15 Essential Items For Barbarians In Baldur’s Gate 3 (& Where To Find Them)

Of all the classes available to play in Baldur’s Gate 3 few rely on brute strength more than the barbarian. Often, the tanks of the party, the classic barbarian, are capable of not only taking tons of damage but dealing it out as well. While BG3 offers lots of great items that barbarians can make use of, there are a few that stand out as particularly helpful for these formidable warriors.

Most Baldur’s Gate 3 parties will have a barbarian, with Karlach fulfilling that role for many. So knowing how they work, what feats are best for a barbarian, and what gear suits their unique abilities is key for any BG3 playthrough. Focusing on their Rage, damage, and Unarmoured Defence, these great items will help Karlach or any barbarian give their very best in every fight.

15 Boots Of Speed – Rare Boots

Can Be Given In Act 1 By Thulla Or Looted From Sergeant Thrinn

Barbarians have some of the best movement speed and mobility in BG3, along with monks, allowing them to reposition themselves during combat to get where they are needed most. The Boots of Speed are great for any class but especially useful for melee fighters, as they have the feature Click Heels.

This allows the wearer to activate the boots once per turn as a bonus action and double their movement speed. For barbarians, this is a perfect way to zip around the battlefield to intercept enemies without having to use their action for Dash.

14 Cap Of Wrath – Rare Helmet

Can Be Looted In Act 1 From Thudd In Grymforge

Being the party’s tanks, barbarians can often find themselves with fewer hit points than other members of their group and the Cap Of Wrath is the perfect way to take advantage of that. While wearing it, if the barbarian starts their turn with 50% of their hit points or less, they will gain the Wrath condition for two turns. With Wrath, the barbarian will have a plus one bonus to melee weapon damage and this can stack with other items that give the same condition, such as the Bloodguzzler Garb.

The Cap of Wrath is dropped by Thudd, who will side with the party along with Brithvar against Nere. To get the Cap of Wrath, Thudd will need to be killed, which is best done after the fight with Nere and his allies.

13 Blooded Greataxe – Rare Greataxe

Can Be Purchased in Act 1 From Roah Moonglow

Another item that makes excellent use of the barbarian’s tendency to have low hit points in combat is the Blooded Greataxe. As with the Cap of Wrath, this greataxe’s feature will trigger if the barbarian is at 50% health or lower. However, the focus of this item is pure damage. The Blooded Greataxe’s Relentless Revenge feature means that the barbarian will deal an extra 1d4 slashing damage to targets when at low health. When combined with the axe’s 1d12 plus one, the barbarian’s Strength modifier, and Rage damage, it all adds up to a tremendous early-game weapon.

12 Bracers Of Defence – Rare Gloves

Can Be Found In Act 1 In The Secret Area Of The Apothecary’s Cellar

At first level, barbarians gain Unarmoured Defence, which allows them to add their Constitution modifier to their AC along with their Dexterity while they are not wearing any armor. The Bracers of Defence are the perfect complement to this class feature, as they also boost the wearer’s AC so long as they are not wearing armor. With Become the Bulwark, the wearer will gain a plus two to AC while not wearing armor or using a shield, which can easily help push up any barbarian’s AC high enough to rival the best heavy armor.

11 Gloves Of The Growling Underdog – Uncommon Gloves

Can Be Looted In Act 1 From Dror Ragzlin’s Treasure Horde

A good barbarian should always be in the thick of the action, surrounded by enemies and taking the hit to protect the squishier members of the party. The Gloves of the Growling Underdog are perfect for any tank or melee character for just this reason, as they give the wearer advantage on melee attacks while two or more enemies surround them. Found as part of Dror Ragzlin’s horde in Act 1, these gloves also give a plus one to Strength saving throws and can be used alongside Unarmoured Defence.

10 The Mighty Cloth – Rare Clothing

Can Be Purchased In Act 2 From Quartermaster Talli

The Mighty Cloth was designed with barbarians in mind, with all of its features fitting nicely with their combat role. The Mighty Cloth lives up to its name by increasing the wearer’s Strength score by two and permanently granting them Bull’s Strength, which doubles the amount they can carry and gives an advantage on Strength checks. While wearing this clothing, the barbarian cannot be pushed against their will and will have advantage on saving throws against being restrained. The Mighty Cloth also has the Bull Rush feature, which allows the barbarian to charge forward and knock enemies prone.

9 Sussur Greatsword – Rare Greatsword

Can Be Crafted In Act 1 In The Blacksmith’s Forge

One of the trickiest foes a barbarian can face are spellcasters, who can utilize spells like Hold Person or Tasha’s Hideous Laughter to take them out of the fight. The Sussur Greatsword is a fantastic early-game weapon that can be crafted during the quest “Finish the Masterwork Weapon.” What makes the Sussur Greatsword a good choice is that targets hit with it will be silenced, leaving them unable to cast spells or call for backup. Player 1 Gaming has a great walkthrough on YouTube showing how to complete the quest to gain this awesome weapon.

8 Ring Of Regeneration – Very Rare Ring

Can Be Bought In Act 3 From Sorcerous Sundries

Being a tank isn’t an easy job and there will be times when the party’s barbarian is looking a little worse for wear. The Ring of Regeneration is a fantastic solution as it heals its wearer 1d4 hit points at the start of their turn when in combat. I paired this with the Periapt of Wound Closure during my end-game battle against the Netherbrain for Karlach, and it really made the difference and saved my cleric some vital spell slots. The Ring of Regeneration isn’t cheap but worth the gold and can be picked up from Sorcerous Sundries.

Completing
“Find the Nightsong”
will mean the
item can be permanently lost
, so it is best to buy the ring from Rolan or Lorroakan’s Projection before the battle between Lorroakan and Aylin.

7 Gauntlets Of Hill Giant Strength – Very Rare Gloves

Can Be Looted In Act 3 From House Of Hope

Barbarians are the heavy hitters of most parties, swinging massive weapons to devastate their foes and the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength are perfect for this. These rare gloves can be found in the Archive of the House of Hope, and RPG Division has a great walkthrough of all the loot, including the Gauntlets. While wearing these gloves, the barbarian’s Strength score will be increased to 23, and they’ll get a plus one bonus to Strength saving throws. Helisk will ask for these as payment to access the House of Hope, but they can be pickpocketed from her.

Technically, these should be named Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength, as frost giants have a Strength score of 23, whereas hill giants only have one of 21.

6 Bonespike Boots – Very Rare Boots

Can be Looted In Act 3 From A Trapped Chest On Western Beach

The Bonespike Boots are another great example of equipment that synergizes with the barbarian’s Unarmoured Defence. With these boots, the wearer will have a plus one bonus to AC, saving throws while not wearing any armor or using a shield and an increased jump distance.

The boots also have a feature Brutal Leap which allows the wearer to leap at enemies and knock them prone. The Bonespike Boots are a little tricky to find in a secluded pathway but rAAZ has a video showing the complete path to get them.

5 Enraging Heart Garb – Rare Clothing

Can Be Purchased In Act 2 From Lann Tarv In Moonrise Towers

Any piece of gear that makes use of the barbarian’s core mechanics is a good choice and the Enraging Heart Garb is a great Act 2 option for Karlach or any custom barbarian build in BG3. The Ruintamer Heart passive feature will enhance the barbarian’s Rage by generating Wrath while they are Raging. The Enraging Heart Garb is well worth picking up from Lann Tarv for the plus two boost to Constitution it provides. This will give a boost to not only the barbarian’s hit points but also AC with Unarmoured Defence.

As of Hotfix #16, there have been some issues with this passive not properly generating Wrath, but the Enraging Heart Garb is worth having for the Constitution boost alone.

4 Nyrulna – Legendary Trident

Can Be Found In Act 3 In The Jungle Via Akabi At The Circus Of The Last Days

Easily the best thrown weapon in BG3 is the legendary trident Nyrulna, which can be acquired early in Act 3 from the Circus by winning Akabi’s jackpot. Nyrulna in BG3 has two special weapon actions, one that lets the wielder rush forward to inflict bleeding and another that deals thunder damage while pushing targets back. While using this trident, the barbarian will be immune to fall damage and have a bonus to their jump and movement speed. Finally, Nyrulna will return when thrown, is immune to disarm, and deals 3d4 thunder damage in a six-meter/20-foot radius when thrown.

3 Bonespike Garb – Very Rare Clothing

Can Be Purchased In Act 3 From Exxvikyap In Rivington General

The best armor for any barbarian in BG3 is the Bonespike Garb which can be bought from Exxvikyap in Rivington General as soon as the party reaches Act 3. While Raging and wearing this clothing the barbarian will gain 15 temporary hit points, which can easily make the difference between life and death in a tough fight. The tough exoskeleton of the piece reduces all incoming damage by two, and whenever the wearer is hit with a melee attack, the attacker takes piercing damage equal to the barbarian’s Constitution modifier.

2 Sword Of Chaos – Very Rare Greatsword

Can Be Looted In Act 3 From Sarevok Anchev

The brilliantly named Sword of Chaos is perfect for any frontline party member as it not only deals extra necrotic damage with each hit but also heals the wielder. On a hit, the barbarian using this greatsword will be healed 1d6 hit points, and by Act 3, the barbarian will have two attacks per turn, or three if a Berserker. This is not an insignificant amount of healing to receive each turn especially when paired with items such as Periapt of Wound Closure for maximum healing or the Broodmother’s Revenge for extra damage.

1 Balduran’s Giantslayer – Legendary Greatsword

Can Be Looted In Act 3 From Ansur In The Wyrmway

Lastly, the best item to pick up for a barbarian in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the legendary greatsword Balduran’s Giantslayer. As the name suggests, it is especially potent against creatures large or bigger, granting advantage on attack rolls against them and dealing extra damage with the weapon action Topple the Big Folk, which can also be used to knock enemies prone. But the best aspect of this weapon is Giant Form, which allows the wielder to grow in size, increasing their damage, giving advantage on Strength checks and saving throws, and providing a whopping 27 temporary hit points.

Sources: Player 1 Gaming/YouTube, RPG Division/YouTube, rAAZ/YouTube