Discover the optimal summoner build in Baldur’s Gate 3, a captivating role-playing game filled with adventure and strategic challenges. As you journey through the Forgotten Realms, the summoner’s ability to conjure powerful creatures and bolster their companions makes them an invaluable asset. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to the world of D&D, this comprehensive guide will provide you with an in-depth understanding of the summoner’s strengths and how to unlock their true potential.
The summoner’s ability to summon creatures from other planes of existence is unmatched. These loyal companions possess diverse abilities, ranging from dealing devastating damage to healing and buffing their allies. Moreover, they can occupy enemy positions, disrupting their formations and creating openings for your party to strike. Summoners also gain access to potent spells that enhance their summons, making them even more formidable on the battlefield.
To maximize the effectiveness of your summoner, careful planning is essential. Choose a race that provides bonuses to summoning or spellcasting, such as the Githyanki or Drow. Invest heavily in the Summoning and Enchantment skill trees to unlock powerful abilities and enhance your control over your summons. Consider taking the Pact of the Chain as your warlock subclass, granting you access to a powerful familiar and additional summoning options. With a well-optimized summoner build, you’ll become a force to be reckoned with, capable of overcoming even the most formidable challenges the Forgotten Realms has to offer.
The Arcane Trickster: A Blending of Magic and Stealth
The Arcane Trickster, a subclass of the Rogue class in Baldur’s Gate 3, deftly combines the cunning and agility of a rogue with the arcane prowess of a wizard. This unique combination grants them unparalleled versatility, allowing them to excel in both stealthy reconnaissance and devastating magical combat.
The Arcane Trickster: A Detailed Breakdown
The Arcane Trickster’s strengths lie in their ability to blend seamlessly with the shadows while wielding a potent arsenal of spells. When engaged in stealth missions, their “Mage Hand Legerdemain” ability grants them the power to manipulate objects from afar, making them ideal for unlocking doors, retrieving items, or setting up traps without raising suspicion.
In combat, the Arcane Trickster’s spellcasting abilities shine. They can summon familiars, such as the Owl or the Imp, to provide reconnaissance, distraction, or additional damage in battle. Their spells, ranging from offensive blasts like “Firebolt” to utility spells like “Invisibility,” enhance their combat effectiveness significantly.
Moreover, the Arcane Trickster’s “Spellcasting Surprise” ability allows them to cast a spell as a bonus action after successfully attacking an enemy with a sneak attack, making them a formidable threat in melee combat. Their exceptional agility and uncanny ability to hide in plain sight make them difficult to pin down, allowing them to strike and disappear into the shadows with ease.
| Arcane Trickster Spells | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Mage Hand | Cantrip | Manipulate objects from afar |
| Firebolt | 1st | Offensive blast of fire |
| Invisibility | 2nd | Makes the caster invisible |
| Misty Step | 2nd | Teleports the caster a short distance |
| Shadow Blade | 2nd | Summons a magical blade of darkness |
The Celestial Warlock: Harnessing the Power of the Heavens
The Celestial Warlock patron grants access to potent celestial powers, including the ability to summon celestial spirits as allies. These spirits possess unique abilities and can significantly augment the warlock’s combat effectiveness.
Celestial Spirits
Celestial Warlocks can summon the following celestial spirits:
| Spirit | Abilities |
|---|---|
| Planetar | Powerful melee attacks, healing spells, and the ability to cast banishment. |
| Solar | Deals radiant damage, has high hit points, and can bestow magical bonuses to allies. |
| Couatl | Has stealthy abilities, can cast spells like dominate beast, and has a venomous bite. |
Each spirit has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, allowing for diverse combat strategies. By summoning and utilizing these celestial allies, Celestial Warlocks gain access to exceptional abilities, versatility, and increased survivability in the face of challenging encounters.
To effectively harness the power of celestial spirits, Celestial Warlocks should carefully consider the specific abilities of each spirit and strategically deploy them according to the situation. By doing so, they can maximize their damage output, control the battlefield, and provide support to their allies.
The Conjuration Wizard: Summoning Minions to Control the Battlefield
As a Conjuration Wizard, you possess the remarkable ability to summon ethereal beings that aid you in battle. These minions are your loyal companions, capable of performing a wide range of tasks, from dealing damage to providing support. By strategically deploying your summoned creatures, you can gain a significant advantage over your enemies.
Summoning Minions
The Conjuration Wizard’s spellbook contains a plethora of spells that allow them to summon creatures. These creatures come in various forms, each with its own unique abilities and strengths. Some of the most notable include:
– Mephits: Mephits are elemental creatures that can deal significant damage to enemies while providing healing support to allies.
– Shadowspawn: Shadowspawn are stealthy creatures that can deal high damage to unsuspecting targets.
– Blink Dogs: Blink Dogs are agile creatures that can teleport short distances, making them excellent scouts and ambushers.
– Giant Owl: Giant Owls are aerial creatures that provide reconnaissance and can drop bombs on enemies.
Managing Minions
Once summoned, your minions will follow your orders and stay loyal to you. However, it is important to manage them effectively to maximize their usefulness. You can do this by:
- Positioning: Placing your minions in strategic locations can enhance their effectiveness. For example, placing them near choke points or high ground can provide advantages.
- Targeting: Choose which enemies your minions will attack. Prioritize high-value targets or those who pose a threat to your team.
- Buffs and Debuffs: Some spells can enhance the abilities of your minions or weaken your enemies. Use these spells to improve the overall effectiveness of your summoned creatures.
The Fiend Warlock: Striking Deals with Infernal Entities
Summoning Power
The Fiend Warlock’s true power lies in their ability to summon infernal creatures, such as the Imp, the Quasit, and the Barlgura. These creatures can provide invaluable support in combat, dealing damage, tanking damage, or providing magical assistance.
Summoning Spells
The Fiend Warlock gains access to several potent summoning spells:
- Summon Lesser Demons: Summons two Imps or Quasits.
- Summon Greater Demon: Summons a Barlgura or a Shadow Demon.
- Summon Infernal Legion: Summons a horde of Imps or Quasits.
Summoning Strategies
Summoning creatures effectively in BG3 requires strategic thinking and adaptability. Here are some key tips:
- Versatility: Summoner Moon Druids can summon a wide variety of beasts, giving them flexibility in combat and exploration.
- Damage Potential: Beasts summoned by Moon Druids can deal significant damage, especially when combined with the Moon Druid’s elemental damage ability.
- Control: Summoned beasts can be used to control the battlefield, providing support for the party and hindering the enemy.
- Chaos Bolt: A chaotic blast that deals damage and may inflict random status effects.
- Distort Value: Alters the value of a single die roll, either increasing or decreasing it.
- Tidal Wave: Summons a colossal wave that submerges and damages enemies.
By tailoring your summoning choices to specific situations, you can maximize the impact of your infernal allies on the battlefield.
The Grave Cleric: Healing and Protecting with Unholy Devotion
The Grave Cleric is a powerful support class in Baldur’s Gate 3. They excel at healing and protecting their allies, while also dealing decent damage to enemies. Their unique abilities, such as Path to the Grave and Circle of Mortality, make them indispensable in any party.
Healing Abilities
The Grave Cleric has access to a wide range of healing spells, including Cure Wounds, Healing Word, and Mass Healing Word. They also gain access to the powerful spell, Revivify, which can bring fallen allies back to life.
Protective Abilities
The Grave Cleric is also proficient in protecting their allies. They can cast spells such as Bless and Shield of Faith to enhance their allies’ defenses. They can also cast Sanctuary, which makes an ally immune to damage for a limited time.
Damage Abilities
While the Grave Cleric is primarily a support class, they can also deal decent damage to enemies. They have access to spells such as Sacred Flame, Toll the Dead, and Inflict Wounds. They can also use their Channel Divinity to deal additional damage to undead enemies.
Unique Abilities
The Grave Cleric has two unique abilities that set them apart from other clerics:
Path to the Grave
This ability allows the Grave Cleric to mark an enemy with a special sigil. Whenever the marked enemy takes damage, the Grave Cleric gains a bonus to their healing rolls. This ability makes the Grave Cleric a great choice for parties that focus on dealing consistent damage.
Circle of Mortality
This ability allows the Grave Cleric to create a 30-foot-radius circle of energy around themselves. Any enemy that enters the circle takes necrotic damage and has disadvantage on saving throws against the Grave Cleric’s spells. This ability is great for controlling enemy movement and setting up powerful spell combos.
| Spell | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Cure Wounds | 1 | Heals a target for 1d8 + spellcasting ability modifier hit points. |
| Bless | 1 | Gives an ally a +1 bonus to attack rolls and saving throws. |
| Revivify | 3 | Brings a dead ally back to life with 1 hit point. |
The Moon Druid: Transforming into Nature’s Allies
Wild Shape
Wild Shape allows the Moon Druid to transform into a beast of a challenge rating (CR) equal to or less than their Druid level. They can maintain this form for up to 10 minutes, and they can transform a number of times per day equal to their Druid level.
Beast Spells
The Moon Druid has access to a variety of spells that summon or control beasts. These spells include Conjure Animals, Animal Messenger, Meld Into Stone, and Shapechange.
Summon Elemental
At 9th level, the Moon Druid gains the ability to summon an elemental of water, fire, earth, or air. The elemental has a CR of 5 and can be summoned once per day.
Elemental Damage
Any damage dealt by the Moon Druid while in Wild Shape or by a beast summoned by a Moon Druid spell counts as magical. This means that it can bypass resistance or immunity to non-magical damage.
Summoning Options at Different Levels
| Druid Level | Summoning Options |
|---|---|
| 2 | Conjure Animals (CR 2 or lower) |
| 4 | Conjure Animals (CR 4 or lower) |
| 6 | Summon Elemental (CR 5), Conjure Animals (CR 6 or lower) Beast spells: Animal Messenger, Meld Into Stone, Alter Self |
| 8 | Conjure Animals (CR 8 or lower) |
| 10 | Conjure Animals (CR 10 or lower) |
| 12 | Summon Elemental (CR 7), Conjure Animals (CR 12 or lower) |
| 14 | Conjure Animals (CR 14 or lower) |
| 16 | Summon Elemental (CR 9), Conjure Animals (CR 16 or lower) |
| 18 | Conjure Animals (CR 18 or lower) |
| 20 | Shapechange |
Advantages of a Summoner Moon Druid
The Shadow Sorcerer: Manipulating Darkness to Dominate the Shadowfell
The Shadow Sorcerer commands the powers of darkness, weaving shadows to their will. They are masters of deception and illusion, able to manipulate the very fabric of reality to their advantage. As they level up, Shadow Sorcerers gain access to a wider range of abilities that allow them to control and dominate the Shadowfell.
Hound of Ill Omen
At level 1, Shadow Sorcerers can summon a Hound of Ill Omen, a spectral companion that aids them in battle. The hound is a formidable fighter, dealing damage and imposing disadvantage on enemy saving throws. Moreover, it can teleport alongside the Sorcerer, allowing for quick strategic repositioning.
Darkness
Shadow Sorcerers have access to the Darkness spell, which creates an area of impenetrable darkness that can both obscure allies and hinder enemies. This spell can be used to create a safe haven for casting spells or to conceal ambushes, making it a versatile tool in both combat and non-combat situations.
Shadowy Dodge
At level 6, Shadow Sorcerers gain the ability to use their Shadowy Dodge as a reaction to an attack. This allows them to teleport a short distance away, avoiding the incoming attack and potentially gaining an advantage in positioning.
Empowered Darkness
At level 14, Empowered Darkness enhances the Shadow Sorcerer’s Darkness spell. The spell now deals damage to creatures that start their turn in the area of darkness, making it a potent deterrent for enemies and a valuable defensive tool for allies.
Darkness Unleashed
At level 18, Darkness Unleashed transforms the Shadow Sorcerer into a living conduit of darkness. They gain the ability to summon a powerful shadow form that increases their combat prowess and grants them additional magical abilities. This form amplifies the Sorcerer’s damage output and control over the Shadowfell, making them a force to be reckoned with.
| Level | Ability |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hound of Ill Omen |
| 1 | Darkness |
| 6 | Shadowy Dodge |
| 14 | Empowered Darkness |
| 18 | Darkness Unleashed |
The Twilight Cleric: Healing and Protecting in the Dim Light
The Twilight Cleric, a subclass within the Cleric class in Baldur’s Gate 3, embodies a unique blend of healing prowess and protective abilities. Their powers shine brightest in the dim illumination of twilight, granting them a sacred bond that reinforces both themselves and their allies.
Ambition of Faith: Embracing Divine Strength
Through the Ambition of Faith feature, the Twilight Cleric gains proficiency in Strength saving throws and access to the powerful spell Spiritual Weapon. This versatility augments their combat capabilities, empowering them to wield both healing and offensive magic.
Twilight Sanctuary: Healing Allies in Darkness
With Twilight Sanctuary, the Twilight Cleric channels their celestial energy to create a zone of dim light, enveloping their party members. Allies within this sacred space gain an additional 1d6+Cleric level hit points whenever they’re healed. This sanctuary provides a vital lifeline, ensuring that the party remains healthy and resilient.
Eyes of Night: Enhanced Vision in Darkness
The Eyes of Night ability grants the Twilight Cleric darkvision. This heightened perception expands their operational scope, allowing them to navigate shadowy environments with ease and detect lurking threats with greater clarity.
Channel Divinity: Twilight Flourish
When invoking their Channel Divinity, the Twilight Cleric harnesses the twilight’s power to empower their allies. Twilight Flourish bestows temporary hit points on a group of creatures within a radius, bolstering their resistance to harm. This potent ability transforms the Twilight Cleric into a beacon of resilience, safeguarding their comrades in perilous situations.
Divine Strike: Enhancing Weaponry with Divine Power
With Divine Strike, the Twilight Cleric infuses their weapons with holy might. Upon a successful attack, they deal an additional 1d8 radiant damage to the target. This radiant touch empowers their strikes, making them more effective against both enemies and the undead.
Potent Spellcasting: Augmented Spells
Through Potent Spellcasting, the Twilight Cleric enhances the potency of their spells. Their healing spells are amplified, providing greater solace and replenishment to the wounded. This augmentation strengthens their role as a vital healer, ensuring that their allies recover quickly and remain battle-ready.
Elemental Bane: Unleashing Radiant Fury
The optional Elemental Bane feature grants the Twilight Cleric authority over radiant damage. When they deal radiant damage to a creature, their target takes an additional 1d8 radiant damage. This specialization amplifies their ability to combat fiends and other creatures vulnerable to radiant powers.
Channel Divinity: Cloak of Shadows
In the clutches of darkness, the Twilight Cleric reveals their true prowess with Channel Divinity: Cloak of Shadows. This ability summons a veil of shadows around a target creature, granting them advantage on all Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws. It’s an invaluable asset, protecting allies from debilitating effects that could compromise their combat potential.
Resilient Sphere: Trapping and Isolating Foes
With Resilient Sphere, the Twilight Cleric manipulates the fabric of space to create a sphere of force that engulfs a target creature. This spell effectively immobilizes their adversary, preventing them from attacking or moving. It’s a versatile ability that allows the Twilight Cleric to control the battlefield, neutralize threats, and protect their allies.
The Wild Magic Sorcerer: Unleashing Unpredictable and Chaotic Magic
Wild Magic Sorcerers draw their arcane power from a chaotic and unpredictable source, leading to unpredictable magical effects that can both aid and hinder them. They have the ability to shape magic in its rawest form, resulting in spontaneous surges and wild manifestations.
Surge of Chaos
The signature feature of Wild Magic Sorcerers is their ability to surge chaos. When they cast a spell of 1st level or higher, they have a 5% chance to trigger a Wild Surge. This surge produces a random magical effect, which can be beneficial, harmful, or both.
Surge Table
| Surge Event |
|---|
| Fireball erupts from the caster |
| Rainstorm surrounds the caster, extinguishing flames |
| Caster levitates several feet into the air |
| A swarm of butterflies manifests |
| Caster’s clothes change color |
Wild Magic Spells
Wild Magic Sorcerers have access to unique spells that harness the chaotic nature of their power:
Advantages of Wild Magic
The unpredictable nature of Wild Magic can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it can lead to unexpected and powerful effects that can turn the tide of battle. On the other hand, it can also result in detrimental surges that can hinder the sorcerer or their allies.
Countering Wild Magic’s Drawbacks
There are ways to mitigate the drawbacks of Wild Magic. The Subtle Spell metamagic option can be used to reduce the chance of triggering a surge. Additionally, the Lucky feat can help reroll unfavorable Surge events.
Playing a Wild Magic Sorcerer
Playing a Wild Magic Sorcerer is an unpredictable and chaotic experience that requires players to embrace the randomness of their power. It can be a thrilling and rewarding experience, with the potential for amazing feats and unexpected outcomes.
Best Summoner Build for Baldur’s Gate 3
The summoner build in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a powerful and versatile option that allows players to summon creatures to aid them in combat. While there are many different ways to build a summoner, there are some key principles that all successful builds should follow.
The most important thing for a summoner is to have a high Wisdom score. Wisdom is the spellcasting ability for summoning spells, so a higher Wisdom score will give you more powerful summons. You should also try to get proficiency in the Arcana skill, which will give you a bonus to your summon spells.
In terms of class, the best option for a summoner is the Druid class. Druids have access to a wide variety of summoning spells, and their Wild Shape ability allows them to transform into animals, which can be useful for scouting or combat.
When choosing your spells, you should focus on spells that summon creatures with good stats and abilities. Some of the best summoning spells in the game include Conjure Animals, Conjure Celestial, and Conjure Fey. You should also consider taking spells that buff your summons, such as Bless or Haste.
In combat, you should try to position your summons so that they can attack the enemy’s most vulnerable targets. You should also use your spells to support your summons, such as by healing them or casting buffs on them.
People Also Ask
What is the best race for a summoner?
The best race for a summoner is one that gives you a bonus to Wisdom. Some good options include the High Elf, Wood Elf, and Half-Elf.
What are some good feats for a summoner?
Some good feats for a summoner include the Ritual Caster feat, which allows you to cast certain spells as rituals, and the War Caster feat, which gives you advantage on concentration checks.
What are some good magic items for a summoner?
Some good magic items for a summoner include the Staff of Woodlands, which gives you a bonus to summoning spells, and the Amulet of the Planar Shepherd, which allows you to summon creatures from other planes.
