Best Wizard Build in Baldur's Gate 3
A complete Baldur's Gate 3 Wizard build guide covering Evocation and Abjuration, ability scores, spell picks, and scroll-copying tactics for a versatile battle mage.
Best Wizard Build in Baldur’s Gate 3
The Wizard is the most flexible spellcaster in Baldur’s Gate 3. Unlike Sorcerers, you learn spells from scrolls — meaning you can permanently add almost any spell in the game to your book. This guide builds a control-and-nuke battle mage.
Why Play a Wizard
- Spell Copying: read a scroll to learn its spell forever. No other class matches this.
- Ritual Casting: cast Find Familiar, Detect Magic, etc. without spending slots.
- Deepest spell list in the game.
Ability Scores
- Intelligence 17 (16 + 1 racial bonus)
- Constitution 16
- Dexterity 14
Dump Strength and Charisma. Intelligence is your attack stat and DC.
Subclass Choice
| Subclass | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Evocation | Offense | Shape spells to avoid allies, bonus damage |
| Abjuration | Defense | Arcane Ward soaks damage, great for melee Wizards |
| Divination | Utility | Portent rerolls key saves |
Evocation is the safest damage pick (your Fireballs won’t hit allies). Abjuration pairs well with a melee “Blade Wizard” variant.
Core Spell Picks
- Cantrips: Ray of Frost, Fire Bolt, Minor Illusion, Mage Hand.
- Level 1: Magic Missile, Shield, Sleep, Mage Armor.
- Level 2: Misty Step, Scorching Ray, Web.
- Level 3: Fireball, Counterspell, Haste.
- Level 4: Wall of Fire, Polymorph.
- Level 5: Hold Monster, CloudKill.
Feat Order
- Level 4: Ability Score Improvement (Intelligence 18).
- Level 8: Intelligence 20.
- Level 12: War Caster or Spell Sniper.
Final Tips
Loot every scroll you find and copy the useful ones into your spellbook. Keep Shield and Counterspell prepared at all times — they win fights. Wizards are squishy; stay behind the frontline and use Web/Cloud of Daggers to control chokepoints.