The Wizard is a tricky choice to multiclass inBaldur’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 inBaldur’s Gate 3that rely on one or two low-level dips into other classes to enhance their abilities.
One of these builds is the Agathys Abjurer, whichcombines the Abjuration Wizard subclass with the Armor of Agathys spellfromthe 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 Agathysprovides 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.
The Agathys Abjurer - Levels 1-6
Despite remaining a Wizard for almost all of their 12 levels, the Agathys Abjurer actually benefits fromstarting 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 topass 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 Scorefor 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 thatpicks up Heavy Armorfrom 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 asa Tempest Clericin 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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The Agathys Abjurer - Levels 7-12
Players should continueprioritizing the few Abjuration spellsonthe Wizard spell listas 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 andGlyph of Wardingcan 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, whichrestores 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.
Baldur’s Gate 3is out now on PC, PS4, and Xbox Series X/S.
