A close-up of Karlach the Tiefling Barbarian in Baldur's Gate 3.
Image via Larian Studios

Best feats for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

Building the best version of the Tiefling Barbarian.

Karlach is one of the best companions in Baldur’s Gate 3. Her personal storyline is one of the most interesting, and her prowess in battle makes her essential to have along for the ride.

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As a Barbarian, Karlach only has access to three feats in Baldur’s Gate 3, compared to other classes like Rogue and Fighter, which get four. This means that you’ve got to pick your Karlach feats carefully when you unlock them at Levels 4, 8, and 12.

So, which ones should you take? To help you decide, let’s look at the best feats for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3 to make the strongest build possible.

Baldur's Gate 3 Karlach
Screenshot by Destructoid

Best feats for Barbarian Karlach in BG3

There are 41 feats to choose from in Baldur’s Gate 3, so narrowing it down to just three is tough. We’ve picked out what we think are the best feats for Karlach, as well as a few honorable mentions that you can’t completely rule out.

With any Barbarian build in BG3, the aim should be purely about dealing as much damage as possible while being able to take a hit or two. You’ll be right in the middle of the action, so this is crucial. These feats will help you achieve that.

Great Weapon Master feat for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3

Karlach Feats in Baldur's Gate 3
Screenshot by Destructoid
FeatDescription
Great Weapon MasterWhen you land a Critical Hit or kill a target with a melee weapon attack, you can make another melee weapon attack as a bonus action that turn.
Attacks with Heavy melee weapons you are Proficient with, can deal an additional 10 damage at the cost of a -5 Attack Roll penalty. (You can toggle this on and off.)

The Great Weapon Master feat is absolutely essential for any party featuring Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3. With this, you can take an extra attack each turn using your bonus action. Your attacks are going to be deadly as a Barbarian anyway, so getting to take two will result in enormous damage, especially if you’re using a Heavy melee weapon you’re proficient in.

We’d recommend taking Great Weapon Master as early as possible, ideally making it your Level 4 feat. Doing this kind of damage so early in the game will make combat encounters a breeze with Karlach in your party.

Savage Attacker feat for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3

Karlach Feats in Baldur's Gate 3
Screenshot by Destructoid
FeatDescription
Savage AttackerWhen making a melee weapon attack, you roll your damage dice twice and use the highest result.

It should be pretty obvious why you should pick the Savage Attacker feat as Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3. She’s capable of dealing enormous amounts of damage, so getting to roll the dice twice and use the highest result is comically overpowered.

Grab Savage Attacker at Level 8, after taking Great Weapon Master. That way, you’ll always get the +10 damage buff too – a potent combination that will ensure Karlach plays an important role in your party throughout Baldur’s Gate 3.

Tough feat for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3

Karlach Feats in Baldur's Gate 3
Screenshot by Destructoid
FeatDescription
Tough Your hit point maximum increases by 2 for every level you have gained.

BG3‘s Karlach can already take tons of damage compared to the other companions. The Tough feat takes that up a notch by giving her plenty more HP. When combined with the previous two feats, you create a resilient melee monster by taking the Tough feat.

You should take the Tough feat for Karlach last, once you reach Level 12. As you hurtle toward the end of the game, the extra health will make Karlach extremely tough to kill. If you’re really struggling earlier in the game, don’t be afraid to take the Tough feat earlier, though.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Karlach feats: honorable mentions

While we can heartily recommend taking the above feats for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3, there are plenty of ways to build this Tiefling Barbarian. We’ve added five more honorable mentions for the best feats for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3 that you can use to switch up your playstyle.

FeatDescription
Ability Improvement (Strength)You increase one Ability by 2, or two Abilities by 1, to a maximum of 20.
AthleteYour Strength or Dexterity increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.
When you are Prone, standing up uses significantly less movement. Your Jump distance also increases by 50%.
ChargerYou gain Charger: Weapon Attack and Charger: Shove.
Martial You learn two manoeuvres from the Battle Master subclass and gain a Superiority Die to fuel them. You regain expended Superiority Dice after a Short or Long Rest.
Tavern BrawlerWhen you make an unarmed attack, use an improvised weapon, or throw something, your Strength Modifier is added twice to the damage and Attack Rolls.
Also grants +1 to either Strength or Constitution.

If you find you’ve made the wrong choice with your feats, you can always respec Karlach by paying 100 gold to Withers at camp. You’re not locked into one specific build, so why not try out a few different feat selections throughout your playthrough?


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Daniel Morris
Contributor - Daniel has been a gamer and an avid RPG fan ever since he could hold a controller. A reader of Destructoid since his teenage years, he became a contributor to the site in August 2024.