Highlights
- Choosing a subclass is crucial for Sorcerers in Baldur's Gate 3 as it determines their magic effects, resistances, and backstory, influencing their gameplay mechanics.
- Sorcerers have three subclasses to choose from, each offering different advantages and abilities.
- Sorcerers have diverse backgrounds and unique role-playing opportunities, with innate magic abilities and the potential for uncontrolled but powerful magic, making them an intriguing class option.
Choosing a class in Baldur's Gate 3 is an important part of the character creation process and the Sorcerer is one of the most popular choices for players. Unlike Wizards whose power comes from knowledge, Sorcerers are natural spellcasters whose power is innate. The source of a Sorcerer's magic is from either a bloodline or a magical gift, and this gives them some advantages over their fellow spellcasting brethren. Sorcerer subclasses serve as the background to their bloodline, and the source of their magic.
Sorcerers in Baldur's Gate 3 must choose a subclass at character creation. This choice is essential for different gameplay mechanics that range from random magic effects to various resistances and informs the Sorcerer's backstory, their attitude towards their magic, and possibly how they behave on the battlefield. Different bloodline subclasses give different effects to Sorcerers, but most of these effects serve as offensive magic, which could serve or hinder the party.
Why a Sorcerer's Bloodline in Baldur's Gate 3 Informs Their Abilities
Sorcerers have three subclasses to choose from that inform their bloodline:
- Wild Magic: Magic has a chance to surge with a random effect every time a Level 1 or higher spell is cast. Also Grants Tides of Chaos ability, which gives Advantage on next Attack Roll, Ability Check, or Saving Throw, and increases chances of magic surge.
- Draconic Bloodline: Maximum Hit Points are increased by 1 point per Sorcerer level, the Sorcerer's skin is partially covered by dragon scales and their Base Armor Class is increased to 3 when they're not wearing armor. The color of dragon chosen dictates the species of dragon and element to which they are attuned.
- Storm Sorcerer: Related to harnessing lightning and elemental magic, but more information will be available at launch.
The Draconic Bloodline subclass offers a massive variety of elemental specializations and resistances, where the Sorcerer will learn an additional spell at Level 1, then resistance to an element and boost to damage dealt in that element at Level 6:
- Red (Fire)
- Black (Acid)
- Blue (Lightning)
- White (Cold)
- Green (Poison)
- Gold (Fire)
- Silver (Cold)
- Bronze (Lightning)
- Copper (Acid)
- Brass (Fire)
Sorcerers Have Diverse Backgrounds and Unique Role-Playing Opportunities
While it may seem like there aren't many reasons to play a Sorcerer over other spellcasting classes such as the Wizard, there are plenty of story and roleplaying reasons to do so; Sorcerers are one of the most powerful classes in Baldur's Gate 3 in terms of attack power, and that they derive their power from an innate ability rather than having to learn it is powerful for storytelling. The Wild Magic subclass also does a great job at adding to a Sorcerer's background with powerful but uncontrolled magic that damages foe and ally alike, creating the potential for a character who's incredibly powerful but finds it difficult to control their magical talent.
Another advantage of the Sorcerer is their Charisma proficiency, which makes them more savvy than your average Wizard. They get four Cantrips at Level Four and need to prepare spells before they can cast them. The biggest gameplay advantage Sorcerers have is Metamagic. By spending Sorcery Points to augment their spells, the Sorcerer can turn failures into successes.
- Metamagic: Careful Spell – Allies automatically succeed in saving throws against spells that require them. Costs 1 Sorcery Point.
- Metamagic: Distant Spell – +50% to the range of spells. Melee spells have an increased range of 9m. Costs 1 Sorcery Point.
- Metamagic: Extended Spell – Doubles the duration of effects, summons, and surfaces caused by spells. Costs 1 Sorcery Point.
- Metamagic: Twinned Spell – Spells that can only be cast on a single target can now target another creature. Costs 1 Sorcery Point.
Baldur's Gate 3 launches on the 3rd of August 2023 for PC and Mac, and on the 6th of September 2023 for PS5.