What is the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric build? Traditionally seen as the group’s healer and a rather selfless spellcaster, the BG3 cleric class can do more than keep your companions alive if you so choose – there are darker paths to wander down in the life of worship if that’s what you’re drawn to. While your allies will thank you for your support, your enemies will cower when they see the power your gods have bestowed upon you.
As you’re deciding which of the BG3 classes to choose for your character in the DnD game, the Cleric should definitely be one you think about, especially if you plan on indulging in Baldur’s Gate 3 multiplayer. There are a dizzying amount of classes to choose from, then more options once you’ve whittled that down, so we’ve gone and put together the best BG3 Cleric build to help, utilizing some of the more sinister options available so that you’ll be able to more than pull your weight in a fight.
Best BG3 Cleric build
The best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric build is:
- Subclass – Light domain
- Race – Human
- Background – Acolyte
- Skills – Wisdom and Dexterity
- Weapon – Longbow
Best Cleric subclass and spells
The best subclass for BG3 Cleric is the Light domain due to its ability to protect and deal damage in equal amounts.
Utilizing the innate healing abilities of the cleric also means that you can save your teammates in a pinch, but as it usually goes with DnD, there is more value in dealing damage on your turn than healing your companions – your enemies can’t hurt you if they’re dead (skeletons don’t count, shush).
Best Cleric abilities
Here are the best abilities for the Cleric:
- Strength – 11
- Dexterity – 15
- Constitution – 14
- Intelligence – 9
- Wisdom – 16
- Charisma – 13
We wanted to strike a balance between being effective in your class and being an effective body on the battlefield. Maxing out wisdom and dexterity abilities during the character creation means that your Cleric spells and cantrips will be as potent as they can be, and having a healthy dexterity stat means that your character will be deadly with a longbow.
Best Cleric race
While there are a few options for race, we believe that human offers the most balanced approach for a Cleric while still giving that vital +1 to wisdom. Human builds are flexible, and having 15+ in both wisdom and dexterity to begin your journey will put you at a tremendous advantage against the forces of evil.
Best Cleric background
The best background for Cleric is the Acolyte.
Not only does your character coming from an Acolyte background make sense from a roleplaying perspective, but the additional proficiencies you gain in both insight and religion will be invaluable outside of combat.
Best Cleric spells and leveling
You need to prepare spells as a Cleric, but thankfully your slots increase, as do the power of the available BG3 spells as you level up. Here are the best spell, and feat choices, by level, for Cleric:
Level 4
- Blade Ward
- Ritual Caster
- Speak with Animals
- Speak with Dead
Level 8
- Durable
Level 10
- Thaumaturgy
Level 12
- Ability Improvement (wisdom)
Best Cleric equipment
Here is the best equipment for cleric:
Reaper’s Embrace
- All incoming damage is reduced by 2. Cannot be moved against your will by any spell or action.
The Blood of Lathander
- Once per long rest, when your hit points are reduced to zero, you regain 2-12 hit points. Allies within nine meters also regain 1-6 hit points.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric character creation overview
Clerics are defined by the path they choose and the gods they worship. When creating a Cleric, you’ll notice that there are several subclasses to choose from; these will define which path you walk, and what kind of spells and cantrips you’ll have at your disposal.
Class features
- Wisdom saving throw proficiency
- Charisma saving throw proficiency
- Light armor proficiency
- Medium armor proficiency
- Shield proficiency
- Simple weapon proficiency
Life domain subclass
The Life domain is centered around supporting your allies, protecting them with spells, and healing them when they get low. Your restorative magic is more potent when using the life domain. The additional features of this subclass are:
- Heavy armor proficiency
- Bless
- Cure Wounds
Light domain subclass
The Light domain contains everything you need to strike a balance in the world, smiting your enemies, and dealing your own brand of justice on anything that would stand in your way. While Life is about healing yourself, and your allies, Light is about protecting them before they take damage, and doling out some damage of your own. The additional features of this subclass are:
- Warding Flare
- Burning Hands
- Faerie Fire
Trickery domain subclass
An expert in illusion and deception, the Tricky domain subclass specializes in disguising your companions and twisting the minds of your enemies. The additional features of this subclass are:
- Blessing of the Trickster
- Charm Person
- Disguise Self
The best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric build is great, but really comes into its own in some of the best BG3 team comps. If you’re looking for other builds, we have the best BG3 Paladin build, and the best BG3 Druid build here. If you’re more into the feel of cold steel in your hands, we have the best Baldur’s Gate 3 weapons here.