Choosing your class in Baldur’s Gate will obviously have the biggest impact on your playthrough – and choosing one is not easy! This guide aims to help you make an educated class choice in the Enhanced Edition of Baldur’s Gate, by sharing each class’ special features, mechanics and restrictions.
Your race will also affect your character, as well as your class and multi-class choices, so make sure to take a look at all of Baldur’s Gate races, and consult the race restrictions mentioned in this guide.
Fighter
The Fighter is a champion, swordswoman, soldier, and brawler who lives or dies by her knowledge of weapons and tactics. Fighters can be found at the front of any battle, contesting toe-to-toe with monsters and villains.
A good Fighter needs to be strong and healthy if she hopes to survive.
Class Features:
- May wear helmets.
- May wear any armor and use any weapon.
- May achieve Grand Mastery (five slots) with any weapon class.
- May achieve Specialization (two slots) in any fighting style and allocate three slots in Two-Weapon Style.
- Hit Die: d10
Prime Requisites For Dual-Classing: Strength
Ranger
The Ranger is a warrior and a woodswoman who is skilled with weapons and is knowledgeable in the ways of the forest. The Ranger often protects and guides lost travelers and honest peasant-folk. A Ranger needs to be strong and wise to the ways of nature to live a full life.
Class Features:
- May wear helmets.
- May wear any armor and use any weapon.
- May not exceed Specialization (two slots) in any weapon class.
- May achieve Specialization (two slots) in any fighting style.
- Begins Specialized (two slots) in Two-Weapon Style and may place a third slot into it.
- May select a racial enemy, which grants a +4 bonus to hit and damage rolls against the selected enemy race.
- May use the Charm Animal ability once per da Gains one use at level 1 and an additional use every 2 levels thereafter.
- May use the Hide In Shadows ability while wearing no armor, leather armor, or studded leather armor.
- May cast druidic spells starting at level 8.
- Alignment restricted to good.
- Hit Die: d1O
Prime Requisites For Dual-Classing: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom
Paladin
A Paladin is a warrior bold and pure, the exemplar of everything good and true. Like the Fighter, the Paladin is a person of action and combat. However, the Paladin lives for the ideals of righteousness, justice, honesty, piety, and chivalry and strives to be a living example of these virtues so that others may learn from her as well as gain by her actions.
Class Features:
- May wear helmets.
- May wear any armor and use any weapon.
- May not exceed Specialization (two slots) in any weapon class.
- May achieve Specialization (two slots) in any fighting style and allocate three slots in Two-Weapon Style.
- May use Lay On Hands ability once per day to heal a target for 2 Hit Points per level of the Paladin.
- May cast Detect Evil once per day per level (starts at 1st level with 4 uses).
- May cast Protection From Evil once per day per level (starts at 1st level with one use).
- May Turn Undead as a Cleric two levels lower, starting at level 3.
- May cast priest spells starting at level 9.
- Receives a +2 bonus to all Saving Throws.
- Alignment restricted to lawful good.
- Hit Die: d1O
Cleric
The Cleric is a generic priest (of any mythos) who tends to the spiritual needs of a community. Though she is both protector and healer, she is not purely defensive—when evil threatens, the Cleric is well suited to seek it out on its own ground and destroy it. The opposite is true of evil Clerics as well, and there are also many variations in between.
Class Features:
- May wear helmets.
- May wear any armor.
- May only use non-bladed, non-piercing weapons (war hammer, club, flail, mace, quarterstaff, sling).
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.
- May Turn Undead.
- May cast priest spells.
- Hit Die: d8
Prime Requisites For Dual-Classing: Wisdom
Druid
The Druid serves the cause of nature and neutrality; the wilderness is her community, and she uses her special powers to protect it and to preserve balance in the world.
Class Features:
- May only wear non-metallic armor.
- May only equip bucklers and non-metallic shields.
- May only use the following weapons: scimitar, dagger, club, spear, quarterstaff, dart, sling.
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.
- May cast druidic spells.
- 7th level: May Shapeshift into a wolf, black bear, or brown bear once per day.
- 15th level: Becomes immune to poison.
- 18th level: Gains 10% resistance to cold, fire, electricity, and acid; gains a further 10% resistance at levels 21 and 24.
- Alignment restricted to true neutral.
- Hit Die: d8
Prime Requisites For Dual-Classing: Wisdom, Charisma
Mage
The wizard strives to be a master of magical energies, shaping them and casting them as spells. To do so, she studies strange tongues and obscure facts and devotes much of her time to magical research. A wizard must rely on knowledge and wit to survive. Wizards are rarely seen adventuring without a retinue of fighters and men-at-arms.
Because there are different types (or schools) of magic, there are different types of wizards. The Mage studies all types of magic and learns a wide variety of spells; her broad range makes her well suited to the demands of adventuring.
Class Features:
- May not wear any armor.
- May only use the following weapons: dagger, quarterstaff, dart, sling.
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.
- May not place any slots in any fighting style.
- May cast arcane spells.
- Hit Die: d4
Prime Requisites For Dual-Classing: Intelligence
Thief
To accomplish her goals, for good or ill, the Thief is a skilled pilferer. Cunning, nimbleness, and stealth are her hallmarks. Whether she turns her talent against innocent passersby and wealthy merchants or oppressors and monsters is a choice for the Thief to make.
Class Features:
- May not wear armor heavier than studded leather.
- May not equip shields larger than bucklers.
- May only use the following weapons: long sword, short sword, katana, scimitar, dagger, club, quarterstaff, crossbow, shortbow, dart, sling.
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.
- May distribute 25 points per level (40 at level 1) in thieving abilities: Open Locks, Pick Pockets, Find Traps, Move Silently, Hide In Shadows,
Detect Illusion, Set Traps. - Starts with base scores of 10% in Open Locks, 5% in Find Traps, 15% in Pick Pockets, 10% in Move Silently, and 5% in Hide in Shadows.
- May backstab for increased damage:
- Level 1-4: x2
- Level 5-8: x3
- Level 9-12: x4
- Level 13+: x5
- May use the Set Snare ability once per day. Gains one use at level 1 and an additional use every 5 levels thereafter.
Set Snare:
Set a trap in the chosen location when no hostile creatures are in sight. Traps grow more powerful with the Thiefs level and can only be triggered by enemies.
- 1st level: Deals 2d8+5 missile damage.
- 11th level: Deals 2d8+5 missile damage and additionally deals 2d6 poison damage per round for the next 3 rounds.
- 16th level: Deals 3d8+5 missile damage and 4d8+2 fire damage.
- 21st level: Deals 3d8+5 missile damage and 20 poison damage with no save; slays target if a Save vs. Death with a +4 bonus is failed.
Additional Restrictions:
- Alignment restricted to any except lawful good.
- Hit Die: d6
- Prime Requisites For Dual-Classing: Dexterity
Bard
The Bard is a rogue, but she is very different from the Thief. The Bard s strength is her pleasant and charming personality. With it and her wits, she makes her way through the world. A Bard is a talented musician and a walking storehouse of gossip, tall tales, and lore; she learns a little bit about everything that crosses her path and is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. While many Bards are scoundrels, their stories and songs are welcome almost everywhere.
Class Features:
- May not wear armor heavier than chain mail. (Spells cannot be cast while wearing armor.)
- May not equip shields larger than bucklers.
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.
- Thieving abilities: Pick Pockets.
- Increased Lore score.
- May cast arcane spells starting at 2nd level.
- May use Bard Song ability. While active, the Bard Song has the following effects:
Restore morale to its average value Remove Fear Protection From Fear - Alignment restricted to any neutral.
- Hit Die: d6
Sorcerer
Sorcerers are practitioners of magic who were born with the innate ability to cast spells. It is thought that the blood of some powerful creature flows through their veins; perhaps they are the spawn of the gods themselves, or even dragons walking in humanoid form. Regardless, the Sorcerer s magic is intuitive rather than logical.
They know fewer spells than Mages, and acquire spells more slowly, but they can cast spells more often and have no need to select and prepare spells ahead of time. Sorcerers cannot specialize in magic the way Mages do. Other than these differences, a Sorcerer is very similar to a Mage.
Class Features:
- May not wear any armor.
- May only use the following weapons: dagger, quarterstaff, dart, sling.
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.
- May not place any slots in any fighting style.
- May cast arcane spells.
- May not scribe spells into their spellbooks as Mages do. Instead, Sorcerers learn a small number of spells at each level, which they can cast daily without memorization.
- Hit Die: d4
Monk
Monks are warriors who pursue perfection through contemplation as well as action. They are versatile fighters, especially skilled in combat without weapons or armor. Though Monks cannot cast spells, they have a unique magic of their own: they channel a subtle energy, called ki, which allows them to perform amazing feats. The Monk’s best known feat is their ability to stun an opponent with an unarmed blow.
Class Features:
- May not wear any armor.
- May only use weapons available to the Thief class (except two-handed).
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in Single-Weapon Style and may not put slots into any other style.
- Moves 2 points faster than other characters. Movement rate further improves by 1 every 5 levels.
- May make 1 unarmed attack per round. An additional 1/2 attack per round is gained every 3 levels. Damage dealt by unarmed attacks increases with level as follows:
- Level 1-2: 1d6
- Level 3-5: 1d8
- Level 6-8: 1d1O
- Level 9-14: 1d12
- Level 15+: 1d20
- At level 9. unarmed attacks are treated as a +1 magical weapon and gain a +1 bonus to hit and damage rolls. This enchantment improves to +2 at level 12. +3 at level 15. and +4 at level 25.
- Receives a +2 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Spell.
- Deflect Missiles: +1 bonus to AC vs. missile attacks every 3 levels.
- Starts with an Armor Class of 9 at 1st level and gains an additional +1 bonus every 2 levels.
- May use the Stunning Blow ability once per day. Gains one use at level 1 and an additional use every 4 levels thereafter.
Stunning Blow:
All successful attacks within the next round force the victim to save vs. Spell or be stunned. This special ability automatically modifies normal attacks; no targeting needs to be done.
- 5th level: Becomes immune to all diseases and cannot be slowed or hasted.
- 7th level: May use the Lay On Hands ability on herself to heal 2 Hit Points per level.
- 8th level: Gains a -1 bonus to Speed Factor.
- 9th level: Gains a +1 bonus to all Saving Throws and becomes immune to charm.
- 11th level: Becomes immune to poison.
- 12th level: Gains another -1 bonus to Speed Factor.
- 13th level: May use the Quivering Palm ability once per day.
Quivering Palm:
The next successful attack forces the opponent to save vs. Spell or die. This special ability automatically modifies normal attacks; no targeting needs to be done.
- 14th level: Gains 3% Magic Resistance per level (starting with 42% at 14th level).
- 20th level: Becomes immune to non-magical weapons.
- Alignment restricted to lawful.
- Hit Die: d8
Shaman
Shamans forge a divine connection with the natural world, similar to the way Druids commune with nature, but Shamans are more spiritual than primal. They directly tap into the energies that flow through the earth and air, through plants and animals, and even through the dead, and shape these energies to obey their will. Nowhere is this more evident than in their ability to summon powerful spirits as guardians and defenders. A being of two worlds, Shamans value balance over dominance.
Class Features:
- May only wear leather, studded leather, and hide armor.
- May not equip shields larger than bucklers.
- May only use the following weapons: dagger, club, spear, axe, quarterstaff, dart, sling, and shortbow.
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class.
- May only become Proficient (one slot) in any fighting style.
- May cast druidic spells.
- Does not automatically learn all spells of a given level as Druids do. Instead. Shamans select new spells to learn at each level, which they can cast daily without memorization.
- Gains immediate access to a number of Shaman-specific spells, which can be cast like any other: Spirit Ward. Writhing Fog. Spiritual Clarity. Spirit Fire. Recall Spirit. Spiritual Lock, and Ether Gate.
- Gains use of the Detect Illusion skill with 20% points as a base and an 4 points per level, up to a maximum of 100% at level 20.
- May use Shamanic Dance at will.
Shamanic Dance:
Shamans can summon spirit allies by performing a ritualistic dance. While dancing, the Shaman takes a -4 penalty to Armor Class and cannot move, attack, cast spells, use items and special abilities, or perform any other activity. Each round while the Shaman dances, there is a 35% base chance plus 2% for each level of the Shaman that a spirit will answer the call, up to a maximum of 75% at level 20. Any summoned spirits will disappear if the Shaman moves, stops dancing, or if the spirits leave visual range.
The spirits grow in power as the Shaman gains additional levels:
- Level 1: Minor animal spirits (snake, fox. hound), up to 2 spirits at the same time.
- Level 6: Major animal spirits (bear, panther, boar), up to 3 spirits at the same time.
- Level 12: Minor nature spirits (lesser air spirit, lesser earth spirit, lesser fire spirit), up to 4 spirits at the same time.
- Level 18: Major nature spirits (air spirit, earth spirit, fire spirit), up to 5 spirits at the same time. The type of the summoned spirit is randomly determined from all the spirits available at the Shaman s level. For example, a level 12 Shaman will summon either a minor nature spirit, a major animal spirit, or a minor animal spirit, but cannot choose which one appears. Spirits will do their best to protect the Shaman but are not controlled directly.
Additional Restrictions:
- Does not gain bonus spells per day from high Wisdom.
- Alignment restricted to neutral good, true neutral, and neutral evil.
- May not dual-class or multi-class.
- Ineligible for any stronghold. (This affects only the Shadows of Amn campaign in Baldur s Gate II: Enhanced Edition.)
- Hit Die: d8
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