Baldur’s Gate 3: BEST Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer Build
With over 80+ hours, here is my build suggestion for a Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer with spells, cantrips and tips!
Draconic Bloodline is one of the subclasses for Sorcerer in Baldur’s Gate 3. It is considered the best subclass for Sorcerer. You can use it to make your character extremely powerful in just the first five levels. Most cantrips and spells equipped by them deal a lot of damage. You also start with 13 Armor Class because of the Dragon ancestry passive making you very tanky.
- The optimal Sorcerer subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Draconic Bloodline.
- Choose High Half-Elf for Civil Militia and Fey Ancestry benefits.
- Recommended backgrounds: Noble or Guild Artisan; Dragon Ancestor preference is Red.
- Cantrips: Fire Bolt, Ray of Frost, Shocking Grasp, Mage Hand, Minor Illusions.
- Spells: Magic Missile, Sleep, Burning Hands.
- Metamagic options: Twinned Spell, Distant Spell, Quickened Spell, Subtle Spell.
- Minimal equipment needed: Ring of Color Spray and Absolute’s Talisman.
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Best Draconic Bloodline Build In Baldur’s Gate 3
Following are all the pre-requisites required to create the Baldur’s Gate 3 Best Draconic Bloodline Build:
| Class/Sub-class | Race/Sub-race | Background | Cantrips | Spells | Metamagics | Ability Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class: Sorcerer, Sub-class: Draconic Bloodline | Race: Half Elf, Sub-race: High Half-Elf | Noble/Guild Artisan | Fire Bolt, Ray of Frost, Mage Hand, Minor Illusions, Shocking Grasp | Missle Magic, Sleep, Burning Hands, Thunder Wave, Cloud of Daggers, Fire Ball, Lightning Bolt, Blight, Telekinesis, Slow, Disintegrate | Twinned Spell, Quickened Spell, Distant Spell, Subtle Spell | Strength: 8, Dexterity: 16, Constitution: 14, Intelligence: 10, Wisdom: 10, Charisma: 16 |
Race
There are quite a few choices when it comes to races, and the three best races for Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer are as follows:
- Asmodeus Tiefling
- Red Dragonborn
- High Half-Elf
From my personal experience, High Half-Elves excel for sorcerers due to their high armor class, enhancing defense and tankiness when combined with the Draconic Bloodline subclass.
While Tiefling and Dragonborn offer damage and fire resistance bonuses, High Half-Elves outshine both options. Sorcerers typically have low health, making the added defense crucial.
Since the Half Elves is the recommended race, allow me to list its pros and cons.
- High Half-Elves have two more passives.
- Fey Ancestry provides an advantage against being charmed and resistance to being put to sleep.
- Proficiency with longswords, shortswords, short bows, and longbows.
- You also get a really good cantrip called Firebolt if you choose High Half-Elf.
- Lacks the innate elemental abilities of Dragonborn.
- Unlike Tieflings, High Half-Elves don’t have innate spellcasting abilities.
Background
Choose a background based on your preferred playstyle and Charisma proficiency. For a Draconic Bloodline Build, I found that options like Noble or Guild Artisan work well.
- Noble provides 3 points in Intelligence.
- Guild Artisan offers 2 points in Wisdom.
However, feel free to select any background as there is no single ideal choice.
Draconic Bloodline Ancestry
As mentioned earlier, I will go for the Draconic Bloodline subclass. However, there is more to the subclass. You need to choose your Dragon Ancestor as well.
Following are all the Draconic Ancestries you can choose in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Red (Fire)
- Black (Acid)
- Blue (Lightning)
- White (Cold)
- Green (Poison)
- Gold (Fire)
- Silver (Cold)
- Bronze (Lightning)
- Copper (Acid)
- Brass (Fire)
While various ancestries offer elemental advantages, the best choice is the Red Draconic Ancestry. At level 6, Red Ancestry grants fire damage and resistance, similar to Gold Ancestry. Additionally, it provides the Burning Hands spell, a powerful short-range AOE spell with high fire damage, making it ideal for beginners.
Cantrips
Cantrips are what most players call level 1 spells or tier 0 spells. If you choose the sorcerer, then you get to choose five different cantrips. You can choose any cantrip of your liking, but some are better than others.
Following are the best Cantrips you can choose for Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer:
| Cantrips | Damage | Description |
| Fire Bolt | 1-10 (Fire) | Shoots a bolt of fire. |
| Ray of Frost | 1-8 (Cold) | Reduces speed for 3 meters. |
| Shocking Grasp | 1-8 (Lightning) | Target cannot use reactions. An advantage over enemies with metal armor. |
| Minor Illusion | N/A | Creates an illusion on the field, which attracts enemies. |
| Mage Hand | N/A | Summons a magic hand on the field that can interact with things on the field. |
Note: If you choose High Half-Elf as your race, then you will get Fire Bolt as an extra Cantrip. And if you choose Asmodeus Tiefling, then you get Mage Hand.
Spells
Many people look at the number of spells that you can choose as a sorcerer and leave it. You only get to choose two spells, so a majority of players tend to pick Wizard builds instead.
However, that can be improved once you level up. The Cantrips can be enough at least till level 5. If you choose a dragon ancestry, you can actually get a third spell as well.
There are three spells that can be very useful, and they are listed below:
| Spells | Damage | Description |
| Missle Magic | 6-15 (Force) | Shoot three magical darts, each dealing 2-5 Force damage. They always hit their target. |
| Sleep | N/A | It puts enemies to sleep. Targets with a combined 24 hit points can be put to sleep. |
| Burning Hands | 3-18 (Fire) | Enemies in a short AOE are damaged. |
Note: You can get Burning Hands only if you choose Dragon Ancestry Red. Any other Dragon Ancestry will have some different spell.
Ability Points
Ability Points must be spent wisely whenever you get them. For Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer, the best abilities are Charisma, Dexterity, and Constitution.
When you are making your character, the ability points should be distributed as listed below:
| Ability | Recommend Points |
| Strength | 8 |
| Dexterity | 16 |
| Wisdom | 10 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Constitution | 14 |
| Charisma | 16 |
Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer does not need strength at all. You can spend one less point on Dexterity and one point more on Charisma. However, you can just upgrade it once you get an ability point later on.
Metamagic
Metamagic is a class passive that gives you advantages while casting spells. Each Metamagic gives you a different buff which can be helpful in various ways.
Following are Metamagics that can work best with Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer:
| Metamagic | Description |
| Twinned Spell | Spells that target one enemy can target another one. |
| Distant Spell | Increase the Range of Spells by 50%. |
| Quickened Spell | Spells that cost an action cost a bonus action instead. |
| Subtle Spell | You can cast spells even when you are silenced. |
Note: Metamagics are unlocked after your character is at level 2.
Level Progression For Draconic Bloodline Build
Leveling up in Baldur’s Gate 3 provides various rewards including additional spell slots, higher-level spells, ability points, Metamagics, feats, and the ability to exchange spells for more powerful ones later on.
Following is how you can get the best draconic bloodline build in Baldur’s Gate 3:
| Level 2 | Choose Thunder Wave Spell. Choose Metamagic Twinned Spell for one extra action using the same spell and Metagamagic Distant Spell for an increasing range of spells. |
| Level 3 | You get an extra spell slot. Learn Cloud of Daggers if you want a damage spell. Choose Metamagic Quickened, which allows you to perform a spell as a bonus action. |
| Level 4 | You can now choose a feat. Choose to improve your Charisma by using the Ability point. Choose the spell Mirror Image that gives you +3 AC. |
| Level 5 | Learn Fireball Spell. Replace a Cantrip with Haste for even more actions in one turn. |
| Level 6 | Element Affinity and Resistance: Fire unlocked as subclass features. You should choose the spell Lightning Bolt. |
| Level 7 | Choose the spell Blight, which is an ST necrotic spell. |
| Level 8 | Choose the spell Slow, which decreases movement speed as well as Armor class and saving throws of enemies. Select Elemental Adept Fire as your feat. |
| Level 9 | You can choose a Telekinesis spell, which lets you throw enemies off a cliff. |
| Level 10 | Unlock Metamagic Sutble Spell, which lets you cast a spell even if you are silenced. |
| Level 11 | Choose the spell Disintegrate, which does 50-100 force damage. |
| Level 12 | Use an ability point to upgrade an ability or unlock a feat. |
Equipment
The Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer requires minimal equipment due to class and race passives that provide sufficient buffs. A good shield is the most essential item.
Weapon And Armor
- As a Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer, you have the Draconic Resilience passive.
- It is a great passive as it gives you 13 Base Armor Class if you do not wear any armor.
- You can just stick to the sorcerer robes that you get at the start.
- Civil Militia also gives you armor proficiency with Light Armor and Shields.
- Hence, any good shield will work really well with the build.
Weapons are generally unnecessary for Sorcerers since spells are their primary source of damage. However, in close combat situations where spellcasting is difficult, you can resort to using weapons like a Light Crossbow or staff to deal damage.
Accessory
- For accessories, you can choose anything that can help you heal.
- Because the build is primarily damage-focused, you might have healing problems.
- Hence, you can get Absolute’s Talisman from the Shattered Sanctum.
- It will restore 1-8 HP when you deal damage. You need to have low health for it to be in effect.
Another useful accessory is the Ring of Colour Spray. When you’re in close proximity to enemies and casting spells, you face a disadvantage. The Ring of Colour Spray can help you incapacitate nearby enemies, giving you an opportunity to escape.
Tips And Tricks
Now that you know how to create your character, you should also know how to use all of it.
Here are all the tips and tricks you need to know on how to use the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer Build:
- At level 1, use Burning Hands and Fire Bolt for high fire damage.
- Combine Minor Illusions with Burning Hands to lure enemies and deal with them easily.
- At level 6, with Elemental Affinity, use Fireball for massive damage.
- Be cautious when using Haste, as it can make you vulnerable to attacks.
- If enemies are too close, employ Sleep until you obtain the Ring of Colour Spray.
- Utilize Metamagics judiciously, considering their sorcerer point cost.
My Thoughts On The Draconic Bloodline Subclass
I shall forever remain biased towards the Sorcerer class, even after playing almost all the other classes for several hours. Furthermore, If you want your Sorcerer to act like a classic Diva (like me), the Draconic Bloodline is the best subclass you can build.
However, aside from the attitude, the Draconic Bloodline route is extremely powerful as well. You can pair that with a Half-Elf race, add your ancestry as any element (Lightning is the obvious choice), and you’ll have the state-of-the-art glass cannon sorcerer of your dreams.
That concludes Baldur’s Gate 3 Best Draconic Bloodline Build Guide. Baldur’s Gate 3 allows a lot of experimentation with each class, so you should try out all the different classes in your own ways. You can also try the Best Fighter class build or the best healer build if they fancy you.
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