Life Domain Subclass Guide and Build

The Life Domain is a Cleric subclass in Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3). Check out our guide for how to unlock the Life Domain subclass, its features, best races to use, as well as its best build.

Cleric Subclasses Cleric Class Guide
Knowledge Domain	Light Domain	Life Domain
Nature Domain	Tempest Domain	Trickery Domain
War Domain

Life Domain Subclass Overview

Life Domain Basic Information

Subclass Overview
	Life Domain The Life domain is an aspect of many good deities, offering spells that protect and restore the mind, body, and soul.
Main Class	Cleric
How to Unlock	Available during Character Creation.
Spellcasting Ability	Wisdom
Starting Subclass Features
・Heavy Armor Proficiency ・Grants the Disciple of Life Passive ・Access to Level 1 Life Domain Spells. 　┣ Bless Spell 　┗ Cure Wounds Spell ・All Cleric Class Features and Proficiencies.

Life Domain Clerics are possibly the best healing subclass in the game as they boast a number of powerful passives geared towards buffing your healing spells. When playing as a Life Domain Cleric, you get the benefit of being tanky (via Heavy Armor) while still being able to effectively heal your party using the sheer amount of Domain healing spells at your disposal.

How to Unlock the Life Domain Subclass

Available When Creating a Cleric

The Life Domain subclass will become available once you start creating a Cleric at the Character Creation screen. Unlike most classes, Clerics are one of the few that get to pick out their subclass before they start the game.

Life Domain Subclass Features

Life Domain Spells

Unlike most spellcasting classes, Cleric Domain Spells occupy their own spell list and are entirely separate from your existing Prepared Spell List. This means that as soon as you unlock them, you will be able to cast them without having to switch out your currently equipped spells.

Life Domain Clerics will gain access to their Domain spells at Levels 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. Each level will grant you 2 new spells from the Life Domain. At Level 1, you will start with Bless and Cure Wounds unlocked.

Life Domain Spell List

Disciple of Life

At Level 1, the Disciple of Life passive essentially buffs your healing spells. When you heal an ally, they are healed for an 2 HP + Healing Spell Level. This healing buff is shown in the table below.

Heavy Armor Proficiency

Life Domain Clerics gain Heavy Armor Proficiency at Level 1. This allows you to frontline and tank for your party while still being their main healer. Coupled with the Cleric's innate Shield Proficiency, you can expect some pretty high AC scores when playing as Heavy Armor Life Domain Cleric.

Channel Divinity: Preserve Life

At Level 2 you unlock the Channel Divinity power of your subclass called Preserve Life. This allows you to heal yourself and any allies within a 9m radius by spending one of your Channel Divinity charges. The amount of HP healed will be calculated as 3 times your Cleric Level.

Note: Preserve Life also benefits from your Disciple of Life passive. However, since this is technically not a spell, it will only get the flat +2 HP bonus since it is treated as a Level 0 Spell.

Blessed Healer

Upon reaching Level 6 you acquire a passive called Blessed Healer which allows you to heal yourself when you cast a healing spell on others. The amount you self-heal is calculated using the same formula as the Disciple of Life bonus: 2 HP + Healing Spell Level.

Divine Strike: Life

At Level 8 you get your only offensive subclass feature in the form of Divine Strike: Life. When used in combat, you deal an additional 1d8 damage on top of your weapon damage when hitting a melee attack. This specific action can only be used once per turn.

Life Domain Level Progression

Best Races to Use as Life Domain

High Elf

The High-Elf race is an excellent race for Life Domain as you get an extra Cantrip, the Fire Bolt, which comes in handy due to your sole focus on healing, you won't be putting up much of a fight during the early stages of your class progression, so having this as part of your offensive kit can prove beneficial.

・Elven Weapon Training - Grants you proficiency with Shortbows and Longbows which can act as an alternative form of attack when you're conserving your spell slots as you'll be casting healing spells most of the time.
・Dark Vision - Dark Vision lets you see in darker areas of the world. Your Fire Bolt won't be effective in dark areas so having this passive helps your character increase the chances for the spell to land.
・Fey Ancestry - Grants an Advantage on Saving Throw against being Charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep. You would want to have this passive as your party needs you to support them in combat, so having something that negates such ailment will be useful.

Life Domain Builds

Best Ability Scores

As a Life Domain and more importantly, as a Cleric, you'll want to spend most of your points in Wisdom by setting it at 17 along with the +2 bonus for optimal spellcasting.

Constitution should be at 16 with +1 bonus as it increases your HP. With your proficiency with Heavy Armor, you'll be a tank on the frontlines while also being able to heal your party.

Equipment Choice

Hellride's Pride

When Hellride's Pride is equipped, healing a target should also provide it with resistance against Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage weapon attacks.

Boots of Aid and Comfort

The Boots of Aid and Comfort provides an additional 3 temporary hit points on a target that you just healed.

Grymskull Helm

Equip the Grymskull Helm to increase your tankiness as this prevents you from taking critical hits from enemies.

Grymskull Helm: Armor Guide and How to Get

Baldur's Gate 3 Related Guides

Cleric Class Guide

All Cleric Subclasses

All Cleric Subclasses
Knowledge Domain	Light Domain	Life Domain
Nature Domain	Tempest Domain	Trickery Domain
War Domain