Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Build Discussion Wizard Necromancer build tips

What are the best option for creation and building pure wizard necromancer?
For race i chose high elf and for background dark urge, but what about Abilities, spells, gear etc.?
For my Abilities it's like 8 14 16 17 10 8
I've never play pure wizard before, and my build for Gale was pretty straightfoward for his evocation class - first level spells is basic magic missle and armor, sleep, thunderwave and chromatic orb, for my necromage i chose also false life and ray of sickness, is that a valid option? For 2 lvl spells for evocation gale i chose scorching ray and cloud of daggers, that was my only option, what chose for necromancer? Also cloud of daggers, schorching ray or maybe some alternatives like Melf's acid arrow?
Also the question is what is the best robe for this build because it depends on walkthrough, one say that is a Potent robe, the other one is Moon from Isobel. So is the way to get them is knocking out Alfira as Dark Urge, save the tieflings and then kill the Isobel? The necromancer subclass due to association must provide evil walkthrough but i don't know if this forth it because during this path i'm also lose Dammon and possibly other vendors with unique items. For now i know only that poisoner robe will provide more poison damage.

This is my personal build as a Durge Drow Half Illithid Necromancer. Tho I have all Illithid powers and innate flying, I'm not gonna bother listing.

Wizard - Necromancer

Stats
STR = 8 + (Stat Potion +2)
DEX = 15 + (Ability +1)
CON = 14
INT = 17 + (Ability +3)
WIS = 10
CHA = 10

Feats
Lvl 04 = Warcaster
Lvl 08 = Ability Improvement +2 (+1 DEX, +1 INT)
Lvl 12 = Ability Improvement +2 (+2 INT)

Cantrips
Fire Bolt (learned from scroll)
Mage Hand
Poison Spray
Acid Splash
Blade Ward
Ray of Frost (learned from scroll)
Minor Illusion (can cast while invisible)
Shocking Grasp (learned from scroll)
Bone Chill (learned from scroll)

Spells
Mage Armor - Raises AC to 13 + DEX modifier until long rest
Shield - Raises AC by 5 as a reaction for 1 turn
Magic Missle - Shoot 3 magical darts dealing 2-5 force damage each, 1 extra dart per spell level, always hits!
Mirror Image - Increase AC by 3 per illusion for 10 turns, dispels one illusion per miss (+9, +6, +3)
Misty Step - Teleport within view (avoids melee reactions)
Counterspell - Try to stop spell being cast as a reaction
Slow - Target 6 creatures, lowers movement and AC for 10 turns
Fireball - deals 8-48 fire damage in a 60ft. radius
Sleet Storm - Breaks concentration of spellcasters, douses fires, creates an ice surface for 10 turns
Cloudkill - Inflict 5-40 poison damage per turn in a 60ft. radius, reposition cloud each turn, lasts 10 turns
Conjure Elemental - Conjures elemental ally
Disintegrate - Shoot a green ray dealing 50-100 force damage to a single target, turns to ash if killed this way
Create Undead - Raise a mummy
Shatter - Deal 3-24 thunder damage in a 20ft. radius, inorganics recieve disadvantage on saving throw.
Curriculum of Strategy: Artistry of War - Summons 6 apparitions, each deal 8-18 force damage
Phantasmal Killer - deals 4-40 psychic damage per turn to a single target, target cannot move and has disadvantages on ability checks and attack rolls, lasts 10 turns

Innates
Inured to Undeath (Necromancer) - necrotic resistance, half damage from magical and non magical necrotic damage
Animate Undead (Necromancer) - Raise 1-4 zombies or 1-4 skeleton archers or 1-2 ghouls or 1-2 flying ghouls
Darkvision (Drow) - see in dark areas up to 24m
Darkness (Drow) - create a blinding darkness in a 60ft. radius
Volo's Ersatz Eye - see invisible creatures within 9m
Githzerai Mind Barrier - gain advantage on INT saving throws
Loviatar's Love - when below 30% HP, gain +2 to attack rolls and saving throws for 3 turns
Tasha's Hideous Laughter - leave a creature prone for 10 turns, targeted creature must have 5 INT or more
Sweet Stone Features - +1d4 to attack rolls and saving throws
Slayer Form (Durge only)

Necromancy of Thay
Speak with Dead - allows 5 questions from certain corpses
Danse Macabre - summons 4 berserking ghouls
Tharchiate Vigour - +20 temp HP, renews after long rest

Gear
Hood of the Weave
The Deathstalker Mantle (Durge only)
Robe of the Weave
Bonespike Boots
Bracers of Defence
Ring of Blink
Shapeshifter's Boon Ring
Necklace of Elemental Augmentation
Markoheskir (Staff)
Hellfire Hand Crossbow

I wanted to add one more note. As a Durge I killed Karlach for the Infernal Robe, it was my Robe for the majority of the game bc it gives a +1 to AC as well as fire resistance. Tho you can survive without it.

Keep in mind there are a lot of things resistant to poison and acid, so there will be situations where those spells will be useless, especially in act 2 because most things are undead, i mostly used fire in act 2. In my early levels I would use Ray of Sickness or Melf's Acid Arrow from a staff but it wasn't always useful. Magic Missile works on everything and never misses and just like any spell with damage, they have a stronger version per spell level.

I advise to improvise until you reach your ultimate goal. The best stuff is in act 3.


For other gear. Google it and check out wiki pages.

Alternative Option
If you get the hag hair and not respec your wizard. Doing so can cause you to lose the hag bonus as of patch 3. Dunno if this has been fixed yet.

Stats
STR = 8 + (Stat Potion +2)
DEX = 15 + (Resilient +1)
CON = 14
INT = 17 + (Hag Hair +1)(Ability +2)
WIS = 10
CHA = 10

Feats
Lvl 04 = Warcaster
Lvl 08 = Resilient: Dexterity (+1 DEX)
Lvl 12 = Ability Improvement (+2 INT)

Be sure to do any needed respecs prior to applying the hag hair for possible bug on respecing afterwards.