With eight different subclasses, the wizard class in Baldur's Gate 3 has the most variety in its specializations. It also has the least class-specific features at each level-up, since it focuses on its expanded spellcasting. The subclass abilities really matter, as they're the only class-specific features wizards get. Thus, players really need to consider which option they choose.

The subclasses center around the eight schools of magic: abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation. Each is supposed to improve spells that belong to its d school, though the extent to which they do so varies. With so many options, players may wish to know which wizard subclass is strongest before making their choice.

The Abjuration Wizard Is A Tanky Spellcaster

They Endure Damage With Arcane Ward

Most primary casters are infamous for their squishiness. The abjuration wizard subverts that expectation by being one of the tankiest characters in the game, thanks to an ability called Arcane Ward. The ward protects the wizard from damage, but the way it actually works is more complex.

Whenever the wizard casts another abjuration spell, the ward's intensity increases again in the same way.

When abjuration wizards cast abjuration spells, they create this ward and give it an "intensity level." This level is equal to twice the level of the spell cast. Whenever the wizard takes damage, the amount taken decreases by a number equal to the ward's intensity, which then decreases by one. Whenever the wizard casts another abjuration spell, the ward's intensity increases again in the same way. It can reach a peak intensity of twice the wizard's level, eventually reaching twenty-four.

As the wizard casts shield, mage armor, or counterspell, the ward can reach intensity levels of eight or nine with ease. At higher levels, they can use their reaction to protect allies with the ward, and gain intensity bonuses on a short rest. Abjuration wizards don't get anything else, but the ward is so strong that they don't need to.

Conjuration Wizards Suffer From Some Underwhelming Features

Create Water & Teleport Without Concentration

The conjuration subclass suffered most in the transfer to video game format from DnD. Its starting ability, Minor Conjuration, allows the wizard to cast create water once per short rest. It can be useful, given how much of a damage boost making enemies wet before hitting them with lightning damage can be. But it's not great, and it's strange that create water isn't from the conjuration school, instead being a transmutation spell.

The conjuration wizard's sixth-level feature, Benign Transposition, is slightly better. They can use an action to teleport to an empty space up to 30 feet away, or to swap places with an ally. It's available once per long rest in Baldur's Gate 3, but can be used again with a spell slot. This has creative potential, but with a disappointing range and action cost, options like misty step and dimension door are more tempting.

Their 10th-level feature, Focused Conjuration, means wizards don't have to make a concentration save when they take damage while concentrating on a conjuration spell. This is nice, since many conjuration spells require concentration. But this would be better if it kept wizards from losing concentration when they're stunned or prone. This is a good feature, but does not make up for the abysmal early abilities.

Divination Wizards Possess Power Over Chance

Overcoming Dice Rolls With Portent

The divination subclass is among the most powerful in DnD, and remains so in BG3, despite the fact that many divination spells in the TTRPG aren't in the video game. In fact, there are only two divination spells on the wizard list (detect thoughts and see invisibility). Luckily, divination wizards don't rely on divination spells to be strong, nor any spells, for that matter.

As a reaction to any attack roll or saving throw made within 30 feet, they can replace the outcome with one of two "portent dice" determined at the beginning of the day.

Instead, their main feature is Portent. This allows wizards to determine the outcome of certain dice rolls twice a day. As a reaction to any attack roll or saving throw made within 30 feet, they can replace the outcome with one of two Portent Dice determined at the beginning of the day. This allows divination wizards to turn an ally's missed attack into a critical hit, force an enemy to fail a saving throw, or even help themselves avoid a trap.

This ability is great, with no chance of failure, since wizards know exactly what to expect from it every time. Later levels provide more Portent Dice uses in a day. Divination wizards also gain permanent darkvision or see invisibility, but those powers are nothing next to Portent.

The Enchantment Wizard Starts Strong But Levels Off

Having To Get Close During Combat Is Too Risky

The enchantment subclass gets a neat early ability called Hypnotic Gaze, which allows wizards to incapacitate an enemy for an entire fight, so long as they remain focused on doing so. They must get close to an enemy and force them to make a wisdom save. On a failure, the enemy is unable to act for two turns, or as long as the enchantment wizard uses their action to maintain the effect.

This feature has creative potential, with the wizard able to isolate and incapacitate a boss monster while the party cleans up the henchmen. But it's risky to use, only works once per long rest, and keeps the wizard from casting spells with their actions. It has power, but a lot of downsides.

Later on, enchantment wizards can use a reaction to charm creatures that attack them, which can be useful, but is the same as a BG3 illithid power any player character can get. At 10th level, when they cast an enchantment spell that would normally target one creature, they target two. This is basically an alternative to upcasting spells like hold and dominate person. But disappointingly, it can't be combined with upcasting to target three or more creatures.

The Evocation Wizard Mitigates Magical Destruction

Full Blast Attacks With No Friendly Fire

The evocation school is all about manipulating energy for destructive purposes, so it's ironic that the evocation wizard's main ability limits damage. Their ability Sculpt Spells allows wizards to cast evocation spells without harming their allies. They can cast a fireball right in the faces of their party, and the spell will only harm unaligned or hostile creatures.

Many players grab the evocation subclass just for this, as it makes friendly fire a non-issue. It compensates for their lackluster sixth-level ability. When evocation wizards cast cantrips that require a saving throw, enemies still take half damage on a success. The only two cantrips this affects are acid splash and poison spray, which are fairly weak, and it's likely that many players never took them in the first place.

Empowered Evocation allows wizards to add their intelligence modifier to damage rolls for evocation spells.

The last evocation wizard feature differs drastically from its DnD counterpart, and makes the infamously-bad feature quite strong. Empowered Evocation allows wizards to add their intelligence modifier to damage rolls for evocation spells. In DnD, this damage is only added once, meaning even if a spell had multiple projectiles or hit multiple creatures, it only added the damage one time. In Baldur's Gate 3, this damage is added to each projectile, so magic missile and scorching ray become total powerhouses.

Illusion Wizards Are Held Back By Limited Ability Uses

Creating Illusion And Seeing Invisibility Don't Quite Work

Much like the conjuration subclass, illusion suffered in the transfer to BG3. Their TTRPG abilities rely on creative use of illusions, which is difficult to emulate in a video game format. Their starting ability is useless in almost any scenario, since it relies on minor illusion, and can only cause a momentary distraction.

Typically, the cantrip creates the image of a cat for a few seconds, luring NPCs to investigate. This subclass lets wizards cast it as a bonus action, without revealing themselves or using verbal components. But none of this matters in situations when players cast it, meaning while the ability sounds like it does a lot, it doesn't do much at all.

Later, at sixth level, illusion wizards can cast see invisibility once per short rest, which is a worse version of a divination wizard ability. Finally, they can potentially cause an attack against themselves to miss once per short rest. Not only does this come way too late in the game, it also feels like a step down from the divination wizard, who could use Portent in the same situation.

The School Of Necromancy Is Best For Building A Summoner

Assemble A Potential Undead Army With Animate Dead

The necromancy subclass has several early abilities that make it a good choice for summoning builds. At level two, they regain hit points by killing creatures with leveled spells. They get back more HP by using necromancy spells, like ray of sickness or circle of death. While the healing is minimal, it's a nice buff for keeping wizards alive longer.

Where the necromancy wizard shines is at sixth level. They add an improved form of animate dead to their spell list, which allows the spell to raise two corpses instead of one, and gives resurrected corpses more health and damage. Players can use this to summon a veritable undead army. Unfortunately, the buff only applies to creatures made with animate dead, so danse macabre and create undead don't get an upgrade.

At 10th level, necromancy wizards get Necrotic Resistance and are immune to having their HP totals lowered. This ability would be more helpful if it was available during act two, where most creatures that deal necrotic damage and lower HP totals are located. By 10th level, players will likely be at or nearing act three.

Transmutation Wizards: Cool In Theory, Ineffective In Practice

Transmuter's Stones Can Bring A Lot Of Shared Buffs

Transmutation does several unique things as a subclass, but unfortunately, they do not pay off. At second level, transmutation wizards can craft two potions for the price of one if they succeed on a medicine check. Potions in BG3 are powerful and should be used as much as possible, but there are enough in the game that this ability feels unnecessary.

They don't get anything else until sixth level, when this subclass gains the feature Transmuter's Stone. Wizards can create one stone at a time, which can be carried by any party member, granting one of several buffs. They vary from damage resistance, to speed boosts, to darkvision. These buffs are neat, and the fact that they can be shared is cool. If this subclass leaned into improving these stones and getting more active at once, it could be great.

Instead, their 10th-level ability lets them turn into a blue jay. This grants a flying speed and makes the wizard tiny, which can be useful, but the blue jay has so few hit points that any attack will destroy it. It makes the feature hard to use in combat, and outside of combat, there are better ways to transform and explore. The wizard themselves could cast fly or reduce. This subclass feels like a lot of wasted potential.

Which Subclass Is Strongest?

Abjuration, Divination, Or Evocation

The abjuration, divination, and evocation wizards are the most powerful, each with their own strengths. The abjurer is an unkillable tank, the diviner controls the luck of the game, and the evoker has unmatched damage-dealing capabilities. Players should choose which option they go for based on the composition of their party.

If they have damage under control but tend to get killed in every combat, abjuration can help. If they need hard-hitting AOE's, evocation is great. And the divination wizard can do pretty much anything else, making any of these options viable to improve the party in Baldur's Gate 3.