Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Early Character builds

Why? For the Arcane Ward + Armor of Agathys combo. Armor of Agathys is an Abjuration spell. Arcane Ward is the first special ability grant by the Abjuration specialist sub-class. AW is activated and replenished by Abjuration spells. Shield, Absorb Elements, Counter Spell, Dispel Magic, and Banishment are your bread butter. Warlock Spells can be cast with Wizard slots. You cast AoA on yourself, that activates the AW.


Armor of Agathys: A protective magical force surrounds you, manifesting as a spectral frost that covers you and your gear. You gain 5 temporary hit points for the duration. If a creature hits you with a melee attack while you have these hit points, the creature takes 5 cold damage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, both the temporary hit points and the cold damage increase by 5 for each slot.

Arcane Ward: Starting at 2nd level, you can weave magic around yourself for protection. When you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, you can simultaneously use a strand of the spell’s magic to create a magical ward on yourself that lasts until you finish a long rest. The ward has a hit point maximum equal to twice your wizard level + your Intelligence modifier. Whenever you take damage, the ward takes the damage instead. If this damage reduces the ward to 0 hit points, you take any remaining damage.
While the ward has 0 hit points, it can’t absorb damage, but its magic remains. Whenever you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, the ward regains a number of hit points equal to twice the level of the spell.
Once you create the ward, you can’t create it again until you finish a long rest.

You move into melee combat. With the ward up, it protects the armor. Use your reaction to cast Shield, Absorb Elements, Counterspell, to protect and replenish the ward. Banishment and Dispel help the ward as well. Also cast Fire Shield, Flaming Sphere. Use battlefield control spells like Wall of Force, Web, Slow, and Polymorph. The Githyanki has Mage Hand, Jump, Misty step; to either get you out of trouble, or to the action quickly. Treantmonk's Temple on You-Tube designed the original concept. He had the Hexblade Warlock, with Hex and Booming Blade. I'm not counting on anything from XGoE being in BG3. I'll use HBW if it's available, if not oh well, this works. Besides, his version was more defensive than mine.