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Baldurs Gate 3 has 12 classes for you to choose from when you create your character. The Fighter is the archetypical melee class.
Fighters are the most straightforward class in Baldur’s Gate 3, but they’re more than just good at punching. Sure, that’s how they start out, but, as they level up, they come to control every field of battle they encounter. Their primary stat is Strength.
There’s no single best class in Baldur’s Gate 3, and the game gives you as many opportunities for creative problem solving as it does for punching. Finding the best class really just boils down to how you want to play. Even when playing solo, you’ll still manage the rest of your party, so you’ll get to experiment with multiple classes at once.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Fighter class in Baldur’s Gate 3, and learn all about the best Fighter subclass, feats, and build.
Is Fighter the best class for you in BG3?
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Image: Larian Studios via Polygon
Fighters are the most straightforward class in Baldur’s Gate 3 — at least for the first few levels. Fighters are good at punching things. As you level up, you’ll get into more of the tactical side of combat and controlling the battlefield, but, at their core, fighters are for dealing damage in melee combat.
Fighters are the best class for your first character. They’re the easiest to understand and the least complicated to play.
Fighter class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice — 1d10 per Fighter level
- Hit Points at 1st Level — 10 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at higher levels — 6 + your Constitution modifer per Fighter level after 1st
Actions
At level 1, Fighters get Second Wind, a Bonus Action that restores 1d10 hit points once per long or short rest.
At level 2, Fighters get the Action Surge Action that allows you to take one additional action on your turn. Action Surge also refreshes with a short or long rest.
Fighting Style
Fighters choose a style of fighting to specialize in:
- Archery — Gain a +2 to ranged weapon attacks
- Defense — Gain a +1 to Armor Class while wearing armor
- Dueling — Deal +2 damage when fighting with one one-handed weapon
- Great Weapon Fighting — When you roll a 1 or 2 for damage with a two-handed melee weapon, that die is rerolled
- Protection — When you have a shield, impose Disadvantage on an attack against your allies when you are within 5ft.
- Two-Weapon Fighting — When you make an attack with your off-hand weapon, you can add your Ability Modifier to the damage of the attack.
Proficiencies
- Weapons — Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
- Armor — Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, Shields
- Skills — Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Religion
- Saving Throws — Wisdom, Constitution
Fighter subclasses
At level 3, Fighters choose from one of three subclasses.
Battle Master
Battle Master Fighters focus on maneuvers and tactics.
Battle Masters get four uses per short or long rest of the the Superiority Dice feature that power Maneuvers. You’ll also get to pick three Maneuvers from a list of 14.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter Battle Master Maneuvers
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Description |
| Commander’s Strike | Spend an action and a reaction to direct an ally to strike a foe. |
| Disarming Strike | Spend a superiority die to make an attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage and possibly forces the target to drop their weapon |
| Distracting Strike | Distract your target, giving your allies Advantage on their next Attack Roll against the target |
| Evasive Footwork | You can evade attacks by imposing Disadvantage on melee attacks against you for a round |
| Feinting Attack | You can use both your action and bonus action on a turn to attack a target with Advantage and deal an additional 1d8 damage |
| Goading Attack | Deal an additional 1d8 and attempt to goad the target into attacking you. Target receives Disadvantage on attacking any other creature. |
| Maneuvering Attack | Spend a superiority die make an attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage. On a hit, select which friendly creature will gain half its movement speed. It will not provoke attacks of opportunity. |
| Menacing Attack | Spend a superiority die to make an attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage and possibly Frightens the target |
| Precision Attack | You can spend a superiority die to add it to the result of an Attack Roll |
| Pushing Attack | Spend a superiority die to make an attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage and possibly pushes the target back 15 ft. |
| Rally | Expend a superiority die to grant an ally 8 temporary hit points |
| Riposte | When a hostile creature misses you with a melee attack, expend a superiority die to retaliate with a powerful strike that deals an additional 1d8 damage |
| Sweeping Attack | Swing your weapon in a rapid, sweeping arc to attack multiple enemies at once |
| Trip Attack | Spend a superiority die to make an attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage and possibly pushes the target back 15 ft. |
Eldritch Knight
Eldritch Knight Fighters mix in some magic with their punching.
When you become an Eldritch Knight, you get two level 1 spell slots per long rest. You start out knowing two Cantrips and two Spells (from the lists below), and one Wizard spell.
You can choose two Cantrips from this list:
Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter Eldritch Knight Cantrips
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Description |
| Acid Splash | Throw a bubble of acid that deals 1d6 Acid damage to each creature it hits |
| Bone Chill | Prevent the target from healing until your next turn with 1d8 Necrotic damage. Undead receive Disadvantage on Attack Rolls. |
| Fire Bolt | Hurl a mote of fire for 1d10 Fire damage |
| Poison Spray | Project a puff of noxious gas (CON Save) |
| Ray of Frost | Reduce the target’s movement speed by 10ft with 1d8 Cold damage |
| Shocking Grasp | Deal 1d8 Lightning damage and the target cannot use reactions |
| Blade Ward | Take half damage from Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing attacks |
| Friends | Gain Advantage on Charisma Checks against a non-hostile creature |
| Dancing Lights | Illuminate a 30ft radius |
| Light | Infuse an object with an aura of light |
| Mage Hand | Create a spectral hand that can manipulate and interact with objects |
| Minor Illusion | Create an illusion that compels nearby creatures to investigate |
| True Strike | Gain Advantage on your next Attack Roll |
Eldritch Knights start knowing two spells from this list:
Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter Eldritch Knight Spells
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Description |
| Burning Hands | Each flammable target is hit with 3d6 Fire damage |
| Chromatic Orb | Hurl a sphere that deals 3d8 Thunder damage and possibly creates a surface on impact |
| Magic Missile | Shoot 3 magical darts, each dealing 1d4 Force damage |
| Mage Armor | Protect a target from attacks by making its AC 13 + DEX |
| Protection from Evil and Good | Protect an ally against the attacks and powers of aberrations, celectials, elementals, fey, fiends, and the undead |
| Shield | Use your reaction to increase your AC by 5 |
| Thunderwave | Release a wafe of thunderous force that pushes away all creatures and objects for 2d8 Thunder damage (CON Save) |
| Witch Bolt | Link yourself to a target with a bolt of lightning for 1d12 Lightning damage and deal an additional 1d12 each turn |
Champion
Champion Fighters do away with all the fanciness of the other subclasses and focus on hitting things real good.
Champions receive Improved Critical Hit that reduces the number you need to roll a Critical Hit by 1.
Best Fighter subclass and build in BG3
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Image: Larian Studios via Polygon
Baldur’s Gate 3 races don’t really have any direct impact on your class, but certain races and subraces come with features that play well with certain classes like extra movement or proficiency with certain weapons. For Fighters, it’s best to focus on exactly that — movement and weapons:
- Wood Elvesand Wood Half-Elves get an extra 5 feet of movement
- Humans get the Civil Militia feature which adds spears, pikes, halberds, and glaives to your repertoire
- Gold Dwarves’ Dwarven Toughness gets you an extra hit point each level
- Half-Orcs get Relentless Endurance that gives you one free hit point when you’re downed (one time per long rest), and their Savage Attacks means you roll an extra damage die when you land a critical hit.
When you’re creating and leveling up your Fighter, Strength is your most important stat (for punching) followed by Constitution (for getting punched).Make Strength your highest stat and Constitution your second.
Fighters pick a subclass at level 3. If you’re looking to keep things simple, Champion is the best fighter subclass — it just makes you better at punching.
Best Fighter Feats in BG3
Every four levels, you’ll get the option to either increase your stats or choose a Feat. Feats are special talents that add features to your character. If you’re happy with your stats and start taking Feats, Clerics can benefit from:
- Athlete. Your Strength or Dexterity increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. When you are Prone, standing up uses significantly less movement. Your Jump distance also increases by 50%.
- Charger. You gain Charger: Weapon Attack and Charger: Shove.
- Durable. Your Constitution increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. You regain full hit points each time you take a Short Rest.
- Savage Attacker. When making weapon attacks, you roll your damage dice twice and use the highest result.
- Sentinel. When an enemy within melee range attacks an ally, you can use a reaction to make a weapon attack against that enemy. Target ally must not have the Sentinel Feat. You gain Advantage on Opportunity Attacks, and when you hit a creature with an Oppotunity Attack, it can no longer move for the rest of its turn.
- Tough. Your hit point maximum increases by 2 for every level you have gained.
For more information on the classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, consult our overviews on the Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard classes. If you’re stumped by the choice, consult our guide on what class to start with.
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