Best BG3 Karlach Build – Maximum Damage!
Welcome to the best BG3 Karlach Build For this BG3 Karlach Berserker Build we will be using the Berserker subclass, a powerful melee fighter who can go into a Frenzy to deal very high damage to enemies.
Please visit our Best BG3 Builds overview page for more builds. You can also find our Best BG3 Barbarian Build if you want to create a custom character. To get an overview of all classes please visit the BG3 Classes overview page.
Our BG3 Karlach Build quickly grows in power as she levels up, becoming able to perform three attacks each turn by the time she hits Level 5. This allows her to reliably outperform many other characters in terms of raw damage output. The Karlach Berserker Build works for both PC and Console (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S).
Table of Contents for the BG3 Karlach Build:
- Introduction to the Karlach Build
- Karlach Build Leveling Progression
- Karlach Equipment
- Karlach Build Extras and Tips & Tricks
Pros BG3 Karlach Build
- Strong melee attacks
- Potential for multiple attacks per turn
- Make some attacks with Bonus Actions
- Use Rage to buff yourself or Frighten enemies
- Resistant to damage while Raging
Cons BG3 Karlach Build
- No spellcasting options
- Linear class progression – few customisation choices
BG3 Barbarian Class Guide
We’ll be sticking with Karlach’s default class – the Barbarian. This is a powerful melee-focused class that focuses on overwhelming enemies with brute force and rage.
The Barbarian plays fairly similarly to the Fighter, but instead has access to the Rage mechanic. Barbarians get Rage Charges which are replenished every Long Rest. Raging Barbarians deal more damage with their attacks, but will be unable to use some Actions while in this state. The Rage lasts for up to 10 turns, but will end if a full turn passes without your Barbarian either dealing or taking damage. You can also choose to end the Rage early.
The default effects of Rage are:
- 50% Resistance to all physical damage
- Extra damage dealt on melee and thrown attacks
- Advantage on Strength checks and Saving Throws
Each Barbarian subclass will add more effects to the Rage, which helps to set them apart from each other.
While they may seem brutish compared to the Fighter class, Barbarians are not to be underestimated, and when set up properly they can cause total carnage, dispatching weaker enemies with ease and ensuring that stronger enemies have their hands full. Barbarians also value their mobility more than the Fighter class, and cannot wear Heavy Armour.
At higher levels, the Barbarian can roll an additional damage dice when they land a Critical Hit, which makes for an especially good combination with the Half-Orc race, which will double up on this effect. They can also avoid death once per Short Rest, restoring 1 HP instead of being Downed when their HP runs out (only works when Raging).
We’ll now take a quick look at the Barbarian subclasses, and explain which one we’re using and why.
Why We’re Using the Berserker Subclass
While it is the simplest Barbarian subclass, we also found the Berserker to be the strongest on average, simply due to its ability to attack more frequently than the other Barbarian subclasses, which increases your damage output.
Being able to use Frenzied Strike and Enraged Throw to attack with a Bonus Action is already a great boost, and it synergises really well with other effects like Hastened (from the Haste spell or a Potion of Speed) and Bloodlust (from the Elixr of Bloodlust). We’ll explain these more at the end of the guide, but they both allow your Barbarian to attack more often, and using these buffs in tough fights can swing things in your favour.
There’s not much else to explain here – there is no great secret to the Berserker; it’s just more aggressive than the other Barbarian subclasses and turns the primal rage up to 11, which feels perfect for this class and maximises Karlach’s damage output.
How to Recruit Karlach in BG3
Karlach can be recruited early in BG3. She is located here close to the Emerald Grove.
- After crashing onto the beach head to the Emerald Grove.
- Complete the Goblin raid at the Emerald Grove entrance.
- Walk past the Emerald Grove and follow the path until you reach a bridge.
- Cross the bridge and then turn right into the Forest area.
- Walk past Scratch the dog , there will be a gap in the tree boundary that leads to the river.
- Use your Jump action to jump across the river.
- On the other side, climb up the rocks and then turn to the right.
- Walk down the path until you see Karlach and talk to her.
How (and Why) to Respec Karlach in BG3
When recruited to your party as a companion, Karlach will start off with a sub-optimal Ability and Skill distribution, and I highly recommend fixing this as soon as possible. To do this, you need to respec Karlach. Before you can respec, you must find Withers, a special NPC who is recruited to your camp. (If you chose Karlach in Character Creation, then you can set her Abilities and Skills immediately and don’t need to respec her, but you should still go and recruit Withers anyway).
To find Withers, recruit a full party, then head to the Refectory Ruins, roughly north of where you washed up on the beach. Enter the ruins either by brute force, stealth or sweet-talking the bandits outside. Then fight your way through and find the Skull Lever to open the secret door to gain access to the Dank Crypt. If you can’t find the Skull Lever, you can instead go back outside and head to the side-entrance mentioned above. You’ll need to Lockpick your way through if you go this way.
Once inside the Dank Crypt, head to the room with the skeletons and open a second secret door. This will cause several skeletons to attack you. Defeat them and head into the small room you opened. Interact with the big coffin and you will meet a friendly but mysterious skeleton called Withers. After you leave the Dank Crypt, he will make his way to your camp. If he’s not there immediately, be patient, he will show up sooner or later.
Once he is in your camp, speak to him as Karlach and ask him to change your class. This costs 100 gold. Then proceed with the build guide below, starting at Level 1 and working your way through any level-ups you did while finding Withers.
Level 1 – BG3 Karlach Build Starting Stats
In this section, we will look at the ideal starting situation for the BG3 Karlach Build. If you start with Karlach as your Origin character, you can select the recommended attributes during the character creation. Otherwise, you will need to respec Karlach by speaking to Withers in your camp. To do this, you must first find Withers in the hidden room in the Dank Crypt.
Race
Karlach is a Zariel Tiefling. This race is fairly well suited to a melee-fighter like Karlach thanks to the Smite Spells that you can use.
Zariel Tieflings get the following bonuses:
- Darkvision – Passive ability to see in the dark, negating any combat penalties that usually occur when attacking a target in a dark area.
- Hellish Resistance – You gain Resistance to Fire damage.
- Thaumaturgy – This cantrip allows you to gain Advantage on Intimidation and Performance Checks.
- Searing Smite – From Level 3, you can use this spell once per Long Rest to add extra Fire Damage to your weapon attack.
- Branding Smite – From Level 5, you can use this spell once per Long Rest to add extra Radiant Damage to your weapon attack.
Note that you cannot use any Cantrips or Spells while you are Enraged.
Skills & Background
Karlach is locked into the Outlander Background, which gives her the following skill Proficiencies:
- Athletics (STR) – Makes Karlach better at pushing enemies, and helps her to resist being pushed. A good fit for Karlach, since we’ll be building her Strength as high as possible.
- Survival (WIS) – Helps Karlach to find hidden supplies and treasure while exploring. This isn’t well suited as we won’t be putting many points into Wisdom, but every time you pass some buried treasure, all four party members roll a Survival check, so this could still be helpful even though it’s not a perfect fit.
You can choose two more Skills to be Proficient with, from a limited set of options available to the Barbarian class. We recommend going with the following two Skills:
- Animal Handling (WIS) – As a Wisdom Skill, this isn’t a perfect fit for Karlach. However, we don’t have any Strength or Dexterity Skills available to pick here, so we’re just making the best of what we’re given. Animal Handling is handy in occasional dialogue checks for taming or calming down animals, although the need for it can often be bypassed if someone in your party has the Speak with Animals spell (or drinks a potion that grants the same effect).
- Perception (WIS) – Helps Karlach to spot hidden details in the world, and in the behaviour of some NPCs during dialogue.
Abilities
The most important Abilities for the Barbarian are Strength, which increases your melee attack efficacy and Strength-related skills like Athletics, Constitution for the boost to your HP that it provides, and Dexterity which improves your Armour Class and Initiative Rolls (Initiative makes you more likely to move before other characters on any given turn).
With the remaining points, we opted to put a couple of extra points into Wisdom since we are Proficient in a lot of Wisdom-based Skills. However, you can opt to distribute these more evenly if you want.
Go for an Ability allocation that looks something like this:
- Strength – 16
- Dexterity – 14
- Constitution – 16
- Intelligence – 8
- Wisdom – 12
- Charisma – 8
Bold Abilities are essential for the build, while the others can be tweaked if you want.
Karlach Barbarian Rage
Before you get into the game, it’s good to understand how the Barbarian’s Rage mechanic works at this point.
From the beginning of the game, the Barbarian is able to go into a Rage by using a Bonus Action in combat. Rage adds an extra 2 points of damage to your attacks with melee weapons (including weapon throws), 50% Resistance to Physical Damage, and an Advantage on Strength Checks and Saving Throws.
Rage can last for up to 10 turns, but it will end early if you go for a turn without attacking or taking damage. Note that while the Barbarian isn’t a class associated with Spellcasting, it’s still worth mentioning that you cannot cast or concentrate on Spells while Raging.
You start with 2 charges of Rage, which must be replenished by taking a Long Rest.
Early-Game Levelling Guide for the BG3 Karlach Build
We’ll now go through the early-game portion of levelling up for our BG3 Karlach Build, starting with levels 2-4.
Level 2 – BG3 Karlach Build
At Level 2, Karlach gains a couple of new abilities that are great for combat in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Reckless Attack
First of all you unlock a new Action called Reckless Attack. This is a melee attack that will also give you Advantage on all subsequent attacks on the same turn. This isn’t an amazing ability right now, but as you level up and unlock the ability to make multiple attacks per turn, you’re going to get increasingly high value out of it because your hit chance will stay higher for the rest of your turn.
Danger Sense
Danger Sense is a passive ability gained by Level 2 Karlach. It gives you an Advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws against traps, spells and surfaces. Since we put 14 points into Dexterity this will be particularly useful for us. You should find yourself reliably succeeding on Dexterity Saving Throws. Note that Danger Sense will not work if your senses are impaired, i.e. you are Blinded, Deafened or Incapacitated.
Level 3 – BG3 Karlach Build
At Level 3 it is time to choose your Barbarian Subclass. As mentioned above, we’ll be going with the Berserker for this build. The Berserker further builds upon the Barbarian’s Rage mechanic, facilitating a highly aggressive playstyle that can cause some serious damage to enemies.
Rage Charges
At Level 3, Karlach unlocks an extra Rage charge, meaning you can now enter a Rage three times before you must replenish the charges with a Long Rest.
Frenzy
Frenzy is the Berserker’s version of the Rage mechanic. It basically works in the same way as described above, except that being Frenzied also grants use of two powerful Bonus Actions on subsequent turns (as long as you remain Frenzied).
These bonus actions are:
- Frenzied Strike: As a bonus action, make a melee attack with your equipped weapon, dealing Weapon Damage.
- Enraged Throw: As a bonus action, pick up an item or creature and throw it at a target, dealing Bludgeoning damage and knocking it Prone. The damage depends on your Strength and the weight of the item. Your Strength also affects how much weight you can throw.
What makes these abilities really strong is the fact that they are Bonus Actions. This means you can now perform two attacks per turn reliably, as long as you maintain your Frenzy. This is pretty crazy for a Level 3 Character – Karlach is already becoming quite a force to be reckoned with and we’ve barely gotten started.
Level 4 – BG3 Karlach Build
As with all other classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, at Level 4 it’s time to choose a Feat for the Karlach Build.
Feats are extra passive buffs for your character, which can help to make your build more defined or simply push up your Ability Stats.
Here we’ll go with the Ability Improvement Feat, which gives you 2 extra points to distribute between your Abilities. We recommend putting both of the points into Strength. This should give you 18 Strength in total, improving your weapon Attack Rolls.
There’s not much else to say here. The Berserker gains nothing else at Level 4 besides standard stuff, like an increase in HP.
Mid-Game Levelling Guide for the BG3 Karlach Build
Next, we’ll look at the mid-game levelling process, covering levels 5-8.
Level 5 – BG3 Karlach Build
At Level 5 our BG3 Karlach Build gets another huge step up in terms of how powerful it is. While there aren’t any options to choose from at this level, you do gain a bunch of new abilities that ramp up your power:
Increased Proficiency Bonus
You will now get a +3 bonus to Skills you are Proficient at, rather than +2. Not huge, but a nice all-around buff.
Extra Attack
Since Level 3 we were already able to make an extra attack each turn using a Bonus Action, provided we kept our Frenzy going. Well now you get an extra Action too, meaning you can make three attacks each turn when you are Frenzied, and two when you are not.
At this point it’s also worth reminding you of the Reckless Attack that you unlocked at Level 2. You can use it at the start of your turn to get an Advantage on the attacks from your second Action and Bonus Action.
Fast Movement
As another added bonus, you also gain an extra 1.5 metres per turn of Movement Speed.
Level 6 – BG3 Karlach Build
At Level 6 you’ll gain an extra Rage charge, giving you four in total.
You’ll also unlock the Mindless Rage feature, which gives you immunity to Charmed, Frightened and Calm Emotions while you are raging.
Frightened is a very common condition in Baldur’s Gate 3 which is particularly problematic for melee characters, as it causes you to be immobile. So being immune to this is very handy.
Level 7 – BG3 Karlach Build
At Level 7 Karlach unlocks Feral Instinct – she is always ready for battle at a second’s notice.
This means Karlach can no longer be Surprised by enemy ambushes, and will gain a +3 bonus to her Initiative, so she’ll get to take their turn before most other characters.
Level 8 – BG3 Karlach Build
At Level 8 you must select another Feat for the BG3 Karlach Build.
Here, I recommend choosing Ability Improvement again and once again putting both of the points into Strength.
This should give you 20 Strength, improving your melee weapon Attack Rolls even more. You’ll also perform even better at Strength-based Skills like Athletics.
Late-Game Levelling Guide – BG3 Karlach Build
Finally, we’ll walk through the late-game portion of levelling the Karlach Berserker Build – Levels 9-12.
Level 9 – BG3 Karlach Build
At Level 9 your Proficiency bonus is improved to +4, meaning you’ll now get a +4 bonus to all dice rolls with skills and weapons that you are Proficient with.
You’ll also unlock the Brutal Critical feature, which rolls an additional damage die when you land a Critical Hit, on top of the critical die that is rolled by default.
This will further improve your damage output when you are lucky and roll a Critical hit.
Level 10 – BG3 Karlach Build
At Level 10 Karlach will unlock the Intimidating Presence ability.
This lets you spend an Action to intimidate a target within 30 metres of you. They must succeed a Wisdom Saving Throw or they will be Frightened, preventing them from moving and giving them a Disadvantage on their Attack Rolls.
It can sometimes be a bit tricky to get effects like this to land reliably on strong enemies as they tend to have high stats and therefore quite good at Saving Throws. But keep an eye out for good opportunities to use this anyway.
Level 11 – BG3 Karlach Build
At Level 11 of your BG3 Karlach Build you’ll unlock the Relentless Rage feature, which makes your Barbarian harder to bring down.
Upon reaching 0 HP, you’ll heal to 1 HP instead of being Downed. This can only happen once per Short Rest.
Level 12 – BG3 Karlach Build
At Level 12 you’ll need to choose one more Feat for your character.
Get the Savage Attacker Feat, which will cause all damage dice on Karlach’s melee attacks to roll twice, automatically choosing the highest rolling result each time. This has the effect of significantly increasing Karlach’s average damage output.
Endgame Respec for Karlach
With this build, it is most optimal to do a second respec at some point in Act III. The reason for this becomes clear in our Late-Game Equipment section below – we are using the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength, which sets Karlach’s Strength Ability score to 23, with the option of also using the Amulet of Greater Health, which sets her Constitution to 23 if you decide to use this too.
Whether you use one or both of these items, since they set Karlach’s Strength and/or Constitution to 23 regardless of what it otherwise would be, this means you can redistribute all of the points you put into these Abilities during the initial Level 1 respec and subsequent level-ups.
Therefore, when you’ve obtained one or both of the items and equipped them on Karlach, I recommend doing a second Respec. Do everything the same as before, except you can redistribute the Ability points and Ability Improvement Feats to other Abilities. For example, you could put the points into Dexterity to improve Karlach’s Armour Class, into Constitution (if you decide to only use the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength) to improve her HP, or into Wisdom to improve some of her Skills and Saving Throws.
You could also replace one (or both of) the Ability Improvement Feats that we previously took. The best option to use instead is probably Great Weapon Master, which gives you a toggleable passive that buffs your melee damage by +10 at the cost of a -5 malus to your Attack Rolls (accuracy), and can be turned on and off at will.
Other useful Feat options for Karlach are:
- Mobile – Increases your Movement Speed, stops Difficult Terrain from slowing you down and lets you move away from an enemy you just attacked without provoking an Opportunity Attack.
- Sentinel – You have Advantage on Opportunity Attacks, and your Opportunity Attacks will snare their victim, putting an early end to their turn. You can also spend a Reaction to attack an enemy who is attacking your ally, if they are in melee range.
- Skilled – Gain Proficiency in any 3 Skills of your choice.
- Alert – You gain a +5 Initiative bonus and cannot be Surprised.
Having said all of this, you will probably manage fine if you don’t do this respec, but it is definitely more optimal and can be seen as a waste of ability points if we do not do it.
Equipment for the BG3 Karlach Build
In this section, we will list the best equipment for the BG3 Karlach Build. We have provided both an early-game and a late-game version of the list, so you can begin using the build early in the game instead of having to wait until Act III.
We have also included information about each item below the tables, such as how to obtain the item and any other notable information.
Don’t worry if your set-up is not exactly the same as one of those outlined below – the build will still work fine if you’re missing some of the items. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment with new items if you find something else that you like.
Early Game Equipment
Early-game equipment is found in either Act I or the earlier parts of Act II.
| Slot | Icon | Item | Effects | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head |  |
Cap of Wrath |
|
Dropped by Thudd in the Grymforge |
| Cloak |  |
Cloak of Protection |
|
Purchased from Quartermaster Talli in Last Light Inn |
| Chest |  |
Adamantine Scale Mail |
|
Must be crafted at the Adamantine Forge. |
| Gloves |  |
Gloves of the Growling Underdog |
|
Looted from Dror Ragzlin’s treasure crates in the Shattered Sanctum. |
| Boots |  |
Boots of Genial Striding |
|
Purchased from Blurg in the Myconid Colony, in the Underdark |
| Necklace |  |
Amulet of Misty Step |
|
Located in a chest in the Defiled Temple, near the Ogre called Polma. |
| Ring 1 |  |
Ring of Protection |
|
Steal the Sacred Idol in Druid Grove (quest) |
| Ring 2 |  |
Crusher’s Ring |
|
Looted from Crusher in the Goblin Camp. |
| Main Weapon |  |
Blooded Greataxe |
|
Purchased from either Grat the Trader in the Goblin Camp or Roah Moonglow in Shattered Sanctum |
| Second Weapon | Any Ranged Weapon |
|
N/A |
Cap of Wrath
When you start your turn with less than 50% HP remaining, you gain 2 turns of Wrath. Each remaining turn of Wrath increases your weapon damage by 1. Maximum 7 turns. The Cap of Wrath is dropped by Thudd in the Grymforge.
Cloak of Protection
The Cloak of Protection is one of the earliest cloaks available in the game, and provides a modest defensive buff – you gain a +1 bonus to your Armour Class and Saving Throws when wearing it. It can be purchased from Quartermaster Talli in Last Light Inn.
Adamantine Scale Mail
The Adamantine Scale Mail is a powerful piece of medium armour that can be obtained fairly early in the game. It reduces all incoming damage by 1 point, makes you immune to critical hits and inflicts an Attack Roll penalty to any enemies who hit you.
It is crafted in the Adamantine Forge in the Grymforge area of Act I. You need to find the Scale Mail Mould and some Mithral Ore in the vicinity of the forge in order to craft the Adamantine Scale Mail.
Gloves of the Growling Underdog
The Gloves of the Growling Underdog give you Advantage on your Attack Rolls when you are surrounded by 2 or more foes. Advantage means that you will roll 2 dice for your Attack Roll and use the one that rolled with the highest number, considerably improving your chances of a good roll. You also get a +1 bonus to Strength Saving Throws. These gloves can be looted from Dror Ragzlin’s treasure crates in the Shattered Sanctum.
Boots of Genial Striding
The Boots of Genial Striding prevent difficult terrain (such as spikes, mud and grease) from reducing your Movement Speed. However, beware that these boots will not negate any other harmful effects from a surface, such as damage from spikes or the chance to slip over when walking on ice. They can be purchased from Blurg in the Myconid Colony, in the Underdark (Act I).
Amulet of Misty Step
The Amulet of Misty Step grants you access to the Misty Step spell, which allows you to teleport to a visible location within 18 metres, for a Bonus Action. This is great for quickly closing the gap to an enemy so you can get into melee where this build is at its strongest, or for escaping from a bad situation. The Amulet is located in a chest in the Defiled Temple, near the Ogre called Polma.
Crusher’s Ring
Crusher’s Ring simply increases your Movement Speed by 3 metres per turn. This is another useful item for closing the gap to enemies quickly so that you can spend your turns dealing melee damage instead of running between targets. The ring is looted from Crusher in the Goblin Camp.
Ring of Protection
The Ring of Protection has the same effect as the Cloak of Protection – it improves your Armour Class and Saving Throws by +1. It is awarded to you by Mol for completing the quest to steal the Sacred Idol in the Druid’s Grove.
Blooded Greataxe
We recommend the Blooded Greataxe because it is a highly damaging weapon that can be obtained very early in the game. Greataxes in general are excellent DPS weapons since they come with a 1d12 die, the largest damage die in the game for weapons. The Blooded Greataxe grants your melee weapon attacks an extra 1d4 Slashing Damage whenever you are below 50% Health. In the hands of a strong melee class like the Barbarian, this weapon will carry you well into Act II even if you’re a complete beginner at the game.
This weapon can be purchased from either Grat the Trader in the Goblin Camp or Roah Moonglow in Shattered Sanctum. If the weapon does not appear in their wares, try Long Resting which will reshuffle the vendor items. You don’t need to spend any camp supplies on a Long Rest for this purpose.
Late Game Equipment
Late Game equipment can be found in the latter parts of Act II, and Act III. This is the most powerful version of the build, with access to the best items in the game.
| Slot | Icon | Item | Effects | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head |  |
Helm of Balduran |
|
Defeat Ansur the dragon below Wyrm’s Crossing. See below for more details. |
| Cloak |  |
Cloak of Elemental Absorption |
|
Looted from an Opulent Chest inside Ketheric Thorm’s Chambers |
| Chest | |
Adamantine Scale Mail |
|
Must be crafted at the Adamantine Forge. |
| Gloves |  |
Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength |
|
Taken from a pedestal in the archive of the House of Hope. |
| Boots |  |
Boots of Persistence |
|
Buy from Dammon in the Forge of the Nine |
| Necklace |  |
Amulet of Greater Health |
|
Can be taken from a pedestal in the archive of the House of Hope. |
| Ring 1 | |
Ring of Protection |
|
Steal the Sacred Idol in Druid Grove (quest) |
| Ring 2 |  |
Killer’s Sweetheart |
|
Found inside the Self-Same Trial in the Gauntlet of Shar. |
| Main Weapon |  |
Balduran’s Giantslayer |
|
Looted from Ansur in the Dragon’s Sanctum |
| Second Weapon | Any Ranged Weapon |
|
N/A |
Helm of Balduran
The strongest helmet in BG3, the Helm of Balduran prevents enemies from landing Critical Hits on you, prevents you from being Stunned, heals you for 2 HP per turn, and gives a +1 bonus to Armour Class and Saving Throws. Obtaining this item is a multi-stage process – we wrote a detailed guide on how to find it.
Cloak of Elemental Absorption
Once per Short Rest, the Cloak of Elemental Absorption will absorb elemental damage, and infuse your next attack with 1d6 of that damage type. This is a fairly minor effect, but it can still generate a nice damage boost. It can be looted from an Opulent Chest inside Ketheric Thorm’s Chambers in Moonrise Towers.
Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength
The Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength increase your Strength to 23, and give you a +1 bonus to Strength Saving Throws. This will increase your damage and accuracy with Strength-based attacks, most notably your melee weapon. The gloves can be taken from a pedestal in the archive of the House of Hope.
Note: We recommend doing a respec after getting this item (and optionally the Amulet of Greater Health below). This will allow you to redistribute the Ability Points you spent on Strength, which are no longer required. See the Endgame Respec section above for more info.
Boots of Persistence
The Boots of Persistence permanently grant the wearer Freedom of Movement and Longstrider, improving your movement speed and preventing you from being slowed by difficult terrain, entangled, paralysed or magically restrained. This reduces the amount of ways that enemies can try to stun or immobilise your Barbarian. These boots can be purchased from Dammon in the Forge of the Nine in the Lower City, Act III.
Amulet of Greater Health
The Amulet of Greater Health sets your Constitution to 23 and gives Advantage on Constitution Saving Throws. A higher Constitution means more HP. Can be taken from a pedestal in the archive of the House of Hope.
Note: You might think that it’s overkill to have both this item and the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength on the same character, and that would be fair enough. It depends on how much you want to buff up Karlach. You could also give this item to another character for a more balanced power distribution across your party.
Killer’s Sweetheart
With the Killer’s Sweetheart ring equipped, once per Long Rest, you gain a guaranteed Critical Hit on your next attack after killing an enemy. This item would be better if it could be triggered more frequently, but it’s still a useful effect. It is found inside the Self-Same Trial in the Gauntlet of Shar.
Balduran’s Giantslayer
A Legendary Greatsword, Balduran’s Giantslayer is arguably the strongest melee weapon in the game. It doubles the damage bonus from your Strength Modifier when attacking (if you have the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength, this improves a +6 modifier to +12). It grants you Advantage when attacking large, huge or gargantuan enemies, and once per Short Rest allows you to enlarge yourself, gaining extra damage, Temporary HP and Advantage on Strength checks.
Balduran’s Giantslayer is looted from Ansur in the Dragon’s Sanctum. To find out how to access the Dragon’s Sanctum, follow this guide on How to find the Helm of Balduran – both items are located in the same room.
Best Karlach Build Tips & Tricks for BG3
The most important part of playing as a Barbarian like Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming up with a mental attack plan at the start of battles – remember that you will lose your Rage/Frenzy if you do not attack or take damage for a turn. With that in mind, think about when you are going to use your Rage/Frenzy ability. If it looks like you’ll need to spend a couple of turns running to a target, then it’s probably best to hold off activating it. As fun as it is to be an angry berserking warrior smacking and throwing enemies left right and centre, it pays to think through your moves too.
When using the Enraged Throw ability, make sure you throw fairly heavy objects, such as weapons, pieces of armour, enemies, etc. Throwing lighter objects will do little to no damage. If possible, throw objects from an elevated location for a +2 Attack Roll bonus. Also, throwing weapons will add the weapon’s base Damage value to the final damage value of the throw. You can even throw an enemy at another enemy to damage both of them, or throw an enemy into a chasm for an instakill (but this will also destroy any loot they were carrying).
Overpowered Potions for Karlach in BG3
In this section, we will talk about the best Potions and Elixirs that make Karlach even stronger.
Potions are consumables that generally last for a few turns and provide powerful but short-lived bonuses. You can have several Potions active at a time.
Elixirs on the other hand give your character an effect that lasts until the next Long Rest. Each character can only have one active Elixir at a time – drinking another Elixir will replace the effects of the previous one. Fully utilizing alchemy so that your characters use suitable Potions and Elixirs in tandem is a vital aspect of combat in BG3, especially if you are playing on Tactician difficulty.
Potion of Speed
The Potion of Speed is arguably the most powerful potion in Baldur’s Gate 3 – it is good on any character, but it is especially valuable on classes like the Barbarian who can make multiple attacks per turn even without the potion.
The Potion of Speed doubles your Movement Speed and gives you an extra Action each turn. This means that from Level 5 onwards, Karlach can make 5 attacks from Actions per turn, instead of the usual 3.
One drawback of this potion is that when it expires, Karlach will be Lethargic for one turn, unable to move or take any Actions. So you should be careful not to have your character stranded in a dangerous position when the potion runs out!
You can craft the Potion of Speed in the alchemy menu by combining Ashes of Hyena Ear with any Salt. Create ashes, salts and other alchemy concentrates by combining three of the same ingredient together – for example, combining three Hyena Ears will create Ashes of Hyena Ear. Hyena Ears can normally be looted from either Hyenas or Gnolls – you can find a lot of them around the Risen Road in Act I, for a good supply of them which should last you a while.
Elixir of Bloodlust
The Elixir of Bloodlust combines extremely well with both the Potion of Speed and the Berserker Barbarian class.
When under the effects of this Elixir, killing an enemy grants you 5 Temporary HP and an extra Action on your current turn. This effect can only trigger once per turn, to prevent you from completely wiping out entire groups of enemies on turn with one character. Despite that limitation, this is still very powerful.
With both the Elixir of Bloodlust and the Potion of Speed active on a Champion who is Level 5 or above, in the best-case scenario, you can make six attacks from Actions in a single turn – 2 attacks per Action, with an extra Action gained from the Potion of Speed and another one awarded from the Elixir of Bloodlust if you killed an enemy on the current turn. You can then use your Frenzied Strike Bonus Action from the Berserker subclass for a seventh attack.
Again, this is the best-case scenario and you won’t always be able to pull it off, but it can be done with reasonable frequency, and it helps to illustrate how important Alchemy is for this build. The Elixir of Bloodlust is also nerfed to be a bit less effective on Honour difficulty (meaning you’ll get one less attack out of it), but it’s still worth using.
You can craft the Elixir of Bloodlust by combining Ashes of Worg Fang with any Salt. Worg Fangs are looted from Worgs and sometimes found on other characters or in containers. They are especially common in areas where you can find Goblins, such as the Goblin Camp and Shattered Sanctum in Act I.
Karlach Build Illithid Powers (optional)
Illithid Powers are unlocked later in BG3 when you learn more about Mind Flayers and Tadpoles. By eating Jars of Mind Flayer Parasites you gain one point. This is another optional skill tree that you can get access to if you want. Here are some of the best Illithid Powers for the BG3 Karlach Build:
- Mind Blast: A conal blast of Psychic Damage that can also stun several targets at once. If Karlach is outnumbered by several advancing enemies, then Mind Blast can help to swing things back in her favour.
- Cull the Weak: When you reduce a creature’s hit points below a certain threshold, this power instantly kills it and deals 1-4 psychic damage to nearby enemies. This is particularly effective when engaging groups of weaker foes, enabling you to thin their numbers rapidly.
- Fly: This can be used to reach hard to get to places or change positions in combat.
- Mind Sanctuary: This creates an area that allows all within to use Actions and Bonus Actions interchangeably. This typically means you can deal more damage, since you can use your Bonus Action as a normal Action. However, enemies who are inside the area will also enjoy its benefits. Be careful with your placement so that your party gets buffed by the Mind Sanctuary and not the enemies!
- Psionic Backlash: This is a top-tier reaction from the Illithid Powers skill tree in BG3. This allows you to deal psychic damage when a nearby enemy casts a spell. This is especially useful if the target is casting a Concentration Spell. The damage from Psionic Backlash can immediately break their Concentration, ending the spell’s effects.
Other BG3 Companion Builds:
- BG3 Shadowheart Build
- BG3 Astarion Build
- BG3 Gale Build
- BG3 Lae’zel Build
- BG3 Wyll Build
- BG3 Minthara Build
- BG3 Jaheira Build
- BG3 Minsc Build
- BG3 Halsin Build
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