Baldur's Gate 3 - Wizard Build Guide

When seeking the best Baldur's Gate 3 Wizard build, you want to make sure that you're getting the most bang for your buck. Remember, you're a glass cannon that can dish out a ton of spell damage, but you need to be mindful of your allies, too. Our Baldur's Gate 3 build guide discusses the School of Evocation and other aspects you'll want to keep in mind to create an intimidating Wizard.

Baldur's Gate 3 Wizard build guide - School of Evocation

Our Baldur's Gate 3 Wizard build guide looks at the Evocation subclass, which is viable in the long run due to its amazing perk. We also have a Wizard class overview that takes note of ideal selections during character creation. As an aside, we opted to focus on a build that avoids multiclassing. However, you're able to respec and change classes when you see fit, if you want more flexibility.

Wizard Build Summary

Wizards aren't going to last long in melee, and they certainly shouldn't wear any type of armor. As such, we have to fine-tune their capabilities to succeed. We recommend the following for the Baldur's Gate 3 Wizard build:

• Race: Red Dragonborn (optimal), Asmodeus Tiefling (optimal), Deep Gnome (optional/lore-friendly), or High Half Elf (optional/lore-friendly).
• Background: The Sage background is the most lore-friendly, and has two INT-based skills to boot.
• Abilities: 8 STR, 14 DEX, 15 CON, 17 INT, 10 WIS, 10 CHA.
• Weapons and armor: Staves and other simple weapons; use cloth armor only so you can cast spells.

Wizard Leveling Progression

Our Baldur's Gate 3 Wizard build guide presents options for ideal spell picks during character creation and beyond. Moreover, we cite reasons as to what makes the School of Evocation really great.

Level 1

Cantrips:

• Fire Bolt - Hurls a mote of fire that deals damage.
• Ray of Frost - Deals cold damage and reduces a target's movement range by three meters.
• Optional: Shocking Grasp - Deals lightning damage and prevents the target from using reactions; advantage against creatures with metal armor.
• Optional: Blade Ward - Take only half damage from bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing attacks.
• Optional: Friends - Gain advantage on Charisma checks against non-hostile creatures.

Spells:

• Magic Missile - Shoot three projectiles at multiple targets, dealing a total of 6-15 force damage; these projectiles are always guaranteed to hit.
• Thunderwave - Deal 2-16 thunder damage in a frontal cone and push back all creatures.
• Chromatic Orb - Deal 3-24 elemental damage in a circular area (you can select the type of element); creates a surface on impact.
• Optional: Grease - Covers the ground in a slippery substance that causes enemies to get knocked prone.
• Optional: Mage Armor - Increase a targets armor class (AC) to 13, plus its Dexterity modifier.
• Optional: Feather Fall - You and nearby allies become immune to fall damage.

Level 2

You can choose two more spells to learn, though these aren't priorities compared to those at level 1. More importantly, you can now choose your subclass.

Evocation - Has the Sculpt Spells feature for all Evocation-type spells. The reason this subclass is amazing if because your Evocation spells no longer hit your allies. That means you can drop a Fireball on the spot where your melee units are, and not bother with any potential friendly-fire damage.

Level 3

Spells:

• Scorching Ray - Shoot three rays of fire at various targets, dealing a total of 6-36 fire damage.
• Cloud of Daggers - Concentrate to conjure a cloud of spinning blades that deals 4-16 damage to anyone inside.

Level 4

Spells and Cantrips - For your cantrip, we suggest just grabbing anything that you neglected during character creation. As for the spells:

• Misty Step - Teleport to any unoccupied space that you can see.

Feat: Magic Initiate: Warlock - We want this for the following actions:

• Cantrip: Eldritch Blast - Cast a beam of crackling energy that deals 1-10 force damage.
• Spell: Hex - Deals 1-6 necrotic damage and gives the target a disadvantage on an ability of your choosing; if the target dies while it's afflicted with Hex, you can recast the spell without expending a spell slot.

Level 5

Spells:

• Fireball - Shoot an orb of fire that explodes on impact, causing 8-48 damage in a wide area.
• Counterspell - Nullify an enemy's spell via a reaction.

Level 6

Subclass Feature: Potent Cantrip - Cantrips become harder to evade. Creatures that pass a saving throw against your cantrip still take half damage.

Spells:

• Optional: Grant Flight - Allows you or your target to fly temporarily.
• Optional: Haste - Gives yourself or your target a buff, granting an extra action, doubled movement range, and increased armor class.
• Optional: Lightning Bolt - Calls down lightning to strike in a straight line, dealing 8-48 damage.

Level 7

Spells:

• Ice Storm - Deals 6-40 cold damage in a wide area; the ground will be coated in sleet, with the potential to knock enemies prone.
• Dimension Door - Teleport yourself and up to one ally to a place that you can see.

Level 8

Spells:

• Optional: Blight - Deals 8-64 necrotic damage; plant-like creatures have a disadvantage; has no effect on undead and constructs.
• Optional: Wall of Fire - Creates a blazing wall that burns those that get too close for 5-40 fire damage.

Feat: Ability Improvement - You'll want to add +2 points to your Intelligence. Moreover, if you've already defeated Auntie Ethel, don't forget to get the extra point to hit 20 INT.

Level 9

Spells - You can only learn two rank 5 spells at this stage, but here are the ideal picks:

• Cloudkill - Create a large cloud that deals 5-40 poison damage per turn; can be repositioned each turn; note that this is a Conjuration-type spell, and it will still damage your allies.
• Cone of Cold - Blast an area in a wide frontal cone, dealing 8-64 cold damage.
• Conjure Elemental - Spawn an elemental ally to fight by your side.

Level 10

Subclass Feature: Empowered Evocation - Add your Intelligence modifier to your damage rolls with Evocation spells.

Spells - You can learn two more rank 5 spells this time. Feel free to choose the one that you didn't grab earlier at level 9, as well as another magic that you're keen on trying.

Level 11

Spells:

• Disintegrate - Deal 50-100 force damage. Most enemies aren't resistant to force damage, allowing you to annihilate them with this deadly beam.
• Chain Lightning - Hit a target with an electric shock that chains to three other targets, dealing 10-80 lightning damage.
• Circle of Death (optional) - Create a massive sphere around a target, dealing 8-48 necrotic damage to it and all surrounding creatures.
• Globe of Invulnerability - Concentrate to create a barrier that makes all creatures and objects inside in immune to all damage.

Level 12

Spell - Choose two more than you didn't grab earlier.

Feat - You're likely at the endgame now, so you could just go with Elemental Adept; pick the element of the spells you use often.

In any case, there are our picks for the best Wizard build in Baldur's Gate 3. The game is is filled to the brim with activities and secrets. You'll no doubt be part of an adventure that can take countless hours to complete. For other tips, you can visit our BG3 guides hub.