Baldur’s Gate 3: BEST Sorcerer Build [Definitive Guide]

Of the 12 classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, Sorcerer is essential as it heavily focuses on magic. However, to make things interesting, players must choose an appropriate build that enhances their weaponry damage and allows them to select an offensive or defensive play.

Sorcerer Build

Refer to this table which summarizes my complete Sorcerer build from scratch.

Class	Sorcerer
Background	Charlatan, Noble, Sage
Race	Half-Elf
Sub Race	Wood Half-Elf
Subclass	Draconic Bloodline
Spells	Chromatic Orb, Magic Missile, Misty Step, Hold Person, Mirror Image
Cantrip	Acid Splash, Ray of Frost, Chill Touch, Fire Bolt
Armor	Sorcerer Robe
Accessories	Absolute’s Talisman, The Sapphire Sparks, Ring of Colour Spray
Weapons	Dagger, Quarterstaff, Crossbow

Sorcerer Build Overview.

Sorcerer Class Explained

Although players decide how they want to operate with the Sorcerer class, it is better to choose the offensive playstyle as their magic can dominate opponents on the battlefield. However, they have limited spell-choosing options, so they must pick wisely.

Unlike Clerics or Wizards, Sorcerers do not create their spells. They learn them during the gameplay and spell-testing phase. The Sorcerer class is allowed to choose from three subclasses:

• Draconic Bloodline: Sorcerers combine the power of dragons, which provides elemental resistance. This allows them to deal more damage to enemies while having higher resistance to any upcoming damage.
• Shadow Magic: Darkness and Shadow abilities are linked with Sorcerers, helping them in offensive play.
• Wild Magic: Sorcerers deal with uncontrollable magic with outcomes that can be unpredictable. 

Choosing every aspect of a Sorcerer, like subclass and magic type, is essential as your playstyle depends on it.

Sorcerer Class Levels Explained

Best Spellcaster Build.

The maximum reachable level with any class in Baldur’s Gate 3 is 12. The original limit of 10 extends with two extra levels for better character growth. Talking about Sorcerers, players will unlock a new aspect on a higher level.

When at level one, you must choose two major spells and four Cantrips that you can experiment with during your gameplay.

As you reach level two, you will unlock Metamagic, letting you modify your magic spells to enhance its usage. To unlock the Metamagic properties, players must spend Sorcery points, available at the red burning icon on your screen. There are four base Metamagic spell options available:

• Careful: Costs one Sorcery point and lets players successfully save throws against various spells.
• Distant: This costs one Sorcery point. It will enhance the range of your spells so you can attack enemies, that are at greater length from you.
• Extended: It costs one Sorcery point per use, which will increase the period in which your spell lasts.
• Twinned: Twinned Spell doubles the number of targets you were initially targeting. This enhances damage and you get to eliminate more enemies per hit.

• Quickened: Use this spell to change your action spell into a bonus action.
• Heightened: This spell puts your enemies at a disadvantage who are trying to save throws.
• Subtle: When using this spell, players can continue casting spells even when they are silenced by opponent attacks.

Initially, I had to choose two Level 1 spells and four Cantrips. This was followed up by Metamagic options on Levels two and three. Moreover, at Level 4, players can extend their set by including another Level 2 spell along with a Cantrip. 

Metamagic 

Below, I will list a table that summarizes all Metamagic stages for better understanding.

Metamagic	Description	Cost (Sorcery Points)
Careful	Save throws against spells	1
Distant	Increase effective spell range	1
Extended	The spell lasts for longer	1
Twinned	Target double the number of opponents before	1
Quickened	Action spell to Bonus Action conversion	3
Heightened	Enemies saving throws are not at benefit	3
Subtle	Cast spells during the silence phase	1

Sorcerer Metamagic Table.

Best Background Choice

Sorcerers are highly linked with Charisma, as it modifies your reaction and decides how you will interact with any NPC. Choosing any background with Charisma ability is sufficient as it helps you negotiate in stores to bring prices down and hit enemies with weapons.

Some optimal Background choices are Noble, Charlatan, and Sage. I am going with Charlatan, which is a more suitable option, as it gives you a Manipulative edge and provides unique dialogue options that enhance your deception skills.

Best Sorcerer Race

Exploring the Wood Half-elf race with a Sorcerer is a good combination as you get +2 Charisma, which improves your confidence and negotiation skills at shops with NPCs. Furthermore, the +2 Charisma will take you to 16 in total. 

In Addition to Charisma, players will also receive +2 Ability Points that they can spend on Constitution and Dexterity. These are abilities that you can improve by dividing your AP. I recommend Better Constitution. as it can yield more hit points by increasing your health bar, whereas Dexterity offers resistance by improving AC.

This specific Half-elf race provides Darkvision, which improves combat efficiency in dark areas as they have better visuals. Moreover, Sorcerers will get better movement speed that allows them to escape any crowded areas where their lives might be in danger.

If you are uncomfortable with the Half-elf race, the Drow race is another potential race choice for Sorcerers as they provide Dexterity, Charisma, and Darkvision. I prefer the Wood Half-elf because of more Charisma points than Dexterity as it has more potential.

Best Sorcerer Subclass

Out of the three mentioned Subclasses, the Draconic Bloodline and Wild Magic are the preferred ones due to better stats and support in offensive play. 

Draconic Bloodline

This is a potential subclass pick due to the dragon magic Sorcerers get. Players will improve their defense as they become resistant to any damage from their ancestral line. Moreover, the Draconic Resilience trait increases your health pool and improves AC to 13 which increases your armor points. 

At level six, Draconic Ancestry deals more damage to nearby enemies while minimizing your damage intake. Moreover, you can choose your Dragon Ancestor that adds a dragon spell to your set. Choosing the Green Draconic Ancestry is the suggested choice.

With the Green Ancestry, you get a Burning spell that implies fire on closer enemies when used. Moreover, you will get a Ray of Sickness, a ranged spell that poisons your enemies before they get close.

Wild Magic

With Wild Magic, Sorcerers can cast dangerous spells that can turn the tide of battle on the field. However, these spells can turn against you as well which depends on the random outcome. One positive result can be that the magic creates your duplicate on the field that tricks your enemies into attacking the pseudo image which you flank and kill them.

For a bad outcome, Sorcerers can poison their allies, which can hurt their health. Tides of Chaos associates with this subclass and increases the chance of applying Wild Magic. Note that there will be a cooldown period you must pass before reusing the Tides of Chaos. 

With the Wild Magic subclass, you can deal significant damage to your enemies, with chances of taking them out in a single blow. However, the randomness is a huge drawback as your allies can be in danger when using Wild Magic. Therefore, I usually prioritize the Draconic Bloodline subclass.

Ability Points Distribution

Every Class has been assigned a certain amount of Ability Points that they can contribute to different class attributes. For Sorcerers, we have Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Like before, Charisma is essential for this build, so I will give it the highest points.

Note that Dexterity and Constitution are also crucial, therefore, I keep them a high priority as well. Refer to the table below to understand how I recommend you to assign these ability points.

Attributes	Ability Points
Strength	8
Dexterity	16
Constitution	14
Intelligence	10
Wisdom	12
Charisma	16

Ability Points Table.

Best Spells

Spells and Cantrips are the essential choices in a build as they vary in the early and late game. Cantrips are the easiest spells players can apply. Furthermore, players must choose the spells that contribute to Constitution and Dexterity attributes as they are most important between Sorcerers.

Early Game

In the initial levels, players must select:

• Chromatic Orb: Players can give elemental damage to eliminate their enemies in the earlier parts of their gameplay
• Magic Missile: This skill allows players to damage three independent targets at a time. This is useful for clearing a crowded area so you can create more space for movement.

For the Cantrips choice, pick:

• Acid Splash: Give Acid damage to your enemies that have AOE giving explosive damage upon landing.
• Ray of Frost: Give Cold damage to the opponents and slow them down to restrict any sudden attacks.
• Chill Touch: Give Necrotic damage so the opponents are unable to restore their health bar during combat.
• Fire Bolt: Deal Fire damage to your enemies and create a burning AOE to wipe out groups of wild creatures.

The above choices are for Level 1 to Level 3 Sorcerers as they choose two spells and four Cantrips. Note that you can choose from a bigger skill set on higher levels when introducing Metamagic.

Late Game

If you wish to learn more spells, Scorching Ray is a great option as it deals fire damage from a distance and targets multiple enemies. Players can use this powerful spell to experiment on any boss they face with a larger health pool. 

Additionally, when you move to the late game, you will get more spell and Cantrip slots. In there, pick the Shocking Grasp Cantrip, which deals lightning melee damage to your enemies and they can’t counter it while being in shock. 

For the spell options at level four or above, players can choose:

• Misty Step: Use this spell if you wish to move to a new position, allowing you to have a better visual on your enemies.
• Hold Person: Paralyze your enemies by casting this spell, so you can move past them or use any other offensive spell to drain their health.
• Mirror Image: Cast this spell to create your duplicates on the field to trick your opponent.

Refer to the table below to check the summary of all essential spells.

Spells	Chromatic Orb	Magic Missile	Misty Step	Hold Person	Mirror Image
Description	Deals thunder damage under sphere AOE	Gives Force Damage through darts	Teleport to a new area for visual	Enemies are frozen and can’t perform any act	Your character replicated three times so the enemy is confused
Level	1	1	2	2	2
School	Evocation	Evocation	Conjuration	Enchantment	Illusion
Casting Time	Action	Action	Bonus Action	Action	Action
Range	18m	18m	18m	18m	–
Duration	–	–	–	10	10
Concentration	No	No	No	Yes	No

My Sorcerer Spells Table.

Best Weapons And Equipment

Armor

Armor is important to introduce the element of tankiness in Sorcerers as they can absorb any incoming damage without draining their health. 

The sorcerer class is not an expert in armor selection. Therefore, keeping the Sorcerer Robe is optimal, which is the default armor. Note that I picked the Draconic Bloodline subclass previously so that our AC is enhanced. This feature can support the default armor choice and I don’t need to pick any new armor.

Accessories

Choosing the correct accessories will let you deal more damage in battles or support your magic spells by increasing range or AOE. In the Accessory slots, I suggest you keep:

• Absolute’s Talisman: This amulet will restore your health when it is initially low. Note that you must deal damage if you wish for it to happen. Get it from Shattered Sanctum.
• The Sapphire Sparks: You get additional Psychic Damage when casting a Magic Missile spell. Find it in Ebonlake Grotto.
• Ring of Colour Spray: Equip the ring to provide you with additional Colour Spray spells, blinding any point-blank enemies to counter their attacks. Players can collect the ring from Secluded Grove.

If you want to experiment with additional accessories, go with:

• The Amulet of Lost Voices: Grants you an additional necromancy spell, which is level 3.
• Poisoner’s Robe Armour: If you cast any poison damage-dealing spell, it will deal higher damage with this accessory equipped.

Weapons

As it says in the Sorcerer class description, they are experienced with weapons like Daggers and Crossbows. Hence, choosing any weapon with these features can be a good combination with a Sorcerer. 

An optimal weapon for offensive play can be the Staff of Crones Quarterstaff. It comes with the Ray of Sickness spells to target the ranged enemies. The table below mentions some weapons you can experiment with in your own gameplay.

Weapon	Damage	Proficiency	Kind	Type	Range	Qualities	Skills
Dagger	1d4 Piercing	Simple	Common	Melee	1.5m	Light, Finesse, Thrown	Piercing Strike
Ritual Dagger	1d4 Piercing	Simple	Uncommon	Melee	1.5m	Light, Finesse, Thrown	Blood Sacrifice, Piercing Strike
Sussur Dagger	1d4+1 Piercing	Simple	Uncommon	Melee	1.5m	Light, Finesse, Thrown	Weapon Enchantment, Piercing Strike
Hand Crossbow	1d6 Slashing	Martial	Common	Ranged	15m	Light	Piercing Shot, Mobile Shot
Firestroker	1d6 Piercing	Martial	Common	Ranged	15m	Light	Piercing Shot, Mobile Shot, Burned Alive
Heavy Crossbow	1d10+1 Piercing	Martial	Uncommon	Ranged	18m	Double Handed	Weapon Enchantment, Piercing Shot, Brace
Githyanki Crossbow	1d10+1d4 Psychic	Martial	Uncommon	Ranged	18m	Double Handed	Piercing Shot, Brace, Psychic Vengeance
Quarterstaff	1d6 Bludgeoning	Simple	Common	Melee	1.5m	Versatile	Topple

Sorcerer Weapons Recommendation.

What Are My Recommendations?

Sorcerer is a powerhouse for spellcasting with a unique ability distribution to pursue an ideal playthrough. Plus, I tested the build to its potential and found out it goes hand in hand with all types of playthroughs. Since I mostly play with ranged-focused characters, I was surprised by how easy it is to learn and progress a Sorcerer playthrough. 

Just make sure to add the Staff of Crones for a ranged attack and distribute damage across crowds. With these recommendations, you surely won’t be missing out on any opportunity to maximize the performance of your character.

You can check out more of our builds for Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Baldur’s Gate 3 Best Paladin Build.
• Baldur’s Gate 3 BEST Druid Race & Builds.
• Baldur’s Gate 3 BEST Assassin Build.
• Baldur’s Gate 3 BEST Astarion Build.
• Baldur’s Gate 3 BEST Karlach Build.