Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Help Tips & Tricks What to do with Gale at 4th lvl

I hope this is the correct section ... and the subject not beaten to death yet
Party:
- Shadowheart, Layzel, Gale and CHARNAME
Charname is a Drow and Oathbreaker - I do not like the LG (or thereabouts) limitation.

Am edging to 4th level.
I've made up my mind as to three of my characters.
Miss Raging Hormones - Lay'Zeal, and my Swole Drow Beefcake get the stat upgrades to their odd number melee related Attributes.

I'm fairly sure that I want "Skilled" (and the 17INT headband I've looted from the Ogre) for Miss Dark, Mysterious and Dangerous to Know - Shadowheart.
As the Party Sapper she will get Proficiencies in Perception (to find the traps before they find her :)) plus Nature. This way between her and Gale I've got all INT Skills covered, all at +5 for combined Proficiency and Attribute bonuses.
Three WIZ Skills available - Animal Handling (pass), Medicine and Survival .
Either I am missing something but Medicine seems to have 100% success rate when Assisting 0HP comrades hence I'm leaning towards Survival.
As she's got decent DEX - Acrobatics?

Now, what to do with Gale?
As we know a Wizard, with:
STR 9 INT* 16
DEX 14 WIS 11
CON 15 CHA 13

Is INT 18 at such a low level game worthwhile?
Increase CON and WIS for the +1 to Saving Throws there?
CHA based skills are covered by my CHA 16 Paladin, whose skillset includes Persuasion and Intimidation
Light Armour Proficiency to free up a Spell Slot? One can never have too many Fireballs ...
This would eliminate the need for Gale to cast Mage Armour on himself and provide (more or less) the same protection. As LAP comes with +1 STR this would increase his loot carrying capacity (partly offset by weight of armour)?
However, 18INT would give him that extra spell anyway ... and increase spell lethality (?).
Magic Initiate - Cleric? For extra spellcasting.
Or Magic Initiate - Warlock? Are these spells regained at Short Rest?
What about "Tough" for the 8/10 HP boost?
16DEX for boost to AC, Saving Throws and crossbow shots "when you run out of spells"?

Increasing INT is never a bad option. It will allow you to keep up with increasing enemy AC/saves and thus hit more often. To clarify, more Int would allow you to *prepare* an additional spell, not cast an additional spell per long rest.

Increasing CON and WIS is also a great option, especially as there aren't currently any(?) wisdom or constitution-related half-feats in BG3.

Light Armor Proficiency would be a fine option in tabletop, but less so in BG3. BG3 has armor with class-specific benefits: magical robes for casters that grant bonuses to spells. So you probably wouldn't want Gale to wear Light Armor. Also, a single first level spell slot per day isn't that large of a cost at higher levels.

You get half the benefit of Tough (plus more benefits) just by putting a point in CON, so I wouldn't recommend it.

Increasing Dex is also good, but personally I think increasing INT or CON+WIS is just better. "Offense is the best defense" or "two is better than one." Plus, with cantrips (and the ability to freely long rest in BG3), you'll never run out of spells and need to use a crossbow.

Depends ...
Do you play often as her rather than your char?

The only skill your followers are actually using is Perception ...
Anything else is only for curently controlled party member.

Same coment as abowe.

There is no skill check ...
As it is now, Help is instant guaranted return to 1HP.

Yes.

Possible ... but Int is still better.
Not many enemies bother with CC.

Indeed ...
But there is no reason for casting Mage Armor with level 3 spellslot, since it dont upscale. :-/
Also, there is lots and lots of scrolls with mage armor to cover each encounter.

Yes.

I think those spells should be casted with Wisdom ... that dont sound effective.

I dont think so, no.
But if you dont use any Concentration spells, you can allways take Hex and Eldrich Blast ... but then, why dont play Warlock instead.

In my experience enemies in EA either crush you like a bug ... or you crush them with simmilar lack of difficiulty.
So ... not worth it.

When you run out of spellslots ... you start casting Cantrips ... no Crossbow is as strong as Firebolt.

Thank you, Good People!

And ... unless Party Leaders the Companions only use Perception?
I was fairly certain that I "saw" them "rolling" for History (Dank Crypt) and Religion (Selune Chapel in Owlbear Nest) - but I could had been seeing things

Or i made misstake ... wouldnt be first, nor last time.

Happens to the best of us

+2 for Int. I agree with everyone else, it's the best choice for Gale. Spell hit, damage, saving throws etc...

However, if Warcaster was an option I would go for that.

As a caster, his main thing is to ensure that his spell slots are used as effectively as possible. That would require his spell DC to be as high as possible. Go +2 INT.

OK - I get it, +2 INT it is then