Baldur’s Gate 3 is remaining true to the fifth edition ruleset of Dungeons & Dragons by including multiclassing, which allows you to take on the abilities of an entirely separate class without having to create a new character. You can do that by simply putting a level into your secondary class of choice once you level up, though there are important things to note before you do that.
Multiclassing isn’t how some players like to play CRPGs because they feel it takes too much away from the role-playing experience and too many sacrifices are made with the player’s first class. But other players love the idea of being able to essentially design their own character and take spells and abilities from multiple classes.
If you fall into the latter crowd and want to know exactly how multiclassing works in Baldur’s Gate 3, keep reading the guide below.
What multiclassing does in Baldur’s Gate 3
Multiclassing allows you to take abilities from different classes and apply to them the one you started out the game with. So, for example, if you’re playing as a Paladin but also want some of the Fighter’s abilities, you can put a point in the Fighter class when you level up. This will keep you as a Paladin but now you’ll have some of the Fighter’s proficiencies as well.
While you will keep all of your proficiencies and abilities from your existing class, your new secondary class will come with some limitations.
Multiclass requirements and restrictions in Baldur’s Gate 3
Playing the game on Balanced or Tactician difficulty is the only requirement to multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3. There is no character level requirement. You can choose a second class for your character anytime you level up, including the first time, and any class is available regardless of your character build.
Unlike in the fifth edition ruleset of D&D, where the main drawback to multiclassing is that you must have a 13 in a class’ Ability Score to multiclass with it, there is no Ability Score—or any—restriction to multiclassing in Baldur’s Gate 3.
How to multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Level up or respec your character, if you don’t want to wait.
- Switch to Balanced or Tactician difficulty, if you’re on Explorer.
- On the level-up screen, once the initial animation is over, select the tools icon on the top right of the level-up summary window. It’s the one to the right of the “Level Up” text.
- A new window will pop up with a short tutorial about multiclassing. Read it and close it.
- Select the class you want from the list.
- Accept the changes at the bottom of the screen.
You will notice that your character level has increased, but your main class level didn’t. That’s because leveling up a new class means you’re not leveling up your main one. Your character level cap is the same, and at the end of your character progression, the sum of all your classes’ levels will be 12.
The best multiclass builds in Baldur’s Gate 3
Some of the best multiclass builds in Baldur’s Gate 3 are:
- Sorcerer and Warlock, or The Sorlock
- Sorcerer and Paladin, or The Sorcadin
- Rogue and Ranger, or The Gloomssassin
These classes synergize well with each other, building off of each other’s strengths and feature abilities that complement the other class’ main ability. Of course, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a role-playing game for a reason, and there is no truly wrong way to play. You can experiment with certain builds in the game and see what works best for you.
The benefits of multiclassing in Baldur’s Gate 3
The best improvements your character can get from multiclassing are:
- Improved build customization, since you open up a new suit of choices that a single class does not have.
- Power builds, if you want to explore the strongest builds in the game by mixing classes.
- New roleplaying options, unlocking more dialogue and story choices.
These benefits already hint that multiclassing is something that experienced players are likely to enjoy more than new and casual players. It’s all about opening up more options for you to explore and learn, which is all any player who loves customizing their character wants.
But it can be overwhelming, and there are reasons to avoid multiclassing.
The downsides of multiclassing in Baldur’s Gate 3
The major hits your character takes from multiclassing in Baldur’s Gate 3 are:
- Receiving reduced Weapon and Armor Proficiencies in your new class.
- Giving up on your main class’ progression, in part.
- Missing on milestone Class level bonuses like new Feats, Proficiency bonuses, and Ability Score increases.
Multiclassing means you will not fully develop your main class, since you’re taking one level away from it to put on your second class. Since Baldur’s Gate 3 character level cap still applies, forcing the sum of your class levels to equals 12, you will never get to level 12 with either of your classes when you multiclass.
Related: How to respec in Baldur’s Gate 3
You also want to pay attention to the Ability Score of the new class you want to use. While you technically can multiclass with a class that you have a lower Ability Score in, your attacks and spells won’t be nearly as effective as if you multiclassed with a class you have a higher Ability Score in. As an example, if you only had six points in Intelligence but wanted to multiclass with the Wizard, your spells would be inaccurate and not deal a ton of damage.
The best strategy with multiclassing is to find one other class that synergizes well with your existing one and put levels into each where it makes the most sense.
When should you multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Multiclassing is worth it if you keep it at two classes and are an expert player who understands which classes work together and how—also called class synergies. If you’re a beginner, multiclassing is not worth it since it adds a new layer of build, traits, and ability choices you can make, which will be hard to optimize if you aren’t familiar enough with the game.
Because of these limitations, and the other pitfalls that come with putting levels into another class, it’s not totally recommended to multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 unless you truly understand everything that it entails. Ideally, you want to ensure that the classes you’re choosing to put levels into synergize well with one another.
You should multiclass anyway if you’re ditching power builds for roleplaying. Having a Rogue Cleric, a Barbarian Monk, or even a Wizard Warlock Sorcerer spell master is unlikely to be optimal from a build perspective, but they’ll probably give you the best stories to share with friends.
Related: How to play multiplayer co-op in Baldur’s Gate 3
Our multiclassing decision
I chose to not multiclass with my first Baldur’s Gate 3 character, which is a Half-Orc Fighter. Since I’m in my initial run through the game, I decided to trade character optimization for game knowledge, which means I’ll probably have a suboptimal build at first so that I can learn more about enemy encounters, mechanics, and what are the best decisions to make at each point.
But multiclassing is something I’ll certainly do when I create a second character. Since I’m more roleplay-driven, I’m eyeing a mix of Monk and Bard just to see how it goes.
