Baldur’s Gate 3 barbarian subclasses - which one to choose

Baldur's Gate 3 barbarian subclasses Karlach

Baldur's Gate 3 barbarian subclasses Karlach

Having trouble choosing which of the Baldur’s Gate 3 barbarian subclasses to go with? In this guide, we’ll help you decide what method of charging into battle best suits you and your character.

Barbarians take advantage of their raw strength to overpower any enemies that may get in their way. They won’t be your go-to person for solving floor puzzles, but you can count on them to hold the frontlines when fighting through places like the Overgrown Tunnel.

These rage-fueled warriors can easily dictate the pace of a battle, so checking out the differences between each of the Baldur’s Gate 3 barbarian subclasses can help improve the synergy between party members.

Barbarian subclass list

After reaching level 3, barbarians can choose Berserker, Wildheart, or Wild Magic as their subclass. Each of these subclasses provides its own unique flavor to the barbarian archetype, so let’s go through them in more detail.

Berserker

Going with the Berserker subclass will feel the most like a natural progression from being a low-level barbarian. Your Barbarian Rage will be replaced with a better version of it called Frenzy which has the abilities Frenzied Strike and Enraged Throw attached to it.

At later levels, Berserkers gain immunity to the Charmed and Frightened status effects. They are also capable of intimidating targets to make them more vulnerable.

Wildheart

Wildheart barbarians are more feral compared to the other subclasses as they get to choose a Bestial Heart that will enhance their Rage. There are 5 different Bestial Hearts to choose from with each one having a unique effect on Rage.

  • Bear Heart – gain healing and resistance to all damage types except Psychic.
  • Eagle Heart – able to use Dash as a bonus action and enemies will have disadvantage on opportunity attacks.
  • Elk Heart – increased movement speed and the ability to charge forward 30 feet.
  • Tiger heart – increased jump distance and can attack up to 3 enemies at once.
  • Wolf Heart – can increase allies’ movement and grant them advantage on melee attack rolls.

You will also gain the ability to speak with animals as soon as you select Wildheart as your subclass at level 3.

Wild Magic

Barbarians are already in peak physical condition but they can enhance their natural talents even further through Wild Magic. With this subclass, going into a rage will also trigger a random magic effect.

Raging with Wild Magic will also benefit your allies with the Magic Awareness feature. As long as a companion is close enough as you rage, they will add their Proficiency Bonus to any Saving Throws against spells.

And that will do it for barbarian subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you haven’t been sold on the barbarian class just yet, consider taking a look at the different rogue subclasses or fighter subclasses.