Baldur's Gate 3's final big update, Patch 8, just introduced new subclasses to the game. If you've already played Baldur's Gate 3, I'm sure you're just as eager as I was to test out these new options for building your character. As a Dungeons & Dragons player, I know I was particularly excited to try out one of my favorite classes from the TTRPG now that it's been added in Patch 8. Of course, you'll need to know how to unlock these new subclasses if you want to test them out.

Patch 8 has added 12 new subclasses to Baldur's Gate 3, which is one new option for every playable class in the game. No matter what your favorite class is, you now have a new way to build it, and there are also a lot more tools for multiclassing thanks to these new additions. Accessing these subclasses works similarly for all of them, though there are some differences based on which class you're playing.

All New Subclasses In Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8

There Are 12 New Subclasses Added In Patch 8

Baldur's Gate 3's new subclasses introduce a lot of interesting new builds to play around with. For instance, the Arcane Archer is the first Fighter subclass that is entirely devoted to using ranged weapons. While making an archer fighter was always a possibility, getting a dedicated subclass like this is a nice option for players wanting to go that route. You can see a full list of new subclasses added in Patch 8 below:

• Path of the Giant Barbarian
• College of Glamour Bard
• Death Domain Cleric
• Circle of Stars Druid
• Arcane Archer Fighter
• Way of the Drunken Master Monk
• Oath of the Crown Paladin
• Swamkeeper Ranger
• Swashbuckler Rogue
• Shadow Magic Sorcerer
• Hexblade Warlock
• Bladesinging Wizard

One of the new subclasses I was particularly excited about was the Swashbuckler Rogue, a subclass I love playing in Dungeons & Dragons. It gives you some extra moves that benefit from a high Charisma score, making it a great chance for Rogue players who also like to build around social skills like Persuasion. It also gives you an extra way to Disengage and new Sneak Attack mechanics that make you more of a brash duelist than a shadowy assassin.

The nice thing about Baldur's Gate 3 giving you so many party to play around with is that you can experiment with multiple of these builds at once without having to start a ton of new playthroughs. I'm looking forward to testing out the Giant Barbarian subclass with Karlach, as the idea of tossing enemies around sounds like a lot of fun. Some of these classes also introduce interesting new utility skills. The Way of the Drunken Master, for instance, is a good way to put all the alcohol you find in the game to use outside just rations.

Overall, I'm excited about all the new build possibilities that these subclasses open up, and I can't wait to see what Baldur's Gate 3's expert brewers come up with. Of course, before you can start experimenting with these new subclasses, you'll need to unlock them. Luckily, the process is relatively easy, and some will be available right away depending on your class.

How To Unlock All The New Subclasses In BG3

Baldur's Gate 3 Subclasses Unlock At Different Levels Depending On Class

Like the subclasses that were already in Baldur's Gate 3, these new ones are unlocked by reaching the right level. A few of them are available as soon as you start building your character, depending on what class you choose. You can also unlock multiple subclasses by multiclassing for enough levels to unlock them. For any class that starts with a subclass, you'll just need to dip one level into them to gain access to them while multiclassing. A list of when each new Patch 8 subclass gets unlocked can be seen below:

For casters like Sorcerers, Warlocks, Clerics, and Paladins, it makes sense for them to choose their subclass at level one, because this determines where their magic comes from. In the lore of Dungeons & Dragons, and by extension Baldur's Gate 3, these classes all rely on a specific outside source for their magical abilities. This is in stark contrast with characters like Wizards who teach themselves magic, and therefore it makes sense to pick a specialty later on.

Martial classes are some of the last to get their subclasses, but they also have very powerful early-game abilities without them. A Rogue, for instance, can already do Sneak Attack damage before taking a subclass. I've always appreciated having a class that you get to learn the basics of first before being forced to specialize further. Of course, Baldur's Gate 3 makes it easy to respec if you don't end up liking what you choose. This will also come in handy if you're looking to test out multiple of the new subclasses without wanting to make and level multiple characters.