Baldur’s Gate 3 is adding 12 new subclasses in its next patch, and there’s a lot to be excited about. Many of the new character options are straight out of the Dungeons and Dragons elite tier, where they reign supreme thanks to their impressive powers and interesting builds. Among the newbies is the Swarmkeeper Ranger, one of D&D’s most interesting class concepts – but Larian will need to make some major changes if it wants to keep up power-wise.
First, a bit of context about this particular DnD Ranger subclass. The Swarmkeeper is, as the name implies, able to exert control over a swarm of small beasties. In Dungeons and Dragons, this swarm can be any creature you like, but Baldur’s Gate 3 offers three distinct types – jellyfish, moths, and bees.
For me, the Swarmkeeper is ‘the one that got away’, the class I’ve always wanted to bring to a campaign but could never quite justify. That’s because its 5e mechanics don’t live up to its quirky concept.
Low-level Swarmkeepers can command their swarm to do one of three things after they land a successful attack. Either they deal 1d6 piercing damage to their master’s target, move them around the battlefield, or move the Swarmkeeper five feet in any direction.
This offers some nice flexibility as a level-three Ranger, as you can pick and choose the effect that best suits your situation. With careful planning, you could also move a target into some serious environmental danger (provided they fail the saving throw that’s required first). However, there’s a lot of ‘ifs’ to tackle before you can enjoy strategizing:
- Only if your attack hits
- Only if they fail the Strength saving throw
- Only if you have somewhere within 15 feet to move them
Otherwise, you’re stuck with a tiny bunny hop of movement or an underwhelming d6 of damage. Plus, you can only use this ability once per turn.
These abilities don’t improve until level 11 (which, in Baldur’s Gate 3, is the second-to-last level of the game). The damage die makes a disappointing jump from a d6 to a d8, though your other options get significantly better. Your swarm can now knock a creature prone if it fails its Strength saving throw, and the swarm gives you half cover when you use it to move.
Their additional spell list is pretty good by 5e standards, but many of its strongest options have proved less essential in the CRPG. Faerie Fire, Mage Hand, and Insect Plague remain solid, but Web – the second-level spell that the internet insists is the best reason to play a Swarmkeeper – has never seemed that overpowered in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Enwebbed can be a nuisance and a helpful bit of area control, but at higher difficulties, enemies seem more than able to move around the small, sticky patch on the ground. Maybe I’m just not using the right Baldur’s Gate 3 builds.
Oh, and the Swarmkeeper gets a pathetic seventh-level feature that lets them fly 10 feet. Can’t forget that must-have.
Thankfully, Larian has been hands-on when it comes to fixing broken DnD classes (looking at you, Berserker). And based on the November 27 patch announcement, changes are already in the works for the Swarmkeeper.
We already know that one swarm option gives you extra damage and the chance to blind an enemy, while another deals piercing damage and potentially moves the target 15 feet. The final option deals some extra lightning damage, and, based on the generous changes already made, we imagine this might be more than a puny 1d6.
Additionally, Larian mentions that your swarm gives you the ability to teleport. This is an option in D&D, but your Swarmkeeper can’t use it until they hit level 15. Presumably, the teleportation option has been moved to a lower level – and I’m all for it.
I gave this game a 10/10 in my Baldur’s Gate 3 review, and I’m currently clocking in at around 700 hours – so as you can imagine, I have a lot of faith in Larian to do this next update justice. And I’ve got my fingers crossed that the new Swarmkeeper will be as epic as I always dreamt it would be.
Source: Wargamer
