Baldurs Gate 3: Wizard guide BG3 Baldurs Gate 3 guide, walkthrough

Want to take on the role of a powerful Wizard in BG3, but don't know how to go about it? This tutorial page will help you take the first steps.

Last update: 08 September 2023

Wizards are powerful spellcasters who have dedicated their entire life to studying the laws and principles of magic. This is the most archetypal of all the magic-based classes in Baldur's Gate 3, equipped with an incredibly wide arsenal of spells and magical effects, which will prove extremely useful in the dangerous world of the Forgotten Realms.

• Best race for Wizard
• Ability Points
• Best background for Wizard
• Arcane Recovery
• Best spells
• Best subclass for Wizard
• Best build for Wizard

Best race for Wizard

1. High Elf - This race receives 1 bonus Cantrip, which you can add to your arsenal of known spells.
2. High Half-Elf - Similar to the previous race, it offers a bonus Cantrip.

Ability Points

When distributing skill points for a Wizard, prioritize a high Intelligence coefficient first and foremost. You should also invest into:

1. Dexterity, which will grant some valuable Armor Class to fragile, armorless Wizards.
2. Constitution provides a few extra Hit Points and helps maintain concentration when casting concentration spells.

Best background for Wizard

Some of the best backgrounds for Wizards include:

1. Acolyte - proficiency in Insight and Intelligence-based Religion both complete the image of a well-read Wizard, proving rather useful during your adventure.
2. Sage - proficiency in two Intelligence-based skills, Arcana and History, fits Wizards rather well.

Arcane Recovery

A class ability, that lets Wizards use an action to regain some of their used spell slots, though their total level cannot exceed half of the Wizard's. For example:

1. a Level 2 Wizard can only regain a single Level 1 spell slot.
2. a Level 4 Wizard can regain a single Level 2 spell slots or two Level 1 spell slots.

Arcane Recovery can only be used outside of combat.

Best spells

Wizards are mighty spellcasters able to use tons of different offensive, defensive and utility spells. Like Druids and Clerics, Wizards can prepare some of their known spells every day, keeping this list until their next long rest.

Cantrips:

1. Light and Dancing Lights - both spells create sources of bright light. Useful for characters without Darkvision.
2. Ray of Frost - deals 1d8 cold damage to a single target and reduces their speed.
3. Shocking Grasp - a melee spell that deals 1d8 damage. Has advantage against targets wearing metal armor.

Spells:

1. Mage Armour - changes an unarmored target's Armor Class to 13 plus their Dexterity modifier.
2. Magic Missile - fires three projectiles which deal 1d4+1 damage each, are guaranteed to hit and have 18 meters of range.
3. Sleep - nearby enemies whose total amount of hit points doesn't exceed 24 fall into a magical slumber. The target wakes up when receiving damage.
4. Ray of Sickness - deals 2d8 poison damage and can inflict the Poisoned status on the target.
5. Find Familiar - the Wizard summons a small creature (cats, frogs, rats, etc.) as a familiar. It can help you during exploration or in combat.
6. Cloud of Daggers - covers an area with sharp blades, which deal 4d4 damage every turn.
7. Web - a Level 2 spell that covers an area with a sticky, flammable substance.
8. Scorching Ray - fires three rays of scorching light, dealing 2d6 damage each.
9. Counterspell - interrupts and dispells a different spell as it's being cast. The higher the spell's level, the more difficult it is to counter.
10. Fireball - an iconic Level 3 spell that deals 8d6 area damage.

Best subclass for Wizard

Wizard subclasses focus on Spell Schools, which represent a certain area of arcane knowledge. The base game is to have eight Schools, but the Early Access version features only two. These are:

1. Evocation School - a subclass focused on evoking powerful, elemental arcane effects. Evocation Savant reduces the cost of learning Evocation spells from scrolls by half. Sculpt Spells lets the Wizard create invlunerability areas for their allies while casting, within which they automatically pass checks and saving throws against Evocation spells cast by them.
2. Abjuration School - Abjuration Wizards are masters of defensive magic. Their wide range of defensive spells makes them invaluable allies in combat. Abjuration Savant works similar to the other schools' Savant abilities, cutting the cost of learning the school's spells by half. Arcane Ward is a powerful ability, that lets the Wizard create a special barrier once per day - this barrier absorbs some enemy attacks. The barrier regains hit points with each Abjuration spell its holder casts.
3. Illusion School - a subclass based on creating illusions to deceive foes. The Improved Minor Illusion ability available from level 2 will allow you to cast this Cantrip as a bonus action. Additionally, you can create a distracting image even in hiding, and even when being Silenced.
4. Necromancy School - a school ruling over life and death, letting the caster control undead. The Grim Harvest ability available from level 2, allows you to recover some Health Points when you deliver a mortal blow to a creature when using a spell. The amount of points recovered is equal to twice the level of the spell used to cause death, or even three times if the spell used was from the Necromancy School.
5. Transmutation School - based on manipulating matter, transforming items and creatures. The Experimental Alchemy ability means that from now on, your Wizard will create 2 alchemical products instead of 1 when working with reagents. To do so, however, you must pass a Medicine skill check with level 15 difficulty. The Transmuter's Stone available at later levels, also allows you to store the selected transmutation ability within a physical object.
6. Conjuration School - Conjurers are adept at creating objects and effects out of nothing. Over time, they also learn how to instantly cover huge distances. Available from level 2 Minor Conjuration: Create Water allows the Wizard to summon rain in the selected area. The action can be performed after a short rest and does not consume a spell slot. At later levels, a Wizard using the Conjuration School can also teleport.
7. Enchantment School - based on affecting the enemies' minds and bending their will. Hypnotic Gaze allows you to bend your opponent's will so that they stop performing their actions. The skills available later will also allow you to change the direction of a charging enemy's attack.
8. Divination School - based on predicting future events and preventing them. The Portent ability gives you access to 2 random dice roll each long rest. The Divination Wizard may replace any attack roll or saving throw on a different one. The ability resets after a long rest.

Best build for Wizard

As a summary, this is an example build for a Level 3 Wizard:

1. Race: Stone Gnome
2. Subclass: Conjuration School
3. Background: Sage
4. Ability Scores: Intelligence around 16/17, Dexterity and Constitution around 16/14, Wisdom around 12, Charisma and Strength around 10/8.