BG3: Ultimate Guide On The BEST Skills [Top 7]
With several playthroughs under my belt, these are my top picks for the best skills in BG3.
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Skills in Baldur’s Gate 3 provide players with the means to engage effectively with the world, enabling them to achieve a variety of tasks. These abilities empower players to influence the viewpoints and stances of non-player characters (NPCs), unveil concealed spots, and determine the outcome of choices they make. Read on to find out about the best BG3 Skills that you could make your character proficient in for maximum efficiency.
- The best BG3 skills empower players to engage with the environment, influence NPCs, uncover secrets, and shape outcomes.
- BG3 has a total of 18 skills placed into six categories called “Abilities.”
- Select skills strategically; not all are equally useful, and covering a range of scenarios is wise.
- Persuasion, Deception, and Perception are crucial skills, aiding in social interactions and uncovering secrets.
- Survival aids wilderness navigation, revealing valuable resources and tracks.
- Acrobatics‘ Dexterity focus aids balance, which is valuable for exploration and combat.
- Author’s Note: After going through Baldur’s Gate 3 for more than 80 hours on Steam, I feel confident going into the topic with thorough experience.
Following is a summary of the Best Skills in Baldur’s Gate 3:
| Skill | Key Aspects And Benefits | Importance | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persuasion | Charisma-based; crucial for avoiding danger, resolving conflicts, and influencing NPCs through convincing dialogues. | Social, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution | The Best Dialogue Skill |
| Perception | Wisdom-based; constant awareness of surroundings, uncover hidden details, detect deceptive conversations, and identify threats. | Environmental Awareness, Detection, Threat Identification | The Best Exploration Skill |
| Deception | Manipulate situations by creating illusions or sowing doubt; useful for bypassing obstacles and swaying others in your favor. | Subterfuge, Obstacle Bypass, Strategic Manipulation | The Most Guilty Skill |
| Nature | Intelligence-based; provides knowledge of local plants and creatures, aiding in survival, maneuvering, and informed decisions. | Environmental Knowledge, Creature Understanding, Survival | The Best Explorer Skill |
| Athletics | Strength-based; essential for physical challenges, combat maneuvers, pushing adversaries, and creating tactical advantages. | Physical Prowess, Combat Maneuvers, Obstacle Overcoming | The Best Strength Skill |
| Acrobatics | Dexterity-focused; crucial for balance, agility challenges, and combat situations, offering an edge in exploration and battles. | Agility, Maneuverability, Combat Advantage | The Best Mobility Skill |
| Survival | Simplifies wilderness navigation; assesses surroundings for resources and tracks, aiding in gathering valuable items and clues. | Resource Gathering, Tracking, Wilderness Adaptation | The Best Foraging Skill |
7. Survival
Navigating the untamed wilderness can prove challenging and demanding. Fortunately, the Survival skill exists to simplify matters significantly. This skill operates in the background, for the most part, actively assessing the surroundings. This provides you insights into valuable resources that could be in close proximity.
You might stumble upon tracks on the ground or come across edible fruits available for gathering, among other possibilities. Should you encounter an unsuccessful Survival roll and you have a recent save, it’s advisable to reload and make another attempt. This strategy is likely to yield favorable outcomes and is usually worth your time.
- It works passively when exploring.
- Better chance to find treasure or rare loot.
- Synergizes well with Nature and Perception checks.
- Limited combat impact.
- May not always be necessary; when resources are plentiful.
6. Acrobatics
In the world of Baldur’s Gate 3, maintaining balance is crucial, often requiring characters to roll skill checks to stay on their feet. While this skill might seem less critical given Baldur’s Gate 3’s diverse problem-solving approaches, its value remains.
Dexterity is key, especially for classes like Rangers engaged in ranged combat. Proficiency in Acrobatics within the Dexterity category proves strategic. Skillful characters gracefully navigate agility challenges, not only in exploration but also in combat. Battles introduce shoving, a threat to recklessness. Those skilled in Acrobatics stand firm, avoiding deadly falls and gaining the upper hand against jostling foes.
- Improved Mobility which boosts exploration and combat.
- It pairs well with dexterity builds.
- Increased roleplay opportunities with Hero Actions.
- Only useful when navigation is difficult.
- better equipment can mimic its results.
5. Athletics
Athletics, rooted in your Strength Ability Score, holds the key to success in various challenges. Throughout Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s a skill that proves indispensable, ensuring triumph in physically demanding situations. Whether surmounting high ledges or persevering against opposing forces obstructing your path, Athletics plays a pivotal role. I mainly use it to shove away foes in melee range so Shadowheart can land some of her spells with more ease.
- Enables climbing, jumping, swimming, and overcoming challenging terrain obstacles.
- Helps you stay standing firm against enemy shoves, preventing you from being knocked prone.
- Requires investment in the Strength stat for maximum effectiveness.
- Doesn’t inflict damage itself, relying on other party members to capitalize.
4. Nature
Nature, positioned as an Intelligence-based skill, unveils essential knowledge about particular plants indigenous to specific locales, unraveling insights into their characteristics and potential applications. Equally vital is the skill’s ability to illuminate the presence of formidable and potentially hazardous creatures dwelling in the vicinity.
- Allows you to identify and collect useful plants, providing valuable crafting materials.
- Helps you recognize local creatures, and understand their behaviors and potential threats.
- Grants insights into weather patterns, terrain hazards, and natural landmarks.
- It is less than useful in combat.
- Information gathering happens passively, only through exploration.
3. Deception
Deception stands as another important social skill in your toolkit. When confronted by an obstructing guard, this skill empowers you to create the illusion of imminent turmoil that demands immediate attention, even if no real disturbance exists.
I named it the most guilty skill because most of the deception dialogue in BG3 is extremely twisted, making you extremely guilty for any unfortunate outcomes.
- Help you avoid combat but lying your way through interactions.
- It pairs well with Charisma traits.
- It can sometimes have very negative outcomes.
- Not the best for keeping a good relationship with most companions.
2. Perception
In the expansive realm of Baldur’s Gate 3, the skill of Perception shines as a vital cornerstone, transcending class boundaries. Regardless of your chosen path, proficiency in this Wisdom-based skill is a non-negotiable asset. Its significance lies in fostering constant awareness of your surroundings, granting the ability to unravel environmental secrets and pierce through deceptive conversations.
- Allows you to uncover hidden entrances, buttons, or levers.
- One of the most versatile skill with dialogue and exploration utility.
- Extremely dependent on Wisdom stats.
- Does not directly impact any combat situation.
1. Persuasion
In the world of Baldur’s Gate 3, being charismatic is akin to wielding a powerful weapon. Your words possess the ability to steer you away from danger and unpleasant encounters, making Persuasion a paramount skill intrinsically tied to the Charisma attribute. This skill resonates as the pinnacle of social interaction, adeptly navigating scenarios where lying or threats might sow seeds of future conflict.
It is my personal favorite skill because of how much utility it has out of combat and how often it comes in handy when I need to get my Tav out of trouble.
- It is useful in most dialogue options.
- It can help avoid very difficult boss fights,
- Can replace other dialogue checks with Charisma stats.
- Extremely dependant on Charisma stats.
- Not that useful in combat.
My Thoughts
I am a fan of casters so my bias lies towards Perception and Persuasion. However, regardless of what build you opt for, you should always select a few skills that complement your combat and some that complement your roleplay dialogue. Namely, have at least one person in your party who is good with persuasion if you want to avoid some troublesome fights.
Each skill is a tool that empowers you to interact with the world in distinct ways, from mastering the art of animal communication with Animal Handling to navigating the intricacies of magic with Arcana. You can check the BG3 review by Huzaifa to see how to synergize them into your builds effectively.
As you explore the vast world of Baldur’s Gate 3, your proficiency in these skills will determine your success in battles, negotiations, and uncovering hidden gems. So, choose wisely, hone your abilities, and embark on an unforgettable adventure where your skills become the key to unlocking the full potential of your character.
Next Up:
- Baldur’s Gate 3: All Romance Options
- Baldur’s Gate 3: BEST Magic Items
- Baldur’s Gate 3: BEST Builds
- Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Classes Tier List
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