I was looking through guides for Baldur's Gate 3 Honour Mode and found that most of the powerful builds utilize the same equipment. It is nice to have one massively overpowered character but that isn't as interesting to me as making a full party of strong characters all capable of pulling their weight with no overlapping equipment. This guide will show one such party with 4 useful builds that I leveraged for my Honour Mode run through.

*I also did not leverage any Mind Flayer powers or abilities in this run so I will not include them in my write up, they obviously make every build more powerful so use them as you'd like.

Starting with a strong standard of BG3 - The Sorlock.

This Sorlock will ultimately be a "Machine Gun" caster like most Sorlock builds with some small variations that I found useful.

1. Lightfoot Halfing - Don't roll a 1 again | Advantage on Stealth
   
2. Wood Elf - Better Movement

Here I prefer Lightfoot Halfing for the Advantage to Stealth Checks. Wood Elf (Full or Half) is always a good choice for any build for the extra movement.

1. Criminal - Proficiency with Stealth and Deception

I usually play my Sorcerer as the party face so having the extra Deception proficiency is nice, I also pick up more Stealth.

1. Sorcerer - Draconic Bloodline - Red

For your Dragon Ancestor there is personal preference. In Act 3 we will respec into a fire based bloodline if you do not start with one but for now you have free reign to choose any spell that works the best for your playstyle.
I'd recommend Bronze for Fog or Brass for Sleep. Silver is also great but we will get Feather Fall through boots in Act 1 and White is good for Armor of Agathys but we can pick that up during Warlock leveling very early.

1. Magic Missile
   
2. Shield

Solid early game spells. I like using Magic Missile in Act 1 quite often. Guaranteed damage when our +Hit is at its lowest is a solid option. Each missile should also benefit and grant lightning charges from our early game weapon.

1. Religion - Good for Shar Mirror Act 3
   
2. Persuasion - Good for party face

1: Sorc 1 - Magic Missle + Shield
2: Warlock 1 - Eldritch Blast | Armor of Agathys + Hex | The Fiend subclass
3: Warlock 2 - Command | Agonising Blast + Repelling Blast Invocations
4: Sorc 2 - Anything | Distant Spell and Twinned Spell Metamagic
5: Sorc 3 - Misty Step | Quickened Spell Metamagic
6: Sorc 4 - Scorching Ray | Any Cantrip (Mage Hand or Minor Illusion if you still need) | ASI Cha+2
7: Sorc 5 - Fireball + Replace Sorc 2 Spell for Counterspell
8: Sorc 6 - Slow
9: Sorc 7 - Greater Invisibility
10: Sorc 8 - Dimension Door | Spell Sniper
11: Sorc 9 - Any
12: Sorc 10 - Any | Heightened Metamagic

Charisma is bumped to 24 via Ability Score Increase at level 6, Hag's Gift, Shar Mirror, and Birthright Helmet.

• Birthright [bg3.wiki]
  
• Cloak of the Weave [bg3.wiki]
  
• Potent Robe[bg3.wiki]
  
• Spellmight Gloves[bg3.wiki]
  
• Bonespike Boots[bg3.wiki]
  
• Spineshudder Amulet[bg3.wiki]
  
• Callous Glow Ring[bg3.wiki]
  
• Burnished Ring[bg3.wiki]
  
• Markoheshkir[bg3.wiki]
  
• The Dead Shot[bg3.wiki]

Helldusk Boots[bg3.wiki] and Ketheric's Shield[bg3.wiki] can and should be used if you opted into a Wood Half-Elf
Amulet of Greater Health[bg3.wiki] will also help you pass Concentration Checks which is valuable in this setup. Dump Con if you use this item for any other useful stats.
Craterflesh Gloves[bg3.wiki] are a good substitution for Spellmight for an Eldritch Blast machine gun build.
For my Sorlock I use Greater Invisibility as my main Concentration spell. With Proficiency and Advantage on Stealth checks, this character will have a very high chance to not break stealth when attacking with Eldritch Blast or Scorching Ray. Use Kereska's Favour - Flame of Wrath from Markoheshkir for bonus fire damage on each Scorching Ray Bolt. Primarily you will use Scorching Ray upcast for massive fire damage (Toggle on Heat Convergence for even more) or Eldritch Blast for reliable force damage. This will allow you to deal 200-300+ fire damage a round, for more damage have one of your party members throw or coat their weapons with arsonist oil to cause fire vulnerability. I'll use Elixir of Viciousness to reduce my crit to 17. With so many Bolts from Eldritch Blast or Scorching Ray each turn you are likely to crit every turn.

Next up is a strong BG3 build involving throwing returning weaponry as a powerful ranged option and swapping into strong punches late game.

I use this build on my Karlach typically as her origin bonuses are really powerful with unarmed brawling late game and it feels more thematic. The strongest version of this build will use Astarion as his Ascendant form at end game will yield the highest damage per round. If you wanted to build a custom character it would look something like this:

1. Wood Elf / Wood Half-Elf - Better Movement
   
2. Duergar - Free Enlarge cast once per long rest + Invisibility once per combat

Wood Half-Elf is my choice for the increased movement and early access to Shield Proficiency. Movement is king for this speedy monk build but Duergar get an honorable mention for having a free cast of Enlarge which is very nice to increase throwing + punching damage before you get in to combat.

1. Outlander - Proficiency with Athletics and Survival
   
2. Acolyte- Proficiency with Insight and Religion

Outlander is Karlach's main background and it works well enough. Acolyte is useful if you don't have access to Religion proficiency any other way as this helps with the Shar mirror in Act 3 to guarantee you get the stat boosts you need.

1. Monk

As this is a Monk build we will start as Monk. At a later level respec you can start off as Fighter for better Saving Throw proficiency bonuses.

1. Religion - If not taken from background
   
2. Athletics - Push stuff
   
3. Acrobatics - Don't get pushed

1: Monk 1
2: Monk 2
3: Monk 3 - Way of the Open Hand
4: Monk 4 - Tavern Brawler - Str
5: Monk 5
6: Monk 6

At around 7th level I would respec and begin multiclassing.
1: Fighter 1 - Defense (Useful with full build, you likely won't be wearing armor at this point)
2: Fighter 2 - Action Surge
3: Monk 1
4: Monk 2
5: Monk 3 - Way of the Open Hand
6: Monk 4 - Tavern Brawler - Con
7: Monk 5 - Bonus Attack
8: Rogue 1
9: Rogue 2
10: Rogue 3 - Thief Subclass
11: Monk 6
12: Rogue 4 - ASI Wis


Strength is dumped on respec as you can artificially boost it everyday via an elixir. Elixir of Hill Giant Strength[bg3.wiki](21 Str) is available as early as Act 1 so start building up your stockpile. In Act 3 you can buy Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength[bg3.wiki](27 Str) from multiple vendors in Lower City daily. Bonecloak's Apothecary usually has some for sale daily.
Constitution is bumped to 18 via Gloves of Soul Catching and Tavern Brawler.
Wisdom is bumped to 22 from ASI Wis at 12th level, Khalid's Gift(Or Hag's Hair but I'd rather save it for another character) and Shar's Mirror.

• Horns of the Berserker[bg3.wiki]
  
• Cloak of Protection[bg3.wiki]
  
• Helldusk Armour[bg3.wiki]
  
• Gloves of Soul Catching[bg3.wiki]
  
• Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo[bg3.wiki]
  
• Khalid's Gift[bg3.wiki]
  
• Shadow-Cloaked Ring[bg3.wiki]
  
• Killer's Sweetheart[bg3.wiki]
  
• Viconia's Walking Fortress[bg3.wiki]
  
• Dwarven Thrower[bg3.wiki]
  
• Nyrulna[bg3.wiki]
  
• Orphic Hammer[bg3.wiki]

There are slight variations to the gear setup if you'd like but primarily this is it. You will throw weapons when you can't close the gap to enemies and punch your way through every problem otherwise. Make sure you unequip your thrown weapons before you make a melee attack or you will lose a significant amount of damage. All weapons listed here are "returning" so you should be able to toss them at your discretion without worry. Dwarven Thrower passive bonus will work on Karlach if you use Disguise Self to change into a Dwarf. This can be done in a few ways. Mask of the Shapeshifter[bg3.wiki] works and you can swap back to your regular helmet after. Disguise Kit's[bg3.wiki] will also work, they can be bought at the circus in Act 3.

This build at end game will primarily focus on closing the gap and punching everything to death in a single round. As it uses Karlach, consume a Soul Coin and a Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength every day following a long rest, as well as using a Dwarf disguise as outlined above. With this setup each punch will inflict massive amounts of damage with various damage types.
1d6+22 Bludgeoning +2d4 Fire +1d4+6 Radiant/Necrotic/Psychic + 1d10Force + 2 Necrotic. Thats a whopping 35-58 Damage per attack and she has the ability to attack with 2 regular punches, and 2 Flurry of Blows each turn (4 more regular punches). A massive 210-348 damage per turn before Crits/Action Surge/Shadow Thief are considered.

The throwing damage is nothing to scoff at either. Throwing in BG3 at any level of elevation gives a massive benefit to damage depending on the weight of the weapon. The Orphic Hammer will be the best choice without a disguise kit and without damaging allied units around your target, Nyrulna works well as a minor amount of Thunder Damage AoE on each toss, and Dwarven Thrower is the highest damage you can get from throwing as long as you are Disguised as a Dwarf.
This build will rely heavily on throwing until Act 3 when some of the legendary equipment available at end game bumps up Unarmed melee strikes dramatically.

Next up is my favorite ranged damage dealer in BG3, the Swords Bard.

Any of the Half-Elf Origin characters work for this build as they all have shield proficiency which is what I'm looking for in the early to mid game. Late game race doesn't matter as much as you will be dual wielding and drop your shield. Because this is a sneaky rogue archery build, Astarion is a strong choice.

1. Wood Elf / Wood Half-Elf - Better Movement

Wood Half-Elf is my choice for the increased movement and early access to Shield Proficiency.

1. Outlander - Proficiency with Athletics and Survival
   
2. Acolyte- Proficiency with Insight and Religion

Acolyte is useful if you don't have access to Religion proficiency any other way as this helps with the Shar mirror in Act 3 to guarantee you get the stat boosts you need.

1. Bard

Start off as Bard and respec optimally later on, you get the idea.

1. Friends
   
2. Minor Illusion

1. Longstrider
   
2. Speak with Animals
   
3. Thunderwave
   
4. Faerie Fire

One of your party members should always have Longstrider and I usually run that on my Bard as their magic is more utility based than combat focused (for how I play at least). Faerie Fire is an excellent early game ability as this is when our party has the largest chance to miss in the game. Thunderwave is always useful to move objects or enemies away from you.

1. Religion - If not taken from background
   
2. Deception - Lie to people
   
3. Sleight of Hand- Steal stuff

1: Bard 1 - Outlined Above
2: Bard 2 - Sleep
3: Bard 3 - Sleight of Hand|Religion|Deception|Persuasion - Cloud of Daggers - College of Swords /w Two-Weapon Fighting
4: Bard 4 - Mage Hand - Knock - ASI Dex (Run Sharpshooter instead if you are having little trouble hitting enemies)
5: Bard 5 - Enhance Ability
6: Bard 6 - Blindness
7: Rogue 1 - Sleight of Hand|Deception
8: Rogue 2
9: Rogue 3 - Thief
10: Rogue 4 - Sharpshooter (Or ASI Dex)
11: Fighter - Archery
12: Fighter - Action Surge

Somewhere in Act 2 I would consider respeccing into Sharpshooter for my first Feat and starting as Fighter for Saving Throws. Once you have Risky Ring you can respec at any time as you will greatly increase the likelihood of hitting.

1: Fighter - Archery
2: Fighter - Action Surge
3: Bard 1 - Outlined Above
4: Bard 2 - Sleep
5: Bard 3 - Sleight of Hand|Religion|Deception|Persuasion - Cloud of Daggers - College of Swords /w Two-Weapon Fighting
6: Bard 4 - Mage Hand - Knock - Sharpshooter
7: Bard 5 - Enhance Ability
8: Bard 6 - Blindness
9: Rogue 1 - Sleight of Hand|Deception
10: Rogue 2
11: Rogue 3 - Thief
12: Rogue 4 - ASI Dex


Dex is increased to 20 via ASI Dex and Shar's Mirror.
The rest of the stats are pretty balanced to increase your Saving Throws.
I don't feel the need to increase Charisma any higher since my Sorlock is acting as the party face.

• Sarevok's Horned Helmet[bg3.wiki]
  
• Shade-Slayer Cloak[bg3.wiki]
  
• Armour of Agility[bg3.wiki]
  
• Bonespike Gloves[bg3.wiki]
  
• Disintegrating Night Walkers[bg3.wiki]
  
• Surgeon's Subjugation Amulet[bg3.wiki]
  
• Caustic Band[bg3.wiki]
  
• Risky Ring[bg3.wiki]
  
• Knife of the Undermountain King[bg3.wiki]
  
• Bloodthirst[bg3.wiki]
  
• Hellfire Hand Crossbow[bg3.wiki]
  
• Hand Crossbow +2[bg3.wiki]

I would swap out your chestpiece to The Graceful Cloth[bg3.wiki] anytime you are attempting to steal or lockpick. It can also be used full time as a purely offensive option if you are keeping your Bard safe in combat but you lose around 6-7 AC by making the swap to this chest piece. Sentinel Shield[bg3.wiki] is a very useful offhand from Act 2 to the end of Act 3 before you obtain Bloodthirst. Bonus Initiative never hurts. Finally for gloves Helldusk Gloves[bg3.wiki] will usually squeak out more damage per attack but I personally enjoy ignoring defenses in late game and I don't usually become a Bhaal Assassin to have access to a Bhaalist Armour[bg3.wiki] character. Having a character run this will certainly increase your Piercing damage output every round.
I would be doing a disservice if I did not mention the Helmet of Arcane Acuity[bg3.wiki] and Band of the Mystic Scoundrel[bg3.wiki].
These two items have incredible synergy with a high pressure Crowd Control focused bard but I played my Bard more as a traditional Archer for this play through. Using these two items allows you to have very reliable Crowd Control as a bonus action following your ranged attacks, it is one of the strongest combinations in the game. I won't cover this play style further here but it is truly a force to be reckoned with and I may cover it in another guide.

The Swords Bard is an excellent ranged damage dealer able to Slashing Flourish(Ranged) multiple times in a single turn pelting one enemy with multiple shots. Unlike the melee version of this ability, all of the attacks can be focused at the same target and all with advantage thanks to Risky Ring. Bardic Inspiration will also be restored on a short rest which thanks again to playing a Bard you have access to one extra short rest per day with Song of Rest. Bonus Actions can also be spent to hit enemies with your offhand crossbow for full damage.
There are builds that have higher damage per round but this is a very well rounded Swords Bard that isn't too greedy about gear and still maintains high damage output and good party utility.

The final character is my personal favorite in BG3. Not for the power it brings but the full combination of utility, summons, party support, and raw tankiness. All without being greedy about gear. This build focuses on pushing Wild Shape Druid to the maximum and since it uses very little contested gear I allow it to make use of one-time consumables that are contested by other classes to push it further. Any Origin or created character can be used for this build.

1. Wood Elf / Wood Half-Elf - Better Movement

Wood Elf is always good for movement but race is really not that important for this build. Pick whatever you'd like. In my play through I used Lae'zel with no issues. The Gith Astral Knowledge and bonus Misty Step came in handy.

1. Acolyte- Proficiency with Insight and Religion

Acolyte is useful if you don't have access to Religion proficiency any other way as this helps with the Shar mirror in Act 3 to guarantee you get the stat boosts you need.

1. Druid

1. Shillelagh
   
2. Guidance

1. Healing Word
   
2. Cure Wounds
   
3. Enhanced Leap
   
4. Fog Cloud

I play my Moon Druid as support early on so make use of whatever support magic you like the best.

1. Religion - If not taken from background
   
2. Perception

1: Druid 1 - Outlined Above
2: Druid 2 - Circle of the Moon - Thunderwave
3: Druid 3 - Spike Growth
4: Druid 4 - Thorn Whip - Heat Metal|Hold Person|Enhance Ability|Gust of Wind - Tavern Brawler Con
5: Druid 5 - Any Spell
6: Druid 6 - Any Spell
7: Druid 7 - Conjure Woodland Being
8: Druid 8 - Ice Storm - Alert
9: Druid 9 - Conjure Elemental
10: Druid 10 - Resistance - Any Spell
11: Druid 11 - Heroes' Feast
12: Cleric 1 - War Domain - Any Spells/Cantrips/Deity

You spend most of your time in Wild Shape and not casting spells so I put points into Dex for Initiative and everything else is focused on keeping you alive outside of Wild Shape form so that you can go back into Wild Shape.
I increase strength with Potion of Everlasting Vigour from Act 2 and Shar's Mirror as both of these affects persist in Wild Shape. Bringing every shapeshifted form +4 strength bonus to further benefit Tavern Brawler.

• Helm of Balduran[bg3.wiki]
  
• Cloak of Cunning Brume[bg3.wiki]
  
• Armour of Moonbasking[bg3.wiki]
  
• Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength[bg3.wiki]
  
• Boots of Persistence[bg3.wiki]
  
• Corvid Token[bg3.wiki]
  
• Shapeshifter's Boon Ring[bg3.wiki]
  
• Ring of Regeneration[bg3.wiki]
  
• The Blood of Lathander[bg3.wiki]
  
• Shield +1[bg3.wiki]
  
• Titanstring Bow[bg3.wiki]

There are a couple of gear swaps on this build. My general idea with Moon Druid is to keep it in Wild Shape as much as possible so gear that doesn't benefit Wild Shape isn't very useful. Almost all of my gear choices have that goal in mind, survive the round and get back into Wild Shape. To that end, gear is pretty unimportant on a Moon Druid which is why I love what they bring to the table by themselves.
The most valuable swap daily is the Spellcrux Amulet[bg3.wiki]. I'll go into detail below but you will use Spellcrux on your Moon Druid following every long rest before swapping back to Corvid token.
Gloves/Bow work together to give you a viable ranged option if you can't get into Wild Shape for some reason.

After every long rest I summon a 6th level Conjure Elemental and then use Spellcrux to refresh that 6th level spell slot. Next summon Conjure Woodland Being and have your new Dryad summon a Wood Woad with Fallen Lover. If you use any other summons get those out as well but the Druid should bring these 3: Dryad, Wood Woad, Elemental Myrmidon (I usually use Air Myrmidon for the extra stuns). When all my other daily preparations are complete I use my Moon Druid to Heroes' Feast and buff all my summons. This is a very significant daily boost to your party and summons and it is how I get the most support possible out of my Moon Druid before Wild Shaping. Next I use my daily elixir, Elixir of Bloodlust makes the most sense here. And finally I Wild shape into an Earth Myrmidon.
Thanks to Shar Mirror and Potion of Everlasting Vigour, Earth Myrmidon comes out swinging with 22 Str bonus up from the normal 18. Alert will give you a decent initiative so expect to go at the top of the round. Finally Tavern Brawler will work in this form since you don't have a weapon in hand and you get that bonus Str to every melee hit. 10th level Druids can swing 3 times per turn and the War Cleric level you took gives another melee attack as a Bonus action 2 times per long rest. Each melee attack will deal 1d10+6 Bludgeoning and 1d10 Thunder increased by another 12 for Tavern Brawler since it increase both the Bludgeoning and Thunder damage for some reason. Each attack also has a chance to knock your target Prone.

All of this adds up to a very tanky, very hard hitting Wild Shape that also adds in summons and party buffs. A very useful class to have.