How to multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3

Choosing to multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 is an extremely powerful tool that allows you to gain access to abilities from multiple classes at once. But, like in Dungeons and Dragons, multiclassing can also limit your character’s ultimate potential. Thankfully, multiclassing your character and then respeccing if you don’t like it is a very simple process, so you can experiment as much as you want.

In this Baldur’s Gate 3 guide, we’ll teach you how to multiclass; explain the multiclass requirements for, and pros and cons of, multiclassing; and suggest some of the best multiclass builds.

How to multiclass in BG3

Image: Larian Studios via Polygon

You can multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 as early as level 2, and there are no restrictions on which classes you can combine together — although some obviously play much better together than others.

When you level up, look for a button in the top right of the level up panel (on the left side of your screen). You’re looking for a button that has an ax and a staff crossed on it, with a plus symbol sitting above it. If you click that button, the game will open a panel that shows how many levels you have in each class. From there, you can select a new class and level up in that instead of in your main class.

The next time you level up, you’ll see a new display that shows your two classes and their respective levels. You’ll then be able to select between the two of them or add a third subclass. Now I don’t recommend getting into more than two classes for a single character (unless you’re going for the Jack-of-all-Trades achievement) but there’s nothing actually stopping you from putting a single level into all 12 classes.

Should you multiclass in BG3?

Image: Larian Studios via Polygon

Multiclassing is a very complex decision in Baldur’s Gate 3, and you’ll need to weigh the pros and cons as you’re putting your build together.

The positives are fairly obvious. By deciding to multiclass you can:

• Combine class features together to make truly busted combinations
• Shore up some of the weaknesses of your main class
• Gain more resources that benefit your main class, like additional spell slots
• Fulfill a really cool roleplay fantasy of a heavy armored mage or a raging barbarian monk
• Get even more attacks per turn

The drawbacks, however, are a bit more nuanced.

Making the decision to multiclass at all means your main class will never reach level 12, which is the max level in the game. Because of this, you might miss out on some truly amazing features, depending on your class and subclass. You’ll need to weigh that against the amazing feature combos you can get from combining with a second class.

Another con — or at least something to be aware of — is that you only gain the proficiencies of your first class. So you can’t start as a Sorcerer, decide you want to wear heavy armor, and then take a dip into Paladin. What you’d need to do there is start as a Paladin and then take the rest of your 11 levels in Sorcerer. You can’t just take a dip into a few classes and walk away with all the proficiencies.

Finally, and this is a pro or a con depending on how much of a strategy fan you are: Multiclassing can make the game very easy when playing on the standard difficulty. Building a multiclass character is typically a big investment, and you’ll probably feel a little behind once you forgo a level in your primary class and start dipping into another. But once you’re at max level and you’ve got a ton of magic items to combine together — not to mention and so much gold that you can easily tweak your class to perfection via Withers — you can become an unstoppable monster fairly simply.

Best multiclass builds in BG3

Multiclassing is a very promising and lucrative endeavor, if you make the right choices. The most powerful builds in Baldur’s Gate 3 typically involve multiclassing, and there is some real fun to be had if you put some thought into your character or follow a build guide.

If you want to try to put together your own combos, keep in mind that classes usually work best together when they share the same main stat, like Paladin, Bard, Warlock, and Sorcerer all using Charisma.

If you’d rather get some recommendations, here are three of our favorite combos:

Paladin and Pact of the Blade Warlock

Image: Larian Studios via Polygon

This combination is extremely powerful. Start with a Paladin of whatever Oath fancies you, and level it up to level 5 so you get your extra attack. Then, start taking levels in Warlock. At Warlock level 3, take Pact of the Blade and make your Paladin's main weapon your Pact Weapon (this is extremely powerful when combined with a shield and the Blood of Lathander mace).

Once you hit Warlock level 5, you’ll gain another attack when using your Pact Weapon, and this stacks with your extra Paladin attack, giving your three weapon hits per turn. Take at least one more level in Paladin to get your Aura and the last level in whichever class you prefer. When you combine all of those attacks that use your Charisma score, an aura to buff your allies, heavy armor, Eldritch Blast, and Warlock spell slots that you can use to Divine Smite (which reset on a short rest, no less), the Palock is truly one of the most impressive builds in the game.

Thief Rogue and Gloomstalker Ranger

Image: Larian Studios via Polygon

Where some multiclass combos are like mixing chocolate and peanut butter together — two great flavors that somehow make the other even better — others are more like adding chocolate to more chocolate. That’s pretty much what you’re dealing with when it comes to the Rogue and the Ranger.

The level up process for this one is pretty simple. Start with a Rogue and level up your character three times so you can select your subclass: Thief. Thief is just a totally busted subclass on Rogue because it gives you a second Bonus Action that you can use to dash, disengage, and do several other things that leave.

Then you take the next eight levels in Ranger and pick up the Gloomstalker subclass, which is the sneaky, stealthy ranger. From this you’ll deal some massive bonus damage on your first turn of each combat (paired with Sneak Attack from Rogue, you’ll be able to take out some enemies in a single hit to start the fight), and will gain an extra attack eventually. Once you hit Ranger level 8 and get a Feat, take one more dip into Rogue to finish your leveling experience with another Feat.

This build basically just turns you into a burst damage, stealth, and mobility machine. It’s a very popular build, and a ton of fun to play.

Barbarian and Fighter

Image: Larian Studios via Polygon

Sometimes in Baldur’s Gate 3, you just want to make a character that’s really, really good at hitting stuff really, really hard. Let Gale and Wyll sling some spells. You have a date with a big hammer, your own rage, and Action Surge.

The Barbarian Fighter is a classic, powerful combo that allows you to tank your way around the battlefield beating enemies to a pulp.

For this, start as a Barbarian and level up until level 5, when you get your extra attack. That should help carry you through the first two levels of Fighter. Take Fighter to level 3 and choose the Champion subclass, which will allow you to critically attack when you roll 19 or 20 on the die. You’ll also pick up Action Surge, which allows you to gain your action back once per short rest. That means at level 8 (five in Barbarian and three in Fighter), you can strike a boss four times in a single turn. And you’ll roll a crit 1 in 10 rolls instead of 1 in 20.

Finish out the leveling process with Barbarian all the way to level 9, which will net you the Brutal Critical effect, which causes you to deal increased damage on a critical hit. As for your Barbarian subclass, I like to pair Champion with Berserker, as you’ll get yet another attack that you can use your bonus action on if you kill something.

This build basically just turns you into a whirlwind that can attack over and over again and critically strikes all the time, leading to massive damage. If you have a Cleric like Shadowheart backing you up, and a spellcaster like Gale to help you with ranged foes, you’ll chew through bosses.