As an avid Baldur‘s Gate fan with over 200 hours across the series, I‘ve become obsessed with planning character builds and choosing optimal feats in Baldur‘s Gate 3.
With so many options now available in Patch 8, it can get overwhelming deciding which feats to pick as you level up. Do you want pure damage? Battlefield control? Support abilities?
In this comprehensive 3000+ word guide, I‘ll be ranking all the best feats in BG3 and how they synergize with different class/subclass combinations.
My Criteria for Evaluating Feats
As both an optimizing powergamer and roleplayer at heart, I judge feats in Baldur‘s Gate 3 based on these factors:
- Numerical Benefits – Raw combat/skill bonuses and dice modifiers
- Uniqueness – Enables builds not otherwise possible
- Playstyle Change – Alters how you approach combat and challenges
- Thematics – Flavor and fun outside pure optimization
- Low Opportunity Cost – Easy to fit into existing builds
The feats I‘ll be recommending excel in one or more of these criteria.
My goal isn‘t just to provide a cookie-cutter ranking, but share why I think each feat is powerful based on my own hardcore theorycrafting and testing.
Let‘s get started!
#1. Spell Sniper (5/5)
Benefits: Learn a Cantrip, 19-20 Crit Range with Attack Spells
In terms of pure numerical boost relative to its low opportunity cost, Spell Sniper offers incredible value.
The increased threat range synergizes perfectly with iconic warlock abilities like the Hex/Eldritch Blast combo. Landing more crits means more chances to apply the bonus damage from Hex.
My warlock in particular really benefits from this. I roleplay her patron as granting augmented magical powers in exchange for a fragment of her soul. Having an abnormally high crit rate on spells reinforces this flavor of otherworldly magic.
Plus, Spell Sniper perfectly complements my specific Pact of the Tome build, shoring up versatility with any cantrip of my choice.
"As a longtime D&D fan, I can easily recommend Spell Sniper, especially if you enjoy blasting enemies with damaging cantrips." – ClericPlayer224, Reddit Comment
#2. War Caster (5/5)
Benefits: Advantage on Concentration Checks, Reaction Spells
The advantage on constitution saves to maintain concentration alone makes War Caster an auto-include for most spellcasters. In tougher battles, it greatly reduces the chance of losing pivotal control and buff magics.
Its reactive attack cantrip is just gravy on top. Landing a booming blade or green-flame blade when an enemy tries to flee can turn the tide.
This feat synergizes amazingly with my current monk character. He utilizes several key self buffs like Haste, Blur, and Stoneskin. I‘d be devastated losing concentration at a critical moment.
War Caster is equally great on clerics and druids to ensure their battlefield-altering spells persist round after round. Overall an easy 5/5 feat.
#3. Resilient (4.5/5)
Benefits: +1 to Any Ability Score, Proficiency in Related Saving Throws
While Resilient doesn‘t provide flashy new abilities like other feats, its saving throw reliability is invaluable.
Being proficient in Dexterity saves for example almost guarantees evading devastating dragon breath attacks and similar effects.
It also boosts very impactful skills related to the chosen ability score. Expertise in Dexterity(Stealth) or Wisdom(Insight) can enable entirely new approaches to obstacles.
Here‘s a quick reference on some strong Resilient focuses for popular classes:
| Class | Good Resilient Focuses |
|---|---|
| Wizard | Constitution, Dexterity |
| Cleric | Constitution, Wisdom |
| Sorcerer | Constitution, Wisdom |
| Rogue | Constitution, Wisdom |
I‘m currently running a gish-style melee sorcerer, so boosting Constitution helps maintain my crucial self-buffs while patching my mediocre hit points.
Resilient is a feat you can‘t go wrong investing in early. It may not be flashy, but it really pays off!
#4. Great Weapon Master (4/5)
Benefits: Bonus Action Melee Attack on Crit/Kill, +10 Damage/-5 Hit Tradeoff
In terms of increasing raw damage output, no feat compares to Great Weapon Master. Against easy to hit AC, landing a -5 penalty attack for +10 average damage is huge.
The extra bonus action attack also gives excellent synergy to classes with on-hit effects like the paladin‘s divine smite. More attacks equals more chances to burst enemies down.
In my last campaign, I combined this with Reckless Attack on a barbarian wielding a greataxe. Crit-fishing to apply the Brutal Critical multiplier was insane!
While the -5 penalty requires some investment in boosting attack bonuses, Great Weapon Master enables some of the highest potential single turn nova damage.
#5. Sharpshooter (4/5)
Benefits: Ignore Long Range Penalties, +10 Damage/-5 Hit Ranged Tradeoff
Essentially the ranged variant of Great Weapon Master. While less abusable by spellcasters, Sharpshooter enables archers and thrown weapons experts to erase penalties that normally hinder them.
The increased threat range combined with extra damage strongly benefits fighter archtypes with expanded crit ranges like the Champion and Eldritch Knight.
I once ran a bugbear monster hunter with Sharpshooter. Combining long limbs, surprise attack and the Archery fighting style let me grief enemies from insane distances unaffected by cover or range. Hilarious!
Honorable Mentions
Here‘s a few other feats I found uniquely enable some powerful combo potential:
Metamagic Adept (Sorcerer) – Quickening spell combos with spell+melee cantrips are extremely potent. Also boosts overall Sorcery Point pool between long rests for more metamagic enhanced spells. Amazing utility.
Fey/Shadow Touched (Full Casters) – Free first level spell off any class list plus extra casts per long rest. Misty Step synergizes perfectly with squishier backline spellcasters who need an emergency teleport.
Chef/Inspiring Leader (Support Characters) – Chef offers permanent buffs to healing in short rests, which over a campaign saves a ton of hit dice and healer‘s kit uses. Inspiring Leader provides up to 10+ temp HP per ally whenever you give a motivational speech during rests!
There are plenty more situational feats I didn‘t discuss fully, but hopefully this gives you a good starting point for evaluating options. Let me know which feats have worked best for your own characters!
Brandon Rollins
Passionate gamer, content creator & min-maxing enthusiast. Let me know about your own favorite feat combos!
){kind=link}