Charlatan (Deception, Sleight of Hand): Possessing a special knack for twisting their words, Charlatans can make allies turn on each other for profit and amusement. Their Deception Proficiency allows them to fool others, while Sleight of Hand makes thieving easier.
Penumbral Armour (13 AC + DEX, Light Armour, Rare): Being able to score 13 AC + DEX Mod as soon as a Bard hits Level 5 can provide a significant boost to their mid-game defenses, especially if they rely on DEX for their general offense. Taking -2 Bludgeoning Damage from opponents is a welcome bonus, especially against mobs.
At level two, the School of Transmutation offers "Transmutation Savant" and "Experimental Alchemy." The former halves the cost of scribing Transmutation spells , while the latter allows the creation of twice as many alchemical solutions when performing alchemy (if the Wizard succeeds a DC15 Medicine Check each time.) Players who enjoy brewing their own potions should definitely consider this School.
At Level 9, the Oath of the Ancients allows access to "Protection From Energy" and "Plant Growth" as additional prepared spells, letting them grant resistance to an elemental damage type or create difficult terrain for their foes.
While the Bard in Baldur’s Gate 3 specializes in both Dexterity and Charisma, it still follows its original Dungeons & Dragon counterpart that emphasizes Charisma for its combat advantage. Most especially, they need Charisma to be able to impress or intimidate their way past foes, which are Skills that these Backgrounds transform into proficiencies:
Level 10 Transmutation Wizards get the ability "Shapechanger," which allows them to turn into a Bluejay and fly for up to 10 turns. If the Bluejay loses all of its HP, the Wizard will return to their original form with their original HP total. This can be great for mobility when exploring, but isn't likely to be helpful in combat.
At level two, Tempest Cleric get "Destructive Wrath," letting them spend their reaction, and a Channel Divinity charge, to maximize the damage of a spell that deals thunder or lightning damage. This allows them to ensure that an attack hits as hard as possible when it really matters.
At Level 1, Second Wind grants a Bonus Action Self-Heal ability once per combat, then at Level 2, players get an Action Surge to grant an extra Action once each combat. Later on, Fighters gain better Saving Throws, Extra Attacks, and Fighting Styles, too.
Paladins of the Oath of the Crown swear themselves to the ideals of Civilization, of Law and Order. Oath of the Crown Paladins will violate their oath if they break their word, take unlawful actions, or torture people. At first level, they get the Channel Oath ability "Righteous Clarity", which can be used to give a target a bonus to their attack rolls equal to the target's proficiency bonus. While this doesn't sound too crazy, it can be a very effective and efficient way of improving an ally's chance to hit.
Level seven adds "Confusion" and "Otiluke's Resilient Sphere" to the Cleric's Domain Spells. This allows them to befuddle groups of creatures or seal a target in an impenetrable sphere. At level eight, the Cleric gains "Potent Spellcasting," adding the Cleric's Wisdom Modifier to their cantrip's damage rolls.
The Nature Domain grants the Cleric abilities suited to one who wields the power of the natural world, drawing some parallels to the Druid class in the process. This begins at level one with the Domain Spells "Speak with Animals" and "Animal Friendship," allowing them to speak clearly with animals and charm them into not attacking.
The Great Old One eeks ahead of The Fiend because of its more battle-influential spells . Compared to The Archfey, many differences between the two patrons are mostly aesthetic as they both can control combat very well.
The Knowledge Cleric has incredible potential as a 2-level dip when multiclassing, since it gets two additional intelligence skill proficiencies. By choosing the Sage background, BG3 armor color preview a Knowledge Cleric can start the game with 4/5 intelligence skill proficiencies. They can then use their Knowledge of Ages ability to gain immediate proficiency in an entire skill category for the rest of the day, which is best used to gain all the Wisdom proficiencies most of the time.
By putting three levels into the Sorcerer class as a Warlock, players unlock the powerful Metamagic system and two charges, which can greatly improve the class' ability to deal damage with Eldritch Blast .
Going back on their word or engaging in cruelty will cause a Paladin who swore the Oath of Devotion to become an Oathbreaker. This makes it an especially tricky subclass to maintain when playing as the "Dark Urge" origin, whose bloodthirst is hard to control and can lead to accidents. Another early example of somewhere this Oath can be broken is during the encounter with Damays and Nemissa in Act One, with Lae'zel in a cage, as choosing to attack Damays and Nemissa will immediately break the Oath of Devotion.
