Baldur’s Gate 3: How The Barbarian Is Different From Other Classes

The latest patch for Baldur’s Gate 3 has added the barbarian class from Dungeons & Dragons to the game. The barbarian is the third combat-focused class in the Early Access version of Baldur’s Gate 3, yet it plays very differently to the fighter and the ranger. The barbarian lacks the iron defense or elegant swordplay of its contemporaries, but it makes up for its shortcomings with incredible strength and the ability to shrug off enemy blows with ease.

The inspiration for the barbarian class is clear, as it’s clearly D&D’s take on Conan the Barbarian, though some settings have tied the class to real-world cultures, such as the Dragonlance barbarians being inspired by the more natural elements of Native American culture. The barbarian class has been in D&D since the first edition of the game, though it wouldn’t receive a spot in the Player’s Handbook until 3e. While the fighter and the paladin dress in suits of armor, the barbarian rushes into battle wearing barely anything, so as not to impede their movement. The barbarian relies on their primal rage to guide their hand in combat, with many of them learning how to wield powers granted to them by nature spirits, in order to smite their foes.

The response to the barbarian arriving in Baldur’s Gate 3 was mixed, as some fans were hoping that one of the other remaining classes (like the paladin) would make it into the game next, or that one of the missing races would be added. The barbarian class shouldn’t be discounted so quickly, however, as it serves an important function in the game. Not everyone who comes to Baldur’s Gate 3 is going to be knowledgeable in the rules of 5e D&D, and a basic class that lets players do well in combat with minimal work will be useful when the game finally launches in a complete form.

The Barbarians Possess Powerful Melee Combat Skills

The main ability of the barbarian class is Rage, which lets them enter a state of fury that lets them deal an additional two points of damage with each hit. Overpowered D&D barbarian builds often use two-handed weapons, leading to lots of damage in battle. Once the barbarian reaches level two, they gain access to Reckless Attack, which is a mode that gives them advantage on a melee attack. The catch is that enemies have advantage on attack rolls against the barbarian, making it an incredibly risky move. If the barbarian chooses the Berserker subclass at level three, then Rage turns into Frenzy, allowing them to perform a Frenzied Strike or Enraged Throw. Frenzied Strike allows the barbarian to perform a melee attack using a bonus action, while Enraged Throw lets the barbarian pick up an item or creature, and launch it at the enemy, knocking them prone.

If the barbarian chooses the Wildheart subclass at level three, then they will gain the ability to cast the speak with animals spell. The player must choose from five different Beastial Heart features, which grant unique abilities. The Bear Heart feature lets the barbarian use Unrelenting Ferocity while raging, which heals 1d8+2 damage, and gives them resistance to all damage types except psychic. The Eagle Heart feature lets the barbarian use Diving Strike, allowing them to leap off a high surface onto enemies while raging, gives foes disadvantage on attacks of opportunity, and lets them use Dash as a bonus action like a D&D stealth class such as the rogue. The Elk Heart feature lets the barbarian use Primal Stampede while raging, which is a charging attack that hits all foes in the barbarian’s path. The Tiger Heart feature increases the barbarian’s jump distance and lets them use Tiger’s Bloodlust while raging, which strikes three enemies at once, dealing half damage and inflicting Bleed on all of them. The Wolf’ Heart feature grants allies advantage on enemies within melee rage of the barbarian, as well as granting the Inciting Howl ability while raging, which increases all allies movement speed.

Barbarians Rely On Agility And Instinct In Battle, Rather Than Armor

One unique feature of the barbarian class is that it possesses the highest hit dice of any of the classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, which is also true in D&D. The barbarian uses d12s for hit dice rolls, which means that it has the highest potential maximum hit point score of any class. This means they’ll recover more hit points from a short rest. The player is encouraged to pump as many points into Constitution as Strength, as the barbarian’s Unarmored Defense ability lets them add their Constitution bonus to their Armor Class, but only when they’re not wearing armor.

The Rage feature of the barbarian turns them into melee powerhouse, but it also grants incredible resilience, as barbarians gain resistance to all forms of physical damage while raging. This means enemy weapons will only deal half damage while raging. It bears mentioning that raging doesn’t reduce elemental or magic damage. Once they reach level two, the barbarian gains Danger Sense, which gives advantage on Dexterity saving throws, so long as the barbarian isn’t blind or incapacitated.

The Barbarian Is The Most Basic Melee Class In Baldur’s Gate 3

The most basic melee class in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the barbarian, and it’s tied with the rogue for the most basic class overall. On the surface, the fighter might seem like it’s the most basic class, but its subclasses add spells or different special powers that are tied to Superiority Dice. The ranger has a number of features that change its playstyle and the class also has spells of its own to call on, so the player needs to make different choices while building a ranger.

The fans of Baldur’s Gate 3 and D&D might have been disappointed to see the barbarian class get into the game before the bard or paladin, but it serves an important function in the game. The barbarian is the class for people who don’t want to get bogged down with choosing the most efficient builds for their character, which is something that’s important for other classes, as Baldur’s Gate 3 can be a difficult game. It’s hard to get the barbarian wrong, as the player just needs to pump stat points into Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity, give them a two-handed weapon and unleash them on the Forgotten Realms. There’s a lot of fun to be had in Baldur’s Gate 3 by playing a dumb character who just smashes their way through every situation. Baldur’s Gate 3 players can now use brute strength to solve every situation, much like a Dungeons & Dragons party.

About The Author

Scott Baird
(2512 Articles Published)

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Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz.
A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early ‘90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

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