Baldur’s Gate 3 Builds: Cleric Guide (Light Domain)
Oct. 12, 2020Baldur’s Gate 3 Builds: Cleric Guide (Light Domain)
Baldur’s Gate 3 Builds: Cleric Guide (Light Domain)– In thisBaldur’s Gate 3 Build GuideI’m going to be covering myCleric Build, and showing you what I’ve found to work best. I’ll be doing moreBuild GuidesforBaldur’s Gate 3, but for now, let’s look at how you can use aLight Domain Clericeffectively in the game.
Clerics in Baldur’s Gate 3 choose their Domain during Character Creation and for this Build, I’m going to be showing you myLight Domainsetup. The reason I chose Light Domain is that I wanted to make a Cleric that could deal good damage and still have some supportSpells, and Light Domain does a decent job of this. However, you can make this Build for the most part using other Domains in Early Access, but you will miss out on a couple of really strong Spells. Still the concept is basically the same.
The problem with Clerics in Early Access is that their go to Cantrip for damage:Sacred Flamehas a terrible hit chance a large portion of the time. So unlikeWarlockswho useEldritch Blast, andWizardswho use something likeFire Bolt, Clerics have no reliable way to deal damage with Spells every round unless they use their Spell Slots. Because of this they can end up in situations where they have no Spells left to cast, limiting their damage output.
The solution to this problem is focusing onStrengthorDexterityin order to gain some reliable damage and hit chance when using yourWeapons. Of the 3 spell casting Classes in Early Access, Clerics will rely much more on their Weapons for damage than either Warlocks or Wizards. For this Build I chose to focus on Dexterity for betterArmour Class, and to make my Cleric almost exclusively ranged. However, you can choose Strength if you wish, though this will regulate you to melee, and I found it to be less effective on average in Early Access, but this may not be the case at live release.
In this section we’ll take a look at how to setup your Cleric duringCharacter Creationfor the best results. You don’t have to follow this to the letter, and it’s likely this will change at full launch of the game. However, this will hold you in good stead during Early Access.
Which Background you choose is not particularly important, but you will have a lot ofWisdomso selecting a Background that affects Wisdom Skills is a good choice. Wisdom Skills are:Animal Handling,Insight,Medicine,Perception, andSurvival.
The Race I like most for this Build isWood Elfbecause it providesLongbow Proficiency. If you don’t have this, your ranged damage with Weapons is going to suffer a bit because you’ll be relegated to aShortbow, but it’s still doable. However, if you’re playing a Strength Cleric that melees instead,Gold Dwarfis a solid choice. It has extra HP, resistance to Poison Damage, and Darkvision to perform well in dark areas, all of which are valuable to Clerics.
For Skills again it’s not super important, but you’ll have high Dexterity and Wisdom, so selecting Skills that fall under these Abilities is ideal. Dexterity has:Acrobatics,Sleight of HandandStealth, and I’ve already listed what Wisdom Skills there are.
Abilities needed for thisBuildareDexteritysince we’re going to focus on Bow combat when not casting (and it also provides extra AC), andConstitutionfor HP and to help with Concentration, which I will explain in the next section.Wisdomis also needed to make good use of your offensive Spells, so you’ll want to invest heavily here. Your Abilities should look something like this:STR 10, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 8, WIS 16, CHA 10. This will allow you to hit for decent damage with your Bow, as well as connect with your spells.
During Character Creation you’ll be given many Spells, but you’ll have to choose which to “Prepare”. You can only cast your Cantrips, Prepared Spells, and Spells that are part of the Light Domain, otherwise if you wish to use your other Spells that are not Prepared, you must Prepare them and then Long Rest. You gainFairie FireandBurning Handsfor being a Light Domain Cleric (at Level 1), so you never have to Prepare these.
Cantrips are essentially Level 0 “Spells” you can cast at will, and they don’t take upSpell Slots, so they have infinite uses while still allowing you to cast your other Cleric Spells. Sacred Flame is your damage dealing Cantrip, and it generally has terrible accuracy because it targets the Dexterity of enemies (not their Armour Class like Weapon Attacks orGuiding Bolt), and enemies typically have more Dexterity than Armour in Early Access. However, it can be used without line of sight, so that is a major plus.
TheGuidance Cantripis also worth grabbing because it can be used beforeLockpickingor dialogues to help influence the outcomes by adding 1-4 to your rolls. However, please note that it hasConcentration, and will overwrite any other Spell you are Concentrating on.
Many Cleric Spells likeBless,Bane, Fairie Fire, etc require Concentration to keep the effect active. Concentration can be broken if you cast another Spell that requires Concentration. So for example if you castShield of Faithwhich gives +2 Armour, and then you cast the Guidance Cantrip, you will stop “Concentrating” on Shield of Faith, and begin Concentrating on Guidance losing the +2 Armour. Since Shield of Faith costs a Spell Slot to cast, you will have effectively wasted one Slot.
But, that is not the only way Concentration can be broken. If you take damage while Concentrating on a Spell then you must make a ConstitutionSaving Throw, and if you fail then the effect of that Spell ends. Should you succeed in your Saving Throw, however, then you maintain your Concentration and the Spell continues. This is why it is important for Clerics to have Constitution, because they have a lot Spells that require Concentration and they are wasted if it is constantly broken.
Clerics of the Light Domain also gain the added benefit ofWarding Flare, which allows them once per round to imposeDisadvantageon an enemy attack. This drastically reduces the chance they will be struck, allowing them to maintain Concentration a bit more easily.
Spells you’ll definitely want for this Build at Level 1 are: Guiding Bolt &Healing Word. Guiding Bolt hits like a truck dealing between 4-24 damage if it connects, and targets the enemy’s Armour Class, much like a Weapon Attack. And just like a Ranged Weapon Attack, if you’reThreatenedin combat (an enemy is too close to you), your accuracy will be reduced heavily, so you need to move or Jump out of range to improve your hit chance.
This is one of the reasons this Build is ranged, as it’s much harder to connect with Guiding Bolt while in melee. AddInflict Woundsif you went Strength, as it does even more damage than Guiding Bolt, and is treated like a Melee Attack, meaning its accuracy is not penalized when enemies are nearby.
Healing Word allows you to heal 1-4 HP, + your Level as a Bonus Action. What’s really great about this Spell is that it will pick up a downed party member if cast on them (just like any healing Spell), and it can do so from 18m away. This allows you to use it and another Spell in the same turn. Winning!
Beyond these two Spells, Bless is not a bad choice as it allows you to buff the Attack Rolls of your party members (as long as you maintain Concentration).Command (Halt)is also a strong Spell, but you may find you need it more later on in the Early Access than at the beginning, where killing things faster is the secret to success. Bane can prevent your party from taking damage, and since enemies need to hit you in order to break your Concentration, this can be a particularly good combination.
You’ll gain Burning Hands and Fairie Fire as Domain Spells, so you can always use these. Burning Hands is a solid conal AoE that has a rather short range, so you may not use it that often, since for this Build you’ll be ranging enemies down. However, if you’re playing a Strength Cleric then you’ll likely use this one fairly often.
Fairie Fire is a very strong Spell that gives your partyAdvantageon all Attack Rolls against all targets marked with it, which means they get to roll their d20 two times and use the higher of the two values to see if their attacks hit or miss. This is a huge boost, but you must maintain Concentration to keep this effect active, so use it wisely.
At Level 2 you’ll gain an additional Level 1 Spell Slot, allowing you to cast one more Level 1 Spell before you must Long Rest to replenish them. And you will increase the number of Spells you can prepare from 3 to 5, allowing you more options while on the landscape and in combat.
You will also gain twoChannel DivinityActions,Turn Undead(which all Clerics get) and one specific to your Cleric Subclass. Light Domain Clerics gain theRadiance of the Dawn Action, which allows them to do 2-20 + their Level in damage to all enemies within 9m of them once per day. This is a staggering amount of damage in many cases, and while it’s easier to hit more targets as a melee character, it still works really well when playing ranged. Just remember to use it when you can hit 3 or more enemies, and don’t be afraid to move first to get as many in range as possible.
At Level 3 you’ll gain another Level 1 Spell Slot, as well as 2 Level 2 Spell Slots. A good support Spell to get isBlindnessbecause it doesn’t require Concentration and it can be cast from a distance. Since this will force the target to roll for a Constitution Saving Throw, you’ll want to cast Blindness against enemies with average HP to improve your chances of successfully blinding them
Alternatively, if you don’t have a Ranger in the party who can useEnsnaring Striketo pin down enemies, you can opt to chooseHold Person. One thing to remember is that this Enchantment Spell requires Concentration so you may need to change Concentration Spells in between depending on what you intend to do at the moment. Nonetheless, Hold Person is very effective against any type of creature, allowing you to essentially remove them from the fight.
Light Domain Clerics also gainDarkvision,Scorching Ray,Aid, andLesser Restorationas Domain Spells, that never need to be prepared. Darkvision is a great way to keep your hit chance up in dark places, or to make another party member have the same benefit. It is semi-permanent once cast, only being removed upon Long Rest.
Scorching Ray allows you to deal 2-12 Fire damage to up to 3 targets or deal up 6-36 Fire Damage to a single target. It’s an incredibly powerful Spell, it has lots of versatility, and is one of the better reasons to take Light Domain in Early Access.
Meanwhile, Aid allows you to further assist your allies when it comes to restoring a portion of their HP and boosting their max HP by 5. This can make or break the encounter, especially when you’re fighting against tougher enemies. Lesser Restoration, on the other hand, removes a Condition affecting the target but it’s worth noting that this Spell’s range is short, which means you’ll need to be within your party member’s range to assist them.
Once you reach Level 3, you’ll also be able to cast some Level 1 Spells as Level 2 versions, using Level 2 Spell Slots instead of Level 1 Spell Slots. This works out tremendously for this Build because it allows you to cast some of the better Level 1 Spells as more powerful versions.
For instance, Guiding Bolt when cast as a Level 2 Spell will deal 5-30, instead of 4-24 damage. Bless at Level 2 will effect 4 targets instead of 3. Healing Word will heal for 2-8 + your Level instead of 1-4 + your Level. In short, this means you can cast your favorite Spells more often, and to greater effect.
At Level 4 you’ll gain another Level 2 Spell Slot, bringing your total for Early Access up to four Level 1 Spell Slots, and three Level 2 Spell Slots. You’ll also be able to Prepare more Spells, and you’ll gain an additional Cantrip.
You’ll also gain aFeat, and here we’ll select theAbility Improvement Feat, placing both points into Wisdom. This will give your Spells a total of +6 added to their rolls between your Wisdom Modifier (+4) and Proficiency (+2), making it even more likely you will hit your target. You could also place the points instead into Constitution for more HP, and +1 to your Constitution Saving Throws, which helps with Concentration as well. Either choice is fine.
At Level 5, you gain access to theDestroy Undead Feat, which makes it so that upon successfully turning the Undead, you effectively deal 4-24 Radiant Damage against them.
Additionally, you’ll also be able to choose Level 3 Spells and here, I recommend takingGlyph of WardingandRevivify. Glyph of Warding is an extremely potent offensive Spell that allows you to conjure circular glyphs on the floor whose effects will be triggered once the enemy moves so it’s more often than not, instant. You can choose from a series of effects including dealing huge 5-40 Fire Damage, Lightning Damage, or even pushing back everyone provided that they fail their Dexterity Saving Throws. But for the damage effects, remember that they’ll still take half the damage if they succeed with this roll. With Glyph of Warding, you’ll need to make sure that none of your allies are standing on the AoE, otherwise, they’ll also get hit.
On the other hand, Revivify will allow you to revive a fallen ally and then grant them 1 HP so you no longer have to scrounge forScroll of Revivify.
Lastly, the Light Domain Cleric also learns theDaylightandFireball Spells. Daylight allows you to enchant an item by brightening them up or by summoning a Sunlight Sphere, which benefits you and your allies while traveling in dark places. The Spell doesn’t even require Concentration. Meanwhile, Fireball is an Evocation Spell that lets you deal huge 8-48 Fire Damage as long as your targets fail their Dexterity Saving Throws.
At Level 6, Clerics gain the ability to make use of Channel Divinity 2x in between rests. And then for Light Domain Clerics, they learn about Improved Flare. This Feature allows you to use Warding Flare when you see the enemy attack an ally within 30 feet of you.
At Level 7, Light Domain Clerics learn the Guardian of Faith and Wall of Fire Spells. Guardian of Faith is a Conjuration Spell that lets you summon a creature, which will deal up to 60 damage when your enemies move within 10 feet of them. Meanwhile, Wall of Fire, which as the name implies, lets you conjure a Wall of Fire, forcing creatures positioned within the same AoE to make Dexterity Saving Throws. Regardless of whether or not they succeed, they take a huge amount of Fire Damage.
At Level 8, you’ll have the option to boost Wisdom to 20 or takeWar Casterbecause you need to maintain Concentration since the majority of your power Spells rely on this mechanic. So successfully pulling off one Constitution Saving Throw after the next when getting hit is your top priority. With War Caster, you gain an Advantage on Constitution Saving Throws, thereby making it easier to prolong the effects of your Spells.
What’s more, is that the Cleric (Light Domain) gains access to Potent Spellcasting. This lets them add their Wisdom Modifier to the damage of any of their Cleric Cantrips, making it more potent.
Lastly, the Destroy Undead Feat is improved such that you’ll be able to instantly destroy the creature you’ve used Turn Undead against as long as their Challenge Rating (CR) is 1 or lower.
At Level 9, the Cleric (Light Domain) learns the Flame Strike and Scrying Spells. Flame Strike deals devastating 4d6 Fire Damage and 4d6 Radiant Damage against enemies who fail their Dexterity Saving Throws. Should they succeed, they still take a sizeable chunk of damage. Meanwhile, Scrying is a Concentration Spell that effectively allows you to learn valuable information about your enemies, especially if you’re already familiar with them. In the event that you are, you subtract their Save Modifier from the Wisdom Saving Throw they must roll, thereby increasing the chances of extracting the information you want about them.
At Level 10, you’ll be able to call forth the Deity you worship via an Action to intervene in your current situation.
At Level 11, the Destroy Undead Feat has improved once again, letting you destroy the creature that has a CR of 2 or lower.
And lastly, you can choose the Feat you didn’t pick at Level 8.
For Weapons you’ll want to try to get aLongbowas soon as you can, and there is one for sale in theDruid Grove. You’ll want aShortswordand aStudded Shieldin your melee slot, because Shortswords use Dexterity for their Attack and Damage Rolls. And the Shield will help protect you during the enemies’ turn. Shoot with your Bow, or cast a Spell, then swap to your Shortsword and Shield before ending your turn for an extra 2 Armour Class.
When you reachGrymforge, you can change the Studded Shield for theAdamantine Shieldby completingThe Adamantine Forge Quest. Although this grants the same Armour Class bonus, it provides you with a unique feature, which will inflict the Reeling Condition against the enemy. When they’re Reeling, their Attack Rolls get penalized by -1 point for the remainder of their turns so they’re not going to be as effective in attacking you and your allies.
For Armour you’ll be usingMedium Armour, and the best there is in Early Access isScale Mail +1orGithyanki Half Plate(Lae’Zel’sArmour). Use either of these to hit 17 Armour, and 19 Armour when your Shield is out.
Herbalist’s Glovesremove Poison when you heal Poisoned friendlies, which is nice once you reachThe Underdark.Broodmother’s Revengeis also excellent, as it adds Poison to your Weapon whenever you are healed. Use Healing Word on yourself, then poison things with your Bow. Profit!
You gain Advantage when using Guiding Bolt, Scorching Ray or attacking with your Bow from elevation, so make sure to get up high at the beginning of combat for improved accuracy. Sacred Flame, Burning Hands, and Radiance of the Dawn do not gain any benefit from elevation, so if you plan to use these on your turn then you don’t need to worry about this.
Darkvision can be cast outside of combat, so if you know you’re going to be fighting in a very dark area, then you can pre-cast it on party members that might need it. This saves you turns in combat to attack or cast other Spells, rather than buffing for several turns. Or if you just want to see better while exploring in dark places, it’s not a bad idea.
I have not addedCure Woundshere, though it is quite a strong Spell in the right hands. This is mostly because it has a very short range: 1.5m, but also because it is a much better use of an Action when used by a Life Domain Cleric who adds an automatic +3 to its healing. Healing Potions or Food are a Bonus Action, and can be used in its stead, allowing for an attack or Spell in the same round. However, if you do decide to use it, I strongly recommend only using the Level 2 version to gain even more healing from a single Action. This will heal for 6-20 at Level 4.
Stay tuned for more Baldur’s Gate 3 content as we take a look at Classes andBuilds, and be sure to drop by ourTwitch channelif you have questions about the game. If you need something specific, check out ourBaldur’s Gate 3 Wikiwhich is being worked on night and day, as well as ourBaldur’s Gate 3 Guides.
Castielle
Senior Editor at Fextralife. I enjoy gaming, playing and watching sports, cooking yummy food, watching a good movie and hanging out with Fex.
