Best BG3 Gale Build Guide – Maximum Spell Power!
Welcome to the Best BG3 Gale Build. In this build guide, we will explain how to create a powerful wizard with Gale, either with Gale as your origin character or as a recruited companion.
For this BG3 Gale Build, we’ll be using the Wizard’s Evocation School subclass. Evocation School Wizards can create pockets of safety within their Evocation spells, meaning that allies will automatically succeed their Saving Throws from the effects of these Spells and take no damage. At high levels, their evocation spells become supremely powerful, and they deal unmatched damage to enemies.
Please visit our Best BG3 Builds overview page for more builds or check out our Best BG3 Wizard Build, BG3 Necromancer Build or the optimized companion BG3 Gale Build. To get an overview of all classes please visit the BG3 Classes overview page.
The BG3 Gale Build works for both PC and Console (PS5 and XBOX Series X/S).
Table of Contents for the BG3 Gale Build:
- Introduction to the Gale Build
- Gale Build Leveling Progression
- Gale Build Equipment
- Gale Build Extras
BG3 Gale Wizard Class Guide
The Wizard is the master of spellcasting in Baldur’s Gate 3, able to use a far wider variety of magic than any other class. Their mastery over the arcane is unparalleled.
Wizards can restore some of their Spell Slots without needing to camp (out of combat). However, a good Wizard player must be careful with positioning, as the class typically has a low Armour Class and can be quickly downed if left to the mercy of a strong melee fighter. You should always try to be on the lookout for good positions in combat, and this is even more important with squishy classes like the Wizard that excel at range.
The Wizard is unique in its ability to learn scrolls outside of the character creation or level up menus – if you have a Scroll with a spell that you don’t know, your wizard can learn the spell from the scroll, for a gold fee. The potentially huge number of spells your Wizard can learn makes them extremely versatile and flexible, however you are limited by how many spells you can prepare at once. Sometimes you may want to change your Prepared spells depending on a certain situation, but this can only be done outside of combat.
Wizards cannot wear armour and lack Proficiency with the vast majority of weapons in the game. While it is possible to change this situation by choosing a certain Race and various Feats, in this guide we’ll be focusing on the more traditional wizard, wearing robes, wielding a staff and relying on his or her magical prowess and intelligence to get by. Therefore the Mage Armour spell will be important from the beginning of the game, to bring your defensive abilities more in line with lightly armoured characters. Make sure to cast this, along with any other long-lasting defensive buffs you might acquire, after every Long Rest.
Why We’re Using the Evocation School Subclass
The Evocation School Wizard is one of the best subclass choices for raw damage output. Their Evocation AOE Spells can be safely cast on allies without damaging or debuffing them, which gives you more flexibility when aiming these spells.
At higher levels, enemies will be unable to completely resist your Cantrips, still taking half of the damage even if they succeed a Saving Throw against them. At Level 10, your Intelligence modifier is added to all Damage Rolls with Evocation Spells, too. By this stage of the game, this will mean at least 5 bonus damage on every Evocation Spell, something which is especially powerful since some of the best damage spells in the game are in the Evocation School.
In short, if you just want your Wizard to be focused on having the highest possible damage output, the Evocation School is a great choice.
How to unlock Gale in BG3
Unlocking Gale is very easy and you can almost immediately do it at the start of the game after you crash with the ship.
To recruit Gale, find the strange purple portal at the Roadside Cliffs and interact with it. This will trigger the dialogue where you can meet and befriend him. This is located directly north-west of where you start after escaping the Nautiloid.
Why (and How to) Respec Gale in BG3
When recruited to your party as a companion, Gale will start off with a sub-optimal Ability and Skill distribution, and I highly recommend fixing this as soon as possible. To do this, you need to respec Gale. Before you can respec, you must find Withers, a special NPC who is recruited to your camp. (If you chose Gale in Character Creation then you can set his Abilities and Skills immediately and don’t need to respec him, but you should still go and recruit Withers anyway).
To find Withers, recruit a full party, then head to the Refectory Ruins, roughly north of where you washed up on the beach. Enter the ruins either by brute force, stealth or sweet-talking the bandits outside. Then fight your way through and find the Skull Lever to open the secret door to gain access to the Dank Crypt. If you can’t find the Skull Lever, you can instead go back outside and head to the side-entrance mentioned above. You’ll need to Lockpick your way through if you go this way.
Once inside the Dank Crypt, head to the room with the skeletons and open a second secret door. This will cause several skeletons to attack you. Defeat them and head into the small room you opened. Interact with the big coffin, and you will meet a friendly but mysterious skeleton called Withers. After you leave the Dank Crypt, he will make his way to your camp. If he’s not there immediately, be patient, he will show up sooner or later.
Once he is in your camp, speak to him as Gale and ask him to change your class. This costs 100 gold. Then proceed with the build guide below, starting at Level 1 and working your way through any level-ups you did while finding Withers.
BG3 Gale Build Starting Point (Level 1)
In this section, we will explain the ideal starting point for Gale. Please note that some parts of this section (most notably the Ability point distribution) will be slightly different to what is recommended here if you recruit Gale as a companion. You can fix this by visiting Withers with Gale selected and asking to change your class. This will allow you to fully customise Gale’s class, skills and abilities in the same way as your origin character.
Race
Gale is a Human, a race which is not especially well-suited to magical pursuits. But there is no way to change Gale’s race without modding the game, and the racial differences in Baldur’s Gate 3 are quite minor anyhow, so it’s not a big deal.
Gale gets the following bonuses from being a Human:
- Civil Militia – Grants Proficiency with Pikes, Spears, Halberds, Glaives, Shields and Light Armour.
- Human Versatility – Your Carrying Capacity is increased by 25%, and you can choose an additional skill to be Proficient with.
Abilities
Intelligence is the most important ability for the Gale build, as it’s the attribute used for Spellcasting. The higher your Intelligence score, the more likely your spells are to successfully hit your target. The second most important attribute is Dexterity, used mainly to improve your Armour Class. This is particularly important, since the Wizard has no Armour Proficiency and relies on Dexterity to protect themselves. Thirdly, it’s important to have some points in Constitution, which will increase your Maximum Hitpoints and improve your chances of succeeding at Concentration Checks (continuing to channel the effects of an ongoing Concentration Spell after you take damage).
With all of this in mind, we recommend an ability spread something like this:
- 8 Strength
- 16 Dexterity
- 14 Constitution
- 16 Intelligence
- 10 Wisdom
- 10 Charisma
Cantrips
The BG3 Gale build can choose three Cantrips to start the game with. Cantrips are basic spells that do not consume a spell slot when cast, effectively meaning you can cast them as often as you like without limitations.
We recommend choosing the following Cantrips to start the game with:
- Fire Bolt – Hurl a mote of Fire, dealing 1-10 Fire Damage. Use this as your main damage Cantrip.
- Bone Chill – The target takes 1-8 Necrotic Damage. If hit, they receive Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and cannot be healed for 1 turn.
- Acid Splash – Hurl a bubble of Acid that deals 1-6 Acid Damage. This has a small AOE, so it’s good to use when there are multiple enemies in a tight space.
Spells
The Wizard Class lets you learn 6 Spells in Character Creation, but only prepare 4 of them. This can cause a bit of confusion for new players – it’s important to note that you’ll only be able to select Prepared Spells from your 6 chosen Learned Spells, and only the Prepared Spells can actually be used.
Fortunately, the Wizard can open their Spells menu and freely prepare and unprepare Spells (from their learned spells list) as long as they are not in combat, so if you don’t like a spell that you prepared when levelling up, then you don’t need to respec, you can just swap it for something else.
With that in mind, we recommend Learning the following spells:
- Mage Armour – This is absolutely vital for the Wizard Class, since you have no Proficiency with normal Armour and have to settle for wearing Clothing. Mage Armour will improve your Armour Class to a total of (13 + Dexterity Modifier), allowing you to be more or less on par with other classes defensively. When cast, the Spell will last until your next Long Rest, so remember to cast it after every Long Rest before entering combat.
- Magic Missile – Shoot three projectiles at a target, each one dealing 2-5 Force Damage. In total this spell deals 6-15 damage, so it’s guaranteed to hit for at least a somewhat decent amount, and if you get a high Damage Roll then its damage is not too shabby for an early game spell. The missiles will always hit their target, so this is a great way to guarantee some damage to an enemy.
- Thunderwave – Arguably the best First Level damage Spell in the game, Thunderwave deals 2-16 damage to all enemies in front of you and also sends them flying backwards. You can use this to knock enemies off ledges or cliffs for extra fall damage, or potentially even 1 shotting them.
- Witch Bolt – Link yourself to an enemy with an arc of Lightning. The Lightning does 1-12 damage to the enemy, and can be activated again for more damage each turn as long as you maintain your Concentration.
- Sleep – A good early-game control spell that puts enemies into a magical slumber. The great thing about this spell is that it cannot be blocked with a Saving Throw. However it only works on enemies who have less than 25 HP. Later on, you can increase the HP limit by upcasting the spell.
- Grease – An easy to overlook Spell, it creates an 8 metre wide AOE of Grease, slowing down enemies and potentially knocking them Prone when they try to move through it. Good for controlling groups of enemies to slow them down or stop them from attacking for a turn. Beware that if the caster loses Concentration, the grease will disappear, so try to keep them safe from damage.
We won’t tell you which of the learned spells to prepare at each level because you should ideally be changing this based on your party composition, playstyle and other variables. Keep trying different spells in different situations, and try to scout ahead and examine enemies before engaging in combat to see what their strengths and weaknesses might be – this can help you to decide which spells to prepare for the upcoming fight. In general, it’s best to have a mixture of damage spells, personal protection/mobility spells, and debuffs or crowd control spells to slow enemies down or make them weaker to your party’s attacks.
Skills & Background
Gale is locked into the Sage Background, which gives Skill Proficiency in History and Arcana, both a good fit for him because they are Intelligence-based Skills.
You get to make three more Skill Proficiency selections, two from your Wizard class and one from being a human. I recommend choosing the following skills:
- Acrobatics (DEX) – This is the Skill you should choose for your human skill pick. It will help Gale to resist being pushed and shoved by enemies, and it’s a good fit for this Gale build because we’re building with high Dexterity.
- Investigation (INT) – Investigation is a perfect fit for Gale because it’s an Intelligence-based skill. It will help Gale to identify clues in certain situations, and this can help your party to solve mysteries that you may encounter.
- Religion (INT) – Another skill that’s well-suited for Gale due to being Intelligence-based. Religion checks occur during exploration when your party encounters a religious icon or rite, and rolling successfully may provide a clue, extra dialogue or help you to obtain extra loot.
Arcane Recovery
Before continuing, we must also point out that Arcane Recovery is a unique Wizard ability. Arcane Recovery allows you to replenish some of your Spell Slots outside of combat. To begin with, you can only do this once per Long Rest, but this lets you cast more Spells before you need to have a Long Rest than other classes can manage.
Early-Game Step-by-Step Leveling Guide – Gale BG3 Build
In this section we will guide you through each level-up for Gale in BG3. Feel free to bookmark the page and return when you level up, if you want to gradually create the build with a new playthrough. We’ll start with the early-game levelling, from levels 2-4.
Level 2 – Select your Subclass for the BG3 Gale Build
At Level 2 you need to choose your Subclass for Gale. The Wizard has a total of 8 different subclasses (Abjuration, Evocation, Necromancy, Conjuration, Enchantment, Divination, Illusion, Transmutation). For this build we’ll be going with the Evocation School, which allows you to learn spells from Evocation Scrolls for half of the gold cost, and prevents your own Evocation Spells from harming your allies. Evocation spells focus elemental energy into powerful attacks and enchantments.
You can learn two more Spells here. We recommend:
- Feather Fall – Casting Feather Fall allows your party to fall from great height without taking any damage. Great for taking shortcuts and reaching otherwise inaccessible areas.
- Enhance Leap – Cast on yourself or an ally to greatly increase their jumping distance. This is a precursor to flying that allows you to jump across large gaps to reach otherwise hidden secrets.
Level 3
At Level 3, Gale gains another Arcane Recovery charge, increasing the number of Spell Slots he can replenish without needing a Long Rest.
You also gain two Second Level Spell slots, meaning you can now Learn, Prepare and cast Second Level Spells. Some First Level Spells such as Thunderwave and Magic Missile can also be upcasted to Second Level, making them more powerful, at the cost of a Second Level Spell Slot.
You can Learn two more Spells here – you want to pick up Second Level Spells since they’re now available, so we recommend Learning the following:
- Misty Step – This spell lets you teleport to any visible location. It’s great for getting out of trouble safely if some melee enemies get too close to you (being too close to enemies will incur a Disadvantage on your Spells) and for quickly moving to the High Ground to gain a +2 Advantage on your Attack Rolls.
- Scorching Ray – Casts 3 rays of fire at specific targets, each one dealing 2-12 damage. You can aim each one at a different target, or all three at the same target. This is great for finishing off multiple low HP enemies at once, or dealing high damage to one tough enemy.
Level 4
At Level 4, it’s time to choose a Feat to unlock for your BG3 Gale Build. Feats are strong passive buffs that can be used to enable a specific type of build, or just to provide a stat boost. In this case we’ll be doing the latter – grab the Ability Improvement Feat, which will give you two extra Ability Points to spend. Put both points into Intellgence, which will take you up to 18 INT. This also has the knock-on effect of increasing your INT Ability Modifier from +3 to +4, which will improve your Spellcasting and allows you to prepare two spells this level, instead of one.
At this level, you’ll be able to choose one more Cantrip. You can choose whatever you want here, we already have the important ones unlocked. If you’re struggling with incoming damage from melee enemies, then the Blade Ward Cantrip may be a good choice to mitigate this – it will give you a 50% damage resistance against melee weapons for 2 turns.
You’ll be able to Learn 2 more Spells here too. We recommend picking up the following Spells:
- Cloud of Daggers – This spell creates a small (4 metre wide) AOE of flying daggers, dealing Slashing Damage to enemies within. This is particularly good in Chokepoints or on top of a cluster of enemies who are unable to move. This is a Concentration Spell, meaning it can remain in place for up to 10 turns as long as your character retains Concentration. But also keep in mind that you can only have one Concentration Spell active at once, so if your Wizard is already channeling Witch Bolt for example, casting Cloud of Daggers will put an end to that spell’s ongoing effects.
- Hold Person – Stun any humanoid enemy who fails their Saving Throw against the spell. Melee hits against the stunned target will be guaranteed critical strikes, so this works especially well when you have a melee heavy-hitter in your party, like a Fighter or a Barbarian. Enemies can be stunned for up to 10 turns, but at the start of every turn they will attempt a new Saving Throw roll to break free from the spell. Later on, you can upcast the spell to attempt to cast it on several targets at once.
Note: When levelling up, the game will initially only allow you to prepare one new spell here. This is because the bonus from increasing your Intelligence will not apply until you complete the levelling up process. After levelling up, open your Inventory and then navigate to the Spells menu, and you’ll be able to prepare the additional spell. The same thing will happen again later on when we increase Gale’s Intelligence score to 20.
Mid-Game Levelling Guide for Gale in BG3
We’ll now go through the levelling process for Gale at levels 5-8.
Level 5 BG3 Gale Build
At Level 5, your Proficiency Bonus is improved to +3, meaning you’ll now get a +3 bonus to all Skill rolls that your character has Proficiency for.
Your Arcane Recovery strength is increased to 3 too, again improving the amount of Spell Slots you can replenish with this ability.
You also unlock Third Level Spells at this level, too. Some First and Second Level spells can be upcasted to Third Level to make them more powerful.
As usual, you can choose two spells to Learn. We recommend:
- Fireball – This is a very powerful AOE spell, dealing 8-48 damage to everything in a 12 metre wide area, with a range of up to 18 metres. Targets that perform a Saving Throw will still take half of the damage. This spell works even better for an Evocation School Wizard, since it’s an Evocation Spell. Therefore your allies shouldn’t take any damage from the spell even if you cast it on top of them.
- Haste – A really good buff spell that can be cast on yourself or an ally. Improves the target’s Armour Class, gives them Advantage on Dexterity Saves, doubles their Movement Speed and gives them an extra Action each turn. This is a Concentration Spell that lasts for up to 10 turns. When the effect expires or is broken, the target becomes Lethargic for 1 turn, preventing them from moving or taking Actions. As long as you’re able to keep Haste going for two or more turns, the effects of the Lethargic debuff will be more than paid for by the extra movement and Actions gained by the target. Cast this on your best damage dealer and let them wreak havoc!
Level 6
At Level 6, your Gale Build gains the following new features:
- Another Third Level Spell Slot, taking your total up to three.
- Learn another two Spells. We recommend:
- Counterspell – Uses a Reaction to cause a hostile spell to fail. Doing so will spend a Spell Slot, so I recommend making sure you’ve set up your Wizard’s reactions to ask you whether or not you want to use Counterspell, rather than automatically casting it. This is a great way to save your party from dangerous spellcasters.
- Grant Flight – Cast this on yourself or an ally to allow them to fly for 10 turns, ideal for reaching locations that would otherwise be inaccessible. You might want to unprepare Enhance Leap at this point.
- New Passive: Potent Cantrips – Your Cantrips become harder to evade entirely. When a creature succeeds its Saving Throw against one of your cantrips, it still takes half the cantrip’s damage, but suffers no additional effects.
You can Prepare one more Spell. If no one else in your party has it, we recommend getting Counterspell, as at this point in the game the enemies are starting to get tougher, and this spell can save your hide in some difficult fights. Otherwise go with Haste. You can also replace Enhance Leap with Grant Flight, which is a direct upgrade.
Level 7
At Level 7 you unlock the following:
- Arcane Recovery Slots increased to 4.
- Access to Fourth Level Spells.
- One Fourth Level Spell Slot.
- Learn two more Spells. We recommend choosing:
- Ice Storm – Impel a storm of hail and ice to crash from the sky, covering the ground and striking all objects and creatures within range, 2-16 Bludgeoning and 4-24 Cold damage. Targets who save still take half damage.
- Dimension Door – Teleport yourself and one adjacent ally to a visible location. This is a really useful mobility spell that can be used either offensively or to get a wounded ally out of trouble.
Level 8
At Level 8 you can choose another Feat. We recommend choosing Spell Sniper, which reduces the required roll for a Critical Hit from 20 to 19 (this effect will stack with any other similar effects you manage to pick up during your playthrough). This effectively makes Critical Hits twice as likely, significantly increasing Gale’s damage potential. Spell Sniper also lets you choose another cantrip. Eldritch Blast is a good choice here because it deals a high amount of Force Damage (for a Cantrip) and usually isn’t available for Wizards.
You can Learn two more Spells, as usual. Good options are:
- Blight – Deals 8-64 Necrotic Damage to a single target. Plants are more vulnerable, rolling a Disadvantage on their Saving Throw. Undead and Constructs are immune to Necrotic Damage.
- Wall of Fire – Creates a wide fire AOE that deals damage to anyone who enters the area or starts the turn within it. Targets who save still take half damage. Can be used to create artificial chokepoints, or in existing chokepoints to deal damage to many enemies at once. Keep Gale safe when he’s concentrating on the spell, or your entire game plan may be ruined.
Late-Game Gale Build Levelling Guide for BG3
Let’s finish off the levelling guide for the BG3 Gale Build, by exploring the best options at levels 9-12.
Level 9
At Level 9 of your Gale Build in BG3, he gains access to even more powerful magic. You’ll unlock the following features here:
- Arcane Recovery Slots increased to 5.
- Another Fourth Level Spell Slot, giving you three in total.
- One Fifth Level Spell Slot, and the ability to Learn and Prepare Fifth Level Spells.
- Learn two more Spells. We recommend:
- Hold Monster – Paralyse a creature. It can’t move, act or react. Attacks from within 3 metres are always Critical Hits. Lasts for up to 10 turns, as long as you maintain Concentration.
- Cloudkill – Craft a large cloud that inflicts 5-40 Poison damage per turn. You can reposition the cloud every turn. The cloud Heavily Obscures everything within it. Requires Concentration.
Level 10
At Level 10, you unlock the following:
- Choose one more Cantrip. We already picked all the best options, so you can choose whatever you like here.
- Unlock another Fifth Level Spell Slot, giving you two in total.
- Empowered Evocation – Your grasp of Evocation magic has tightened, and you can add your Intelligence Modifier to damage rolls with any Evocation spells.
- Learn two more Spells. We recommend:
- Cone of Cold – Make a flurry of frost, crisp air, and condensed snow crystals erupt from your hands. Deals 8-64 Cold Damage to targets within 9 metres.
- Telekinesis – Throw a creature or object up to 18 metres with a thought. Once per turn, you can use Telekinesis again without expending a spell slot (as long as you keep Concentration). Heavier items deal more damage.
Empowered Evocation is an extremely strong passive effect for the Evocation Wizard. Your Intelligence modifier is +5 now that you’ve increased your Intelligence to 20. This basically means that every Evocation Damage Dice is guaranteed to roll at least a 6, and the maximum possible roll is also increased. Your Evocation spells will now hit extremely hard. This is made even stronger by the extra Critical chance from Spell Sniper.
Level 11
At Level 11 you’ll gain access to the most powerful magic available in Baldur’s Gate 3, making Gale even stronger.
At this point, you’ll get:
- Another Arcane Recovery Charge, bringing your total number to 6.
- One Sixth Level Spell Slot, and the ability to learn Spells of this tier.
- Learn two more Spells. We recommend choosing:
- Chain Lightning – Strike an enemy with lightning. Three more bolts will leap from the target, electrifying as many as three other enemies within range. Deals 8-80 Lightning Damage. Damage halved if the target Saves.
- Sunbeam – A beam of brilliant light sears and Blinds all creatures in its path, dealing 6-48 Radiant Damage. Until the spell ends, you can recast Sunbeam without expending a spell slot. Requires Concentration.
Chain Lightning is another Evocation Spell, so you’ll get a +5 bonus on your Attack Rolls from Empowered Evocation. This basically means that the spell is guaranteed to deal at least 60 Damage per enemy unless they Save.
Sunbeam is also an Evocation Spell, so you’ll get the same buffs here. It’s especially useful in tight areas and chokepoints, and the damage will be doubled against Undead and Unholy enemies, allowing you to easily deal with enemies of these types.
Level 12 – Max Level BG3 Gale Build
If you’ve made it to this point, then you’ve now reached the maximum level with Gale in Baldur’s Gate 3. Congratulations!
At Level 12, Gale unlocks the following:
- Choose another Feat.
- Get Resilient and use it to increase your Intelligence to 20. This will also give you Advantage on all Intelligence Saving Throws, making them highly likely to succeed.
- Learn two more Spells. We recommend:
- Wall of Ice – Raise a wall of solid ice that deals 10-60 Cold Damage to anyone standing in its way. When the ice is broken, it leaves behind a cloud of frigid air that deals 10-60 Cold damage per turn to creatures within. Requires Concentration to maintain the wall.
- Disintegrate – Deals 50-100 Force Damage. This is the highest single-target damage spell in the game, and can be doubly devastating if it crits. If this spell reduces the target’s health to 0, they will crumble to dust, bypassing any resist death conditions they might have but also making it impossible to raise or speak to their corpse. The only problem with this spell is that if the target succeeds their Dexterity Saving Throw, the spell does no damage. Therefore, be careful when using this against enemies with high Dexterity, as the spell could be completely wasted.
On a final note, if you’re really struggling to keep your party alive in the late game, you can instead replace one of these spells with Globe of Invulnerability. This creates a 6 metre area that makes all creatures and objects within immune to damage for three turns. But beware that enemies inside the sphere can also gain the buff.
Gale Build Equipment for Baldur’s Gate 3
In this section, we have powerful equipment recommendations for our BG3 Gale Build. We’ve included both an early-game and a late-game variant of the build, so you don’t need to wait until Act III to make use of it. Early-Game equipment is obtainable in Act I and the earlier parts of Act II, while Late-Game equipment is found in Act III and the latter parts of Act II. Sometimes early-game equipment may make it into the late-game section, as a few items obtained early in BG3 are powerful enough to compete with items not found until much later in the game.
Early-Game Equipment
The table below shows the recommended early-game setup for Gale. Check below the table for more information about each item, including where to obtain it. Don’t worry if you don’t have all of the items, and don’t be afraid to try new things not mentioned here, either. This is only a guideline and the build can still work fine if some equipment is different for you.
Our early-game equipment selection is intended to provide a wide-range of buffs to Gale’s spellcasting, damage output, mobility and Armour Class. This is because there isn’t a huge amount of highly specialised gear available early in the game.
| Slot | Icon | Item | Effects | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head |  |
The Shadespell Circlet |
|
Sold by Omeluum in the Underdark, after helping him to investigate the Parasite |
| Cloak |  |
Cloak of Protection |
|
Purchased from Quartermaster Talli in Last Light Inn |
| Chest |  |
The Protecty Sparkswall |
|
Looted from a gilded chest at the far end of the trapped bridge in Grymforge |
| Gloves |  |
Bracers of Defence |
|
Looted from a gilded chest in the secret area of the Apothecary’s Cellar |
| Boots |  |
Boots of Genial Striding |
|
Sold by Blurg in the Myconid Colony |
| Necklace |  |
Pearl of Power Amulet |
|
Sold by Omeluum in the Myconid Colony |
| Ring 1 |  |
Ring of Protection |
|
Steal the Sacred Idol in Druid Grove (quest) |
| Ring 2 |  |
Crusher’s Ring |
|
Dropped by Crusher in the Goblin Camp |
| Main Weapon |  |
The Spellsparkler |
|
Rescue Counsellor Florrick from the fire in Waukeen’s Rest |
| Second Weapon | Any |
|
N/A |
The Shadespell Circlet
The Shadespell Circlet adds +1 to your Spell Save DC rating whenever Gale is standing in a shadowy area. This makes it harder for enemies to resist all of your Spells and Cantrips that impose a Saving Throw (i.e. not Attack Rolls). For example, an enemy trying to roll a save against your Hold Person spell will now need to roll 1 higher to be successful.
The Shadespell Circlet can be purchased from Omeluum in the Underdark Myconid Colony. You must first complete his quest to help him investigate the parasite.
Cloak of Protection
One of the first cloaks available in BG3 and also one of the most useful, the Cloak of Protection gives you a +1 buff to your Armour Class and Saving Throws, making for a solid defensive item. It is sold by Quartermaster Talli in Last Light Inn, Act II.
The Protecty Sparkswall
The Protecty Sparkswall improves Gale’s Spell Save Difficulty Class by 1, making all of his spells that impose Saving Throws a little bit harder for enemies to resist. You’ll also gain a +1 bonus to your own Armour Class and Saving Throws as long as you have at least one Lightning Charge, something that you’ll be able to get with the early-game melee weapon of this build. Looted from a gilded chest at the far end of the trapped bridge in Grymforge, Act I.
Bracers of Defence
The Bracers of Defence boost Gale’s Armour Class by+2 as long as he isn’t wearing armour or a shield. This is an excellent defensive buff for a pure spellcaster like Gale, since he’ll never wear armour unless you’re making a highly unusual build. It can be looted from a gilded chest in the secret area of the Apothecary’s Cellar, beneath the Blighted Village in Act I.
Boots of Genial Striding
The Boots of Genial Striding prevent Gale from being slowed down by Difficult Terrain, providing you with a decent boost to your mobility. Note that other affects associated with terrain types, such as the chance to slip on ice or taking damage from spikes, will still apply even with the boots equipped. These boots are sold by Blurg in the Myconid Colony in the Underdark, Act I.
Pearl of Power Amulet
The Pearl of Power Amulet is a decent early-game item for any spellcaster in BG3. Once per Long Rest, it allows Gale to restore a Spell Slot of third level or lower. This lets you cast an extra spell before you need to take a Long Rest to replenish your Spell Slots. It is sold by Omeluum in the Myconid Colony, however you must complete his quest to investigate the parasite before you can trade with him.
Ring of Protection
The Ring of Protection has the same effect as the Cloak of Protection, making it another decent defensive item, important for a class like the Wizard which cannot wear armour. It is granted to you as a reward by Mol in the Druid Grove for completing the quest to steal the sacred idol.
Crusher’s Ring
Crusher’s Ring gives Gale 3 metres of extra Movement Speed per turn, which is great for improving your mobility and staying one step ahead of melee enemies who might be chasing you. This is especially important if you chose a race with low mobility, such as a dwarf, halfling or gnome. It is dropped by Crusher in the Goblin Camp, Act I.
The Spellsparkler
The Spellsparkler is an excellent early-game weapon for any spellcaster. Whenever you deal damage with a Spell or Cantrip, you gain 2 Lightning Charges, a special type of buff only granted by some equipment.
Each Lightning Charge gives you a +1 bonus to Attack Rolls and causes your attacks to do 1 bonus Lightning Damage. When you reach 5 charges, they are consumed to deal 1d8 bonus Lightning Damage on your next attack. This gives you a considerable bonus when attacking enemies, and with this staff all you need to do is keep casting Spells and Cantrips to benefit from this mechanic.
To get the Spellsparkler, you need to rescue Counsellor Florrick from the fire in Waukeen’s Rest during the Rescue the Grand Duke quest in Act I. Meet with the Counsellor outside the burning building and you’ll get a choice of rewards, one of which is the Spellsparkler.
Late-Game Equipment
The table below shows the recommended late/end-game setup for the Gale. In the late-game there are many more gear options available, so we can now put more emphasis on improving Gale’s Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls than we did in the early-game section. However, there is still some gear that helps Gale with his Armour Class and mobility.
| Slot | Icon | Item | Effects | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head |  |
Hood of the Weave |
|
Sold by Mystic Carrion in Philgrave’s Mansion |
| Cloak |  |
Cloak of the Weave |
|
Sold by Helsik at the Devil’s Fee, once her special stock is unlocked |
| Chest |  |
Robe of the Weave |
|
Inside a Globe of Invulnerability in Ramazith’s Tower |
| Gloves |  |
Helldusk Gloves |
|
Dropped by Haarlep in the House of Hope. |
| Boots |  |
Helldusk Boots |
|
Looted from a locked gilded chest on the top floor of Wyrm’s Rock Fortress |
| Necklace |  |
Spellcrux Amulet |
|
Looted from the Warden in Moonrise Towers Prison |
| Ring 1 | |
Ring of Protection |
|
Steal the Sacred Idol in Druid Grove (quest) |
| Ring 2 |  |
Ring of Feywild Sparks |
|
Carried by Auntie Ethel in The Blushing Mermaid – Basement |
| Main Weapon |  |
Markoheshkir |
|
Found inside a Globe of Invulnerability in Ramazith’s Tower |
| Second Weapon | Any |
|
N/A |
Hood of the Weave
The Hood of the Weave improves Gale’s Spell Save DC by +2, meaning enemies will have to roll 2 more points in any given Saving Throw to succeed it. This makes many of your spell effects harder to resist. It is sold by Mystic Carrion in Philgrave’s Mansion, Act III.
Robe of the Weave
The Robe of the Weave is a good late-game clothing item for Gale. It Improves his Spell Save DC by +1 (along with Spell Attack Rolls), gives you a +2 bonus to your Armour Class, and also heals you by 1d6 HP when you succeed a Saving Throw against a Spell. This is nice distribution of defensive and offensive bonuses that make this a well-rounded item.
You can find it inside a Globe of Invulnerability in Ramazith’s Tower, Act III. To access it, you need to use a See Invisibility effect (Spell, Scroll or Elixir) to find the hidden lever and pull it, which will deactivate the Globe. You can then retrieve the Robe.
Helldusk Gloves
The Helldusk Gloves give Gale a +1 bonus to Strength Saving Throws and infuse your weapon attacks with 1d6 bonus Fire Damage. More importantly, they give a +1 bonus to spell Attack Rolls and Spell Save DC, making all of your spells more likely to have the desired effect against enemy targets. Obviously we don’t really care about the weapon attack buff here, the spell buffs are the reason we want these gloves.
The gloves are dropped by Haarlep in the House of Hope.
Helldusk Boots
The Helldusk Boots prevent Gale from being forcefully moved by an enemy’s spells or actions, and give immunity to the effects of Difficult Terrain. You can also use a Reaction to succeed a Saving Throw that you would have failed, making these extremely good defensive boots. As another added bonus, you get access to the Hellcrawler action, which allows Gale to teleport and deal fire damage to anyone at the destination.
These boots can be looted from a locked gilded chest on the top floor of Wyrm’s Rock Fortress. Take them before Gortash’s coronation to avoid making NPCs in the area hostile.
Cloak of the Weave
The Cloak of the Weave is useful mainly because it adds another +1 bonus to your Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls, making Gale’s spells harder to resist. This cloak also lets you absorb elemental damage once per Short Rest, reducing the damage of the incoming attack by 50% and then adding 1d6 of the same element to your next attack. It is sold by Helsik at the Devil’s Fee, once her special stock is unlocked.
Spellcrux Amulet
The Spellcrux Amulet is pretty much a direct upgrade from the Pearl of Power Amulet that we were using in the early-game section. It allows Gale to replenish one spell slot of any level, once per Long Rest. Unlike the Pearl of Power amulet, you can use the effect in combat, and doing so only costs a Bonus Action, making the amulet easier to use. If you really want to get the most out of your gear, you can unequip this after using it and put on another amulet to get a different effect (you still need to Long Rest at some point to reset the cooldown).
It is looted from the Warden in Moonrise Towers Prison, Act II.
Ring of Feywild Sparks
The Ring of Feywild Sparks is a late-game ring – at first glance it looks like it’s much more suited for the Wild Magic Sorcerer rather than a Wizard like Gale, and it is true that the ring is designed for that subclass. However, this ring also gives another +1 bonus to your Spell Save DC, making it harder for enemies to succeed Saving Throws against your spells. The Ring of Feywild Sparks is, therefore, a good pick, even for a Wizard.
This ring is carried by Auntie Ethel in The Blushing Mermaid – Basement.
Markoheshkir
A Legendary quarterstaff, Markoheshkir is one of the strongest weapons in the game for “full spellcaster” characters like Gale. It gives several bonuses:
- +1 bonus to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls
- Arcane Battery – Once per Long Rest, remove the Spell Slot cost of your next spell.
- Kereska’s Favour – Gain a special elemental buff of your choice until your next Long Rest, unlocking a special buff and new abilities. This is especially good because it doesn’t require Concentration. You can choose from the following variants:
- Sizzling Cataclysm – Gain 50% Resistance to Acid Damage. Can cast Melf’s Acid Arrow and Hunger of Hadar once per Short Rest. Acid Spells deal extra Acid Damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you deal Spell damage, you inflict 1 turn of Noxious Fumes, causing nearby creatures to take 1d4 Acid Damage per turn.
- Deadlier than Arsenic – Gain 50% Resistance to Poison Damage. Can cast Cloudkill and Ray of Sickness once per Short Rest. Poison Spells deal extra Poison Damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you deal Spell damage, you inflict 1 turn of Poisoned on the target, causing Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Ability Checks.
- Bone-Shaking Thunder – Gain 50% Resistance to Thunder Damage. Can cast Shatter and Destructive Wave once per Short Rest. Thunder Spells deal extra Thunder Damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you deal Spell damage, you inflict 1 turn of Reverberation on the target, causing a -1 penalty to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution Saving Throws.
- Bolts of Doom – Gain 50% Resistance to Lightning Damage. Can cast Chain Lightning and Lightning Bolt once per Short Rest. Lightning Spells deal extra Lightning Damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you deal Spell damage, you gain 1 Lightning Charge.
- Frost of Dark Winter – Gain 50% Resistance to Cold Damage. Can cast Cone of Cold and Ice Storm once per Short Rest. Cold Spells deal extra Cold Damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you deal Spell damage, you inflict 1 turn of Encrusted with Frost, causing Disadvantage on Dexterity Saving Throws and possibly Freezing the target if they reach 7 stacks.
- Flame of Wrath – Gain 50% Resistance to Fire Damage. Can cast Fireball and Wall of Fire once per Short Rest. Fire Spells deal extra Fire Damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you deal Spell damage, you gain 1 turn of Heat, causing you to take 1d4 Fire Damage per turn but allowing you to use Heat Convergence to convert your Heat stacks to bonus Fire damage on your next attack.
Feel free to experiment with the different versions of Kereska’s Favour to find your favorites.
The staff is found inside a Globe of Invulnerability in Ramazith’s Tower in Act III. Use a See Invisibility Spell, Scroll or Elixir to find the lever which disables the globe.
Gale Tips & Tricks for Baldur’s Gate 3
Try to stay mindful of positioning when using Gale in combat. Remember that having melee enemies in your face will give you a Disadvantage on many of your Attacks, and having the High Ground will give you a bonus to Attack Rolls. It will get a little easier to manage this when you unlock the Misty Step Spell. Make use of Crowd Control Spells like Thunderwave to keep enemies from reaching you.
Don’t be afraid to sometimes use an AOE spell like Shatter or Fireball on a single target, if you just need some extra damage. This is especially true in the early-game, when you won’t always have the “perfect” spell for each given situation.
If you have no Spell Slots left or don’t want to expend any at the moment, then your best bet is usually to cast a Cantrip like Fire Bolt on the enemy, as these have unlimited uses. Swinging your melee weapon is only advised if a melee enemy has got into close range (thus giving all your spells Disadvantage) and you have no way of retreating safely. Running away is always an option, but if the enemy has already reached melee range then be ready to take some damage from their opportunist attack. Melee-focused boss enemies might one-hit-kill you this way, so be especially careful of positioning when fighting them.
Let us also talk about the Haste spell. It is recommended to use Haste once you have access to it with your Gale Wizard Build in Baldur’s Gate 3. You can buff yourself or another group member. The Haste spell will allow them to do more actions per turn, massively increasing their damage or utility potential. It works best on heavy-hitting melee fighters like Karlach and Laezel, or on spellcasters with a repeatable concentration spell like Call Lightning (Druids unlock that spell at Level 5), Moonbeam, Sunbeam, etc. There are also items that give Haste. For example the Darkfire Shortbow that you can buy from Dammon at the start of Act 2 that our BG3 Monk Build uses also gives us access to Haste.
Gale Build Illithid Powers (optional)
Illithid Powers are unlocked later in BG3 when you learn more about Mind Flayers and Tadpoles. By eating Jars of Mind Flayer Parasites you gain one point. This is another optional skill tree that you can get access to if you want. Here are some of the best Illithid Powers for the BG3 Gale Build:
- Concentrated Blast: Allows Gale to deal extra damage to a target when Concentrating on a spell, potentially also healing if the target is Concentrating too. Ideally, you will spend a lot of time Concentrating on spells, so you should be able to make good use of this.
- Cull the Weak: When you reduce a creature’s hit points below a certain threshold, this power instantly kills it and deals 1-4 psychic damage to nearby enemies. This is particularly effective when engaging groups of weaker foes, enabling you to thin their numbers rapidly.
- Fly: This can be used to reach hard to get to places or change positions in combat. Use this to keep your Wizard safe from enemy attacks, so your Concentration won’t get disrupted as easily.
- Black Hole: This power creates an area-based effect that pulls in and slows targets. It’s particularly useful for crowd control, allowing you to cluster enemies together for area-of-effect attacks or to isolate them from vulnerable allies.
- Psionic Backlash: This is a top tier reaction from the Illithid Powers skill tree in BG3. This allows you to deal psychic damage when a nearby enemy casts a spell. This is especially useful if the target is casting a Concentration Spell. The damage from Psionic Backlash can immediately break their Concentration, ending the spell’s effects.
More BG3 Companion Builds:
- BG3 Shadowheart Build
- BG3 Astarion Build
- BG3 Lae’zel Build
- BG3 Karlach Build
- BG3 Wyll Build
- BG3 Minthara Build
- BG3 Jaheira Build
- BG3 Minsc Build
- BG3 Halsin Build
The post Best BG3 Gale Build Guide – Maximum Spell Power! appeared first on AlcastHQ.
