Best Barbarian Build in Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 has many different Races, Classes, and Subclasses to select from when building your character. While this enables you to customize your build to your liking, it can also make finding and enhancing the best strengths and abilities of your character a rather intimidating task. If you’re looking to take on the role of a fearsome Barbarian and embrace a strong melee frontline role, then look no further; we’ve got you covered. Follow along below for all the information you’ll need to create thebest Barbarian build in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Best Barbarian Build Guide

The first and most important thing to consider when building a Barbarian character are the primary stat for this Class. This where you’ll want to prioritize any further Ability Increases or buffs, so knowing what they are will make your adventure much more satisfying, allowing your character to shine in certain areas.

The Barbarian’s most important stats areStrength, followed by bothDexterityandConstitution.

Recommended Babarian beginning stats: STR 17, DEX 15, CON 15, INT 8, WIS 8, CHA 10

Keeping these core stats in mind, there are a fewRacesthat synergize with the Barbarian nicely. It won’t be the end of the world if you stray from the options mentioned below, but if you’re looking to make your Barbarian as much of a powerhouse a possible, then we’ve rounded up the best contenders.

Half-Orc Race in Baldur’s Gate 3

When it comes to the Barbarian, there are two Subclasses that stand out, depending on your personal preferences and Race. The first of these opinions is theChampion Barbarian,however, this build only gains maximum value if you play a Half-Orc character. This is because the Champion’s improved Critical Hit rate works hand in hand with the Half-Orc’s improved Critical Hit rate to create a Crit-fishing powerhouse build.

Pair this massively improved Crit rate with the utility of Action Surge and Second Wind from the Fighter Class, and you’ve got yourself one of the strongest Melee Weapon frontline builds in the game. We’ve covered this build in ourbest Baldur’s Gate 3 Multiclass combinations guide, so feel free to check this out if you’re looking to replicate this approach with your character.

Barbarian Class in BG3

For every other Race, the best Subclass choice is theBerserker Barbarian. This is due to the utility Frenzy brings to the build, adding some nice effects to your Rage, as well as letting you make an Improvised Weapon Attack as a Bonus Action each turn.

This means that you can pick up large objects and throw them at opponents to deal damage, or in some cases, even pick up certain enemies and hurl them into one another. On top of this, there are several obtainable Weapons in the game that return to your hand when thrown, which only enhances the utility of Thrown Attacks for a Barbarian. Because of this, you should heavily consider the Throw Action as a core mechanic of your build, alongside Rage.

baldurs-gate-3-Karlach,-Zariel-Tiefling-Barbarian

The best Berserker Barbarian Build combines 6 levels of Barbarian, 2 levels of Fighter, and 4 levels of Rogue. While this may seem like a bizarre combination at first, the Rogue has a unique change to the Thief Subclass in BG3 that allows them multiple Bonus Actions in a turn. Pair this with the Barbarian’s Frenzy, and suddenly you’re able to fling multiple objects and people around in one turn. You’ll also gain Dash as a Cunning (Bonus) Action, which can allow you to quickly engage on the frontline at the start of battle. With the addition of certain Equipment andFeats, this build can single-handedly carry your party.

Upon creating your character, you will need to take your first five levels in Barbarian. This ensures you unlock the Barbarian’s Extra Attack as soon as possible, enabling you to attack twice per Action. Pair this with Rage, and you’ll soon notice just how much value you can gain from this addition.

AtLevel 3, you will need to select your Barbarian Subclass.Berserkeris essential for this build, so go ahead and select this as your choice.

Image Source: Larian Studios via Twinfinite

AtLevel 4, you will be able to select your first Feat. Here you’ll need to selectTavern Brawler. This is one of the most powerful Feats in the entire game, allowing you to add your Strength Modifier twice to any Attack or Damage Rolls using Improvised, Unarmed, or Thrown Weapons. This will give you a little boost early in the game with your Enraged Throw Bonus Action, but later on once you add your Thief Rogue levels, Tavern Brawler will bring you immense value due to the multiple Bonus Actions per turn.

At Level5, you will gain your Extra Attack. Now that you’re set up with the initial levels in Berserker Barbarian, it’s time totake your next four levels in Rogue.

Surfing in Sword of the Sea

AtLevel 8(Rogue Level 3), you will need to select your Rogue Subclass, so go ahead and choose Thief. Now you will have an extra Bonus Action per turn, enabling you to double the value from Enraged Throw, as well as significantly boost your damage output through Tavern Brawler.

AtLevel 9(Rogue Level 4), you will need to select another Feat. This time, select Ability Improvement and add +2 to your Strength, bringing it to a total of 19. This will increase your STR Modifier, which will in turn both make your Tavern Brawler/Enraged Throw Attacks deal more damage, as well as hit more consistently.

Now that you’re set with five levels of Barbarian and four Levels of Rogue,you’ll need to dip into Fighter for your next two levels. This will add some of the best Melee Class abilities to your build, buffing your kit with the likes of Action Surge and Second Wind.

AtLevel 10(Fighter Level 1), you will gainSecond Wind. This is a Bonus Action that allows you to heal yourself for a burst of HP once per Short Rest. As Barbarians live on the frontline, there may be a time when your designated healer can’t reach you, or you find yourself in an unfavorable situation. Second Wind adds a little bit more survivability to your character for such scenarios, and it also fits perfectly with the Thief Rogue’s extra Bonus Action per turn, meaning you don’t have to sacrifice dealing an Attack or Enraged Throw to utilize Second Wind.

AtLevel 11(Fighter Level 2) You will gainAction Surge. Action Surge is an Ability that can be used once per Short Rest, giving you a second Action for the round of combat. This means that you can deal a significant amount of damage in a single round.

For example, you may choose toAction Attack(2x swings thanks to Extra Attack),Action Surge,Action Attack Again(also 2x swings),Bonus Action Enraged Throw, and thenBonus Action Enraged Throw again(via the Thief’s extra Bonu Action). This essentially means that you can deal six attacks in a single round, which is huge for your damage output.

Lastly, for your final level, you’ll need to dip back into Barbarian to round out your build. AtLevel 12(Barbarian Level 6) you will gain an additional Rage charge, as well as Mindless Rage, which will prevent you from being Charmed or Frightened while Raging.

That’s everything you need to know about how to create thebest Barbarian build in Baldur’s Gate 3. Now that you know all about this Melee powerhouse, why not check out some of our other build guides, such asthe best Paladin build in BG3? After all, it’s important to have a balanced party during your playthrough.