Life Domain Cleric Build - Life Fortress - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

Life Domain Cleric Build - Life Fortress

In general, many of my cleric builds revolve around the main mechanic of Revorb - Radiating Orb​ and Reverberation​ conditions, which weaken enemies, even forcing them Prone. This is a very powerful setup, but for this build, I wanted to do something a little different and utilize the full capacity of healing for the Life Cleric.

The build goes all in for the Heavy Armor, Warding Bond​ setup, enabling you to soak up damage from your allies. Moreover, the party will be protected with constant healing and buffs like Bless​ or Aid. This does limit your offensive potential, but if you are running 2 A-tier builds, in the group, a little support to them makes your party invincible.

You can still use popular offensive spells like Spirit Guardians,​ but without itemization support, it will not be as strong. Still, I do think this build is a perfect contender for those first Honour Mode runs, where you want to have some wall of support, in case "oh shit" moment hits. In that case, Life Cleric is a build for you.

Why did I find this useful? I was running a pretty solid setup, with A-tier+ builds - Abjuration Wizard, Bladesinger, Giant Barb Thrower. What was happening is that these characters would decimate most of the enemies before the Cleric could do anything substantial. So instead of wasting spell slots on Spirit Guardians, I thought - what can a Life Cleric do that supports them all the time?

So let's jump into the build!

Class Contribution

The build has a few variations, I took the simplest one, which I think covers the level 6 spell that I eagerly wanted to use:

11 Life Domain Cleric

• Can apply Wet​ to other casters with Create or Destroy Water, helping to make enemies vulnerable to Lightning and Cold damage.
• Proficiencies with shields, medium, and heavy armor, allowing for improved defensive capabilities
• Access to a large swath of healing-related spells - Healing Word, Mass Healing Word, Preserve Life, etc. These will allow you to buff allies and heal them using gear like The Whispering Promise.
• Long Rest buffs, which help throughout the whole day - Warding Bond, Aid, and Heroes' Feast. These can greatly improve survivability, especially if you want to be careful with your run.
• Other useful tidbits like Beacon of Hope​ for some powerful healing and additional buffs that come from concentration, Guardian of Faith to cover chokepoints, etc.
• Spirit Guardians​ can help hit multiple enemies with radiant damage. If you decide to use some specific gear like Boots of Stormy Clamour, Luminous Armour, these can help you further to debilitate foes.

1 Storm 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

Synergy with other builds

This build can be used in any party composition. But it does suffer from two major problems - low damage and control. For this reason, I do recommend having at least 2 other A-tier builds just to be able to clear out enemies and utilize all the buffs from Life Cleric. 

I would for sure recommend any Great Weapon Master: All In​ or Sharpshooter: All In​ users:

• Bardadin, Battle Master, Bladelock, etc.
• Arcane Archer, Sword Bard Archer, Dual Hand Crossbow Build, Gloomstalker Assassin, etc.
• Casters are also a welcome addition, as they can pair well, especially with a cleric's Create Water​ spell - Storm Sorcerer, Stormfrost Sage, etc. Fire Sorcerer is also crazy powerful

So be sure to have two of these, and you are set to go, the fourth one can be anything you like in terms of playstyle. The goal is to have a good baseline damage to compensate for the lack of Life Cleric's offensive prowess.

Lightning/Cold themed

A cleric can be an excellent addition for these kinds of parties, where there is a caster who has Cold or Lightning spells. Create Water​ allows you to make enemies Wet, which doubles the damage of these spells. Here are some builds that go well with this:

• Bladesinger, Abjuration Wizard, Storm Sorcerer, Stormfrost Sage - can access most of the cold and lightning spells in the game.
• Land Druid and its variations - they get access to Call Lightning,​ which can be effectively used multiple times per single combat.
• Cold Sorcerer - can save initial cast by concentrating on more Ray of Frost.
• Giant Barbarian - the Elemental Cleaver​ gives access to various elements, moreover, Lightning Jabber can double its lightning rider damage.

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, Thaumaturgy​, Guidance​
		Subclass: Life Domain
		Recommended Prepared Spells: Guiding Bolt, Command, Inflict Wounds, Sanctuary, Healing Word​
		STR - 8, DEX - 16, CON - 15, INT - 8, WIS - 16, CHA - 10
		Skills: any
2	Cleric 2	-
3	Cleric 3	Recommended Prepared Spells: Enhance Ability, Warding Bond, Spiritual Weapon​
4	Cleric 4	Cantrips: Blade Ward​
		Feat: Ability Improvement - +1 Wisdom, +1 Constitution
5	Cleric 5	Recommended Prepared Spells: Spirit Guardians, Glyph of Warding, Mass Healing Word​
6	Respec Character: Level 1 - Sorcerer 1 Level 2-6 - Cleric 5	Cantrips: Friends, Minor Illusion, Light, Mage Hand.
		Spells: Shield, Magic Missile​
		Subclass: Storm Sorcery
7	Cleric 6	-
8	Cleric 7	Recommended Prepared Spells: Freedom of Movement​
9	Cleric 8	Feat: Ability Improvement +2 Wisdom or War Caster: Concentration​ or Heavy Armour Master​
10	Cleric 9	Recommended Prepared Spells: Insect Plague​
11	Cleric 10	Cantrip: Resistance​
12	Cleric 11	Recommended Prepared Spells: Heroes' Feast

Build Variations

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

Setup	Description
Stars Cleric Build: 9 Life Cleric 2 Stars Druid 1 Sorcerer	This is a really strong variation with Star Druid dip. You get the Dazzling Breath​ bonus action attack, which deals good damage and gives you another cheap offensive option.

Starting the Game - Level 1

This section covers the creation screen and what would go into the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for the Life Cleric build. If you have already started playing, feel free to do a respec at Withers and follow along. This will make it easy to follow the build step by step.

Races

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

Race	Features	Description
Half-Orc	Savage Attacks​ Relentless Endurance​ Darkvision​	I would say one of the best picks for this build as you can stand up in case things go wrong and the cleric dies.
Lightfoot Halfling	Halfling Luck​ Brave​ Naturally Stealthy​	Very good pick, as it minimizes the risk of critical failures, especially as you will be taking a lot of damage while concentrating on spells via Warding Bond.
Wood Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.	Increased movement speed is always good. The build does depend on it to some degree, but it's not relying on Spirit Guardians​ + Radiating Orb​ as much, so you don't need to tag all enemies.
Wood Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.
Gnome	Gnome Cunning​ Darkvision​	No matter which subrace you pick all of them are good the key here is Gnome Cunning, which helps surviving some heavy hitting spells.

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​	Pick one of these. Thaumaturgy​ is probably the best option here if you are the main character. Otherwise, go for Sacred Flame​
Thaumaturgy​
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
Life Domain
Features
Cure Wounds​	Not recommended spell to use, steep cost, and minor regeneration.
Bless​	Can be used effectively by precasting. But I would recommend getting The Whispering Promise ring instead.
Disciple of Life​	This is what will make some of the healing bonuses stack, reaching very effective health restoration on allies.

Deity

Pick your preferred one in terms of roleplay.

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 of Wisdom.

Abilities

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

The core mechanic to understand for ability points is that they give "ability modifiers" that apply to various skill checks. For example, Charisma works on Intimidation and persuasion checks. Wisdom on Survival or Animal Handling, and so on.

You get a higher ability modifier on even values - 10, 12, 14, etc. So keeping it on odd may be useless. However, there are various +1/2 modifiers in the game, specifically Auntie Ethel Hair or Feats that help round this up.

Ability	Value	Description
Strength	8	Not that relevant. Of course, you can increase it with Elixir of Hill Giant Strength for some melee hits.
Dexterity	16 (15+1)	One of the core abilities giving high initiative, which will be useful for buffing allies, before they take a turn.
Constitution	15	The Constitution will help with maintaining spell concentration and improving the HP pool.
Intelligence	8	This will not be relevant for the build
Wisdom	17 (15+2)	The main spellcasting modifier of the Cleric.
Charisma	8	Not that relevant, unless you are the main character. Still, I would prioritize other ability scores.

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 recommendations are to pick those at which you have a high ability modifier or are useful in general:

• Animal Handling
• Insight
• Medicine
• Perception
• Survival

Level 1 - Prepared 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.
Inflict Wounds​	If enemies are close to you, this is the go-to spell, which deals strong damage. It can also crit, inflicting even more damage.
Create or Destroy Water​	Mandatory spell if you have any kind of lightning or cold-based caster to apply Wet​ and double their 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.

Leveling Progression - Levels 2-12

Here is the detailed progression for the Life Domain 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

By this time, you should have landed in the Wilderness Start Location already. Cleric gives good features from early levels:

Action	Description
Turn Undead​	Excellent against undead enemies, making them run away.
Preserve Life​	A decent healing spell that does not use your spell slots, and scales with character level throughout the game.

Prepare Spell

Feel free to add a spell to the spell list that you can use during combat.

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
Aid​	Very powerful buff spell. For now, it is quite expensive to use with limited spell slots. But later on, make sure to use and increase the total HP of all party members. This scales with spell slot used.
Lesser Restoration​	Situationally useful spell, but otherwise irrelevant.

Prepare Spells - Level 2 spells

Here are my recommendations for Level 2 spells to be included in your spellbook:

Spells	Description
Warding Bond​	Excellent spell, that you can use to greatly improve the survivability of your party members. It can be cast multiple times on multiple allies. Once you get good heavy armor like Adamantine Splint Armour you can soak up a lot of damage.
Spiritual Weapon​	Gives a good use for a 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, and the build continues as is.

Cantrips

Cantrip	Description
Blade Ward​	This is the time when I think picking this feat is good. It will play a big role in maximizing how much damage Cleric can absorb from party members, and will be part of your core kit.

Feat

Pretty simple pick here:

Level 5

This level is a huge milestone, and that is why no multiclassing happened before. Access to level 3 spells makes the cleric shine even more.

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.

Life Cleric subclass also gains special spells:

Spell	Description
Revivify​	As there are plenty of Scroll of Revivify this spell is redundant
Beacon of Hope​	It can be a good spell for maximum healing potential and activating Concentration.

Prepared Spells - Level 3 Spells

These spells are quite powerful, so I do recommend adding them:

Spell	Description
Mass Healing Word​	Using this as a bonus action together with The Whispering Promise will buff all allies with the Bless​ effect and heal them.
Spirit Guardians​	As the build does not emphasize Radiating Orb​ effects, this spell plays more of a minor role than the standard Revorb setup.
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 Glyph of Warding: Sleep, which works on multiple enemies and can outright win you an encounter.

Level 6 - Respec to Sorc Lv 1

Now, to further empower Cleric and its capabilities, you will have to respec at Withers and pick Sorcerer as a first class:

• 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).

This level 1 dip will also allow you to keep some level 6 cleric spells, which I think are very valuable for this type of setup for the life cleric.

Cantrips

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

Cantrip	Description
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. Be careful, as cancelling it near the target NPC will make them attack you.
Minor Illusion​	You can use this cantrip to pull enemies together before an encounter.
Light​	This cantrip is especially useful in Act 2, which you will enter, and proves useful both for allies and yourself.
Any	There are a few options that you could take - Booming Blade​ for occasional melee attacks or Mage Hand​ for solving puzzles.

Spells

Spells	Description
Shield​	Very good spell that can ensure +5 Armour Class, giving a good survivability boost.
Any	As your main spellcasting modifier is Wisdom, most of the offensive spells will not be useful. However, here are some good picks: Magic Missile​ if going for Revorb setup, can be used to debuff enemies Enhance Leap​, Feather Fall​, Disguise Self​ - cool utility spells that can be used in exploration.

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.

The rest of the levels in Cleric 1-5

Now you can do a multiclass into Cleric, and retake the previous 5 levels to reach level 6. To do that you need to click this button in level up screen:

Level 7 - Cleric Lv 6

You get an additional Channel Divinity charge and subclass feature:

Feature	Description
Blessed Healer​	A nice feature to slightly improve the survivability, so that you could maintain high health.

Level 8 - Cleric Lv 7

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

Spells	Description
Guardian of Faith​	It can be situationally useful if enemies are packed in one spot. Sadly, it does have limited damage potential.
Death Ward​	I think this spell can be very valuable in Honor Mode runs, and especially against big boss fights. It uses no Concentration, so apply it to the main character and ensure high survivability.

Prepared Spells - Level 4 Spells

Sadly, there is only one recommendation here:

Spells	Description
Freedom of Movement​	Makes the target immune to Restrained​ and Paralysed​ effects, which is useful for some encounters.

Level 9 - Cleric Lv 8

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

Feature	Description
Divine Strike: Radiant​	In case you use a weapon attack, this can give a decent damage boost.

Feat

Feat	Description
Ability Improvement - +2 Wisdom	The best pick improves Spellcasting Modifier and makes it easier to land spells.
Heavy Armour Master​	It can help further reduce incoming damage. Sadly, it does not work with magical damage.
War Caster: Concentration​	This will help maintain spell concentration while being hit. Some items give the same effect as the Amulet of Greater Health, Dark Justiciar Half-Plate, etc.
Alert​	If you want the cleric to go first, and buff allies or avoid any Surprised​ situations, pick this feat.

Level 10 - Cleric Lv 9

Level 9 gives access to level 5 spells

Spell	Description
Greater Restoration​	It can be useful in some situations, where you get Paralysed​ or Cursed.
Mass Cure Wounds​	Quite powerful healing spell, but I think the spell slot cost is too much.

Prepared Spells - Level 5 Spells

Spell	Description
Insect Plague​	Does significant Piercing damage and targets the enemy's Constitution Saving Throws. It is best used with other ground control spells like Sleet Storm​ or Plant Growth​ to minimize enemy movement and maximize the damage they take.
Flame Strike​	Both of these are great spells and are perfect for dealing pure damage. One thing to best utilize them is to also have some Revorb gear for bonus effects on Radiant damage.
Destructive Wave​

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

Cantrip	Description
Resistance​	Although you can take any cantrip, I think this can serve well, once you get Blade Ward​ from items.

Level 12 - Cleric Lv 11

The last level gets the final spell that we want for this kind of setup. I would say it is optional, and if you don't need it, you can go for other variations of the build (I have them mentioned at the bottom of the post):

Prepared Spells - Level 5 Spells

Spell	Description
Heroes' Feast​	I think this is the main spell to go for when taking Cleric to level 11. It gives a significant boost to survivability, both in terms of total HP and various other bonuses. For example, you could have your caster cast Cloudkill​ while you stay inside, immune to its damage. It also stacks with Aid.

That's it, the build is done!

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.

Wisdom

This is the main spellcasting modifier which affects how well your spells land or how well you heal:

1. 17 Wisdom - the base for character creation.
2. Feat 1 - Ability Improvement - +1 Wisdom.
3. Feat 2 - Ability Improvement - +2 Wisdom
4. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss - pick +2 Wisdom.

That is a total of 22 points, meaning +6 ability modifier.

Potions, Elixirs, and Consumables

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

Potions

Consumable	Description
Potion of Speed	This is a very powerful potion. It gives an additional action point which can be used to cast a spell or attack. The activation is generally by drinking using a bonus action. However, you can stack together with party members and make one member Throw​ it on the ground, giving Hastened​ to everyone.
Potion of Invisibility	It can be used in two ways - the first one is to enter combat with a Surprised​ round, causing enemies to skip their turn. Another option is to leave combat if you see that it is not going in your favour.
Potion of Animal Speaking	It can help to enable speaking with animals.
Potion of Angelic Reprieve	Gives a short rest effect and restores level 1 and 2 spell slots. Excellent for restoring some spell slots after prebuffing.
Potion of Angelic Slumber	A few can be obtained throughout the game, but most of them are found in Act 3. Gives the effects of long rest, perfect for restoring spell slots.

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	The elixir gives an easy option to get an additional action point - just kill a foe. This can then be used to attack one more time or cast a full spell.
Elixir of Hill Giant Strength	These can be used to set the strength to 21. As a Cleric, this can be relevant if you plan to use some melee attacks and improve your hit chances. Here is a farming guide for the Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.
Elixir of Battlemage's Power	Gain 3 stacks of Arcane Acuity, which makes it easier to land spells.
Elixir of Peerless Focus	Another good choice that allows for better maintenance of spell Concentration.
Elixir of Vigilance	For some encounters, you will want to go first. This elixir will ensure that it overcomes even Surprised​ mechanics.
Superior Elixir of Arcane Cultivation	Grant's a single level 3 spell slot. It 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. It 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, also called Elite.

Illithid Power	Type	Description
Favourable Beginnings	Base	Beneficial power to take as it does not have any costs, and provides only benefits on the first hits with attack rolls.
Luck of the Far Realms​	Base	It's an easy way to ensure you land critical hits.
Cull the Weak​	Base	It can help to kill an enemy faster if it is left with a few HP.
Psionic Backlash​​	Base	Excellent way to deal with casters, giving a chance to cancel the concentration of the spell when cast.
Shield of Thralls​	Base	Excellent option for bonus temporary HP. It can also apply Stunned on foes after it is destroyed.
Charm​	Base	It can be useful for deterring enemies from attacking you. Of course, in some cases, you want to be attacked, so skip this then.
Illithid Expertise​	Elite	It can be used to maximize the effectiveness of charisma-based skills, especially those relevant to the main character.
Black Hole​	Elite	Potent spell that can be used to pull enemies together. You or allies can then follow up with area-of-effect spells or attacks. In general, it is a very effective action in the hands of any character.
Mind Sanctuary​	Elite	Very powerful spell enabling allies under this effect to cast spells with a bonus action.
Psionic Dominance​	Elite	Can be used to cancel an incoming spell, in some cases even avoiding being downed.

Equipment Recommendations

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

I will list two setup options, the intended build option - being a fortress that soaks damage from allies, buffs, and heals them. Another option is more of a standard Revorb build, which utilizes Radiating Orb​ and Reverberation​ to weaken foes.

Act 1

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	Defender Flail	With its Steel Physiology​ effect, it reduces incoming damage while you use Warding Bond.
	Phalar Aluve	Excellent item, for the earlier part of Act 1. The main highlight is its Phalar Aluve: Melody​ for beneficial buffs on attack and defense.
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	Gives bonus initiative, allowing one to go earlier in combat.
	Gandrel's Aspiration	Gives easy Advantage against monstrosities, for all weapon attacks.
Shield	Adamantine Shield	Excellent shield, which proves valuable with the Reeling​ debuff.
	Safeguard Shield	Great initial shield, with bonuses to Saving Throws.
Head	Holy Lance Helm	Both of these helmets work well. My preference is the Holy Lance Helm as you will already have plenty of healing items. Still, to maximize the latter, feel free to use Wapira's Crown.
	Wapira's Crown
Armor	Adamantine Splint Armour	Gives a significant damage reduction, which will improve the survivability as you soak damage.
Gloves	Hellrider's Pride	The best gloves for support, as they give Blade Ward​ to allies that you heal. They do not apply to you, so you will still need to cast Blade Ward.
	Gloves of Missile Snaring	Helps reduce damage from ranged attacks.
Boots	Boots of Striding	Both of these boots are excellent options as they will help you maintain spell Concentration, which can easily be broken if you fall.
	Disintegrating Night Walkers
	Boots of Aid and Comfort	These boots are perfect for maximizing survivability, as they give health-related bonuses.
	Vital Conduit Boots
Amulet	Amulet of Restoration	The best amulet for a support build with additional healing spells.
Rings	The Whispering Promise	One of the best support items. By using Preserve Life, Mass Healing Word,​ you can heal and buff allies with Bless,​ improving their combat capabilities.
	Ring of Salving	A slight boost to the healing amount is useful in the early game, but as the HP pool increases, its usefulness becomes negligible.

Revorb Setup

Act 1 provides the core items, which don't change much throughout the game. There will be a few additions in Act 2, but that's it.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	Blood of Lathander	The best weapon for Revorb setup, as it applies a condition that triggers Boots of Stormy Clamour.
	Phalar Aluve	The main highlight is Phalar Aluve: Melody,​ which can buff allies or debuff enemies, depending on which effect you pick.
Shield	Adamantine Shield	Gives a Reeling​ debuff on enemies that miss you.
Head	Holy Lance Helm	Deals radiant damage to attackers that miss, and also activates Reverberation​ from other items.
Armor	Luminous Armour	The best armor for applying Radiating Orb​ en masse with Spirit Guardians.
Gloves	Gloves of Belligerent Skies	One of the best items for applying Reverberation, via various damage types.
Boots	Boots of Stormy Clamour	Applies Reverberation​ via conditions, which is easy to achieve with Spirit Guardians.
Rings	Crusher's Ring	Better movement speed, allowing you to hit more enemies with Spirit Guardians.

Act 2 - mid-game

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	-	Act 1, items are still the best uses.
Ranged	Darkfire Shortbow	If you want to cast Haste​ with a cleric on an ally, this bow is excellent for that.
Shield	Sentinel Shield	If you are dedicated to go first, this shield will make sure you do that in most encounters.
	Ketheric's Shield	Although this is technically better for caster than Adamantine Shield, still, I think the Act 1 shield is better.
	-	Shields from previous acts.
Head	Flawed Helldusk Helmet	Gives sizeable bonuses to saving throws, helping to keep spell concentration
	Dark Justiciar Helmet	A good helmet with bonuses that help to maintain spell concentration.
	Fistbreaker Helm	This is a decent helmet option if you want higher spell success. But I would still prefer the previous act's headwear, as I think their effects are nicer for the setup this build is doing.
	-	Helmets from the previous Act.
Cloak	Cloak of Elemental Absorption	Not much difference in which cloak you choose to equip. However, I would use Cloak of Protection on the party member who has the lowest Armour Class. For others, they do give relevant benefits.
	Cloak of Protection
	Fleshmelter Cloak
Armor	Reaper's Embrace	Great armor with flat damage reduction and other useful features.
	Adamantine Splint Armour	I would say this is still a solid choice with a flat damage decrease.
	Rippling Force Mail	Gives Force Conduit​ effect, which is great for reducing damage. Still, the main problem is that you first need to be hit.
	Dwarven Splintmail	If you were not able to obtain Adamantine Splint Armour, this is the best option for now.
Gloves	-	Use the ones from the previous Act.
Boots	-	Use the ones from the previous Act.
Amulet	Amulet of Restoration	Continues to be the best support amulet in my eyes.
	Amulet of the Harpers	Another option with a single Shield​ use.
	Periapt of Wound Closure	You can instantly stand up in case the character gets Downed​.
Rings	-	To be fair no major items here that could give a big improvement. Ring of Free Action might be useful, but only in a handful of situations.

Revorb Setup

There are a few key additions to the items for this setup, which will give a good improvement:

Slot	Item	Description
Gloves	Luminous Gloves	This is an optional glove option, if you want more Radiating Orb​, however, I still would prioritize Gloves of Belligerent Skies.
Rings	Callous Glow Ring	Gives additional radiant damage, which is easy to proc.
	Coruscation Ring	Theoretically, it should work better than listed. Unfortunately, it works only on single-time damage, like Sacred Flame. It does not work with Spirit Guardians, so I give this ring lower priority.

Act 3 - Final Build setup

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	-	For weapons, nothing much really changes. You should still use either Phalar Aluve or Defender Flail.
Ranged	Gontr Mael	Both of these bows work well. Hellrider Longbow, is especially good, but it can be in high demand, while Gontr Mael gives an easy source of Haste,​ which you can use on spell Concentration.
	Hellrider Longbow
Shield	Viconia's Walking Fortress	The strongest shield in the game, which gives you Warding Bond,​ allowing you to save a spell slot. Still, it has other uses, like good bonuses and actions.
	Swires' Sledboard	Gives Force Conduit​ on each turn, reducing damage taken from physical sources.
Head	Helm of Balduran	Hands down the best headwear for this setup. Constant healing will proc Blade Ward​ from The Reviving Hands. It also gives crit immunity.
Cloak	Mantle of the Holy Warrior	Can be used to buff allies for bonus damage with Crusader's Mantle.
Armor	Helldusk Armour	Excellent armour with a flat -3 damage to all sources. This greatly improves the damage that you can sustain from Warding Bond.
	Armour of Persistence	Armour alternative, which also reduces all incoming damage. Also, gives Blade Ward​
Gloves	The Reviving Hands	Similar to Hellrider's Pride, these also apply buffs to yourself.
Boots	Helldusk Boots	These boots help you avoid falling down on Ice or other slippery surfaces
Amulet	Amulet of The Devout	The best amulet for clerics, giving an additional cast of Preserve Life.
	Amulet of Greater Health	If you want maximum survivability with a Life Cleric build, this amulet will give a huge health boost. Moreover, it will maximize your constitution saving throws.
	Khalid's Gift	Can be used to play around with higher Wisdom values, which would allow taking another feat.
	Fey Semblance Amulet	Excellent amulet to improve success against spells.
Rings	The Whispering Promise	This continues to be the best ring in terms of buffs for the game.
	Ring of Regeneration	Healing item that can be an alternative to Helm of Balduran, to activate buffs.
	Till Death Do Us Part	Can be used to cast Beacon of Hope​ and save a spell slot.

Revorb Setup

So in Act 3, nothing changes for Revorb setup to be honest. So you can continue using items from previous Acts.

Build Mechanics

In this section, I would like to dive deep into how to play the Life 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.

Prebuffing (campcasting) after a long rest

So one of the main roles, for this build, is to empower allies at the start of the day just after resting. Here are the main buffs:

• Warding Bond​ - the main spells of this build, which allows you to soak damage from allies. I recommend casting on 2-3 allies, depending on how well you are able to sustain damage.
• Aid​ - try to cast this as a highest level buff, this will maximize spell effectiveness and give a significant boost to max health.
• Freedom of Movement​ - this spell is situation, I would only use it before some big encounters, which you are planning to do, or you know any enemy can apply some restraining spells on you or your allies.
• Heroes' Feast​ - you will obtain this later in the game, but it also gives a big boost to maximum health and stacks with Aid.

With these, your party will have a low chance of wiping and greatly increase the group party pool that the enemy needs to deal with.

Buffing everyone with Heals

So, as a Life Cleric, you would expect to do a lot of healing. This is partially true, but this will be used more for buffing allies in most cases. What do I mean?

With items like Hellrider's Pride and The Whispering Promise, any healing you do will give Bless​ and Blade Ward​ on allies. This will help you to improve survivability, which stacks with Warding Bond. This is pretty easy to activate:

• Healing Word​ - the cheapest and simplest option to land heals on a single target ally. It does consume a spell slot, but it is still very helpful. The main highlight is that it only uses a bonus action.
• Preserve Life​ - the signature feature of Life Cleric. Does a good amount of healing, but also heals all allies, and as we talked, this will make everyone buffed up and stronger.
• Mass Healing Word​ - improved version that targets all allies, again using only a bonus action. This does consume a level 3 spell slot, but otherwise it is very efficient for the action economy of a Cleric.

Using Concentration spells

With high damage reduction, you have some options on what to concentrate on during battles. This maximizes your usefulness, but also gives an edge in combat. Here are some recommendations from me:

• Beacon of Hope​ - great spell for those boss encounters, where healing might be essential.
• Crusader's Mantle​ - excellent buff, that improved ally damage with radiant element.
• Shield of Faith​ - improves armour class of the target, making their survivability better.
• Spirit Guardians​ - the best offensive option if you want to land damage on enemies. With a high-level spell slot, you can be quite effective at dealing with multiple foes at the same time. It will not be as powerful without the Revorb setup, but still a good option.

Otherwise, feel free to use scrolls or control spells to weaken foes.

Throwing Potions

The best healing is using potions, which does seem counterintuitive, but the raw amount of health they restore is immense. Well, in some situations, you can just throw a potion, save some spell slots, while also activating The Whispering Promise or Hellrider's Pride.

You can even heal multiple allies if they are standing next to each other.

Early Game Combat

So there is a lot to cover here, I think, but the priority is to get The Whispering Promise + Hellrider's Pride and buff allies. After that, you concentrate on damage absorption, healing, or any other options.

• Guiding Bolt​ and Inflict Wounds​ are perfect early game offensive spells, which can one-shot many enemies.
• For the first few levels, Healing Word​ can be used to revive a Downed​ ally. Once you get The Whispering Promise, use it to buff allies.
• Always recommend keeping Sanctuary​ as "oh shit!" spell for yourself or allies. You can cast it on yourself and run away from the encounter.
• Command​ can be a great control spell, but I will be fair, I skip it most of the time, as early in the game, its success is low. Unless you have enemies debuffed with Phalar Aluve: Shriek​ or Bane.
• For strong healing + buffs, use the signature feature of Life Cleric - Preserve Life. It is inexpensive to use and doesn't consume your spell slots.
• Enhance Ability​ is all around good roleplay and exploration spell, to get instant and easy advantage on any ability.
• Once you have some defensive items like Defender Flail or Adamantine Splint Armour you can start using Warding Bond. Try to have Blade Ward​ active and cast it every second turn, to reduce incoming damage if allies are attacked.
• Warding Bond​ should be recast after each long rest, and you can apply it to multiple allies.
• For a good bonus action use you have Spiritual Weapon,​ which serves well in the early game. It can distract foes and deal decent damage.
• Mass Healing Word​ is a tremendously good spell, as it can be used with a bonus action and targets all allies in a large area.
• Spirit Guardians​ or Glyph of Warding​ are excellent offensive spells, that can deal significant damage in the correct circumstances.
• Don't forget to use Create Water​ if you have an ally that can utilize the double damage of Lightning and Cold.

Mid to Late Game Combat

Many of the things will pass from early levels to late levels. The core is buffing and healing. Of course, here are some additions:

• Guardian of Faith​can be excellent if placed in a narrow corridor where enemies need to pass.
• Don't forget to do camp casting with Aid, Warding Bond, Heroes' Feast​ etc., after each long rest.
• The Sorcerer dip gives you an amazing spell - Shield​, which can make you avoid multiple attacks during a turn. You can also use it's Tempestuous Magic: Flight​ + Spirit Guardians​ to tag enemies with radiant damage around the battlefield
• Blade Ward​ is still an important spell, but in Act 3, you can get items like Armour of Persistence or The Reviving Hands, which negate the need for that. it could be then replaced with Resistance.
• You have even more offensive spell options - Insect Plague​ or Flame Strike. The former is best combined with some other caster and Difficult Terrain.​
• Beacon of Hope​ can be used for boss encounters, where you know that they hit hard and can wipe out your team members. The max healing option is very powerful.
• Otherwise, make sure Warding Bond​ is up and let the almost invincible allies take care of things.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the Life Cleric Build for Baldur's Gate 3. Here I wanted to take a bit different approach with less emphasis on Spirit Guardians​ and more on the buff + healing + damage absorption route. I am really happy with the result.

Cheers!