Wizards in Baldur’s Gate 3 each tune magic differently. I’ve played them, tested builds, and watched groups fall apart because a mage picked the wrong school. Here I describe each school plainly, say what I’d pick and why, and give tips that actually work (depends on your niche).
School of Evocation: Big, loud, satisfying 🔥
Evokers cause raw damage. Sculpt Spells at level 2 lets you aim explosions around friends. At level 10 you get Empowered Evocation (add INT to damage); at 14 you get Overchannel to push spells to maximum damage. Short story: you hit hard and clear mobs fast.
Pro tip: use terrain. Cast Grease then set it on fire with Fire Bolt for extra chaos. Want to wipe a pack in one turn? Aim for choke points.
| Ability | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Sculpt Spells | 2 | Protect allies from AoE |
| Empowered Evocation | 10 | Add INT to evocation damage |
| Overchannel | 14 | Max damage (risky) |
// Example: target a Fireball into a corridor, sculpt allies out.
// Works best with crowd control from allies first.
Abjuration: The defensive caster 🛡️
Arcane Ward creates a shield that soaks hits. Improved Abjuration at level 10 makes Counterspell and Dispel Magic sharper. I’ve noticed Abjurers let the party play aggressively because the wizard soaks hits and shuts down enemy mages.
They’re my go-to for harder runs (Honor Mode players, listen up!). Caveat: this doesn’t always work if your party lacks damage—being hard to kill isn’t the same as winning quickly.
Key spells:
- Shield
- Counterspell
- Banishment
- Globe of Invulnerability
Divination: Control the dice 🎲
Portent gives you two d20 rolls per long rest that you can swap into any attack, save, or ability check. Want to stop a boss from casting? Drop a low Portent. Need a critical? Save the high roll for a clutch moment. I’ve used a 19 to secure a party-stealing crit—felt like cheating (honestly).
Expert Divination at level 6 refunds resources when you cast divination spells, giving more uptime. This school literally changes outcomes—do you like certainty or drama?
Tip: save one Portent for saves against control effects. It wins fights.
Controversial? Some players say Divination is boring because it removes chance. I disagree—watch this: the right Portent at the right second can feel more epic than any meteor.
Necromancy: Sustainable, a little grim 💀
Grim Harvest heals you when you kill with a necromancy spell. At level 6 Undead Thralls boosts your minions; at 14 you get resistance to necrotic damage. In my experience a necromancer becomes a tiny army and a steady healer rolled into one.
Warning: townspeople and many NPCs hate summoned undead. Use restraint if reputation matters (there are exceptions).
- False Life — short buffer
- Animate Dead — your minions
- Vampiric Touch — damage + heal
Enchantment: Puppeteer of minds ✨
Hypnotic Gaze gives a non-spell control option. Split Enchantment at level 10 can double the targets of single-target charms. That economy of slots changes fights: two stunned foes cost the same as one. By the way, this is brilliant against humanoid-heavy encounters.
Still, Enchantment is situational. It shines in social-heavy campaigns. Surprisingly, it’s sometimes the least consistent in random dungeons—if you prefer reliable damage, you’ll be annoyed. Also, some folks call it the “cheat” school—controversial, yep.
| Strategy | Targets | When to pick |
|---|---|---|
| Charm | Humanoids | Roleplay & social |
| Sleep/Hypnotic | Low HP groups | Early fights |
Transmutation: Practical and flexible ⚗️
Transmuters get a Transmuter’s Stone that offers swap-in buffs at each long rest (darkvision, speed, advantage on Con saves for concentration, resistance to a damage type). Experimental Alchemy makes extra potions during long rests—free items are underrated. At higher levels you can polymorph yourself once per long rest without a slot (huge emergency button).
This school is like a Swiss Army knife—useful in most fights but not the best at any single thing. I’ll say something odd: having options sometimes complicates choices; less is more, sometimes.
Short ranking (my call)
- Divination — best at clutch control
- Evocation — fastest damage
- Abjuration — survival and anti-magic
- Necromancy — sustain and minions
- Transmutation — utility and flexibility
- Enchantment — powerful but situational
Why pick one over another? Because each school changes how you solve problems. If you want clear examples: shut down a spellcaster? Pick Abjuration. Clear waves fast? Evocation. Need certainty? Divination.
“Play the school that answers your party’s weakest point.”
Quick code-like example of Portent use (for clarity):
// Rolled: 3 and 18 during long rest
// Enemy save incoming: substitute 3 to force fail
// Rogue attack: substitute 18 to guarantee big hit
Final notes (updated 2025-07-01): this advice reflects patch behavior and what we found in live play. There are exceptions, balance patches, and personal tastes. Honestly, I’ll pick Divination most runs, but sometimes I just want to lob Fireballs and be loud. You? Choose what’s fun—your game, your rules.
One last thought: a wizard is less a tool and more like a switchboard operator—flip the right switches and the whole show runs. Or it explodes. Either way, fun.
