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.^{[url 1]} Each class also has unique spellcasting animations (while attack animations are based on race).

See also: Character Creation

Game mechanics

Experience and levels

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, eventually to choose a subclass, and optionally to multiclass. After reaching level 12, no further levels are gained, so no other class-related choices are possible.

Using Withers' services, the player can change the class of a character, setting them back to level 1 and allowing them to change their class(es) and subclass(es).

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