Detailed information on pumping a sorcerer in the early stages of the game; build examples for midgame and endgame
As you might expect, the Sorcerer is one of the most dangerous and powerful classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, being able to deal 1-10 points of Fireball damage from up to 18 meters away, as well as cast focuses every turn without taking up any spell slots. In addition, the sorcerer has several incredibly useful spells up his sleeve that deal AoE damage, and at the third level of pumping, access to the “Misty Step” will open up, which will allow the character to teleport to any visible place, easily climbing to heights to gain an undeniable advantage when using Otherworld Blast. Due to this advantage, when attacking with Otherworldly Strike (it is important to take it right away), the 2d20 system is triggered, a higher value is used, which significantly increases the chance of hitting. Therefore, if there is such a possibility,
Character Creation
First, let’s look at the process of customizing a sorcerer during character creation to maximize his effectiveness. You do not have to follow our instructions verbatim, and some changes are quite likely after the release of the full version of the game.
Origin
The choice of the origin of the sorcerer is not of serious importance, so you can choose the option that is most interesting to you. The only exception is that you must not choose an Intimidate, Persuade, or Deception origin. Sounds completely counterintuitive, because all skills benefit from charisma, which is a modifier of the sorcerer’s ability to cast spells (a status that affects spell accuracy and DC). However, you will be able to choose Intimidate when you go to the Skills section, and you will get Persuasion and Deception at level 2 by taking the Charming Influence passive skill. Therefore, when choosing an origin, make sure that you get other skills that you can’t unlock in other ways. This will allow you to pass a lot more skill checks!
Race
The races that I suggest to use when creating a sorcerer are half-elf, tiefling Asmodeus or drow. Half-elves and tieflings will allow you to get 17 points of Charisma already during character creation. Already at the fourth level, you can increase the value to 18, and in the game, improving the ability modifiers only works on even values of the parameter. This gives you +4 to hit rolls with spells, making it harder for enemies to avoid damage.
The half-elf will allow you to pump charisma up to 17 units and provide 2 free attribute points. This race also has the Night Vision skill, allowing them to see better in dark places, improving their accuracy in combat and helping them find additional loot.
The tiefling Asmodeus, in addition to Night Vision, has access to the Thaumaturgical transmutation focus, which gives advantage on intimidation and execution checks (the focus must be used before characters can be intimidated). And you will get a +5 bonus to such rolls from the very beginning of the game.
The drow will provide 16 Charisma and the additional benefit of Enhanced Night Vision, allowing them to see twice as far in the dark as a half-elf or tiefling. This means that you will get even more accuracy in dark areas than you would with the other two races. But the choice is yours!
Class
Obviously we’re choosing a sorcerer here, but we really need to decide which subclass to go with, since this is done once and only during character creation. You can choose between Beast and Great Old One, and it really comes down to whether you want Dark One’s Blessing or Tasha’s Hideous Laugh along with Discordant Whispers.
Blessing of the Dark One grants temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + level when killing enemies (i.e. at the start of the game, at 16-17 Charisma, you get +3 to the modifier and +1 from the first level – a total of 4 HP). At the same time, both Tasha’s Disgusting Laugh and Dissonant Whispers can incapacitate many opponents, making them unable to make their current turn, which can be extremely valuable against strong enemies. Dissonant Whispers also deals decent damage. But the choice is again yours, so decide what your soul lies to.
Regardless of the decision you make, make sure to slot one of the otherworldly blast focuses into the slot, as as I mentioned above, this will be your main attack every round. Another great spell that should be added to any build is Friendship, which allows you to gain advantage on Charisma checks against non-hostile targets (you will enchant them with this focus). Cast Friendship on a non-hostile NPC before starting dialogue (if you can), and you’ll be able to make successful rolls more often.
Make sure to also select the spell Steady Strike, which will increase the damage when using Otherworldly Bolt on the target. What we are talking about is a bonus action, that is, you can activate it, and then in the same round use the “Ethereal Discharge”. Also, if the target dies, you can cast the spell again without using an extra spell slot. If you act wisely, you can use it in almost every fight. Only use this skill when you’re sure you won’t be attacked, because it requires concentration, and you’ll lose it if you fail your stamina save. If you choose the Great Old One subclass, you will be able to take Steady Strike at level 2, and at level 1 you will gain access to Tasha’s Disgusting Laugh and Dissonant Whispers.
Skills
From the skills menu, pick up Intimidate and any other skill you deem necessary. The choice of the second skill does not play a special role.
Abilities
As for ability points, you need to make sure that your Charisma is at least 16 points in order to get a +3 ability modifier. The remaining points should be divided between Endurance, Agility and Intelligence. Intelligence, though useless in combat, adds a check to a stat. And if the sorcerer is your main character, it would be wise to have a few points from Intelligence to simplify dialogues and other interactions.
Remember, at level four you get 2 ability points, and both must be spent on charisma if it’s 16 at character creation, so be sure to set your Agility, Stamina, and Intelligence to even numbers so you don’t spend skill points manually (you do not receive bonuses for odd values). A good option is 14 ability points each in Dexterity, Intelligence and Stamina. If you raise Charisma to 17 units, then at the fourth level it will be enough to invest only 1 point in it, and spend the remaining skill point on any other ability.
Level 2
At the second level, you will gain access to some otherworldly invocations that will allow you to improve your character. Of these, the most important is Tormented Blast, which will add a Charisma modifier to the damage of the Elemental Blast focus. Up to level four, you gain +3 to your lightning attack rolls, after which you gain +4 once your Charisma reaches 18.
Another otherworldly spell to take is Devil Vision, which allows you to see in the dark, eliminating any penalties while fighting in gloomy rooms (whether normal or magical darkness). This is important because you have to fight in the Dark quite often and you don’t want to miss your attacks!
If you haven’t picked up Steady Strike yet, be sure to do so now. Otherwise, the choice may fall on any other spell. Read the descriptions of each to get an idea of what they do. Most of the time I avoid defensive spells and focus on offensive focus with AoE effect, since the sorcerer still stays away from enemies.
Level 3
At the third level of the sorcerer, you gain the Gift of the Treaty, which allows you to call a familiar into battle. Each time you cast this spell before the start of the battle, so that the familiar can help in combat. In addition, you will gain access to some second-level spells, but you can only add one to the book. I personally like the “Fog Step” (as I wrote above), but your choice can be anything. Humanoid Paralyze is a great way to take the enemy out of combat, while Stealth can be creative both in and out of combat.
Level 4
At the fourth level, the sorcerer will be able to add an ability point to one of the attributes. Make sure your Charisma is 18 after this update (not 17!). This will increase the bonus on persuasion, intimidate, and deception checks by “+1”, and add “+1” to rolls and damage from Harrowing Blast. This is the best thing you can do at level four for your sorcerer.
You’ll also be able to pick up another spell, so if you didn’t pick up Mist Step at level three, do so now. Or choose any other spell from those suggested above. Or whatever you think is necessary.
Equipment
When it comes to equipment for a sorcerer, there is no need to worry about weapons, as 95% of the time you will be using spells. The weapon is only used when you are in close combat and cannot move away from the enemy without taking damage. However, if you need to use a weapon, make sure you can wield it.
If you chose the Drow race during character creation, you can use the crossbow, which will become the main weapon. This is the best thing you can do as you will be less likely to be drawn into close combat while maintaining a safe distance from the enemy. Given that the sorcerer can only wear light armor, it is important to keep a safe distance. This is the only way to protect the character from powerful melee attacks.
It also increases the chances of maintaining active focus for spells that need it, including Steady Strike, and can still attack enemies from a distance as an alternative to ranged spells and focuses like Otherworldly Blast. Coming back to the crossbow, you’ll also unlock Piercing Shot and Mobile Shot. Mobile Shot is the best choice as it is a bonus action and deals 2-7 damage with a ranged attack. In fact, every turn you can use “Sure Strike” or shoot from a crossbow.
On the other hand, if you want to take the risk of clinging to enemies in close combat, you can choose to dual wield. Don’t forget to pre-curse the enemy with Steady Strike and then use Otherworldly Bolt as your main attack. As long as you have enough movement points to get close to the enemy, you will be able to dual-wield your left hand, greatly increasing your overall damage and having a chance to kill the enemy. If you go this route, be sure to take the Double-Handed trait at level 4, which will give you +1 armor class as long as you have a melee weapon in each hand.
You’ll be using light armor, so if you can, look for “Leather Armor +1” or “Leather Spiked Armor”. This ensures that you have at least 14 armor class. You can use any accessories that you find, but I could not find anything that could strengthen the build.
Summarize:
- Aim for higher positions from the very first turn, especially after unlocking the Mist Step, to gain an advantage when activating the Otherworldly Blast focus. This will increase hit chance and a vital action for success in most difficult battles. Use Fog Step when you unlock it, but before that, you can just jump on vertical structures.
- The disadvantage of a sorcerer is that before resting, they can only cast a maximum of 2 spells before needing a rest, which is less than other spellcasters. However, a short rest is enough to restore all uses. Take advantage of this and don’t forget to take a short break if you don’t have to go to camp. Also, keep in mind that Steady Strike can be used over and over again as long as you don’t lose focus (either by taking damage or switching to another spell that requires focus).
- Finally, one of the potential companions, Will is a sorcerer. Be sure to put both ability points into Charisma at level four to increase the modifier to +4. Therefore, it’s a good idea to have Will initiate the dialogues, as this will take advantage of all the same benefits to Deception, Persuasion, or Intimidation checks that you would have if you made your character a sorcerer.
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