The Ranger is a versatile class in Baldur’s Gate 3 that offers a lot of unique specialization options that you can utilize to become the perfect weapon. While not so reliant on spells as other classes, the Ranger more than makes up for it with some very useful class features, and has great potential as a prominent stealth/ranged character.
Rangers primarily focus on Dexterity and Strength, with the latter really only being prioritized if you want to have more melee focus. They are proficient in Simple and Martial weapons, as well as shields, light armor, and medium armor.
Related: Best party compositions in BG3
Rangers have always been a go-to class for me in traditional D&D, so I jumped at the chance to make one in BG3. Looking to conquer the wilds? Let’s build the ideal Ranger.
Best starting race, stats, and subclass for the Ranger in BG3
Here are some ideal starting race suggestions, most valuable ability scores, and my subclass recommendation for Ranger characters in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Best Ranger race in BG3
Because starting ability scores are customizable and not race-dependent, there’s no definitive choice for which race to pick as a Ranger. But you can’t go wrong with these options:
- Elf (Wood Elf): Add your Proficiency Bonus to attacks with longswords, shortswords, longbows, and shortbows. Can also move an extra 1.5 meters per turn.
- Halfling (Lightfoot): Gain a second roll if you roll a 1 with the Lucky feature, and gain Advantage on saving throws against Poisoned and during Stealth checks with this race/subrace combo.
- Gnome (Forest Gnome): Gain Advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws. Also get Speak With Animals as an action, meaning you don’t have to waste a spell slot on it.
- Half-Orc: Relentless Endurance and Savage Attacks are great abilities if you’re aiming for a melee-oriented build.
Best starting stats for Ranger in BG3
The Ranger’s greatest strength is as ranged option, which will tie in nicely into either of our subclass suggestions. So the default starting stats are fine:
- Strength: 12 (+1)
- Dexterity: 17 (+3)
- Constitution: 13 (+1)
- Intelligence: 8 (-1)
- Wisdom: 15 (+2)
- Charisma: 10 (+0)
Best starting subclass for Ranger in BG3
Unlike some other classes, Rangers don’t unlock their subclass until level three. When you get there, to continue our theme of ranged attacks and stealth, utilize the Gloom Stalker subclass. The Gloom Stalker features allow you to take action early, via initiative bonuses and sneak attacks.
Related: How to improve Initiative in Baldur’s Gate 3
Alternatively, the Beast Master subclass is also a strong option, granting you an exceptionally powerful animal companion that only proves more useful as the game progresses. Sometimes just having that extra party member around is more valuable than getting an early attack in.
Other early choices to make as a Ranger in BG3
While spells and subclasses aren’t determined right away, a couple of significant decisions have to be made early:
- Natural Explorer: Beast Tamer
- Gets you used to using an animal companion early via a familiar.
- Favored Enemy: Bounty Hunter
- Gain proficiency in Investigation, and creatures you hit with Ensnaring Strike will have to roll with Disadvantage to resist it.
- Fighting Style: Archery or Dueling
- If you’re focused on ranged attacks, pick Archery to get a +2 to all ranged attacks.
- For melee builds, Dueling gives you a +2 to all melee attacks provided you have a single one-handed weapon equipped. Can be used with a shield.
Best spells for Ranger in BG3
Rangers start off with level one spells at character level two, then get access to level two spells at character level five. Finally, Ranger get level three spells at character level nine.
Here are some of our suggestions for Ranger spells:
Level one spells
- Ensnaring Strike: Summon thorny vines that possibly Ensnare your target for 10 turns.
- Excellent crowd control option buffed by Favored Enemy: Bounty Hunter.
- Hunter’s Mark: Mark a creature to deal an additional 1d6 damage whenever you hit it with a weapon attack. Requires Concentration.
- Can be used as a bonus action (so you could Mark and attack in your first turn), and is a great option against tougher enemies, or if you want to quickly kill a lower enemy.
- Speak With Animals
- Opens a lot of options and choices for you via dialogue with animals.
- Hail of Thorns: Thorns deal weapon damage to the target then explode, dealing an additional 1d10 Piercing damage to creatures that don’t meet a Dexterity save. If the attack misses, the Thorns still explode, and creatures still take half damage from the explosion if they succeed on the Dex save.
- Great damage spell, especially against a group of close together enemies.
Level two spells
- Lesser Restoration: Cure a creature from disease, poison, paralysis or blindness.
- Silence: Create a sound-proof sphere that Silences all creatures within it.
- Great for neutralizing pesky spellcasters.
- Spike Growth: Shape a piece of ground into hard spikes, halving movement of creatures in the area, and dealing 2d4 Piercing damage to every creature walking on the spikes for every 1.5 meters it moves.
Level three spells
- Lightning Arrow: After the arrow hits, smaller bolts snake out from the target toward nearby creatures. Deals 4d8+2d8 Lightning damage.
- Deals double damage to enemies that are wet.
- Plant Growth: Make weeds burst from the ground and smother the area. Creatures moving through the weeds have their Movement Speed quartered.
Best feats for Ranger in BG3
Here are the suggested feats to take at each level:
- At level four, take the Ability Improvement feat.
- If you feel you’ve been more reliant on normal attacks than spells, put this into Dexterity or Strength, depending on how you’ve built your character.
- If you have been using spells frequently, put a point into Dexterity and Wisdom.
- At level eight, choose the Charger feat, allowing you to gain Charger: Weapon Attack and Charger: Shove, which are great tools for starting fights.
- At level 12:
- Take Shield Master if you’re using a melee build with the Duelling fighting style.
- Take Ability Improvement and put more points into Dexterity if you’re going with a ranged style.
