12 Baldur's Gate 3 Items Perfect For BG3's New Subclasses

Each of the twelve character classes in Baldur's Gate 3 is getting a new subclass to choose from, opening up more options for players when leveling up their party. Every new subclass comes from Dungeons & Dragons, and while the exact mechanics of the subclasses' video game forms aren't yet released, players can get an idea of how they will function based on their TTRPG counterparts.

Interestingly, many of these subclasses already had some presence in the world of Baldur's Gate through magic items that emulate their tabletop abilities. Players familiar with D&D probably noticed certain weapons or pieces of apparel throughout their campaigns that mimic certain absent subclasses, now officially being patched in. These twelve items seem best geared toward each of the new classes, either to copy or complement their features.

12 Balduran's Giantslayer Emulates The Path Of Giants Barbarian

A Weapon For Warriors Of Colossal Strength

Prior to the inclusion of the path of the giants subclass, this weapon gave barbarians a way to achieve a similar aesthetic. Balduran's Giantslayer is a legendary greatsword which, when activated, increases the size of its wielder to the proportions of a large creature. It also provides a strength-based damage buff to melee attacks, extra hit points, and a bonus to saving throws, increasing the wielder's durability and combat prowess.

These features are similar to what the path of the giant barbarian can do while raging, going up a size and gaining extra damage, but the nice thing about this weapon is that most of its abilities can be compatible with those of new Baldur's Gate 3 subclass. The greatsword increases melee damage while the subclass adds elemental damage to melee attacks, and while the sword grants a larger size, the subclass grants extra reach. Balduran's Giantslayer isn't available until close to the game's end, but it's perfect for players looking to maximize this subclass's potential.

11 The Harmonic Dueller Fits The Themes Of A Glamour Bard

Leaning Into The Power Of Performance

Another act three weapon that fits well with one of these new subclasses is the Harmonic Dueller , a rapier that benefits from the wielder's performance skill. That subclass is, of course, the glamour bard, a kind of bard that centers its features around its appearance and dazzling performances which enthrall allies and enemies alike. The Dueller is already a good fit for any bard due to its musical themes, but it's especially fitting for one that will already be focusing on their performance skill checks.

The Dueller functions as a +1 rapier, with the ability to add one's charisma modifier to the damage rolls upon a successful performance check. The DC for that check is 15, a trivial matter for a high-level bard with good charisma and expertise in the skill. Bards that max out their charisma and dexterity can get great melee damage out of this weapon, and while the glamour bard focuses more on spellcasting than its martially-inclined counterparts, this could still be a great option.

10 The Staff Of Cherished Necromancy Is Perfect For Death Domain Clerics

Harnessing Necrotic Energy Into Spells

The death domain cleric is all about channeling necrotic magic into high-damage spells, making it almost an inverse to the light domain cleric in its features. Almost all of its extended spell list options are of the school of necromancy, so the Staff of Cherished Necromancy is incredibly strong in the hands of a death domain spellcaster. This staff is not quite as overpowered as it was prior to patch six, when one of its bugged abilities made it entirely too effective, but it is still a great option for casters of necromantic magic.

The staff gives the targets of its wielder's necromancy spells disadvantage on associated saving throws, which is already amazing. But on top of that, it has an ability called life harvest, which makes the next necromancy spell that the wielder casts cost no spell slot after they kill a creature. Life harvest can only be used once per day, but it could effectively allow for a free cast of circle of death or create undead, making it extremely useful for clerics who focus so much on necromancy.

9 The Gloves Of Belligerent Skies Are Underrated & Great For Circle Of Stars Druids

Maximizing The Effects Of Certain Damage Types

The Gloves of Belligerent Skies go overlooked in most playthroughs, both due to their low rarity and out-of-the-way placement, but they are quite powerful in the right hands. And the gloves do in fact fit on the circle of stars druid which, on top of providing a unique use for Wild Shape, gains a few extra spells that focus on radiant damage. With that, this druid has a collection of very good damaging spells that deal lightning, thunder, and radiant damage, exactly what the Gloves of Belligerent Skies need.

These gloves apply the reverberation effect to enemies that take any of those damage types, decreasing their saving throw bonuses and potentially causing them to go prone. It's one of the better stackable effects that Baldur's Gate 3 includes, and it's especially good when applied by a spellcaster who can follow it with even more spells. The stars druid deals just the right types of damage to get the most out of this item.

8 The Titanstring Bow Is A Great Early Option For The Arcane Archer

Strength And Dexterity Combined To Great Effect

The Titanstring Bow is the perfect ranged weapon for characters that invest in both their strength and dexterity, as fighters often do. And while the arcane archer might get some better options later down the road, this bow is the perfect one to carry them through the game's first two acts. It works quite simply as a weapon, functioning as a +1 longbow that adds its wielder's strength modifier to the damage of its attacks.

It can also push targets back upon a hit once per short rest, acting much like one of the arcane shots the archer subclass has access to. In that, it almost grants them an extra use of that feature, albeit one that comes from the battlemaster fighter's arsenal. The arcane archer is one of the few martial subclasses that puts a focus on ranged damage, and it's only right that they should have some items that fit the build they strive for.

7 The Drunken Cloth Was Made For The Drunken Master Monk

Fighting Under The Influence

There are several items in Baldur's Gate 3 which power up a character when they are drunk— items that seem directed right at the drunken master monk. While the D&D rules for the drunken master subclass don't actually include any powers reliant on alcohol consumption in Baldur's Gate 3, these items would be a way to add that in while not requiring drinking for the class to function.

The drunken cloth is one of the better options for monks among those provided, granting advantage on constitution saving throws and extra hit points each round they start inebriated. This adds to the flavor of the drunken master while not directly copying anything from the existing subclass features, allowing them to work simultaneously. Other items, like the amulet of the drunkard, have similar effects and could also work well.

6 The Whispering Promise Compliments The Oath Of The Crown

An Uncommon Ring That Powers Up This Paladin's Oath

Many players may never have found The Whispering Promise , given that it is easily missable towards the beginning of the game, but it is a great ring for powering up a support or healer character. While the oath of the crown paladin is still a great damage dealer using its smites, its channel oath feature heals nearby party members, meaning this ring will apply whenever the channel oath is used.

The whispering promise grants a 1d4 bonus to attack rolls and saving throws made by creatures healed by its wearer, functioning much like the bless spell. This would make the crown paladin's oath power both a healing feature and a buff, a strong combo that does not even require concentration. The ring's name is also emblematic of a wearer bound by a promise, something paladins will be familiar with.

5 The Abyss Beckoners Empower The Swarmkeeper Ranger's Summons

Good Gloves For A Summoner Build

There aren't a ton of items in the game that power up a summoner's companions, making finding something for the swarmkeeper ranger difficult. Thankfully, the Abyss Beckoners are available early in act one, and can be used to do just that. These gloves emit a demonspirit aura, granting summons close by resistance to all damage except for psychic.

This extends a summon's lifespan greatly and makes them function much better as a meat shield. However, the gloves can cause the summons to go feral and attack everyone, regardless of their prior allegiances, so they are not risk-free. These are probably the closest that Baldur's Gate 3 comes to having a cursed magic item in the game, but they are still the most thematically relevant for this insect-keeping ranger subclass.

4 The Gibus Of The Worshipful Servant Is Especially Strong For Swashbuckler Rogues

Playing Into Having A High Charisma

The swashbuckler subclass gives rogues a reason to invest in their charisma, gaining an initiative bonus and later abilities based on their charisma score. The Gibus of the Worshipful Servant doubles down on that, providing a momentum boost at the start of combat equal to the wearer's charisma.

Going first and moving quickly is key to success during fights in Baldur's Gate 3, and this hat-subclass combo will make your rogue the speediest character on the board. And it makes sense that the hat should go to a character with a sly and sneaky style, given that the brutal butler Sceleritas Fel, its original owner, is himself high in those qualities.

3 The Justiciar's Scimitar Gives Shadow Sorcerers A Powerful Melee Option

A Probable Glitch Makes This Sword A Sleeper Hit For Spellcasters

The shadow sorcerer, much like the shadow monk, gains its power from sticking to and attacking from the darkness. It's a subclass that pulls magic from the Shadow Weave and bends it to its will, and thus, it makes a lot of sense for these sorcerers to seek out weapons in the shadow-cursed lands. And the Justiciar's Scimitar is a great fit, dealing extra damage when attacking from the shadows and potentially being able to blind targets.

Ordinarily, casts like sorcerers would be unable to use scimitars without gaining the proper proficiencies first. Luckily, this particular weapon requires no proficiency whatsoever, either due to a bug or a weird feature. Thus, sorcerers can use it just as well as fighters and bards can, and it's one of the few melee weapons outside of daggers they can make good use of in the late game.

2 The Diadem Of Arcane Synergy Could Be A Boon For Hexblade Warlocks

Boosting Melee Damage As High As It Will Go

Hexblades focus more than other warlocks on melee attacks, with access to armor and martial weapons outside the bounds of what this class could normally use. They benefit a lot from gear that buffs their melee damage, and the Diadem of Arcane Synergy is one of the more interesting pieces of gear for this purpose. When the wearer inflicts a condition, they gain extra melee damage with their attacks equal to their spellcasting modifier.

Hexblades already add their charisma to their weapon attacks, but this could theoretically let them add it twice, boosting their damage pretty high up there. Plus, inflicting a condition is super easy to do, especially since it does not specify that it has to be on an enemy. Hexblades could just drink an elixir or cast a buff spell on their allies to gain this benefit, and buff up their martial power.

1 The Helmet Of Arcane Acuity Perfectly Matches The Features Of The Bladesinging Wizard

A Helmet For Characters That Combine Swords And Spells

Much like the hexblade, bladesinging wizards are spellswords that benefit from gear that boosts their melee attacks based on their spellcasting abilities. But interestingly, the Helmet of Arcane Acuity does the inverse: it uses melee attacks to buff up the wearer's spellcasting. When the wearer of this helmet hits a creature with a melee attack, they gain arcane acuity, which boosts their spell save DC immensely.

Bladesinging wizards could use the helmet to first attack their enemies with a sword, then hit them with an AOE spell that is harder to dodge. Most wizards couldn't benefit from the helmet, since it counts as light armor, but luckily the bladesinging subclass lets them wear it. It's the perfect item for this Baldur's Gate 3 subclass, building on both of its key strengths at once.

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