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There are 6 abilities to be ranked in Baldur’s Gate 3, and we can categorize them by the best for combat vs the top choices for roleplaying.
What is the Best Ability in Baldur’s Gate 3? It’s hard to answer that question because each ability has its purpose in Baldur’s Gate 3, and they all will be useful in certain situations or depending on your build. You have limited ability points to spend, and you must choose wisely when creating your character. However, we can split this into two essential categories everyone should consider when distributing your new character ability scores.
Do you play on one of the hardest difficulties (Tactician or Honur Mode)? Do you like combat and feel truly powerful? Then, you should prioritize abilities that we ranked high by combat.
Would you like to play the evil, smart, noble, or charismatic character? Do you have a specific character story in mind and would like to match their ability scores to the idea you created for them? Then, you should focus on ability scores in Baldur’s Gate 3, ranked by roleplaying potential.
As a result, we have created a guide that ranks every ability score in Baldur’s Gate 3 based on two categories: combat power and roleplaying potential. This will help you balance the two that suit your needs and your character.
- Every Ability Ranked by Combat Power vs Roleplay Potential
- 6 Intelligence (10 points) Combat vs Roleplay Analysis
- 5 Constitution (9 points) Combat vs Roleplay Analysis
- 4 Strength (7 points) Combat vs Roleplay Analysis
- 3 Wisdom (7 points) Combat vs Roleplay Analysis
- 2 Charisma (5 points) Combat vs Roleplay Analysis
- 1 Dexterity (4 points) Combat vs Roleplay Analysis
- What is More Important for Ability Scores in Baldur’s Gate 3 – Combat or Roleplaying?
Every Ability Ranked by Combat Power vs Roleplaying Potential
In Baldur’s Gate 3 combat, Dexterity, Strength, and Constitution are undoubtedly the best ability scores. While you want to put the most points into your class’s primary statistic on Dexterity and Constitution, you will want to spend a decent amount of points regardless of your build because both give benefits regardless of class. The game’s most powerful builds and best weapons are built around Strength.
Best Ability Score Ranked by Combat Power:
- Dexterity
- Strength
- Constitution
- Charisma
- Wisdom
- Intelligence
In exploration dialogue and quests, the most helpful and best abilities are Charisma, Wisdom, and Dexterity. Roleplaying’s best is harder to determine because everyone has their own character background and idea. However, we can arbitrarily confirm that the most useful in dialogues throughout the whole game is Charisma. Your questing experience will be much smoother if your main character scores high Charisma. Wisdom also has two of the most useful skills: perception and insight. Lastly, Dexterity is a sneaking and stealing ability, and you can’t live without it in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Best Ability Score Ranked by Roleplaying Potential:
- Charisma
- Wisdom
- Dexterity
- Intelligence
- Strength
- Constitution
We calculated the points for every ability based on their score in each above category to determine how to rank them. For example, Dexterity has 1 point (ranked 1st) from Combat and 3 points (Ranked 3rd) from roleplaying. As a result, it received 4 points in total. In our ranking, less is better. Lastly, you can find the final list of every ability ranked by combat vs. roleplay in Baldur’s Gate 3 below.
6 Intelligence (10 points) Combat vs Roleplaying Analysis
Intelligence checks skills:
- Arcana
- History
- Investigation
- Nature
- Religion
The primary ability for:
- Wizard Class
We ranked intelligence last overall because it doesn’t provide any real benefits to combat unless you are a Wizard or build a character focusing on any related skills as a roleplayer. This ability score has a particular use, and you will find it useless on most builds.
Combat: In combat, the Intelligence ability score determines the power of wizard class spells. Outside of those other classes, you have zero benefits to use, and you will probably keep it at the minimum value for most characters.
Roleplaying: Creating a mean necromancer wizard with knowledge of Arcane, Religion, and History can be a fantastic playthrough. Also, there are a decent amount of intelligence dice rolls in the game, so having a few points depending on your character’s idea might be useful. Also, investigation is an intelligence skill that is fantastic for exploration. Still, having one character in a group with a good investigation score is enough to take advantage of it while questing in Baldur’s Gate 3. So you don’t need to spend tons of points on every character into this ability.
5 Constitution (9 points) Combat vs Roleplaying Analysis
Constitution increases the hit points of the character. It also can help you with constitution checks and concentration checks in Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s not related to a specific class but rather an overall good ability to consider in Baldur’s Gate 3, regardless of whether you prioritize combat or roleplaying.
Combat: Having a decent amount of hit points (HP) regardless of your class is helpful. Classes focusing on melee combat and needing extra survivability will also greatly benefit from this ability score. Moreover, if your character uses a lot of concentration spells, you may also consider having a high concentration score. It will help you keep them up and have a low chance of breaking their concentration when attacked.
Roleplaying: The Constitution offers occasional benefits in questing. A few dialogue options in the game require Constitution saving throws to pass, so in rare cases, it might actually be useful.
4 Strength (7 points) Combat vs Roleplaying Analysis
Strength checks skills:
- Athletics
The primary ability for:
- Barbarian Class
- Fighter Class
- Paladin Class
Attack and damage ability for:
- Melee weapon users
Strength is used by melee characters and will have great use in combat while being extremely limited in roleplaying. We ranked it as the fourth-best ability score in Baldur’s Gate 3, with 7 points, and as fantastic for combat.
Combat: The game is built for characters that use and require a high-strength ability score. The most effective classes and best builds are those that use it. The game favors this type of playstyle with the great weapon master feat, the overpowered elixir of hill giant strength, or even the savage attacker feat. Also, many of the most powerful weapons, such as the Titanstring Bow or Balduran’s Giantslayer, benefit highly from strength. Consequently, regarding combat, strength could be put as the number one ability by best-build standards.
Roleplaying: There are strong dialogue options, but they are infrequent. While a high score in this ability can also prevent being shoved and helps with higher and longer distances jumping, there are various spells and potions that can easily replace both of those benefits. Additionally, we can easily access the Feather Fall, Fly, or Enhance Leap spells that make strength useless in exploration. Having at least one character with Strength is still good because it may prove useful when you need to lift something heavy or force open a stuck, locked, or barred door.
3 Wisdom (7 points) Combat vs Roleplaying Analysis
Wisdom checks skills:
- Animal Handling
- Insight
- Medicine
- Perception
- Survival
The primary ability for:
- Cleric
- Druid
Spellcasting ability for:
- Ranger
- Cleric
- Druid
Wisdom received the same points as strength in our Baldur’s Gate 3: Every Ability Ranked by Combat vs. Roleplaying Guide. However, while strength is fantastic in combat and skippable in questing, wisdom is decent in both cases.
Combat: I often feel like the wisdom-based spellcasters, such as Clerics or Druids, are overall more powerful than a Wizard who has variety, not sheer power. Also, wisdom defensive saving throws seem more common. Each party, especially in higher difficulties, will need a healer, and the most powerful healers are Clerics, therefore making another argument for the wisdom ability score to be essential in Baldur’s Gate 3 combat.
Roleplaying: Notably, in exploration, conversations, and questing, wisdom is an essential ability score. Perception is one of the best overall skills for exploring and finding hidden treasures. Insight will help you discover lies and hidden truths during conversations. Moreover, survival is fantastic in wild open lands, and Animal Handling and Medicine can make some quests easier.
2 Charisma (5 points) Combat vs Roleplaying Analysis
Charisma checks skills:
- Deception
- Intimidation
- Performance
- Persuasion
The primary ability for:
- Sorcerer
- Bard
- Warlock
Spellcasting ability for:
- Bard
- Sorcerer
- Warlock
- Paladin
Charisma in Baldur’s Gate 3, ranked as the number one most useful roleplaying ability falls short in combat. It’s the spellcasting ability for four classes; three use it as their primary statistic. Nevertheless, it’s high ranking; we can truly explain its usefulness for all classes, all builds, and all races.
Combat: Offensive and defensive powerful damage dealers like Warlock, paladin, and Sorcerer use this stat. Moreover, what makes them truly powerful is the rare opportunity to reach 24 Charisma with the Birthright hat and the mirror of loss permanent bonus, giving you the highest ability score of any spellcaster in Baldur’s Gate 3. Consequently, high charisma will directly boost the damage those classes will deal to your opponents.
Roleplaying: Charisma is a must-have skill for every main character or talking character. Persuasion, deception, and intimidation skill checks during dialogues are common, and you will nearly find any quest that doesn’t benefit from a successful dice roll. Besides, you can influence characters, companions, and the whole playthrough or story just with this ability. For example, a Bard character with a high charisma score is one of the most immersive playthroughs in Baldur’s Gate 3.
1 Dexterity (4 points) Combat vs Roleplaying Analysis
Dexterity checks skills:
- Acrobatics
- Sleight of Hand
- Stealth
The primary ability for:
- Ranger
- Rogue
Attack and damage ability for:
- Ranged weapon attack rolls
Firstly, dexterity is the most important ability for all classes in combat and proves to be fantastic in Roleplaying and exploration. With 4 points, it deserves the number one spot in this ability ranking, proving it useful for both categories.
Combat: Dexterity influences your initiative, giving you a higher chance of having a turn faster during combat. Also, it increases AC if you don’t wear heavy armor, making your character more agile and more likely to successfully pass dexterity saving throws to avoid enemy attacks completely. Moreover, some weapons can either add strength or dexterity modifiers, whichever is highest. Therefore, even casters and melee damage dealers can stack dexterity for different combat benefits. Lastly, the most powerful build in Baldur’s Gate 3 is, according to many players, the ranger, who uses dexterity as their main statistic.
Roleplaying: Dexterity is associated with stealth and Sleight of Hand. It also allows you to lockpick closed areas or chests and disarm traps. If you have played Baldur’s Gate 3, you probably know how common both are and how useful dexterity is during exploration and questing. You can also access the better loot, which is usually locked behind doors or traps, and if you can’t do it due to low dexterity, you will miss a lot of hidden lore and fantastic gameplay elements in Baldur’s Gate 3. Two of the most common skill checks are charisma and dexterity, and you can never go wrong with either.
What is More Important for Ability Scores in Baldur’s Gate 3 – Combat or Roleplaying?
The game is a balance of both. In Baldur’s Gate 3, when you create your character and consider Combat vs Roleplaying benefits, you should follow your own preferences and judgment. Do you value and enjoy feeling powerful? Maybe you would like to look for and use the most robust and broken build in the game, so you should prioritize Constitution and Dexterity over your primary statistic.
Suppose you don’t plan to play on Tactician or Honour Mode difficulty. In that case, you can safely go for ability scores that reflect your character personality or straightforward exploration, looting, questing, and dialogues.
Ultimately, the choice is yours, and you should mix both for the best and most fun playthroughs.
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