Baldur’s Gate 3 is an incredibly deep RPG built on the bones of traditional Dungeons & Dragons. One of the best things it shares with its tabletop counterpart is the ability to create a massive range of diverse characters with different races, backgrounds and, most important for this article, classes. With 12 main classes to choose from, there are many ways to play which all have unique playstyles. However, things can get rather complicated the deeper you dive into this system, especially when you start introducing concepts like multiclassing. With so much choice, there’s bound to be things you don’t click with or things you’ll want to explore more.
That depth does certainly exist in BG3 but it can be difficult to parse and tricky to locate. Between knowing who to speak to, how to respec, how to change class and especially how to multiclass, there’s a lot that can get lost in translation and become hard to understand. Fortunately, we’re here to break it all down.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to change classes, how to multiclass and how to respec in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Want more Baldur’s Gate 3 content and coverage? Then check out our guide on how to get permanent See Invisibility super early on in BG3.
How to Respec in BG3
At some point in Baldur’s Gate 3, some players may want to go back to the drawing board and change up certain elements about their characters. Whether that’s a Barbarian deciding that they need a bit more Charisma or a Warlock wanting to try out some new Cantrips, there’s an easy method to allow you to quickly respec your characters.
In order to respec (short for respecialise) you need to go to your Camp. This doesn’t have to be during a Long Rest, meaning that you can just pop in whenever you please to mix things up. While there, be on the lookout for a strange NPC who goes by the name of Withers: they’re a gaunt, skeletal figure who usually hangs around the outskirts of whatever camp you set up. He’ll suddenly pop in at some point during the early hours of your journey through Baldur’s Gate 3 – for me, he appeared after I reached the Goblin Camp to continue the main story – and offer several services for coin so long as you don’t attack him on the spot.
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- A Strange Fellow in Your Camp
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- Withers the Guardian
The main thing we’re looking for, though, is the ability to respec our characters. Fortunately, Withers is just the man for the job. When speaking to him, you can pay 100 gold to “Change Class.” Don’t fret if you don’t actually want to change classes and just pay the toll. At this point, you’ll be transported back into the character creator menu from the start of the game. If you simply want to respec and make some alterations to your current class, just pick the same class that you’re currently on and then make the appropriate changes to your stats, proficiencies or spells.
Once you finish up, you can exit that menu, completing your BG3 respec. One final thing to note is that this will reset your current level and take you back to level 1. Don’t panic, though, as you still have your earned levels, you’ll just need to reapply them.
Respeccing Your Character
How to Change Class in BG3
The other main thing that Withers can do is completely change your class in Baldur’s Gate 3. This means that you can keep all of the decisions, choices and items you’ve accrued throughout your journey without needing to start over from scratch if you want to try something new. Thankfully, if this is the path you want to go down, changing class in BG3 is really easy.
Using the same method as before, visit Withers and pay the toll of 100 Gold pieces. Then, when prompted, select a different class from the one you originally belonged to. Instead of just resetting your Proficiencies and Skill Points, this will completely alter your class and let you start from scratch. Additionally, just like with respeccing, you’ll still retain all levels you earned before changing class: for example, if my level 4 Warlock changed into a Sorcerer, I would still keep those levels and get to put them into my new class.
Changing Your Class
Change Subclass
Additionally, if you want to keep playing your current class but want to mix things up in the subclass department, Withers can help there, too. Changing your subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 won’t alter the overall playstyle of your build or character – a Warlock will still be shackled to their low amount of Spell Slots whether they belong to the Archfey or the Great Old One – but it can provide new opportunities and abilities that you may find more beneficial.
Just like how you can change your BG3 class, head on over to Withers and pay the 100 Gold necessary to reenter the class creation screen. Instead of choosing a whole new class, just simply select the same class you were on before. Then, it’s as simple as reaching the level where you get to decide your subclass and make a different choice to last time. A quick reminder that every class in Baldur’s Gate III gets their subclass at a different level: for example, Clerics get to choose their Domain at level 1 whereas Barbarians have to wait until level 3. Keep this in mind if you don’t get to change subclasses right away.
How to Change Subclass
How to Change Your Companion Class and Subclass in BG3
One question some players may have is if you can change companion classes in BG3. Well, fortunately, you can and you can even change their subclasses, too. To do this, simply visit Withers while controlling the character you wish to alter – meaning that you need to take control of your desired companion – and then pay the 100 gold. This will send you back into the class selection menu but with your companion instead of your Avatar. From here, you can change their class and subclass whenever you want.
This is great for numerous reasons. On one hand, it lets you fine-tune your favourite party members and let them slot into any team you wish: if you really like Astarion but are playing Rogue and don’t want two of the same class on one team, you can just make him a Ranger, instead. Or, if you feel like you need a better frontline fighter, why not try out Karlach as a Paladin? There are so many choices and options that you can pick.
Mixing Things Up
The other great thing is that it lets you reconsider your companion’s subclasses. For some characters, you’ll get to choose their subclass when travelling with them, such as Gale getting the choice at level 2. However, some of them come with their subclass pre-selected, such as Shadowheart who is a Trickery Domain Cleric. Using my own game as an example, I didn’t think Shadowheart’s trickery abilities provided much to my current party, so I switched her over to the War Domain, instead, and let her play a more supportive role. This fits my team much better and has led to me having way more fun with her and my other companions.
If you want to change your companion’s subclass in BG3, take them to Withers, pay the 100 Gold and then select the same class as they were originally. Then, just like with changing subclass on your Tav, make a different subclass decision to the one they were already on. This won’t alter any story sequences or dialogue – Shadowheart was still a Selune-hating Shar-lover even though she was a War Domain Cleric – so don’t worry about that.
Perhaps the best thing, though, is that none of this is permanent. If you decide that you don’t like Karlach as a Paladin and want her to stay a Barbarian, just pop by Withers and he’ll fix you up. This is a great level of freedom and a great way to explore BG3’s various, in-depth classes without needing to reset your game or play the entire thing multiple times.
Starting Anew
How to Multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3
Finally, let’s discuss multiclassing in BG3. This is when you specialise in more than one class, allowing you to pick up the abilities and benefits from each class you choose. On the surface, this seems very powerful and creates some absurdly strong combinations.
If you want to multiclass in BG3, you’ll need to wait until you’re ready to level up. Once you’ve got a level stored and ready, hit the level-up button in the menu. When you come to the class overview screen – which gives you a brief rundown of everything you’ll earn from reaching your current level – stop and look for a symbol in the top right of the level-up box. When hovered over, this symbol will prompt you to “Add Class” which, when clicked, will start the multiclass process.
Multiclass Icon
From here, you just need to choose which class you want to run alongside your main class. Upon completing the process, you’ll now be the proud owner of two classes’ abilities. From that point forward, any time you level up, you have to choose which of your classes to invest that level into. Just like with class change, you can also multiclass your companions in the same way. Whenever they level up, just look for the symbol in the top right of the level-up box and you can select an additional class for them, too.
Multiclassing, when used correctly, can result in some stupidly strong class combinations. Combining the powers of a Sorcerer’s Meta Magic with the repertoire of available spells from a Wizard is devastating, as is the holy amalgamation of a Cleric and Paladin. However, the obvious downside to multiclassing is that, while you’ll get the early abilities and bonus of multiple classes, you won’t be able to take advantage of or use the endgame abilities of the classes you choose. This is because Baldur’s Gate 3 has a level cap, limiting the number of levels you can put into classes.
Multiclassing in Action
That was everything you needed to know about levelling, multiclassing and respeccing in Baldur’s Gate III.
