Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Build Discussion Builds that benefit from 1st level dips?

Most builds I'm looking at talk about dipping at the last character level (11 -> 12). What builds have you played where the character actually benefited from the 1st level dip (as opposed to last level)?
Note: I'm talking actual dips (1 level), not 2+ levels.

War Cleric at lvl 1 grants you an extra main attack, so it's very useful for physical classes.

If you're looking strictly for gameplay benefits then either Ranger, Rogue, Barbarian or Fighter at 11 with War Cleric (1) is a great combo.

Personally though I started my current main character as a War Cleric (1) first for roleplaying/dialogue purposes and then just went into Fighter (6) and Rogue (5) multiclass. It's pretty great because in terms of roleplay I'm a jack-of-all-trades Cleric, but in terms of gameplay I am a Fighter/Rogue that hits like a truck and has more health than any of my companions

Starting dip at first level, let's see:

1. A fighter is the most obvious. You get heavy armor and a fighting style, along with all the weapon proficiencies. This can be helpful for most every build. Certainly classes that could use the armor proficiency, but if not for that, then for the fighting style.

2. Starting as a cleric can be useful, especially to another spellcasting class. They can get up to heavy armor proficiency along with shields, and it won't hurt their spell slot level progression. This is mostly beneficial to the wizard who can scribe scrolls at higher levels based on slots.
--the knowledge cleric can be good for characters who want to focus on skill proficiencies.

3. A starting sorcerer dip can be great for a warlock who intends to wear the potent robes. If the draconic subclass is chosen then the warlock will ultimately have a decent AC wearing the potent robes. This is great because of the benefit those robes offer to the eldritch blast. It also happens to come with the much coveted constitution saving throw proficiency.

4. Beginning with a monk dip can be nice. It gives you the ability to use your dex with any weapon you're proficient with. For example, if Shadowheart started with a high dex and a level of monk instead of cleric, she'd be great with the spear without having to invest any points in strength. That way she could be sneaky, wise with cleric spells, and effective in martial combat. All of which a dark justiciar is supposed to be.

5. The wizard has to be mentioned. A wizard can scribe spells from scrolls based on castable spell slots as opposed to wizard levels. So if you have a first level wizard and an eleventh level cleric, the character can still scribe sixth level wizard scrolls and cast them. Not many per day, of course, but enough that it can arguably be worthwhile, especially when you consider the inclusion of spells like curriculum of strategy: artistry of war.

Plenty of Cleric and Fighter dips take first level for the full suite of proficiencies out of the gate. (For example, 11 Storm Sorc 1 Tempest Cleric. 11 Thief 1 Fighter)

Bard dips and Rogue dips are also pretty good 1st levels for skill versatility (1 Rogue being good as you get your Expertise then too)

There's popular Monk dips as Druid/Cleric to get the WIS to AC from 1 Monk level.

Wiz dip for scroll learning (Though, depending on overall build I might take this at level 6ish to get the level 5 powerspike on the main class first, then dip Wiz for the utility)

Bard with a first one-level dip in cleric is AWESOME

Thoughts on War Cleric 1 -> Rogue 11?
I'm thinking the spell utility/extra attack in the first half of the game may be worth that utility falling off somewhat in the later levels.

Is reasonable.

1st level Cleric gets some decent utility that can last the entire game, like Guidance (Especially if you've sneaked off somewhere far from your party), Bless, Sanctuary, Healing Word (If only to pick up downed party members with a bonus action and from a distance) and Command (If you bother getting some DC for it)

War Cleric also offers full martial proficiencies. So you can use the magical Longbows as well as weapons like Phalar Aluve and Adamantine Scimitar. Not to mention Medium and Heavy armour.

With Rogue 11 being solid. You don't even feel the lack of the level 12 feat because Rogue gets a bonus one at level 10.

Well the Strongest Build i ever Used in this Game..
Always start as Fighter so i can use all armors and weapons of the Game..

Btw i always Play as Hexablade or Sorlock..
I dont use Palock anymore becouse its too Broken and make evrything super easy.

Hexablade (7 Fighter/5 Lock) Pact of the Blade and Battlemaster mix get 18 dex and 20 char.
yu can go 7 Lock but yu will Miss the +2 yu get from lvl 6 on Fighter to get 18 dex.
Sorlock (2 Fighter/ 2 Lock/ 8 Sorcerer)

I've done 1 lvl dips with:
- Bard
For Healing Word which I lack in Ranger or Paladin. Compared to Cleric gives extra skill
- Rogue
For having 4 skills, including 2 with Expertise. Expert Decpetion/Persuasion or Sleigh of Hand are good for any other class
- Ranger
4 skills, all weapons and armour (Ranger Knight), possible 5th skill - Sleigh of Hand Proficiency. Although enormous temptation for 2nd lvl because Fighting Style
- Warlock
Eldritch Knight to open i.e. blast doors with Eldritch Blast without having to swap weapons :P
- Cleric
for flavour, i.e. having my Good Drw/Half-Drow start as Eilistraee Clergy before moving into Paladin or Bard of Valor

For further clarification on this.
Do Rogues still get an extra skill only if Rogue is taken at the beginning (1st character level)? So maybe Rogue 1 -> War Cleric 1 -> Rogue 10...? I know it's only 1 skill but, if there's no real downsides...

Yes. Rogues will get their extra skill irregardless of when you take the level.

The only difference between War Cleric > Rogue and Rogue > War Cleric would be your initial options for skill points (Cleric can only pick from History, Insight, Medicine, Persuasion or Religion while Rogue can pick from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand and Stealth) and your save proficiency (Cleric is proficient in Charisma and Wisdom saves while Rogue is proficient in Dexterity and Intelligence saves).

Either way, the bonus skill point can be put into any of the skill options for either class.

I'm suprised no one mentioned this, but monk!

Monks get a lot at level one, although it won't help much for heavy armor warriors or something. Monks are awesome to pair with Druids, Rogues, Barbies and my currently favorite class: clerics. Clerics have little use for their bonus action outside of healing. Just punching someone in the face helps. One of the coolest level one feature is that Monks can utilize any one handed weapon with Dex instead of STR.

Also, I find a robe wearing, tavern-brawling Cleric just such a cool archetype, make a Friar Tuck of Lathander and kick those Kobolds out of the wine cellar.

I'm going a little off topic here, but that's actually a really cool build. Light Cleric with Monk for Sun Soul Monk, and Trickery/Shadow Monk for Dark Moon Shadowheart is really fun to play.

You ever have those days where you feel unseen? You talk to the world, but the world ain't listening.

I also am finding the dip into Cleric really entertaining, like to actually play it out with the early dip instead of just at the lvl cap. Main reason is that you get the flavor benefit of having a deity, plus access to 3 of the most powerful low level spells in the game. Command, Healing Word, and Sanctuary.

Command can stop 'em in their tracks when other spells may fail, and remains pretty useful at any level.

Healing Word keeps the party on their feet when someone is downed.

Sanctuary can be used to kite the enemy around or to make for quick exits. It's similar to invisibility like that, except the bads won't pause to look around at the last location, so you can use to redirect agro after the opening salvo. Might still get nailed by AoE on occasion, but for the most part it's reliable, and allows you to get all up in someone's face then just stare em down which is a nice touch hehe.

Seemed pretty badass for a dip there, especially with a Clerical domain that grants access to heavy armor or martial weapons, cause the heavy equipment abilities/spells are so strong in the itemization throughout. Like just being able to swing a Greatsword twice in the early part of the game as a War Cleric, and you're basically doling out hits like a fighter even with a strength of 8 lol. That's pretty wild. Tempest was also cool for a similar vibe but stormy. I was trying to combine with Sorcerer just to be some absurd dragon mage with all the armor, cause you can still hit the lvl 11 spike, even if it's delayed. Feels like a backward Kensai/Mage or something hehe. Twinned spell for Sanctuary can be kinda interesting too, it's basically like blinking out of combat, but costs very little on a bonus action/sorcery points. Losing the extra feat is tough, but the dip is nice just to have an extra class dialog option in most convos. Like mixing something with Bard then you get all the Bard convo options too, so that can make up for a lot. Some of the Cleric options are pretty entertaining depending on the gods.

I mean the combo College of Lore Bard (11) / Knowledge Domain Cleric (1) has technically already been mentioned, though without specifying the class specializations.

You gain two more Expertises, though limited to knowledge skills. You get three really useful Cantrips for a Bard - Sacred Flame as a better attack spell, Guidance as a support spell (but you get it from an item and its a concentration spell), and as the really tempting option Thaumaturgy for conversations. You also gain proficiency in Shields and Medium Armor and more weapons than before, and of course Cleric spells, which you however cast using the Wisdom score.

Personally I prefer the pure Bard though. These benefits are all in the "why thats nice, but not necessary" category. Getting Bard spells and the other Bard extras faster is more worthwhile to me. The earliest you really can consider getting the Cleric level is at levelup #6, and then many chances for using these Cleric extras are already over.