This guide will explain the best Cleric Build in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Cleric Class, and the Life Domain subclass, for the optimal setup.
This build page has been updated for thePatch 8 versionof Baldur’s Gate 3.
Everything About the Life Domain Cleric in BG3
In Baldur’s Gate 3, the Life Domain is a subclass of Cleric that specializes in healing and supporting their allies. As a Life Domain Cleric, you will draw your power from a divine source, often a deity associated with life, healing, and restoration. Life Clerics have a unique set of abilities and spells that make them invaluable members of any party.
Furthermore, the Life Cleric can wear heavy armor, making them a front-line support class. They can also effectively heal themselves and allies due to Discipline of Life and Domain Spells. Overall, Clerics also have great out-of-combatspells like Guidance which influences speech and conversation. Therefore, this build is intended for a support class, healing, buffs and a bit of damage.
Life Domain Cleric Build Changes in Patch 8 for BG3
The biggest changes to the Cleric comes from new cantripBooming Blade. This is helpful for a melee build, though the Cleric Death Domain uses it best. The Cleric playstyle of healer, tank, or radiant damage dealer remains largely unchanged. There were some additional buffs to monsters that makes Tactician Mode andHonour Modemore difficulty, so keep this in mind when you are planning your builds.
If you are looking to maintain survivability without sacrificing offensive capabilities, the Light Domain offers a compelling alternative. Its emphasis on radiant damage and crowd control, along with strong defensive spells, makes it a versatile choice for players seeking a more balanced approach in tougher encounters. We’ll include an alternative build below that outlines how to create a more tank-like build for the Cleric.
Life Cleric Features & Mechanics
The following list are key features andclassmechanics of the Life Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Cleric Spell Mechanics
Recommended Subclass
The BestSubclassfor a support build is Life Clerics because it provides the best overall healing and group utility for a support class. The Life Subclass comes with Heavy Armour Proficiency, Disciple of Life, and Domain Spells. Clerics choose their subclass right at the start, during thecharacter creationprocess.
Here are all the Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Subclasses:
Baldur’s Gate 3 Life Cleric Features & Progression
The Life Cleric subclass unlocks the following features and spells:
Character Creation
Recommended Race for Life Domain Cleric
Wood Elfis the bestracechoice for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide because you gain an extra the highest movement speed,Fey Ancestry, and Darkvision. A secondary choice is theMephistopheles Tieflingbecause of fire resistance, and two spells at levels 3 and 5 (Burning Hands, Flame Blade).
Here is the best race choice for a Life Cleric build in Baldur’s Gate 3:
The Cleric’s racial choice will not influenceability score,as race will get a +2 and +1 to spend regardless. This frees your race choice up to not completely hinder yourself based on ability score, but race features. Each of these races offers unique advantages that can enhance your combat prowess, survivability, or utility. Additionally, consider the roleplaying opportunities and character concepts that resonate with you.
Read More:All Baldur’s Gate 3: Wild Shape Forms & Action Explained
Recommended Backgrounds for Life Domain Cleric
Folk Herois the BestBackgroundfor the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide because you gain two Wisdom-based skills. Both survival and Animal Handling skills are helpful in exploration and dialogue. You want to pick a background that scales with your main stat Wisdom. This choice mostly influences roleplaying and dialogue options aspects and allows you to create unique characters. Additional choices are:
Best Ability Score for Life Domain Cleric
Below is the bestability scoreto unlock the full potential of the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide:
The most important ability score for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide is Wisdom followed by Constitution and Dexterity. It’s important to land on even numbers and get at least 16 in Wisdom for optimal spell casting. In Baldur’s Gate 3, ability scores are the six core stats that determine a character’s capabilities. You can adjust for the optimal setup in character creation orreroll with Withersin your Camp.
During character creation, the game will automatically distribute your abilities in the character creation abilities tab. You will need to reprioritize the stats for the chart for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build. Simply use the plus-minus in the character creator and make sure you have the suggested race, or the numbers will be off.
You can increase your ability score via a quest in Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3. Make sure to check out ourPermanent bonus guideon how you can boost your ability score through quests.
Recommended Skills for Life Domain Cleric
MedicineandReligionare the best skills for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide because they complement your class abilities and enhance your effectiveness in various situations. In Baldur’s Gate 3, skills represent the abilities and proficiencies of your character that allow them to perform various actions and interact with the game world. Skills are associated with specific attributes and are used to determine the success or effectiveness of certain actions or abilities. They can be edited during character creation or with companions, during respec or reroll screen.
Here are theskillsfor Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Best Companions for Life Domain Cleric Build
For the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide, we do not recommend another upfront damage dealer as both you and either Lae’zel or Karlach will fulfill that role. The premise of the build is to have one to two melee fighters with a heavy damage dealer, your Cleric providing support. Having range casters and damage dealers will help with crowd control, area damage, and burst at range.
When putting your party together, considercompanionsfor not only their combat prowess but also their outside ability and skills that can influence storytelling, dialogue, and exploration. A balanced party will fit the traditional RPG ‘holy trinity’: Tank, Healer, and DPS. Ideally, in Baldur’s Gate 3 you’re are going to want one tank, one healer, one melee DPS, and one range DPS. Some classes/subclasses can cover both roles, so feel free to experiment and find out what works best for you.
Read More-All Acts in BG3 Ranked
Life Domain Cleric Illithid Powers
Illithid Powersare unlocked later in the game when you learn more about the Mind Flayers and Tadpoles. You can gain jars of Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens, and consume them to gain one point. If you decide to advance this skill line, these are the choices we suggest.
Here are the best Illithid Powers for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide:
Note that there are a few “healing” powers. However, they each come with a cost and don’t outperform your in-class heals. I suggest sticking with just the Cleric healing and most of those might be intended for non-healing or support classes.
Cleric Spell Slots
Here is a list of the Cleric’s Spell Slots as they progress:
Life Domain Cleric Level Progression
Alternative Life Cleric Build
The best alternative to the typical Life Clerc build is a “tank” setup that uses the Light subclass and multiclasses into Fighter. This alternate build focuses on debuffing enemies with Radiating Orb via Luminous Armour. You can obtain this gear in Act 1 and use it throughout the game while maintaining decent damage with Spirit Guardians. Although this build can be more complex to master, we recommend it if you struggle with survival in tough fights.
At Level One follow our character creation steps above to pick all correct background, race, skills, and ability score distributions focusing on Wisdom and Constitution. You want to either use medium or heavy armor, along with a one-handed weapon and shield. For Clerics, you’ll be choosing your subclass at Level One, right in the character creator.
At Level One, you will unlock three cantrips and pick three prepared spells. Cantrips are reusable and don’t require a spell slot resource. Prepared spells can be swapped in and out before combat, so make sure to use the loadout at the end of the level for a helpful guide.
Subclass Spells: you will have access to additional spells and cantrips because your subclass grants you them at various levels. So if it looks slightly different that is why.
Cantrip Selection
Spell Selection
Subclass Feature
Gameplay for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide at this level is using Guiding Bolt for damage entirely. You can combine Healing Word and Cure Wounds for two heals in one turn. You can also use Shield of Faith or Blessed as a buff that requires concentration but not both.
Level 1 Life Cleric Prepared Spells: Healing Word, Cure Wounds, Inflict Wounds, Guiding Bolt, and Shield of Faith.
Life Cleric Gameplay & Priorities
During the early phase of BG3, your Life Cleric should equip a One-Handed weapon and Shield as soon as possible. Quarterstaffs can be combined with shield for extra free spells and Armour Class (AC). This will help your defensive potential immensely. Moreover, rely on cantrips for damage when out of spell slots like Sacred Flame. Spell casting can be tough at the start of Baldur’s Gate 3 with limited spell slots. Lastly, look to combine Elixir of Peerless Focus with Potion of Speed. Peerless will help with Advantage for spells that require it while Potion of Speed will give an additional action for 3 turns. These two stack together for a powerful effect early in BG3.
Your overall priority with the Life Cleric build is the following:
Following these steps ensures a strong foundation, especially if you plan on playingsoloor onHonour Modedifficulty.
At level two your spells will largely stay the same. You will have prepared spells and can pick up to 5 to learn and swap out outside of combat the ones you’ve already learned. Next, you will get granted Turn Undead and Preserve Life via your subclass and we recommend you take the spell Command.
Subclass Features
The gameplay stays the same for the most part at this level. The addition of Preserve Life gives you a massive area-based heal that requires charges. Turn Undead can be handy in specific fights. The Command spell is a great additional for crowd control, use it to drop opponents’ weapons or put them in prone.
Life Cleric Level 2 Prepared Spells: Guiding Bolt, Shield of Faith, Healing Word, Command, Inflict Wounds
Reaching Level 3 will unlock two level 2 spells and an additional level 1 spell. Will take Spiritual Weapon for our level two spell slot. Will also get two free spells from Life Domain.
Gameplay at this level changes a bit considering how Spiritual Weapon works. Since this is a bonus action, you can use it in conjunction with an action in the same turn. Also, this can be pre-cast before combat along with Blessed if you know an encounter is about to unfold. This spell also doesn’t cost concentration and it soaks up damage and does a bit as well, making it powerful at this stage of the game.
Life Cleric Level 3 Prepared Spells: Guiding Bolt, Shield of Faith, Healing Word, Command, Inflict Wounds, Spiritual Weapon
At level four, the Cleric gets one cantrip, one more prepared spell, and a feat or ability improvement. We suggest you increase your ability score Wisdom by 2. Our goal is to increase the effectiveness of our healing so take the Ability Improvement feat and put two ability points into Wisdom. We will select Warding Bond for our spell and Blade Ward for our cantrip.
Gameplay at this level doesn’t change much, you can use Warding Bond for a buff and expect more damage and healing with a higher ability score.
Life Cleric Level 4 Prepared Spells: Healing Word, Inflict Wounds, Guiding Bolt, Shield of Faith, Command, Spiritual Weapon, Warding Bond.
At level five, the Life Cleric gets two free spells via your sublcass and you get to pick a level 3 spell. The best healing option here is Mass Healing Word because its massive AOE healing and requires a bonus Action rather than an action.
Subclass Spells
Life Cleric Level 5 Prepared Spells: Guiding Bolt, Shield of Faith, Healing Word, Command, Inflict Wounds, Spiritual Weapon, Warding Bond, Hold Person, Mass Healing Word, Glyph of Warding.
At level six for a Life Cleric, you gain another level 3 spell, another Channel Divinity Charge, and Blessed Healer Passive.
Class Features:
Spells Selection
Gameplay for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide at this level is summoning Spiritual Weapon with bonus action on the first turn. Usually casting Blessed on the team prior to combat or first turn. Then using Guiding Bolt or Glyph of Warding for damage. Mass Healing Word and another heal Preserved Life for big healing.
Ending Act 1 as a Life Domain Cleric
By the time you reach this point, you should be close to transitioning out of Act 1. Be sure to visit vendors and stock up on camp and alchemy supplies. Additionally, ensure to find thebest Act 1 items. Furthermore, there are alsopermanent bonusesyou don’t want to miss in Act 1. Finally, theGrymforgehas powerful armor and weapons (Adamantine) that can be used well into Act 3. Consider taking the time to collect the crafting items before moving on to Act 2, where you won’t be able to return.
Life Cleric Level 6 Prepared Spells: Guiding Bolt, Shield of Faith, Healing Word, Command, Inflict Wounds, Spiritual Weapon, Warding Bond, Hold Person, Mass Healing Word, Glyph of Warding
When you reach level 7, the Life Cleric gains one level 4 spell slot, and two subclass-specific spells, Death Ward and Guardian of Faith.
Gameplay at level 7: Your first turn is generally the most important if you may cast both summonses on turn one using an action and a bonus action (Guardian of Faith and Spiritual Weapon). From here, you go into priority mode emphasizing healing and buffs with Blessed. If everyone is high on health, use Glyph of Warding for area damage and Guiding Bolt for a single target. If you feel you lack crowd control (CC) swap out Freedom of Movement for Banishment which is a great single-target CC. You can also use scrolls for crowd control to avoid using spell slots or different prepared spells.
Life Cleric Level 7 Prepared Spells: Guiding Bolt, Shield of Faith, Healing Word, Command, Inflict Wounds, Spiritual Weapon, Warding Bond, Hold Person, Mass Healing Word, Glyph of Warding, Freedom of Movement
At level 8 the Life Cleric gets Divine Strike, an additional level 4 spell slot, and a feat. Here’s what we suggest at this level.
FeatWar Caster
Gameplay: Not many changes at this level as you won’t be using Divine Strike, but expect better luck maintaining concentration which will be helpful to keeping important spells active while taking pressure.
Life Cleric Level 8 Prepared Spells: Guiding Bolt, Shield of Faith, Healing Word, Command, Inflict Wounds, Spiritual Weapon, Warding Bond, Hold Person, Mass Healing Word, Glyph of Warding, Freedom of Movement, Remove Curse
At level 9, the Cleric gets two free spells, Mass Cure Wounds, Great Restoration, 1 level 4 spell slot, 1 level 5 spell slot and additional prepared spell bringing the total to 13. I also have some thoughts on multi-classing the cleric at this level. Here’s our recommendations:
Multi-Class Options with the Life Domain Cleric
At level 9, the Cleric can decide to multi-class. This has some pros and cons and I’ve found it better to fully level the Life Cleric so you may reach level 6 spells. Here’s a brief breakdown of options:
Fighter(two levels): the Fighter with two levels has Action Surge. This gives you an additional action once per fight and recharges on short rest. The Clerics main issue is lacking multiple actions, and this helps to solve that. You do lose out on level 6 spells and another feat but it’s an option.
Sorcerer(four levels): the Sorcerer gets access to metamagic giving you extra ways to manipulate magic. One is Twinned, which you can cast a single target spell twice. Another, Quickened, you can cast another spell with your bonus action. This is helpful to compliment the clerics’ weaknesses. Big downside is you’ll miss out on higher level spells
Cleric Level 12: this is the way I prefer because you get access to level 5 and 6 spells and another feat pushing our Wisdom to 20 with War Caster. Something about summoning a Cambion and Spiritual Weapon on turn one makes it so fun and very effective.
Gameplay for Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide: at this level you have much better area based healing and damage. You now have two high level spells that can be used with or without concentration and even better healing making this level a big leap in power.
Life Cleric Level 9 Prepared Spells: Guiding Bolt, Shield of Faith, Healing Word, Command, Inflict Wounds, Spiritual Weapon, Warding Bond, Hold Person, Mass Healing Word, Glyph of Warding, Freedom of Movement, Insect Plague, Flame Strike
At level 10, the Life Cleric gets a subclass feature Divine Intervention, one cantrip, another spell slot and another prepared spell.
Gameplay remains unchanged, just use Divine Intervention on a tough fight.
Life Cleric Level 10 Prepared Spells: Guiding Bolt, Shield of Faith, Healing Word, Command, Inflict Wounds, Spiritual Weapon, Warding Bond, Hold Person, Mass Healing Word, Glyph of Warding, Freedom of Movement, Insect Plague, Flame Strike, Planar Binding
Level 11 you get access to the final level 6 spell slot.
Spell Selection (drop Planar Binding)
Gameplay: I prefer using my 6 spell for Planar Ally after a long rest. It comes with so much health and doesn’t require concentration. Damage, distraction and it just looks cool!
Life Cleric Level 11 Prepared Spells: Guiding Bolt, Shield of Faith, Healing Word, Command, Inflict Wounds, Spiritual Weapon, Warding Bond, Hold Person, Mass Healing Word, Glyph of Warding, Freedom of Movement, Insect Plague, Flame Strike, Planar Ally, Heal
In Baldur’s Gate 3 Level 12 is the max level, and since we stuck with the Life Cleric, we get one spell and one more feat.
+2 ability improvement to 20 Wisdom. There are items that can get you to 22 but this is easy and helps with healing, damage, and success chance.
Gameplay: at max level you should feel very powerful. Using multiple summons, powerful single target and area based healing along with great damage. The Life Cleric surprisingly has a ton of damage and you may burst your team up with one turn using action and bonus action combination.
Life Cleric Level 12 Prepared Spells: Guiding Bolt, Shield of Faith, Healing Word, Command, Inflict Wounds, Spiritual Weapon, Warding Bond, Hold Person, Mass Healing Word, Glyph of Warding, Freedom of Movement, Insect Plague, Flame Strike, Planar Ally, Heal, Hero’s Feast
Best Gear for Life Domain Cleric Build
In Games like Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll explore the world, loot chests and your enemies’ dead bodies, and complete quests and all those activities can reward you with useful items, potions, armor, weapons, scrolls, and much more. Progression and finding new gear are part of the game, and you will organically get more powerful weapons during your journeys.
Beginner: Act 1
Here’s the best beginner gear for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide:
Below is the best Act 1 Armor, Weapons, and Equipment for Life Cleric in BG3:
Advanced: Act 3 End Game
The following table presents the best end-game gear for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide:
Below is the best Act 3 Armor, Weapons, and Equipment for Life Cleric in BG3:
Best Consumable Items and Potions
Consumablesare items that can be used once and then destroyed. They are typically used to restore health or other resources. Some common types of consumables include potions, scrolls, food, drinks, and arrows.
The following list represents the best individual use consumable items that will aid in the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Guide:
Permanent Bonuses
Throughout Baldur’s Gate 3, you will have the ability to gain permanent bonuses to your character. These can grant additional spells, ability scores, and other bonuses. Permanent Bonuses are not displayed throughout the campaign but are vital to increase overall combat performance. We have all permanent bonuses here in a guide, but the most important ones for you to collect are listed below.
Best Permanent Bonuses for Life Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3
Life Domain Cleric Combat, Gameplay Tips, and Tricks
Here are 10 gameplay tips and tricks for playing a Life Domain Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Remember, this build guide serves as a foundation, and you can always adapt it to suit your preferences and the needs of your campaign. Enjoy playing as a formidableThe Best Cleric Life Domain Build!
Life Domain Cleric Class Changes in Patch 7 for BG3
The Life Domain Cleric received no balance changes in Patch 7 of BG3. In this update most builds, combat, and gameplay elements remained untouched, so if you are familiar with the class, almost all remain the same.
Overal, Larian Studios’ main focus in this patch ismodsand new cinematic endings. The game now features amodding toolkitand anin-game mod manager, allowing players to create and install mods directly within the game. This update is intended to hand over creative control to the community, enabling players to produce unique content and continue the story in new ways. This best Life Domain Build Guide remains unchanged, mainly in Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 7.
Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Life Domain Build Summary Guide
Q1. What is the best domain for Cleric BG3?
The best cleric domain depends on your playstyle. The most used ones include Light Domain, Life Domain, and Tempest Domain.
Q2. What is the Life Cleric domain in BG3?
The Life Cleric domain in BG3 is the best healer. It has incredible healing powers.
Q3. Is Life or Light Cleric better in BG3?
It all comes down to personal preferences. While Life Cleric provides overall healing capabilities, Light Cleric is good for damage, utility, and control.
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