Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Cleric Class Build

Baldur’s Gate 3 can be a tough game for someone new to the series, or new to CRPG Dungeons and Dragons-like games in general. A well-balanced party composition should have some kind of support class, which the Cleric happens to excel at. The best Cleric builds aren’t necessarily those that deal the most damage, but those that make full use of this class’ unique quirks.

The Life Domain is one of four Domains players can choose in BG3, and it’s a fantastic way to build a Cleric thanks to its variety of always-prepared support spells. This leaves players open to pick up other spells when leveling, giving the Cleric more variety, and making it one of the most versatile classes in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Updated November 2, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: When going for the best Cleric build BG3 players can make, you need to also consider factors beyond your character. After all, even with the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric build, it’s nearly impossible to beat BG3 without a balanced Cleric party composition. Unless you are going for a solo run, it’s a good idea to consider your companion options before journeying out into the world – more often than not, this best BG3 Cleric Build is improved with the right companions. This guide to the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric build has been updated to add a section covering our best BG3 Cleric build companion and party composition recommendations, as well as to clarify some details so players can more easily follow this BG3 Cleric Build guide.

Cleric Class Introduction & Overview

The Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Class, Explained

Cleric Playstyle & Signature Abilities

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

The Cleric is a multi-faceted class that puts equal emphasis on support and damage in virtually every BG3 Cleric build. Clerics are capable of being one of the game’s strongest healers and source of party buffs, but they can also be incredibly powerful spellcasters and melee brawlers that have access to spells similar to the Druid or Wizard’s repertoire. No matter which BG3 Cleric domain you choose, all players get access to the Turn Undead, Destroy Undead, and Divine Intervention abilities at various levels, too.

The Cleric’s unique features are related to one’s choice of Domain, including unique always-prepared spells and Channel Divinity abilities that correspond to the chosen BG3 Cleric subclass. Domain spells work just like other spells, and are highlighted in the spell list when leveling to avoid picking them twice. Channel Divinity abilities vary from domain to domain, and offer powerful effects from limited Channel Divinity charges. Clerics gain Channel Divinity charges at Level 2 and 6, which replenish on either a Short or Long Rest.

Base Cleric Class Proficiencies: Armor, Weapons, Saving Throws, & Skill Choices

When you first start creating your Cleric Build, BG3 offers a selection of basic Class Proficiencies, and a choice of two Cleric Skill Proficiencies.

In addition to Armor, Weapon, and Saving Throw proficiencies that vary for each class, the pool of Skills you can choose from are different for each class. These cannot be changed once you get past character creation.

All Cleric Subclasses

There are a total of seven BG3 Domains (subclasses) Cleric players can try out, each of which focuses on different aspects of the class, and offers a selection of unique skills, proficiencies, and other features. As you level up in one of these BG3 Cleric subclasses, you will gain more abilities that are unique to your subclass choice.

Your choice of Cleric subclass can be changed by speaking with Withers, but you will start at Level 1 and have to make your BG3 Cleric build from scratch. Though this chart displays information for all subclasses, if you want to make best Cleric build BG3 has to offer, you should go for the Life Domain.

Cleric Class Features – Level By Level

The max level in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Level 12, and most of the time, each level you gain will grant something new for your Cleric build. On character creation you gain the basics for the Cleric class, then steadily gain Feat Choices, new spells and abilities, subclass features, and increase your Proficiency Bonus.

This chart displays everything you can expect to get at each Level-Up as a Cleric in your Baldur’s Gate 3 journey. The only level when you do not get anything Cleric-related specifically is from Level 10 to Level 11.

Cleric Spell Slots & Prepared Spells – Level By Level

BG3 Cleric Subclass Choice – Life Domain

Overview Of BG3 Cleric Life Domain Subclass

What Makes The Life Domain The Best Cleric Subclass?

“The Life domain is an aspect of many good deities, offering spells that protect and restore the mind, body, and soul.”

The Life Domain Cleric isn’t the most powerful Cleric build when it comes to raw damage output. But when one considers the breadth of buffs and support skills available to this subclass, it’s easy to see its benefits and its ability to get a party to get through otherwise overwhelming foes, where extra damage wouldn’t help.

As a support sub-class, the Life Domain Cleric can deal damage when it needs to, but most of the time players will stay far from enemies and close to their teammates, ready with a buff or a heal when needed. The Disciple of Life passive gives a bit of extra healing with each spell cast, and can even heal themself with each cast at later levels.

The build is notably proficient in Heavy Armor, a proficiency granted by the Life Domain subclass itself. It also has several Cantrips that keep allies alive and enemies weak when their relatively limited spell slots are expended – but their Domain Spells are always prepared, leaving room for other spells to diversify options.

At several levels, players are given free spells that don’t need to be slotted in and out of the spellbook. These spells include Bless and Cure Wounds at Level 1, Aid and Lesser Restoration at Level 3, and Revivify and Beacon of Hope at Level 5. These are some of the most powerful healing and support-oriented skills in the game, not to mention the AoE heal in the form of Preserve Life, a Channel Divinity skill gained at Level 2.

Life Domain Subclass Features – Level By Level

In addition to everything you unlock while leveling as a Cleric, your Subclass also determines what you unlock at certain levels. As a Cleric, you can select a subclass at Level 1, in the character creation menu.

For the purposes of this guide to the BG3 best Cleric build, choose the Life Domain when prompted to choose a Subclass.

Best BG3 Cleric Build Character Creation Choices

BG3 Cleric Build Race, Background, Proficiency, Feats, & Stat Choices

Best BG3 Cleric Race: Duergar

The Duergar race is one of the best races for Clerics in Baldur’s Gate 3 because of their powerful Duergar Resilience passive, which is granted from level 1. This passive grants Advantage against Saving Throws for being Charmed or Paralyzed by enemies, as well as against Illusion magic.

At level 3, Duergar get the ability to Enlarge themselves, altering their Strength stat and direct weapon damage. At Level 5, Duergar gain the ability to cast Invisibility as a racial ability. However, unlike many limited-use abilities, Duergar can cast Invisibility on themselves at will when out of combat, though it can only be used once per long rest in combat. This is incredibly powerful for setting up the Cleric in an optimal position before combat, then once in combat, Invisibility gives the Cleric a way to get out of dangerous spots.

Being a Dwarf means having a slightly reduced total Movement Distance, but what it lacks in mobility it makes up for with Dwarven Resilience, Superior Darkvision, and several weapon proficiencies Clerics don’t normally have.

Best BG3 Cleric Deity: Selûne or Bahamut

One’s choice of deity as a Cleric doesn’t affect the game altogether too much, aside from unlocking some unique dialogue options. As a Life Domain build that’s focused on healing and support, it makes the most sense to go with either Selûne or Bahamut when it comes to deity choice in character creation.

Selûne is the goddess of the moon and stars, and is the most impactful deity choice because of the many dialogue options it opens up with Shadowheart – a worshipper of Selûne’s nemesis, Shar. Bahamut also makes a lot of sense as the god of mercy and justice, and is a classic choice for a good-aligned Cleric whose righteous cause is helping others.

Best Cleric Backgrounds in BG3: Folk Hero or Guild Artisan

The Folk Hero background can be useful for Clerics because it gives proficiencies to the Animal Handling and Survival skills, both of which rely on the Cleric’s main stat Wisdom. Animal Handling and Survival are both skills that the Cleric typically doesn’t have access to at character creation for its starting proficiencies, too, making them . Typically, Folk Hero characters will earn Inspiration from performing feats of folk heroism, like saving NPCs lives or taking on fearsome foes then bragging about it later.

However, it can also be useful to pick up the Guild Artisan background instead because the bonuses to Insight and Persuasion can be extremely helpful in dialogue and RP encounters throughout Baldur’s Gate 3. Players will have tons of opportunities to trigger these Inspirations, but it means these two skills are pulled out of the total five Cleric starting skill proficiency choices.

Best BG3 Cleric Skill Proficiency Choices: Insight and Persuasion (or Medicine and Religion)

Depending on your choice of background, your choices for Cleric starting skill proficiencies will change. By choosing the Guild Artisan background, players gain Insight and Persuasion proficiency, so it’s ineffective to select these two skills again. Instead, go with Medicine and Religion.

But, if you go with the Folk Hero background, all five Cleric starting skills are up for grabs. In this case, go with Insight and Persuasion over Medicine and Religion.

Either way, be sure to have Persuasion on your cleric as it’s one of the most often-used skills in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Best BG3 Cleric Feats: Alert, War Caster, and Tough

• Alert Effects: You gain +5 to Initiative and can’t be Surprised
• War Caster Effects: Grants two new passive abilities, War Caster: Concentration and War Caster: Opportunity Spell
  • Concentration is a passive that grants Advantage on Concentration Saving Throws
  • Opportunity Spell lets you cast Shocking Grasp on enemies that move away from melee range instead of attacking them normally
• Tough Effects: +2 HP for every level (up to a max of +24 at Level 12). Works retroactively.

Best Cleric Ability Scores & Stat Distribution

To create the best BG3 Cleric build, we recommend putting the majority of points into your Wisdom, followed by Constitution and Dexterity. The primary stat for most Life Domain Cleric spells and abilities in BG3 is Wisdom, but Constitution and Dexterity should follow closely behind for survivability and secondary combat bonuses. Charisma, Strength, and Intelligence are not essential for the Life Domain Cleric build.

Best BG3 Cleric Leveling Choices

Best Cleric Spells, Feats, & Other Choices At Every Level

Best Cleric Build Companions & Party Composition

Best Companions For Life Cleric Builds

The best Cleric companions in BG3 are Lae’Zel as your melee bruiser, Gale as your ranged damage-dealer, and Astarion as a versatile blend of melee and Stealth maneuvers. Though you can change the class and specialization of any of your companions, these three come with strong pre-determined class and spec combos to balance out your Cleric party composition.

• Lae’Zel: Best suited for the Battle Master subclass, Lae’Zel can almost singlehandedly handle your front line, drawing attention from enemies and able to withstand attacks better than some other classes.
• Gale: An Evocation Wizard, Gale can learn any Spell in Baldur’s Gate 3, is able to adapt to most situations, and is thus the most versatile ranged damage-dealing companion.
• Astarion: Best suited for the Thief subclass, Astarion lets you access hidden, locked areas more easily and is capable of setting up complex combat strategies without attracting attention with Stealth

If you are dead set on including a character in your party, simply talk to Withers to respec them to one of the optimal Cleric companion classes listed above. This way, you won’t miss out on that character’s questline, and you won’t have to suffer from an improperly balanced party.

Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Build Equipment

Get The Best BG3 Cleric Gear In All Three Acts

This section covers the best equipment for Life Domain Clerics in BG3 across all three Acts. Some pieces from early Acts may still be powerful in later ones, though, and will remain equipped through several Acts.

• Items with bolded names are new options for the build in each Act, and may replace older pieces of equipment.
• Items with unbolded names must be acquired in earlier Acts, but are strong enough that they don’t need to be replaced in Acts 2 or 3.

Best Cleric Items & Equipment: Act 1

Best Cleric Items & Equipment: Act 2

Best Cleric Items & Equipment: Act 3

Best BG3 Cleric Multiclass Choices

Maximize Your BG3 Cleric Build With Complimentary Cleric Multiclass Options

Players can choose to Multiclass beginning at Level 2. Look for the “Add Class” button on the top right of the level up overview menu – this will open up a new menu where players can choose one of any other class in
Baldur’s Gate 3
when selected.

Fighter Multiclass – Cleric 10/Fighter 2

It might not seem like a natural fit, but dipping two levels into the Fighter class as a Cleric grants an incredibly powerful ability: Action Surge. One of the iconic abilities of the Fighter class, Action Surge is a Bonus Action that grants the caster another Action that turn.

Action Surge can be used once every short or long rest, granting the Cleric another Action to cast a spell when needed. This Cleric multiclass requires two levels in Fighter because Fighters do not start with this ability. Because of this requirement, players can only put 10 levels into Cleric, locking the character off from Level 6 spells – Clerics unlock the ability to use Level 6 spells at Level 11.

Wizard Multiclass – Cleric 11/Wizard 1

One of the biggest benefits of multiclassing into the Wizard class is that, with just one level dip into the Wizard, a character gains the ability to learn spells from scrolls. When paired with the Cleric – another Spellcaster class that uses Prepared Spells – this multiclass combination vastly opens up a character’s spell repertoire.

This multiclass choice has little impact on a character’s ability to use high-level spells. Because both classes are Prepared Spellcasters, and the ability to learn from scrolls only requires one level, a Cleric 11 Wizard 1 character will still be able to use Level 6 spells and have Level 6 spell slots unlocked.