This guide focuses on the best Barbarian build in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Wild Magic subclass, and includes all components to create a powerful character.
This build page has been updated for thePatch 8 versionof Baldur’s Gate 3.
Barbarian Class Introduction
Barbarians are the ultimate melee warriors, relying on their raw strength and ferocity to tear through their enemies. They can enter a state of rage, which increases their damage output and durability. Barbarians are also proficient with all weapons and armor, making them versatile combatants.
In this build, we will be focusing on the Wild Magic subclass. Wild Magic Barbarians focuses on channeling chaotic and unpredictable magical energy into their rage, allowing them to tap into the forces of randomness and wild magic. You will use medium armor, a Two-Handed weapon, and maintain the identity of the Barbarian. What’s interesting, different, and fun about this build is the randomness of the encounters. When you activate Rage, which turns into Rage: Wild Magic with this subclass, you gain an extra effect. This build is still focused on high single-target damage, simplicity, and durability.
Wild Magic Barbarian Changes in Patch 8 for BG3
The biggest change to the Barbarian in Patch 8 is the introduction of the Giant subclass, which focuses entirely on throwing weapons and maximizing throw-based damage. This new subclass opens up a unique playstyle centered around hurling objects and enemies with devastating effect.
Patch 8 also includes updates to spells and cantrips, with Booming Blade standing out as a particularly useful addition. This cantrip adds extra thunder damage on hit and can further boost your melee burst potential. While Barbarians don’t typically gain access to cantrips, you can pick up Booming Blade by choosing the High Elf race, which allows you to select one cantrip during character creation. However, Half-Orc remains the stronger choice for raw burst damage, but High Elf can be a fun alternative if you’re looking to experiment with new mechanics.
Barbarian Class Features & Mechanics
The following list presents all the essential Barbarian Class Mechanics and Features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
The Wild Magic Barbarian is a powerful class that can be a lot of fun to play. However, it’s important to be aware of the risks of Rage Wild Magic, as it can easily backfire. If you’re looking for a class that can deal a lot of damage and takes a lot of hits while being unpredictable the Wild Magic Barbarian is a great choice.
Barbarian Best Subclass – Wild Magic
Here are all the Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbariansubclasses:
The Wild Magic subclass is the great Barbarian subclass that can deal a lot of damage in a short amount of time and has the randomness that makes it a unique subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3. At level 3, when picking the Wild Magic subclass your Rage turns into Rage Wild Magic. When activated, you get a random effect that can help or hinder you.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Wild Magic Barbarian Features & Progression
The Wild Magic Barbarian subclass unlocks the following features and spells:
If you are looking for a Barbarian subclass that can deal a lot of damage and take a lot of hits, then the Wild Magic is the best choice for you. However, if you are looking for a Barbarian subclass that is more versatile or has more defensive options, then you may want to consider another subclass.
Character Creation
Recommended Backgrounds Barbarian Wild Magic in Baldur’s Gate 3
The bestbackgroundfor a Wild Magic Barbarian is Soldier because it has proficiency inAthleticsandIntimidation. Backgrounds in Baldur’s Gate 3 are a way to represent your character’s backstory and give them some starting skills and abilities. Athletics scales in effectiveness with your main class‘s primary statistic, Strength.
Race Choice for Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Build
Half-Orcis the BestRaceChoice for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Wild Magic Build Guide because the Relentless Endurance racial feature can also save you from dropping to 0 hit points. The Half-Orc’s savage attack allows for extra damage and Darkvision is vital playing in the Underdark. A secondary option isZariel Tieflingwhich offers Hellish Resistance and Rebuke along with Darkvision. This is a great race for filtering with fire and makes a great melee race choice option.
Here is the best race choice for a Wild Magic Barbarian build in Baldur’s Gate 3.
The Barbarian’s racial choice will not influence ability score, but everyone should get a +2 and +1 to spend regardless. This frees your race choice up to not completely hinder yourself based on ability score, but race features. Each of these races offers unique advantages that can enhance your combat prowess, survivability, or utility. Additionally, consider the roleplaying opportunities and character concepts that resonate with you.
Recommended Skills for Barbarian Wild Magic Build
PerceptionandSurvivalare the best skills for the Wild Magic Barbarian Build because they complement your class abilities and enhance your effectiveness in various situations. In Baldur’s Gate 3, skills represent the abilities and proficiencies of your character that allow them to perform various actions and interact with the game world. Skills are associated with specific attributes and are used to determine the success or effectiveness of certain actions or abilities.
Here are the best skills for a Wild Magic Barbarian in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Best Barbarian Ability Score
Below is the bestability scoreto unlock the full potential of the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Wild Magic Build Guide:
The best Wild Magic Barbarian Ability Score is 16 Strength, 16 Constitution, and 14 Dexterity. Strength will influence your damage, dexterity will help withArmour Class(AC) and constitution determines your health pool which is high by default. You can increase your strength to 20 viafeatimprovements at levels 8 and 12 and reach 20 by a max level of 12.
After you choose the class, subclass race, and background, the game will automatically distribute your abilities in the character creation abilities tab. Strength is your most important ability score followed by Constitution. You should be able to use a +2 and +1 stat distribution regardless of race. If your ability does not line up, drop Charisma lower to hit 16, 14, 16.
Best Companions for Barbarian Build
For theWild MagicBuild, we do not recommend additional front-line fighters and damage dealers. The idea is, that your character charges in melee range with support, range damage, or even stealth attacks. If you have multiple melee characters, 2-3, it can be troublesome in close-quarters combat.
It’s important to note that party composition and synergy play a significant role in determining the effectiveness of your companions. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each companion and how they align with your main character’s abilities and playstyle. You can go more range withWyllor a double melee setup withLae’zel. Also, feel free to swap out and explore different options.
Additionally, take into account the specific challenges and encounters you anticipate facing, as certain companions may shine in different scenarios. Experiment with different combinations to find a party that suits your preferred playstyle and maximizes your chances of success.
Barbarian Illithid Powers
Illithid Powersare unlocked later in the game when you learn more about the Mind Flayers and Tadpoles. You can gain jars of Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens, and consume them to gain one point. This is essentially another skill tree advancement with some very strong powers.
Here are the best Illithid Powers for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Wild Magic Build Guide:
Barbarian Level Progression
Alternative Wild Magic Barbarian Build
A strong alternative to the Wild Magic Barbarian is the Throw build using the Giant subclass. This setup offers greater range and flexibility, breaking away from the limitations of a purely melee-focused playstyle. The key milestone in this build is reaching 6 levels in Barbarian to unlock Elemental Cleaver, a feature that lets you throw almost any weapon. Paired with the Tavern Brawler feat, this allows you to deal massive damage from a distance. Unlike the Wild Magic build, this approach excels across all three Acts, offering consistent performance with improved survivability. While it sacrifices some melee burst potential, it’s a great choice if you find yourself struggling to stay alive in close combat.
At Level one follow our character creator to pick all correct background, race, skills, and ability distribution focusing on Strength and Constitution. Use the character creation steps above and hit the appropriate ability score and race. You want to either use medium armor or clothing, and a two-handed weapon preferred a Greatsword. you may get a super powerful one in the tutorialEverburn Blade.
At level one you will unlock two mechanics as a Barbarian:
Barbarian Gameplay
Unarmored Defense proves beneficial for those opting not to don medium armor. You can enhance your Armor Class (AC) by disrobingLae’zal, equipping her armor, and focusing on high dexterity. Opting for “clothing” over traditional armor offers the advantage of accessing gear sets. As your character develops, the game will encourage you with clothing-based gear sets thatbestow the Wrath status effect, thereby amplifying melee damage. However, this choice involves risk and reward. While lower AC increases your vulnerability to hits, some gear sets wield exceptionally potent damage. The Barbarian’s substantial damage reduction further justifies maintaining a lower AC, especially when progressing through Act 1 and acquiring formidable sets.
The gameplay for theBarbarianis very simple, especially at the start. Simply use your bonus action to turn Rage on your first turn. Then, use your action to attack. On the second turn, you may use your bonus action for potions, jump, or shove. Your bonus action utility will go up with subclass and feat, and multiple attacks are coming as early as level four. Moreover, look to acquire Elixir of Hill Giant Strength, Potion of Speed, and Oil of Accuracy consumables. These three consumables “stack” allowing for massive damage! Stay aggressive, and play as the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Wild Magic Barbarian Build Guide.
Wild Magic Barbarian Priorities
Your overall priority with the Wild Magic Barbarian build is the following:
Act 1 Checklistfor step-by-step completion
At level two you will unlock Reckless Attack and Dangerous Sense. Here’s what they do:
Reckless Attack is your main skill for damage. When you gain advantage, you can expect twodice rollsrather than one giving you a higher chance to land the attack. Be aware, the enemy will have the same against you too. At this stage of the game, your goal is to simply use Rage as your bonus action on your first turn in charge intocombat. Your goal is to get hit or hit someone back to extend the Rage effect. verify to equip a bow in case you cannot reach a target on your first turn.
Gameplay at this level is using Rage as your bonus action first turn and charging into battle. If you are in melee range, hit with Reckless Attack as your main damage dealer. Also, keep moving forward and use ranged attacks if necessary to keep rage active.
At level three you will finally get to pick a subclass and we recommendWild Magic. Here’s what you should do at level 3 with a Wild Magic Barbarian Build:
The Wild Magic subclass essentially gives you an added bonus when you activate Wild Magic. From the above picture, I received magic infused weapon, dealing 1-6 force damage and gaining the light and thrown properties. This subclass and modification of Rage add an element of uncertainty and unpredictability to this build.
You also gain access to a bonus action ability Magic Awareness. That is useful considering early on, the Barbarian struggles with bonus action utility. Consider using this to help yourself or an ally.
Gameplay: Continue activating Rage Wild Magic at the start of your turn using a bonus action. Use Reckless Attack as your primary damage source. On your second turn, you now have an optional Magic Awareness to help with defense against spells.
At level 4 the Wild Magic Barbarian picks afeatto unlock. We suggest Great Weapon Master at this level, due to the additional bonus attack utility.
GreatWeapon Masterfeat: When a melee attack scores a critical hit or kills a creature, you may make another melee attack as a bonus action. When attacking with Heavy Weapons you are proficient with, attack rolls take a -5 penalty, but their damage increases by 10.
The Great Weapon Master feat does two things for you. One, it has a high risk high reward ability to add 10 damage BUT -5 attack roll penalty. As shown in the picture above, this simply reduces your chance to hit the percentage significantly. You can turn this off in the Passive section on your toolbar, which will give you the normal percentage. The higher your strength goes, the more percentage chance to hit. As you hit 8 and 12 with further ability improvements or gear to increase strength expect a higher chance to hit.
Great Weapon Master Gameplay
Secondly, this feat gives you another chance to hit on a kill or critical hit using a bonus action. This is the real reason the feat is so strong, multiple attacks in a turn, and with this build, you will be getting a lot of critical hits and kills. Combat should therefore be initiated using your action first, saving your bonus action for a Great Weapons Master attack.
Gameplay: look to kill lower health targets to take advantage of Great Weapon Master. Also, look for support classes that have Bless, this will increase your chance of landing. And if the percentage is too low, toggle off Great Weapons Master in your passive section on the toolbar. This will turn off the -5 negative, but lower damage. Turn back on when enemies are around 50% or higher to hit.
At level 5 the Wild Magic Barbarian unlocks Extra Attack and Fast Movement.
At level 5 the Barbarian becomes amazing with Extra Attack paired with Great Weapon Master bonus action attack. This will allow you to attack multiple times with your actions and another with a bonus action. You can drink a Potion of Speed for a further effect and do a lot of damage in one turn.
This is where the Barbarian starts to dominate. Your first turn is the standard, bonus action to activate Rage/Frenzy and charge in with Reckless Attack. If you land the attack you get an additional one. Usually, you want to use your secondary weapon-based skill like Lacerate to cause some bleeding damage. On the second turn, you will have a bonus action free, so you can do 2x attacks, the first being Reckless then use a bonus action if you get a critical strike or a killing blow. That’s three attacks per turn. If you are doing a hard fight, use a Potion of Speed and you add another 2 to that!
At level 6 the Wild Magic Barbarian unlocks an additional range charge and three subclass features, boosting boon, and spell slots.
The Bolstering Magic Boon class action is nice. You or an ally gets +1d4 bonus to attack rolls and ability checks for 10 turns. It requires an action in the melee range. The nice thing about this is you can pre-cast or pre-buff this before combat. Since it last 10 turns, just outside of a fight or approaching cast it on yourself or an ally. Walk up to the fight and you’re likely to have 8 or 9 turns remaining. That way you don’t use this during combat and consume an action.
Bolstering Magic Level 1 or 2 Spell Slot simply helps an ally gain an additional spell slot. This can be used inside or outside of combat. This isn’t that useful unless you dread taking long rest, but something that helps you stay in the action. The gameplay remains unchanged.
Ending Act 1 as a Wild Magic Barbarian
Approaching Level 6, you should be close to transitioning out of Act 1. Be sure to visit traders and stock up on camp and alchemy supplies. Additionally, make sure to find thebest Act 1 items. Furthermore, there are alsopermanent bonusesyou should find in Act 1. Finally, theGrymforgehas powerful armor and weapons (Adamantine) that can be used well into Act 3. Consider taking the time to collect the crafting items before moving on to Act 2, where you won’t be able to return.
While this doesn’t seem big, it’s vital to the build. You will have a high Initiative and skip Surprised which eliminates your first turn. This means you are guaranteed to go during the first round of combat and will be one of the first to start. you’re able to then focus on stunning or eliminating the highest priority target and reduce damage for you and your team.
At level 8 the Wild Magic Barbarian gets to pick a feat. We will go with Ability Improvement +2 to Strength to reach 18. This will help us land more attacks and do more damage. The premise of the build is to constantly critical strike or land killing blows to proc Great Weapon Master secondary effect using bonus action for attacks.
Anything that boosts your chance to land attacks (Bless), gain advantage (True Strike), or increase the likelihood of a kill or critical strike will increase your efficiency. The goal for you is to use two attacks, get a kill, and then Great Weapon Master bonus action. There will be times when you need to use consumables and defensive bonus action skills. But the overall premise remains, keep it simple, and aggressive and enjoy the randomness of the Wild Magic subclass.
At level 9 the Barbarian unlocks a class feature Brutal Critical and the Wild Magic subclass unlocks Bolstering Magic.Brutal Critical: When you land a Critical Hit, you roll an extra damage die as well as the normal additional critical dice.
The gameplay is very simple beyond this level and not much changes besides passive benefits like Brutal Critical. As you can imagine, this gives us even more damage and isn’t something we have to activate, it’s a passive feature. Making the Barbarian ultra-simple and powerful.
Bolstering MagicLevel 3 Spell Slot: You or an ally recover a Level 3 spell slot. An okay tool that can be helpful when playing Tactician difficulty and every long rest is painful on resources.
At level 10 the Wild Magic Barbarian unlocks a passive featureUnstable Backlash. While Enraged, when you take damage or fail a saving throw, you trigger another Wild Magic effect that replaces the current one. This just adds a lot more chaos and uncertainty (good or bad) into the build. But hey if you selected Wild Magic subclass this is what you wanted!
From level 11 to 12 the Barbarian doesn’t get much. I recommend spending the last two levels multi-classing to theFighter. At level 11 the Barbarian gets Relentless Rage which mimics the Half-Orc passive Relentless Endurance. If you drop to 0 health, you have 1 health instead of being Downed. At level 12 you will miss a feat in which you can take +2 Strength which admittedly is nice. But you can consume Hill Giant potions and reach 21 or 27 strength for a brief time.
The reason I suggest Barbarian multi-classing is purely for Action Surge. A resourceless once-per-short-rest ability that gives you another action in combat. Given the Barbarian already has an extra attack, those extra two attacks combined with Great Weapon Master are worth sacrificing Relentless Rage and +2 Strength. If you do not wish to do that, continue and take the Ability Improvement +2 Strength at level 12 with the Barbarian.
Great Weapon Fighting Style: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack with a two-handed melee weapon, that die is rerolled once. This is an amazing benefit only Paladins and Fighters have. You get a reroll low damage die increasing your output potential significantly.
Second Wind: this skill is unlocked at level one Fighter and is a mediocre heal that is useful during the start of the game. you may use a bonus action, though most potions outperform it.
If you multi-class, this level will feel uneventful, but trust me it’ll be worth it.
With two levels into Fighter, you get access to the awe-inspiring Action Surge. You get an extra action, but the biggest strength is, that it doesn’t require any resources to use it. Action Surge is a once-per-fight usage, but it allows you to cast and recharge on short rest.
Take your Barbarian with Great Weapon Master feat, Extra Attack, and give it Action Surge for 2x more attacks. You can take this a step further by using either a Potion of Haste or casting Haste on yourself. Then you get another action! If you did the math on that:
The Barbarian at level 12 with this setup has so much firepower it’s remarkable. Again, if you wanted a traditional Barbarian for all 12 levels, take Ability Improvement +2 Strength or the Alert feat which helps with going early. We hope you enjoyed this build and check out the gear section for more!
Best Gear for Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Wild Magic Build
In Games like Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll explore the world, loot chests and your enemies’ dead bodies, and complete quests and all those activities can reward you with useful items, potions, armor, weapons, scrolls, and much more. There are three Acts in BG3, and we’ve updated this guide to include suggested sets and alternatives for Act 1 and Act 3. Look to progress and alternative selections if you don’t have the recommended item.
Armour vs Clothing for Barbarian
In the below sections, way may give alternative suggestions that include armour, not clothing. This may change the entire setup, and or lower or heighten your armour class. Meaning, in Act 1 if you use the Bracers of Defence with Adamantine Scale Mail (medium armour) you won’t receive the benefit of it. Therefore, make sure you understand that either you need to use a setup with zero armour and clothing or mix and match.
In addition, do not use any heavy armour. It will ruin the build and specifically Rage mechanics.
Beginner: Starting the Game
Here’s the best beginner gear for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Wild Magic Build Guide:
Below is the best Act 1 Armor, Weapons, and Equipment for Wildmagic Barbarian in BG3:
Advanced: End-Game
The following table presents the best advanced and end-game gear for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Wild Magic Build Guide:
Best Barbarian Consumables, Potions, and Items
The following list represents the best individual useconsumableitems that will aid in the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Wild Magic Build Guide:
Permanent Bonuses
Throughout Baldur’s Gate 3, you will have the ability to gain permanent bonuses to your character. These can grant additional spells, ability scores, and other bonuses. Permanent Bonuses are not displayed throughout the campaign but are vital to increase overall combat performance. We have all permanent bonuses here in a guide, but the most important ones for you to collect are listed below.
Best Permanent Bonuses for Wild Magic Barbarian in Baldur’s Gate 3
Combat, Gameplay Tips, and Tricks in Baldur’s Gate 3
The Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian Wild Magic Build Guide uses a combination of aggression, damage, and movement speed to survive and fight. You will need to play aggressively but also use terrain, consumables, and companions to help you in combat.
Read More:What is the Best Race in BG3?
Here are 10 gameplay tips specifically for playing a Barbarian in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Remember, this build guide serves as a foundation, and you can always adapt it to suit your preferences and the needs of your campaign. Enjoy playing as a formidable Wild Magic Barbarian!
Wild Magic Berserker Changes in Patch 7 for BG3
The Wild Magic Barbarian combat and gameplay remains unchanged in Patch 7 for Baldur’s Gate 3. The main focus of the patch and update was mod manager, in game modding tool, and evil dialogue and cut scenes. Therefore, don’t expect many gameplay differences outside of honor mode difficulty.
Read More:All Acts in BG3 Ranked
Build Summary – Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Wild Magic Barbarian
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