Baldur’s Gate 3: Top 10 Builds for Patch 8

Explore the best classes and subclasses as we present the top 10 builds for Baldur’s Gate 3 in Patch 8, offering the most powerful in BG3.

Baldur’s Gate 3 build crafting can be a complex series of factors contributing to a character’s effectiveness, such as race, class, subclass, abilities, feats, spells, equipment, and playstyle. It also involves understanding how different mechanics interact with each other and how to optimize your character’s build to take advantage of these interactions. Patch 8 has been released, and we intend to answer the question in this build: What is the Best Build for Baldur’s Gate 3?

This guide has been updated for the patch 8 version of Baldur’s Gate 3.

What are the Best 10 Builds for Baldur’s Gate 3 in Patch 8

The best Builds in Patch 8 are the Shadow Magic Sorcerer, Oathbreaker Paladin, and Gloom Stalker Ranger. These three classes excel in their respective roles, offering substantial damage output and valuable utility to any party.

However, the Shadow Magic Sorcerer multi-classed with the Paladin is the overall strongest build in Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8. With the addition of the Shadow Blade spell, and Booming Blade cantrip, magic users can now play a high Charisma or Strength melee build, and rival the damage of martial melee builds. In addition, the Sorcerer retains all the spellcasting power, including Metamagic, making it versatile in combat with high burst damage and an effective dialogue conversation character due to charisma ability score.

Ten best builds in the latest Patch 8 from best to worst:

1. Shadow Sorcerer Build: best overall combat, dialogue, and utility class and build in BG3 Patch 8.
2. Oathbreaker Paladin Build: the best single target damage, good in dialogue, flexible equipment options.
3. Gloom Stalker Ranger Build: best range class, high survivability, best for solo play.
4. Giant Barbarian Build: the best melee build due to throw and range damage, which is improved with the Giant subclass.
5. Battle Master Fighter Build: the simplest effective build in BG3, not requiring complex spells or multiclassing.
6. Hexblade Warlock Build: Similar to Shadow Magic Sorcerer, just without metamagic, but better for multiclassing.
7. Circle of Moon Druid Build: Now capable of soloing Honour mode thanks to Tavern Brawler change in Patch 8.
8. Way of the Open Hand Monk Build: great damage and mobility without the need for weapons.
9. College of Swords Bard: Dual Crossbow range build with good spells for group utility.
10. Light Cleric Build: A tank, healer, and damage dealer all in one build.

10 Light Cleric Build

The best features of the Light Cleric Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Race: High Half-Elf
• Background: Folk Hero
• Subclass: Light Cleric, Eldritch Knight Fighter
• Multiclass: 8 Cleric, 4 Fighter
• Ability Score: STR 8, DEX 14, CON 16, INT 8, WIS 17, CHA 10
• Skills: Medicine, Insight
• Key Equipment: Coruscation Ring, Luminous Armour, Luminous Gloves

What makes the Light Cleric build effect is its ability to heal, tank, and do damage. The Cleric, while known for healing, can dish out damage, specifically radiant. Why radiant damage is effective is because of a debuff called radiant orb: Affected entity has -1 to Attack Rolls per remaining turn. The Light Cleric can take advantage of early Act 1 gear sets, using medium armor, and trigger this effect in a radius (AOE), essentially debuffing all the enemies and preventing incoming damage.

As you progress and level, the effect becomes more pronounced with the spell Spirit Guardians. The downside of the build is it doesn’t have a taunt like the Oath of Crowns Paladins, nor does it have mobility. Moreover, the Light Cleric can be gear-dependent, and if you miss critical items in Act 1, you won’t be able to pull off the radiant damage tricks. However, you can blend healing, tanking, and a bit of damage, making our top 10 best builds in list in Patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3.

How to Play the Light Cleric Build in Patch 8

To get the most out of your Light Cleric build, your goal is to stack the Radiating Orb debuff as quickly and consistently as possible. Equip gear like the Coruscation Ring, Luminous Armour, Luminous Gloves, and Fabricated Arbalest to apply radiant damage each turn. With the Spirit Guardian spell, every tick of radiant damage reduces enemy Attack Rolls by -1 per stack, making it nearly impossible for them to hit your party, no matter their Armor Class.

Before combat, make sure to pre-buff with key spells or scrolls. Prioritize Mirror Image, Blur, Shield of Faith, Freedom of Movement, and Death Ward. Keep in mind that some of these require concentration, while others (like Death Ward and Freedom of Movement) last until a long rest. Scrolls are your best friend here — save them for tough fights, especially Mirror Image, which gives a massive AC boost right before you engage.

While not the best overall build in Patch 8, it still ranks in the top 10 on our list for Baldur’s Gate 3 due to its sheer versatility.

9 College of Swords Bard

The best features of the College of Swords Bard Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Race: Githyanki
• Background: Guild Artisan
• Subclass: College of Sword, Thief
• Multiclass: 6 Bard, 4 Rogue, 2 Fighter
• Ability Score: STR 8, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 10, CHA 16,
• Skills: Intimidation, Perception, Performance
• Key Equipment:  Armour of Agility, Hellfire Hand Crossbow, Ne’er Misser

The College of Swords Bard build utilizes dual Crossbows for range damage while combining spellcasting and utility. When multi-classed with the Rogue and Thief combination after level 6, the Bard can utilize a second bonus action, attacking twice with one action via an extra attack. With a secondary crossbow equipped, the extra bonus action triggers a fourth damage source! This allows the Bard to keep up great damage with the other builds on this Patch 8 best build list.

Additionally, the Bard specializes in high Charisma and utility spellcasting. With the College of Swords Bard build, you can get the best of both worlds, having good combat proficiency while maintaining your class identity and feel. Moreover, you gain Blade Flourish, an extra utility to weapon attacks that can be used at range or melee. Also consider a level 1-2 dip into the Hexblade Warlock build. You gain a ton of utility just sacrificing one level and it’s well worth it for spellcasters or melee players.

What holds the Bard back is terrible spell selection at higher levels and not the same damage as the two-handed Greatsword melee builds. However, don’t sleep on this Bard build; it has good utility and awesome damage, perfect for a player who enjoys both aspects of Baldur’s Gate 3 ranking number 9 on our 10 top best builds list for Patch 8.

8 Way of the Open Hand Monk Build

The best features of the Way of the Open Hand Monk Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Race: Wood Half-Elf
• Background: Entertainer
• Subclass: Way of the Open Hand, Thief
• Multiclass: 9 Monk, 3 Rogue
• Ability Score: STR 8, DEX 16, CON 15, INT 8, WIS 16, CHA 10,
• Skills: Athletics, Insight
• Key Equipment: Gloves of Soul Catching, Vest of Soul Rejuvenation, Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo

The Way of the Open Hand Monk is an extremely strong build if played as a multiclass Rogue, Thief. The Monk class incentivizes the use of bonus action for unarmed attacks. The Way of the Open Hand unlocks Flurry of Blows, giving you massive utility and damage.  Another benefit of playing this build is that you use clothing and gloves for damage, which doesn’t require you to have weapons. This build is still much stronger than the Drunken Master new subclass in Patch 8, so don’t stray from the subclass!

With this build, you will want to use 3-4 levels of the Rogue to get the Thief Subclass. This will unlock an additional bonus action, which means an additional attack. With the Extra Attack class feature and two bonus actions, your Monk will hit very hard just using unarmed attacks and have many attacks per turn. Each attack can consume your Ki resource, providing stuns, knockbacks, and staggers. This gives the Monk superior control over each individual hit.

The downside of this build is its entire mobility depends on and has limited ways to deal with stuns and incoming crowd control effects. Moreover, the Monk does not have spell casting with this subclass. If you don’t roll high on the initiative, you are susceptible to incoming stun and a turned skipped. However, it’s a very powerful melee class that, if supported properly, can destroy the opposing team. 

How to Play the Way of the Open Hand Monk in Patch 8

The best way to play the Way of the Open Hand monk is to increase your strength via an elixir and use the Tavern Brawler feat at level 4. This increases your overall damage due to adding your strength modifier. In Act 3, you can craft or purchase Cloud Giant Elixir boosting your strength 27 until a long rest. Thus, you can keep your strength ability score low in character creation, and radically increase your dexterity by double dipping into two resource pools for damage.

7 Circle of Moon Druid Build

The best features of the Circle of Moon in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Race: Wood Half-Elf
• Background: Folk Hero
• Subclass: Circle of the Moon, Storm Sorcery
• Multiclass: 11 Druid, 1 Sorcerer
• Ability Score: STR 8, DEX 14, CON 16, INT 10, WIS 16, CHA 10,
• Skills: Nature, Perception
• Key Equipment: Shapeshifter Hat, Bhaalist Armour, Amulet of Greater Health

In Patch 8 of BG3, the Circle of the Moon Druid wasn’t changed directly, but the Tavern Brawler feat was fixed to work on Honour Mode difficulty. Similar to the Monk, this adds your strength modifier to unarmed, and now Wild Shape damage. This change gives a massive amount of damage added at the highest level of combat for the Druid. Wild Shape form specifically is helpful in early, medium, and late game, giving you a massive health bar and abilities.

Wild Shape itself doesn’t require concentration, therefore, it’s best to use a concentration spell before transforming. However, that’s the major downside to the Circle of Moon build, it requires specific timing and spellcasting. If you’re crowd controlled (charmed or prone), before transforming, you can easily be killed. Therefore, you need to increase your dexterity and initiative, or use the feat Alert to ensure you go early in combat order. But, if you’re able to use an action outside of combat to pre-buff with concentration, then your bonus action to Wild Shape, you gain massive HP, damage, and movement.

If the Druid wasn’t dependent on turn one action and bonus action, we would rank it higher on our top 10 builds for Patch 8 list in Baldur’s Gate 3.

How to Play the Circle of the Moon Druid

The best combination of Tavern Brawler and Wild Shape is in Act 3 with Bhaalist Armour and Saber Tooth Tiger. The Jugular Strike action lunges at a creature’s throat. If the target is Prone, you deal an additional 2d6 + Strength or Dexterity Piercing damage. This gives you two sources of piercing damage, assuming that the target is knocked prone. The piercing damage doubles, and is buffed further by tavern brawler, giving you huge damage each turn.

Keep your strength ability score low in character creation and use an elixir throughout the game to ensure maximum damage starting at level 4 when you can take the feat.

6 Hexblade Warlock Build

The best features of the Hexblade Warlock Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Race: Half-Orc
• Background: Entertainer
• Subclass: Hexblade, Oath of Vengeance
• Multiclass: 6 Warlock, 6 Paladin
• Ability Score: STR 8, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 8, WIS 10, CHA 17
• Skills: Deception, Investigation
• Key Equipment: Birthright, Armour of Agility, Hellriders

The Hexblade Warlock is a new subclass introduced in Patch 8 of BG3 with the ability to summon a specter from dead enemy corpses and a new Smite, Wrathful. The Hexblade is best used as a multiclass build with 6 Warlock, and 6 Paladins. This way you can get Divine Smite and Extra Attack from the Paladin, as well as more spell slots and utility. Unlike other builds, the Hexblade can stack just one ability score, Charisma, for melee damage and spellcasting due to Hex Binding Weapon. Therefore, it’s easier to spread your ability score around and get higher dexterity or constitution for survivability.

The major downside to the Hexblade is that it’s gear-dependent and has much less spell slots than other spellcasters. This can be helpful when upcasting the new spell, Shadow Blade which serves as your melee weapon. However, the Sorcerer can run almost the identical build, and with metamagic, it’s simply stronger in the end-game but not the start. However, you can make an argument that this is the best Warlock build in BG3, and all around one of the best in Patch 8.

Moreover, the Hexblade makes one of the best multiclass options, taking between 1-4 levels. Even one level can boost the overall power of every Charisma build (Bard, Sorc, Paladin). Therefore, consider it one of the best overall, and the best to multiclass in espeically for proficiencies and utility.

How to Play Hexblade Warlock in Patch 8 BG3

To play the Hexblade effectively, start each fight by using your bonus action to summon Shadow Blade, then dive in with melee attacks as your main damage source. The real power comes from stacking psychic damage — equip the Strange Conduit Ring and Resonance Stone to boost your Shadow Blade’s output dramatically. Once your blade is summoned, apply Hexblade’s Curse to your target for even more bonus damage.

One of the best strategies for Hexblade is picking up the Devil’s Sight passive. This lets you see through magical darkness, which combos perfectly with the Darkness spell. Cast it on yourself to create a protective shroud where only you can see and strike freely — a massive advantage in tough fights.

Lastly, you can forgo using Shadow Blade and use a two-handed martial weapon. If you do this, stack Strength with Elixir or Dexerity with feats. Then Bind Hexed Weapon. This will give you overall a super powerful build from 1-12, multiclass or not.

Also Check:- BG3 Interactive Map

5 Battle Master Fighter Build

The best features of the Battle Master Fighter Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Race: Half-Orc
• Background: Soldier
• Subclass: Battle Master
• Multiclass: No
• Ability Score: STR 16, DEX 14, CON 16, INT 8, WIS 10, CHA 10,
• Skills: Acrobatics, Perception
• Key Equipment: Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength, Balduran’s Giantslayer, Helm of Balduran

The Battle Master Fighter is the simplest melee damage dealer and the strongest at the start of the game. With heavy armor proficiency, massive utility, and crowd control with Battle Manoeuvers, it is one of the best melee fighters in the game. What separates the class is Extra Attack, Action Surge, and Improved Extra Attack. At level 11 in the Fighter, you can attack three times with one action.  You can then use a combination of skills, items, and consumables and attack for 9 or more times in one turn!

The downside of the class is the lack of spellcasting and vulnerability to incoming spells. You have few tools to counter or stop spells from dropping your weapon or holding you in person. Moreover, your dexterity will be lower, so initiative is an issue that is going late in the attack order. Lastly, you won’t have the off-healing capabilities of the Paladin, which can help you in tough fights. However, Battle Master Fighter remains my number one recommendation for players looking to play melee build in BG3 for the first time due to its power, armor flexibility, and simplicity.

Also, consider using Eldritch Knight OR High Half-Elf race. With the addition of Booming Blade, you can use it once per action and it’s a mini “divine smite” for any build. This adds even more raw damage for melee two-handed Fighters, which were already amazing!

4 Giant Barbarian Build

The best features of the Giant Barbarian Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Race: Duergar Dwarf
• Background: Soldier
• Subclass: Path of Giant, Thief
• Multiclass: 6 Barbarian, 4 Rogue, 2 Fighter
• Ability Score: STR 17, DEX 16, CON 15, INT 8, WIS 8, CHA 8
• Skills: Perception, Survival
• Key Equipment: Nyrulna, Ring of Flinging, Bhaalist Armour

The Giant Barbarian was introduced in Patch 8 making the Throw Barbarian build slightly better because of the Giant’s Rage bonus: Your Rage damage bonus is doubled on throw attacks. This gives the Barbarian the combat potential to solo Honour Mode because, unlike other melee builds, you gain massive range. Your bonus action can kick enemies giving you crowd control similar to the Berserker Barbarian. Additionally, the game is littered with items designed for the Barbarian throughout all three Acts in BG3. Thus, the Giant Barbarian build isn’t effective only at the end game.

Additionally, the Path of Giant Barbarian gains the feature, Elemental Cleaver: Until the end of your Rage, your weapon will deal additional Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder damage and gain the Thrown property. If thrown, it will immediately reappear in your hand. This feat allows the subclass and build to throw nearly ANY weapon effectively (yes not just Nyrulna). Since you pick up this feat at level 6, you can essentially use it throughout the entire game, giving you much more effectiveness than waiting until Act 3.

The downside of this build is no heavy armour proficiency, spellcasting, and weak crowd control. Like other melee builds, you must focus on mobility to reach targets on turn one. The Barbarian remains one of the strongest and most simplistic melee builds in BG3 but lacks the utility and versatility of others on this 10 Baldur’s Gate Patch 8 list. 

3 Gloom Stalker Ranger Build

The best features of the Gloom Stalker Ranger build in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Race: Wood Elf
• Background: Urchin
• Subclass: Gloom Stalker, Thief, Champion
• Multiclass: 5 Ranger, 4 Rogue, 4 Fighter
• Ability Score: STR 8, DEX 17, CON 16, INT 8, WIS 14, CHA 10,
• Skills: Animal Handling, Insight, Survival
• Key Equipment: 

The Gloom Stalker Ranger is the best turn-one build in BG3. Your subclass allows for a free attack on your first turn with high initiative, meaning you will likely go first. The Ranger class has Extra Attack, so you pair that free Dreaded Ambusher attack with two more attacks on turn one to eliminate the highest threat target. The subclass also gives you a free invisible spell if you are obscured, as well as superior Darkvision and Misty Step. 

The Gloom Stalker Ranger is a gassed-up version of the Rogue Thief build. When you combine the two in multiclassing, each gets a huge benefit. The Ranger gets a bonus action, while the Rogue gets an Extra Attack. You can take this one step further and use two levels of the Fighter for Action Surge. This provides an additional action, and with Extra Attack, another two attacks. Not to mention, this class has limited spell casting, which can come in handy. Another alternative is to use the Assassin subclass rather than Thief, which is higher damage at the cost of lower subclass utility.

We’ve moved the Gloom Stalker Ranger much higher on the list due to its strength in playing solo or on Honour Difficulty. The downside of the build is the lack of crowd control and the reliance on scrolls and ammunition, such as arrows, for utility. The power fades in the class beyond level 5, and you are incentivized to multiclass to increase power. However, the Gloom Stalker is one of the strongest ranged damage dealers in the game without being overly complex.

2 Oathbreaker Paladin Build

The best features of the Oathbreaker Paladin Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Race: Half-Orc
• Background: Soldier
• Subclass: Oathbreaker, Champion
• Multiclass: 8 Paladin, 4 Champion
• Ability Score: STR 16, DEX 10, CON 14, INT 8, WIS 10, CHA 16,
• Skills: Persuasion, Insight
• Key Equipment: Bhaalist Armour, Nyrulna, The Deathstalker Mantle

The second-best build in BG3 Patch 8 is the Oathbreaker Paladin using the Bhaalist Armour and Nyrulna combination in Act 3. The Paladin has incredible versatility, single-target damage, and survivability, all in one class.  With the Oathbreaker subclass, you gain control over undead enemies and the ability to play an “evil character.” This is especially helpful in Act 3 to get the best armour set in the game, Bhaalist Armour. Furthermore, you can gain another overpowered gear item, Deathstalker Mantle, which gives you invisibility on a kill.

The Paladin, like the Fighter, has access to nearly all weapons and armor types, freeing up multiple playstyles. What separates the two is the Paladin’s ability to cast. Combining Extra Attack with Divine Smite gives you incredible raw damage potential.  You can also heal allies with Lay on Hands and save your team from dying. With the addition of Hexblade Warlock and Shadow Magic Sorcerer, you can multiclass either of these builds for even more utility with as much burst damage.

The major downside of the build and class is low movement and lower dexterity. You can solve the movement issue with Amulet of Misty Step or the Disintegration of Nightwalker Boots in Act 1. For your Dexerity issue, you can use the Alert feat to go sooner in combat or respec with Withers in Act 3, lowering Charisma and upping Dexerity.

Overall, the Paladin is now the BEST class to multiclass into due to Divine Smite. But, with the introduction of Shadow Blade, the Shadow Magic Sorcerer can get all the benefits of a Paladin with range spellcasting as well.

1 Shadow Magic Sorcerer Build

The best features of the Shadow Magic Sorcerer Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Race: Half-Orc
• Background: Entertainer
• Subclass: Shadow Magic, Oath of Vengeance
• Multiclass: 6 Sorcerer, 6 Paladin
• Ability Score: STR 16, DEX 10, CON 14, INT 8, WIS 8, CHA 17,
• Skills: Athletics, Persuasion
• Key Equipment: Resonance Stone, Dark Justiciar Half-Plate, Strange Conduit Ring

The best overall build in Patch 8 for BG3 is the Shadow Magic Sorcerer multi-classed with the Oath of the Vengeance Paladin. With the introduction of Shadow Blade, you can gain as much per-turn damage as any melee build, with the additional utility of a spellcaster. Moreover, the Sorcerer has the unique feature Metamagic, allowing them ultimate flexibility in casting magic spells, or cantrips like the newly added Booming Blade. You can “Twinned” Booming Blade per turn, using this attack twice and devastating enemies.

Similar to the Warlock, you can cast spells and attack inside the Darkness cloud thanks to a unique subclass feature, “Eyes of Darkness.” Therefore, you cast this darkness cloud on top of your target, launch into melee attacks with Shadow Blade, and prevent almost any incoming damage from hitting you. Once multiclassed, you gain Divine Smite and new armour and weapon proficiencies, making you even more deadly.

One downside is you need to use two ability scores for optimal damage: Charisma (spellcasting) and Strength (melee hits with Shadow Blade). You can keep your strength low in character creation and use an Elixir of Hill Giant Strength, or increase it and sacrifice dexterity. Moreover, the Hexblade Warlock is a better option for 1-2 levels to multiclass. Both have pros and cons, but it’s the major issue with the build, everything else is flawless. Mobility, damage, survivability, dialogue utility, and absolute mind-blowing fun factor.

How to Play the Shadow Magic Sorcerer in Patch 8

The strongest way to play a Shadow Magic Sorcerer in Baldur’s Gate 3 is by combining Shadow Blade (Level 2) with Booming Blade. This setup allows you to scale your attacks off Strength, which you can push to 27 using the Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength. That alone makes your melee hits hit like a truck.

In Act 2, pick up the Resonance Stone from the Mind Flayer Colony. This item makes enemies vulnerable to Psychic damage, effectively doubling your Shadow Blade’s output. After that, multiclass into Paladin for Extra Attack and Divine Smite. Now you’re using your spell slots to smite while swinging your psychic blade twice per turn.

What’s New in Patch 8 for Baldur’s Gate 3?

Patch 8 brings some major heat to Baldur’s Gate 3, with new spells, subclasses, and game-changing updates. Shadow Blade lets spellcasters brawl up close with the same power as martials, and every class gets a new subclass—some of which are absolutely cracked. Plus, Cross-Play and Photo Mode are finally here. Here’s a quick rundown before we break down the top 5 changes and how they’ll shake up your next BG3 campaign:

New Spells

• Shadow Blade – High damage melee weapon for casters
• Staggering Smite – Hits hard and debuffs enemies

New Cantrips

• Booming Blade

• Bursting Sinew
• Toll the Dead

Tavern Brawler for Druids works in Wild Shape on Honour Mode

New Subclasses: 12 total—one for each class

Cross-Play: Full cross-platform progression and play across all supported systems

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