Baldur's Gate 3: Choosing the Best Class for Your Tiefling Character

Tieflings are a popular choice for players in Baldur's Gate 3, and for good reason. With their infernal heritage, they bring a unique set of abilities to the table that can be leveraged to devastating effect in combat. But not all classes are created equal when it comes to Tieflings. In this guide, we'll explore the different Tiefling subraces and the best classes to pair with each one.

Understanding Tieflings in Baldur's Gate 3

In Dungeons & Dragons, Tieflings are humans who have descended from fiends, typically demons or devils. In Baldur's Gate 3, the Tiefling options are strictly limited to those descended from devils, as the Lawful Evil side of the underworld plays a significant role in the game. You'll even encounter a Tiefling party member early on in the form of Karlach, who is a Zariel Tiefling.

The Base Tiefling Benefits

Regardless of which Tiefling subrace you choose, you'll receive the following benefits:

• Darkvision: Your character won't be hindered by darkness, with a range of 12m.
• Hellish Resistance: You'll take half damage from all Fire attacks.

Asmodeus Tiefling in BG3

The Asmodeus Tiefling subrace offers the following benefits:

• Produce Flame: You can cast the Produce Flame Cantrip, even if you're not a spellcaster.
• Hellish Rebuke (Level 3): You can cast Hellish Rebuke once per long rest, which is a Reaction spell that hurts the enemy when you take damage.
• Darkness (Level 5): You can cast Darkness, which creates a sphere of magical darkness that blocks all sight, including Darkvision.

Mephistopheles Tiefling in BG3

The Mephistopheles Tiefling subrace offers the following benefits:

• Mage Hand: You can cast the Mage Hand Cantrip, even if you're not a spellcaster.
• Burning Hands (Level 3): You can cast Burning Hands once per long rest, which fires a fan of flames at the enemy.
• Flame Blade (Level 5): You can cast Flame Blade once per long rest, which creates a fiery scimitar that deals 3d6 damage per hit.

Zariel Tiefling in BG3

The Zariel Tiefling subrace offers the following benefits:

• Thaumaturgy: You can cast the Thaumaturgy Cantrip, even if you're not a spellcaster.
• Searing Smite (Level 3): You can cast Searing Smite once per long rest, which lets you deal additional fire damage when striking an enemy.
• Branding Smite (Level 5): You can cast Branding Smite once per long rest, which lets you deal additional radiant damage when striking an enemy.

The Best Class for Each Tiefling Subrace

Asmodeus Tiefling

The best class for an Asmodeus Tiefling is Rogue. This is because Hellish Rebuke is a great punishment counter for enemies that get too close when you're trying to Sneak Attack, and Darkness is handy whenever stealth is needed.

Mephistopheles Tiefling

The best class for a Mephistopheles Tiefling is Bard or Cleric. This is because it provides some free offensive options for these classes that will sometimes enter melee combat.

Zariel Tiefling

The Zariel Tiefling's offensive melee spells make it the easiest choice, as they best suit a melee class. Fighter is the best choice for a Zariel Tiefling, as it can make the most of the fire immunity and the offensive spells. The worst choice is a Monk, as the Smiting spells won't work with the Monk's unarmed attacks.

General Tips

While there are some classes that work well with all Tiefling subraces, such as Barbarian or Warlock, the key is to choose the class that you enjoy playing the most. With no racial stat bonuses to worry about, you have the freedom to create the character you want without worrying about min-maxing. So, don't be afraid to experiment and find the perfect combination of class and subrace that suits your playstyle.