Baldur's Gate 3: Best Wizard Build

Baldur's Gate 3 will not be a D&D video game that is all about combat and smashing down opponents, there is a very wide array of skills you will need to cover between the 4 adventurers you will be controlling. This includes elements of stealth, detecting hidden objects, and talking your way out of things. However, there is another important element you will need to round this array of skills, and that element is your knowledge.

The game features many different classes, but none of them are as iconic as a Wizard. The OG spell slinger of the popular tabletop roleplaying game has been a staple of every edition of Dungeons and Dragons and has always been associated with high Intelligence rolls. The role they will be playing is to cover controlling the tide of battle and providing accurate knowledge checks outside of combat.

Updated by Chad Thesen on December 15th, 2023: This article has been updated to bring it up to a higher level of quality. This will enhance the reader's experience and make the article more engaging thanks to the inclusion of new formatting standards and more details added for each section of the article.

Best Wizard Ability Distribution

Intelligence Is A Wizard's Bread And Butter

When it comes to being a Wizard, all that matters for their Abilities is Intelligence. This is what the group expects of you and what you do better than anything else. Getting your Intelligence to 20 should and ‘is’ your primary concern when it comes to leveling and progressing. Higher Intelligence means higher everything. You will never be the one taking the lead in a dungeon, that is the scout’s job.

The scout will uncover, and disable, all the traps. Likewise, you will not find yourself on the frontline when a Paladin or Fighter is ready to put a barricade between the enemy and the Wizard. The Wizard’s role will be to unleash epic-level spells of destruction, shape the world so that it may be approached in different ways, and to unearth every secret the game hides from you with unlimited knowledge through high Intelligence skill rolls.

Dexterity may come in handy when you need to get out of the way and to increase your Armour Class. Everything else should be dumped. Make sure your Constitution is on an odd number.

• Primary Abilities (Max these out): Intelligence and Dexterity
• Secondary Abilities: Constitution and Wisdom
• Dump Abilities (Ignore These): Charisma and Strength

Best Race For Wizards

Gnomes Synergise Perfectly For Wizards

Rock Gnome will be an ideal pick for being a wizard. Thanks to Gnome Cunning, you have Advantage for your Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma saving throws. The speed is of no issue, as you will be in the back rows of the party when in combat and only moving when needed to reposition, rather than to gain distance. The Rock Gnome subrace provides Darkvision and Artificer’s Lore. Darkvision lets you perform just as well in gloomy caves and deep dungeons and Artificer’s Lore lets you double your proficiency bonus to your History skill checks.

Alternative Race Option

There are more than just gnomes out there, and having the race you want is important. Other gnome subraces are good choices too, but neither offers you as much as Rock Gnome. Githyanki will help give an extra proficiency, to let the wizard be proficient in every Intelligence skill, and the psionics will be great for escaping. Humans Wizards offer a way to round up plenty of odd-number Abilities, with one offered as an Origin companion.