Of all the classes available to play inBaldur’s Gate 3few rely on brute strength more than the barbarian. Often, the tanks of the party, the classic barbarian, are capable of not only taking tons of damage but dealing it out as well. WhileBG3offers lots of great items that barbarians can make use of, there are a few that stand out as particularly helpful for these formidable warriors.
MostBaldur’s Gate 3parties will have a barbarian, with Karlach fulfilling that role for many. So knowing how they work, whatfeats are best for a barbarian, and what gear suits their unique abilities is key for anyBG3playthrough. Focusing on their Rage, damage, and Unarmoured Defence, these great items will help Karlach or any barbarian give their very best in every fight.
15Boots Of Speed - Rare Boots
Can Be Given In Act 1 By Thulla Or Looted From Sergeant Thrinn
Barbarians have some of the best movement speed andmobility inBG3, along with monks, allowing them to reposition themselves during combat to get where they are needed most. The Boots of Speed are great for any class but especially useful for melee fighters, as they have the feature Click Heels.
Feature
Boots of Speed
Click Heels: As a bonus action speed is doubled, enemies have disadvantage on attacks of opportunity.
This allows the wearer toactivate the boots once per turn as a bonus action and double their movement speed. For barbarians, this is a perfect way to zip around the battlefield to intercept enemies without having to use their action for Dash.
14Cap Of Wrath - Rare Helmet
Can Be Looted In Act 1 From Thudd In Grymforge
Being the party’s tanks, barbarians can often find themselves with fewer hit points than other members of their group and theCap Of Wrathis the perfect way to take advantage of that. While wearing it,if the barbarian starts their turn with 50% of their hit points or less, they will gain the Wrath condition for two turns. With Wrath, the barbarian will have a plus one bonus to melee weapon damage and this can stack with other items that give the same condition, such as theBloodguzzler Garb.
The Cap of Wrath is dropped by Thudd, who will side with the party along with Brithvar against Nere. To get the Cap of Wrath, Thudd will need to be killed, which is best done after the fight with Nere and his allies.
13Blooded Greataxe - Rare Greataxe
Can Be Purchased in Act 1 From Roah Moonglow
Another item that makes excellent use of the barbarian’s tendency to have low hit points in combat is theBlooded Greataxe. As with the Cap of Wrath, this greataxe’s feature will trigger if the barbarian is at 50% health or lower. However, the focus of this item is pure damage. The Blooded Greataxe’s Relentless Revenge feature means thatthe barbarian will deal an extra 1d4 slashing damage to targets when at low health. When combined with the axe’s 1d12 plus one, the barbarian’s Strength modifier, and Rage damage, it all adds up to a tremendous early-game weapon.
12Bracers Of Defence - Rare Gloves
Can Be Found In Act 1 In The Secret Area Of The Apothecary’s Cellar
At first level, barbarians gain Unarmoured Defence, which allows them to add their Constitution modifier to their AC along with their Dexterity while they are not wearing any armor. TheBracers of Defenceare the perfect complement to this class feature, as they also boost the wearer’s AC so long as they are not wearing armor. With Become the Bulwark,the wearer will gain a plus two to AC while not wearing armor or using a shield, which can easily help push up any barbarian’s AC high enough to rival thebest heavy armor.
11Gloves Of The Growling Underdog - Uncommon Gloves
Can Be Looted In Act 1 From Dror Ragzlin’s Treasure Horde
A good barbarian should always be in the thick of the action, surrounded by enemies and taking the hit to protect the squishier members of the party. TheGloves of the Growling Underdogare perfect for any tank or melee character for just this reason, as theygive the wearer advantage on melee attacks while two or more enemies surround them. Found as part of Dror Ragzlin’s horde in Act 1, these gloves also give a plus one to Strength saving throws and can be used alongside Unarmoured Defence.
10The Mighty Cloth - Rare Clothing
Can Be Purchased In Act 2 From Quartermaster Talli
The Mighty Clothwas designed with barbarians in mind, with all of its features fitting nicely with their combat role. The Mighty Cloth lives up to its name by increasing the wearer’s Strength score by two and permanently granting them Bull’s Strength, which doubles the amount they can carry and gives an advantage on Strength checks. While wearing this clothing,the barbarian cannot be pushed against their will and will have advantage on saving throws against being restrained. The Mighty Cloth also has the Bull Rush feature, which allows the barbarian to charge forward and knock enemies prone.
9Sussur Greatsword - Rare Greatsword
Can Be Crafted In Act 1 In The Blacksmith’s Forge
One of the trickiest foes a barbarian can face are spellcasters, who can utilize spells likeHold PersonorTasha’s Hideous Laughterto take them out of the fight. TheSussur Greatswordis a fantastic early-game weapon that can be crafted during the quest"Finish the Masterwork Weapon.“What makes the Sussur Greatsword a good choice is thattargets hit with it will be silenced, leaving them unable to cast spells or call for backup.Player 1 Gaminghas a great walkthrough on YouTube showing how to complete the quest to gain this awesome weapon.
8Ring Of Regeneration - Very Rare Ring
Can Be Bought In Act 3 From Sorcerous Sundries
Being a tank isn’t an easy job and there will be times when the party’s barbarian is looking a little worse for wear. TheRing of Regenerationis a fantastic solution as itheals its wearer 1d4 hit points at the start of their turn when in combat. I paired this with thePeriapt of Wound Closureduring my end-game battle against the Netherbrain for Karlach, and it really made the difference and saved my cleric some vital spell slots. The Ring of Regeneration isn’t cheap but worth the gold and can be picked up from Sorcerous Sundries.
Completing"Find the Nightsong"will mean theitem can be permanently lost, so it is best to buy the ring from Rolan or Lorroakan’s Projection before the battle between Lorroakan and Aylin.
7Gauntlets Of Hill Giant Strength - Very Rare Gloves
Can Be Looted In Act 3 From House Of Hope
Barbarians are the heavy hitters of most parties, swinging massive weapons to devastate their foes and theGauntlets of Hill Giant Strengthare perfect for this. These rare gloves can be found in the Archive of the House of Hope, andRPG Divisionhas a great walkthrough of all the loot, including the Gauntlets. While wearing these gloves,the barbarian’s Strength score will be increased to 23, and they’ll get a plus one bonus to Strength saving throws. Helisk will ask for these as payment to access the House of Hope, but they can be pickpocketed from her.
Technically, these should be named Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength, as frost giants have a Strength score of 23, whereas hill giants only have one of 21.
6Bonespike Boots - Very Rare Boots
Can be Looted In Act 3 From A Trapped Chest On Western Beach
The Bonespike Boots are another great example of equipment that synergizes with the barbarian’s Unarmoured Defence. With these boots, the wearer will have aplus one bonus to AC, saving throws while not wearing any armor or using a shieldand an increased jump distance.
Features
Bonespike Boots
Plus one to AC and saving throws while not wearing armor or using a shield. Jump distance is increased by 1.5 meters/5 feet. Brutal Leap: leap at a target with the chance to knock it prone.
The boots also have a feature Brutal Leap which allows the wearer to leap at enemies and knock them prone. The Bonespike Boots are a little tricky to find in a secluded pathway butrAAZhas a video showing the complete path to get them.
