The Best Honour Mode Party Compositions In Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 is an impressive dive into the Dungeons and Dragons franchise by Larian Studios. The game follows a group of misfits as they make their way across the Sword Coast, working together to save the future of Baldur’s Gate.

After completing the game, many players go on to try their hand at Honour Mode, which is an entirely different version of the game. Here’s a list of the best party compositions for anyone wanting to venture into Faerun’s most difficult challenge.

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Updated on March 17, 2025, by Gerardo Molina: Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the best isometric RPGs released in the last 10 years, as it not only features a great story with stellar voice acting, but also allows players to use a wide variety of characters with different classes and subclasses. While other difficulties are not too challenging, if players choose to take on the game while playing on the Honour Mode difficulty, they’ll need to build their party to be as strong as possible to overcome the various challenges they’ll encounter along the way. Typically, combining a Melee build with a ranged character can be great for dealing with enemies from afar while also dealing maximum damage up close.

6

Frontline Focus

Strong Melee Presence And Ambush Elements

• Fighter
• Ranger
• Life Domain Cleric
• Storm Sorcerer

Although it can be great to have several heavy hitters in players’ parties, using a combination of various classes is usually best. This build has Melee fighters that can deal damage up close, while also keeping a few characters that can ambush enemies from the shadows, increasing the ranged damage dealt and maximizing the chances of success. This can be extremely useful while playing in Honour Mode, as enemies are extremely strong and losing just one time means resetting the entire campaign.

Astarion is not only one of players’ favorite characters, but he can also be a great choice for a Rogue, taking on foes with a ranged weapon while remaining undetected. Players should also consider having a cleric with the Live Domain subclass, as they are specialized in preserving life and their healing spells are a lot more potent than that of other variants. Some of the best spells at this subclass’ disposal are: Disciple of Life, Preserve Life, Aid, Revivify, Blessed Healer, Death Ward, Divine Strike: Radiant, Mass Cure Wounds, and Greater Restoration. Each one is unlocked at different levels, with each spell being more powerful than the last.

5

Melee And Mobility

Maximizing Physical Damage With Bonus Actions

• Berserker Barbarian
• Battle Master Fighter
• Gloom Stalker Ranger
• Rogue (Thief subclass)

Mobility is one of the most important aspects of Baldur’s Gate 3, as it not only allows players to move around the battlefield with more ease and cover greater distances, but it also makes it easier to get out of enemies’ range during a battle. Combining characters, such as a Berserker Barbarian with a Battle Master fighter, a Gloom Stalker Ranger, and a Rogue with the Thief subclass can go a long way in making Honour Mode much easier to complete.

The Berserker subclass for the Barbarian class is a great choice for bonus actions and increased mobility, as it features abilities like: Frenzy, Mindless Rage, Enraged Throw, Frenzied Strike, and Intimidating Presence, which can instill Fear in enemies, paralyzing them where they stand and causing them to have a Disadvantage on Ability Checks and Attack Rolls. Karlach is a great choice for this build, as she’s a Barbarian from the start and the Berserker subclass further increases the threat she poses. The Battle Master subclass, on the other hand, focuses on using active skills on limited resources, which can be great in difficult situations. Some of their greatest manoeuvres are: Commander’s Strike, Feinting Attack, Goading Attack (both Melee and Ranged), and Menacing Attack.

4

Minimal Multiclassing

The Party That Can Go 12 Levels In One Class And Still Survive

• Wizard
• Cleric (Life, then Tempest)
• Fighter
• Bard

A lot of honour mode builds require multiclassing, as that typically unlocks handy features like an extra attack for certain classes. But for those who would prefer to not do that for whatever reason, or simply want to challenge themselves, there are a few classes that remain quite powerful even with 12 full levels of it.

Fighter, Cleric, and Wizard are three very good examples of such classes. Fighter is just a nice bread-and-butter class in the game that can really dominate the frontlines. Wizard gameplay might be stale, but there’s no denying its power in later levels. It can also be switched for a Sorcerer for those who would rather have a Charisma-based spellcaster as a party face. Bard, although best multiclassed, is also a fantastic ranged option for this setup.

3

The Tanky Party

Hold The Frontline With Three Highly Survivable Characters

• Paladin/Bardadin
• Thrower Barbarian
• Cleric (Light or Life)
• Ranger/Rogue (Gloomstalker-Assassin)

If staying alive is a major concern for players, which it should be in honour mode, then forming a highly tanky party might be the play. While they might suffer a little at range (that’s where the Ranger-Rogue comes in), they will be able to put up with a lot of the raw damage dished out by enemies.

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At the front is the Paladin, a class that can deal powerful smites. It can be multiclassed according to the player’s needs to a Bardadin or a Sorcadin. Next to it is the Thrower Barbarian, a classic choice for most honour mode runs, especially for Act 1 where it really shines. Cleric is a must-have for any honour mode setup, and here, having a Life or Light cleric at least at first will really help the front lines to stay alive in the early fights where most builds have yet to come online.

2

The DPS Party

Excel At Dishing Out High Single Target Damage

• College of Swords Bard
• Ranger/Rogue (Gloomstalker-Assassin)
• Open Hand Monk
• Cleric (War or Light Domain)

In honour mode, oftentimes the best defense is a solid offense, and this party composition ensures that. The party is led by the classic Swords Bard, a jack of all trades capable of passing speech checks, fighting at a distance or in the face of enemies, and controlling the battlefield while supporting allies. Ranger/Rogue in this variation takes the spot of a caster like a Sorcerer and can focus on dealing incredible Crit damage from afar.

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Then there’s the OH Monk, one of the best, if not the best DPS build in the game, at least when it comes to single-target damage. This is the party’s frontline, but it will need support from a tanky Cleric like War or Light Domain cleric. Going Life Cleric at first for a few levels just for some extra heals might also be the play if the party is really struggling in the early levels, just to make sure everyone’s builds get a chance to come online without a wipe.

1

The Lightning Party

Group Enemies Together For Devastating Lightning Strikes

• Bard
• Storm Sorcerer
• Tempest Cleric
• Open Hand Monk

By far the best strategy in honour mode is to take advantage of Lightning, Cold, and Wet. When enemies are Wet through Create Water or by throwing a water bottle on them, they take double damage from Lightning and Cold spells. This is a dream for Storm Sorcerers and Tempest Clerics that can upcast powerful spells like Call Lightning and Chain Lightning for devastating results.

Supporting this party is of course a traditional Swords Bard, providing successful speech check passes whenever possible, acting as the stealth and ranged character of the party, and the like. Make sure to also pick up Minor Illusion on Bard to group enemies together, then use Create Water as Cleric, and finally hit them with a Lightning spell from the Sorcerer. The OH Monk here is the frontline who can jump in and finish off any low targets, or Stagger or Stun higher HP targets.

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