Best Death Domain Cleric build in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

Clerics are incredibly flexible and versatile spellcasters in Baldur’s Gate 3. They’re one of the best classes to play as or have on your team, and the Death Domain Cleric is a great subclass to choose if you’re seeking a specialized role focused on death, decay, and dark magic.

If this role sounds like the right one for your Tav, here’s a complete breakdown of everything you need to know to craft the best Death Domain Cleric build in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Death Domain Cleric subclass guide in BG3

Death Domain Cleric is one of the 12 subclasses introduced in the last major update for BG3, Patch 8. Characters with this subclass specialize in Necromancy, Necrotic damage, and generally harnessing the power of death to their advantage.

To make the most of this role, you need to choose every part of your build carefully. Here’s everything you need to know to make the best Death Domain Cleric build in BG3.

Death Domain Cleric abilities in BG3

Here are all of the special abilities Death Domain Clerics unlock as they level up in BG3.

Best Death Domain Cleric background in BG3

Folk Hero is generally the best background to pick for a Death Domain Cleric, but any of the ones that focus on Wisdom are great choices for this build. The Folk Hero background grants you proficiency in Survival and Animal Handling, both of which are based on Wisdom.

Best Death Domain Cleric race in BG3

You can really choose any race for your Death Domain Cleric build and get along just fine. If you want to maximize the perfect build as much as possible, though, it’s best to choose Wood Elf, Half-Orc, or Zariel Tiefling since these three races grant some useful abilities that work well with this subclass.

Best Death Domain Cleric spells in BG3

As you level up as a Death Domain Cleric, you’ll consistently unlock more spells and need to choose which ones you want to have in your kit. Here are of the best spells you can choose for this role.

• Inflict Wounds – I
• Guiding Bolt – I
• Spiritual Weapon – II
• Spirit Guardians – III
• Masss Healing Ward – III
• Glyph of Warding – III
• Guardian of Faith – IV
• Flame Strike – V
• Insect Plague – V
• Cloudkill – V
• Planar Ally – VI
• Blade Barrier – VI
• Harm – VI
• Heroes’ Feast – VI

You don’t have enough slots to select all of the ones listed here, but since there are lots of great choices, we’ve listed a vast collection of solid options for you to choose from. I recommend trying different ones out and switching them around as you level up until you find the ones that fit your own personal playstyle best.

Best Death Domain Cleric ability scores in BG3

You want a pretty decent spread across most abilities for your ability scores as a Death Domain Cleric. Wisdom is by far the most important ability to build since it’s what spells are based on, so be sure to apply plenty of points in this category.

After Wisdom, Dexterity is the next most important stat for your initiative and armor class. The last fairly important score is Constitution, which is essential for concentration in powerful Cleric spells like Spirit Guardians.

Strength and Intelligence are the overall least important, so it’s really up to you which one you have at eight and which one you have at 10. I prefer Strength at eight and Intelligence at 10, but choose whichever option you feel works best for your build.

Best Death Domain Cleric weapons and armor in BG3

The best gear for your Death Domain Cleric changes as you progress through your journey and unlock areas that have better items for you to collect. Here’s a breakdown of the best starter and endgame weapons and armor for this role in BG3.

Starter gear

• Head: Haste Helm
• Armor: Adamantine Scale Mail
• Gloves: Gloves of Missle Snaring
• Footwear: Disintegrating Night Walkers/Vital Conduit Boots
• Cloak: Cloak of Protection/Deathstalker Mantle
• Amulet: Pearl of Power Amulet
• Rings: The Whispering Promise, Ring of Protection
• Weapons: Sword of Justice/Ritual Dagger of Shar, Shield of Devotion, Spellthief/Bow of Awareness

Endgame gear

• Head: Hood of the Weave
• Armor: Armor of Agility/Helldusk Armour
• Gloves: Helldusk Gloves/Gemini Gloves/Gloves of Dexterity
• Footwear: Disintegrating Night Walkers/Evasive Shoes/Boots of Stormy Clamour
• Cloak: Cloak of Protection
• Amulet: Amulet of Greater Health
• Rings: Crypt Lord Ring, Ring of Protection
• Weapons: Staff of Cherished Necromancy/Staff of Spellpower, Viconia’s Walking Fortress, Hellrider Longbow

If you’re struggling to find the right gear, you might consider grabbing the best armor and clothing mods to fully customize the right armor for your Tav. You also may want to learn how to use photo mode, all Ornate Mirror Answers, and how to solve the brain puzzle.