Baldur's Gate 3 Ranger Class Guide
Sep. 4, 2023Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger Class Guide
Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger Class Guide– In thisBaldur’s Gate 3 Ranger Class Guide, I’m going to be covering the Ranger Class, including all 3 Subclasses, and providing you some useful information. I’ll be doing moreBuild GuidesforBaldur’s Gate 3, but for now, let’s just look at how a Ranger functions and its basics.
Rangersin BG3 are unique because not only do they excel inside of combat, but also outside, and have arguably the most Proficiencies of any Class in the game if you factor inWeapons,ArmourandSkills.
Rangers, likePaladins, not only excel in martial combat, but can also cast a select number of Spells, aiding them both inside and outside of combat. Many of their Spells are nature oriented, not unlike Druids, such as Barkskin, Spike Growth, and Plant Growth. And some have a focus on ranged attacks like Ensnaring Strike, Hail of Thorns and Lighting Arrow.
Also, likeDruids, Rangers have an affinity for animals, and can not onlyFind Familiarand have Proficiency inAnimal Handling, but can castAnimal Friendship, andSpeak with Animals. Beast Masters can also summon an Animal Companion every Short Rest, allowing them to bring an ally onto the battlefield.
In this section, we’ll take a look at how to set up your Ranger duringCharacter Creationfor the best results. We’ll begin with Abilities first, since this is arguably the most important part, aside from choosing your Subclass.
Your primary Ability as a Ranger is Dexterity, though Rangers also use Wisdom for the Difficulty Class of their hostile Spells. This means all Rangers will likely have some Wisdom, unless not using any hostile Ranger Spells. Additionally, Rangers can also go the Strength route for melee combat if they wish, so they don’t necessarily have to use Dexterity, though the majority of Rangers will.
For this reason, I strongly recommend that you invest 16 in DEX and 14 in CON during Character Creation. Wisdom will vary depending on whether or not you plan to use hostile Ranger spells or not, but if you’re not sure I wouldn’t go higher than 14 during Character Creation, or 16 if you are sure you will.
Normal Ranger
Hostile Spells Ranger
Strength Ranger
Note I’ve changed this from the recommendations as it more optimizes your Character during the early goings of the game.
Elf is good forFey Ancestry. They also gainDarkvision, which can help land your attacks in dark places. High Elves also have Perception Proficiency, while Wood Elves have Stealth Proficiency and can move further. Either are a good choice, granting one Skill Proficiency you might likely take anyway.
Deep Gnomeis also fantastic for Advantage on Wisdom, Intelligence and Charisma Saving Throws, as well as Superior Darkvision, and they also have Advantage on Stealth Checks. Great if you want to goGloom Stalker, though the Superior Darkvision will be redundant.
Lightfoot Halflingsare another solid choice, because they reroll if they roll a 1 on any Attack Roll, Ability Check or Saving Throw, all but preventing them from ever Critically Missing. They also cannot be Frightened easily and they too have Advantage on onStealth Checks.
Drow haveSuperior Darkvision, Fey Ancestry and Perception Proficiency, which are all decent pick ups for the Ranger.
Half-Orc is also a good choice, especially for melee focused Rangers, since they have Darkvision, Relentless Endurance, and Savage Attacks.
ForSkillsRangers can handle the lockpicking and pickpocketing of the group if you don’t have a Rogue or Bard. However, you can pick up Sleight of Hand Proficiency from Natural Explorer if you want, so I like the Folk Hero Background to grab Animal Handling and Survival. Pay attention to your Background, Race and Favoured Enemy and Natural Explorer to make sure you are not overlapping! You can come out of Character Creation with 8 Proficiencies if you do it right!
Favoured Enemy
At level 1, Rangers get to choose a Favoured Enemy from a list of 5. This will provide them with an additional Skill Proficiency, and one other Feature. Which you select will help further define your Ranger. For instance, if you want Heavy Armour Proficiency, then you might select Ranger Knight. Or if you plan to use Ensnaring Strike a lot, you might choose Bounty Hunter. You will gain 2 more Favoured Enemies as you progress in Ranger levels, so keep that in mind when making your selection.
Natural Explorer
Also at this level, Rangers get to choose 1 from the Natural Explorer list. This will either provide the Ranger the ability to cast Find Familiar without using a Spell Slot, give them Sleight of Hand Proficiency or give them Damage Resistance from one of three damage types. Just like with Favoured enemy, you will get to choose 2 more of these as you level up in Ranger.
Fighting Style
At level 2, Rangers can choose 1 Fighting Style from a list of 4. They don’t have all Fighting Styles available to them, like Fighters do, and they are missing Great Weapon Fighting and Protection. This makes them less likely to use a Two-Handed Weapon or a Shield, though they still can if they wish.
Fighting Styles Available:
Ranger Level 1 Spells
Also at this level, Rangers will gain the ability to castSpellsand will gain 2 level 1 Spell Slots, and can select 2 Spells from their Spell List. Many of these spells are utility-type Spells, but some are offensive in nature as well. If you don’t have at least 14 Wisdom, I highly recommend selecting Spells that target friendlies, rather than enemies, or you might have a hard time landing these Spells.
Subclass
At level 3, all Rangers choose a Subclass and gain Features based on their selection. We’ll go over what these are in the Subclasses section, so for now let’s carry on with general Ranger progression.
Feat
At level 4, all Rangers gain their first Feat.Ability Improvementis a great choice for Rangers in order to increase Dexterity or Wisdom, but there are other good Feats as well.
For instance, Dual Wielder is great for Ranger if you want to use two non-light weapons and gain +1 Armour Class, and Lucky is great for picking up some uses of Advantage and controlling outcomes. Sharpshooter is great on Rangers that use Bows or Crossbows to further boost damage, and Great Weapon Master is good for more Attacks, even if not using a Two-Handed Weapon.
Extra Attack
At Level 5 Rangers gainExtra Attack, which lets them perform a second attack in a turn if they use the Attack Action. This means that you cannot cast a general Ranger spell and then attack, but must attack either with a default Attack Action, Weapon Action, or use Ensnaring Strike.
Ranger Level 2 Spells
At this level you will also gain access to Level 2 Spells and Level 2 Spell Slots. Remember that some Level 1 Spells can be “Upcast” using Level 2 Spell Slots for improved effect, and some cannot, so make sure to learn which do.
Favoured Enemy
At level 6, Rangers get to choose their second Favoured Enemy from the same list. Try to select something that gives you a new Skill Proficiency if possible.
Natural Explorer
Also at this level, Rangers get to choose another Natural Explorer from the same list. Consider taking Damage Resistance if you haven’t already.
Subclass Feature
At level 7, all Rangers gain a Subclass Feature, and we’ll cover those in the Subclasses section.
Land’s Stride: Difficult Terrain
At level 8, Rangers are no longer effected by Difficult Terrain and it no longer halves their Movement Speed when moving through it.
Feat
Also at this level, Rangers gain their second Feat. Ability Improvement is still good for Dexterity or Wisdom, or are any of the other Feats I already mentioned.
Level 3 Ranger Spells
At Level 9, Ranger’s gain access to Level 3 Spells and Level 3 Spell Slots, and this is the highest level they will learn in BG3. This gives them access to Lightning Arrow, which can be devastating when setup properly for it.
Hide in Plain Sight
At level 10, Rangers gain Hide in Plain Sight, allowing them to turn Invisible and gain +10 to Stealth Checks as long as they don’t move or perform any Actions or interactions. You can use this as many times per day as you want, you just can’t move while using it, so it’s more of a panic button than anything, though it can be used to setup ambushes occasionally.
Favoured Enemy
Also at this level, Rangers get to choose their final Favoured Enemy from the same list. Try to select something that gives you a new Skill Proficiency if possible.
Natural Explorer
Rangers will also get to choose their final Natural Explorer from the same list at this level. Consider taking another Damage Resistance. You cannot have too many.
Subclass Feature
At level 11, all Rangers gain their final Subclass Feature, and we’ll cover those in the Subclasses section.
Feat
At level 12, Rangers gain their final Feat. Ability Improvement is still good for Dexterity or Wisdom, or are any of the other Feats I already mentioned.
Rangers in BG3 will use a wide variety of equipment, and since they have Proficiency with virtually every Armour and Weapon type in the game, you can really use whatever you wish. However, because you can’t takeGreat Weapon Fighting, it’s much more likely that Rangers will either dual wield, use a one-hand an shield or focus on ranged attacks from afar.
It’s likely most Rangers will use Medium or Light Armour due to their high Dexterity, and due to their natural inclination towards Stealth. Just make sure if you’re using Medium Armour it doesn’t provide Disadvantage to Stealth Checks, some do.
Rangers will also use a Bow, Crossbow or Dual Crossbows to strike from range generally. Some Ranger Spells require a Ranged Weapon to use, even if they don’t use Dexterity for their Spell DC, like Hail of Thorns and Lightning Arrow, making Ranger lean a little more to the ranged side of things than a Fighter.
Accessory-wise, look for things that boost damage, or increase Movement Speed. Rangers can benefit from Movement Speed since they are not as mobile as Rogues or Monks.
Choosing a Ranger Subclass in BG3 comes down to how you want to augment your Ranger. Do you want an Animal Companion that you can direct on the battlefield? ChooseBeast Master. Do you want to just generally be a bit better in combat? Choose Hunter. Do you want to get an additional attack at the beginning of each combat, and have a focus on Stealth? ChooseGloom Stalker.
All Rangers gain their first Subclass Feature at level 3 when they select their Subclass, and then once again at level 7, and finally one more time at level 11. However, Beast Masters and Gloom Stalkers also gain a Subclass Feature at level 5, and Gloom Stalkers gain another one at level 9.
Hunter’s Prey
At level 3, Hunters get to choose one of three passive features that effect what they can do in combat.
Horde Breaker is great for giving the Ranger more AoE, allowing them to hit more targets with each attack, as long as they are close to one another, and works with ranged or melee attacks. However, you can only use it once per turn.
Giant Killer is probably only one you would select if you were playing predominantly a melee Ranger, since if you are playing ranged you don’t want to be anywhere near large enemies.
Colossus Slayer is good for taking out tough to kill targets, but it only adds 1D8 damage per turn.
Defensive Tactics
At level 7, Hunters gain Defensive Tactics, allowing them to choose one of three passives that help them defensively in combat:
Of these Multiattack Defence is really the best option, particularly since by the time you get it many enemies will attack twice each turn.
Volley & Whirlwind Attack
At level 11, Hunters gain Volley and Whirlwind Attack, allowing them to hit many enemies in an AoE whether from range or in melee combat. These can be used as an Attack Action, allowing you to use them twice per turn thanks to Extra Attack.
Ranger’s Companion
At level 3, Beast Masters gain a Companion they can summon as an Action once every Short Rest. There are 5 different Companions they can choose, and each one has its own stats and attacks. Companions increase in HP, Armour Class, and capabilities as the Beast Master levels up.
Additionally, all Ranger Companions gain Prey’s Scent, that allows them to deal 1D6 damage to enemies the Ranger has marked withHunter’s Mark. And they all have Darkvision and a Movement Speed of 9m, so there is no difference between them in this regard.
Companion’s Bond
At level 5, Beast Masters add their Proficiency Bonus to the Armour Class (AC) and Damage Rolls of their Ranger Companions. This makes them even more efficient in combat, particularly because all Ranger Companions gain HP, and more Features at this level as well.
Exceptional Training
At level 7, the Beast Master’s Ranger Companion can Dash, Disengage and Help as a Bonus Action. This allows them to move more freely in combat and still Attack in the same turn, and being able to help a downed ally as a Bonus Action is quite strong in a pinch.
Bestial Fury
At level 11, the Beast Master’s Ranger Companion can also make an Extra Attack in combat, making it a total of 4 Attacks between Beast Master and Companion. Ranger Companions also gain more HP, and Features at this level, and some gain increased Armour Class as well.
Dread Ambusher
At level 3, Gloom Stalkers gain Dread Ambusher, giving them a +3 bonus to Initiative, and on their first turn of combat their Movement Speed increases by 3m and they can make a free Attack that deals an increased 1D8 damage. This is incredibly powerful, but remember it only applies to the first turn in combat, and no subsequent turns.
Dread Ambusher: Hide
Also at this level, Gloom Stalkers will be able to Hide as a Bonus Action, similar to Rogues, allowing them to Attack and Hide on the same turn.
Superior Darkvision
Also at level 3, Gloom Stalkers gain Superior Darkvision, allowing them to see 24m in dark places, helping with their hit chance from long range in dark areas.
Umbral Shroud
Gloom Stalkers of this level can also become Invisible for 10 turns as long as they are at least Lightly Obscured. They can only use this Feature once every Short Rest.
Disguise Self
And lastly at this level, Gloom Stalkers gain the Disguise Self Spell, that can be used at will outside of combat.
Misty Step
At level 5, Gloom Stalkers learn the Misty Step Spell, which allows them to teleport as a Bonus Action.
Iron Mind
At level 7, Gloom Stalkers gain Iron Mind, granting them Proficiency in Wisdom and Intelligence Saving Throws, making these much more easy for them to succeed in.
Fear
At level 9, Gloom Stalkers learn the Fear Spell, allowing them to Frighten a large group of enemies.
Stalker’s Fury
At level 11, Gloom Stalkers can make a free Attack if they miss a Weapon Attack in combat. This drastically increases the chances of landing Attacks, and is a really powerful Subclass Feature.
In this section of our Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger Class Guide we’ll take a look atMulticlassinga Ranger in BG3, and what otherClassesyou might Multiclass with. Keep in mind this is not a complete list, but rather helpful suggestions to that make good pairings.
Multiclassing a Ranger can be a bit trickier than some otherClasses, because each Subclass is so different. However, there are a couple of things that make it a bit more clear. Both Hunters and Gloom Stalkers gain their best Features at level 3, making this a great place to Multiclass them. Additionally, Rangers gain Extra Attack at level 5, so this would mark another good place to Multiclass them.
However, a Beast Master’s Companion gets stronger and stronger as they level up, and dipping 3 levels into Beast Master to get a Companion that will likely die in a turn doesn’t seem worth it. For this reason, it’s unlikely Beast Masters will Multiclass more than a few levels of another Class, in order to get the most from their Companion.
I like 5 levels of Hunter and 7 levels of of Nature Cleric. This allows you to gain the Extra Attack from Ranger, as well asHorde BreakerorColossus Slayer, and level 2 spells for the Ranger. You’ll also gain access to Cleric level 4 spells, which also use Wisdom, have tons of Spell Slots, gain Shilleglagh so you can attack in melee with your Wisdom Modifier, and you’ll gain Proficiency in Survival, Animal Handling or Nature. That’s 2 Attacks, access to level 4 Cleric and level 2 Ranger spells, and 9 Skill Proficiencies if you plan accordingly!
Multiclassing Beast Master
I like 9 levels of Beast Master and 3 levels ofWay of the Open Hand Monk. This allows you to hit the second to last break point in HP upgrades on your Companion, still gives you Exceptional Training, andCompanion’s Bond, and you have Extra Attack from the Ranger and level 3 Ranger Spells.
Monk will give you the option to use Dexterity to make melee Attacks, even without Finesse Weapons, will allow you to add your Wisdom to your AC if not using Armour. It’ll give you Dash and Disengage as a Bonus Action if you have the Ki for it, and give you Patient Defence. You’ll also gain Deflect Missile, and Flurry of Blows which can further bolster your damage with your Bonus Action.
Multiclassing Gloom Stalker
I like 5 levels ofGloom Stalkerand 7 levels ofThief. This gives you Dread Ambusher, Hide as a Bonus Action,Umbral Shroud, and Misty Step, on top of Extra Attack and Level 2 Ranger Spells on the Ranger side.
Thief gives you an extra Bonus Action you can use to Hide or to dual wield and attack with your offhand again, and you’ll gain 4D6 Sneak Attack Damage at this level, which is still pretty good.
You could also go 5 levels ofGloom Stalkerfor the same reasons, and go 7 of War Domain in order to be able to use your Bonus Action to attack again. This would give you 4 attacks on the first turn of combat, and access to level 4Cleric Spells.
I hope you found these tips helpful, and we’ll have some more Builds out really soon that showoff more of these Multiclassing aspects!
That wraps up our Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger Class Guide! Stay tuned for more Baldur’s Gate 3 content as we update the otherBuilds, 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.
