Baldur’s Gate 3 Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer Build Guide
Jan. 4, 2023Baldur’s Gate 3 Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer Build Guide
Baldur’s Gate 3 Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer Build Guide– In thisBaldur’s Gate 3 Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer Build Guide, I’m going to cover mySorcerer Build, and show you what I’ve found to work best. I’ll be doing moreBuild GuidesforBaldur’s Gate 3, but let’s look at how you can use aDraconic Bloodline Sorcerereffectively.
Be sure to check out our other Baldur’s Gate 3 Builds including:Berserker Barbarian,College of Lore Bard,College of Valour Bard,Oath of Devotion Paladin,Oath of the Ancients Paladin,Oathbreaker Paladin!
The Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer is a powerfulSubclassdue to a variety of factors including the extraACthey receive at Level 1, as well as their Metamagic Feature starting at Level 2. Metamagic allows them to manipulate the waySpellswork, making them versatile at taking charge inCombat. For example, they can turn anActionSpell into aBonus Actionso that they’re able to cast another one in the same turn. Applying Metamagic costs Sorcery Points, which can be replenished by sacrificingSpell Slotsor taking aLong Rest.
The Draconic BloodlineSorcererprovides players with better stability and survivability because of the HP and AC bonuses they receive compared to the randomness associated with theWild Magic Subclass.
In this section, we’ll take a look at how to set up your Sorcerer duringCharacter Creationfor the best results.
For Background, I suggest taking any that provides you withCharisma Skillssince Sorcerers need a good amount of thisAbilityto hit targets with their Spells and to improve the chances of successfully negotiating with and convincingNPCsin dialogue. These areDeception,Persuasion,Intimidation, andPerformance. Ideally, you’d have all 4 of these if possible, but you’re more likely to get 3 out of 4 should you chooseSoldier,Entertainer, orCharlatan.
The first Race that works well for the Sorcerer Class is theWood Half-Elf. Wood Half-Elves have Darkvision to see and attack better in dark places. They even gainFleet of Footto be able to move more effectively in encounters as well asMask of the Wildto becomeProficientinStealth.
Alternatively, you can pick theDrowwho not only hasSuperior Darkvision, allowing them to see twice as far in the dark as the Wood Half-Elf but alsoDancing Lights. This Cantrip will serve as a light source to benefit allies who need it. And remember that you’re not going to really benefit from the Weapon Proficiencies here since as a Sorcerer, you’ll cast Spells 100% of the time.
For this Build, we’re going to choose Draconic Bloodline, which will let us select a Dragon Ancestor withDraconic Resilience. Draconic Ancestor influences your initial Elemental Damage Type based on the specific Spell you gain. I highly preferDraconic Ancestry: Black (Acid)compared to the others because it automatically gives you access to theGrease Spell. Together withFirebolt, it’ll incinerate a large area to burn multiple adjacent enemies while possibly making themProne.
Meanwhile,Draconic Resiliencenot only raises your max HP every time you level up but your AC is also set to 13 + Dexterity Modifier since you won’t be wearing Armor.
For Skills, again, it’s not super important, but you’ll have high Charisma andDexterity, so selecting Skills that fall under these Abilities is ideal. Dexterity hasAcrobatics, Stealth, andSleight of Hand, and I’ve already listed what Charisma Skills there are.
Your primary Ability as a Sorcerer is Charisma as it makes your Spells more effective in combat. As such, you’ll want to increase this Ability to at least 16 in Character Creation, and likely 18 later on. Next, Dexterity is important to the Sorcerer because they’re not proficient withArmor. Any bonus added to this Ability improves their AC, making them more durable in combat. Meanwhile,Constitutionraises their max HP so it also contributes to their survivability.
You can then add points intoWisdom,Intelligence, orStrengthbut it won’t matter as much since they don’t influence your Spells’ effectiveness. However, it’s worth considering that they have an effect on the outcome of your Skill Checks. Your Ability Spread should look something like this:
During Character Creation, you’ll be givenCantripsand Spells to choose from. But unlikeWizards, you won’t have to “Prepare” Spells from a Known Spell List to use them. Instead, you learn a limited number of Spells, which are readily available. As such, you have to be very selective about the ones you intend to learn since Sorcerers don’t have access to ALL of their Spells.
At Level 1, you’ll be able to choose 4 Cantrips. The best ones areDancing Lightsif you didn’t pick the Drow Race, Firebolt,Acid Splash, andChill Touch. Dancing Lights allows you to summon a wisp of light for allies who cannot see and hit well in the dark. Firebolt is a Ranged Attack Spell that works very well with Grease as I’ve mentioned before.
Acid Splash deals Acid Damage with an explosive AoE to inflict damage to other enemies near your intended target. And finally, Chill Touch deals Necrotic Damage while preventing targets from healing themselves. If you use this against the Undead, you also impose aDisadvantageon their Attack Rolls, making it harder for them to hit you.
At Level 1, the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer can pick 2 Spells, and here, I highly recommend choosingMagic MissileandChromatic Orb. Magic Missile is an essential Spell to have because it doesn’t miss and it can finish off enemies, especially when their HPs are low. Chromatic Orb, on the other hand, is another great Spell that makes you choose the type of Elemental Damage you want to inflict from a distance. Should you have extra Spell Slots, you can cast Chromatic Orb: Fire with Grease to deal massive Fire Damage instead of using Firebolt.
If you pick the Draconic Bloodline Subclass, you won’t needMage Armouranymore since you start with 13 AC by default.
Some Cantrips and Spells have effects that are dependent on the Sorcerer’s Concentration to remain active. Concentration is broken if you cast another Cantrip or Spell that also requires Concentration. You can tell which these are because it will say on the Spell itself. For example, if you cast Dancing Lights, but then you castWitch Bolt, you would stop “Concentrating” on Dancing Lights and begin Concentrating on Witch Bolt.
Moreover, if you take damage while Concentrating on a Spell, you must make aConstitution Saving Throw, and if you fail, then the effect of that Spell ends. Should you succeed in your Saving Throw, however, you maintain your Concentration and the Spell continues. This is why it’s vital for Sorcerers to have average to high Constitution because of the Spells that require this Ability and is wasted if it’s constantly broken.
Sorcery Points can be converted into additional Spell Slots and vice versa. It’s a Bonus Action so you can use it on top of casting Spells in the same turn. At Level 2, you gain 2 Sorcery Points, which increase at a rate of 1 point per level. Sorcery Points are used in Metamagic, which lets you choose ways to manipulate Spells. In the meantime, you’ll be able to pick 2 Metamagic options out of 4. These areCareful,Distant,Extended, andTwinned Spells. I suggest taking Twinned and Distant.
Twinned Spell allows you to target two creatures with Spells that would normally hit just one. It’s a potent Metamagic because what this essentially does is cast a Spell twice using only a single Spell Slot, which is huge for the Sorcerer that only has 3 Level 1 Spell Slots at Level 2. Because of this, you’re able to cast Chromatic Orb on two targets in the same turn. It even becomes more potent at Levels 3 and 4 because of the total number of Sorcery Points you have.
In an encounter against numerous enemies, Twinned Chromatic Orb can be cast twice at Level 2, thrice at Level 3, and so on. This is due to the low cost of Metamagic: Twinned Spell at only 1 Sorcery Point. So going back to Level 2, you’re able to use Chromatic Orb against 4 different enemies. Since Chromatic Orb lets you change the respective Elemental Damage at will, you can select the most appropriate ones given the situation, effectively having a ton of control on the battlefield.
Comparatively, Distant Spell lengthens the range of some of your Spells to allow you to hit enemies from a greater distance. For example, you’re able to attack any type of enemy with Magic Missile, Firebolt, and Acid Splash that’s difficult to reach such as Harpies.
At Level 2 onward, you’ll be able to unlearn and learn old and new Spells, respectively, via the Replacement Spell, similar to theWarlock. Unlearning a Spell lets you select what you wish to remove from your list. As a replacement, you’ll get to pick one Spell when you level up. Alternatively, if you want to keep your current list, you can simply ignore this feature and continue to learn new Spells. In this Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer Build Guide, we won’t be unlearning any Spells since the ones we’ve chosen are essential in combat.
Lastly, I suggest learningThunderwaveorBurning Hands, which deal massive AoE damage up close. Thunderwave knocks enemies backward, potentially killing them as a result of the blast. Alternatively, you can go for Burning Hands if you prefer to cast a Spell with a narrower reach to avoid hitting nearby allies since upon reaching Level 2, Thunderwave can still hit them.
At Level 3, you’ll be able to choose another Metamagic Spell out of 3. The three additional options areHeightened,Subtle, andQuickened Spells. Heightened Spell imposes a Disadvantage on the recipient if they need to make Saving Throw Rolls. Subtle Spell lets you continue casting Spells even when Silenced. And Quickened Spell converts all Spells that are considered an Action into a Bonus Action. Among these, it’s best to take Quickened Spell even if it costs 3 Sorcery Points unless you plan on frequently using Saving Throw Spells or you’re always being Silenced, which rarely happens.
In a single turn, Quickened Spell allows you to cast one Action Spell as a Bonus Action, thereby letting you cast another Spell. This is highly effective against tough encounters and bosses alike since you’re able to use whatever powerful Spell you have, twice. What goes well with it isScorching Ray. This deals 2-12 Fire Damage against multiple enemies or 6-36 damage to the same target. Overall, it’s a lot of damage, making Scorching Ray very versatile and a must-have Spell.
At Level 4, you’ll gain another Level 2 Spell Slot as well as a Cantrip. Furthermore, you can pick aFeat, and I highly recommend selectingAbility Improvementto increase Charisma to 18. As a Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer, you should prioritize boosting this as much as possible.
For the Cantrip,Shocking Graspis a decent Melee Attack option that deals 1-8 Lightning Damage while preventing the target from reacting to any of your actions. For instance, enemies won’t be able to perform Attacks of Opportunity when you move away, making it multipurpose.
For the Spell, you can go withMisty Step,Hold Person,Cloud of Daggers, orSleep. Misty Step is vital when you intend to change positions to gainAdvantageprior to casting any of your Ranged Attack Spells. The only reason why you wouldn’t take this is if you already own theAmulet of Misty Step, which is located in theUnderdark. You can also choose Hold Person to paralyze your target in place or Cloud of Daggers to damage adjacent enemies over time.
Lastly, Sleep is a good crowd control Spell since you can momentarily immobilize targets even if there’s a limit set because of their HP. Moreover, you can use Twinned Spell for Hold Person and Sleep to effectively utilize them against multiple enemies.
At Level 5, you can select 1 Level 3 Spell. The great ones to consider areCounterspell,Fireball, andHaste. Counterspell is a Reaction that can significantly throw a wretch in your enemy’s plans as long as they’re located within 18m of you. Doing so will let you stop the corresponding Spell’s effects. But remember that since it consumes the Draconic Bloodline’s Level 3 Spell Slots, you can only use this at most 2 times before taking a Long Rest or converting 5 Sorcery Points into one Level 3 Spell Slot.
Next is the classicEvocation Spellknown as Fireball, which deals a whopping 8-48 Fire Damage against multiple targets even against your allies so you’ll need to carefully cast it. And finally, Haste grants multiple benefits that greatly outweigh the disadvantage of briefly becoming Lethargic when the condition ends. Not only will your ally take one extra Action every turn, but they also gain +2 AC as well as an Advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws. What’s more, is that if you use Twinned Spell beforehand, you’ll be able to target two allies! Specifically, when used on a Martial Class who has anExtra Attackat Level 5, they’ll be able to take a total of 4 Actions in a single turn, allowing them to slay multiple enemies.
At Level 6, the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer gains the powerful Elemental Affinity Feat. This encourages you to keep casting the damage type associated with your Draconic Ancestry as doing so adds your Charisma Modifier to its damage, which is huge! Since we’ve chosen the Draconic Ancestry: Black (Acid), you’re better off obtaining Spells that deal Acid Damage likeChromatic Orb: Acid.
In the same way, if you’re fighting against an enemy who deals Acid Damage, you can choose to spend 1 Sorcery Point to gain Resistance, effectively reducing the Acid Damage you take by 50%!
At Level 8, the Sorcerer will be able to choose another Feat, and here I recommend taking Ability Improvement to increase Charisma to 20, orElemental Adept. Elemental Adept makes it so that you’re given the option to choose among several damage types including Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder. Because of your Black (Acid) Ancestry, it’s best to go with Acid Damage, which ignores the resistance of a target against this type.
Using the Chromatic Orb: Acid example from Level 6, you’ll never get a 1 on the Damage Roll since all of your 1’s automatically gets boosted to 2.
At Level 10, the Sorcerer can choose another Metamagic. Here, I recommend taking Extended. Extended Spell doubles the duration of Spell effects like conditions and conjured surfaces. This synergizes well with Grease and Firebolt or Chromatic Orb: Fire for enemies to stay debilitated while taking damage over time longer. Furthermore, you can also use this same combination with Quickened Spell where Grease will be the Bonus Action. Doing so will let you cast both Spells in a single turn rather than waiting for the next round.
And finally, at Level 12, you can choose the Feat you didn’t previously pick at Level 8.
When it comes to the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer’sEquipment, and similar to the Wizard, you don’t have to invest inWeaponsand Armor as much compared to other Classes. So you can go for aQuarterstafforLight Crossbow, which you’re proficient with.
Since the Sorcerer isn’t proficient with any Armor, you can continue wearing theSorcerer Robeyou’ve started off with because it contributes to your 16 AC. In terms ofAccessories, you’ll want to obtainAbsolute’s TalismanandRing of Colour Spray. The Absolute’s Talisman from theShattered Sanctumis good for survivability because it restores 1-8 HP when you deal damage, provided that your HP is already low. Next is the Ring of Colour Spray from theSecluded Covegrants you theColour Spray Spell. This is useful to blind enemies who are nearby in order to hamper their chances of successfully attacking you.
The Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer is flexible when it comes to Metamagic since you’re able to select them before the start of an encounter to plan out the Spells to use. Remember, however, that when you reach Level 3, you can’t swap your two previous choices so it’s ideal to experiment with Careful, Distant, Extended, and Twinned Spells at Level 2 to determine the ones you like best. Furthermore, the corresponding Sorcery Points will only be spent after casting the Spells you’ve used it with.
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Reiku
Writer at Fextralife. I enjoy playing RPGs, narrative-driven games, and platformers. Outside of gaming, I like watching meaningful movies and reading sci-fi and dystopian books.
