In Baldur’s Gate 3, Wizards are the masters of spells. This class comes with a significantly larger spell pool which gives them a lot of flexibility in dealing with different types of elemental damage. Although it comes with a plethora of spells and methods to dish out damage, it also has certain downsides like very little armor protection, minimal weapon proficiency, and very low health.
During the early access, only two Wizard subclasses were available in the game: Abjuration and Evocation. However, with the full release of Baldur’s Gate 3, you now have access to eight subclasses: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Necromancy, Illusion, and Transmutation. This comprehensive guide will explore all of these Wizard subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3 to help you choose the best one for your journey through Forgotten Realms.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Wizard class features
Like other Dungeons & Dragons games, Wizards play a significant role in Baldur’s Gate 3 by dedicating their lives to studying and utilizing magic in the various ways possible. Simply put, a Wizard is someone with an absolute thirst for knowledge.
Wizard class features include:
- Wizard Armor Proficiencies: None
- Wizard Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, Quarterstaff, Light Crossbow
- Wizard Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, & Religion
- Wizard Saving Throws: Intelligence & Wisdom
- Unique Class Feature: Arcane Recovery
Baldur’s Gate 3 Wizard subclasses
Wizard subclasses are different schools from where they will get their basic training or study magic. While learning new spells directly from scrolls using gold, choosing the spells from the same subclass will only cost you 25 gold per spell level instead of 50.
The Wizard subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3 include: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Necromancy, Illusion, and Transmutation. These subclasses or schools represent different branches of magical knowledge, each focusing on specific types of spells and effects.
In the realm of magic, the Abjuration and Conjuration schools specialize in defensive and passive spells that can absorb and mitigate elemental damage. On the other hand, Evocation school focuses on aggressive spells that can channel elemental energy into powerful attacks and enchantments.
Also read: How to Multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3
Within the Divination school, Wizards utilize spells that can harness mystical powers to unravel secrets, foresee events and obtain valuable information. The Enchantment, Transmutation, and Illusion schools all focus on spells that involve tricking enemies like manipulating their minds, creating confusing Illusions, or altering the properties.
As the name suggests, the Necromancy school explores the cosmic forces of life, death, and the undead. Progressing with this subclass will teach you spells that can drain the life energy from your enemies and reanimate the bodies of the dead to fight on your behalf.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Wizard subclass spells
All Wizards in Baldur’s Gate 3 gain access to choose their subclass at level 2. After selecting the desired school or subclass, you get access to many subclass-specific spells as you level up. These specific spells include:
Abjuration School Spells:
| Spell | Level Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Abjuration Savant | 2 | Learn Abjuration spells from scrolls for 25 gold per spell level instead of 50. |
| Arcane Ward | 2 | Forms a protective ward around you. |
| Projected Ward | 6 | Sacrifice your active Arcane Ward to reduce damage taken by a nearby ally when they are damaged. |
| Improved Abjuration | 10 | After each Short Rest, increase the Arcane Ward’s intensity by an amount equal to your Wizard level. |
Conjuration School Spells:
| Spell | Level Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Abjuration Savant | 2 | Learn Abjuration spells from scrolls for 25 gold per spell level instead of 50. |
| Arcane Ward | 2 | Forms a protective ward around you. |
| Projected Ward | 6 | Sacrifice your active Arcane Ward to reduce damage taken by a nearby ally when they are damaged. |
| Improved Abjuration | 10 | After each Short Rest, increase the Arcane Ward’s intensity by an amount equal to your Wizard level. |
Divination School Spells:
| Spell | Level Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Divination Savant | 2 | Learning Divination spells from scrolls will only cost you 25 gold per spell level instead of 50. |
| Portent | 2 | After each Long Rest, gain two random Portent Dice. Use your reaction to change the Die of any Attack Roll or Saving Throw rolled near you to one of your Portent Dice. Each Die can only be used once, and you lose your unused one at the end of the day. |
| Expert Divination | 6 | Taking a Short Rest will regain any spent Portent Dice. It also gives you an additional Portent Die. |
| Third Eye: Darkvision | 10 | Gain the ability to see in the dark to a range of 24 m. |
| Third Eye: Invisibility | 10 | Gain the ability to see invisible creatures. |
Enchantment School Spells:
| Spell | Level Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Enchantment Savant | 2 | Learning Enchantment spells from scrolls will only cost you 25 gold per spell level instead of 50. |
| Hypnotic Gaze | 2 | Gain the ability to charm and Incapacitate a creature. |
| Instinctive Charm | 6 | Gain the ability to charm an attacking enemy to change their target to something else. |
| Split Enchantment | 10 | Can target two creatures with Enchantment spells instead of 1. |
Evocation School Spells:
| Spell | Level Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Evocation Savant | 2 | Learning Evocation spells from scrolls will only cost you 25 gold per spell level instead of 50. |
| Sculpt Spells | 2 | Allies inside the pockets of safety will automatically succeed in their saving throws without taking damage. |
| Potent Cantrip | 6 | When a creature succeeds its Saving Throw against one of your Cantrips, it will still take half the cantrip’s damage without receiving any additional effects. |
| Empowered Evocation | 10 | Allows you to add your Intelligence modifier to damage rolls with any Evocation spells. |
Necromancy School Spells:
| Spell | Level Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Necromancy Savant | 2 | Learning Necromancy spells from scrolls will only cost you 25 gold per spell level instead of 50. |
| Grim Harvest | 2 | Killing a creature with a spell will regain hit points twice the spell slot level – thrice if it’s a Necromancy spell. |
| Undead Thralls: Additional Undead | 6 | Allows you to raise an additional corpse. |
| Undead Thralls: Better Summons | 6 | Summoned minions will have additional hit points equal to your level, and your Proficiency Bonus is added to their damage. |
| Animate Dead | 6 | Allows you to create an undead minion from a corpse. |
| Inured to Undeath | 10 | Resistant to Necrotic damage. Maximum HP cannot be reduced. |
Illusion School Spells:
| Spell | Level Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Illusion Savant | 2 | Learning illusion spells from scrolls will only cost you 25 gold per spell level instead of 50. |
| Improved Minor Illusion | 2 | Can cast bonus Minor Illusion. It can be cast even if you are Silenced and hidden. |
| See Invisibility | 6 | Gain the ability to see invisible creatures. |
| Illusory Self | 10 | Allows you to create a duplicate illusion to confuse your enemy. |
Transmutation School Spells:
| Spell | Level Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Transmutation Savant | 2 | Learning Transmutation spells from scrolls will only cost you 25 gold per spell level instead of 50. |
| Experimental Alchemy | 2 | Succeeding a DC 15 Medicine check will allow you to brew two alchemical solutions when combining extracts instead of 1. |
| Transmuter’s Stone | 6 | Allows you to store some of your transmutation magic in a small stone. The creature carrying the stone also gains a benefit of your choice. |
| Shapechanger | 10 | Allows you to transform into a flying blue jay. |
Although you can make great builds with any of them for your Baldur’s Gate 3 Wizard, some outshine others with their powerful spells. As time goes on, the crown for the best build would change (with future DLC/expansions or balance patches). But as of now, the Evocation school is leaving everyone behind with its wide range of offensive spells that can produce explosive bursts of fire bolts, lightning, freezing ice, and other destructive elemental energies.
This concludes our Wizard subclasses guide. You can take a look at our Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock subclasses and Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter subclasses guide, and also the tier list of the classes in Baldur’s Gate 3.
