficult Terrain, so resistance to poison and the ability to reroll failed Saving Throws against being entangled are uniquely useful features for Druids to have.

Best Race for Fighter Class in BG3

Githyanki make the best Fighters in Baldur's Gate 3 owing to their incredible mobility and versatile bonuses. Githyanki can use their Astral Knowledge ability to gain proficiency with all of the skills of a chosen Ability. This makes them more effective in conversation as well as combat. Their Jump and Misty Step abilities also enable them to move around the battlefield with ease.

Best Race for Monk Class in BG3

The Wood Half-Elf is the best choice for a Monk character in Baldur's Gate 3. They gain a few weapon proficiencies that might be especially helpful if you'd like to wield a polearm-type weapon. The real reason, though, is that Wood Half-Elves gain an extra 1.5m of movement speed, which contributes nicely to the Monk's already incredible mobility.

Best Race for Paladin Class in BG3

The durable Gold Dwarf is the best race to pick for a Paladin in Baldur's Gate 3. This is primarily because Gold Dwarves gain a feature that increases their hit point maximum, which pairs nicely with the Paladin's stalwart survivability. They also gain resistance to Poison damage and advantage against being Poisoned, which is a nice bonus for a character that tends to spend most of their time being the target of attacks.

Best Race for Ranger Class in BG3

Humans make the best Rangers in Baldur's Gate 3, primarily because they gain another skill proficiency. Rangers tend to have a lot of skills that they put to a variety of uses. This makes them excellent in and out of combat. One more skill proficiency just makes them that much more versatile. On top of that, Humans also gain a bonus to their carrying capacity, which works well for a class that collects a lot of ingredients and carries a wide variety of weapons.

Best Race for Rogue Class in BG3

The best race for a Rogue in Baldur's Gate 3 is the Deep Gnome; they enjoy an advantage on all of their Stealth checks which makes them incredibly effective at hiding. They also have Superior Darkvision, which is especially helpful in certain dungeons and in the Underdark.

Best Race for Sorcerer Class in BG3

The premier race for a Sorcerer is the Dragonborn. The main reason for this is that the different subraces of Dragonborn offer resistance to a certain element and a breath attack using that same element. This enables the Sorcerer to have an attack that uses their preferred elemental damage type, all while giving them the means to resist it if they get caught in their own blast.

Best Race for Warlock Class in BG3

The Drow is the best race to choose if you're making a Warlock in Baldur's Gate 3. Warlocks are unique in that they can cast spells while in light armor, and they have some abilities that require a weapon. Yet, they get very little in the way of armor and weapon proficiency. The Drow gives them proficiency with Rapiers, Shortswords, and Hand Crossbows, which opens up their options a bit to select a weapon like The Baneful as their Pact weapon.

Best Race for Wizard Class in BG3

The Elf is your best bet for a Wizard character in Baldur's Gate 3. Specifically, the High Elf, which gets an extra cantrip at first level. High Elves are also harder to charm, so it's less likely that their magical prowess will be turned against you.