A lot of RPGs have various ways to approach and build a character. Some will give you a guided path of progression with various choices, and others will have a very open model where you can keep allocating points while not being locked behind anything.
How the tabletop system of Dungeons & Dragons handles things is that each class has a very set goal in mind, and subclasses create branching variations based on these classes. However, you can also take levels in other classes to create full-blown hybrids. New players to Baldur’s Gate 3 should avoid multiclassing for their first playthrough as each class can play a dedicated role very well. For their second go at the game, it can be a really fun and creative experience to delve into the very rich world of multiclassing. Some classes go hand in hand like a Monk and Rogue. Some seem unconventional like a Cleric and Sorcerer. Then you get completely parallel class combinations like a Rogue and Barbarian.
Updated by Peter Hunt Szpytek on October 11, 2023: This list was updated to include a video version (featured below.)
20 Crusader (Paladin/Ranger)
Normally, when you think of options for a Paladin to multiclass with, you may think of using another charisma-based spell caster like Warlock, Sorcerer, or Bard. While those options are ideal, there is some merit to throwing points of Ranger in there. The Ranger’s Favored Foe gives the Paladin some extra utility, and their Natural Explorer option can make them naturally resistant to an element of your choice.
The real beauty comes with Hunter’s Mark, something that has been proven to be great with a Paladin’s moveset. This is normally always available for a Oath of Vengeance Paladin, but this multiclass lets any Oath use it.
19 Leader (Cleric/Bard)
Another unconventional pairing of a Charisma driven class and a Wisdom driven one. This pairing would start with you going Cleric for the proficiencies spread. Then later go bard for the vast array of utility spells it provides without you needing to roll. This means you could even dump charisma and still have a high performing build.
If you really want to take this concept to the next level, start with a Bard for the skill proficiencies, select College of Lore, and then dip into Knowledge Domain Cleric. You now have a character that covers an incredible range of skills, many of which have added bonuses to their results thanks to Expertise and your Cleric’s Domain choice.
18 Bardbarian (Bard/Barbarian)
This multiclass conjures up thoughts of a 12 foot charging juggernaut that is either yodeling or Mongolian throat singing. A Bard is a spell caster that uses their Charisma, so it might seem like a counterproductive choice. However, there are plenty of spells to cast that do not require you to roll, making your versatility both in and out of battle significantly higher.
Bards also get plenty of features, like Bardic Inspiration and Song of Rest, that benefit the entire party. A lot of players feel their Barbarians are one-trick ponies meant for combat and nothing more. This lets you change that by dipping into one of the game’s most versatile classes. Things get even better when your bard is taken all the way up to College of Valor.
17 Spellsneak (Warlock/Rogue)
A classic party composition consists of a Fighter, a Wizard, a Cleric and a Rogue. The Rogue is not a Charisma class, but they still have a jack of all trades style of play. They tend to have a high amount of skill proficiencies and Expertise at their disposal.
They can usually get away with being the face of the group. Mixing up Rogue with Warlock allows the rogue to gain all manner of benefits from Pact Boons and spells that compliment them a lot more than what they get from Arcane Trickster. Rogues are strikers that deal a lot of damage, and this just makes them even more deadly.
16 Shinobi (Monk/Rogue)
The closest thing you can build to having a ninja in the game is to mix a Way of Shadow Monk with an Assassin Rogue. These synergies go really well together since both use Dexterity as their primary Ability. They also have a similar mindset when playing them.
As a Rogue, you will have a higher amount of Skill Proficiencies and Expertise. This lets you cover a wide range of skills. You can be the group’s scout, thief, and face all wrapped into one. Way of Shadow also comes with a lot of shadow arts which will dramatically increase your potency of being a Rogue.
15 Nature Guardian (Cleric/Druid)
Both the Cleric and Druid fill the same role in different ways, this allows you to use everything in both their books. You can run into the frontlines and then Wild Shape if things get too overwhelming for a much more effective Second Wind compared to a fighter.
You will also have 2 entirely different Spell Lists that both use the same Spell casting modifier to reap all the benefits. If you are unsure if you want a Cleric or Druid in your party, you won’t need to choose thanks to this option.
14 Hou Yi (Monk/Ranger)
Both the Monk and the Ranger use the same two primary Abilities, Dexterity, and Wisdom. This allows them to synergize perfectly. The Ranger’s Natural Explorer and Favored Enemy make the monk much more effective in all aspects, while also giving the monk lots of spell-casting options using their already high Wisdom Ability.
A Beast Master can give a Shadow Monk something to keep the aggro off them while also gaining proficiency in Thieves Tools thanks to Bounty Hunter. Overall, this creates lots of fun combinations of features for a single character.
13 Savage Gladiator (Barbarian/Fighter)
Both a Barbarian and a Fighter share a primary focus in the Strength Ability, what’s more, the Fighter’s kit allows Barbarians to really push the limits of their Rage. It is worth noting that wearing heavy armor will hamper the benefits of rage, so this Multiclass is more about building on a Barbarian to maximize the benefits and not building towards the best possible Fighter.
Action Surge can grant you that one final push to really pour on some extra damage and Second Wind allows the Barbarian to heal themselves if they find trouble.
12 Rage-a-holic (Monk/Barbarian)
A Monk is the game’s best choice for delving into the world of making a dedicated unarmed attacker. There are many ways you take this even further. Giving them a dip into Barbarian allows them to rage while unleashing these strikes using their Strength instead of their Dexterity.
You can then take this even further by giving them the feat, Tavern Brawler. These layers of buffs all come together to give you something that has a new way of experiencing both the Monk and the Barbarian playstyles alike.
11 The Expert (Rogue/Bard)
The Rogue lets you take proficiency in 4 skills, multiclassing into a College of Lore Bard will give you proficiency in any 3 other skills. Throw on the two skill proficiencies from one’s Background, and they now have proficiency in 9 Skills.
Couple that with both the Rogue’s and the Bard’s Expertise that now means you double your proficiency for 6 of those skills. The Bard’s Jack of All Trades feature means you can add half your proficiency bonus to any of the remaining skills. This gives you one of the widest coverage of skills and roles possible.
10 Ambusher (Fighter/Rogue)
Unlike the Barbarian Fighter multiclass, this one provides a lot of synergy between using both classes. You have a wide range of skill coverage thanks to the Rogue, but if something gets in the Rogue’s face, they will be proficient in a wider array of Armor options thanks to their Fighter proficiency in Medium Armor.
Heavy Armor should still be avoided due to its limitations, such as having Disadvantage on Stealth checks. Having access to shields however will make it harder for enemies to hit the rogue, and taking an Action Surge after a surprise attack lets you pour on even more damage in the same turn.
Just like Nature Guardian, this multiclass takes two classes that use the same Ability for their spell casting and smashes them together. A Paladin has access to heavy armor and is a natural frontliner. A sorcerer on the other hand is naturally glassy.
Starting with a Paladin and then going straight into Sorcerer afterward makes you a long-range spell-casting tank that also can heal itself with Lay on Hands if something tries to hit them. Alternatively, they can lead the charge and attack anything in the fight to drop the weakest targets first.
8 Choir Master (Paladin/Bard)
Paladins and Bards both use Charisma as their spell-casting modifier. This means a synergy between the two works wonders. By going with the College of Swords, the paladin will be able to expend Bardic Inspiration dice to give themselves bonuses to their attacks thanks to Blade Flourish.
Even with only 1 level in Bard, their range of spells will also vastly increase making them far more useful in more situations, and get a handful of Inspiration Dice to help others on their Ability Checks, Attack Rolls, and Saving Throws.
7 Switch Hitter (Paladin/Warlock)
A Paladin walks the path of their Oath and has pledged themselves to uphold those values without question. However, this subclass doesn’t put all its eggs in one basket and has made a deal with another powerful entity.
This gives them access to all the spells in the Warlock Spell List and access to their Eldritch Blast. This also means you can be a Warlock with Heavy Armor proficiency to add a lot of extra survivability in combat. Both of these classes will use their Charisma to cast spells from their combined spell lists. Combining these two classes is a great call for any playthrough.
6 Coffeelock (Sorcerer/Warlock)
One of the most alluring elements of being a Sorcerer is the sheer number of spells they can cast thanks to their Sorcery Points. These points let you turn them into a spell slot, or turn a spell slot into more points.
A Sorcerer only regains their spell slots after a long rest. However, a Warlock regains all of their spell slots after a short rest. This means that even if they run out of their Sorcerer spells, they’ll still be able to stretch out their spellcasting across each short rest by means of their Warlock spells, making them a far more powerful spell caster than the rules ever intended them to be.
5 Chaos Lord (Paladin/Warlock/Sorcerer)
Just like how Sorcerer gets a significant boost from mutliclassing into one of the other charisma casters in the game, this multiclass gives them two. Each brings with them some very powerful elements. The Paladin will grant Heavy Armor, some extra healing, and proficiency with martial weapons and shields.
This will help make them one of the best frontline options available. They also have access to Eldritch Evocations and Pact Boons from the Warlock, and access to 3 different spell lists. If you drop the Pact Boon, you can push Sorcerer to get that 5th-level spell slot.
4 Barbearian (Druid/Barbarian)
When you are building a Druid into this multiclass, you will be offered a circle when you hit level 2. If you take Circle of the Moon, you will be granted access to many combat-viable wild shape options. While in these mighty animal forms, you will not be able to cast spells. However, you will be able to use non-spell-based features such as a Fighter’s Action Surge, or the even more devastatingly powerful barBEARian rage.
When you use Rage while wild shaped into something such as a bear, you will have Advantage on all of your Strength checks and Strength Saving Throws. You will also gain +2 to dealing damage and have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing attacks. This makes your wild shapes much harder to take down and allows them to pour on plenty of extra damage while they are in effect. All from just 1 level dip into Barbarian.
3 Magic Tank (Fighter/Wizard)
This might seem weird at first glance to a lot of readers, especially since one of the Fighter subclasses is an Eldritch Knight. In the tabletop version of Dungeons and Dragons, you are limited to casting 1 spell per turn. However, in Baldur’s Gate 3, you are able to cast multiple spells in a turn. This means having 2 levels in Fighter will let you take another turn Action to cast another spell in the same turn. However, doing so will lock you out of getting your 6h Level Spell Slot. It is best to just take 1 level of fighter.
This will give you a ton of melee combat proficiencies such as Martial Weapons and Heavy Armor, along with a lot more Hit Points. After this, just pour points into Wizard to get all the way to a 6th Spell Slot. Eldritch Knights only get up to 2nd level spell slots, even at the game’s maximum level. If you find yourself in trouble, you will have access to Second Wind as a Bonus Action when in an emergency.
2 Sniper (Ranger/Rogue)
This multiclass will allow you to get in a ton of damage in the very first turn of combat. You will be combining the Ranger’s Gloom Stalker subclass with the Rogue’s Assassin subclass. The Gloom Stalker gets an extra attack with an additional 1D8.
Rogue will grant Sneak Attack, while its Assassin Subclass will grant Assassinate. This means you will be getting off 3 attacks on an unsuspecting target, all of which will have Advantage to hit thanks to Gloom Stalker’s Dread Ambusher, and every hit will be critical.
1 Hitman (Rogue/Ranger/Fighter)
This multiclass takes the Sniper one as seen above and throws 2 dips of fighter into it. More Accurately, you will be taking a Rogue up to level 3 for Assassin, and then building a Gloom Stalker up to level 5 for the Extra Attack. Once that is done, you will take 2 levels in Fighter and then the rest into Rogue.
When you factor in Action Surge, that is 7 attacks on turn 1, all with Advantage and all hits being criticals. Being able to take out a target before a fight even breaks out can tank an enemy group’s chances of success. There is more than one way to build around this multiclass, each with their pros and cons.