Clerics are one of the most versatile classes in Baldur's Gate 3, capable of providing healing alongside buffs. When creating a cleric, one of the first steps is to choose their subclass, known as their Domain, which will determine what spells and abilities the character will have. With seven base Domains and an eighth coming in Patch 8, it's important to know how strong each Domain can be.

Unless you're looking to create a cleric multiclass build in Baldur's Gate 3, most cleric characters provide balanced and back-up to a party. This means buffing damage dealers and keeping tanks on their feet through the difficult battles. A good cleric can be the backbone of any group, dealing damage and using crucial magic to keep allies alive, so it's important to know which subclass to pick.

8 Knowledge Domain Cleric

Mystra, Oghma, Moradin, Selune

The Knowledge Domain is a subclass that performs better in out-of-combat situations than in battle in BG3. At Level 1, this cleric can choose two skills to become proficient in from either Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. Even better, the proficiency bonus for the chosen skills is doubled, making ing skill checks much easier.

At Level 2, the Channel Divinity ability, Knowledge of the Ages, lets the cleric gain proficiency in all skills of a chosen ability until the next long rest. This means if Dexterity is chosen, then the cleric will then be proficient in Stealth, Sleight of Hand, and Acrobatics, or Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion if Charisma is chosen.

Knowledge Domain clerics gain a second Channel Divinity option at level six, where they gain the ability to Read Thoughts. This pairs very well with spells available to Knowledge Domain clerics such as Calm Emotions, Confusion, and Dominate Person, letting the cleric use their mind to control the situation.

Knowledge clerics are a tricky subclass to build, though, as their Blessing of Knowledge focuses on skills that require Intelligence as the main stat, while their regular cleric ability uses Wisdom. The complexity of this Domain subclass makes it hard for beginners to build around, but it can be strong under the right circumstances.

7 Light Domain Cleric

Corellon Larethian, Eilistraee, Helm, Lathander

The Light Domain, as the name suggests, focuses on spells and abilities to do with light and fire. This BG3 subclass gets a lot of excellent offensive spells, such as Burning Hands at Level 1 and Fireball at Level 5, but there are also a lot of useful utility spells like Faerie Fireand Daylight. However, what sets each cleric domain apart are the Channel Divinity abilities, and this is where the Light Domain really shines.

As a reaction, the Light Domain Cleric can impose disadvantage on an attack against them, which gets upgraded at Level 6 to include when an ally is attacked.

Radiance of the Dawn becomes available at Level 2 and packs a real punch. This feature allows the cleric to deal 2d10 plus the character's level in radiant damage, which is extremely effective against undead such as the shadows in Act Two. To make up for Light Domain clerics only being able to wear medium armor, their Warding Flare ability keeps them a little safer in battle.

The lack of defense for the Light Cleric sacrificed for better damage through fire spells makes it slightly weaker than other subclasses in its archetype. Other Domains like the Tempest, War, and Death Domains all get just as destructive damage without having to forego better defenses, so the Light Domain remains a choice for those looking for a specific theme for their character.

6 Trickery Domain Cleric

Garl Glittergold, Lolth, Shar, Tiamat, Tymora

The Trickery Domain is one of those subclasses that can be difficult to master, but once a player has, then it's a ton of fun. The main focus of the Trickery cleric is stealth and fooling enemies with disguises. With permanently prepared spells like disguise self and seeming, alongside crowd control spells like polymorph, Dominate Person and Fear, Trickery clerics can cover a multitude of situations.

The Channel Divinity ability for Trickery clerics is Invoke Duplicity, which summons an illusory person to distract enemies. This gives the cleric and the rest of the party advantage on attack rolls, so long as the target and the illusion are within three meters.

Trickery Clerics are similar to Rogues, especially Arcane Tricksters whose subclass also employs some illusions. These two class builds could synergize well in a party together, especially if you are trying to complete a run on Honor Mode.

Arguably the most useful aspect of the Trickery Domain is Blessing of the Trickster, a first-level ability that lets the cleric give an ally advantage on Stealth check. This really comes in handy for any BG3 party wearing heavy armor who would otherwise have disadvantage while sneaking around.

5 Nature Domain Cleric

Eilistraee, Mielikki

The Nature Domain focuses on the natural world of plants and animals and has a lot of cross-over with druids but with the bonus of heavy armor. Nature clerics even get to learn a druid cantrip at Level 1 and gain proficiency in either Animal Handling, Nature, or Survival. Nature clerics also have speak with animals permanently prepared, which they can cast as a ritual at the start of each day to make sure the party can always chat with every critter they encounter.

While the Nature Domain's first Channel Divinity ability at level two is very situational, allowing them to charm beasts and plants, the second ability at Level 6 is extremely useful. Dampen Elements allows the cleric to use Channel Divinity as a reaction to halve the damage taken when an ally gets hit with an attack that deals acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage.

At Level 8, Nature Domain clerics get another great offensive ability with their Divine Strike: Elemental Fury, which allows them to deal an extra 1d8 of cold, fire or lightning damage once per turn. This versatility between reducing and inflicting elemental damage makes the Nature Domain great for players looking for a similar playstyle to the Druid class with extra ive qualities exclusive to the Cleric.

4 War Domain Cleric

Bahamut, Corellon Larethian, Gruumsh, Lolth, Tempus, Tyr

The War Domain is all about dealing damage and buffing the party to increase their damage. Their War Priest ability lets them make another attack as a bonus action whenever the cleric uses their action to make an unarmed or weapon attack. This can be used three times per long rest, which increases at levels five, eight, and 11 to a total of six uses per long rest.

The additional attacks of the War Domain Cleric pair well with Paladins, who also gain Extra Attack at Level 5. The combined divine strikes from this subclass of Cleric and a Paladin's Smites can wipe out certain enemy types fast, such as fiends or undead.

The War Domain's Channel Divinity abilities focus on guaranteeing that attacks will land with Guided Strike at Level 2, adding a +10 bonus to the cleric's attack rolls. This is upgraded at Level 6 with War God's Blessing to allow the cleric to use their reaction to give an ally the +10 instead. War clerics get access to heavy armor as well as proficiency in martial weapons, making them great on the front line early in Baldur's Gate 3.

3 Death Domain Cleric

Kelemvor, Laduguer

The Death Domain Cleric is the newest subclass introduced in Patch 8, giving a character dominion over necromancy and undeath. This subclass gains powerful dark magic immediately at Level 1, with Necromancy cantrips in Baldur's Gate 3 like Bone Chill, False Life, and Ray of Sickness added to a Cleric's arsenal. Using the Death Domain's Reaper ability, any Necromancy cantrip that targets one creature can target an additional enemy as well.

When picking the Death Domain, Clerics gain proficiency with martial weapons, similar to the War Domain. This gives you more chances to deal more damage, both through the physical attacks and necrotic magic this subclass wields.

When getting their Channel Divinity at Level 2, Death Domain Clerics gain Touch of Death, giving them extra necrotic damage in their attacks. This ability is ed by the Level 6 feature Inescapable Destruction, which makes spells that Death Domain Clerics cast ignore resistance to necrotic damage. This plays into the Death Domain's greatest strength - the ability to always inflict necrotic damage to any type of enemy.

The Divine Strike: Necrotic ability at Level 8 adds to this playstyle by giving the Death Domain Cleric even more necrotic damage attached to their melee attacks. With powerful Necromancy spells like Animate Dead, Vampiric Touch, Blight, Death Ward, Cloudkill, and Contagion gained as this subclass levels up, it can become extremely strong with persistent necrotic attacks, undead minions, and strong debuffs on a party's foes.

2 Tempest Domain Cleric

Gruumsh, Talos

The Tempest Domain is all about lightning and thunder damage, something that is incredibly effective in Baldur's Gate 3. With access to heavy armor and martial weapons, the Tempest cleric can deal more damage than the War Domain cleric thanks to its Level 1 ability, Wrath of the Storm. This lets the cleric deal 2d8 lightning or thunder damage as a reaction when hit by an attack.

In BG3, the Wrath of the Storm ability has no limit to its number of uses, unlike the same Domain subclass that exists in the normal Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition.

The damage dealing continues to outpace any other cleric subclass with the Tempest's Channel Divinity ability at Level 2: Destructive Wrath. This lets the cleric deal max damage when dealing lightning or thunder damage, and when used effectively, can decimate enemies. This naturally pairs with Wrath of the Storm, allowing a Tempest Cleric's reaction to devastate enemies who dare to hit them.

Finally, Tempest Clerics can push enemies three meters away when dealing thunder or lightning damage and add an extra 1d8 thunder damage to weapon attacks with their Divine Strike: Tempest ability at Level 8. When used together, the Tempest Domain's abilities can dish out high amounts of damage, making them extremely useful as both buffers and DPS.

1 Life Domain Cleric

Bahamut, Corellon Larethian, Helm, Ilmater, Lathander, Selune, Yondalla

Finally, the Life Domain is the classic cleric subclass with a focus on healing and keeping allies in the fight and the best cleric subclass in BG3. Protected by heavy armor, the Life cleric has the best healing with the sole aim of buffing the rest of the party while they deal damage. With spells like Cure Wounds, Revivify, and death ward permanently prepared, there is never any chance of a Life cleric letting a companion stay down for long.

Straight away at Level 1, the Life Domain gets the feature Disciple of Life, which gives targets of their healing spells two plus the spell's level in additional hit points. Then, at Level 2, the Channel Divinity ability Preserve Life heals targets three plus the cleric's level in extra hit points.

The Life cleric can also heal themselves while healing others by Level 6 when they gain Blessed Healer, which restores two plus the spell's level in hit points whenever they cast a healing spell. The Life Domain exemplifies the traditional fantasy healer, guaranteeing that whatever Baldur's Gate 3 throws at the party, the cleric will have things well in hand.