Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Hirelings

Baldur’s Gate 3 has numerous companions for players to recruit during their adventure across the Storm Coast toward Baldur’s Gate. These companions in Baldur’s Gate 3 all have their own intriguing classes and a selection of subclasses that players can work with to make their perfect party setup. However, some of these companions may not be exactly what the player requires for the perfect party or may choose to leave the player in time.

Thankfully, with the aid from the NPC Withers, players can pay a measly hundred gold to recruit the help of a Hireling. There is a Hireling for each class in Baldur’s Gate 3, and therefore these are by far the best for players to recruit.

Updated on March 8, 2024, by Megan Smith: While players may have companions to chat with, BG3 Hirelings still carry great importance for players who are playing a meaner character. Naturally, some of the choices a player makes will cause a companion to disapprove, but replacing them with one of the Hirelings in BG3 means they won’t be there to see it. There are multiple hirelings to choose from that all come with their own base stat and class for the player to choose between. This article hopes to rank some of the best hirelings in BG3 that players can recruit without needing to alter anything about them.

8 Sina’zith – Monk

Heavy Hitter That Strikes Multiple Times

Monk was only added to Baldur’s Gate 3 in the full release of the title. None of the main companions in the game have this class, though it is possible to change them at Withers into this. The other option is purchasing the Githyanki, Sin’zith who so happens to be a Monk. Due to Monks choosing their subclass at level 3, players are free to choose what subclass to make Sin’zith. Out of the available options, Way of The Shadow is by far the best for its ninja-like abilities that allow the player to attack from the shadows and always surprise the enemy.

Unlike Lae’zel, the backstory provided with this Hireling shows that Sina’zith is an outcast compared to the rest of her people, especially for how she has decided to follow a Monk lifestyle. This class shows a lot of promise in battle while also allowing the player to experiment with its actions without having this Githyanki as a permanent member of the group.

7 Ver’yll Wenkiir – Ranger

A Good Ranged Option

Unlike the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons, Baldur’s Gate 3 has turned the ranger class into quite an entertaining choice. Players won’t be able to recruit Minsc until the third and final act of the game, and therefore, they may find themselves lacking ranged fighters until then.

Thankfully, with the assistance of Ver’yll Wenkiir, players will have another ranger to use until then. Since they are recruited at level one and the class doesn’t choose its subclass until later levels, Ver’yll gives the player even more control over their choice compared to other Hirelings. Like Monk, Rangers don’t receive their subclass until level 3. Players should consider Beast Master due to the extra animal companion like a bear to soak up hits while Ver’yll fights from afar.

6 Varanna Sunblossom – Fighter

Potential To Be A Tank Or A Damage Dealer

Although Baldur’s Gate 3 already has Lae’zel as the main companion for the fighter class, some players may feel that she seems to always disagree with their choices, especially when they decide on heroic options.

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A simple way to avoid this but still have the assistance of a fighter is by hiring Varanna Sunblossom, who is an equally useful fighter. Like the Ranger, the subclass for the Fighter class isn’t selected until later levels and therefore, the player will have the choice between all three to turn Varanna into a custom Hireling. However, Battlemaster is arguably the best choice. Varanna will be given superiority dice that allow her to devastate her opponents with new moves.

5 Maddala Deadeye – Rogue

Great For Picking Locks And Surprise Attacks

Having a Rogue is crucial, especially when wanting to pick locks on either chests or doors; like Lae’zel, Astarian is another party member who approves when the player does morally wrong things or responds to NPCs with a bit of sass.

Therefore, when playing as a valiant hero, players should get used to seeing the pale elf disapprove. If a player has had enough of this rogue’s opinion, they can easily replace him by using Maddala Deadeye. Once again, players are free to customize this Hireling as they wish due to the subclass being chosen later. While Arcane Trickster may be tempting for the extra spells, Thief is a way better rogue build option for the extra bonus action that means a player can hit twice and then disengage to make their escape.

4 Kerz – Paladin

A Tank With Supportive Spells

Some players may be unaware that there is actually a companion in Baldur’s Gate 3 that takes on the role of a Paladin, her name is Minthara. However, this Drow woman can only be recruited if the players take part in the evil deed of helping the Goblins take over the Grove.

Unless players take this course of action, they will never get the chance to recruit her. Thankfully, Withers has an alternate option through the aid of Kerz, the Half-Orc Paladin. With their Oath of Devotion already selected, Kerz can only be molded into becoming an Oath Breaker unless players take another trip to Withers to respec him. However, Oath of Devotion is still one of the best due to it fulfilling the role of giving not only buffs and heals, but also a decent amount of damage.

3 Eldra Luthrinn – Barbarian

An Essential Tank For The Team

Similarly, Karlach is another main companion option that players can possibly miss or decide not to recruit during the start of their Baldur’s Gate 3 adventure. This will leave players without a Barbarian which makes for a great tank for any party.

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Thankfully, Withers yet again has a suitable option for any player that still needs a Rage-filled character. Eldra Luthrinn is that option. Although short due to being a Gold Dwarf, Eldra is a deadly force against the cultists of the Absolute. Players can then choose what subclass to make this Dwarf improve the party setup even more. They should consider Berserker for the sheer amount of damage Eldra is likely to dish out with every hit, as their frenzied rage makes them even stronger.

2 Brinna Brightsong – Bard

Possibly A Great Support Or A Brilliant DPS

Bard is one of the few classes in Baldur’s Gate 3 that doesn’t have a companion connected to it. If the player themselves decides not to play in this class, then it may be a good idea to obtain the Hireling Brinna Birghtsong.

With a bright and bubbly name like her own, having Brinna at the party is sure to inspire the player and their other companions to give them an easier time in battle. Bards are also quite the jack of all trades, which makes having one a great addition to the roster, even if the player must first pay a hundred gold to see them added to it. College of Valor has the potential to make Brinna even stronger as they are given more frontline offensive abilities.

1 Zenith Feur’sel – Cleric

Out of all the available Hirelings, the best that Withers provides has to be Zenith Feur’sel, the Light Domain Cleric. Shadowheart is a brilliant addition to the team already, but sometimes a Trickery Domain isn’t what a player needs, plus there is the risk of Shadowheart leaving the player’s side. As a Life Cleric, players can look forward to having a designated support character that is sure to heal them for even more than the usual Cleric can, not to mention that they still have the space for spells that deal damage.

Zenith is here for the long run as he works as a brilliant support character with the potential to even protect the party on the front lines if he must. While a Life Domain Cleric would be even better, players have no complaints about the option provided by Baldur’s Gate 3.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Released

August 3, 2023

Metascore

96