Baldur's Gate 3 Devs Share Their Thoughts On All 12 Classes

Baldur's Gate 3 has 12 playable classes, including the brand-new Monk class, and even if you're familiar with Dungeons & Dragons classes, it's still going to be a challenge to choose which one to play first. We sat down with some of the developers to get their opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of each class, and find out which are their personal favorites to play.

GameSpot interviewed Larian Studios game director Swen Vincke, lead writer Adam Smith, and lead systems designer Nick Pechenin to get their opinion on each of Baldur's Gate 3's playable classes. There's a class to suit any play style, and the three devs broke that down, class by class.

For example, the devs picked the Fighter or Warlock as good options for beginner players, as they are classes that are simpler to play and easier to level up than other options. Players looking for a more complex experience might go for the broader spell list of a Wizard or the versatility of a Cleric, or come up with fun ways to break the game with the Sorcerer's meta-magic.

Role-play-minded players might want to explore a Warlock's pact or a Paladin's oath, while chaos-seekers will probably gravitate to the Bard, or use a Barbarian character's potential for throwing things around.

Animal-lovers can choose between the Ranger and the Druid--deciding whether they want to have a pet or be the pet with wild shape. Rogues, according to the devs, are invaluable for their lock-picking and trap-disarming ability, as well as making use of the potential of stealth attacks. If you've played D&D, especially 5e, this should sound familiar.

The newest class, Monk, is one that'll benefit tactically-minded players, with a well-built Monk even able to solo difficult content, according to Smith.

Check out the video above for a more in-depth look into each class, including some of the devs' favorite subclasses, and some of the surprising strengths each class has in Baldur's Gate 3.

After being in early access for the last few years, Baldur's Gate 3 is coming to PC on August 3, and PlayStation 5 on September 6. An Xbox version is in development, but issues with split-screen play on Xbox Series S has held back its release thus far.