Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric build: Race, deity, spells, more

Rajarshi Acharya
shadowheart cleric in baldur's gate 3

The Cleric is one of the most complex classes that you can build when playing Baldur’s Gate 3. If you choose to play as them or just need to optimize your Cleric companion’s kit, here’s a guide that will turn them into the best allies while traveling through Faerun.

The Cleric is an extremely versatile class in Baldur’s Gate 3 that can be used as a main character or as a companion. As one of the most powerful support classes, Clerics have the ability to enhance the entire party with buffs and heals.

If you’re role-playing a Cleric, keep in mind that the Deity you chose to worship and your subclass will heavily affect the way you need to level your spells and cantrips. Here’s the best Cleric build for Baldur’s Gate 3 that considers the race, subclass, background, Deity, spells, and more.

Best race for Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3

shadowheart cleric baldur's gate 3
Shadowheart is the Cleric companion and is useful in any party.

The Cleric is a versatile class that can work with multiple races, but here are the best ones:

  • Half-Elf
  • Human
  • Gold Dwarf
  • Drow

However, if you’re still confused about which one to choose among these, go with the Gold Dwarf. This race gets access to Dwarven Toughness, which can be quite handy in case you get forced into direct combat.

You can also try being Drow, which is proficient in Superior Darkvision and Perception. They also get free spells such as Dancing Lights cantrip at Level 1, Faerie Fire at Level 3, and Darkness spell at Level 5.

On the other hand, if you want to mimic Shadowheart‘s build, Half-Elf is also a respectable option.

Best subclass for Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3

When it comes to the Cleric, there are seven subclasses to choose from, but the best option is Light Domain. The primary motivation for most players looking to play as a Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3 is to be a healer. You have access to some respectable offensive as well as healing abilities through the Light Domain.

Best background for Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3

The Acolyte is the best background you can pick if you’re going for a Cleric build in Baldur’s Gate 3. This almost seems exclusively built for this class, as it offers both Insight (Wisdom) and Religion (Intelligence) proficiencies. On top of this, you should choose the following skills:

  • History
  • Medicine
  • Persuasion

You can also pick the background Folk Hero since it gives proficiencies to the Survival and Animal Handling skills, which rely on the Cleric’s main stat Wisdom. This will allow your Cleric to pass almost every Survival and Animal Handling check, which is especially useful during Act 1.

Best Deity for Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3

Bahamut is the best Deity you can choose for your Cleric build. However, keep in mind that he is the God of Justice, and as such, you’ll be forced to follow a ‘good’ playthrough if you pick him. The Deity you choose for your Cleric determines how the world sees them.

baldur's gate 3 custom cleric character
Choosing your Deity as a Cleric is a crucial decision.

For most classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, you choose your specialization upon reaching a certain level. The Cleric, however, gets to choose a Deity during character creation itself. This is because a Deity is central to the idea of the Cleric; it is who the Cleric fights for.

Best spells for Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3

Spells are the lifeblood of a Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3. Here are the spells that you should choose to optimize your build:

  • Cantrip: Guidance
  • Cantrip: Resistance
  • Cantrip: Sacred Flame
  • Level 1: Bane
  • Level 1: Command
  • Level 1: Shield of Faith
  • Level 1: Protection from Evil and Good
  • Level 2: Hold Person (Level 1)
  • Level 3: Silence (Level 2)
  • Cantrip Level 4: Light
  • Level 4: Blindness (Level 2)
  • Level 5: Spirit Guardians (Level 3)
  • Level 6: Remove Curse (Level 3)
  • Level 7: Banishment or Dimension Door (Level 4)
  • Level 8: Confusion (Level 4)
  • Level 9: Flame Strike or Insect Plague (Level 5)
  • Level 10: Planar Binding or Dominate Person (Level 5)
  • Level 11: Heroes’ Feast or Heal (Level 6)
  • Level 12: Blade Barrier or Planar Ally (Level 6)

Best build for Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3

Here’s the best build for your Cleric character in Baldur’s Gate 3:

  • Race: Human or Wood Half-Elf
  • Background: Acolyte or Folk Hero
  • Deity: Bahamut
  • Skills: Religion, Insight, Wisdom
  • Ability Score: STR: 8, DEX: 14/15, CON: 16, INT: 8, WIS: 17, CHA: 10
LEVELFEATURE
1Cantrips: Resistance, Guidance, Sacred Flame — Spells: Shield of Faith, Healing Word, Inflict Wounds, Protection from Evil and Good– Subclass: Light Domain
2Spell: Radiance of Dawn
3Spell: Scorching Ray, Flaming Sphere
4Spell: Lesser Restoration — Ability Improvement: Wisdom +2
5Spells: Revivify, Daylight
6Spell: Glyph of Warding
7Spell: Banishment
8Ability Improvement: Wisdom +2 — Spell: Freedom of Movement
9Spell: Insect Plague
10Spell: Dispel Evil and Good
11Spell: Heroes’ Feast
12Ability Improvement: Intelligence

So that wraps up the best Cleric build for Baldur’s Gate 3. For more guides and other information, take a look at the links below:

Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin build: Race, subclass, background, more | Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Rogue build: Race, subclass, background, more | Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger build: Race, subclass, background, more | Best weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3: Stats, tips & where to find them  | How to craft Potions in Baldur’s Gate 3: Ingredients, recipes & more  | Baldur’s Gate 3: How to get Scratch companion