10 Best Talents for Rangers in Baldur’s Gate 3

Rangers are not the most popular class choice in Baldur’s Gate 3and that’s a shame because survival-themed warriors have a lot to offer. Rangers in BG3 work a little differently than their Dungeons and Dragons counterparts, with many of the problems that plagued the tabletop version resolved wonderfully by Larian Studios. And, as with all classes, there are specific talents that will help bring out the best in any ranger game.

There are three subclasses of rangers in Baldur’s Gate 3 to choose from, each offering a different style of play. From the classic stealth archer to magic-using animal specialists, rangers are a lot of fun to play with and mold into different builds through the three talents they gain at levels four, eight, and 12. These talents offer a mix of extra damage and utility and are perfect for recreating Drizzt Do’Urden or bringing Aragorn to Faerûn.

10

Alert – Momentum Rolls for Initiative

Jump to the top of the initiative order

Alertness is a brilliant talent that works well for many different classes, especially those that control crowds or deal damage. With Alert, the ranger will gain a whopping plus-five bonus to their initiative rollspushing the Dexterity-focused character to the top of the initiative order. This extra boost can be very potent when combined with a Gloom Stalker ranger plus three Dread Ambusher bonuses.

However, there’s another big reason all rangers, especially Gloom Stalkers, take the Alert feat: Surprise. Alert prevents the ranger from being surprised by invisible enemieswhich would prevent them from taking actions or reactions for a turn. It’s worth taking the Alert for this, as leaving the ranger out of combat for a turn can make the difference between victory or defeat, especially on higher difficulties.

9

Skilled – Learn new skills

Gain proficiency in three new skills

Rangers have the option to become proficient in some excellent skills in character creation, with useful skills like stealth, survival, perception, and perception all available. Narrowing down this choice to just three can be difficult, especially when planning in advance for a second or third playthrough. BG3. Skilled is a fantastic feat for player characters, as it allows the ranger gain proficiency in three more skills.

Adding proficiency in three more skills can really help round out certain character builds and give much better odds when facing challenging dialogue options. Persuasion or deception are always fantastic choicesespecially for player characters with low Charisma, who are more likely to talk to other characters. However, with rangers also benefiting from high Wisdom, animal handling is also a great option and very suitable for the class.

8

Dual Wielder – More weapon options and AC Boost

Make the most of two-weapon combat

Not all rangers prefer to use a bow, and there are times when fighting with a ranged weapon is not the best option. To complete Drizzt’s iconic look, Dual Wielder is the perfect feat. With this talent, the ranger can use two weapons, even if they are not light, such as longswords, rapiers or even spears. This opens up both-handed weapon options for any weapon that isn’t heavy.

Dual Wielder also gives the ranger yet another increase to your AC when using a melee weapon in each hand. To make the best use of this talent, it’s a good idea to choose the two-weapon fighting style for the ranger at level two, to allow him to add his ability score modifier to his improvised attacks. But the impulse to use two magical weapons in later acts more than makes this feat worth choosing.

7

Crossbow Expert – Best Crossbow Attacks

No disadvantages to melee attacks and better open wounds

Of course, as useful as talents that improve a ranger’s melee capabilities are, the iconic ranger character is one who wields a ranged weapon. Crossbow Expert is fantastic, especially with so many crossbow options to choose from. BG3. With this done, any crossbow attacks made within melee range have no disadvantage, and this can make a big difference when facing some of the game’s toughest enemies.

Beasts in BG3 also has the Piercing Shot weapon action, which inflicts the Gaping Wounds condition on enemies, dealing two extra points of piercing damage for two turns. Crossbow Expert enhances this already excellent attack by doubling the number of turns targets are affected by Gaping Wounds. Therefore, instead of losing four life over two turns, targets will lose eight life over four turns.

6

Medium Armor Master – Increase Dexterity boost to AC

Better AC and no downside to stealth

At character creation, rangers gain proficiency in medium armor, and Medium Armor Master is a great way to get the most out of it. Medium Armor Master is a simple feat that can make a huge difference, firstly by increasing the bonus to the ranger’s Dexterity modifier AC from plus two to plus three. Most medium armor in BG3 will cap the bonus by two more, and the extra increase in AC is really felt in Act 3 with tougher enemies.

Medium Armor Master too prevents medium armor from imposing disadvantage on stealth checksversus something very simple that can have a big impact. Rangers, like rogues, benefit from operating in the shadows, and there are some rogue/ranger multiclass builds that rely on stealth to function. Removing the stealth disadvantage opens up many more armor options, meaning rangers won’t have to choose between stealth and AC.

More movement and avoid attacks of opportunity

Whether playing as a classic ranger with a bow or melee, rangers benefit from the ability to move freely across the battlefield. The cell phone is a fantastic feat, because increases ranger’s movement speed by three meters/10 feetgiving you that extra movement to reposition yourself in combat. Mobile also means that when a ranger has used the dash action on their turn, difficult terrain will not slow the ranger to half speed, which can often make it feel like the turn was wasted.

Finally, Mobile ensures that the ranger will no longer provoke an attack of opportunity from a target when leaving melee rangeas long as he made a melee attack against that target. This is perfect for dealing damage to an enemy before moving to higher ground or providing support for a party member.

4

Lucky – Gain an advantage on dice rolls

Better chances in and out of combat

Lucky is one of the best talents for player characters in Baldur’s Gate 3, and can help in a few different ways in and out of combat. Lucky gives the character three Luck Points, which recharge with each long rest and can be used to gain advantage on rolls in the player’s favor, such as attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. This is perfect for important dialogue choices or when you need to hit a particularly troublesome enemy.

However, Lucky has another trick up his sleeve as Luck Points can also be used against enemies. Spending a Luck Point in this way will force an enemy to reroll an attack roll and is perfect for denying critics. Best of all, gaining an advantage or forcing a reroll with Lucky is a reaction, but it doesn’t cost a reaction, meaning attacks of opportunity can still be used.

3

Athlete – Best movement options

Increased jumping distance and makes it easier to stand

Athlete is another good feat for characters who need to be fast. In addition to allowing the ranger to increase his Strength or Dexterity ability score by one, The athlete also allows them to use significantly less movement when standing up from their stomach.. Prone can really cause problems in combat, allowing enemies to take melee attacks with advantage, and it costs half the character’s movement just to get up.

But I think the best aspect of the Athlete is that he increases a character’s jump distance by 50%. This is huge and can really help with exploration and repositioning in combat. Jump distance is calculated by Strength, but rangers can increase theirs even further with a BG3 ritual spell they gain at level two, using improve jumping which triples the jump distance and accumulates as the Athlete increases.

2

Defensive Duelist – Boost To AC

As primarily Dexterity-based attackers, rangers are often better at using precision weapons in BG3as they allow them to use their Dexterity instead of Strength for attacks. Defensive Duelist is a fantastic feat for any character who uses fine weapons, especially rangers who prefer melee weapons. With Defensive Duelist, As a reaction when attacked with a melee attack, the ranger can add his proficiency bonus to his AC.

This is brilliant, especially at higher levels where the proficiency bonus increases to four more. Best of all, this ability recharges every turn, allowing any melee ranger to stay out of trouble for a while longer. The feat only works while the character is holding a Dexterity weapon with which they are proficient, and is only available to those with a Dexterity score of 13 or greater.

1

Sharpshooter – Best attacks and damage

Make the most of ranged weapons

Lastly, for those who play as a ranger, the Sharpshooter is a must-do. He is best known for his toggleable passive ability All In, which allows the ranger to choose to take a minus-five penalty on your attack roll in exchange for dealing an extra 10 points of damage in one hit. A consistent plus 10 damage is not to be sniffed at and can really pack a punch when combined with other weapon bonuses and buffs.

However, what makes Sharpshooter the best ranger talent in Baldur’s Gate 3 is its Low Ground feature. This liability to BG3 attacks with ranged weapons are penalized by high base ruleswhich imposes a minus two penalty when attacking a target from below. How much this can change how a ranger operates on the battlefield cannot be overstated, as it completely opens up new positions and tactics for the group.