Nature Cleric Build - Mielikki's Emissary - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

Nature Domain Cleric Build - Mielikki's Emissary

Nature Domain is a truly overlooked option compared to very popular Light Cleric and Tempest Cleric Builds. It did get a slight boost in recent patches, making its Dampen Elements​ reaction very good in fights against elemental damage.

However, this also fits well if you are roleplaying anything with Nature. Taking Mielikki as a Diety just cements its position as nature's protector. Moreover, various nature-related spells - Shillelagh, Spike Growth, Plant Growth, etc. give the cleric a unique spin throughout the game.

Of course, as a Cleric you still maintain access to very powerful spells from its spellbook - Glyph of Warding​ and Spirit Guardians​ allowing you to debuff enemies and ensure victory before enemies even make a turn. If things go bad Sanctuary, Healing Word and, Mass Healing Word will be always accessible to help anyone in dire situations.

Sadly, for the late game, there is not much that Nature Domain offers, but Cleric's level 6 spells like Heroes' Feast​ or Planar Ally​ are a great addition to the toolkit.

So if you are ready for some nature-themed build, let's go!

Class Contribution

The build mostly goes into Cleric to obtain all the core parts of the build. The sorcerer will provide some help with managing spell Concentration.

11 Nature Domain Cleric

• Access to control spells - Spike Growth, Plant Growth​, Sleet Storm,​ and Grasping Vine.
• Unique reaction Dampen Elements​ help to reduce damage from various elemental damage.
• Shillelagh​ gives an edge in early-game combat with an option to improve damage based on the Wisdom modifier.
• Access to healing and support spells - Mass Healing Word​ and Healing Word.
• Can apply wet status for other casters with Create or Destroy Water, helping to make enemies vulnerable to Lightning and Cold damage.
• Spirit Guardians​ - the ultimate cleric spell, to debuff enemies, making them miss their attacks. To make the most out of it you will need some gear.
• Proficiencies with shields, medium and heavy armor, allowing to improve defensive capabilities further.

1 Sorcerer

• Provides Constitution Saving Throw proficiency which will help maintain spell concentration.
• Access to Shield, which is an excellent cheap survivability boost if the situation demands it. The +5 Armour Class is a huge boon, allowing you to avoid deadly attacks.
• Access to a variety of cantrips like Friends, which are especially useful if you are the main character, as you can win over some of the dialogues with low charisma.
• Unique Storm Sorcerer feature - Tempestuous Magic, giving a huge boost in mobility.

Leveling Overview

Here is a concise table with all the main picks during your leveling progression. For more detailed reasoning, I go further in the article. Also, do not forget to check the recommended gear as it is crucial.

Level	Class	Selection
1	Cleric 1	Cantrips: Sacred Flame, Produce Flame, Guidance​
		Subclass: Nature Domain
		Cantrips: Shillelagh​
		Recommended Prepared Spells: Guiding Bolt, Command, Inflict Wounds, Sanctuary, Healing Word​
		STR - 8, DEX - 16, CON - 15, INT - 8, WIS - 17, CHA - 8
		Skills: any
2	Cleric 2	-
3	Cleric 3	Recommended Prepared Spells: Lesser Restoration, Enhance Ability, Hold Person, Spiritual Weapon​
4	Cleric 4	Cantrips: Thaumaturgy​
		Feat: Ability Improvement - +1 Wisdom, +1 Constitution
5	Cleric 5	Recommended Prepared Spells: Spirit Guardians, Glyph of Warding, Mass Healing Word​
6	Sorcerer 1 (respec as first level)	Cantrips: Friends, Minor Illusion, Light, Mage Hand.
		Spells: Shield, Magic Missile​
		Subclass: Storm Sorcery
7	Cleric 6	-
8	Cleric 7	-
9	Cleric 8	Feat: Ability Improvement +2 Wisdom or War Caster: Concentration​
10	Cleric 9	Recommended Prepared Spells: Flame Strike​
11	Cleric 10	Cantrip: any
12	Cleric 11	Recommended Prepared Spells: Heroes' Feast, Planar Ally​

Starting the Game - Level 1

This section covers the creation screen and what would go into the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for the Nature Cleric build. Some of these choices are impactful as you cannot respec them.

Races

Picking a race provides various benefits - abilities, dialogue options, looks, etc.

Race	Features	Description
Wood Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.	The race picks are very similar, the main difference is weapon proficiencies. However, the cleric subclass will already provide everything that you need. The most important aspect is the increased movement speed that you will need when using Spirit Guardians.
Wood Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.
High Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry	The High subraces of elves can be useful as they give access to cantrips like Friends, which are especially good for the main character.
High Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry
Forest Gnome	Gnome Cunning​ Darkvision​	In terms of Nature roleplay, this is a perfect pick for the Cleric Build. Of course, as a smaller race, you will suffer from slower movement speed.
Green Dragonborn	Poison Breath​ Draconic Ancestry​	Why not? You are a nature protector, looking like a green dragon. What can be cooler?

Class

Overview
Cleric
Clerics are representatives of the gods they worship, wielding potent divine magic for good or ill.
Features
Spell Slots	These can be used to cast spells and are restored each long rest.
Domain Spells​	Unique spell list accessible based on your cleric subclass.

Cantrips

Cantrips	Description
Sacred Flame​	The main damage cantrip of clerics deals radiant damage. Early in the game, it is underwhelming, due to low Spell Save DC, but later it can be a decent option when you are saving spell slots.
Produce Flame​	It can be used to light the area around you, but also deals 1d8 fire damage. This is a recommended general damage option early in the game
Guidance​	The most important cleric cantrip, which improves various ability rolls, works on yourself and party members.

Subclass

Overview
Nature Domain
Features
Acolyte of Nature​	Access to a Druid cantrip and nature-related skill proficiencies.
Speak with Animals​	Allows talking with animals. Generally, you can drink a potion for this, but now you can cast the spell from your hotbar, instead of opening inventory...
Animal Friendship​	More or less useless action, in my opinion, has limited uses.

Cantrips

As a Nature Domain Cleric, you can pick additional cantrip from the druid Spell List:

Cantrips	Description
Shillelagh​	One of the best early-game cantrips. Equip a Torch, and you have one of the best weapons in the game for the first 4-5 levels. Cleric can now effectively hit in melee using its Wisdom modifier. Later on, you can switch this via respec to Thorn Whip​ which is much more useful in the late game.

Deity

As the build name implies, I recommend going with Mielikki. This does not mean that you are limited to it, but it does relate to nature and what the build aims for.

Prepare Spells

Clerics get plenty of good level-1 spells. You might not have enough slots to equip them all but don't worry, more will be available as you level up. Choose your preferred ones.

Spells	Description
Guiding Bolt​	The main, long-range damage spell for the cleric in the early game.
Create or Destroy Water​	Excellent spell to keep on hand. It can be useful when allies will cast Cold or Lightning spells to double their damage.
Inflict Wounds​	If enemies are close to you, this is the go-to spell, which a strong damage rolls. It can also crit, inflicting even more damage.
Command​	One of the best control spells in the game, if you have a high chance of landing it. What makes it special is that it does not use a concentration slot.
Sanctuary​	Use this spell to make the ally untouchable, for example, if they have low HP, or you want to divert the enemy's attention.
Healing Word​	The best healing spell, due to its cheap cost and ability to revive downed targets without wasting action points. Moreover, later with The Whispering Promise ring you can buff specific allies.
Bless​	This is an excellent spell, however, I would only use it before combat and in the early game. It loses value later on, especially with some excellent items you can get in Act 1 like The Whispering Promise.
Shield of Faith​	Excellent early game spell, that can be used to improve defensive capabilities. I would not use it too much at higher levels as you get better use for concentration slots.

Background

Backgrounds are mostly for role-playing and you can pick whatever you prefer. If you want to optimize, then it would be good to pick backgrounds that are based on your ability points.

Abilities

Now let's take a look at the abilities of the Nature Cleric build. Correct allocation will allow you to maximize the early gameplay and get good modifier bonuses.

Ability	Value	Description
Strength	8	Not relevant ability
Dexterity	16 (15+1)	Improves the initiative and Armour class bonus to medium armors.
Constitution	15	The constitution will play a major role in maintaining spell concentration and HP pool. If you will be getting Auntie Ethel's Hair, set this to 14, and put 2 points elsewhere.
Intelligence	8	Irrelevant stat.
Wisdom	17 (15+2)	The main spellcasting ability for clerics. This should be maximized to have success with spells.
Charisma	8	If you set Constitution to 14, you can allocate 2 points here.

Skills and Expertise

Overall, the skills should be impacted by your roleplaying and background decisions. However, you would still want those that will give you the best benefits. My recommendation would be to go for these, most relevant to the theme of the build:

• Persuasion - great if you are the main character.
• Animal Handling
• Insight
• Medicine
• Perception
• Survival

Leveling Progression - Levels 2-12

Here is the detailed progression for the Nature Domain Cleric build to get you started. You can use it as a guideline because early games can be daunting and overwhelming. Later on, once you get a feel for the class you can start picking your options

Level 2

This is where you will have left the tutorial area, and will start exploring the world. 

Action	Description
Turn Undead​	Excellent against undead enemies, making them run away.
Charm Animals and Plants​	You can charm various beasts and plants. To be fair, this is mediocre Channel Divinity action, which has limited uses.

Level 3

At this level the Cleric gets access to Level 2 spells, further expanding the spellbook. Moreover, new always-ready spells are introduced.

Spells	Description
Barkskin​	I would disregard this spell.
Spike Growth​	It is one of the most useful spells from Nature Domain. This can be a death wish for many enemies as they walk through the spikes and chip away at their HP. Another thing is that many of the item effects can activate through it, like Reverbation.

Prepared Spells

Spells	Description
Lesser Restoration​	I recommend being aware that you have this spell, as there are situations where it might be useful. It does not have to be always in the prepared spell list.
Warding Bond​	Excellent spell, that you can use to greatly improve the survivability of one of your party members.
Hold Person​	Can be situationally useful, especially if you have an 80%+ chance to land it. This then opens up an easy way for Advantage and guaranteed critical hits from the 3-meter range.
Spiritual Weapon​	Gives a good use for bonus action. The weapon deals okay damage and can act as a distraction.
Enhance Ability​	Almost a mandatory spell to have by someone in the group. This can help with various ability checks and turn the tables to your side.

Level 4

Level 4 brings the first feat, it will be a huge improvement.

Cantrips

Cantrip	Description
Thaumaturgy​	Especially recommended if you are the main character.

Feat

Level 5

This level is a huge milestone, and that is why no multiclassing happened before. Access to level 3 spells makes Nature Cleric an extremely powerful build.

Feature	Description
Destroy Undead​	When you use Turn Undead, you will also deal bonus radiant damage. I think this is a good addition, but nothing fancy as it has niche uses.

The Nature Domain subclass also gains special spells:

Spell	Description
Plant Growth​	Generally overlooked spells, but it quarters enemy movement without any Concentration slot cost. Moreover, it works extremely well with something like Hunger of Hadar​ or Insect Plague​ creating a total death field.
Sleet Storm​	Extremely powerful control spell that is usually overlooked, because it does not have any damage. However, you can make enemies prone with it, cancel the concentration of spells, and cover an area in ice. After this, enemies will have to pass Dexterity Saving Throws to avoid falling once they start moving.

Prepared Spells

Now, this is probably the most important section as you will gain some game-changing spells, allowing you to win many encounters.

Spell	Description
Spirit Guardians​	This is one of the strongest cleric spells, that will be your bread and butter throughout the game. It will be used to weaken enemies using the Radiating Orb status effect.
Remove Curse​	This can be useful throughout the game in case you or a party member gets cursed.
Glyph of Warding​	You can use this Glyph to apply various damage types and effects. For example - fire, cold, lightning, etc. The main highlight is Sleep, which works on multiple enemies and can outright win you an encounter.
Mass Healing Word​	Using this as a bonus action together with The Whispering Promise will buff all allies with the Bless​ effect.

Level 6 - respec to Sorcerer Lv 1

Now, to further empower Cleric and its capabilities you will have to respec at Withers and pick Sorcerer as a first class. Here are the main reasons for this switch:

• Get proficiency in Constitution Saving Throws. This is important as it allows you to sustain Concentration on spells while being hit.
• Access to defensive spells like Shield.
• Have the correct spellcasting modifier on items, which depends on the last class taken via multiclassing (it will be Cleric).

Class

Overview
Sorcerer
Features
Spell Slots	These can be used to cast spells and are restored each long rest.

Cantrips

Take those cantrips that do not rely on damage as they will be using the Charisma modifier, which will be low for Cleric.

Cantrip	Description
Light​	This cantrip will be useful together with the Coruscation Ring or Callous Glow Ring to enable their effects.
Friends​	If you are the main character and do most of the dialogues, this is also a good choice as it gives an advantage during rolls.
Blade Ward​	Can be useful in some situations, where an ally might be in a pinch, and you have no good use for action otherwise.
Mage Hand​	Can be used to solve some puzzles and overcome obstacles.
Minor Illusion​	Can be used to distract targets before engaging them in combat and pull them together. It is also useful for pickpocketing to move unwanted eyes away from your character.

Spells

Spells	Description
Shield​	Very good spell that can ensure +5 Armour Class giving a good survivability boost.
Magic Missile​	I recommend this spell. It is not very powerful, but it can be used to specifically hit a foe, with multiple attacks and using Callous Glow Ring apply a lot of Radiating Orbs to weaken its hit chance.

Subclass

Overview
Storm Sorcery
Features
Tempestuous Magic​	After you cast a Level 1 spell or higher you can Fly as a bonus action until the end of your turn without receiving Opportunity Attacks.

Abilities

Reuse the same ones from the 1st level - STR - 8, DEX - 16, CON - 15, INT - 8, WIS - 17, CHA - 8.

Level 7 - Cleric Lv 6

This level unlocks one of the major features of Nature Cleric:

Feature	Description
Dampen Elements​	A reaction that allows halving elemental spell damage. This is a great option for improving support.

Level 8 - Cleric Lv 7

Level 4 spells are unlocked, also new permanent spells are added:

Spells	Description
Dominate Beast​	Can be situationally useful, against some enemies, sadly it targets only one enemy and is a contender with other Concentration spells.
Grasping Vine​	The spell was updated and now costs only bonus action. Moreover, it does not require Concentration making it an extremely useful control option to create difficult terrain.

Prepared Spells

Sadly, there is nothing much to recommend. The spells can be situationally good. However, none of them will change the core rotations of Nature Cleric.

Level 9 - Cleric Lv 8

A new subclass feature is unlocked. Moreover, you can select one more feat.

Feature	Description
Divine Strike: Elemental Fury​	Allows you to select different elemental riders on your weapon attacks once per turn. This gives 1d8 lightning, fire, or cold damage, which can be useful in some situations if the enemy has weaknesses in one of these elements.

Feat

Feat	Description
Ability Improvement	+2 Wisdom is the optimal pick here, especially if you have not reached 20 Wisdom with Auntie Ethel Hair. War Caster: Concentration​ would be relevant if you do not have items with a Concentration Saving Throw advantage.
War Caster: Concentration​	This will help maintain spell concentration while being hit. Some items give the same effect, but these will most likely go to other characters.
Alert​	If you constantly want to go first and avoid any surprise rounds, this feat guarantees that.

Level 10 - Cleric Lv 9

Level 9 gives access to a few additional nature-themed spells and a new list of level 5 prepared options.

Spell	Description
Insect Plague​	Area control spells, that can impose difficult terrain and apply a decent amount of damage on targets walking through it. Works with ground control spells like Plant Growth.
Wall of Stone​	To be fair, did not use this spell much.

Prepare Spells

Spell	Description
Greater Restoration​	Removes negative status effects, that can be useful in some situations.
Flame Strike​	Deadly spell that creates a pillar of fire dealing both fire and radiant damage.

Level 11 - Cleric Lv 10

Now you will get access to the highest tier spell slot - level 6, which will allow casting and upcasting some really powerful spells.

Feature	Description
Divine Intervention​	Once per playthrough action that can be used to activate special effects. To be fair, I usually forget to use it, but it can be extremely useful during Honour Mode playthrough.

Cantrips

Pick any cantrip, they will have a minor impact at this stage.

Level 12 - Cleric Lv 11

This is the last level, and the cleric will access level 6 spells.

Prepare Spells

Spell	Description
Heroes' Feast​	Buff your allies with temporary health points. This makes them more likely to survive difficult encounters.
Planar Ally​	Summon a companion, that can deal adequate damage and also act as a distraction.
Blade Barrier​	Deadly barrier, that can harm multiple foes if placed correctly on the choke point.

Maximizing Ability Scores

Now, as the build progression is covered there are a few aspects and important decisions you will have to make throughout the game. These will decide your final score for abilities.

There are two options here, first without Auntie Ethel Hair:

1. First Feat - Ability Improvement - +1 Wisdom. The second point will go to the Constitution.
2. Second Feat - Ability Improvement - +2 Wisdom.
3. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss - pick +2 Wisdom.

Here is what you should do with Auntie Ethel Hair:

1. Act 1 - Auntie Ethel Hair - you will want to get +1 Wisdom if you pick this choice.
2. Feat - Ability Improvement - +2 Wisdom
3. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss - pick +2 Wisdom.

These will allow you to reach 20-22 natural Wisdom, which is enough for a good Cleric setup.

Potions, Elixirs and Consumables

Let's take a look at what consumables you can use to further empower the build.

Potions

These are general consumables, and most of them are activated for a few turns. Potions are separate from Elixirs and can be active together.

Consumable	Description
Diluted Oil of Sharpness	Gives a bonus attack roll and damage. It is a good coating if you can apply it before combat. It is extremely useful early in the game with Shillelagh.
Potion of Speed	You can chug this potion before combat, or during combat using bonus action. It gives another action point that gives an additional attack or one more spell cast. Sadly its duration is only 3 turns.
Potion of Invisibility	Can be used to get a perfect position before the encounter starts.

Elixirs

Unfortunately, only one Elixir can be active at a time. However, the good thing is that they last until a long rest, making them very useful and economical.

Be sure to activate them before combat as otherwise, you will need to use Bonus Action.

Consumable	Description
Elixir of Bloodlust	Very effective elixir that gives another action point if you kill an enemy. I would say this is the best one to use to maximize your output through the turn.
Elixir of Battlemage's Power	Gain 3 stacks of Arcane Acuity. I would say this should be the most used elixir for higher spell success.
Elixir of Peerless Focus	Another good choice that allows to better maintain spell Concentration.
Superior Elixir of Arcane Cultivation	Grant's a single level 3 spell slot. Could be useful in case you are preparing for a longer encounter.
Supreme Elixir of Arcane Cultivation	Grant's a single level 4 spell slot. Could be useful in case you are preparing for a longer encounter.
Elixir of Vigilance	For some encounters, you will want to go first. This elixir will ensure that it overcomes even surprise mechanics. However, if you have Alert​ this becomes redundant.
Supreme Elixir of Arcane Cultivation	Grant's a single level 4 spell slot. Could be useful in case you are preparing for a longer encounter.

Illithid Powers

This special mechanic in Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to consume tadpoles and unlock special Illithid Powers.

At first, you can only use the base powers. As you move to Act 3, you will be able to unlock the outer ring powers.

Illithid Power	Type	Description
Cull the Weak​	Base	Can help to kill an enemy faster if it is left with a few HP.
Psionic Backlash​	Base	A great way to weaponize your reaction before obtaining Counterspell.
Illithid Expertise​	Elite	Can be used to maximize the effectiveness of charisma-based skills if you have not done that.
Black Hole​	Elite	Very powerful spell that can be used to pull enemies together.
Psionic Dominance​	Elite	Can be used to save yourself from a deadly spell. This is especially relevant as you will have a disadvantage on mental saving throws.
Freecast​	Elite	Remove the cost of spell slots or charges.
Mind Sanctuary​	Elite	You can now use action and bonus action interchangeably, giving two full spell casts each turn. It's not as important for you, but it will help other casters in the group.

Equipment Recommendations

Now I would like to go through some gear recommendations to maximize the Nature Cleric Build. Items are especially important as they take the build to the next level thanks to their unique effects.

Act 1

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	Blood of Lathander	Extremely good weapon if you do not care about Phalar Aluve unique effects. The Lathander's Light​ effect will help you activate additional debuffs from enemies and make combat easier in Act 2.
	The Spellsparkler	This is a sleeping beauty of the build. It can be used together with Spike Growth​ to inflict lightning damage in addition to piercing one.
	Phalar Aluve	This is one of the best weapons in the game for a supporting class like Cleric. If you can precast its Phalar Aluve: Melody before combat, I recommend using it both to improve companion damage or attack rolls.
	Defender Flail	If you do not care about the unique effects, this is a go-to choice. The bonus Armour Class will help you avoid enemy hits and activate Holy Lance Helm.
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	Gives bonus initiative, allowing one to go earlier in combat.
Shield	Adamantine Shield	It provides a substantial defensive boost by reducing critical hit damage.
	Safeguard Shield	Gives a bonus to saving throws, easily accessible early in the game.
Head	Holy Lance Helm	A solid helmet that will deal 1d4 radiant damage if the enemy misses you. Moreover, it will also activate any reverbation effects from Gloves of Belligerent Skies.
	Haste Helm	Improves movement speed, allowing one to reach important targets easily, early in the game.
Cloak	-	Nothing relevant for the build
Armor	Luminous Armour	This is the best armor for the whole game.
Gloves	Gloves of Belligerent Skies	One of the best gloves for builds that apply status effects via various damage sources. This will create Reverbation, increasing the chance of making the enemy Prone.
	Hellrider's Pride	Defensive gloves that give damage resistance to those that the Cleric heals. Perfect combo to be used with Healing Word​/Mass Healing Word​ + The Whispering Promise.
Boots	Boots of Stormy Clamour	The best boots in terms of offensive damage. They will give Reverbation stacks when you apply status effects, for example, Spirit Guardians.
	Disintegrating Night Walkers	One of the best boots, giving a total advantage for movement on difficult surfaces. It also gives Misty Step​ to increase that mobility.
	Boots of Speed	Excellent boots that improve movement capabilities, especially useful when you are running around with Spirit Guardians​ active.
Amulet	Amulet of Restoration	The best cleric amulet early in the game. Use the spells together with The Whispering Promise to apply buffs on your allies.
Rings	The Whispering Promise	The best ring for a cleric early in the game. This will apply Bless​ to allies when you use the Mass Healing Word.
	Crusher's Ring	Excellent ring that will allow you to move around more. This is especially useful before you obtain Tempestuous Magic​ from Sorcerer dip.
	Ring of Protection	The bonus Armour Class is a great boost for survivability.

Act 2 - mid-game

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	-	Continue using weapons from Act 1, as nothing comes close in terms of usefulness.
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	Still the best bow, as initiative plays a vital role for Light Cleric.
Shield	Ketheric's Shield	The best shield for casters as it gives +1 Spell Save DC, increasing spell success.
	Sentinel Shield	What makes this shield amazing is that by wearing it you will be going first most of the time during encounters. This is a great way to apply Radiating Orb and Reverbation on enemies using Spirit Guardians.
Head	Fistbreaker Helm	Adds +1 Spell Save DC improving spell success.
Cloak	Thunderskin Cloak	Because most of the enemies you come across will have Reverbation this cloak will further help to weaken those foes.
	Cloak of Protection	Improves survivability and Saving Throw success. You want to equip this cloak to maintain that good Armour Class.
Armor	Luminous Armour	The best armor for clerics using Radiant damage.
Gloves	Gloves of Belligerent Skies	Stil the best gloves for the Nature Cleric.
	Luminous Gloves	Alternative option, that will add 2 more Radiating Orb stacks as you inflict damage.
Boots	Boots of Stormy Clamour	Still the best boots in terms of applying various conditions.
Amulet	Amulet of the Harpers	Allows casting a Shield​ spell, and can be a lifesaver if attacked heavily for one turn.
Rings	Callous Glow Ring	The ring's bonus radiant damage will help activate Gloves of Belligerent Skies and get more Reverbation stacks.
	Coruscation Ring	This will help with building Radiating Orb stacks. However, with all the effects you will be applying, this might be overkill as you will already be proccing Luminous Armour.
	Ring of Mental Inhibition	Excellent ring that can be used to apply Mental Fatigue from failed Saving Throws against your spells.
	Ring of Spiteful Thunder	Adds another Dazed effect that can be procced after 5 Reverbation stacks are activated and Thunder damage gets applied.

Act 3 - Final Build setup

To be fair if you are interested in doing the standard cleric strategy - Spirit Guardians, run around and debuff enemies, weapons from Act 1 are plenty.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	Markoheshkir	The ultimate caster weapon. Generally, it would be taken by a Sorcerer or Wizard, but in case you are not using them, definitely try using this one with its unique effects.
Ranged	Hellrider Longbow	The bonus initiative is an excellent boost to go early in combat. If it is not a surprise round, it is almost guaranteed.
Shield	Viconia's Walking Fortress	One of the best shields in the game. Overall, it serves more of a defensive role giving advantages on Spell Saving Throws.
	Ketheric's Shield	The best shield for casters as it gives +1 Spell Save DC, increasing spell success.
Head	Hood of the Weave	One of the best headwear for spellcasters, giving +2 Spell Save DC. This can be contested by other casters as it is in high demand.
Cloak	Cloak of The Weave	Improves Spell Save DC. However, the main caveat is that this cloak is in demand by all casters.
	Cloak of Displacement	Provides an increased chance of avoiding enemy attacks with attack rolls.
Armor	Luminous Armour	Still the best armor in the game.
Gloves	-	Reuse the same gloves from previous acts.
Boots	-	Reuse the same boots from previous acts.
Amulet	Amulet of The Devout	Overall, the best amulet for Cleric builds. Gives additional Channel Divinity Charge and improved Spell Save DC.
Rings	-	Reuse the same rings from previous Acts.

Build Mechanics

In this section, I would like to dive deep into how to play the Nature Cleric Build. This will help you utilize it to the fullest and correctly use various actions and spells throughout the game.

Important Mechanics and Combos

Let's go through key mechanics and tips on how to use the build effectively. Nature Cleric has very interesting combos if you are willing to invest some time in the setup.

Shillelagh and melee attacks

If you have played Druid, you might know a sleeper cantrip - Shillelagh. It allows you to create the strongest weapon in the early game with a very simple interaction of Torch. The item comes with 1d4 fire damage rider, and then Shillelagh​ stats - 1d8 damage + wisdom modifier.

This makes normal attacks with the weapon extremely efficient at the start of the game, and activating it is easy - just costs a bonus action.

Healing and Buffs

The main misunderstanding about clerics is that people assume they should only be healing and supporting. However, this is far from the truth. In general, the best healing mechanic is just throwing potions, which is efficient, and cheap in comparison.

Overall, healing should be limited and in my opinion, used sparingly. My recommended spells are Healing Word​ and Mass Healing Word. These are cheap to use and cost only bonus action, which does not interfere with your important spells that will be covered later.

However, the major highlight is that those healing spells activate The Whispering Promise ring buffing your allies. This is very valuable early in the game, so that your party has a higher hit chance, making combat easier.

In addition, there are other items that you can use - Hellrider's Pride or The Reviving Hands later in the game with more defensive bonuses.

Spirit Guardians - Cleric's bread and butter

So the most important spell for Cleric is Spirit Guardians. With the correct gear that I recommend each enemy you touch, will apply various status effects like Reverbation, Prone, and Radiating Orb.

So you are like a running Beyblade damaging everything that you touch and also weakening their combat potential. Just remember the core items to make this work - Luminous Armour, Boots of Stormy Clamour, and Gloves of Belligerent Skies. There are some other options, but overall these are the best picks.

So the idea is to run around and have as many as possible enemies touched by your light. However, this might be limiting in some cases, where enemies might be on higher ground or behind covers. This is where the next step comes in...

Tempestuous Flight

Taking a level 1 dip into Sorcerer unlocked one of the features that will greatly improve Light cleric mobility - Tempestuous Magic. This will allow you to fly at the cost of bonus action, not use movement speed, and avoid opportunity attacks.

While flying any enemies you touch with Spirit Guardians, will be affected by it. This is an excellent way to spread Radiating Orbs and debuff most of the enemies in the combat zone.

Reverbation and status effects

The main highlight of the Light Cleric build is the sheer amount of status effects that you will be applying - Reverbation, Prone, Radiating Orb, Daze, etc. This can greatly weaken foes and make them harmless to your group.

The main highlight in my opinion is Reverbation. This at first weakens enemy strength, dexterity, and constitution saving throw proficiencies. As it stacks to 5, the enemy will get damaged with 1d4 thunder. This is finished by making the enemy prone if they fail a saving throw.

Once the enemy is prone they are easy pickings for your melee characters and waste their precious movement speed to stand up. To get these effects consistently be sure to use Boots of Stormy Clamour and Gloves of Belligerent Skies.

Plant Growth with Prone and Other Spells

So I just covered Prone status and it is deadly. Now it can become even crazier. The thing is that to stand up enemies need to use half of their movement speed which is reasonable. However, you can quarter their movement speed with a very cheap and easy spell to use - Plant Growth.

Generally, you can run into a group of enemies with Spirit Guardians, later cast Plant Growth,​ and move using Tempestuous Magic: Flight. This is a deadly combo that will easily stack Reverbation, make enemies fall, and then leave them grounded.

Special attention to Spike Growth

So Spike Growth​ is an outlier spell out of many ground control options. Maybe this is developer oversight or maybe it was intended. The thing is, that many effects from items or other statuses pass through them, creating some interesting combos.

• Callous Glow Ring + Luminous Armour + Gloves of Belligerent Skies + Boots of Stormy Clamour - this is an extremely deadly combo, each tick of Spike Growth​ will proc Radiating Orb and Reverbation. Make sure that those enemies are lighted so that Callous Glow Ring procs correct.
• Lightning Charges - additional Lightning Damage on each tick of the spikes. This does require you to activate them. The easiest way, which can be done while attacking an enemy with a spell or cantrip using The Spellsparkler. Thanks, Princeps08 for mentioning the Lightning Charges combo

Using different area Control spells

The interesting part of Nature Cleric is that it has access to plenty of area-of-effect spells. For example, you can use two types of controls, one for the air and another for the ground. So for example - Plant Growth​ and Insect Plague, making the area inaccessible and enemies getting destroyed.

The strongest combo in my opinion would be Sleet Storm​ together with Hunger of Hadar​ (that you need Bard or Warlock to cast). This outright makes enemies skip their turn and get damaged by the killing of dark clouds.

So the main two categories:

• Ground - Sleet Storm, Spike Growth, Plant Growth, Ice Storm, Grasping Vine​ (be careful as it can get damaged by air effects), and so on
• Air - Insect Plague, Cloudkill, Hunger of Hadar​ (obtained from other classes)

Early Game Combat

Let's cover how you should progress combat levels 1-6. This plays as a normal Archer, where you utilize mostly your weapon attacks and a few spells.

• Shillelagh​ is your bread-and-butter attack for most of the early levels until you unlock level 3 spells. If you can precast it before combat. If not, that's not a problem as it only uses bonus action.
• For early encounters use normal spells like Guiding Bolt and, Inflict Wounds. To save spell slots I would prioritize Produce Flame​ followed by Sacred Flame​ to inflict damage if in need of ranged attack.
• If you can use Bless​ to buff allies before combat. Once you get The Whispering Promise, you can forgo the spell and use Healing Word​ or Mass Healing Word​ to buff your allies.
• Create or Destroy Water​ is an excellent spell if you have other casters that use Cold or Lightning spells.
• Spike Growth​ is a powerful spell to cover choke points, I talk about it more in the mechanics section.
• Once you obtain Spirit Guardians​ use these to run around the battlefield and debuff the enemies. Check the equipment section for the items that work the best with it.
• Your bonus action has plenty of uses. The already mentioned healing spells, Shillelagh​ but you can also summon Spiritual Weapon, which can deal additional damage and distract foes.
• Glyph of Warding​ can be used to put enemies to sleep without a Concentration slot. It is excellent if you see a few of them grouped up.
• If things are turning for the worse, you can always use Sanctuary​ to save an ally or use it to flee combat.

Late Game Combat

Late game is where this build lifts off and can attack and cast spells on the same turn:

• Spirit Guardians​ are still your bread and butter for most of the combat encounters. You want to weaken most of the enemies before they get their turn.
• Heroes' Feast​ is an excellent spell to buff up your group with additional temporary HP and some resistance. Planar Ally​ is another great level 6 spell. Sadly, you have a limited amount of these so pick wisely.
• Spike Growth, Sleet Storm,​ and Plant Growth​ are extremely powerful control options. The latter doesn't use a Concentration slot, so you can use it together with other spell options.
• Flame Strike​ is an excellent spell when you want to dish out damage, especially on the second turn, once you have prepared everything and weakened foes.

Build Variations

Here are some variations that work similarly and utilize the same classes at their core.

Setup	Description
3 Storm Sorcerer 9 Nature Cleric	A more caster-oriented setup with access to Metamagic: Quickened Spell. This allows the cleric to self-set various combos like Plant Growth​ + Insect Plague​ to shut down enemies and bosses.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the best Nature Cleric Build for Baldur's Gate 3. This has been one of the most enjoyable builds to make. The build offers a Druid playstyle with plenty of support and control. Moreover, the Diety pick offers excellent roleplay options if you are into that.

Cheers!