Classes

A character's class in Baldur's Gate 3 is one of their primary defining features. Each class represents a different calling, and each offers a number of unique abilities, powers, and skills that influence how that character interacts with the world. Classes determine most of a character's abilities - both in and out of combat. As a character advances in levels in a class they will gain incredible new powers and abilities.

The maximum character level in Baldur's Gate 3 is level 12.

Each class grants characters special dialogue choices only available to that class. Each class also has unique spellcasting animations (while attack animations are based on race).

See also: Character Creation

Game mechanics

Experience

All characters start at level 1, and level up when they receive enough experience. Leveling up allows a character to take another level in a class. After reaching level 12, no further levels are gained.

Experience is gained through completing quests, succeeding at tasks, discovering new locations, and defeating enemies.

When a character gains inspiration, they earn a small amount of experience. Experience from all other sources is earned by all characters that have joined the player, whether they are in the active party or at camp.

The amount of experience obtained by defeating an enemy is determined by the enemy level and its category. "Pack" enemies are the weakest category and will provide much less experience than "Boss" enemies. For example, Nere is a level 5 "Elite" enemy, so defeating him rewards 90 experience. His minions are level 5 "Combatant" enemies, so defeating them rewards 75 experience each. Enemies of level 13 and above will provide as much experience as a level 12 enemy.

Defeating an enemy can reward no experience if the player already resolved the encounter without fighting. For example, if the player peacefully talks their way out of an encounter, they will gain the same experience as if they had killed the enemies. Killing them afterwards will not earn the player any more experience. This is to prevent the player to double up on experience.

In many occurrences during the game, the player has the possibility to side with a NPC for the purpose of succeeding a quest, then kill them afterwards. In doing so they effectively gain the experience from succeeding the quest and the experience from defeating the NPC. For example, the player can side with Nere for the purpose of succeeding Free True Soul Nere, then kill him and his minions afterwards to obtain the maximum of experience as possible (in addition of obtaining both the quest rewards and his items).

The amount of experience rewarded by a quest or a defeated enemy is not visible in the game before completing the quest or defeating the enemy. Examining an enemy doesn't provide its category either, preventing the player to determine the precise amount of experience it will reward. However, the player can approximate it using the enemy level, visible in the Examine window or while hovering the enemy.

Experience Table
	Player		Defeated enemy
Level	Cumulative exp.	Exp. for next level	Pack	Combatant	Elite	Miniboss	Boss
1	0	300	3	10	15	20	30
2	300	600	5	15	25	40	75
3	900	1,800	10	20	40	50	100
4	2,700	3,800	20	40	75	100	150
5	6,500	6,500	40	75	90	150	250
6	13,000	8,000	50	90	150	230	320
7	21,000	9,000	60	110	180	280	400
8	30,000	12,000	75	140	220	350	500
9	42,000	14,000	110	200	315	500	700
10	56,000	20,000	135	250	400	640	875
11	76,000	24,000	170	320	510	800	1120
12	100,000	N/A	210	400	640	1000	1400
13+	N/A	N/A	210	400	640	1000	1400

Subclasses

When a character reaches a certain level in a class they must select a subclass. The level that this choice is made at varies from class to class.

Subclasses allow characters to further specialize their character by imparting powerful new abilities focused around enhancing the central theme of the subclass. Choosing a subclass does not cause a character to stop gaining the normal benefits of a class when advancing in level - the benefits of a subclass are on top of the normal class abilities.

See below for a list of classes and their subclasses.

Multiclassing

The location of the Add Class button on the Level Up screen

A character's choice of class is not permanent. When gaining a new level, a character can choose to continue advancing in level in a class they already have levels in, or they can choose to gain a level in an entirely new class. This is called multiclassing. Doing so will grant most of the benefits of advancing in level in that additional class, with some limitations.

A multiclassed character's spell slots are dependent on the Effective Spellcaster Level of the character.
A multiclassed character will use the spellcasting modifier from the most recent new class taken for item spellcasting.
A multiclassed character does not receive all of the proficiencies of their new class. Multiclassing never grants saving throw proficiencies. A multiclassed character's proficiency bonus increases as normal, however.
A multiclassed character adds their total level in all classes together to determine their overall character level.
Players cannot multiclass when playing on "Explorer" difficulty.
A multiclassed character receives all proficiencies from a chosen subclass - for instance, while multiclassing into Fighter does not grant Heavy Armour proficiency, multiclassing into War Cleric does, since the proficiency belongs to the subclass rather than the main class.

Note that each new class gained through multiclassing begins at level one, and all chosen classes are levelled separately. For example, If a character has taken three levels in bard, and chooses to multiclass and takes one level of sorcerer, they will have access to traits for levels one through three of bard, and access to the traits for a level one sorcerer. They will not have access to level four traits of bard, despite being level four overall.

Multiclass proficiencies

Class	Gained Proficiency	Class	Gained Proficiency
Barbarian	Shields, Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons	Bard	Light Armour, One skill, One instrument
Cleric	Light Armour, Medium Armour, Shields, Flails, Morningstars	Druid	Light Armour, Medium Armour, Shields
Fighter	Light Armour, Medium Armour, Shields, Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons	Monk	Simple Weapons, Shortswords
Paladin	Light Armour, Medium Armour, Shields, Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons	Ranger	Light Armour, Medium Armour, Shields, Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons, One skill
Rogue	Light Armour, One skill	Sorcerer	Daggers, Light Crossbows, Quarterstaves
Warlock	Light armour, Simple Weapons	Wizard	Daggers, Light Crossbows, Quarterstaves

Playable classes

Barbarian

The strong embrace the wild that hides inside - keen instincts, primal physicality, and most of all, an unbridled, unquenchable rage.

Bard

You know music is more than a fancy - it is power. Through study and adventure, you have mastered song, speech, and the magic within.

Cleric

Clerics are representatives of the gods they worship, wielding potent divine magic for good or ill.

Druid

Druids channel the elemental forces of nature and share a deep kinship with animals. Mastery of Wild Shape allows them to transform into beasts from all over the Realms.

Fighter

Fighters have mastered the art of combat, wielding weapons with unmatched skill and wearing armour like a second skin.

Monk

Channel your cosmic enlightenment by deftly dodging and efficiently disassembling your foes through stunning strikes and a whirlwind of martial art attacks.