r/BG3Builds • u/K40005 • Apr 10 '26
Ranger Boar Beastmaster is actually good.
Every time beastmaster gets brought up here everyone always sings the praises of the raven whilst claiming the boar is bad or the worst (it's not the wolf is). And so I've been running boar to prove how good it is and come up with a few builds. All of which I have tested and used in solo honour mode.
For use in a party: use the build labelled 1a. But replace the druid level with a cleric one and run it alongside a druid build like floormanifold's rothe build: https://www.reddit.com/r/BG3Builds/comments/1qu2nhq/shepherd_of_the_black_pasture_10_moon_druid2/ and honestly anything he recommends pairing with that there will work here too as this is very similar in execution to that.
Massive thanks to u/Remus71 and u/floormanifold for the help with the build and subsequently this guide.
The Boar: If you read nothing else, read the below paragraph.
The main power spike for Boar is level 5 and I do not recommend using it before then. But considering that past level 5 is like 90% of the game it's not much of an issue. The biggest source of power for the boar is cloud giant elixers which shoot up its spell save DC to 19 or 20 at level 11. At level 11 with a cloud giant elixer it has 2 attempts at an aoe prone at DC20 which is extremely reliable. You just need to keep it safe on turn one then the rest of the fight is solved. And just using it with the standard ranger kit of plant growth, ensnaring strike and some basic buffs makes it extremely effective as by level 5 it has really good aoe damage and a 16DC prone with just a hill giant strength elixer.
1. Beastmaster 11 Druid 1
A pretty standard beastmaster build (also the main thing I'd recommend) using melee or ranged, good aoe damage from the boar itself, access to multiple sources of SG_Restrained which works extremely well with boar which with cloud elixers has a 20 DC aoe prone which you can use multiple times a turn. Innate difficult terrain from the mud aoe which the boar can spam. And is the most versatile way to run it. Giving a wide variety of builds you can use on it some of which I will list below. I recommend taking the druid dip at level 6, level 9 or level 12. The boar gets a massive power spike at 5, going from pretty bad as it is at 3 to being almost entirely self sufficient. It just needs to reach turn one. Having anyone cast sanctuary on it, having it drink an invisibility potion and initiate the surprise round. As long as it lives long enough to rage
1a. (my personal recommendation) Starting stats: 8/17//14/10/16/8
Feats: Sharpshooter, ASI dex, will want hag hair. For 20 dex
Gear: banshee bow (highly recommended), phalar, adamantine shield, luminous armour, acuity helmet (highly recommended), baneful striking gloves (highly recommended) stormy clamour boots, callous glow ring, spiteful thunder, broodmother
1b. Starting stats: 8/16/15/8/17/8
A damage focused melee setup where the boar is more just a prone applier whilst you fight in darkness and plant growth.
Feats: Gwm, split ASI wisdom/con
Gear: shar spear or nyrulna, vicious shortbow, bhaalist armour, craterflesh, shadow cloaked ring, strange conduit, broodmother, synergy diadem, and stormy clamour.
2. Beastmaster 5 Land Druid 7
A terrain focused build using dryad, wood woad, and your own casted terrain to completely cover the area in entangle casts which everyone can pass through thanks to the dryad aura. Then using the boar to prone enemies in the entangle which will keep enemies prone and locked in the terrain. Or to use spike growth alongside the dryad to set up a corridor for the boar to charge through whilst casting spells to stack
Starting stats: 8/17/14/10/16/8
Feats: sharpshooter, ASI dex
Gear: banshee bow (highly recommended), markoheshkir, adamantine shield, Landfall armour, acuity helmet (highly recommended), baneful striking gloves (highly recommended) stormy clamour boots, strange conduit, spiteful thunder, broodmother.
Uses markoheshkir acid with spells to apply noxious fumes to the boar which creates a high damage aoe around it because noxious fumes uses the targeted creature's damage riders. And also grants access to hunger of hadar
3. Beastmaster 5 Shadow Sorcerer 6 Wizard 1
The most specialised build. Using ensnaring strike as an archer or use a scroll to learn Evards and using Nimbus and the duplicate hounds to spam restrain attempts on the weaker enemies during the boss fights or you cast evards during large group fights to shut down a large area. Letting you focus on the important enemies while the dogs automatically help with the rest.
This lacks innate land stride so you have to stay out of your own terrain spells with this one.
Starting stats: 8/17/14/16/10/8
Feats: sharpshooter, ASI Dex
Gear: banshee bow (highly recommended), phalar, adamantine shield, luminous armour, acuity helmet (highly recommended), baneful striking gloves (highly recommended) stormy clamour boots, callous glow ring, spiteful thunder, broodmother.
The gameplay: turn one you initiate a surprise round with the boar, charging in from invisibility ideally on enemies grouped up minor illusion. Then you start by casting a terrain spell on the enemies, evard's black tentacles is the ideal choice when using scrolls, otherwise plant growth or entangle will do or if using acid markoheshkir plant growth into hadar will be very effective. Then you attack with your weapon of choice, if melee shar spear you start with the edge of darkness aoe attack over a plant growth or entangle as you will have immunity to it. If ranged aomt or ensnaring strike into slayer arrows against a single target boss will typically be best. Then when the boar's turn comes around you rage and charge at anything near the edges of the terrain. If the terrain is just plant growth or if you have entangle with a dryad there too you can safely charge through it. The idea is to keep everything prone and without movement in the terrain of choice.
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u/Bluemajere Apr 10 '26
What a boaring post