Barbarians are the personification of melee damage dealers in Baldur’s Gate 3, but they can be so much more, thanks to the power of Feats. If you give your Barbarian certain Feats, you’ll be able to drastically improve their smashing skills or allow them to move outside of their comfort zone and specialize in new kinds of abilities.
In Baldur’s Gate 3, Barbarians derive most of their power from their Rage ability. Not only does this provide a damage bonus with melee attacks, but it also lets them resist half of the damage from incoming weapon blows. Barbarians also get the highest Hit Dice & maximum hit point score in the game, making it difficult for them to die in combat against regular foes.
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The Best Feats For Barbarians In Baldur’s Gate 3
In Baldur’s Gate 3, you get Feats at levels 4, 8, and 12, giving you access to three over the course of the game. This will give you several chances to power up your Barbarian protagonist or make Karlach even mightier than she already is. The best Feats for the Barbarian class in Baldur’s Gate 3 are:
- Charger: This Feat gives you the Charger: Weapon Attack and Charger: Shove actions, allowing you to move and attack in one maneuver. Chances are, your Barbarian will be the first one into the fray, so any option getting you to the front lines and hacking away at the enemy quicker is a great choice.
- Great Weapon Master: This Feat lets you make an extra melee weapon attack as a Bonus Action after you crit or kill an enemy. You can also deal an extra 10 points of damage by taking a -5 penalty to hit. The penalty to hit/damage bonus is risky, but it’s worth it when combined with Reckless Attack, as the Advantage you gain can offset the chances of missing. The extra melee attack is also extremely helpful.
- Polearm Master: This Feat lets you use your Bonus Action to perform an extra attack when using a halberd, quarterstaff, or spear, as well as giving you an Attack of Opportunity when enemies come within range. Polearm Master makes the halberd one of the best weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3, especially as you’ll find many magical ones on your journey. The extra attack and almost guaranteed use of your Reaction every turn make it worth turning your Barbarian into a stick user.
- Savage Attacker: This Feat lets you roll damage twice when making a weapon attack, allowing you to take either result. As a primary melee attacking class, this will increase your odds of dealing more damage with every hit. If you can’t decide on a Feat, pick Savage Attacker.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: What’s The Level Cap?
While it might be tempting to use the Ability Improvement Feat to max out your Barbarian’s Strength score immediately, remember that you can find an item in Act II that will permanently increase your Strength. This means you don’t need to spend a Feat unless you need to bring your Strength up to 18 to boost it later.
