Summary
Clerics inDungeons & Dragonsare experts at dealing with the undead, and their skills translate well to the world ofBaldur’s Gate 3. With access to spells likespirit guardiansand abilities like Turn Undead, each cleric can be an effective catacomb cleaning machine in their own right. However, when it comes to the different cleric subclasses, some are more powerful skeleton slayers than others.
Each of thesix cleric subclasses inBaldur’s Gate 3focuses on a different part of the cleric’s skillset. Some are great healers, others excellent damage dealers. But one subclass in particular gets some great abilities for dealing with hordes of undead monsters. “Undead” is the most common monster type inBaldur’s Gate 3(only outnumbered by humanoid enemies), with them being especially common in Act Two, sobeing able to deal with them is more important here than in mostDnDgames.
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The Cleric Subclasses That Don’t Make The Cut
Despite clerics being natural picks for fighting undead,some subclasses perform pretty suboptimally against them. The most notable of these is the Trickery Domain cleric, which already receives a fair share of criticism for its lackluster features. It doesn’t gain any damaging AOE spells from its extended list, its Channel Divinity feature is basically useless, and its Divine Strike deals poison damage, a type many undead are immune or resistant to.
Another subclass that doesn’t quite measure up is the Knowledge Domain. It doesn’t have any specific shortcomings, but its skillset is more geared towards skill proficiencies and acquiring information.Its spell list is less optimized for fighting back zombie hordes, and its Channel Divinity feature is more useful outside of combat than in it.
The Light Cleric Is The Most Effective, With Radiant Magic As Its Core Focus
The subclass that often sticks out as the best for dealing damage, especially to the undead, is the Light Domain cleric. It gains access topowerful cleric spellslikeflaming sphere,fireball,wall of fire, anddestructive wavethat can decimate groups of undead forces with ease.Its Channel Divinity feature, Radiance of the Dawn, is also respectable for its radiant damage output, a type which can often have especially potent effects on undead monsters.
The subclasses discussed here do not take into accountcleric multiclass builds. For instance, multiclassing into paladin could make up for certain Domains' lack of radiant damage output.
Options like the Tempest and War Domain clerics should not be forgotten. War clerics are incredibly effective at dealing single-target damage with weapons, and Tempest clerics can use their Channel Divinity to reach incredible levels of damage with their lightning and thunder spells. ButLight clerics have the most spells and abilities which fixate specifically on undead foes, making them best for this particular cleric’s duty inBaldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
