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:

• How to unlock Karlach
• Character Creation (Level 1)
• Level 2
• Level 3 – Subclass Selection
• Level 4
• Level 5
• Level 6
• Level 7
• Level 8
• Level 9
• Level 10
• Level 11
• Level 12
• Equipment
  • Early-Game
  • Late-Game
• Tips & Tricks

How to unlock 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.

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.

Skills

For Skills, you should already have Proficiency in Athletics from your Background. None of the other options we can choose are especially important or a perfect fit for the Abilities our Barbarian Build will specialize in. Therefore you can basically choose whatever you want. We went with Animal Handling and Perception, but it’s really up to you what you choose here.

Abilities

It’s important for the efficacy of the BG3 Barbarian Build that you have Strength and Constitution as high as possible at Level, and putting 14 points into Dexterity to improve your Armour Class and Initiative. Therefore I recommend putting your +2 bonus in Strength and the +1 bonus in Constitution.

With the remaining points, allocate them based on the Skills you chose to have Proficiency in. For example we chose Animal Handling and Perception, which are both Wisdom skills, so we put the last couple of points into Wisdom to further play into those skills. This is only a minor detail but it makes sense to do this rather than splitting them randomly between the remaining Abilities.

Go for an Ability allocation that looks something like:

• Strength – 17
• Dexterity – 14
• Constitution – 16
• Intelligence – 8
• Wisdom – 10
• Charisma – 8

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.

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 be going 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 19 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.

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 Resilient: Strength. This will give you 1 more point in Strength, taking your total to 20, and giving you Proficiency in all Strength Saving Throws.

If you already managed to increase your Strength to 20 using another source, then instead get Great Weapon Fighter. This lets you toggle a feature that gives a -5 penalty to your Attack Rolls (decreasing hit chance) but a +10 bonus to your damage, when wielding a Great Weapon (two handed sword, axe, etc). This is a very good combo with Reckless Attack, which we unlocked at Level 2. However, you should still be careful with using this against enemies with a high Armour Class, as they require a higher Attack Roll to land hits.

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.

If you didn’t get Great Weapon Fighter yet then I recommend doing that now.

If you managed to already increase your Strength to 20 and get Great Weapon Fighter, then get the Savage Attacker Feat. This basically works in the same way as the Advantage mechanic, but for Damage Rolls instead. Every time you Attack, all of your Damage dice roll twice, and you’ll use the highest result for all of them. This makes you much less likely to get poor damage rolls and should help ensure that Karlach is a consistent damage dealer in the endgame in Baldur’s Gate 3.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 (but this will also destroy any loot they were carrying).

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