This guide focuses on the best Barbarian build in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Berserker subclass, and includes all components to create a powerful character.
This build has been updated for the patch 3 version of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Barbarian Class Introduction
Barbarians are the ultimate melee warriors, relying on their raw strength and ferocity to tear through their enemies. They are able to enter a state of rage, which increases their damage output and durability. Barbarians are also proficient with all weapons and armor, making them versatile combatants.
In this build, we will be focusing on the Berserker subclass. Berserkers are even more destructive than other Barbarians, but they also have a more reckless streak. When they enter a rage, they become immune to pain, but they also take more damage. This makes them a glass cannon, but if you can manage their rage carefully, they can be an incredibly powerful force on the battlefield.
| Pros of Barbarian Build | Cons of Barbarian Build |
|---|---|
| High Damage Output | Lacks Spellcasting |
| Damage Resistance | Weak Range |
| Extra Attacks | Vulnerable to Magic |
Barbarian Class Features & Mechanics
The following list presents all the essential Berserker Barbarian Class Mechanics and Features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Primary Ability: Strength
- Saving Throws: Strength and Constitution
- Subclass: Berserker
- Armour Proficiency: Light Armour, Medium Armour, Shield
- Weapon Proficiency: Martial and Simple
- Preferred Weapon: Greatsword
- Preferred Armor: Clothing
- Rage: Gain 2 extra damage with melee and have increased damage resistance.
- Frenzy: Rage turns into Frenzy giving you an attack with Bonus Actions rather than Actions.
- Frenzied Strike & Enraged Throw: Bonus Action-based attack that can be paired with Action for two Attacks per turn.
- Extra Attack: allows two attacks with one action.
The Berserker Barbarian is a powerful class that can be a lot of fun to play. However, it’s important to be aware of the risks of frenzy, as it can easily backfire. If you’re looking for a class that can deal a lot of damage and take a lot of hits, the Berserker Barbarian is a great choice.
Barbarian Best Subclass – Berserker
Here are all the Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian subclasses:
- Berserker: straightforward, simple, and big damage
- Wildheart: more versatility and control
- Wild Magic: unpredictable and magic-based
The Berserker subclass is the best Barbarian subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 because it is the most powerful damage dealer. They can deal a lot of damage in a short amount of time, making them an asset to any party. At level 3, when picking Berserker subclass your Rage turns into Frenzy giving you Access to Frenzy Strike and Enraged Throw.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Berserker Barbarian Features & Progression
The Berserker Barbarian subclass unlocks the following features and spells:
- Frenzy Strike (Level 3): As a bonus action, make a melee attack with your Current equipped weapon.
- Frenzied Strike (Level 3): As a Bonus Action, make a melee attack with your weapon; Will cause a stack of Frenzied Strain on the Barbarian.
- Enraged Throw (Level 3): You can Pick up an item or Creature to throw at an Opponent Knocking them prone and dealing 1-4 damage.
- Mindless Rage (Level 6): Your rage becomes all-consuming, repelling outside influence; While Frenzied, you cant be Charmed or Frightened, and Calm Emotions no longer ends your rage.
- Intimidating Presence (Level 10): Menace an enemy and instill a terrible Fear within them.
Recommended Backgrounds Barbarian Berserker in Baldur’s Gate 3
The best Background for a Barbarian is Soldier because it has proficiency in Athletics and Intimidation. Backgrounds in Baldur’s Gate 3 are a way to represent your character’s backstory and give them some starting skills and abilities. Athletics scales in effectiveness with your main class‘s primary statistic, Strength.
- Solider – Provides proficiency in Athletics and Intimidation, embracing the militia or military officer.
- Outlander – Provides proficiency in Athletics and Survival, reflecting your wilderness expertise and self-reliance.
Race Choice for Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Build
Half-Orc is the Best Race Choice for a Berserker Barbarian because the Relentless Endurance racial feature can also save you from dropping to 0 hit points. The Half-Orc’s savage attack allows for extra damage and Darkvision is vital playing in the Underdark. A secondary option is Zariel Tiefling which offers Hellish Resistance and Rebuke along with Darkvision. This is a great race for filtering with fire and makes a great melee race choice option.
Here is the best race choice for a Barbarian build in Baldur’s Gate 3.
| Half-Orc | Zariel Tiefling |
|---|---|
| Relentless Endurance | Darkvision (12m) |
| Menacing | Hellish Resistance |
| Darkvision | Searing Smite |
| Savage Attack | Branding Smite |
The Barbarian’s racial choice will not influence ability score, as race will get a +2 and +1 to spend regardless. This frees your race choice up to not completely hinder yourself based on ability score, but race features. Each of these races offers unique advantages that can enhance your combat prowess, survivability, or utility. Additionally, consider the roleplaying opportunities and character concepts that resonate with you.
Recommended Skills for Barbarian Berserker Build
Perception and Survival are the best skills for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Berserker Build because they complement your class abilities and enhance your effectiveness in various situations. In Baldur’s Gate 3, skills represent the abilities and proficiencies of your character that allow them to perform various actions and interact with the game world. Skills are associated with specific attributes and are used to determine the success or effectiveness of certain actions or abilities.
Here are the best skills for a Berserker Barbarian in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Perception is a Wisdom skill
- Survival is a Wisdom Skill.
Best Barbarian Ability Score
Below is the best ability score to unlock the full potential of a Barbarian in Baldur’s Gate 3:
| Ability | Points Goal |
|---|---|
| Strength | 16 |
| Dexterity | 14 |
| Constitution | 16 |
| Intelligence | 8 |
| Wisdom | 12 |
| Charisma | 8 |
The Best Ability Score for Barbarian Build is a high Strength of 16 and Constitution of 16. This way your melee abilities will do a lot of damage with a massive health pool for good survivability. The next priority is Dexterity at 14 so you have a higher Initiative because going first or sooner means eliminating more enemies and taking less damage. Dexterity also gives us +2 Armour Class (AC) due to a Barbarian passive, again, helping us with survivability.
During character creation, the game will automatically distribute your abilities in the character creation abilities tab. You will need to reprioritize the stats for the chart for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Berserker Build. Simply use the plus-minus in the character creator and make sure you have the suggested race, or the numbers will be off.
Barbarian Illithid Powers
Illithid Powers are unlocked later in the game when you learn more about the Mind Flayers and tadpoles. You can gain jars of Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens, and consume them to gain one point. This is essentially another skill tree advancement with some very strong powers.
Here are the best Illithid Powers for the Barbarian Build:
- Luck of the Far Realms: When you make a successful Attack Roll against a foe, you can change that hit into a Critical Hit.
- Psionic Backlash: When an enemy within 9m casts a spell, you can use your reaction to inflict ld4 Psychic damage to the caster per the spell’s level.
- Repulsor: deal 2~12 Damage 1d6 force damage and Force Push anything and anyone back 6m.
Barbarian Level Progression
Level 1
Level one follow our character creator to pick all correct background, race, skills, and ability distribution focusing on Strength and Constitution. Use the character creation steps above and hit the appropriate ability score and race. You want to either use medium armor or clothing, and a two-handed weapon preferred Greatsword. You can get a super powerful one in the tutorial Everburn Blade.
At level one you will unlock two mechanics as a Barbarian:
- 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.
- Rage: 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.
Unarmored Defense helps if you don’t plan on wearing medium armor. You can, however, strip Lae’zal’s armor and equip it with high dexterity for a higher Armour Class (AC). The advantage to using “clothing” not armor is the gear sets. Later as you develop, the game will incentivize you with clothing-based gear sets with the Wrath status effect, increasing melee damage. There are risk rewards to this. Less AC means you get hit more, but some of the gear sets are ultra-powerful damage. I suggest starting with Medium higher AC and see how your survivability is. If good, switch to meta clothing sets. We will suggest some in our gear section at the bottom of this build page.
Rage is the bread-and-butter component of The Barbarian. You’ll want to use this on your first time with a bonus action and charge in. Make sure to equip a ranged weapon so you can always attack once per turn to keep it active.
Gameplay essentially is using your bonus action on your first turn to go into Rage, charging ahead and attacking either with a bow or melee weapon two-handed Greatsword preferred.
Level 2
At level two you will unlock Reckless Attack and Dangerous Sense. Here’s what they do:
- Reckless Attack: Reckless Attack feature, which allows you to gain Advantage on melee weapon attack rolls in exchange for granting advantage to enemies attacking you until your next turn. This should be used against an enemy you will either kill or won’t target you next turn.
- Dangerous Sense: You have an Advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws against traps, spells, and surfaces. This is just passively applied to your character.
Reckless Attack is your main skill for damage. When you gain advantage, you can roll two dice rolls rather than one and the game selects the highest. This increases damage significantly. Be aware, the enemy will have the same advantage against you too.
Gameplay: At this stage of the game, your goal is to simply use Rage as your bonus action on your first turn in charge into combat. Your goal is to get hit or hit someone and extend the Rage effect. Make sure to equip a bow in case you cannot reach a target on your first turn. Use Reckless the majority of your attacks.
Level 3
At level three you will finally get to pick a subclass and we recommend Berserker. It takes advantage of your bonus action and gives a great ranged damage ability. Here’s what you should do at level 3 with a Barbarian Build:
- Take Berserker Subclass
- Extra Rage Charge
- Frenzied Strike skill unlocked: As a bonus action, make a melee attack with your equipped weapon.
- Enraged Throw skill unlocked: 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. You also deal additional damage based on your Strength
- Frenzy: grants you the ability to enter a frenzied rage as a bonus action, allowing you to make an additional melee weapon attack on each of your turns. Note that this feature also incurs one level of exhaustion once your rage ends.
The Barbarian starts to feel powerful at level 3. Here you can use your bonus actions to attack with Frenzied Strike and Enraged Throw. Ideally, on your first turn, you pop Frenzy (formally Rage) and charge into combat to either strike melee or at range. On your second turn, Frenzy should still be active. Here you can make an attack with your action and a second attack with a bonus action. And at levels 4 and 5 you can get even more attacks!
Enraged Throw is my favorite of the two new skills because you can stun or knock an enemy prone. The weakness of the Barbarian is the lack of crowd control, NOT the lack of damage. This skill is essential because it allows us to use primary damage Reckless Attack with our action and stun someone even at range with Enraged Throw. I carry a lot of daggers and spears and use those to throw and pick them up after the fight.
Gameplay now is Frenzy with bonus action on the first turn, charge in for Reckless Attack. On the second turn, use your action first (Reckless) then a bonus action attack like Frenzied Strike or Enraged Throw. Keep in mind, if you use too many bonus action attacks of either Frenzied or Enraged Throw you will lose Frenzy. Be aware, if you use Frenzied Strike or Enraged Throw on every turn, you will get knocked out of Frenzy. Limit it if possible and will have more utility with our bonus action later.
Level 4
Take Ability Improvements Feat and put two points into Strength. At level four you want to increase your strength to 18. This will help you with consistent damage. We don’t recommend Great Weapon Master feat at this level. The reason is, the Barbarian with the Berserker Subclass makes great use of their bonus action because of Frenizy Strike and Enraged throw. So, go for the simple and effective increase in stats.
Nothing new happens gameplay-wise yet, but you should be hitting harder and have a better chance to hit. We will get another feat at level 8 and 12. We will take Great Weapon Master at level 8 because we make good use of our bonus action at this current level and want a higher chance to land attacks early.
Level 5
At level five the Barbarian gains extra attack and Fast Movement.
- Gain the Extra Attack feature, allowing you to make two attacks when you take the Attack action on your turn. This significantly boosts your damage potential in combat.
- Gain a Class Feature Fast Movement increases your movement speed by +5 while not wearing heavy armor.
At level 5 the Barbarian becomes amazing with Extra Attack paired with Frenized Strike. This will allow you to attack multiple times with your actions and another with a bonus action. You can drink a Potion of Speed for a further effect and do a lot of damage in one turn.
This is where the Barbarian starts to dominate. Your first turn is the standard, bonus action to activate Rage/Frenzy and charge in with Reckless Attack. If you land the attack you get an additional one. Usually, you want to use your secondary weapon-based skill like Lacerate to cause some bleeding damage. On the second turn, you will have a bonus action free, so you can do 2x attacks, the first being Reckless then use a bonus action strike depending on the range. That’s three attacks per turn. If you are doing a hard fight, use a Potion of Speed and you add another 2 to that!
Level 6
At level 6 of the Barbarian, you get an additional Rage charge and a subclass feature Mindless Rage.
Mindless Rage: Your rage becomes all-consuming, repelling outside influence. While Frenzied, you cant be Charmed or Frightened, and Calm Emotions no longer ends your rage. This helps you become immune to annoying crowd control effects and keeps you from losing damage or missing turns. Outside of that, combat is more of the same at this point.
Level six you should be towards the end of act one depending on how many quests you did.
Level 7
At level 7 the Barbarian unlocks Feral Instinct
Feral Instinct: You have honed your instincts to the utmost degree. You gain a +3 bonus to Initiative and can’t be surprised.
While this doesn’t seem big, it’s absolutely vital to the build. You will have a high Initiative and skip Surprised which eliminates your first turn. This means you are guaranteed to go during the first round of combat and will be one of the first to start. You can then focus on stunning or eliminating the highest priority target and reduce damage for you and your team.
Level 8
At level 8, the Barbarian gets to take another feat, and we suggest Great Weapon Master here.
Great Weapon Master feat which does the following: When a melee attack scores a critical hit or kills a creature, you can make another melee attack as a bonus action. When attacking with Heavy Weapons you are proficient with, attack rolls take a -5 penalty, but their damage increases by 10. This is a high-risk reward feat, but expect huge damage.
The Great Weapon Master feat does two things for you. One, it has a high risk high reward ability to add 10 damage BUT -5 attack roll penalty. As shown in the picture above, this simply reduces your chance to hit the percentage significantly. You can turn this off in the Passive section on your toolbar, which will give you the normal percentage.
Secondly, this feat gives you another chance to hit on a kill or critical hit using a bonus action. This is the real reason the feat is so strong, multiple attacks in a turn, and with this build, you will be getting a lot of critical hits and kills. Combat should therefore be initiated using your action first, saving your bonus action for a Great Weapons Master attack.
Assuming you critically strike or kill a target, you want to start using your bonus action for Great Weapon Master attacks rather than Frenzied Strike or Enraged Throw. This will help keep you in Frenzy for the duration of combat. If you must stun a target or you don’t proc this effect, still use those two alternative bonus action attacks.
Level 9
At level 9 the Barbarian unlocks a class feature Brutal Critical.
Brutal Critical: When you land a Critical Hit, you roll an extra damage die as well as the normal additional critical dice.
The gameplay is very simple beyond this level and not much changes besides passive benefits like Brutal Critical. As you can image, this gives use even more damage and isn’t something we have to activate, it’s a passive feature. Making the Barbarian ultra-simple and powerful.
Level 10
At level 10 the Barbarian unlocks an action-based skill Intimidating Presence.
Intimidating Presence: Menace an enemy and instill a terrible Fear within them. If the target resists this effect, it can’t be targeted again until it Long Rests
This an odd skill that I don’t use much. It requires action and only does fear, which gives disadvantage. Typically I don’t focus on debuffing targets with this build and use support classes for this. You can try this skill, but not a fan.
Level 11
From level 11 to 12 the Barbarian doesn’t get much. I recommend spending the last two levels multi-classing to the Fighter. At level 11 the Barbarian gets Relentless Rage which mimics the Half-Orc passive Relentless Endurance. If you drop to 0 health, you have 1 health instead of being Downed. At level 12 you will miss a feat which you can take +2 Strength and admittedly is nice. But you can consume Hill Giant potions and reach 21 or 27 strength for a brief time.
The reason I suggest Barbarian multi-classing is purely for Action Surge. A resourceless once per short rest ability that gives you another action in combat. Given the Barbarian already has extra attack, those extra two attacks combined with Great Weapon Master is worth sacrificing Relentless Rage and +2 Strength. If you do not wish to do that, continue and take the Ability Improvement +2 Strength at level 12 with the Barbarian.
Great Weapon Fighting Style: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack with a two-handed melee weapon, that die is rerolled once. This is an amazing benefit only Paladins and Fighters have. You get a reroll low damage die increasing your output potential significantly.
Second Wind: this skill is unlocked at level one Fighter and is a mediocre heal that is useful during the start of the game. You can use a bonus action, though most potions outperform it.
If your multi-class, this level will feel uneventful, but trust me it’ll be worth it.
Level 12
With two levels into Fighter, you get access to the awe-inspiring Action Surge. You get an extra action, but the biggest strength is, it doesn’t require any resource to use it. Action Surge is a once-per-fight usage, but it allows you to cast and recharges on short rest.
Take your Barbarian with Great Weapon Master feat, Extra Attack and give it Action Surge for 2x more attacks. You can take this a step further by using either a Potion of Haste or casting Haste on yourself. Then you get another action! If you did the math on that:
- Attack one + extra attack = 2
- Attack two (via Action Surge) + extra attack = 4
- Attack three (via Haste) + extra attack = 6
- Great Weapon Master via critical strike or kill = 7 (if you have a bonus action)
The Barbarian at level 12 with this setup has so much firepower it’s remarkable. Again, if you wanted a traditional Barbarian for all 12 levels, take Ability Improvement +2 Strength or the Alert feat which helps with going early. We hope you enjoyed this build and check out the gear section for more!
Best Companions for Barbarian Build
For the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Berserker Build, we do not recommend additional front-line fighters and damage dealers. The idea is, that your character charges in melee range with support, range damage, or even stealth attacks. If you have multiple melee characters, 2-3, it can be troublesome in close-quarters combat.
- Shadowheart (Cleric): buffs, healing, and crowd control.
- Gale (Wizard): range magic damage, area damage, and crowd control.
- Astarion (Rogue): burst damage, lockpicking, and range if needed.
When putting your party together, consider companions for not only their combat prowess but also their outside abilities and skills that can influence storytelling, dialogue, and exploration. A balanced party will fit the traditional RPG ‘holy trinity’: Tank, Healer, and DPS. Ideally, in Baldur’s Gate 3 you are going to want one tank, one healer, one melee DPS, and one range DPS. Some classes/subclasses can cover both roles, so feel free to experiment and find out what works best for you.
Best Gear for Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Berserker Build
In Games like Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll explore the world, loot chests and your enemies’ dead bodies, and complete quests, and all those activities can reward you with useful items, potions, armor, weapons, scrolls, and much more. There are three Acts in BG3, and we’ve updated this guide to include suggested sets and alternatives for Act 1 and Act 3. Look to progress and alternative selections if you don’t have the recommended item.
Beginner: Starting the Game
Here’s the best beginner gear for Barbarian Berserker Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:
| Gear Slot | Best Gear Item |
|---|---|
| Head | Haste Helm |
| Cape | – |
| Chest | Bloodguzzler Garb |
| Gloves | Bracers of Defence |
| Boots | Linebreaker Boots |
| Necklace | Amulet of Misty Step |
| Ring | Crusher’s Ring |
| Ring | Caustic Band |
| Weapon 1 Main Hand | Everburn Blade |
| Weapon 2 Main Hand | Giantbreaker |
- Haste Helm: At the start of combat, the wearer gains 1.5m movement speed for 3 turns. Locked chest near to the Ancient Rune Circle in the Blighted Village X 32, Y 403.
- Alternative: Cap of Wrath gain Wrath when lower than 50% health. Obtained in Gyrmforge dropped by Thudd.
- Bloodguzzler Garb: 10 AC + Dexterity modifier and when an enemy damages the wearer, they gain Wrath for 1 Turn. You can loot it from Bulette’s body in the Underdark.
- Alternative: Adamantine Splint Armour 18 AC, reduce damage by 2. Obtained in Adamantine Forge crafted with Splint Mould and Mithral Ore.
- Bracers of Defence: You gain a +2 bonus to Armour Class as long as you are not wearing armour or holding a shield. In the Apothecary’s Cellar beneath the Blighted Village (X: -656 Y: -370).
- Alternative: Gloves of the Growling Underdog: gain advantage on melee attacks with 2 or more foes nearby. Obtained Found Inside Treasure chest in the Shattered Sanctum X 298 Y 66.
- Linebreaker Boots: When the wearer Dashes or takes a similar action during combat, they gain Wrath for 3 turns. Loot it from Beastmaster Zurk’s body in the Worg Pens.
- Alternative: Disintegrating Night Walkers: wearer cannot be Enwebbed, Entangled, or Ensnared and can’t slip on Grease or Ice and gains Misty Step. Obtained in Gyrmforge as part of Free True Soul Nere questline.
- Amulet of Misty Step: Grants Misty Step Level 2 Conjuration Spell. You can find it in the chest behind the ogre Polma in the Defiled Temple within the Goblin Camp.
- Alternative: Moondrop Pendant: 50% or lower don’t provoke attacks of opportunity. Obtained in Selûnite Glided Chest in Owlbear Nest.
- Crusher’s Ring: Movement Speed +3m. Can be looted or stolen from Crusher in the Goblin camp in Act 1.
- Alternative: Ring of Flinging wearer gains 1d4 bonus to throw damage. Bought from Arron in Druid Grove.
- Caustic Band: weapon gains +2 Acid damage. Obtained from merchant Derryth Bonecloak in the Myconid Colony in the Underdark.
- Alternative: The Sparkswall: The wearer cannot be electrocuted and gains resistance to lightning damage. Obtained in a chest in Arcane Tower, Underdark Act 1.
- Everburn Blade: 2D6 Slashing + 1D4 Fire. Can be looted from Commander Zhalk during the prologue.
- Alternative: Silver Sword of the Astral Plane – 2d6 + 3 slashing legendary weapon. In Act 1 can be obtained using the Command spell (drop) on Voss before the fight with the Githyanki at the Mountain Pass; use this guide.
- Giantbreaker: 1D10 Piercing damage and heavy hitter passive send targets reeling. Obtained by merchant Brem in Zhentarim Hideout.
- Alternative: Githyanki Crossbow: 1d10 + 1 piercing found during Githyanki fight on the Risen Road.
Advanced: End-Game
The following table presents the best advanced and end-game gear for Barbarian Berserker Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:
| Gear Slot | Best Gear Item |
|---|---|
| Head | Bonespike Helmet |
| Cape | Cindermoth Cloak |
| Chest | Bonespike Garb |
| Gloves | Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength |
| Boots | Helldusk Boots |
| Necklace | Amulet of Greater Health |
| Ring | Killer’s Sweetheart |
| Ring | Ring Of Regeneration |
| Weapon 1 Main Hand | Balduran’s Giantslayer |
| Weapon 2 Ranged | Fabricated Arbalest |
- Bonespike Helmet: When you Rage, do 2-8 Psychic damage in a 3m radius, +2 intimidation, and Menacing Attack. Obtained from Voiceless Penitent Bareki Merchant in Lower City Sewers Baldur’s Gate.
- Alternative: Helm of Balduran: heals beginner of turn, cannot be stunned or critical struck, and +1 AC and saving throws. Obtained in Act 3, Dragon’s Sanctum on an altar X: 636 Y: -964.
- Cindermoth Cloak: A creature that damages the wearer within 2m receives Burning. Looted from Aelis Siryasius in the Lower City Sewers in Act 3.
- Alternative: Fleshmelter when damage with melee, that creature takes 1d4 acid damage. Obtained in Chest in House of Healing Morgue.
- Bonespike Garb 10 AC + Dexterity Modifier, 15 15 temporary hit points whenever you Rage, and reduce all incoming damage by 2. Purchased from Exxvikyap at The Rivington General in Act 3.
- Alternative: Adamantine Splint Armour 18 AC, reduce damage by 2. Obtained in Adamantine Forge crafted with Splint Mould and Mithral Ore.
- Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength: Wearer’s strength increased to 23. Obtained in Archive of the House of Hope.
- Alternative: Bonespike Gloves Your attacks ignore Resistance to Slashing, Piercing, and Bludgeoning damage. Looted from Strangler Luke in the Undercity Ruins during the quest Get Orin’s Netherstone.
- Helldusk Boots: cannot be forcibly moved, use reaction on failed saving throws, gain Hellcrawler teleport ability. Obtained in a locked chest, Wyrm’s Rock Fortess X: -32 Y: 219.
- Alternative: Bonespike Boots: gain +1 AC and saving throw while not wearing armour of a shield and Brutal Leap ability. Looted from a trapped Wooden Chest in a secluded Passageway (X: -233, Y: 84) at the far end of the western trail leading away from the South Span Checkpoint in Act 3.
- Amulet of Greater Health: Increases the wearer’s Constitution score to 23, Advantage on Constitution Saving Throws Checks. Can be found in the House of Hope in Baldur’s Gate City.
- Alternative: Surgeon’s Subjugation Amulet: On critical heal, cause Paralyze to target for two turns.
- Killer’s Sweetheart: When you kill a creature, your next Attack Roll will be a Critical Hit. Obtained from the Self-Same Trial in the Gauntlet of Shar in Act 2.
- Alternative: Ring of Protection increase AC and Saving Throws +1. Steal the Sacred Idol quest reward in Act 1.
- Ring Of Regeneration: At the beginning of your turn, heal yourself for 1d4 HP. Sold by Rolan at Sorcerous Sundries.
- Alternative: Ring of Free Action cannot be Paralyzed, restrained and ignore difficult terrain. Bought from Merchant Araj Oblodra in Moonrise Towers Act 2.
- Balduran’s Giantslayer: double the damage from your Strength Modifier, grants you Advantage on Attack Rolls against Large, Huge, or Gargantuan creatures, and Giant Form ability. Obtained as a reward for completing the Wyrmway trials in Act 3.
- Alternative: Sword of Chaos 2d6 + 2 slashing and gain 1-6 HP on hit. Looted from Sarevok during Act 3.
- Fabricated Arbalest: 1d10 + 2 piercing. Gain Illuminating Shot, and Dazzling Ray weapon actions. Looted from Enver Gortash in Wyrm’s Rock Fortress.
- Alternative: Giantbreaker or Githyanki Crossbow
Best Barbarian Consumables, Potions, and Items
The following list represents the best individual use consumable items that will aid in our Barbarian Build:
- Elixir of Hill Giant Strength: Increases Strength ability score to 21 until Long Rest.
- Potion of Speed: Gain extra action, +2 AC, Advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws, and double movement speed.
- Drow Poison: Weapon poison that adds Constitution Saving Throw or becomes Poisoned and falls Asleep.
- Potion of Flying: Drink to gain a flying speed of 60ft for one hour.
- Elixir of Heroism: Gain 10 temp HP and become Blessed until long rest.
- Potion of Greater Healing: 4d4 + 4 hit points restored.
- Oil of Accuracy: Coat Weapon. Bonus of +2 in Attack Rolls.
- Elixir of Vigilance: Drink to gain a +5 bonus to Initiative and you can’t be Surprised.
- Elixir of Darkvision: (only non-Darkvision race): Drink to gain the ability to see in the dark up to 12m.
Combat, Gameplay Tips, and Tricks in Baldur’s Gate 3
The Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Berserker Build uses a combination of aggression, damage, and movement speed to survive and fight. You will need to play aggressively but also use terrain, consumables, and companions to help you in combat.
Here are 10 gameplay tips specifically for playing a Barbarian in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Use Rage Wisely: Activate this and stay aggressive. You need to either do damage or be damaged so play up close.
- Initial Turn: Make sure your initial move either puts you in melee range so you can strike or attack with range to keep Rage active.
- Bonus Action: Once you get Frenzied Strike, you can attack with a bonus action, using two attacks in one turn so don’t waste it.
- Prioritize melee combat: Use different weapons based on their strength and unique skills, like Cleave for Area damage.
- Manage Frenzy wisely: Make sure you have at least two charges left on your Frenzy so that if you are disabled or lose the buff, you can reacquire it during a long fight.
- Reckless Attack: Use this attack when it’s likely you will not receive a return blow.
- Potion of Speed: Use these potions to gain bigger movement and more actions in challenging fights.
- Enraged Throw: This skill can be useful when you need to keep Rage or Frenzy active, but don’t have the movement.
- Long Rest: Make sure to rest when your Rage and Frenzy counters are low so you start with many available.
- Great Weapon Master: Try to target low-health enemies with a high chance of hit so you can proc a free extra attack if you kill them.
Remember, this build guide serves as a foundation, and you can always adapt it to suit your preferences and the needs of your campaign. Enjoy playing as a formidable Berserker Barbarian!
Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Berserker Build Guide Summary
Primary Ability: Strength
Subclass: Berserker
Preferred Armor: Cloth
Preferred Weapon: Greatsword
Background: Soldier
Best Companions
Looking for more Baldur’s Gate 3?
Thank you for reading the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Berserker Build Guide. We provide the latest news and create guides for the BG 3. Additionally, check out our website, watch me play games on Twitch, or visit my YouTube channel!
