Divination Wizard Controller - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

Divination School

The Divination subclass of wizard offers a very interesting setup, which turns the pure wizard caster into a battle manipulator. 

The main highlight is Portent ability, which can have great potential. We get two Portent Dice after each Long Rest, the score of those dice ranges from 1 to 20. Each Portent Die can only be used once; unused Portent Dice are lost at the end of the day and can only change a die in the favour of the caster and their allies.

This gives us an advantage of turning a devastating attack from an enemy into a miss or if they succeed a saving throw against one of your Crowd Control spells like Hold Person; you simply can make it succeed.

Another part of good Divination features is the Expert Divination which gives us another Portent Die and a way to restore them easier. Level 10 feature isn't that much of a great upgrade as we gain Third Eye: Darkvision and Third Eye: See Invisibility which at this level don't do much for us, so I won't be focusing on those. I'll focus on an 8 Divination 4 Sorcerer split. In this particular build I'll be going Draconic Sorcerer with Draconic Ancestry: White (Cold) for the Armour of Agathys.

 Let's get straight into the breakdown.

[Video in progression]

Class Contribution

8 Divination Wizard

• Spell Scribing is the main highlight of Wizards, allowing them to learn any spell from scrolls and put it into their spellbook. Later, it can be assigned to Prepared spells and used during exploration or combat.
• Arcane Recovery​ - a special feature that allows restoring spell slots, and prolongs your combat potential until long rest.
• Portent - which gives us Portent Die as a way to control the battlefield.
• Expert Divination - giving us another Portent Die and prophecies that can help restore our Dice, more on that later.

4 Sorcerer

• Constitution Saving Throws proficiency meaning an easier way to succeed Concentration Saving Throws.
• Various Metamagic options that will help in and outside combat.
• Helpful Subclass features like Draconic Resilience for free Mage Armour effect and bonus HP, Tempestuous Magic for mobility after casting a spell, Strength of the Grave for survivability or Wild Magic just for fun.
• Easy way to restore spell slots and gain more Sorcery Points for Metamagic.

Build Variations

Synergy with other builds

As the Divination is a great controller meaning it will mostly serve as a support and completionist to other builds, there's no specific builds it will combine well as it's extremely versatile.

Grouping

As you're going to have high spell DC and various Crowd Control spells some grouping will help you to achieve the best possible way to disable your enemies.

Synergetic Builds	Enabler	Description
Warlock builds	Eldritch Blast + Repelling Blast	The Repelling Blast allows you to control the positions of the enemies and push them together. This makes Eldritch Blast a perfect tool for that
Caster Builds like: Bards Druids Sorcerers Wizards	Thunderwave	Using Thunderwave is a cheap and easy way to push enemies together. For example, you have two groups of two. So getting them together, and then letting you hit with a strong AOE attack, technically doubles total damage.
-	Void Bulb	These consumables are plentiful from Omeluum in Act 1. They can be either thrown or destroyed with an archer or another AOE attack to pull enemies together.
Bards Sorcerers Wizards Warlocks Eldritch Knight Arcane Trickster Shadow Monk	Minor Illusion	One of the most accessible cantrips in the game. You can use it to pull enemies together before combat. Once they are in place, use an attack to hit them all, or engage in combat so that they don't run away.
-	Black Hole	Accessible in Act 3, once you unlock Astral-Touched Tadpole. Black Hole is one of the strongest grouping tools once you have it. It is simple to use, has a wide area of effect, and does not affect allies.

Build Overview

Here is a table with all the main picks during your leveling progression. For more detailed reasoning, I go further in the article. Also, do not forget to check the recommended gear as it is crucial.

Level	Class	Selection
1	Wizard 1	Cantrips: Booming Blade, Ray of Frost, Minor Illusion​
		Spells: Mage Armour, Longstrider​, Shield​, Magic Missile​, Chromatic Orb​, Enhance Leap​.
		Skills: Arcana, History, Investigation
2	Wizard 2	Subclass: Divination School
		Spells: Grease, Thunderwave​
3	Wizard 3	Spells: Hold Person​, Cloud of Daggers​
4	Wizard 4	Cantrips: Mage Hand​
		Spells: Scorching Ray , Misty Step​
		Feat: Ability Improvement - Dual Wielder or +2 Intelligence
5	Wizard 5	Spells: Counterspell​, Lightning Bolt​
6	Wizard 6	Spells: Sleet Storm, Glyph of Warding​
7	Respec Character: Lv 1 Sorcerer Lv 2-7 - 6 Wizard	Cantrips: Blade Ward, Light
		Spells: Disguise Self​, Feather Fall​, Fog Cloud, Expeditious Retreat
		Subclass: Draconic Sorcerer - Draconic Ancestry: White (Cold)
8	Sorcerer 2	Spells: Sleep
		Metamagic: Metamagic: Twinned Spell, Metamagic: Extended Spell​
9	Sorcerer 3	Spells: Mirror Image
		Metamagic: Metamagic: Quickened Spell​
10	Sorcerer 4	Cantrips: Friends​ ​
		Spells: Invisibility or Darkness
		Feat: - +2 Intelligence or Dual Wielder
11	Wizard 7	Spells: Evard's Black Tentacles, Wall of Fire​
		Replace spell: Mage Armour for Hypnotic Pattern​​​
12	Wizard 8	Spells: Greater Invisibility, Magic Weapon, Any
		Feat: Alert or +2 Intelligence

Starting the Game - Level 1

This section covers the creation screen and what would go into the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for the Divination Wizard. Some of these choices are impactful as you cannot respec them.

Races

Picking a race provides various benefits - abilities, dialogue options, looks, etc. 

Race	Features	Description
Dwarf Duergar	Dwarven Combat Training​ Superior Darkvision​ Dwarven Resilience​ Duergar Resilience​	One of the best race picks overall. The Invisibility​ action allows you to enter combat with the best possible position and toss a huge Crowd Control spell. Keep in mind you'll have slightly lower mobility as it is a shorter race.
Wood Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.	The main focus is the Civil Militia which grants us proficiency with Shield and Light Armour which can prove useful, bonus movement speed is also cool.
Githyanki	Martial Prodigy​	The race comes with all weapon proficiencies and early Medium Armor proficiency. Moreover, it gets some good actions like Misty Step​ and Astral Knowledge.
High Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry	The main focus is the Civil Militia which grants us proficiency with Shield and Light Armour which can prove useful. Bonus Cantrip for something like Fire Bolt may also be useful.
Lightfoot Halfling	Halfling Luck​ Brave​ Naturally Stealthy​	Halfling Luck is an excellent helper,  for casters. They also give a stealth Advantage as a niche help.
Human	Civil Militia​ Human Versatility​	Humans come with additional proficiencies and higher carry weight, otherwise nothing special.

Origins and Characters

Here are the Origin and character picks that have a slight advantage with this build:

Origin	Features	Description
Astarion	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry	Happy from Bite abilty which is an an extremely useful ability especially for casters.
Shadowheart	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fear of Wolves	As mentioned above, those beautiful ladies comes with a free Shield and Light Armor proficiencies.
Jaheira	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry
Gale	Civil Militia​ Human Versatility​	Already fitting as a Wizard, origin Gale in the mid part of Act 2, can obtain a free level 3 spell slot, which would be used to cast some more spells. He also comes with free Shield proficiencies.

Class

Overview
Wizard
Features
Arcane Recovery​	Provides a way to restore spell slots with Arcane Recovery Charges.
Spell Slots	These can be used to cast spells and are restored each long rest.

Cantrips

Cantrip	Description
Booming Blade​	For now, it will only deal damage when the enemy moves. However, after level 5, it will add 1d8 damage rider for free. Why this on a caster build ? We can always dish some free damage but the main focus is the Hat of Storm Scion's Power with Metamagic: Extended Spell which can give us a lot of Arcane Acuity later on in the game.
Ray of Frost​	Great damage cantrip that can get easily buffed by Wet from Create Water or throwing Water bottles doubling it's damage, it also slows enemies.
Minor Illusion​	Stupendous cantrip that allows for incredible setups before fights, sneaking, stealing and many more.

There are other good choices here - Mage Hand, Friends,​ etc. But I would prioritize the ones mentioned above, at least for the early game.

Using Minor Illusion

On the other hand, you can also use something like Minor Illusion​ to pull enemies together, changing their vision cones, and attacking with the same spell but hitting all of them. This is a very powerful cantrip that can be overlooked.

First, it does not break Invisibility or stealth (unless you get seen). Second, enemies, when not in combat, will chase it, meaning they will change their vision direction. Third, on most occasions, they will come closer to investigate the illusion.

Spells

For Wizards, picking spells is not that important, because they can scribe and learn any of them via scrolls. Still, some good early choices will go a long way. I would prioritize utility, exploration, and maybe a few damage ones:

Spell	Description
Mage Armour​	Great spell, especially as you will wear Cloth for a long part of the game. This will set your Armour Class to 13 before any item, dexterity, or other bonuses apply.
Longstrider​	Very important spell to have in the party. It can be cast on all members to improve their mobility.
Shield​	Big survivability spell, that improves Armour Class for a single turn via reaction. This allows avoiding enemy attacks, greatly improving survivability, and only costs a level 1 spell slot.
Magic Missile​	It has a 100% hit chance, improving your success in clearing enemies. Later, its scaling is not as good, and you will have better spell choices.
Chromatic Orb​	Great versatility and damage spell that allows you to adapt to the game environment.
Enhance Leap​	Mandatory utility spell, helping with exploration.

Background

Backgrounds are mostly for role-playing and you can pick whatever you prefer

Abilities

Skills and Expertise

Overall, the skills should be impacted by your roleplaying and background decisions. However, you would still want those that will give you the best benefits. My recommendations are to pick those at which you have a high ability modifier or are useful in general:

• Arcana
• History
• Investigation
• Religion

Wizard mechanics

One important aspect is that any spell scrolls you find can be learned. This consumes a scroll and some additional gold. As a result, the spell is added to the spellbook:

This means that you get those spells that you do not learn by leveling. We're able to learn spells according to the highest level of spell slot we have. This means that even when multiclassing we can still have higher level spells in our arsenal. Just wanted to tell you so that you would not be surprised in case the spells are talked about, and I did not suggest taking it.

Preparing Spells

The second stage, after you learn or scribe spells, is that you can then "prepare" them. This means that you have a limited number of spells active at a time.

This is a good thing as you can change them based on the situation outside of combat. For example, you will be fighting enemies that are weak to Fire. Just add Fireball​ or Wall of Fire. Fighting a large group of enemies, maybe include Glyph of Warding​ or Confusion​ to disable them.

Leveling Progression 2-12

Here is the detailed progression for the Divination Wizard to get you started. You can use it as a guideline because early games can be daunting and overwhelming. Later on, once you get a feel for the class, you can start picking your options

Levels 2-6

By this time, you should have landed on the Ravaged beach already and started exploring the initial area. You might need 1 additional encounter if you did not obtain enough XP in the Nautiloid.

For most of the builds, early levels are pretty simple, as there are minimal features that you can use. However, there are notable spikes at levels 5-6:

• Major class and subclass features
• Unlocking level 3 Spells and spell slots

With these, you will feel how the game combat opens up, and with correct preparations, you can start eliminating foes with minimal preparations.

Subclass

Overview
Divination
Features
Portent​​	This core ability of this build is what gives the ability to manipulate combat with Portent Dice

Spells

Spells	Description
Grease​​	Great control spell that scales with your spell save DC, early game it won't be much but still will be useful.
Thunderwave​​	Great spell to push enemies off the ledges or push them into your control zones, great to use with Minor Illusion.

Level 3

The first level 2 spells are unlocked. You also gain some nice features that will be useful later on.

Level 2 Spells Recommendations

As a Wizard, you can obtain spells in a few ways, so it is hard to recommend the progression:

• Picking them in the leveling screen
• Scribing from the scrolls that you find or buy in the game.

Core spells:

Spell	Description
Cloud of Daggers​	A solid spell for early game encounters. It can shred up grouped enemies and hit them twice - their turn, and yours. After level 5, it loses its potential, as the scaling and area effect are limited.
Hold Person​	One of the greatest spells in the whole game, for now it may seem like a gamble but with proper buffs you'll start hitting it in no time.

Additional options:

Spell	Description
Web​	Excellent early game control spell that can give an easy Advantage for you and allies.
Blindness​	The Blinded​ enemies are perfect targets for your allies as you get an easy Advantage against them.
Mirror Image​	Excellent survivability spell that does not use Concentration, and allows you to avoid multiple hits.

Level 4

The 4th level unlocks the first feat for the build. This is generally a big improvement as it helps by providing stat improvement or unique effects.

Cantrips

Cantrip	Description
Mage Hand​​	It is my go-to recommendation. This cantrip can be extremely useful and deadly as it can open doors, throw grenades or even enemies.

Spells

Spell	Description
Scorching Ray​	Great damage spell that can get boosted by a lot of items and it's crucial if we want to use another Arcane Acuity​ item. Think of it as more damage potential Magic Missile as it can crit.
Misty Step​	Great escape and utility tool as it has huge range and you can cast it with a bonus action

Additional options:

Spell	Description
Web​	Excellent early game control spell that can give an easy Advantage for you and allies.
Blindness​	The Blinded​ enemies are perfect targets for your allies as you get an easy Advantage against them.
Mirror Image​	Excellent survivability spell that does not use Concentration, and allows you to avoid multiple hits.

Feat

Here you have a few options to choose from:

Feat	Description
Ability Improvement - +2 Intelligence	Our favourite stat boost as it boosts our spell DC, attack rolls and potential damage capabilities
Dual Wielder​​	Great feat that on top of allowing us to wield Versatile weapons in each hand - meaning we can wield two staves with their benefits, it also gives us bonus +1 AC if we dual wield.

Level 5

Level 5 plays a pivotal role in most of the builds. You will get access to level 3 spells, which are very powerful and start unlocking the class's potential.

Level 3 Spells Recommendations

So, these spells I would say are game changers in terms of power play. Some of them can single-handedly change the encounter to your side, disable a group of foes, or instantly delete them.

Core Spells:

Spell	Description
Counterspell​	Good spell which allows to negate some dangerous spells and gives more room for error. I understand the appeal for it but my personal choice would be something else from the list below.
Lightning Bolt​	The lightning element spells are always mandatory in my spell arsenal. If enemies align perfectly and you have Wet​ applied on them, this will deal double damage. More or less, most of the non-boss enemies will be evaporated instantly.

Additional options:

Level 6

The level gives a big improvement that is needed to empower the Divination build:

Feature	Description
Expert Divination​​	You gain another Portent Dice do use and upon taking a Short Rest you receive a list of prophecies to complete that can regain your Dice.

Spells

Take any of the recommended spells that were suggested at level 5. My personal choice is Sleet Storm​ and Glyph of Warding​.

Prophecies - what are they?

After short resting, wizards with Expert Divination will receive a randomly selected prophecy; when fulfilled, they will replenish a spent Portent Die with a new random value. Short resting with unfulfilled prophecies will not replace them with new prophecies

These prophecies range from:

• dealing a certain type of damage like Force (e.g Magic Missile), Bludgeoning (e.g using a Main Hand Attack with your stave like The Spellsparkler) and many more.
• casting a spell of a certain wizardry school like Divination (e.g Detect Thoughts), Evocation (e.g Fireball) and many more.
• learning or using a scroll
• using Help on a Downed ally
• killing a hostile unit

Levels 7-10

Generally, this covers the Act 2 part of the game. This unlocks items that give a slight boost to a few builds, and you uncover a really interesting part of the story.

Level 7 - 6 Wizard 1 Sorcerer multiclass

As mentioned in the introduction, Sorcerer plays a pivotal role as they give us lots of benefits we want like; Concentration boost, subclass features but most notably - Metamagic and easy way to have "infinite" spell slots and Sorcery Points.

Put the first level into Sorcerer and then follow up with 6 Divination Wizard; we're doing that because if we go first level Wizard we don't get the Constitution Saving throws which are vital for the Concentration upgrade and when we second level into Sorcerer our spellcasting modifiers when using scrolls will use Charisma.

To multiclass follow these steps:

Class

Overview
Sorcerer
Features
Spell Slots	These can be used to cast spells and are restored each long rest.

Cantrips

Cantrips	Description
Blade Ward​	This allows to effectively negate 50% of physical damge for free. With our Metamagic like Metamagic: Extended Spell we can have free 4 turn resistance for physical damage just like that.
Light	Can help in dark areas but can also setup help with some items like Callous Glow Ring to effectively apply it's damage passive.

Spells

Spell	Description
Disguise Self​​	Can help with stealing and special interactions with npcs or items like Mutilated Carapace and such.
Feather Fall​	Helpful utility spell that can help with traversing through the world.
Fog Cloud​	Can Blind enemies or setup stealth for your party members.
Expeditious Retreat​	Grants you the ability to Dash on bonus action although it's using Concentration so use it wise.

Subclass

Overview
Draconic Bloodline
Features
Draconic Resilience​	This negates the need for Mage Armour.
Draconic Resilience: Hit Points	Just a bonus 1 HP for this build, so nothing fancy.

Dragon Ancestor

Only interested in Cold Ancestry.

Ancestor	Description
Draconic Ancestry: White (Cold)​	Get Armour of Agathys​ is a useful spell, but overall I think it does not serve that big of a purpose here.

Level 8 - Sorcerer 2

The second level gives more spells and unlocks metamagic.

Actions	Description
Create Sorcery Points​	Spend Spell Slots to gain Sorcery Points. Once you get some more metamagic options, you could sacrifice spell slots, to cast two spells in one turn or increase your range
Create Spell Slot​	Spend Sorcery Points to unlock a Spell Slot. You could create a higher tier spell slot, to increase the damage over what you can at the current level

Utilize Sorcery Points

This is a unique consumable resource for Sorcerers. These can be used for multiple use cases, that improve what the spellcaster can do:

• Use those points to activate Metamagic like - Metamagic: Quickened Spell​ or Metamagic: Extended Spell​ to improve spell effects or cast with bonus action.
• Create spell slots, in case an emergency arises from the available pool of Sorcery Points.
• Create Sorcery points from spell slots to fuel your use of metamagic, for the most important spells. In the late game, you can easily sacrifice level 2 spell slots, as you will not be using them much.

Spells

Spells	Description
Any that doesn't use an attack roll or spell save DC, like Sleep​	Reasoning being that we won't have great Charisma scaling and without forcing spell DC or Arcane Acuity early we won't be doing much work with those kind of spells.

Class Passives

Passives	Description
Metamagic: Twinned Spell	Spells that only target 1 creature can target an additional creature.
Metamagic: Extended Spell​	Can make your crowd control effects or utility last twice as long, great survivability boost for Blade Ward and boost for stuff like Confusion.

Utilize Metamagic

This is another powerful tool in Sorcerer's arsenal. It needs Sorcery points to work and consumes them for unique effects:

• Use Metamagic: Twinned Spell​ to target or release two spells that have single targets. This works well with spells like Chromatic Orb and later Chain Lightning.
• Metamagic: Quickened Spell​ allows casting with a bonus action, allowing you to cast two times without needing Hastened. This is perfect for setting up combos or removing foes with two strong spells.

Level 9 - Sorcerer 3

Spells:

Spells	Description
Any that doesn't use an attack roll or spell save DC, like Mirror Image or Misty Step​	Reasoning being that we won't have great Charisma scaling and without forcing spell DC or Arcane Acuity early we won't be doing much work with those kind of spells.

Class Passives

Passives	Description
Metamagic: Quickened Spell​	The best choice by far. It will allow casting with Bonus Action, and double the number of spells you can use per turn.

The main highlight of this level is a new Feat. Otherwise, you get more spells and cantrips

Feat

Here you have a few options to choose from:

Feat	Description
Ability Improvement - +2 Intelligence	Our favourite stat boost as it boosts our spell DC, attack rolls and potential damage capabilities
Dual Wielder​​	Great feat that on top of allowing us to wield Versatile weapons in each hand - meaning we can wield two staves with their benefits, it also gives us bonus +1 AC if we dual wield.

Cantrips

Here feel free to pick anything. Here are two I recommend, so pick one:

Cantrips	Description
Friends​​	Even though you're not Charisma based, if you're the party face or somehow get into Charisma dialogue it may help. At higher difficulties like Tactician or Honor be careful as this may aggro NPCS.

Spells

Spells	Description
Any that doesn't use an attack roll or spell save DC, like Darkness or Misty Step​	Reasoning being that we won't have great Charisma scaling and without forcing spell DC or Arcane Acuity early we won't be doing much work with those kind of spells.

Levels 11-12

This is where you will spend most of the time in Act 3. There will be an immense amount of content, and you can finish your builds and unlock extremely powerful gear.

Level 11 - 7 Wizard

The new level unlocks level 4 spells to learn for the Wizard.

Level 4 Spells for Leveling and Scribing

These spells are a good upgrade, but not as significant as level 3 ones. You will get some situationally good, but nothing that will be a game-changer. Learn these either through leveling or by obtaining scrolls.

Core Spells:

Spell	Description
Wall of Fire​	A good spell that can hit multiple times per turn, if enemies are forced to pass through it.
Evard's Black Tentacles​	An absolute BEAST of a spell. Pairing it with your high spell save DC, control and other spells you can cast on your enemies, you will dominate the battlefield.

Additional Spells:

Spell	Description
Dimension Door​	A very valuable spell to have on hand. It can help you and a companion move a long distance and reach targets or escape them.
Greater Invisibility​	Mainly mentioning it here, as I don't think it is valuable alone. However, if you have something like a Gloomstalker Assassin build it can allow it to kill enemies even without entering combat.
Confusion​​	It can disable large groups of enemies, does not target allies and may cause a little chaos.

Replace spell

Spell	Reasoning
Mage Armour​ -> Hypnotic Pattern​	Due to draconic sorcerer we don't need Mage Armour effect anymore and Hypnotic Pattern can provide a great control, if you need a different spell, feel free to pick different one.

Level 12 - Wizard 8

The Third feat of the build is unlocked, and additional spells to be added.

Feat	Description
Ability Score Improvement - +2 Intelligence	If you haven't reached 20 intelligence, you might as well do it now
Alert​	If you're a sucker for initiative and anti-surprise utility, pick this one.
Anything else	This leaves you an option to pick whatever else you want, for example Lucky.

Spells

Spell	Description
Greater Invisibility​​	Can be set up as a great out of combat starter with your Dex based character, don't forget you can support too
Magic Weapon​	With a level 6 spell slot it can provide a meaningful +3 to hit and damage.
Any	This leaves you freedom of choice.

Equipment Recommendations

Full list Paper doll

Plan the rest of your party around this gear in the Party Gear Planner

• Main Hand

  

  The Spellsparkler

  You can generate multiple Lightning Charges​​ and drastically improve the damage output of your spells. It also has multiple combos with items.

• Off Hand

  

  Melf's First Staff

  Gives +1 to spell attack rolls or DC. Good stat stick.

  Alternatives

  • 
    Phalar Aluve

    It can be used to apply damage and attack roll buffs in various combat encounters. Wearing it together with other staves will requireDual Wielder​ feat.

  • 
    Mourning Frost

    Good melee boosting staff that combined with Booming Blade​ can deal respectable damage.

  • 
    Adamantine Shield

    It provides a substantial defensive boost by disabling critical hits.
    

• Ranged Main Hand

  

  Bow of Awareness

  The higher initiative bonus will allow you to start your turn earlier.

  Alternatives

  • 
    Bow of the Banshee

    Okay stat stick if you're going to use attack rolls either with spells or melees for Booming Blade​. The 1d4 bonus applies to every Frightened​ target even if not applied by the bow.

• Helmet

  

  The Shadespell Circlet

  One of the only options for the early game that gives Spell Save DC boost.
  

  Alternatives

  • 
    The Lifebringer

    The best defensive option in Act 1. Works well withThe Spellsparkler. Without it, the item loses its purpose.

• Chest

  

  The Protecty Sparkswall

  The best spellcaster robe in Act 1. Works well with The Spellsparkler​ for additional bonuses to Armour Class and Saving Throws with Lightning Charges​.

  Alternatives

  • 
    Robe of Summer

    Simple specific element defence boosting option.

• Gloves

  

  Bracers of Defence

  Pretty solid gloves especially if you are not able to wear shield for that early game +2 Armour Class boost.

  Alternatives

  • 
    Gloves of Missile Snaring

    Defensive gloves that allow you to negate enemy ranged attacks.

• Boots

  

  Boots of Stormy Clamour

  Excellent shoes for applying Reverberation​ and possibly making your enemies Prone​

  Alternatives

  • 
    Boots of Striding

    Great boots for maintaining Concentration​ on your spells. You can also equip the boots, cast a Concentration​ spell, unequip the boots, and then break Concentration​ to keep their effect.

  • 
    Disintegrating Night Walkers

    One of the best boots, giving a total advantage for movement on difficult surfaces. It also givesMisty Step​ to increase that mobility.

• Amulet

  

  Psychic Spark

  Excellent amulet which improves Magic Missile​​ effectiveness, making it one of the better spells in the early game.

  Alternatives

  • 
    The Blast Pendant

    Combined with Lightning Charges​ it may provide a significant damage boost.

  • 
    Amulet of Misty Step

    Gives a free Misty Step​ mobility option, simple.

• Ring

  

  Ring of Protection

  Gives defensive bonuses to Armour Class and Saving Throws.

• Ring 2

  

  Crusher's Ring

  Simple mobility option, good for everyone.

  Alternatives

  • 
    Ring of Absolute Force

    The effect works without the brand giving you a small yet effective damage boost.

Build Mechanics

In this section, I would like to dive deep into how to play the Divination Wizard. This will help you utilize it to the fullest and correctly use various actions and spells throughout the game.

Important Mechanics and Combos

Let's go through key mechanics and tips on how to effectively use the build.

Portent dice

Each Portent Die can only be used once; unused Portent Dice are lost at the end of the day.

Portent can only change a die in the favour of the caster and their allies. Attack rolls can only be changed from a miss to a hit for allies, and from a hit to a miss for enemies. Saving throws can only be changed from a fail to a success on allies, and from a success to a fail on enemies.

Portent ccounts creatures marked yellow/neutral as allies. This means if the user initiates combat by attacking an enemy marked as yellow, the user can't change the target's saving throw from succeeding to failing, only the opposite. Be careful, as the game may prompt for this.

Portent only needs either the target or source of the roll to be within range (18 m / 60 ft) and doesn't need line of sight. The Portent Die also don't spend reactions even though it's shown as so. 

Full caster progression

Even though you multiclass - you still may learn level 4 spells if you have level 4 spell slots unlocked. This allows you to have spells like Confusion without taking them from leveling up. Same works for level 5 and 6 spells. Due to both Wizard and Sorcerer you will still end up with a level 6 spell slot in the end.

Spell Slot Restoration

As a wizard, you get a neat mechanic that is generally forgotten or overlooked. It's nothing overpowered, but it can help maintain spell slots. This is Arcane Recovery, which allows you to restore spell slots.

Same thing can be done once you reach Sorcerer;

Convert lvl 1-2 spell slots or sorcery points into either depending what you want -> repeat until you run out of spell slots/sorcery points -> drink Potion of Angelic Reprieve as it as short rest pot which restores your lvl 1-2 spell slots and sorcery points, Potion of Angelic Slumber would refresh whole progress -> enjoy your infinite spell slots/sorcery points

Cold/Lightning with Wet ultimate combo

One setup to not overlook, and which I emphasize throughout the progression, is Wet​ + lightning/cold spells. Wizard does not get Create Water,​ which is, in one sense, problematic, as you have to use other means to do that.

One of the popular options is to drop Water from your inventory (which doesn't consume an action) close to the enemies. Then attack it with Off-Hand Attack (Melee)​. This applies Wet​ and opens up option to attack them with spells.

However, my sensible recommendation is to have either a Cleric, Druid, or any multiclass of these that can cast Create Water​. This simplifies things exponentially and makes the whole combo feel more natural.

Arcane acuity

So the core aspect is being able to build your Arcane Acuity​ both during your turn and outside of it. It will greatly increase your spell potency which is crucial for this build.

Quickly stacking Arcane Acuity will make your spells almost inescapable and almost guaranteed to hit.

Battle Acuity also triggers on dealing weapon damage to objects as well as creatures so Helmet of Arcane Acuity with attacking furniture or stuff like torches can easily stack it, firing Arrow of Many Targets can also stack easy 6-8 Arcane Acuity charges.

Using Hat of Storm Scion's Power with Booming Blade and Sorcerer's Metamagic: Extended Spell can generate you an easy 8 Arcane Acuity stacks although you have to be in melee range. You may also enchant a weapon either through Elemental Weapon or by Drakethroat Glaive and won't need the Booming Blade to gain Arcane Acuity

Using Hat of Fire Acuity with level 3 Scorching Ray will give the same effect or using continuous damage spells like Wall of Fire can quickly stack and maintain Arcane Acuity.

The effect of up to +10 to spell DC and attack rolls is monstrous.

Maximise the amount of the level 5/6 spell slots.

In the late game, you have multiple sources of level 6 spells, thankfully, you do have various ways to get plenty of level 6 spellslots:

• Arcane Battery​ from either Markoheshkir or Staff of Spell Power
• Spellcrux Amulet to restore a level 6 spell slot
• Consume Life Essence​ from the Staff of Cherished Necromancy for a free level 6 spell

Combat tactics and rotation

Maximizing the Build - Abilities, Illithid, Consumables

In this section, I would like to dedicate to various optimizations that you can do to further empower your build. Various things like Illithid Powers and consumables can make the build from powerful to totally overpowered, trivializing the hardest game encounters

Maximizing Ability Scores

Ability Scores play an important role both in terms of how your attacks land. Moreover, these can help to also reach extremely high skill rolls needed for a few checks.

1. Act 1 - Auntie Ethel's Hair - you will want to get +1 Intelligence if you pick this choice.
2. Feat - Ability Improvement - + 2 Intelligence
3. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss - +2 Intelligence

This will allow you to reach 22 Intelligence score for a modifier of +6.

Illithid Powers

This special mechanic in Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to consume tadpoles and unlock special Illithid Powers.

At first, you can only use the base powers. As you move to Act 3, you will be able to unlock the outer ring powers.

Illithid Power	Type	Description
Favourable Beginnings	Base	Beneficial power to take as it does not have any costs and provides only benefits on the first hits.
Luck of the Far Realms​	Base	Guarantees a critical hit, use it on important targets that you want to make sure are killed.
Psionic Backlash​	Base	A decent use for reaction to deal some bonus psychic damage.
Cull the Weak​	Base	Can help to kill an enemy faster if it is left with a few HP.
Illithid Expertise​	Elite	As you are not a charisma-based character, these proficiencies help with dialogue checks.
Psionic Dominance​​	Elite	Can be used to save yourself from a deadly spell. This is especially relevant as you will have a Disadvantage on mental saving throws.
Black Hole​	Elite	Absolutely devastating spell that will be perfect with our high spell save DC allowing for some crazy plays, it also applies Slowed effect.
Freecast​	Elite	Remove the cost of spell slots or charges.
Mind Sanctuary​	Elite	You can now use action and bonus action interchangeably, giving two full spell casts each turn. It will also help other casters in the group.
Fracture Psyche​	Elite	Weakens enemies by reducing their Armour Class. Now it's easier to hit them.

Potions, Elixirs and Consumables

Let's take a look at what consumables you can use to further empower the build.

Potions

These are general consumables, and most of them are activated for a few turns. Potions are separate from Elixirs and can be active together.

Consumable	Description
Potion of Speed	You can chug this potion before combat, or during combat using a bonus action. It gives another action point that gives an additional attack or one more spell cast. Sadly, its duration is only 3 turns.
Potion of Animal Speaking	Although not something powerful, it is worth stocking up and saving a spell slot.
Potion of Invisibility	Can be used to get a perfect position before the encounter starts. It can also help trigger Surprised rounds.
Terazul	Gives Hastened​ and stacks with other sources of it. This is a late-game consumable.
Potion of Angelic Reprieve	Great utility potions which can restore your spell slots, hp and valuable class mechanics. Potion of Angelic Reprieve may also provide you with "unlimited" spell slots or sorcerery points.
Potion of Angelic Slumber

Elixirs

Unfortunately, only one Elixir can be active at a time. However, the good thing is that they last until a long rest, making them very useful and economical.

Be sure to activate them before combat, as otherwise, you will need to use a Bonus Action.

Consumable	Description
Elixir of Hill Giant Strength	Use them ONLY if you have to Shove an enemy or use Booming Blade with Hat of Storm Scion's Power if you struggle with hit chance.
Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength
Elixir of Bloodlust	The elixir gives an easy option to get an additional action point - just kill a foe. This can then be used to attack one more time or cast a full spell.
Elixir of Battlemage's Power	Improves Spell Save DC, making it easier to land spells.
Elixir of Peerless Focus	Makes it easier to maintain spell Concentration.
Elixir of Vigilance	For some encounters, you will want to go first. This elixir will ensure that it overcomes even Surprised​ mechanics.

Scrolls

This is one of the most overpowered mechanics in the game. At first, it might seem that you earn those old, boring spells that you can learn yourself. However, as you play more and more, and get higher-level spells, you can save your valuable spell slots. During the whole playthrough, you will probably collect a lot of these, so I recommend using them whenever you can.

Conclusion and Credits

Thank you for reading the Divination build for Baldur's Gate 3. Its high control capabilties and manipulating dices will definitely be useful as a support. I urge to ask questions and I'll respond to them ASAP.