It’s a commonly held opinion that Fighters are one of the most boring classes in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, which Baldur’s Gate 3 heavily borrows from. That comes from them being one of the more straightforward classes to play—if you’re worried about being overwhelmed by how much Faerun has to offer, you can’t go wrong with a Fighter. That said, there’s more nuance to this class than meets the eye, especially if you decide to multiclass. Here’s how to choose the best races and ability scores for your Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3.
As Fighters can wear just about any time of armor and use pretty much every weapon, they’re a great class to explore the world with. Upon creation, they can choose a Fighting Style as a specialty, such as Two-Weapon Fighting or Defense. They also come with the powerful class action Second Wind, which allows them to self heal. Thus, they make pretty great tanks. Later, they gain the option to make extra attacks and actions to really bring the beatdown on foes.
Best Races for Fighters in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)
As Baldur’s Gate 3 does away with race ability bonuses, you can freely make a Fighter of any race. That said, three races stand out: Dragonborn, Gold Dwarf, and Half-Orc.
Each subrace of Dragonborn, based on a specific element, receives a resistance to that element along with a breath attack that deals damage in a cone. As Fighters are constantly on the front lines of combat, this is a great action to have in the thick of it. Gold Dwarves on the other hand, make for a much tankier Fighter, as they gain an extra hit point each time they level up—extremely valuable for a class that takes a lot of hits.
And finally, Half-Orcs come equipped with the Savage Attacks feature, allowing them to deal triple damage instead of double when they land a Critical Hit. Furthermore, Relentless Endurance ensures that they will not become downed outright if their health reaches zero; instead, they maintain a single hit point and can rally with Second Wind.
All Fighter Subclasses in BG3
Fighters have three subclasses to choose from at level 3 that take the class in wildly different directions:
- Battle Master: This class focuses on melee and ranged combat, gaining Superiority Dice to spend that powers up attacks such as Trip Attack to knock opponents prone.
- Eldritch Knight: Dabbling in a little bit of magic, this class draws upon a decently deep spellpool to supplement attacks.
- Champion: Champions truly excel in physical combat, gaining an improved chance to land critical hits.
Best Ability Scores for Fighters in BG3
Ability scores give a modifier bonus to your dice rolls, and you have a total of 27 to allocate into six skills. Furthermore, you have the option to grant a +2 and a +1 bonus to two different abilities. For Fighters, the following spread is recommended for an all-out attacker, either of the Battle Master or Champion subclass:
Half-Orc
Strength: 17 (+2 bonus)
Dexterity: 15 (+1 bonus)
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 8
Being a little stupid and uncharismatic isn’t a problem when your main goal is to fight and survive. This build is a great choice for the Great Weapon Fighting Style or the Two Weapon Fighting Style, as it leans into Strength more than defensive abilities such as Dexterity and Constitution. Upon reaching level 4, the Ability Score Improvement feat should be selected in order to increase your Strength to 18 and your Dexterity to 16, thus gaining an extra tier on the modifier for each ability. Wisdom shouldn’t be neglected, otherwise mind-impairing effects such as being frightened will severely limit the enemies you can take head on. A high dexterity also allows you to use bows to great effect.
For a tankier build with a focus on protecting your allies rather than dealing damage, this allocation is recommended:
Gold Dwarf
Strength: 15 (+1 bonus)
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 8
Here, Constitution and Wisdom are increased to ensure survivability. And being decked out in heavy armor will ensure that your Armor Class is still quite high. With the Gold Dwarf’s Dwarven Toughness, you’ll have more hit points than you know what to do with. With this, leaning into the Eldritch Knight subclass to gain some utility spells isn’t a bad idea. Furthermore, either one of these builds is ripe for multiclassing into another physical-focused class, such as a Monk or a Barbarian.
As for backgrounds, go for whichever makes the most sense for the character you wish to play rather than the skills you’ll receive. The Soldier makes the most sense here, though depending on your race, you may already have the Athletics and Intimidation bonuses it provides. Backgrounds provide Inspiration Points when certain conditions are fulfilled as you explore, so a Guild Artisan Gold Dwarf Fighter that focuses on forging great weapons looks like a great way to play and gain valuable Inspiration in the process. Otherwise, play the way you want to—a Criminal or Folk Hero Fighter is just as viable.
If someone tells you Fighters are the most boring class in Baldur’s Gate 3, don’t listen to them. As they can equip just about anything, they can fit themselves into many different roles. And since you can respec your character, Fighters offer more flexibility and variety than most with all the weapons and armor you’ll find on your adventure. As long as you follow our guide to the best races and ability scores for your Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll be good to go.
Experimentation is key in such a massive game, so enjoy hacking and slashing your way through Faerun with little worry. And if you’re thinking of using another class or just want more tips on coming to terms with the game, make sure to look through our full range of guides.
