Screenshot by PC Invasion
The Sorcerer in Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most powerful in the game, and you can customize it by choosing from one of three lethal subclasses. Here is our ranking of the best Sorcerer subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Note: If you would like additional help on this topic, also refer to our guide outlining the best Sorcerer spells and cantrips.
Baldur’s Gate 3 – best Sorcerer subclasses, ranked
When you choose a Sorcerer, you immediately receive several powerful cantrips of your choosing, along with a couple of spells. You also get to choose a subclass, which will define how your adventure progresses. Take a moment to consider how you want to play, and then select the Sorcerer subclass that fits that style.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
1. Draconic Bloodline (Best)
The Draconic Bloodline subclass harks back to your bloodline, which apparently includes a powerful dragon. This heritage manifests as Draconic Resilience: Hit Points and Draconic Resilience. The first of those increases your hit point maximum by one for every Sorcerer level. The latter produces a base Armour Class of 13 when you haven’t equipped other armor.
Draconic Bloodline is the safe choice for a player who doesn’t want to have to think too much about what they’re doing. After you choose the Draconic Bloodline subclass, you get to select the color of your dragon roots. Below is a list of the available options, with the corresponding elemental affinity included in parentheses and the corresponding spell listed next:
- Red (Fire) – Burning Hands
- Black (Acid) – Grease
- Blue (Lightning) – Witch Bolt
- White (Cold) – Armor of Agathys
- Green (Poison) – Ray of Sickness
- Gold (Fire) – Disguise Self
- Silver (Cold) – Feather Fall
- Bronze (Lightning) – Fog Cloud
- Copper (Acid) – Tasha’s Hideous Laughter
- Brass (Fire) – Sleep
Some of those spells could come in very handy indeed. By default, the game will choose a color for you, but you should change to the one you most like on the next screen. Then you can decide how visible those scales should be on your character’s face.
2. Storm Sorcery (Good)
The Storm Sorcery subclass taps into powerful Wind magic. You gain the ability to Fly (as a bonus action) through the end of your turn after casting a spell. You also don’t have to worry about receiving Opportunity Attacks while you’re airborne, through the end of your turn.
For me, one of the less exciting parts of combat in the game is how limited your movement tends to be. The Storm Sorcery subclass counters that limitation quite nicely. You miss out on defensive boosts and on unpredictable (but sometimes thrilling) magic, but that may be a price you find acceptable.
3. Wild Magic (Okay)
The Wild Magic subclass is the least predictable of the three options. For that reason, I tend not to trust it. The subclass adds Tides of Chaos, which gives you an advantage on your next roll and may also produce a surge of magic after the fact. Wild Magic sometimes triggers a magical effect when you cast a spell.
A lot of the possible effects will work in your party’s favor. There’s no guarantee that will be the case, however. You might instead produce an effect that makes a battle more difficult. This can be a lot of fun, but it might not be the best choice if combat gives you fits on the regular.
We’ve ranked the subclasses above, but there’s really no wrong choice for your Sorcerer. Choose the subclass that suits your style of play. And if you change your mind, check our guide on how to respec your characters with a little help from Withers.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is available on Steam.
