Eldritch Knights are fighters who use magic to amplify and enhance their weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3. Their swordplay is phenomenal, their spells destructive, and their will resilient. The Fighter class usually relies on the Wizard Class or Cleric Class for spell support. But the Eldritch Knight build allows the Fighter to be more than self-sufficient in all categories.
This build is not a substitute for a caster in the party. They work in tandem with the support class and add some extra flavor to combat. You will need to make some specific choices throughout the game that will shape how this build turns out.
Starting Abilities and Skills for Fighter Eldritch Knight in Baldur’s Gate 3
A decent Eldritch Knight build should best utilize their fighting style and magical prowess in Baldur’s Gate 3. Below are our recommendations on how you should proceed in the early game sections.
| Class | Fighter | – |
| Sub-Class | Eldritch Knight | – |
| Race | High-Elf | The best race for the Fighter Eldritch Knight is High Elf. This allows you to cast your cantrips as bonus actions. Plus, you will get Darkvision and Fey ancestry with a High Elf. Darkvision will help you see better in dark environments. Fey Ancestry gives you the advantage on saving throws against being charmed. |
| Fighting Style | Great Weapon Fighting | This will allow you to reroll a damage die if you get a one or a two. Then, you will use the second result, regardless of what you get. This ensures that you deal the most damage in any given situation. |
| Ability Points Distribution | STR 16, DEX 10, CON 16, INT 14. WIS 10, CHA 8 | Strength is our main ability modifier, but we also need intelligence for our Eldritch Knight build to cast spells successfully. |
| Skills | Athletics, Acrobatics, Perception, Survival, Intimidation | – |
Best Background
Select the Soldier as a background for your Fighter Eldritch Knight build in Baldur’s Gate 3. This gives you a +5 in Athletics checks and saving throws. You also get a +1 in intimidation checks and saving throws.
As a soldier, you will be battle-hardened and combat-ready. This will give you background lore that suits your magic-wielding knight.
Best Feats for Fighter Eldritch Knight
Feats are special maneuvers, attacks, and bonuses that you get in Baldur’s Gate 3. These add layers of functionality to a character. Following are the best BG3 feats for Eldritch Knight build.
| Level | Feat | Description |
| 4 | Savage Attacker | Allows you to make an additional damage roll and then select the highest value to deal the maximum possible damage to enemies. |
| 6 | Ability Improvement | Invest both ability points into Strength to increase it to 18. |
| 8 | War Caster | Allows you to maintain concentration while casting spells. |
| 12 | Spell Sniper | You can learn an additional cantrip, and the roll you need to perform a critical hit with spells is decreased by 1. |
Best spells for Fighter Eldritch Knight
As an eldritch knight, you should have a decent number of cantrips and spells available to use. Spells need a spell slot to be used and require a long rest to reset them. Cantrips, on the other hand, require none. These are the choices you should make:
| Level | Spells | Description |
| Cantrips | Fire Bolt, Dancing Lights, Shocking Grasp. | Fire Bolt allows you to deal 1-10 fire damage to a single target. Dancing Lights illuminate a dark area within a 9m radius. Socking Grasp deals 1-8 lightning damage to enemies and stops them from using reactions. |
| 1 | Magic Missile, Chromatic Orb, Shield, Burning Hands. | Magic Missile deals 2-5 force damage to three enemies. Chromatic Orb deals 3-24 thunder damage to enemies and creates a surface on impact. Shield increases your AC by 5 when an attack is about to hit you and makes you immune to Magic Missile. Burning Hands deal 3-18 fire damage to surrounding enemies. They still take half the damage, even on successful saving throws. |
| 2 | Scorching Ray, Shatter. | Scorching Ray deals 2-12 fire damage to three enemies each. Shatter deals 3-24 thunder damage to enemies and puts inorganic materials at a disadvantage on their saving throws. |
Best armor and weapons
We recommend that you use the following armor and weapons set on your Eldritch Knight build.
Head: Grymskull Helm. This rare helm protects you from fire damage, and the enemies can’t land critical hits on you.
Chest: Reaper’s Embrace. This very rare heavy armor has 19 AC and reduces all incoming damage by 2. It protects you from being controlled with enemies’ spells and gives you Howl of the Dead cantrip.
Gloves: The gloves of the Growling Underdog. You gain an advantage on your attack rolls if two or more enemies surround you. Grants you a +1 bonus on Strength saving throws.
Boots: Boots of Speed. You gain Click Heels class action that allows you to move twice as fast.
Necklace: Amulet of Restoration. Grants you the Mass Healing Word spell that can heal up to 6 allies for 1-4HP.
Ring 1: Emerald Ring.
Ring 2: Ring of Psionic Protection. Stops your tadpole from growing any further at the expense of illithid powers.
Main-Hand Weapon: Sword of the Emperor. Deals 3-12 slashing damage to enemies and an additional 1-4 damage to shapeshifters. You get a +2 bonus on all your saving throws.
Ranged Weapon: Hellfire Engine Crossbow. Deals 3-12 piercing damage to the enemies and grants you the Lightning Arrow spell.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Flighter Eldritch Knight build level progression
| Level | Unlocks | Description |
| 1 | Race, background, and Ability Points Distribution. Second Wind class feature. | Choose from the ones we recommended above. Second Wind heals you during the combat. |
| 2 | Action Surge class action. | Allows you to perform an additional attack immediately. |
| 3 | Sub-class selection. Two cantrips and three level 1 spells. Weapon Bind sub-class feature. | Weapon Bind makes a weapon bind to your main hand until the next long rest. You can’t drop it, and it becomes magical. You also become proficient with it instantly. |
| 4 | The first Feat unlocks. | Savage Attacker to roll two damage rolls and select the highest value for maximum damage. |
| 5 | Extra Attack. | You get an additional attack per turn. |
| 6 | The second Feat slot unlocks. | Ability Improvement to increase your strength to 18. |
| 7 | Level 2 spell slots unlock. War Magic class action. | Choose from Scorching Ray and Shatter. War Magic allows you to use a melee attack as a bonus action after using a cantrip. |
| 8 | The third Feat slot unlocks. | War Caster to increase your concentration while casting spells. |
| 9 | Indomitable class action. | In case of failing a saving throw, you get one more chance. |
| 10 | Eldritch Strike, additional Cantrip, and Spell to choose from. | Eldritch Strike puts a creature at a disadvantage on their saving throws against your spell attacks. |
| 11 | Improved Extra Attack class feature. | Now, you can deal three attacks in one turn. |
| 12 | The final Feat unlocks. | Spell Sniper for an extra cantrip and a bonus of -1 on your critical attacks. |
Is Fighter Eldritch Knight any good in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Fighter Eldritch Knights are a hybrid between sword maters and spellcasters. They can inflict massive melee damage in close-quarter combat and can unleash devastating spells from afar. They can provide enough support to the party members and have proficiency with High Armor to survive the onslaught.
However, this build lacks the proper advantages of both a spellcaster and a melee fighter. They can’t deal immensely high damage and need another powerful fighter in their party.
You can multiclass Eldritch Knight with the Mage class in the following configurations.
- 7 Eldritch Knight / 5 Mage. This will grant you access to level 3 spells.
- 11 Eldritch Knight / 1 Mage. You will get 3 actions per turn.
