Summary
Clerics are known as the primary healing class in Baldur’s Gate 3. These powerful spell casters are driven by faith and magic. Withan arsenal of healing and combat spells, clerics are excellent in ranged and melee builds alike. While each subclass differs quite widely, all clerics are devoted to the deities they worship and use their power to buff their allies in combat.
While in combat, your cleric needs the proper armor to enhance their abilities and keep them alive on the battlefield. Let’s take a look at some suitable armor pieces to outfit your cleric in as they provide support to the party.
10Slippery Chain Shirt
One of the simplest armor options for the cleric class is the Slippery Chain Shirt. It’s a medium, uncommon armor that provides AC, as well as a very useful effect called Cautious Healer. This means that, when your cleric performs a heal, they can’t be hit by those pesky Opportunity Attacks and are disengaged from the fight automatically.
Found inside a locked chest in the Underdark during Act 1, this armor also provides Disadvantage against Stealth rolls. It’s useful earlier in the game when you want to protect your lower-level party members during a fight.
9Githyanki Half Plate
While this armor is worn by Lae’zel as part of her original build, it’s not exclusive tothose formidable fighters. The Medium Armor, forged by a Githyanki smith, can be worn by any class with proficiency in this type of armor, which includes clerics too.
When equipped, the Githyanki Half Plate has 15 AC, increasing your cleric’s ability to absorb damage earlier in the game. Disadvantage on Stealth Checks and minor Dexterity limitation aside, this is the perhaps the best early-game protection available. Whileyou will have to steal it from your companion (when Lae’zel is back at camp rather than in combat),your cleric can then take advantage of her powerful armor to stay safe.
8Cerebral Citadel Armour
The Cerebral Citadel Armour is a rare, Heavy Armor found in the Knights of the Shield Hideout in Act 3. It originally belonged to The Emperor.The equipped character is immune to Frightened and has a +1 bonus to all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws if infected by a Mind Flayer tadpole. It provides 18 AC.
As your cleric has a Heavy Armor proficiency and is infected by an Illithid Parasite, the Cerebral Citadel Armour helps them evade numerous attacks in battle and better resist those that do hit. This is a unique and powerful piece of armor that suits a cleric quite well, if it’s not called for elsewhere in your party.
7Luminous Armour
Found in the Underdark’s Selunite Outpost,the Luminous Armour is an uncommon, Medium Armor. It works for any class with Medium Armor proficiency, but it’s great for clerics as it gives them a significant bonus to use with their primary damage type. When casting for Radiant Damage, a 3-meter orb of light results that debuffs enemies.
Any enemies affected by it suffer a -1 to Attack Rolls for the remaining turn. This indirectly boosts the defenses of the cleric and the wider party and is a particularly powerful addition to the Guiding Bolt spell (a favorite of the cleric class).
When combined with The Blood of Lathander mace, which offers the Sunbeam spell, the Luminous Armour provides clerics with a devastating amount of power to harm and debilitate enemies.
6The Oak Father’s Embrace
Early in Act 1, you may find TheOak Father’s Embracein the Owlbear Nest.This enchanted set of hide armor is associated with druids but is appropriate for clerics, as it also involves their preferred damage of choice. When wearing it, any undead foe that attacks your cleric is dealt 1d6 Radiant damage.
Though it has a lower AC than other armor on this list, with spells like Guiding Bolt and Sacred Flame, this Medium Armor turns your cleric into a dangerous dealer of Radiant damage on the battlefield when fighting skeletons or zombies.
Be careful against Beasts, as the bonus Radiant damage this armor inflicts will be turned against the equipped character instead versus these foes.
5Adamantine Scale Mail
Adamantine Scale Mail is available to craft in Act 1, and is certainly worth it.While wearing this Medium Armor, your cleric is immune to critical hits and all incoming damage is reduced by 1. In addition, they gain Adamantine Backlash, which sends enemies reeling for two turns if they land a melee attack on them.
This particular armor is best for a tankier cleric build to use when charging into battle and facing melee combat. It doesn’t boost their evasive abilities, instead reducing the damage from attacks so they can focus on spell damage and healing their allies.
4Reaper’s Embrace
Reaper’s Embrace is a very rare Heavy Armor. It reduces incoming damage by two and has the additional bonus of ensuring that the wearer can no longer be moved by force. It also provides the Howl of the Dead class action, which allows the wearer to numb all nearby creatures for up to three turns.
With a Heavy Armor proficiency,clerics can loot this armor after defeating Ketheric Thorm.As the party’s main healer, they will be able to withstand more incoming attacks to continue buffing your allies in combat for longer. The armor also provides some additional offensive utility to boot.
Howl of the Dead can only be used once per Short Rest, so utilize it wisely.
3Dark Justiciar Half-Plate
The Dark Justiciar Half-Plate is a Medium Armor unlocked by completing the Riddle of the Night Act 2. The very rare version of this armor is best for Trickery Domain clerics, like Shadowheart, though it can be worn by any subclass. With high AC, Advantage on Stealth checks, and damage reduction, it’s a powerful armor even without the special effects.
This half-plate also provides Shar’s Protection, bolstering the Shield of Faith and reflecting any received damage back at the attackers, as well as Shar’s Aegis, cast as a level 1 spell. With benefits that various different cleric builds can take advantage of, this is excellent equipment for anyone playing the class to consider.
If you’re a Trickery Domain Cleric, you may use the Shield with Channel Divinity Cloak of Shadows to become invisible.
2Armour of Persistence
The Armour of Persistence is one of the top choices for a cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3.It can be purchased fromthe elusive Dammonin Act 3.This Heavy Armor grants 20 AC and boasts special effects to protect you from weapon-damage dealers.
Magical Plate reduces all damage by two, while Legendary Persistence provides Blade Ward (only 50 percent of certain types of physical damage is incurred) and Resistance. As it helps increase your saving throw bonuses, you are more likely to avoid attacks during combat. With a high AC and the valuable help from Blade Ward, you can also feel more confident facing melee attacks head-on as needed. Like the Dark Justiciar Half-Plate, then, this set has something to offer any cleric build later in the game.
1Helldusk Armour
Helldusk Armour is probably the best armor for the cleric class in Act 3,acquired from Raphael at the House of Hope. Clerics can always use extra movement, and this armor provides the Fly action to help them traverse terrain and heal allies much quicker. It boasts 21 AC, protecting your cleric from various damage, but Fire Damage in particular.
The Prime Aegis of Fire provides resistance to burning, and the equipped character takes three less damage from all other sources. With Infernal Retribution, your saving throws help the cleric retaliate by Burning their enemy for three rounds. All of this makes it difficult for enemies to harm them and punishes them when they can do so, invaluable traits for clerics seeking not to avoid damage but to trivialize it.
