As you might expect, Baldur's Gate 3 plays very differently from the table game from which it takes cues, Dungeons & Dragons. There is, of course, a lot of overlap, with iconic spells from the tabletop game series making their way into the virtual world of The Forgotten Realms, such as Fireball and Polymorph.
Baldur's Gate 3: 10 Most Beginner-Friendly Classes
Some of the easiest classes in Baldur's Gate 3 will help players who are new to the series and genre to have a step up in the world.
Whereas before D&D knowledge provides a strategic advantage in turn-based combat, applying the principles of combat i Baldur's Gate 3 to the table version often leads to misery. This is demonstrated by different companions' playstyles in the game, with several that differ markedly from the typical playstyle of the same classes Dungeons & Dragons.
Astarion
Often the face of the party, an unusual place for the villain
Astarion is a fan-favorite character for many reasons, not least because of Neil Newbon's award-winning performance as the pale-faced vampire, or the compelling storyline that sees Astarion free himself from the shackles of his oppressor. In part, this is due to his high versatility and incredibly potent damage output capabilities. Rogues can deal a lot of damage in 5th edition, but their playstyle i Baldur's Gate 3 is much more confrontational and aggressive than you'd expect in its tabletop counterpart.
One of the key features in Rogue's arsenal is the ability to sneak attacks, which greatly multiplies their damage. This applies to both mediums and is granted when the Rogue has advantage against their target. IN Baldur's Gate 3gaining advantage over your target is trivial, especially compared to in D&D. Tabletop Rogues will strategically and quietly position themselves waiting for the right time to strike, while Astarion is very comfortable leading the charge.
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Rogues aren't likely to survive much of the beating, and having the average Rogue lead the charge into a fight, as Astarion will do all too often, would be a recipe for disaster in D&D. Astarion is also more slippery and evasive than Rogues in the tabletop game, though this may be a product of the video game world feeling slicker than the average tabletop experience, with damage/sneak attacks/sneak calculations done in the background and without much player input. Overall, Astarion performs excellently as a villain, but be careful if you try to imitate his style in your next D&D game.
Storm
Probably the most powerful class, but teaches the wrong lessons for tabletops
Wizards are often hailed as the most powerful class in D&Dand that is a statement that is hard to argue with. Probably as true in Baldur's Gate 3 as it is in Dungeons & DragonsWizards are an exceptionally powerful class. However, playing a Wizard as if they are Gale will soon leave players exhausted and with no cards left to play.
Baldur's Gate 3 is extremely meeting-heavy, and while the official D&D The rules recommend 6-8 encounters per long rest, this usually falls by the wayside in favor of fewer, more devastating encounters, especially in longer campaigns. This means that spell slots are a much more valuable and scarce resource in the tabletop version of the game, as opposed to the virtual one. Also, there are more spells Baldur's Gate 3 than they are in D&D. They are also much more versatile BG3with no restrictions on who can throw them or the skill level required to throw them without risk of failure. This allows Gale to perform more magic than expected, as slot rationing is less of a concern. Playing this way on tabletop would quickly get your party frustrated with you for burning through precious spells, while missing out on strategically useful slots.
In general, classes with superior roleplay potential, such as casters who can manipulate the outside world in a better way, play very differently on the tabletop. Spells often advance the story in unexpected ways, or reveal a creative solution to the problem the DM presents. That is not to say Baldur's Gate 3 have none of these; it absolutely does, but it pales in comparison to the creative freedom that the board game offers. It would be a waste to see a tabletop wizard that does nothing but spam offensive spells or throw out repeated AOE attacks.
Wyll
The short rest system transforms how a wizard plays
Warlocks are one of the few casting classes that can regain spent spelllots after a short rest. Casters such as Druids, Clerics, Sorcerers, and Wizards, meanwhile, regain spell slots only after finishing a long rest, with the exception of specific skill effects, such as Arcane Recovery or Sorcery Point Conversion. This is a unique yet defining trait that significantly affects the Warlock playstyle. They don't sit on spells and wait for the right time to use them; they throw them in here and now. They are quite handy with some weapons too.
This is the same across both iterations of Warlock. However, Baldur's Gate 3 changes the short rest system (to an arguably better system) by removing dice and rolls, and simply allowing players to have a short rest up to twice between long rests. Instead of rolling dice to determine how much a player heals, they simply heal up to half their HP. Not only is this an elegant system, as it reduces much of the computation required to make a short rest happen, but it simplifies everything. This has a significant impact on how Warlocks play.
Baldur's Gate 3: Best Warlock Class Build
The best Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock build relies on the Great Old One for powers that turn the tide of a fight while Eldritch Blast provides power.
Experienced players will attest that short rests are often (stupidly) forgotten as a way to catch up and replenish hit points, but not in Baldur's Gate 3. Short rests are much more common, with players often using up both short rests before retiring for the night. This means that a Warlock will cast spells more freely, and as a result they tend to have a more aggressive and magical playstyle. They are a great choice no matter what medium you play with, but tabletop players need to be more reserved with their spell slots. Running out of dice is a much rarer experience than running out of short rests. A Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock playing in 5th edition and aggressive casting in every encounter would quickly doom a table party.
Jaheira
Baldur's Gate's Jack-of-All-Trades
Druids are an incredibly powerful class in both versions of the game. Jaheira is often combined with other classes, from Ranger to Cleric to Fighter, and each class has its own strengths and weaknesses. She is often positioned as a bit of a versatile character, which is an ideal use of her feral form in combination with her other class abilities. If a player applied their video game knowledge to tabletops, having only played Jaheira, they would be forgiven for thinking that Druids are usually in a jack-of-all-trades role, with offensive and defensive abilities, as well as being able to Wild Shape freely to tank hits in combat.
Unlike tabletops, where players must first know a specific animal before they can Wild Shape into it, Baldur's Gate 3 Druids only need to meet the level requirement, and there are specific Wild Shapes designed with combat in mind. The larger pool of Wild Shape options available on the tabletop does not lend itself well to dedicated, combat-focused Wild Shapes. Instead, it's more a matter of finding the right Wild Shape for the right situation, not just jumping into your tankiest Wild Shape and charging forward. It's not uncommon to see Jaheira tanking, dealing damage, and supporting other characters all in one fight, moving in and out of Wild Shape all the time. This is a much less common sight on the tabletop, and can spell disaster if one Baldur's Gate 3 Druids test their mettle with pens and dice for the first time.
Min
Ranger with an unorthodox angle
Minsc is another fan-favorite character from Baldur's Gate 3brought to life by the incomparable Matthew Mercer, DM for the critical role D&D podcast, lending his voice to the character. Minsc is introduced in act three, provided the player has kept Jaheira alive and completed his quest line. If so, players will first encounter Minsc in the Counting House of Baldur's Gate.
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Much like Astarion, Minsc is much less limited as a Ranger in the virtual world than he would be on the tabletop, enjoying additional attacks, a boost to his overall vitality, and a sweet companion to boot. The companion Boo, a giant miniature space hamster, has a significant advantage in Baldur's Gate 3 over the table top. The latter requires the player to use their own action to make their companion attack, often known as “Beast Master Tax”. IN BG3however, Boo acts independently, which greatly raises Minsc in the overall action economy, and he quickly becomes much more viable than his tabletop counterpart.
- Released
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August 3, 2023
- ESRB
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M for Adult: Blood and Gore, partial nudity, sexual content, strong language, violence
