Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General High-Elf Cantrip Spell Attack Modifiers not using Wisdom

If I am a High-Elf (or High Half-Elf) Druid and choose Ray of Frost as a Cantrip why is my attack roll using Intelligence instead of Wisdom?

Shouldn't all SAM's (Spell Attack Modifier) be Wisdom for Cleric's Druid's and Ranger's?

Same goes if I was a Warlock - should be Charisma instead of Intelligence for ALL spells and cantrips.

Is this a bug, or working as intended?

Thanks

High Elf
Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the Wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.

Half-Elf
Cantrip (High Elf Heritage). You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.

As per the Race, the cantrip you picked will use your intelligence modifier. Other races that get casting typically have a clause for that, for example most innate casting abilities (Tiefling, Yuan Ti, etc) use Charisma as the modifier.

Thanks for the response.

Seems a little odd, but perhaps there for balance purposes.

Balance and flavor I think. In general a High Elf is considered to be "smarter" and more attuned to Arcane study, so they have a cantrip that is tied to Intelligence, the casting stat related to study. Wizards, Fighters, and Eldritch Knights all study for their magic and thus use Intelligence, and so it is the same for a High Elf or High Half Elf.
By comparison a Tiefling tends to use Charisma for its innate spellcasting as it is something that was granted to them from their fiendish blood, similar to how a Warlock or Sorcerer has been granted spellcasting due to some entity or thing and now just can cast spells naturally/unnaturally. A lot of why certain stats pertain to certain abilities is the flavor of it, how it fits the race or class.

That makes sense.

Annoying though having multiple casting stats.

...and here I thought a High Half Elf was spending too much time at the Opium Den... I'll show myself out.