Role-playing games always have some kind of magical system that fits in with the universe, but many characters shun the arcane arts and keep their damage strictly on a physical level. There are plenty of character builds in Baldur’s Gate 3 that don’t involve magical powers at all, but these characters are still able to use scrolls and cast spells, should they have some innate cantrips or added abilities thanks to equipped gear.
Some of the best DPS builds in the game are part of the new subclasses added in Patch 8, and they include the usual suspects when it comes to physical damage. Rogues, Rangers, and other fighting classes already have some of the most devastating attacks, and their prowess is even more impressive with the new subclasses.
Any of the ing suggestions can also be combined into a single multiclass character, should players want to bring this up a few more notches.
Giant Barbarian
"I'm Crushing Your Head"
- A fighter and defender who is quick on their feet stays in the thick of battle.
The Giant Barbarian is an obvious choice to start when building a devastating melee character, and focusing on certain details can make this melee class a force of nature. Unique abilities like Giant’s Rage, Boot of the Giants, and Mighty Impel give this subclass even more attacks and abilities that are ideal for fighting in melee range.
Races
- Zariel Tiefling. Gain melee powers like Searing Smite for extra fire damage and
Thaumaturgy to get a buff on Intimidation and Performance checks.
- Half-orc. Relentless Endurance and Savage Attacks are ideal for any melee damage build, and even better with a Giant Barbarian.
- Dragonborn. Gain an extra breath weapon that’s useful in melee range, choose the type of damage based on the dragon’s ancestral color.
Feats
- Athlete. Improve Strength or Dexterity by +1, recover more quickly from Prone, and
Jump further.
- Charger. Giant Barbarians have an extra kick ability with Boot of the Giants, so add to that with abilities like Shove and Weapon Attack.
- Durable. Improve Constitution by +1 and regain full hit points with every Short Rest, which is great for a melee fighter that doesn’t wear a lot of armor.
Backgrounds
- Folk Hero. Animal Handling and Survival for this local legend, who made a name for themselves as a hometown hero.
- Soldier. More disciplined Barbarian that has some respect for martial order, Athletics and Intimidation are also great for this build.
Weapons, Gear, And Accessories
- Haste Helm. When combat starts, this automatically gives the Barbarian the Momentum condition for their first three turns.
- Gloves of Missile Snaring. Allows the Barbarian to intercept ranged attacks using a reaction and adds +1 to their Dexterity modifier.
- Amulet of Greater Health. Boosts the wearer’s Constitution to a healthy 23 and gives them Advantage on Constitution saving throws, which is beneficial to any class that fights in melee range without a high AC.
Swashbuckler Rogue
Elegant and Murderous DPS
- A graceful fighter who makes close-range damage an art.
The lore of the Swashbuckler recalls visions of pirates, bandits, or elegant tricksters that might be charismatic and graceful, but savage in battle. Fancy Footwork denies an opponent Opportunity Attacks, and Rakish Audacity grants this Rogue a +2 to Initiative.
Races
- Human. A few extra weapon proficiencies give this Swashbuckler access to weapons like Pikes, Halbards, and Glaives, while giving them proficiency in Light Armor.
- Drow. This Rogue can use rapiers along with shortbows and crossbows, giving them some better possibilities for ranged damage.
- Wood half-elf. Proficiency in Stealth and a movement increase give this Swashbuckler better mobility in battle.
Feats
- Weapon Master. Increase Strength or Dexterity by one and choose four additional Weapon proficiencies. Light, finesse weapons are ideal for this build.
- Savage Attacker. Allows the Rogue to roll twice for attack damage and use the highest result.
- Defensive Duellist. This Feat can be used to increase the AC using a Reaction, provided the Swashbuckler is using a finesse weapon.
Backgrounds
- Entertainer. Acrobatics and Performance make this Swashbuckler agile, fast, and hard to hit.
- Charlatan. A more demure version of the subclass that specializes in Deception and Sleight of Hand.
Weapons, Gear, And Accessories
- The Graceful Cloth. This Rogue gets a +2 to Dexterity with the Cat’s Grace condition, and Nimble As A Cat gives them an Advantage on Dexterity saving throws and increases their Jump distance.
- The Dancing Breeze. An unusual finesse weapon with a +2 attack bonus and the Whirlwind ability, measured by either Strength or Dexterity.
- Rupturing Blade. A rapier that grants the Searing Blood action, which deals extra Fire damage and inflicts the conditions of Bleed and Burn on the target.
Swarmkeeper Archer
A Unique Ranged Or Melee Build
- A stealthy sniper with advanced mobility and various weapon proficiencies.
The Ranger is already known for its versatility and has become a more popular combination class. The physical DPS build still includes a few support spells that come with the class, and the special abilities of the Swarm are Reactions and are not dependent on magical abilities.
Swarmkeepers must choose one of three «Swarms» to aid them. The Legion of Bees is the only one that’s purely physical DPS, but for those who want a bit of magic in the build, the Cloud of Jellyfish does Lightning damage, and Flurry of Moths does Psychic damage.
Races
- Deep Gnome. Some extra Stealth skills with Stone Camouflage and Darkvision give this Ranger extra skills for sniping at a distance or striking at close range.
- Wood Elf. Proficiency in Stealth through Mask of the Wild and Fleet of Foot gives them extra movement speed, along with the extra weapon proficiencies inherent to all elves.
- Duergar. A hardy build that includes Dwarven Combat Training, Duergar Resilience, and Superior Darkvision.
Feats
- Mobile. Move with even more alacrity with a 10-foot increase in Movement Speed, Dash ignores Difficult Terrain, and the ability to avoid Opportunity Attacks.
- Crossbow Expert. Make attacks with crossbows at melee range without a penalty and have a better chance to inflict the Gaping Wounds condition.
- Sharpshooter. Ranged attacks no longer take a penalty because of High Ground rules, and attack rolls have a +10 to their damage.
Backgrounds
- Outlander. A natural choice for any Ranger, the skill Proficiencies of Athletics and Survival also fit well with this Swarmkeeper build.
- Urchin. A Ranger that’s a survivor of he urban jungle that knows Stealth and Stealth.
Weapons, Gear, And Accessories
- The Dead Shot. Gives the wielder +2 to damage and Improved Critical, which lowers the roll needed for a critical hit, and Keen Attack doubles their proficiency bonus.
- Hellfire Hand Crossbow. Equip this small crossbow and have the power to cast the spell Scorching Ray, and inflict the Hellstalker condition, which adds Burning damage to an attack from a hidden position.
- Sharpened Snare Cuirass. This Ranger build will make Dexterity their main priority, and this medium armor adds the character’s Dexterity modifier to their armor class.
Drunken Master Monk
A Dangerous Melee Class Gets Even More Deadly
- In addition to powerful unarmed attacks, the Drunken Master uses their opponent’s force against them.
Races
- High Elf. Get proficiency in Shortbows and Longbows, along with a handy Cantrip from the Wizard’s spell list.
- Lightfoot Halfling. Naturally stealthy gives this Monk an Advantage on Stealth checks, plus the ability Brave prevents them from being Frightened.
- Githyanki. Useful spells like the
Mage Hand and
Misty Step cantrips and the Enhance Leap ability,
Feats
- Alert. Get a +5 to Initiative rolls and never be Surprised again.
- Resilient: Dexterity. Increase Dexterity by one, this Monk’s most important ability score, and get proficiency in that ability score’s saving throws.
- Lightly Armoured. Normally, Monks can’t wear anything more than clothing, but a melee DPS build needs a boost, and this Feat gives the character Light Armor proficiency.
Backgrounds
- Acolyte. A natural choice for a character that was raised in a cloister or monastery, skills include Religion and Insight.
- Sage. Proficient in Arcana and History, this Monk has spent a lot of time in schools and libraries.
Weapons, Gear, And Accessories
- Boots of Psionic Movement. For those that decide to build a Githyanki Monk, these boots allow them to
Fly and add Psionic damage to their attacks.
- Elven Chain. It’s medium armor, which a Monk can’t normally wear, but anyone who wears it becomes proficient in this AC class.
- Corellon’s Grace. If wearing no armor, get a +1 to AC, and if making Unarmed Attacks, get a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage.
