Baldur’s Gate 3 – Wizard Build Guide

Harness the raw destructive power of elemental magic with our comprehensive Baldur’s Gate 3 Evocation Wizard guide. This specialized arcane tradition transforms you into a master of controlled devastation, capable of unleashing massive area-of-effect spells while keeping allies completely safe from collateral damage.

When crafting the ultimate Baldur’s Gate 3 Wizard build, maximizing damage potential while maintaining battlefield control becomes paramount. As a classic glass cannon archetype, you’ll deliver staggering spell damage but require careful positioning and tactical awareness. Our guide explores the School of Evocation’s unique mechanics and provides actionable strategies to dominate encounters from early levels through the endgame.

Wizards possess exceptional offensive capabilities but minimal defensive resilience, making them vulnerable in close-quarters combat. They cannot effectively utilize armor without sacrificing spellcasting functionality. To optimize your Evocation specialist, we recommend these foundational choices:

• Race: Red Dragonborn (optimal for fire resistance and intimidation), Asmodeus Tiefling (optimal for racial spells), Deep Gnome (optional/lore-friendly with superior stealth), or High Half Elf (optional/lore-friendly with extra cantrip)
• Background: The Sage background provides the most thematic cohesion while offering two Intelligence-based skill proficiencies that synergize perfectly with your primary stat.
• Abilities: 8 STR, 14 DEX, 15 CON, 17 INT, 10 WIS, 10 CHA – this distribution prioritizes spellcasting power while providing sufficient durability and initiative bonuses.
• Weapons and armor: Utilize staves and simple weapons exclusively; wear only cloth armor to maintain unrestricted spellcasting capability.

Wizards can learn a ridiculous number of spells.

Level 1: Foundational Spell Selection

Cantrips form your consistent damage backbone while leveled spells provide encounter-defining power:

• Fire Bolt – Projects a concentrated fire projectile dealing reliable ranged damage; excellent for triggering environmental hazards.
• Ray of Frost – Inflicts cold damage while reducing enemy movement speed by three meters – perfect for kiting melee opponents.
• Optional: Shocking Grasp – Delivers lightning damage while preventing target reactions; gains advantage against metal-armored foes.
• Optional: Blade Ward – Provides damage resistance against physical attack types; situational but valuable.
• Optional: Friends – Grants advantage on Charisma checks against non-hostile characters; useful for dialogue encounters.

Spells:

• Magic Missile – Launches three unerring projectiles dealing 6-15 cumulative force damage; guaranteed hits make this exceptionally reliable.
• Thunderwave – Unleashes 2-16 thunder damage in a frontal cone while forcefully repelling enemies; excellent crowd control.
• Chromatic Orb – Deals 3-24 elemental damage in an area (select damage type); creates corresponding surface effects on impact.
• Optional: Grease – Coats terrain with slippery substance prone to igniting; causes prone condition on failed saves.
• Optional: Mage Armor – Boosts target’s armor class to 13 plus Dexterity modifier; essential defensive buff.
• Optional: Feather Fall – Renders you and nearby companions immune to fall damage; critical for vertical navigation.

Level 2: Subclass Specialization

You gain access to two additional spell selections, though these remain secondary priorities compared to your initial choices. The pivotal development arrives with your subclass selection.

Evocation – Acquires the Sculpt Spells feature applicable to all Evocation-school magic. This transformative ability makes the subclass exceptional: your Evocation spells completely avoid harming allies. This enables strategic placement of area effects like Fireball directly on engaged melee combatants without concern for friendly fire casualties.

Level 3: Enhanced Offensive Arsenal

Spells:

• Scorching Ray – Fires three independent fire beams dealing 6-36 total fire damage; versatile multi-target solution.
• Cloud of Daggers – Concentration-based spell summoning whirling blades dealing 4-16 damage to creatures within the area; exceptional area denial tool.

Level 4: Tactical Mobility & Feat Selection

Spells and Cantrips – For your additional cantrip, select any previously overlooked options from character creation. Spell acquisition:

• Misty Step – Instantaneous teleportation to any visible unoccupied location; game-changing positioning ability.

Feat: Magic Initiate: Warlock – This multiclass-inspired feat provides significant combat advantages:

• Cantrip: Eldritch Blast – Projects energy beam dealing 1-10 force damage; becomes your most reliable cantrip damage source.
• Spell: Hex – Inflicts 1-6 necrotic damage while imposing disadvantage on chosen ability checks; recastable upon target death without spell slot expenditure.

Level 5: Power Spike & Counterspell Utility

Spells:

• Fireball – Launches explosive fire orb dealing 8-48 damage across substantial area; your primary damage workhorse.
• Counterspell – Reaction-based ability to negate enemy spellcasting; essential magical defense.

Evocation Wizards can bombard large areas with spells like Fireball and Ice Storm, without having to worry about allies that are within the blast radius.

Level 6: Enhanced Cantrip Efficiency

Subclass Feature: Potent Cantrip – Significantly improves cantrip reliability. Enemies succeeding on saving throws against your cantrips still suffer half damage.

Spells:

• Optional: Grant Flight – Temporarily enables aerial movement for yourself or designated target; exceptional tactical positioning tool.
• Optional: Haste – Applies powerful buff granting additional action, doubled movement speed, and improved armor class; concentration-dependent but immensely powerful.
• Optional: Lightning Bolt – Summons lightning strike along straight path dealing 8-48 damage; excellent linear area effect.

Level 7: Expanded Control Options

Spells:

• Ice Storm – Deals 6-40 cold damage across wide area while coating ground with slippery sleet; potential to knock enemies prone.
• Dimension Door – Teleports yourself plus one ally to any visible destination; superior repositioning capability.

Level 8: Ability Score Optimization

Spells:

• Optional: Blight – Inflicts 8-64 necrotic damage; imposes disadvantage on plant creatures; ineffective against undead and constructs.
• Optional: Wall of Fire – Generates blazing barrier inflicting 5-40 fire damage to nearby creatures; superb area denial.

Feat: Ability Improvement – Allocate +2 points to Intelligence. Crucially, if you’ve already defeated Auntie Ethel, remember to acquire the bonus attribute point reaching 20 INT.

Level 9: High-Level Spell Arsenal

Spells – You gain access to two fifth-level spells at this stage. Recommended selections:

• Cloudkill – Creates expansive poison cloud dealing 5-40 damage per turn; repositionable each turn; important note: as a Conjuration spell, this will damage allies normally.
• Cone of Cold – Blasts wide frontal cone dealing 8-64 cold damage; massive area coverage.
• Conjure Elemental – Summons elemental companion to fight alongside you; significant action economy advantage.

Level 10: Empowered Evocation Feature

Subclass Feature: Empowered Evocation – Adds your Intelligence modifier to damage rolls for Evocation spells; substantial damage increase.

Spells – You learn two additional fifth-level spells now. Select whichever spell you previously skipped at level 9, plus any additional magic capturing your interest.

Level 11: Ultimate Destruction Spells

Spells:

• Disintegrate – Deals devastating 50-100 force damage. Since most enemies lack force resistance, this spell effectively eliminates targets.
• Chain Lightning – Strikes initial target with electrical discharge that arcs to three additional targets dealing 10-80 lightning damage; exceptional multi-target damage.
• Circle of Death (optional) – Generates massive sphere around target dealing 8-48 necrotic damage to all creatures within radius.
• Globe of Invulnerability – Concentration-based barrier rendering all contained creatures and objects completely immune to all damage types.

Level 12: Endgame Optimization

Spell – Select two additional spells you haven’t previously acquired.

Feat – Approaching the conclusion of your journey, Elemental Adept represents the optimal selection; choose the element corresponding to your most frequently utilized spells.

Mastering Evocation Wizardry extends beyond spell selection to encompass sophisticated battlefield tactics. Position yourself on elevated terrain whenever possible to maximize line of sight and spell range. Utilize Misty Step or Dimension Door to escape dangerous positioning situations or to gain superior angles for spell placement.

Common strategic errors include mismanaging concentration spells, neglecting defensive positioning, and inefficient spell slot utilization. Avoid casting high-level spells against single targets when cantrips would suffice – preserve your most powerful resources for encounters demanding area control or burst damage.

Advanced optimization involves sequencing spells for maximum effect. For instance, follow a Fireball with Ray of Frost on surviving enemies to limit their mobility while your melee allies finish them. Coordinate with party members to cluster enemies before unleashing your most devastating area effects.

For comprehensive gaming strategies beyond Wizard specialization, explore our Complete Guide to master all aspects of modern gaming combat systems.

No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Baldur’s Gate 3 – Wizard Build Guide Master the School of Evocation Wizard with optimized builds, strategic spell selection, and advanced combat tactics