Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 Subclasses: Which of the 12 Survive the Level Cap

The character level cap in Baldur's Gate 3 is 12. Three of the twelve subclasses Larian added in Patch 8 put their signature feature at level 11.

That is not a nitpick. It means Shadow Walk, Mighty Swarm and Drunkard's Luck are things you own for the last two levels of the game and no more — and it means the honest way to rank these twelve is not by ceiling but by when they start paying. A Hexblade is handing you martial weapon proficiency and a Charisma-scaling weapon attack at Warlock level 1. A Swarmkeeper is asking you to reach level 11 before its swarm hits its upgraded damage die.

So that is the axis this ranking runs on. Here is all twelve, with the actual numbers.

What Patch 8 actually shipped

Patch 8 released on 15 April 2025 and Larian called it the final major patch for the game. It added:

• One new subclass for each of the 12 classes.
• Five new spells: Booming Blade, Bursting Sinew, Shadow Blade, Staggering Smite, and Toll the Dead.
• Photo mode, and Steam Trading Cards.

Worth confirming before you build around any of this, because it is the sort of thing that quietly goes stale: nothing since has rebalanced these subclasses. Hotfix #36 (26 March 2026) is the most recent numbered hotfix, and the most recent update of any kind landed 3 August 2026 — that one made the game available on Xbox Play Anywhere rather than touching combat maths. The numbers below are the live ones.

The level cap decides this ranking

Classes pick their subclass at level 1, 2, or 3 depending on the class, and every feature after that arrives on the subclass's own schedule. Lay those schedules side by side and the spread is stark.

Two things fall out of that table. The classes that choose at level 1 got the most immediately usable subclasses, which makes sense — Larian had to make those features work from the first level-up. And the three level 11 capstones all landed on classes that choose at level 3, which is the worst of both worlds: you wait for the subclass, then wait again for its payoff.

The four I'd respec into today

Hexblade (Warlock)

Four of the twelve hand you something at level 1, and this is the largest of those four packages. Hex Warrior arrives at Warlock level 1 and hands you proficiency with Medium armour, Shields, and Martial weapons, plus Bind Hexed Weapon — which lets you use your Charisma modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity when attacking with weapons you're proficient with. A Warlock who dumped both physical stats is now swinging a martial weapon off its casting stat, in medium armour, behind a shield, at character level 1.

Hexblade's Curse is the other half. Against a cursed target your damage rolls gain a bonus equal to your proficiency bonus, the number you need for a critical hit drops by 1, and if the target dies you regain Warlock level + Charisma modifier hit points. It recharges on a short rest, which for a Warlock is the resource they were already built around.

Later: Accursed Spectre at level 6 raises a spectre from a cursed target's soul (it does not work on constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, or undead), and Armour of Hexes at level 10 gives a 50% chance to nullify an attack from a creature you cursed. One documented oddity — at level 7 the Hexblade picks up two of The Archfey's level 4 spells alongside its own, which the wiki lists under bugs rather than features.

Death Domain (Cleric)

Reaper, at Cleric level 1: your Necromancy cantrips that only target one creature can target an additional creature. That applies to Bone Chill, Bursting Sinew, and Toll the Dead.

Toll the Dead is itself a Patch 8 spell, and the pairing is the point. It deals 1d12 Necrotic (1d8 if the target is at full health) at 18 m range on a failed Wisdom save, scaling to 2d12 at character level 5 and 3d12 at character level 10. With Reaper, that is two targets, every turn, for an action and no spell slot.

Touch of Death at level 2 is a reaction on any melee hit that spends a Channel Divinity charge for 5 + (2 × Cleric level) Necrotic damage — 29 at Cleric 12. Note the in-game tooltip displays that as "5 + 2d12" at every level, which is wrong; the combat log shows the real figure. Then Inescapable Destruction at level 6 makes your damage ignore Necrotic resistance, and Divine Strike: Necrotic at level 8 adds 1d8 once per turn. Martial weapon proficiency comes in at level 1 too.

Bladesinging (Wizard)

The headline is buried: Bladesingers get Extra Attack at Wizard level 6. That is a Wizard making two weapon attacks a turn while keeping full spell progression.

Bladesong itself arrives at level 2 with 2 uses per long rest and grants +2 Armour Class, +3 m movement speed, Advantage on Acrobatics, and +2 to Constitution saving throws. The AC and Constitution bonus rise to +3 at level 5 and +4 at level 9, with uses climbing to 3 and then 4. A +4 to Constitution saves is a concentration stat in disguise — worth reading next to how concentration and control actually behave in this game.

Training in War and Song gives Light armour and Performance proficiency plus daggers, longswords, rapiers, scimitars, shortswords, and sickles. The restriction that matters: Bladesong does not work in Medium or Heavy armour even if you are proficient — you take the "Bladesong Impeded" condition instead. At level 10, Song of Defence lets you expend a spell slot mid-Bladesong to subtract 5 damage per spell slot level.

One caveat that is a genuine bug rather than a balance knob: casting a condition spell like Guidance on a Bladesinger can permanently swap the caster's animations to the Bladesinger set, and the only listed fix is a respec with Withers.

Circle of the Stars (Druid)

Starry Form spends a Wild Shape charge on a constellation instead of a beast, and you keep your hands, your spells, and your gear.

Three forms, all from level 2. Archer grants a bonus-action Luminous Arrow for 1d8 + spellcasting modifier Radiant. Chalice heals 1d8 + Wisdom modifier every time you cast a healing spell with a slot. Dragon is the interesting one: while in it, a Concentration saving throw that rolls 9 or lower is treated as a 10, and you get a bonus-action Dazzling Breath for 2d6 + modifier Radiant (3d6 from level 5).

That Dragon clause turns concentration into something close to a floor rather than a coin flip, and it is available at Druid level 2. On top of that you get Star Maps — 2 charges at level 2, 3 at level 5, 4 at level 9 — each a free Guiding Bolt with no slot spent. Cosmic Omen at level 6 rolls Weal or Woe on every long rest and gives 3 charges (4 at level 9) of ±1d6 to an attack roll or saving throw. At level 10, Twinkling Constellations upgrades all three forms and lets you swap between them once per turn as a free action, with Dragon adding a 6 m fly speed.

Five that are strong once you meet a condition

Giant (Barbarian)

The condition is that you have to commit to throwing. Giant's Rage doubles your Rage damage bonus on Throw attacks, and Elemental Cleaver at level 6 is the feature that ties the build together: until your Rage ends, your weapon deals an extra 1d6 of Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder and gains the Thrown property — and if thrown, it reappears in your hand immediately.

That last clause is what makes it work: no walking back to pick your greataxe off the floor. Around it sit Vaprak's Greed (+25% carrying capacity, which matters more than it sounds given how Encumbered multiplies your movement cost), Thaumaturgy for Advantage on Intimidation and Performance, Boot of the Giants at level 5 to kick a target away based on your Athletics, and Mighty Impel at level 10 to throw a creature or object Medium-sized or smaller.

Swashbuckler (Rogue)

The condition is positioning. Rakish Audacity gives +2 to initiative (rising to +3 at Rogue 5 and +4 at Rogue 10) and replaces normal Sneak Attack with Rakish Sneak Attack, which triggers without Advantage if there are no other combatants within 2 m of the target, or if you have an ally within that range. Fancy Footwork means any target you make a melee attack against can't take opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn.

Read together: a Swashbuckler duels. It goes early, it isolates one enemy, it hits its Sneak Attack without needing to hide or fish for Advantage, and it walks away untouched. Dirty Tricks at level 4 add Flick o' the Wrist (Disarm), Sand Toss (Blind), and Vicious Mockery (Disadvantage on the target's next attack roll) — all using Charisma as the spellcasting modifier except Sand Toss, which uses Dexterity. Panache at level 9 is a Persuasion check contested by Insight. If you were already weighing a Rogue dip, the multiclassing maths is worth a look, because Rakish Audacity lands at Rogue 3, the same place Thief does.

Arcane Archer (Fighter)

The condition is an ability score your class does not want. The save DC for every Arcane Shot is 8 + proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. Fighters build Strength or Dexterity. An 8 Intelligence Fighter is firing Charm and Blind effects that enemies shrug off.

There is a clean way around it: Bursting Arrow forces no save at all. It deals normal weapon damage plus 2d6 Force in a 5 m radius off a plain ranged attack roll. Of the eight Arcane Shots, it is the one whose value is completely independent of your Intelligence. Piercing Arrow (10 m line, Dexterity save) and Seeking Arrow (Dexterity save, applies Faerie Fire) still care about the DC, and the six save-based options — Banishing, Beguiling, Enfeebling, Grasping, Seeking, Shadow — are where the stat hurts.

Resources are generous: 4 Arcane Arrows at level 3, 7 at level 7, 10 at level 10, replenished on a short rest as well as a long one. You know 3 shots at level 3, 4 at level 7, 5 at level 10, and can swap one option every level. Level 7 also brings Curving Shot (a bonus action to repeat the attack against the next closest target) and Magic Arrow, making all your ranged attacks count as magical for resistance.

Oath of the Crown (Paladin)

The condition is the oath itself — the tenets are Law, Loyalty, and Responsibility, and the list of oathbreaking triggers is long and spans all three acts.

The payoff starts at level 1 with Righteous Clarity, which targets you or an ally and grants that target's proficiency bonus to their attack rolls. That is a large accuracy swing handed to your biggest damage dealer. Level 3 adds Champion Challenge (nearby enemies are compelled to attack only you, and any attack they make on someone else has Disadvantage) and Turn the Tide, a shout that heals all nearby non-enemies. Divine Allegiance at level 7 is a reaction: when an ally within 1.5 m takes damage you heal them 2 × your Paladin level and take that much Radiant damage yourself.

The oath spell list is the quiet upgrade — Command and Compelled Duel at 3, Warding Bond and Spiritual Weapon at 5, and Spirit Guardians plus Crusader's Mantle at 9.

College of Glamour (Bard)

The condition is that you want a support Bard rather than a Sword Bard. Mantle of Inspiration is a bonus action granting 5 temporary hit points to 2 allies, and — the part people skim — if a recipient is hit by a melee attack, the attacker becomes Charmed. It scales to 8 temp HP on 3 allies at level 6 and 11 on 4 allies at level 10.

That charm rider is the setup for the combo. Mantle of Majesty: Command at level 6 lets you order a creature to flee, approach, freeze, drop prone, or drop its weapon, and targets that are Charmed automatically fail their saving throw. Hand out temp HP, let the enemy swing into your front line, then land a no-save Command. It recharges on a long rest, so it is one guaranteed removal per rest rather than a rotation.

The three with a level 11 capstone

These three are not bad. They are back-loaded, and at a level 12 cap that is a real cost you should price in before you commit a run to one.

Shadow Magic (Sorcerer) front-loads two genuinely nice things at level 1: Eyes of the Dark (see in darkness up to 24 m) and Strength of the Grave, which makes you regain 1 hit point instead of going down when you hit 0. Level 3 gives Darkness and a 2-sorcery-point version of it, level 6 gives Hound of Ill Omen for 3 sorcery points on a short rest recharge. But Shadow Walk — teleport into shadow and get a free Distant Spell on your next cast that turn — is level 11.

Swarmkeeper (Ranger) gets its swarm at level 3, choosing Cloud of Jellyfish (Lightning, Shock), Flurry of Moths (Psychic, Blind), or Legion of Bees (Piercing, push 5 m). The swarm triggers once per round after you land an attack, and the detail worth knowing is that the swarm prompt does not consume your reaction despite appearing in the reaction menu. It also brings Faerie Fire and Mage Hand at 3, Web at 5, and Writhing Tide at level 7 for a 9 m flying speed that ignores surface effects — 3 charges, 4 at level 9. Mighty Swarm, which raises the swarm's attack to 1d8 and makes the teleport option grant Armour Class, is level 11.

Way of the Drunken Master (Monk) is the least punished of the three, because Cheeky Tipple at level 3 is already excellent: you are immune to the downsides of being Drunk, and once per day, drinking alcohol restores half your Ki points, rounded down. Drunken Technique replaces Flurry of Blows with two punches plus 3 m of movement and the benefits of Disengage. Level 4 brings Intoxicating Strike and Life of the Party (more AC and better attack rolls against Drunk targets), level 6 brings Redirect Attack — spend 1 Ki as a reaction when a melee attack misses you and make the attacker swing at someone else. Drunkard's Luck, which spends 2 Ki to cancel Disadvantage on any check, attack, or save, is level 11. The wiki also notes Wine Goblets can apply the Alcohol condition in combat without costing a bonus action, which is the cheapest way to keep the engine fed.

What this means if you're mid-run

Withers respecs for 100 gold, so none of this is locked in.

Below level 6, the front-loaded picks are better value — a Hexblade or Death Domain Cleric is fully online immediately, while a Swarmkeeper is running on its level 3 kit for the next eight levels. At level 10 or above the calculus flips: level 10 and 11 features you would otherwise never see are a level-up away, which is the one window where Twinkling Constellations, Armour of Hexes, or Mighty Swarm are worth respeccing toward. For Honour Mode, weight the defensive ones — Strength of the Grave and Bladesong's Constitution save bonus both buy you outs that damage does not.

None of these change the feat schedule, so the three-feat budget still governs the rest of the build.

Quick Action Checklist

• Hexblade pays at Warlock level 1: Medium armour, Shields, Martial weapons, and Charisma-based weapon attacks via Bind Hexed Weapon.
• Hexblade's Curse adds your proficiency bonus to damage, lowers your crit threshold by 1, and heals Warlock level + Charisma modifier on a kill.
• Death Domain's Reaper doubles Necromancy cantrip targets — Toll the Dead at 3d12 on two creatures by character level 10, no slot spent.
• Touch of Death is 5 + (2 × Cleric level) Necrotic. The tooltip says "5 + 2d12" and is wrong; check the combat log.
• Bladesingers get Extra Attack at Wizard level 6, and Bladesong is +2/+3/+4 AC and Constitution saves — but never in Medium or Heavy armour.
• Circle of the Stars' Dragon form treats Concentration saves of 9 or lower as a 10, from Druid level 2.
• Elemental Cleaver returns a thrown weapon to your hand, which is what makes the Giant throwing build function.
• Arcane Shot DCs scale off Intelligence — on a low-Intelligence Fighter, take Bursting Arrow, the one shot that forces no save.
• Glamour's Mantle of Inspiration charms melee attackers, and Charmed targets auto-fail Mantle of Majesty: Command.
• Shadow Walk, Mighty Swarm and Drunkard's Luck are all level 11 — two levels of use at a cap of 12.
• Swarmkeeper's swarm prompt does not spend your reaction, despite appearing in the reaction menu.