Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger Beast Master Build

This guide focuses on the best Ranger build in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Beast Master subclass, and includes all the components to build a powerful character.

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This build page has been updated for the Patch 8 version of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Everything About the Beast Master Ranger Build in BG3

The Ranger Beast Master subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 specializes in ranged combat and survival, blending the finesse of an expert marksman with an innate connection to the natural world. The key feature of the Beast Master subclass is the ability to form a strong bond with a loyal animal companion, which fights alongside the Ranger and aids them in various ways. The animal companion assists in both combat and exploration while livening up the party.

Also Check: BG3 Interactive Map

This build’s premise is dealing ranged damage while summoning an animal companion to serve as a frontliner. You will do great damage, cast some spells, and have fun with a companion animal. Our BG3 Ranger Beast Master build allows you to excel in ranged combat, control the battlefield, and adapt to various situations. It offers a versatile and exciting playstyle that can be highly rewarding, particularly for players who enjoy strategic combat and wilderness exploration.

Patch 8 Changes to Beast Master Ranger for BG3

Patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3 introduced a major shake-up to character customization with the addition of new subclasses for every one of the game’s 12 core classes. Among these, the Swarmkeeper Ranger stands out as a particularly creative and versatile option. This subclass revolves around the unique ability Prey’s Scent, which transforms how Hunter’s Mark functions, opening the door to new tactical strategies and damage combos.

Despite the Swarmkeeper’s interesting potential, it may not be the best choice for every scenario. The Beast Master Ranger remains a viable subclass, but in the Level Progression section below we’ll also include an alternate build that includes a mix of Rogue and Fighter via multiclassing.

Ranger Class Features & Mechanics

The following list presents mechanics for Baldur’s Gate 3 Beast Master Ranger build:

Primary Ability: Dexterity
Saving Throws: Strength and Constitution
Armour Proficiency: Light, Medium, and Shield
Weapon Proficiency: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Extra Attack: Can make an additional free attack after making an unarmed or weapon attack. This can be acquired at level 5.
Spell Casting: The Ranger gets some limited spells to cast but can combine that with powerful ranged damage.
Summon Companion: Gain a beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and fights alongside you.
Companion’s Bond: Your Proficiency Bonus Proficiency Bonus is added to its Armour Class, damage, and Attack rolls.
Exceptional Training: Your companion is now able to Dash, Disengage, and Help as a Bonus action.
Bestial Fury: Your companion gains an Extra Attack whenever they take the Attack action.

Top 10 Builds in BG3

Beast Master Ranger Spell Mechanics

Cantrips: Like spells, but you can cast them infinitely, and they don’t take your spell slots.
Spell Slots: A resource that requires you to Long Rest to regain them.
Concentration: Some spells require the user to maintain focus to keep their magic active. You only want a limited number of spells that require concentration and one activity at a time.

Ranger Subclass – Beast Master

Ranger Beast Master Subclass Level 3 - Baldur’s Gate 3

The Beast Master subclass is strong because of the summons you can call to fight on your side. The Beast Master’s summon helps do damage, stun opponents, and provide distractions. It’s a very fun and powerful playstyle especially at the end game with the max level of 12. In Baldur’s Gate 3, the Ranger class offers various subclasses, each with its unique abilities and strengths. At level three, you can make your decision on which to pick. Here’s a brief description of the ranger’s subclasses and their strengths:

Hunter: A simple subclass that focuses on dealing damage to enemies and targeting specific enemy types.
Beastmaster: Allows the use of beast companions while maintaining the class identity of a ranger.
Gloom Stalker: Focused on stealth, burst damage, and high initiative.
Swarmkeeper Ranger: Uses Gathered Swarm to provide elemental damage sources and utility such as teleporting.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Builds – All Classes and Companions

Character Creation for Ranger Beast Master Build

Recommended Backgrounds for Beast Master Ranger

The best Background for a Beast Master Ranger is Urchin because you gain Sleight of Hand and Stealth proficiency, both Dexterity skills. In Baldur’s Gate 3, the choice of background can provide additional skills, proficiencies, and role-playing opportunities for your character. The ideal Background choices to create the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger Beast Master build are:

Urchin: Proficiency in Sleight of Hand (dexterity) and Stealth (dexterity). After surviving a poor and bleak childhood, you know how to make the most out of very little.
Folk Hero: Proficiency in Animal Handling (wisdom) and Survival (wisdom). You’re the champion of the common people, challenging tyrants and monsters to protect the helpless. Folk Hero companions in BG3 are Minsc and Wyll.
Soldier: Proficiency in Athletics (strength) and Intimidation (charisma). You are trained in battlefield tactics and combat, having served in a militia, mercenary company, or officer corps. Soldier companions in BG3 are Jaheira and Lae’zel.

Best Race Choice for Beast Master Ranger Build

Wood Half-Elf is the best rac e choice for the Beast Master Ranger because you gain the highest movement, stealth proficiency, Fey Ancestry, and Darkvision. Wood Half-Elf gives you a well-balanced race that aids in movement and protection against crowd control effects. However, the second best racial choice is Githyanki due to increased movement abilities, skill proficiency, and free Misty Step spell at level 5.

Wood Half-Elf	Githyanki
Highest Movement	Astral Knowledge
Stealth Proficiency	Misty Step
Fey Ancestry	Martial Prodigy
Darkvision (12m)	Enhanced Leap

Best Beast Master Ranger Racial Choice

The Ranger’s racial choice will not influence ability score, but everyone should 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 for Beast Master Ranger Build

Animal Handling, Perception, and Survival are the best skills for the Beast Master Ranger in BG3 because they are suitable for both roleplay and exploration. Additionally, all skills are Wisdom-based, which is one of your core abilities. They can be edited during character creation or with companions, during respec or reroll screen.

Here are the best skills for the Beast Master Ranger in Baldur’s Gate 3:

Animal Handling: A Wisdom skill that helps with animal dialogue.
Perception: Wisdom skill that spots hidden containers, mechanisms, traps, and creatures.
Survival: Wisdom skill that aids in hunting in the wilderness.

Best Ability Scores for Beast Master Ranger

Best Ranger Ability Score - Baldur’s Gate 3 — Ranger Ability Score

The best ability score distribution for a Beast Master Ranger build in BG3 is one that prioritizes Dexterity, Wisdom, and Constitution.

Ability Score	Points Goal
Strength	10
Dexterity	16
Constitution	16
Intelligence	8
Wisdom	14
Charisma	10

The Beast Master Ranger’s core ability scores are 16 Dexterity, 16 Constitution, and 14 Wisdom. This ability score setup ensures you can do good damage, cast spells effectively, and have a high health pool. After you choose the class, subclass, race, and background, the game will automatically distribute your abilities in the character creation abilities tab. You will need to reprioritize the stats for the best Ranger build. Simply use the plus-minus in the character creator and make sure you have the suggested race, or the numbers will be off.

You can increase your ability score via a quest in Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3. Make sure to check out our Permanent Bonus guide on how you can boost your ability score through quests.

Best Companions for Beast Master Ranger Build

The best companion for a Ranger build, besides your animal companion of course, is Lae’zel because she’s a melee-focused damage dealer. She will engage enemies and take the pressure off your range-focused build, allowing you to cast spells freely and make ranged attacks. Having a melee-focused companion roster will keep you in the distance while applying pressure, snaring, and debuffing the enemies.

Lae’zel (Fighter): Damage dealer, crowd control, and in-your-face aggression.
Shadowheart (Cleric): Buffs, healing, and control.
Gale (Wizard): AoE damage, crowd control, and ranged damage.

It’s important to note that party composition and synergy play a significant role in determining the effectiveness of your companions. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each companion and how they align with your main character’s abilities and playstyle.

Beast Master Ranger Illithid Powers

Illithid Powers are unlocked once your reach the Goblin Camp in Act 1 and take a Long Rest. You can find jars of Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens, and consume them to gain one point in Illithid Powers. This is essentially another skill tree advancement with some powerful powers. If you decide to advance this skill line, these are the choices we suggest.

Here are the best Illithid Powers for the BG3 Beast Master Ranger 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.
Cull the Weak: When you bring a creature down to fewer hit points than your number of evolved Illithid powers, it dies and all nearby creatures take 1-4 Psychic damage.
Psionic Backlash: When an enemy within 9m casts a spell, you can use your reaction to inflict 1d4 Psychic damage to the caster per the spell’s level.
Blackhole: Area-based suck-in that slows targets.
Repulsor: Massive area knockback that can hit friendlies.
Charm: Channel the dark allure of the tadpole to Charm an enemy that attacks you, preventing them from attacking you until their next turn. This is the priority power you want to obtain because you can force enemies to attack something else.

Beast Master Ranger Companions

At level 3, the Ranger can select the Beast Master subclass. This selection unlocks the summon companion ability. You can then pick a specific animal with a unique ability to fight at your side. These beasts will gain more health and benefits as you level. Here is a list of all the Ranger Beast Master Companions:

Dire Raven: Raven can Blind its enemies.
Wolf: Wolf can lunge at and knock down enemies with Lunging Bite.
Bear: Damage dealer with Goading Roar for taunt.
Boar: Can knock enemies off their feet with charge.
Spider: Can shoot webs and poison enemies with a bite.

Ranger Spell Slots

Here’s a chart that shows the levels and spell slots the Ranger Unlocks:

Ranger Level	1st	2nd	3rd
Level 1	0	0	0
Level 2	2	0	0
Level 3	3	0	0
Level 4	3	0	0
Level 5	4	2	0
Level 6	4	2	0
Level 7	4	3	0
Level 8	4	3	0
Level 9	4	3	2
Level 10	4	3	2
Level 11	4	3	3
Level 12	4	3	3

Best Beast Master Ranger Build – Level Progression in Baldur’s Gate 3

Level	Class	Selection
1	Ranger	Favoured Enemy: Bounty Hunter, Natural Explorer: Beast Tamer, Find Familiar
2	Ranger	Spells: Hunter’s Mark, Cure Wounds Fighting Style: Archery
3	Ranger	Subclass: Beast Master Spell: Ensnaring Strike
4	Ranger	Feat: Sharpshooter
5	Ranger	Spell: Spiked Growth
6	Ranger	Favoured Enemy: Ranger Knight Natural Explorer: Wasteland Wanderer
7	Ranger	Lesser Restoration
8	Ranger	Feat: Ability Improvement +2 Dexterity Land’s Stride: Difficult Terrain
9	Fighter	Multiclass to Fighter, Defence Fighting Style
10	Fighter	Action Surge
11	Fighter	Subclass: Battle Master
12	Fighter	Feat: Ability Improvement +2 Dexterity

Alternative Ranger Build

Our alternative Ranger build will eschew the Beast Master subclass for the more powerful Gloom Stalker Ranger. Additionally, we’ll multiclass sooner, taking Rogue at Level 6 before reaching Fighter at Level 10. This option will boost your overall defense and survivability, as well as the useful Action Surge. Additionally, taking the Champion subclass at level 12 will give you the Improved Critical Hit passive feature, which will stack with other sources to lower the number you need to roll for a critical hit.

Level	Class	Selection
1	Ranger	Wasteland Wanderer: Cold, Bounty Hunter
2	Ranger	Fighting Style: Archery, Spells: Hunter’s Mark, Longstrider
3	Ranger	Subclass: Gloom Stalker, Spell: Ensnaring Strike
4	Ranger	Feat: Sharpshooter
5	Ranger	Lesser Restoration
6	Rogue	Skill Proficiency: Acrobatics, Skill Expertise: Sleight of Hand, Stealth
7	Rogue	Cunning Actions
8	Rogue	Subclass: Assassin
9	Rogue	Feat: Ability Improvement Dexterity
10	Fighter	Fighting Style: Defense
11	Fighter	Action Surge
12	Fighter	Subclass: Champion

Complete Beast Master Ranger Leveling Guide

Level 1

BG3 Gloom Stalker Ranger Character Creation

At level one, not much happens with your class and you pick a subclass at level 3. You will have access to Find Familiar. Follow our character creator to pick the correct background, race, skills, and ability score distributions focusing on Dexterity and Wisdom.

Favoured Enemy is a unique class feature allowing you to choose a specific Favor. We suggest Bounty Hunter: Gain Proficiency in Investigation and learn the Ensnaring Strike spell. Creatures you Restrain have a harder time escaping.

Natural Explorer is a unique class feature that allows you to choose a specific benefit. We suggest Beast Tamer: you have cultivated a strong bond with animals. You can cast Find Familiar as a ritual. Find Familiar is a level 1 conjuration spell. Gain the service of a familiar, fey spirit that takes an animal form of your choice.

Find Familiar: You can select one of 6 animals to aid you. These don’t help much in combat, but can access small holes and other areas you cannot explore.

Act 1 Checklist

Beast Master Ranger Gameplay & Priorities

At the beginning of BG3, the Ranger should look to equip a Longbow and Medium Armour. The easiest way to get a good set of armour and weapons is by taking them from Lae’zel. She has the Githyanki Half Plate with 15 Armour Class (AC). If you don’t intend to use her, take the armour and the heavy crossbow. Rangers have great mobility but not a lot of defense, so Medium Armour is vital until you reach higher levels and access movement-enhancing armor.

Moreover, look to acquire Elixir of Hill Giant Strength, Potion of Speed, and Oil of Accuracy consumables. These three consumables stack, allowing for massive damage!

Your overall priority with the Beast Master Ranger Ranger build is the following:

Complete Prologue
Recruit Companions
Unlock Withers, respec companions to proper class/ability score
Collect the Necromancy of Thay (important in Act 3)
Reach Druid Grove
Sell, Stock up, complete quests
Unlock summons, Scratch, Shovel
Progress to level 5
Reach Underdark and Grymforge
Acquire Titanstring Bow or Bow of Banshee
Check all Permanent Bonuses in Act 1 and the best Gear
Act 1 Checklist for step-by-step completion

Following these steps ensures a strong foundation, especially if you plan on playing solo or on Honour Mode difficulty.

Level 2

At level two you get access to a Fighting Style and two spells. Below are our recommendations.

Archery gives you a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons. This fits our ranged damage build perfectly. You will want to Take Archery to get a +2 to-hit chance when using Bows and Crossbows.

Level two will give you two level 1 spell slots and two level 2 spell slots. Here are the two you should take:

Hunter’s Mark: Mark a creature as your quarry to deal an additional 1d6 Slashing Damage whenever you hit it with a weapon attack. If the target dies before the spell ends, you can mark a new creature without expanding a Spell Slot. This can be cast with a bonus action rather than an action.
Cure Wounds: a simple melee-based heal that can be used on yourself or others. I prefer this over Goodberries because someone has to consume it vs just given to them.

Other spells at this point cost actions and bonus actions or concentration which we will use for Hunter’s Mark.

Level 3

Baldur's Gate 3 - Ranger Beast Master Level 7 Companion — Ranger Animal Companion

At level three you unlock a subclass, and we select Beast Master. You will then need to pick one spell to add to your arsenal and a Hunter-specific focus.

Beast Master subclass is unlocked and should be taken for the Range Beast Master build. The Beast Master subclass will allow you to pick a subclass passive feature.

Gain a beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and fights alongside you.

Ensnaring Strike (ranged); this spell is a “lockdown” ability when you are getting pressured. It uses an action and bonus action so its VERY costly along with requiring concentration. This is a panic button when you are going to get pressured by a one-shot melee build. Swap to Hail of Thorns if you want a non-concentration spell.

Prepared Spells: Find Familiar, Cure Wounds, Hunter’s Mark, Ensnaring Strike (Range)

Level 4

At level four, you get to pick a “feat” or increase of ability score and you can replace a spell. The most damaged setup with range setup is a feat called Sharpshooter. This ignores High Ground rules, essentially allowing you to maintain higher damage. Similar to Great Weapon Master for melee builds, you will also get a +10 to damage, but -5 to attack roll.

This essentially means less chance to hit, but a greater chance of damage. Spells like Bless will help augment the lower percentage, but expect massive damage!

Gameplay at this level of our best BG3 Ranger Beast Master build focuses on starting combat from stealth, using Hunter’s Mark and your main bow attack. You can use Ensnaring Strike when needed to pin an enemy.

Level 5

At level five you get an Extra Attack, allowing you to strike twice, one additional level 1 spell slots, and another level 2 spell slot. We suggest picking up Spiked Growth.

Spiked Growth is the spell you should select. This spell has an 18m range, a radius of 6 meters, and requires concentration. A creature walking on the spikes takes 2d4 Piercing damage for every 1.5m it moves. The spikes are difficult terrain, halving a creature’s Movement Speed. Your primary means of survival is battlefield mobility and ensnaring opponents and this decent-size area skill is a great option.

Unlock Companion Bond: Your Proficiency Bonus is added to its Armour Class and damage rolls.

Gameplay at this level becomes about applying Hunter’s Mark with your bonus action and then striking for two turns due to Extra Attack. You can also use various elemental arrows for stuns, damage overtimes, and more. Cast additional spells when you need to control a target from reaching you.

Prepared Spells: Find Familiar, Cure Wounds, Hunter’s Mark, Ensnaring Strike (Range), Spiked Growth.

Level 6

Baldur's Gate 3 Favored Enemy Bounty Hunger Ranger Knight

At level 6 you get to choose another Favoured Enemy and Natural Explorer. These aren’t that important, and mainly add skill proficiency or a cantrip you are most likely not to use. One adds heavy armor, which won’t be an effective build combination but might look good for screenshots. You also get Natural Explorer which helps with resistance. The most lethal to you is cold, because it can knock you in prone giving a stun.

Favoured Enemy: Take Ranger Knight: Gain history and heavy armour proficiency.
Natural Explorer: Take Wasteland Wanderer cold – gain cold resistance.

You can also replace a spell if you made a bad pick originally but should remain the same at this point.

Gameplay and spells remain the same at this level.

Ending Act 1 with the Beast Master Ranger

By Level 6 you should be near to transitioning out of Act 1. Be sure to check vendors and stock up on camp and alchemy supplies. Additionally, make sure you’ve collected the best Act 1 items. There are also permanent bonuses you don’t want to miss in Act 1. Lastly, Grymforge has powerful armor and weapons (Adamantine) that can aid you well into Act 3. Consider taking the time to craft a couple of items there before transitioning to Act 2, where you won’t be able to return.

Prepared Spells: Find Familiar, Cure Wounds, Hunter’s Mark, Ensnaring Strike (Range), Spiked Growth.

Level 7

Level 7 you will gain another level 2 spell slot. These spells aren’t that effective at this level. Pass Without Trace is good for stealth groups, Protection from Poison is helpful when poison is an issue and Silence can be a great crowd control spell but it requires concentration. Thus, we recommend going with Lesser Restoration.

Lesser Restoration: cure a creature from disease, poison, paralysis, or blindness.
Exceptional Training: your animal companion can dash, disengage, and help as a bonus action.

Prepared Spells: Find Familiar, Cure Wounds, Hunter’s Mark, Ensnaring Strike (Range), Spiked Growth, Lesser Restoration.

Level 8

At level 8 you will get a feat and Land’s Stride.

Feat: Take the Ability Improvement and put +2 into Dexterity getting you to 18 with the Sharpshooter feat.
Land’s Stride: Difficult Terrain: You have become an expert at moving through the wilderness. Difficult terrain no longer slows you down.

Gameplay remains unchanged for our best Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger Beast Master build, use multi-attack, hunter’s mark, and cast spells to crowd control targets.

Prepared Spells: Find Familiar, Cure Wounds, Hunter’s Mark, Ensnaring Strike (Range), Spiked Growth, Lesser Restoration.

Level 9

Baldur's Gate 3 Fighting Style Archery and Defence

Baldur's Gate 3 Beast Master Ranger Multi Class Fighter

From levels 9 to 12 the Beast Master Ranger’s growth diminishes relative to other builds. The only thing that would help is level 11 with Bestial Fury, giving your companion animal two attacks per turn. While that sounds nice, there’s a much better option in terms of performance and that’s multi-classing to a Fighter.

What the Fighter Multi-class will do is help with what we lack, crowd control, and additional actions. You will also get another feat at level 12 so there will be no difference there. We can use the Battle Master subclass and gain maneuver which will help us crowd control targets without the need for arrows.

If you wish to disregard this choice, the only remaining choices for the Ranger are at level 10, where you can choose another Favoured Enemy and Natural Explorer. Mage Breaker will allow you to cast True Strike while Urban Tracker will help with Sleight of Hand proficiency. Both of which, I do not believe outweigh the raw power of four levels in Fighter.

Fighter Level 1

Defence Fighting Style: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. This is a passive benefit at level 1 Fighter and will help with survival.
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 you multi-class, this level will feel uneventful, but trust me it’ll be worth it. Prepared Spells remain unchanged from here on out.

Level 10

With two levels into Fighter, you get access to the awe-inspiring Action Surge. You get an extra action, but the biggest strength is, that it doesn’t require any resources to use it. Action Surge is a once-per-fight usage, but it allows you to cast another spell, attack, dash, etc. It gives you that extra oomph that no other class has.

At this level of our best Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger Beast Master build you want to use Action Surge when you just have to get out another attack and not always the first turn.

Level 11

At level 11, with 3 levels into Fighter, you get a subclass. Battle Master is a perfect fit for the build because it lets us select Manoeuvres and gives us a new resource Superiority Dice. Each of these new attacks will consume one of 4 dice which recharge on Short Rest. You will get four, so for each fight you have a lot of options, and don’t be afraid to spend them if you need a crowd control ability or knockback. Below are the maneuvers you want to select:

Disarming Attack: Spend a superiority die to make an attack that deals additional damage and possibly forces the target to drop the weapons they are holding. This essentially shuts down completely weapon-based damage dealer if you drop their weapon. You can use this at melee or at range and is super effective against Barbarians, Fighters, and Longbow users. You can disarm and even pick up the weapon immediately following preventing the enemy from using it. This doesn’t work on casters, but amazing skill for the entirety of the game.

Trip Attack: Spend a superiority die to make an attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage and possibly knocks the target Prone. The target must be Large or smaller. This attack is used for a stun in melee or at range. Prone is a status effect and this can be used on casters or non-weapon-based enemies.

Pushing Attack: Spend a superiority die to deal damage type depending on the weapon used and possibly push the target back 4.5m. Usage: this is a simple knockback that can be used in melee or ranged. You can get many kills from knocking enemies off ledges and this gives you more battlefield crowd control.

Level 12

You’ve reached the maximum level in Baldur’s Gate 3. You will gain another level in the Fighter, which earns you a feat. You want to select +2 in Dexterity getting your main ability to 20. At this stage your Ranger will have a lot of utility both inside and outside of the battlefield so enjoy!

Best Gear for Baldur’s Gate 3 Beast Master Ranger Build

As you explore the maps throughout all three Acts of Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll gather equipment by exploring, defeating enemies, and completing quests. We recommend making a special effort to collect the following gear to create the best BG3 Beast Master Ranger build possible.

Beginner: Act 1

BG3 Adamantine Scale Mail Baldur's Gate 3

Here’s the best beginner gear for Ranger Beast Master build in Baldur’s Gate 3 Act 1:

Gear Slot	Best Gear Item	Effect
Head	Shadow of Menzoberranzan	Invisibility skill
Cape	–
Chest	Adam antine Scale Mail	16 AC & Crit Immunity
Gloves	Gloves of Archery	+2 Ranged Damage
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	Free Misty Step
Necklace	Moondrop Pendant	No Opportunity Attacks
Ring	Caustic Band	+2 Acid Damage
Ring	Fetish of Callarduran Smoothhands	Free Invisibility Spell
Weapon 1 Main Hand	Club of Hill Giant Strength	19 Strength
Weapon 2 Off-Hand	Adamantine Shield	+2 AC
Weapon 2 Ranger	Titanstring Bow	Add STR modifier

Best Beginner Beast Master Ranger Build Weapons and Armour

Below are the best Act 1 weapons, armor, and equipment for the Beast Master Ranger in BG3:

Shadow of Menzoberranzan: Looted from the Pale Corpse in the Myconid Colony, Underdark (Alternative Haste Helm).
Adamantine Scale Mail: Crafted in Adamantine Forge (Alternatives Hide +2 Armour, or Githyanki Half Plate).
Gloves of Archery: Sold by Grat the in the Goblin Camp (Alternatives Gloves of Dexterity, Gloves of Missile Snaring, or Gloves of Hail of Thorns).
Disintegrating Night Walkers: Looted or stolen from Nere in Grymforge (Alternatives Boots of Striding, or Boots of Genial Striding).
Moondrop Pendant: Sealed chest inside the Owlbear Nest (Alternative Amulet of Misty Step, or Amulet of Restoration).
Caustic Band: Buy it from Derryth in the Myconid colony, Underdark (Alternative The Sparkswall).
Fetish of Callarduran Smoothhands: Looted from dead gnomes in Grymforge X: -610 Y: 408 (Alternative Ring of Absolute Force).
Club of Hill Giant Strength: Found in top level of Arcane Tower under the stool (Alternatives Hunter’s Dagger, or Knife of the Undermountain King).
A damantine Shield: Crafted in the Adamantine Forge (Alternatives Glowing Shield, or Wood Woad Shield).
Titanstring Bow: Brem in Zhentarim Hideout Act 1 (Alternatives Bow of Banshee, Spellthief, or Joltshooter).

Advanced: Acts 3

The following table presents the best advanced and end-game gear for Ranger Beast Master build in Baldur’s Gate 3:

Gear Slot	Best Gear Item	Effect
Head	Helm of Balduran	Cannot be Stunned
Cape	Shade-Slayer Cloak	Reduce Critical Hit roll
Chest	Helldusk Armour	21 AC
Gloves	Legacy of the Masters	+2 Attack Roll
Boots	Helldusk Boots	Cannot be Moved
Necklace	Surgeon’s Subjugation Amulet	Stun on Crit
Ring	Killer’s Sweetheart	Auto Critical
Ring	Ring of Regeneration	Self-healing
Weapon 1 Primary	Bloodthirst	Automatic Revive
Weapon 2 Main Hand	Rhapsody	+3 AC
Weapon 2 Bow	Gontr Mael	Best Bow

Best Beast Master Ranger Build, Items, Gear, Weapons and Armour

Below are the best Act 3 weapons, armor, and equipment for the Beast Master Ranger build in BG3:

Helm of Balduran: Found in Dragon’s Sanctum X: 636 Y: -964 Act 3 (alternatives Helldusk Helmet, Sarevok’s Horned Helmet, Mask of Soul Perception, or Circlet of Hunting).
Shade-Slayer Cloak: Purchased at the Thieves Guild in Act 3. (Alternative: Cloak of Protection)
Helldusk Armour: Looted from fighting Raphael House of Hope (alternative Armour of Agility, Dark Justiciar Half-Plate, or Flame Enamelled Armour).
Legacy of the Masters: Sold by Dammon in Lower City, Forge of the Nine (alternatives Gloves of Soul Catching, Helldusk Gloves, or Gloves of Dexterity).
Helldusk Boots: Wyrm’s Rock Fortress X: -32 Y: 219 Act 3 (alternative Disintegration Night Walkers).
Surgeon’s Subjugation Amulet: Looted from Malus Thorm at the House of Healing in Act 2. (alternative: Amulet of Greater Health, or Periapt of Wound Closure).
Killer’s Sweetheart: Found in Self-Same Trial inside the Gauntlet of Shar. (alternative Risky Ring).
Ring of Regeneration: Found in Lorroakan’s Projection store (alternative Shifting Corpus Ring, or Ring of Free Action).
Bloodthirst: Reward for defeating Orin in Act 3 (alternative for survival Blood of Lathander
Rhapsody: Dropped by Cazador Szarr (alternative for survival Viconia’s Walking Fortress
Gontr Mael: Looted from the Steel Watcher Titan in Steel Watch Foundry (alternative The Dead Shot).

Best Consumables, Potions, Ammunition, and Items for Ranger Beast Master BG3

The following list represents the best individual use consumable items that will round out our best Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger Beast Master build:

Elixir of Bloodlust: Once per turn when you kill a foe, you gain HP 5 temporary hit points and an additional action.
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 a 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.

Ammunition

The best ammunition for the Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger Beast Master build is listed below:

Arrow of Ice: Deals weapon damage + 2d4 Cold and creates ice surface for 2 turns in a 2m radius.
Arrow of Roaring Thunder: deals weapon damage, knocks back 5 meters if failed strength throw.
Arrow of Many Targets: Deals weapon damage and an additional half of that damage to three other targets in range.
Arrow of Dragon/Aberration/Humanoid: Deals weapon damage, and double damage against Dragon, Aberration, or Humanoid.
Arrow of Salving: Cures a target of poisoned, paralyzed, and blinded conditions.
Arrow of Transposition: teleports the shooter wherever this arrow is fired.

Beast Master Ranger Gameplay Tips and Tricks

Mobility: Rangers are very mobile, so use this to your advantage in combat. Use high movement offensively and defensively to position for better attacks and to get out of danger.
Stealth: is a very useful skill for rangers, as it allows you to sneak up on enemies and get the drop on them. This can be especially useful in boss fights, as it can allow you to deal a lot of damage before the enemy even knows you’re there.
Spell Timing: Rangers have a variety of spells that can be very useful in combat. Use them wisely to buff your allies, debuff your enemies, and deal damage but know they are limited and should be used when needed most.
Prepare: Baldur’s Gate 3 is a very challenging game, so it’s important to be prepared for anything. Make sure to recharge spells with long rest, always have potions, elemental arrows, and speed potions ready.
Environment: Use the environment to your advantage. If you’re overwhelmed, Dash to create more movement, line of sight of the enemy, and get in stealth. This will allow you to lose aggro and hopefully open with a damage ability or heal.
Exploit vulnerabilities: Rangers have access to a variety of ammunition types. Use different arrows to exploit enemy weaknesses. For example, fire arrows can be effective against enemies vulnerable to fire damage, while acid arrows can be useful against foes with high armor.

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 Beast Master Ranger!

Beast Master Ranger Changes in Patch 7 of Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur's Gate Patch 7 Notes — Baldur’s Gate Patch 7 (Image via Larian Studios)

The Beast Master subclass and Ranger class received no changes to combat and gameplay in this new content update. The overall focus of Patch 7 was adding mods and new endings with more honour mode boss actions. The game now features a modding toolkit and an in-game mod manager, allowing players to create and install mods directly within the game.

Consequently, this update is intended to hand over creative control to the community, enabling players to produce unique content and continue the story in new ways. This Beast Master Ranger build guide remains unchanged for Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 7.