Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Build Discussion Knowledge of Ages and Astral Knowledge with skills

Hi All,

I want to make a highly skill non-combat skill based character. I was thinking of going for a Githyanki Lore Bard with some Knowledge Cleric so I can get Astral Knowledge, Knowledge of the Ages and all the skills and expertise that come with being a Bard.

Can someone answer how proficiencies work in conjunction with Astral Knowledge and/or Knowledge of the Age? Also what happens if you use Astoral Knowledge and Knowledge of the Ages on the attribute? How does the stacking work?

Those abilities are supposed to give you proficiency, and I don't think it lets you gain expertise. But I don't know for sure.

Yes, but what happens if you already have proficiencies or expertise in that areas? Does it do nothing or stack?

It would be easy to find out, but my guess would be no.

Proficiency is a binary thing. You either have it or you don't. There's no stacking.

Astral Knowledge and Knowledge of the Ages simply allow you to gain proficiency in all skills of a chosen attribute. For example, using Astral Knowledge on say, Dexterity would grant proficiency in Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand and Stealth.

Using both Astral Knowledge and Knowledge of the Ages for the same attribute does nothing. You will still just have proficiency in the associated skills.

The same is true for using one of those abilities for an attribute that you already have proficiency in a skill for due to your class proficencies.

Astral Knowledge and Knowledge of the Ages only stacks in so far as you can utilize both of them on different attributes at the same time. For example, using Astral Knowledge for Intelligence and Knowledge of the Ages for Wisdom.

With the final point to note is that since these abilities are not permanent, you will not be able to utilize them to provide access for Expertise in a particular skill as part of Bard's level up perks (On 3rd and 10th level), you will only be able to select any skills you selected on character creation (Or Withers respec).

As such, the most skillful character possible would be Githyanki 3 Lore Bard, 2 Knowledge Cleric, 2 Warlock and 1 Rogue.

- Baseline Bard grants 3 proficiencies (And 1 Expertise)
- Rogue grants 1 extra proficiency (And 2 Expertise)
- College of Lore grants 3 additional proficiencies
- Githyanki and Knowledge Cleric abilties can grant 5 proficiencies each (Intelligence and Wisdom both contain 5 skills)
- Beguiling Influence Warlock Invocation provides Proficiency in Persuasion and Deception

This would allow you to gain proficiency in every single skill and have Experitse in 3 skills. For a bonus, you can wear The Graceful Cloth clothes to gain Advantage in all Dexterity checks (Including all 3 Dexterity skills).

Without the Warlock levels, it would still be possible to be proficient in all but one skill.