The Wizard is a tricky choice to multiclass in Baldur's Gate 3, and there are only a few classes that combo with it well. This is because it's the only class in the game that uses Intelligence as its primary Ability Score, leading to a lack of synergy with other spellcasters. However, there are a few great Wizard multiclass builds in Baldur's Gate 3 that rely on one or two low-level dips into other classes to enhance their abilities.
One of these builds is the Agathys Abjurer, which combines the Abjuration Wizard subclass with the Armor of Agathys spell from the Draconic Sorcerer. This combo produces an incredibly tough Wizard who can survive in close-combat while still having access to the full Wizard spell list.
Armor of Agathys provides the player with temporary HP and deals cold damage to melee attackers until that HP is expended. This combines incredibly well with the Abjurer's Arcane Ward, which reduces all damage the character takes by a set number and can be recharged by casting abjuration spells or resting. With a high enough Arcane Ward, the player can make a single cast of Armor of Agathys last through multiple encounters, dealing serious damage for very little cost.
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The Agathys Abjurer - Levels 1-6
Despite remaining a Wizard for almost all of their 12 levels, the Agathys Abjurer actually benefits from starting the game as a Sorcerer. The reason for this is that the Sorcerer has Proficiency in Constitution Saving Throws, which is a massive advantage for any spellcaster who will need them to pass Concentration Saving Throws.
However, because this build will use Intelligence instead of Charisma, it will be fairly ineffective at level 1, and must wait for level 2 to get attack cantrips that use Intelligence instead of Charisma. Intelligence is the most important Ability Score for this build, followed by an even split between Dexterity and Constitution for AC, Initiative, HP, and Saving Throws. It is possible to dump Dexterity if players are using the alternate version of this build that picks up Heavy Armor from a Cleric subclass, though this comes with the disadvantage of worse Initiative.
Instead of moving straight to Wizard at level 2, players can instead choose to take a single level as a Tempest Cleric in order to pick up Heavy Armor Proficiency, the Create Water spell, and an extra damage retaliation feature. Heavy Armor is useful to reduce the build's need for Dexterity, while Create Water will make enemies vulnerable to Armor of Agathys' cold damage. However, it's also important to remember that this is a build that wants to be hit, and boosting AC too high will only result in enemies prioritizing the rest of the Abjurer's party.
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Level 1 - Sorcerer
- Subclass - Draconic Bloodline
- Subclass Feature - White Dragon for Armor of Agathys
- Subclass Feature - Draconic Resilience
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Recommended Spells - Cantrips and Level 1 Spells that don't have attack rolls or saving throws, such as
Blade Ward, Shield, and
Magic Missile.
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Level 2 - Wizard
- Arcane Recovery
- Recommended Spells - Ray of Frost, Shocking Grasp
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Level 3 - Wizard
- Subclass - Abjuration School
- Subclass Feature - Abjuration Savant
- Subclass Feature - Arcane Ward
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Level 4 - Wizard
- Recommended Spells - Misty Step, Hold Person
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Level 5 - Wizard
- Feat - +2 Intelligence
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Level 6 - Wizard
- Recommended Spells - Counterspell, Glyph of Warding
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The Agathys Abjurer - Levels 7-12
Players should continue prioritizing the few Abjuration spells on the Wizard spell list as they level up, in order to provide them with a reliable way to recharge their Arcane Ward. Along with Armor of Agathys, which remains strong at all levels thanks to upcasting, two other important abjuration spells are Counterspell and Glyph of Warding.
Counterspell and Glyph of Warding can both be taken at Wizard level 5, and will boost the Arcane Ward by 3 each time they're cast. As well as being a great foil to enemy casters, Counterspell is particularly useful for recharging because it uses a reaction, leaving the Abjurer free to cast other spells on their turn. Meanwhile, Glyph of Warding is a rare abjuration spell that deals damage, and can be useful in many situations thanks to its variants.
At Wizard level 10, the Abjurer will get access to Improved Abjuration, which restores a large amount of their Arcane Ward with each short rest. From this point on players should have no trouble keeping their Arcane Ward at a high level in every combat, allowing them to all but negate most enemy attacks, all the while dealing damage back to their attackers with Armor of Agathys.
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Level 7 - Wizard
- Subclass Feature - Projected Ward
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Level 8 - Wizard
- Recommended Spells - Fire Shield, Banishment
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Level 9 - Wizard
- Feat - +2 Intelligence
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Level 10 - Wizard
- Recommended Spells - Planar Binding, Cone of Cold
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Level 11 - Wizard
- Subclass Feature - Improved Abjuration
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Level 12 - Wizard
- Recommended Spells - Globe of Invulnerability, Wall of Ice
Baldur's Gate 3 is out now on PC, PS4, and Xbox Series X/S.
Baldur's Gate 3
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Full cross-platform play.
WHERE TO PLAY
- Franchise
- Baldur's Gate
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- RPG
