Baldur's Gate 3 Guide | New Sub-Classes Explained

Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 brings with it many changes; here are all the sub-classes coming in 2025.

Game Guide by Arne on Dec 26, 2024

Baldur's Gate 3 is receiving a massive update, coming in 2025 with Patch 8. This will include a litany of additions from quality-of-life to the introduction of cross-platform as well as the introduction of twelve new subclasses. The interesting thing is that these classes will have both official and homebrew content mixed in to better tailor the experience.

Each of the classes gets one sub-class each, offering new dialogue, new spells, and visual effects. Many of these subclasses throw the book around and let you play differently from what you're used to with that class. Some of them even lend will to antagonistic playstyles so everyone gets a piece of the cake.

Baldur's Gate 3, New Sub-Classes, Guide, Patch 8, Noobfeed

Bard: College of Glamour

To start off, bard players will find a new headway with the College of Glamour. Introduced in Xanathar's Guide to Everything, the Glamour Bard lets you sculpt your bard to alter everything with a smug-ridden smile. Drawing your powers from the Feywild, you will get a few spells to help you along the way. This includes the Mantle of Inspiration, giving your allies additional hit points while making it so that anyone attacking them is charmed.

Mantle of Majesty lets you follow up by targeting charmed enemies to command them to commit a list of things. This includes making them run away, come closer, freeze, drop to the ground, or even drop their weapon. Naturally, you are reliant on Charisma, which is more of a hybrid between a support specialist and a damage dealer.

Barbarian: Path of Giants

The Path of Giants Barbarian allows players to use a passive, channeling their inner giant to grant more strength and size. It also comes with more damage, the ability to toss people around, dealing heaps of damage, and more carry capacity because hoarding is fun.

Cleric: Death Domain

Now, Clerics being about healing makes the 'Death Domain' seem out of place. But they are just more sinister Clerics. Toll the Dead, a classic spell that causes 1d8 damage, ringing doom upon the enemy.

Unfortunately, the Death Domain is one of the more niche domains, meaning Larian added a few homebrew mechanics to ease things out. This includes the ability to make corpses explore, making a nasty surprise for enemies.

Druid: Circle of Stars

Draw upon the powers of starlight and heavenly sigils. Found in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, the Circle of Stars takes on different constellations. The Archer gives the druid radiant damage and astral arrows. The Chalice, healing you and your allies, and finally, the dragon, giving you more damage and a bonus to your constitution.

Your roles switch upon your command, and the incredible versatility provided makes you a true commander in your team.

Paladin: Oath of the Crown

The ultimate lawful character, Oath of the Crown Paladin, swears fealty to the righteous order of Civilization. It might be in the form of a liege lord or, get this, a crown. You can interrupt the enemy. Use the powers of the divine to absorb incoming damage, both on yourself and your allies, and restore health.

Fighter: Arcane Archer

The Arcane Archer lets you do Rangers better than Rangers. Use ranged weapons with a combination of new skills that let you Banish foes or unleash great amounts of psychic damage.

Disabling enemies is key for the Arcane Archer, and they do it from long ranges.

Monk: Drunken Master

Have you ever watched that old Jackie Chan movie where the man drinks more than he fights and fights better than most people who don't drink? Consume copious amounts of alcohol to recover ki and perform brilliant combos that make enemies drunk, making it easier for you to hit them or sober them up to deal some psychic damage.

Ranger: Swarmkeeper

One of the better subclasses for the notorious Ranger Class. Summon swarms of little guys to help you fight. A Cloud of Jellyfish does lightning damage with the potential to shock enemies. Moths can blind the enemy and deal psychic damage, while bees do piercing damage and knockback foes. Each swarm has a use, and as the Swarmkeeper, you'll not even need your companions.

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Rogue: Swashbuckler

Another one from good old Xanathar, the Swashbuckler, uses wit, charm, and a great deal of footwork to play around enemies. You are no noble knight, and you use any means at hand to win.

Throw sand at their face, disarm them, or prevent them from making opportunity attacks entirely, letting you weave in and out of combat.

Sorcerer: Shadow Magic

Drawing from the powers of the Shadowfell, you are a creature of shadow itself. You get a litany of powers from the Shadowfell itself, giving you Darkvision, Shadowfall, and more. You can also call upon a homebrew hound that harasses foes.

Don't rely on your teammates, as you get the ability to just shrug off being downed. Overall, it is one of the stronger-looking subclasses.

Warlock: Hexblade

The infamous Hexblade finally makes an appearance. Manipulate the material plane to your odds and curse your enemies by hexing them. After you slay them, they become your thralls; at least their spirits do.

Heal yourself with these spirits or deal necrotic damage while welding powerful weapons or straight up channeling the Shadowfell's powers.

Wizard: Baldesinging

Another fan-favorite subclass makes its way to Baldur's Gate 3, offering an entirely different approach to playing a Wizard.

Baldesinging lets you channel your powers through a blade or really any other weapon and weave through the battlefield. Receiving increases in speed, armor class, and damage bonuses with your sword.

You also receive a bonus for constitution saves. Overall, you're a wizard who has the ability to both be excellent with a sword and still reliably cast spells. The best of both worlds, you'll be an unstoppable force.

That is all for now. Patch 8 might contain more changes, but we will know when the patch launches in February. Until then, stay tuned for more. Meanwhile, check out our review and other guides on Baldur's Gate 3: