While every companion in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) starts with a fitting class, offering variety, it’s tempting to respec them to change things up or make them better suited to your Tav/Durge. That said, can you change the roguish Astarion or bookish Gale into something that still suits the character?
Keeping the personality and story arc of each character in mind, here’s my list of the best alternate classes for each companion in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Astarion
College of Swords Bard
Without a doubt, this is the easiest respec on this list. I always give Astarion at least a few levels of Bard in all my runs. Not only does it give him access to multiple support spells, but the Bard’s Jack of All Trades boosts all his ability checks, replacing (or pairing with in a multi-class build) the Rogue’s Expertise. College of Swords also gives Astarion a Fighting Style, boosting his duel-wielding knives, and an extra attack at Level 6. Also, Neil Newbon’s excellent performance lends itself brilliantly to the Bard’s Vicious Mockery.
Gale
Knowledge Domain Cleric
Considering how much time Gale spends talking (and talking and talking…) about his role as the Wizard of Waterdeep, respecing him as any other class inherently goes against his character. However, if you were to give him an alternate class, a Knowledge Domain Cleric makes a lot of sense. As the most arcane-focused Cleric subclass, it suits Gale’s love of the Weave — especially if you make him a worshiper of Mystra. While he loses his glass canon status, Gale becomes an excellent support to the rest of the team with healing and enchantment spells.
Halsin
Wildheart Barbarian
Aside from Astarion, this is the easiest companion to respec in Baldur’s Gate 3. Halsin already has the stature of a classic muscleman, so making that a reality (instead of his visually confusing 10 in Strength) with a Barbarian build makes sense. The Wildheart subclass easily lets Halsin keep some of his Druid and Bear qualities intact. Choosing the Bear Bestial Heart option gives an Ursidae aspect to his Rage. Plus, at Level 6, he gains an Animal Aspect that can keep the Bear theme going.
Jaheira
Hunter Ranger
Considering Jaheira’s battle strategy when she’s only a temporary companion at Moonlight Towers, the Hunter Ranger makes perfect sense for her respec. Ranger suits Jaheira’s roots, pairing well with her original Druidic nature. Meanwhile, the Hunter subclass, with its emphasis on area of effect and high damage, falls in line with her attack style. I may have been tempted to give her the Beast Master subclass, but its lack of a panther animal companion (to mimic her panther Wildshape) gave it little value for her.
Karlach
Circle of the Moon Druid
Karlach’s a tough companion to respec in Baldur’s Gate 3. However, given her default Wildheart subclass, making her a Druid to keep her connection to nature makes sense. She gets access to Speak With Animals, and the Circle of the Moon subclass lets her turn into multiple creatures for direct attacks. In fact, I see a great argument for trading her and Halsin’s default Class combos — they’re the gentle giants of Baldur’s Gate 3 with a love of nature.
Lae’zel
Way of the Open-Hand Monk
For a while, I thought about making Lae’zel an Oath of Vengeance Paladin. However, when I considered how entrenched she is in Githyanki ways, the Way of the Open-Hand Monk made the most sense. If they aren’t Fighters, many other Githyanki follow the path of Monks. For the normally tanky, in-your-face Fighter, Way of the Open-Hand made the most sense; they’re similarly physical in battle. Monks also get several attacks in a round, just like later levels of Fighter. For her later story arcs in Baldur’s Gate 3, however, an Oath of Vengeance Paladin isn’t a bad option.
Minsc
Wildheart Barbarian
I really didn’t want to. Halsin was already so clearly a Wildheart Barbarian for respec, so I tried to find something like Fighter that would work better for Minsc. I had to admit that this works equally well for Minsc, the Ranger with a love for his hamster Boo. Known in the Baldur’s Gate 3 lore for being a “berserker,” Barbarian made the most sense as a new class for Minsc. As for subclass, Wildheart gives Minsc Speak With Animals, allowing him to still converse with Boo.
Minthara
The Great Old One Warlock
Admittedly, I have a weakness for the Paladin/Warlock similarities (as you’ll see later), so the latter became my default respec for Minthara. Lore-wise, there’s something intriguing about the idea that she’s unknowingly contracted to the Absolute as a Great Old One Warlock. This is especially true if you go the route of knocking her out at the Goblin Camp and saving her at Moonrise Towers. Warlocks also offer powerful builds in Baldur’s Gate 3, so you won’t lose out on a powerhouse by ditching Minthara’s default Paladin build.
Shadowheart
Arcane Trickster Rogue
I went back and forth between this and a Way of Shadow Monk for Shadowheart, but Arcane Trickster suits her best. Considering her worship of Shar (a goddess associated with trickery), making her a rogue fits her character. Arcane Trickster falls in line with Shar while giving Shadowheart access to spells as she does as a Cleric. Rogues also tend to have excellent power output and accuracy —things Shadowheart famously struggles with early in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Wyll
Oath of Devotion Paladin
As I said with Minthara, I’ve got a weakness for the similarity between Paladins and Warlocks. Between that and his role as the Captain America of Baldur’s Gate 3, I had to make Wyll a Paladin. Though his pact with Mizora makes less sense this way, this respec gives Wyll more abilities that suit his desire to protect others, as well as more abilities centered around dealing with fiends and undead, right up Wyll’s alley.
