If you’re looking to focus your party composition around magic-based companions and playstyles, the best BG3 Gale build is a must-have. Like most in-game companions, you can find Gale in the early-game phase near the Ravaged Beach during Act 1. Because he is a Human Wizard, he can provide several powerful defensive and offensive spells. So, he can be a valuable asset to your team with the right gear, abilities, and progression.
- Gale is a Human Wizard and one of the seven recruitable companions in Baldur’s Gate 3.
- You can potentially recruit him near the Ravaged Beach in Act 1.
- His best sub-class is Evocation which he gets at Level 2.
- Some of his best feats are Ability Improvement, Elemental Adept (Fire), and Magic Initiate.
- You can also use Potions and Scrolls, consumable items to make Gale even more powerful.
- Why Trust Us: Ibrahim has roughly 80 hours in the game and is a reliable source for Baldur’s Gate 3 guides!
Best Gale Build In Baldur’s Gate 3
Here’s a brief overview of Gale in BG3, detailing his feats, spells, and Cantrips at each level for his build, along with the potions and scrolls you’ll need.
CLASS | WIZARD |
---|---|
Subclass | Evocation |
Early-game Spells | – Charm Prison and Fog Cloud (Lvl 2) – Shatter and Prayer of Healing (Lvl 3) – Darkness and Scorching Ray (Lvl 4) |
Mid-game Spells | – Fear and Fireball (Lvl 5) – Grant Flight and Mass Healing Word (Lvl 6) – Haste and Remove Curse (Lvl 7) |
Late-game Spells | – Wall of Stone and Dispend Good and Evil (Lvl 9) – Flame Strike and Destructive Wave (Lvl 10) – Chain Lightning and Otiluke's Freezing Sphere (Lvl 11) |
Feats | – Ability Improvement (Lvl 4) – Elemental Adept: Fire (Lvl 8) – Magic Initiate: Wizard (Lvl 12) |
Cantrips | – Ray of Frost (Lvl 4) – Acid Splash (Lvl 10) |
Potions | – Potion of Fire Breath – Potion of Superior Healing – Missing Pets – Insanity’s Kiss – Potion of Angelic Slumber – Potion of Speed |
Scrolls | – Entangle – Resistance – Aid – Invisibility – Misty Steps |
Best Build And Level Progression For Gale
The level progression in BG3 is arguably the most vital part of any build, especially Gale, as you’ll pick his Cantrips, Prepared and Regular Spells, and Feats, all of which will determine his stats and overall playstyle. Unlike other melee-based builds like the Karlach build, Gale’s progression offers much more variety and versatility thanks to the plethora of tools you can use with him.
However, before starting, it’s worth noting this companion’s Race, Human, which cannot be changed at any instance or level. As such, you’ll receive the following Traits as part of the build:
- Base Racial Speed: The distance you can move per turn is 9 m.
- Civil Militia: You have weapon proficiency with Spears, Pikes, Halberds, Glaives, and Armour Proficiency with Light Armour and Shield.
- Human Versatility: Increase your carrying capacity by a quarter and select one of the best skills (ideally Intelligence or Wisdom) to be proficient in.
To get a better idea of Gale’s initial strengths and weaknesses, you can find his base stats and figures from the list below:
STAT | BASE LEVEL |
Strength | 8 |
Dexterity | 13 |
Constitution | 14 |
Intelligence | 17 |
Wisdom | 10 |
Charisma | 13 |
Level 1/2: Evocation Subclass And Add-on Spells
With Level 1, you unlock Arcane Recovery action, which replenishes spell slots while your character is out of combat. However, your first significant decision with Gale comes at Level 2, where you must decide the appropriate subclass for him.
Level 3-4: Ray Of Frost Cantrip And Ability Improvement Feat
The next few levels primarily include you unlocking even more spell slots for Gale to utilize. With access to Level 2 spells, you’ll have a lot more variety between choosing offense, defense, healing, and buff alternatives, adding to the already diverse build. In my personal builds, I just build pure offense since I have Shadowheart for heal and Karlach for peel.
Level 5/6/7: Learning And Preparing More Spells
From Level 5 and beyond, you’ll only be learning two spells each time, one of which you can also put into the Prepared list to optimize your build’s efficiency further. Unlike the previous levels, you now gain access to Level 3 spells of various types, which can impact Gale’s combat to a much higher degree.
Level 8: Elemental Adept (Fire) Feat
Once Level 8, you can choose your second Feat ability for the Human Wizard, and this time, it’s better to stick with his main benefit, damage. The Fireball above at this stage would likely be your best spell for damage output. Naturally, I recommend going Elemental Adept: Fire for the most lethal damage output.
Level 9/10/11: Stronger Spells And Acid Splash Cantrip
At Level 9, you’ll access Level 5 spells, most of which contain highly versatile Evocation abilities. These spells range from protecting to giving passive AoE attacks, where meeting certain conditions gives you a massive bonus on HP or attack power, crucial for the best BG3 Gale build.
Level 12: Magic Initiate (Wizard) Feat
This is the max level for most classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, and also where you’ll get to pick the final Feat ability for Gale. Most players here go for ASI and boost their stats like Intelligence or Wisdom. However, since Gale already hits like a truck, it’s best to choose the Magic Initiate Feat and its Wizard Feat Passive.
Recommended Scrolls For Gale
Scrolls are important consumable items that you can use or learn permanently if you’re a Wizard. You can find most of them randomly from chests, bodies, enemy encounters, or specific locations in Faerun.
You can only use scrolls once per battle, making them a minimal resource, and you can find the top-notch scrolls for Gale to learn from the list below:
SCROLL NAME | ITEM EFFECT |
Entangle | Vines sprout from the ground, turning it into rugged terrain and possibly Ensnaring creatures within. |
Resistance | Magically bolster a creature’s defenses, letting it receive a d4 bonus for saving throws. |
Aid | Bolster your allies with toughness and resolve, which heals and increases the hit point maximum by 5. |
Invisibility | Touch a creature to turn it Invisible. |
Misty Steps | Surrounded by black mist, you teleport to an unoccupied space you can see. |
My Tips For Effectively Using Gale
Gale is one of the most fun companions you can bring to your adventures. From subtle remarks here and there to his iconic “You licked a dead spider” line, he is truly entertaining. Furthermore, his capability in battle is nothing to scoff at. Even if he is the only caster you have, he brings more than enough to the table.
Building him is a bit tricky, though, because a slight change in his progression completely changes his build altogether. I would suggest prioritizing Intelligence, as he is a Wizard, followed by either Constitution or Charisma. Choosing Charisma seems a bit troll, but in my personal weeks of experience in BG3, it honestly works pretty well.
That wraps up this detailed guide on the best BG3 Gale Build, covering his level progression, feats, spells, and scrolls. As seen, this companion mainly relies on his spellcasting and spell collection, like every Caster. You can refer to Huzaifah Durrani’s review of BG3 to see where your best bg3 Gale build may be useful.
Learn more about other intriguing recruitable companions in Baldur’s Gate 3 from this guide on the best Shadowheart build. Make the most out of your melee-focused party members by equipping the best Greatswords. And if you want to turn your attention to relationship-building instead, consider reading up on all the Romance options in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Next:
- Baldur’s Gate 3: Gandrel Choices
- Baldur’s Gate 3: Stone Disc Puzzle
- Baldur’s Gate 3: How To Unlock Gilded Chest
- Baldur’s Gate 3: How To Get The Owlbear Cub
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