Baldur’s Gate 3 offers a variety of classes and subclass to choose from when creating a character. There are 12 core classes to start from; each offers unique traits that help you in combat, exploration, magic, and social encounters. So, it all depends on your playing style and build preferences. In this regard, if you prefer a full-fledged magic build, Wizard is your best option.
However, the Wizard class is unique in many ways. Firstly, it is the only class with about 8 Wizard subclass. Secondly, you must choose the spells that you wish to add to your slots. So, newcomers can often feel overwhelmed when a single choice determines the course of their journey. Therefore, this article provides the best Wizard subclass in BG3 and how they can help transform your game.
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Best Wizard Subclass in BG3:
Wizards are unique in many ways. Firstly, it is the only class with 8 subclasses, all of which unlock as level 2. The only core class that’s second to Wizard is the Bard kind, with 7 subclasses. So, you must make your Wizard subclass selection quite early in the game. At this point, most players don’t know which abilities and spells will help them the most, making it a hard choice.
Moreover, you can’t change your Wizard subclass after choosing one at level 2. So, your only options are either to go on with your decision or opt for a multiclass build. Fortunately, we have tested all Wizard subclasses so that you get to skip the experimentation phase.
Without further delay, here are the top 4 Wizard subclasses that dominate the category:
1. Necromancy Wizard Subclass:
The School of Necromancy mainly deals with the dead and bringing them back to life. Students at this school learn to cast life-draining spells on all enemies. Moreover, you can also summon undead minions to take the hits for you and even attack with devastating blows. In short, if you want to spend your party size limitlessly, you should take a look at the Necromancy Wizard subclass.
Necromancy School Level Progression:
- Level 2: Necromancy Savant (Feature)
- Level 2: Grim Harvest (Feature)
- Level 6: Animate Spell (Spell)
- Level 6: Undead Thralls: Better Summons (Feature)
- Level 6: Undead Thralls: Additional Undead (Feature)
- Level 10: Inured to Undeath (Feature)
At level 2, you receive the Necromancy Savant, which reduces the cost of learning all Necromancy spells by 50%. Moreover, the Grim Harvest ability allows you to regain huge chunks of your HP whenever you kill an enemy with a leveled spell.
Similarly, as you progress further down the path, you will unlock various abilities and skills. At level 6, you get the ability to raise even more corpses to fight on your side.
Lastly, at level 10, you get the ability to reanimate corpses. In short, if you truly want to become a badass Wizard, you should choose the Necromancy School as your Wizard subclass.
2. Evocation Wizard Subclass:
The Evocation School is a support subclass for your party. It gives you and your teammates various buffs and even allows you to protect the whole party. This Wizard subclass mainly focuses on controlling and manipulating energy and natural elements. You can then use this energy to cause chaos, conjure shields, and even cast powerful spells. So, if your party is missing a powerful support member, you can be that face of the team.
Evocation School Level Progression:
- Level 2: Evocation Savant (Feature), Evocation Sculpt (Feature)
- Level 6: Potent Cantrip (Feature)
- Level 10: Empowered Evocation (Feature)
At first glance, the Evocation School subclass doesn’t offer as many upgrades as Necromancers. However, these limited features are powerful enough to make you a great supporting member of the party.
At level 2, you will gain the Evocation Savant, which reduces the cost of learning all Evocation spells to 25 gold per level. Furthermore, the Evocation Sculpt ability allows you to cast a shield around the whole party, protecting everyone from AoE damage by Evocation spells.
Similarly, at level 6, the Potent Cantrip skill makes it impossible for your foes to dodge your Cantrip attacks. Even if an enemy manages to roll a Saving Throw, they will still receive 50% of the total damage. In other words, it guarantees some damage output on all your Cantrip attacks.
Lastly, the Empowered Evocation ability at level 10 enables you to add an Intelligence modifier to all your Evocation spells. So, if you are looking for a Wizard build that guarantees damage output on every dice roll, you should start your journey by choosing the Evocation School Wizard subclass.
3. Divination Wizard Subclass:
It won’t be wrong to argue that the Divination School of Wizards is a bit too overpowered in Baldur’s Gate 3. This subclass has mastery in seeing the future and altering the outcomes in their favor. So, it will always be a win-win situation for you regardless of how tough your enemies are. However, you must choose your moment wisely, as these glimpses of upcoming events are very limited.
Divination School Level Progression:
- Level 2: Divination Savant (Feature), Portent (Feature)
- Level 6: Expert Divination (Feature),
- Level 10: Third Eye: Darkvision (Action), See Invisibility (Action)
The first upgrade that you receive through the Divination Wizard subclass is obviously the Savant. It reduces the cost of learning Divination spells to 25 gold per level. Secondly, the Portent ability is the main star of the show. With this ability, you will gain 2 Portent dice rolls after each long rest.
These Portent Dice are pre-rolled, and you can use them to alter any dice rolls of your choice. So, by using this ability, you can see the outcome of your future rolls, and if you don’t like them, you can alter them in your favor. However, only 2 Portent dice rolls are available at any time, and unused ones will replenish at the end of the day.
At level 6, you will receive another major upgrade. The Expert Divination will increase your Portent dice rolls from 2 to 3, and all your used Portents will regenerate after short rests. Secondly, the Darkvision ability increases your
Finally, at level 10, you will receive the Third Eye upgrades. In this case, the Darkvision will improve your line of sight to 24 meters. Furthermore, the Invisibility upgrade grants you the ability to detect invisible creatures (some party members may also detect them).
In short, if you are looking for an explorer Wizard build with divine powers, this subclass is best suited for you.
4. Conjuration Wizard Subclasses:
To better understand the role of Conjuration Wizards, you can imagine the role of Dr. Strange in the Avengers. Basically, the students of this school can conjure elements, transport them, or even teleport everything in their sight. Furthermore, it also opens the doors to numerous Conjuration spells in your spell book.
Conjuration School Level Progression:
- Level 2: Conjuration Savant (Feature), Minor Conjuration: Create Water (Action)
- Level 6: Benign Transposition: Teleport (Action)
- Level 10: Focused Conjuration (Feature)
You will be surprised by the power of your very first ability upgrade. The Create Water skill allows you to conjure rain to put out flames and summon a waterbody in the arena. You can use this ability once after every long rest, and it will serve as the base of your most battle strategies.
Similarly, at level 6, you will gain the Benign Transposition ability. It allows you to teleport to a nearby empty spot or even switch places with one of your allies. This ability can save your archers from getting attacked, as you can quickly teleport them to a safe spot for the turn.
Lastly, at level 10, you get the Focused Conjuration ability that will save your precious concentration points. Wizards use concentration points to cast various conjuration spells. However, you can lose focus if you are attacked during the animation. So, with this ability, your focus becomes unbreakable for the rest of the game.
Conclusion:
Wizard is probably the most versatile core class in Baldur’s Gate 3. You can start as a Wizard and choose from 8 unique subclasses or schools to create your best build. However, so many options can often confuse newcomers as they don’t really know which one serves their needs. Therefore, this article provides the top 4 best Wizard subclasses that dominate every battle in the game.
