Rank 3: Barbarian – Path of Giants
With the Path of Giants, Barbarians get a really strong and unique subclass. The new specialization focuses on ranged combat – specifically, throwing. In rage, you have a double bonus on thrown attacks and later can enchant your weapon with elemental damage and ensure that it returns to your hand after a throw.
You can also kick enemies away – or simply throw them if they are small enough (medium or smaller). This allows you to kill certain enemies directly like with a shove, only much easier.
A nice side effect: Giant Barbarians have an increased carrying capacity! Ideal for all you loot hoarders.
Rank 2: Rogue – Swashbuckler
The strongest ability of the Rogue is Sneak Attack, which deals extra damage. Usually, Rogues need advantage for this – Swashbucklers do not. Every attack that does not have disadvantage is Sneak Attack for this subclass.
Just because of that, Swashbucklers are already one of the strongest classes overall. Additionally, they get:
- Bonus Initiative
- The ability to avoid all opportunity attacks from targets they have attacked
- “Dirty Tricks” that allow them to disarm or blind opponents or cast the spell “Insulting Mockery”
Swashbucklers, while forgoing the rogue’s otherwise popular stealth, are the strongest specialization in a long battle.
Rank 1: Cleric – Death Domain
Clerics are the most unpopular class, but with the Death Domain, a specialization comes into play that packs a punch. You already gain proficiency with martial weapons with this subclass and focus entirely on damage.
Death Clerics can deal additional necrotic damage with their weapon attacks, similar to the smite from the Paladin. Additionally, all cantrips from the Necromancy school that usually only hit one target hit two targets.
Moreover, at higher levels, you ignore enemy necrotic resistance when casting spells and always have one of the strongest spells in the game, Cloudkill, prepared. You also get Death Ward as a permanently prepared spell.
Healing may not really be worthwhile in Baldur’s Gate 3, but with Death Ward, you can completely prevent the target’s death. This is particularly useful for Honour Runs.
Additionally, Clerics of the Death Domain are closely tied to Myrkul. This might lead to some exciting interactions with certain NPCs…
Once Patch 8 is released, and if the balancing changes, we will officially rank the new subclasses alongside all the other classes. In the meantime, you can find the overview of the strongest specializations here: Baldur’s Gate 3 Classes Tier List: The best classes & subclasses 2025
