Baldur’s Gate 3 Sorcerer Vs Wizard: Which Is Better

Both Sorcerer and Wizard are spellcasting classes but they come with their dissimilarities. Sorcerer vs. Wizard is a crucial topic that involves discussion on spellcasting, ability scores, and much more. This guide will list all the differences of Sorcerers and Wizards to help you pick a class.

Comparison Table

We will explain the Sorcerer and Wizard classes separately, then move towards their differences to conclude which is better. Let’s dive right into it!

Class	Sorcerer	Wizard
Hit Points [Level 1]	Constitution Modifier + 6	Constitution Modifier + 6
Hit Points [Higher Level]	Constitution Modifier + 4	Constitution Modifier + 4
Weapons	Daggers, Quarterstaffs, Crossbows	Daggers, Quarterstaves, Crossbows
Saving Throws	Charisma, Constitution	Wisdom, Intelligence
Skills	Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, Religion	Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Religion
Clothing	Sorcerer Robe, Simple Boots	Simple Robe, Simple Boots
Equipment	Health Potion, Scroll of Revivify	Health Potion, Scroll of Revivify
Unique Class Feature	Sorcery Points	Arcane Recovery

Sorcerer Class Explained

The Sorcerer Class is a spellcasting class with ancestral ties to magic expertise. Charisma is their primary ability score, essential for enhancing negotiation skills and unlocking special dialogues. Sorcerers can choose from three subclasses, with Draconic Bloodline being popular.

At Level 1, Sorcerers select four Cantrips and two Spells, with access to more potent spells as they level up. Their unique feature, Metamagic, allows customization of magic abilities for increased damage, range, or avoidance of friendly fire.

In combat, Sorcerers wield Quarterstaffs, Daggers, and Crossbows, benefiting from enhanced damage and accuracy. This advantage contributes to the sorcerer vs. wizard debate.

Pros

Here are the pros of choosing the Sorcerer class:

1. Spontaneous Casting: They can cast spells on the fly, but their spell options are more limited compared to Wizards.
2. Metamagic: As they advance, they unlock Metamagic, which lets them enhance spells, like extending range or affecting multiple targets.
3. Unique Dialogue: They have special dialogue choices influenced by Charisma, useful for negotiations and discounts.
4. High Damage: Sorcerers deal substantial damage per hit, making them formidable in combat.

Sorcerer subclasses offer unique mechanics:

• Wild Magic: Empowers random magical effects, introducing unpredictability to battles.
• Draconic Bloodline: Enhances defense and resistance, improving survivability in combat.

Cons

Here are the Cons of choosing the Sorcerer class.

• Spell Limitation:
  • Sorcerers lack the ability to learn a wide variety of spells.
  • Limits access to late-game, powerful spells, potentially putting them at a disadvantage.
• Utility Usage:
  • Sorcerers may excel in damage dealing but have limited utility in spellcasting.
  • Baldur’s Gate 3 gameplay mechanics emphasize the importance of utility spells.
• Armor and Survivability:
  • Sorcerers wear moderate armor with lower resistance to strong attacks.
  • Inexperience with heavy armor increases the risk of early death and reduces survivability.

Wizard Class Explained

Compared to Sorcerers, Wizard is an advanced spellcasting class that plans the strategies themselves and thinks on a long-term basis. Players must learn their spells from the magic book before they are allowed to cast them. 

Wizards have greater utility usage with fewer spells at a time, which allows them to focus on one spell and master it, rather than using all spells in a single go. Moreover, they possess extended knowledge about spellcasting and magic through their book studies, due to which planning strategies become handy.

The Ability Score for Wizard is Intelligence, which makes their spells more effective in combat. Investing your Ability Points to Intelligence will make you powerful and better than other spellcasting classes. Moreover, Wizards have eight subclasses from which they can choose to relate with.

Unlike Sorcerers, Wizards usually stay out of the battlefield and control their combat from a distance. Their spells are effective at long range, which allows the Wizard to not interfere in combat directly. Furthermore, using Arcane Recovery will make them flexible as they can recover their spell slots after intense combat.

Although Wizards can use any type of weapon, they are experts with Daggers, Quarterstaves, Darts, and Crossbows. These are ranged weapons, helping them to deal damage from large ranges.

An Interesting Read: Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Paladin Build

Pros

Here are the advantages of choosing the Wizard class:

Abundant Spell Options: Wizards have a wide range of spell options available in books and scrolls. Focusing on these spells can help you overcome challenging opponents in intense battles.

School Focus: Wizards can specialize in a Magic School of their choice. This direct connection enhances their spells and provides stat buffs. School Focus adds versatility to gameplay and makes Wizards more formidable on the battlefield.

Intelligence: Intelligence is a crucial ability score for Wizards. It not only aids in spell casting but also increases their knowledge, helping them solve puzzles and tackle challenging tasks in the game.

Strategic Dominance: In normal circumstances, Wizards excel at dominating opponents with spells while staying at a distance from the battlefield. They strategize and assist allies while controlling enemy movements.

Ritual Casting: Wizards have access to spells that don’t consume spell slots but remain active during combat. This is known as Ritual Casting and extends their utility, giving them an advantage over Sorcerers in this aspect.

Cons

Here are the Cons of choosing the Wizard class.

The Wizard class comes with several drawbacks:

Spell Preparation Requirement: Wizards must prepare their spells in advance by studying from books and scrolls and planning strategies. This preparation process can be time-consuming and puts them at a disadvantage compared to Sorcerers, who can cast spells spontaneously.

Party Reliance: Wizards are more effective when part of a group with allies. They typically wear light armor with minimal resistance, making them vulnerable. Their reliance on prepared spells also means they benefit from having a party member to provide support.

Limited Weapon Proficiency: Wizards are not proficient in many weapons and have fewer hit points. Relying on melee combat is not advisable for Wizards, as it won’t help them survive.

Complexity: Wizards have a large spell set and the spell preparation mechanic, making the class complex. It requires players to gather knowledge about every spell without casting them, which can be challenging for new players.

Focused Ability Score: Intelligence is the primary Ability Score for Wizards. While it aids in spellcasting, it doesn’t provide benefits in situations where other scores like Charisma are needed for successful conversations or interactions. Wizards are primarily focused on spellcasting, which limits their versatility in non-magical aspects.

Who Should You Pick?

Choosing between Sorcerers and Wizards depends on your preferred playstyle and the stage of the game:

1. Early Game: Sorcerers shine in the early game as they unlock Metamagic and don’t need to prepare spells. With fewer spell slots initially, it’s easier to manage, and you can customize spells with Metamagic for effective combat.
2. Late Game: Wizards become more potent in the late game due to their extensive spellcasting abilities and the Arcane Recovery feature, which lets them recover spell slots quickly. As you progress and learn spells from scrolls and books, Wizards gain power and versatility, dominating the battlefield without direct combat.

Your choice should align with your experience and preference. New players may find Sorcerers more accessible in the early game, while experienced players might prefer Wizards for their long-term potential and versatility.

Here, our Sorcerer vs. Wizard discussion comes to an end. We hope that you were able to come to a concrete decision. This can be a difficult pick, but it will help you become a knowledgeable player who knows how to make the right choices. Leave feedback for us in the comments down below if you found this guide helpful. 

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