Welcome to the Best BG3 Gale Build. Many players find Gale frustrating to manage early on, often feeling he is too “squishy” or hesitant to use his biggest spells for fear of blowing up his own party members.

By optimizing Gale’s Evocation School subclass, we transform him from a fragile scholar into a tactical powerhouse.

This build utilizes the Sculpt Spells feature, allowing you to drop massive Fireballs and Ice Storms onto your teammates without harming them.

Table of Contents for the BG3 Gale Build:

  1. Gale Build – First Steps
    1. Recruiting Gale
    2. Wizard Summary
    3. Why Choose Evocation Subclass
    4. How to Respec Gale
  2. Gale Build Starting Point (Level 1)
    1. Race – Human
    2. Cantrips
    3. Spells
    4. Background & Skills
    5. Abilities
    6. Prepare Spells
  3. Gale Leveling Guide (2-12)
    1. Early Game (2-4)
    2. Mid Game (5-8)
    3. Late Game (9-12)
  4. Gale Build Equipment
    1. Early-Game
    2. Late-Game
  5. Gale Build Extra Info
    1. Tips & Tricks
    2. Best Party Composition
    3. Illithid Powers (Optional)

For more Wizard builds, visit our BG3 Wizard Builds page or explore the complete BG3 Builds Database. You can also check out our BG3 Builds Tier List to see which builds perform best.

Strengths and Weaknesses list for the Gale Evocation School Wizard Build:

Strengths

  • POWERFUL ST & AOE DAMAGE
  • ZERO FRIENDLY FIRE
  • GUARANTEED DAMAGE
  • CAN LEARN ALMOST ALL SPELLS
  • ARCANE RECOVERY
  • EARLY GAME & END GAME GEAR
  • HONOR MODE APPROVED

Weaknesses

  • GLASS-CANNON
  • SPELL SLOT DEPENDANT

BG3 Gale Build Overview

BG3 Gale Build Evocation - Baldur's Gate 3

Here is a quick overview of the Wizard class and the Evocation School subclass. We’ll also explain how to recruit Gale, and how & why to respec him. If you’re already familiar with this info, please skip this section.

Wizard Class Summary

The Wizard is the most astute spellcaster in Baldur’s Gate 3, with access to a huge array of spells. We take a look at most spells you get throughout the guide.

Arcane Recovery (Level 1)

  • You can spend Arcane Recovery Charges to recover spent Spell Slots.
  • You accumulate more Arcane Recovery Charges as you level up, and they are recovered during Long Rests.

Weapon Proficiencies

Weapon Proficiency with Daggers, Quarterstaves and Light Crossbows.

Why Choose The Evocation School Subclass for Gale

Gale’s base subclass is Evocation School. It is one of the strongest Wizard Subclasses and fits his playstyle. However, you can take a look at other subclasses in our BG3 Wizard Builds Database if you want.

The Wizard picks its subclass at level 2.

Evocation School focuses on enhancing Evocation Spells, the school that contains some of the strongest attacking spells in the game. This makes this Wizard variant arguably the best Wizard for raw damage potential and AoE capability.

Here are the most important features of the Evocation Wizard for Gale:

bg3 sculpt spells icon Sculpt Spells (Level 2)

  • Create pockets of safety in your Evocation Spells.
  • Allies take no damage from these spells and automatically succeed Saving Throws against them (Very OP).

bg3 potent cantrips icon Potent Cantrips (Level 6)

  • When a creature succeeds a Saving Throw against one of your Cantrips, it still takes half of the Cantrip’s damage.

bg3 empowered evocation icon Empowered Evocation (Level 10)

  • You add your Intelligence Modifier to any Damage Rolls on Evocation Spells.
  • With an Intelligence score of 20, this translates to +5 damage per roll.

How to unlock Gale

Recruiting Gale is quick and can be done minutes after the game begins.

  1. Location: Head to the Roadside Cliffs waypoint, located directly North-West of the starting beach where you woke up after the shipwreck.
  2. The Portal: Look for a glowing, purple Ancient Sigil Circle on a rock wall.
  3. The Interaction: Touch the portal. A dialogue will trigger where Gale’s hand reaches out for help.
  4. The Choice: Pass a simple Strength, Dexterity, or Magic check to pull him out. Once free, he will offer to join your party.

Warning: Be careful not to “slap the hand” or fail the checks repeatedly, or you may lose the chance to recruit him for the rest of the game!

How to Respec Gale

To unlock Gale’s full potential in Baldur’s Gate 3, you must respec him at your camp. If you are starting the game directly as origin story Gale, then you can skip this step.

Step 1: Unlock Withers (The Dank Crypt)

You need the NPC Withers to change classes. Find him early in Act 1:

Step 2: The Respec Process

Once Withers is at your camp, follow these steps:

  • Switch Character: Ensure you are controlling Gale (not your main character).
  • Talk to Withers: Select “Can you help me change my class?”
  • Cost: 100 Gold.
  • Class: Wizard
  • Subclass: Evocation Wizard (Selectable at level 2)

When to Respec? I recommend doing this at Level 4. This allows you to fix his starting Ability Scores and grab your first crucial Feat.

BG3 Gale Build Starting Point (Level 1)

Gale’s default starting stats are not optimal. To maximize this build, we strongly recommend visiting Withers at your camp to respec Gale. This allows you to fix his ability points and skills, turning him from a decent companion into a powerful caster.

  1. Race – Human
  2. Cantrips
  3. Spells
  4. Background & Skills
  5. Abilities
  6. Prepare Spells

Race

Gale is a Human, a race that is not especially well-suited to magical pursuits. But there is no way to change Gale’s race without modding the game, and the racial differences in Baldur’s Gate 3 are quite minor anyhow, so it’s not a big deal.

Gale gets the following bonuses from being a Human:

  • Can wear Light Armour and Shields (though these are not recommended for this build)
  • Extra Weapon Proficiencies:
    • Spears
    • Pikes
    • Halberds
    • Glaives
  • Human Versatility icon bg3Human Versatility
    • One unrestricted Skill choice
    • Increases Carrying Capacity by 25%

Starting Cantrips

The BG3 Gale build can choose three Cantrips to start the game with. Cantrips are basic spells that do not consume a spell slot when cast, effectively meaning you can cast them as often as you like without limitations.

We recommend choosing the following Cantrips to start the game with:

Fire Bolt

  • Hurl a mote of Fire, dealing 1-10 Fire Damage.
  • Use this as your main damage Cantrip.

Ray of Frost

  • Call forth a beam of Frost, reducing the target’s movement speed and dealing 1-8 Cold Damage.
  • Use this when you need to slow down an enemy.

Acid Splash

  • Hurl a bubble of Acid that deals 1-6 Acid Damage.
  • This has a small AOE, so it’s good to use when there are multiple enemies in a tight space.

Starting Spells

Wizards use a “Learn vs. Prepare” system. Here is the fast breakdown:

  • Learned Spells: You pick 6 spells at Level 1, but these are just in your “library.”
  • Prepared Spells: You can only use spells that are currently Prepared (initially 4 slots).
  • Swap Anytime: Outside of combat, you can open your spellbook and swap your Prepared Spells for free.

With that in mind, we recommend Learning the following spells:

Mage Armour

Essential Defensive Buff since Gale cannot wear traditional armor, this is your most important spell. It sets your Armor Class (AC) to 13 + Dexterity Modifier.

  • Duration: Lasts until your next Long Rest.

Pro-Tip: Cast this immediately after waking up at camp. It does not require “Concentration,” so it stays active even if you cast other big spells.

Magic Missile

Magic Missiles shoot three projectiles that each deal 2-5 Force Damage (Never Misses). This is arguably the most reliable spell in the game because it cannot miss.

  • Guaranteed Damage: Perfect for killing enemies with low HP or high Armor Class (AC) who are hard to hit with regular attacks.
  • Multiple Targets: You can aim all three missiles at one enemy or split them between different targets.
  • Level Scaling: As you level up and find gear, this becomes a top-tier boss killer.

Thunderwave

The “Cliff-Pusher” is arguably the best Level 1 combat spell. It deals 2-16 Thunder Damage in a cone and forcefully knocks enemies back.

  • Environmental Kills: Use this to blast enemies off ledges or cliffs for massive fall damage (or instant death).
  • Crowd Control: Excellent for clearing space if Gale gets surrounded by melee attackers.

Note: Be careful not to blast loot-heavy bosses into bottomless pits where you can’t reach their bodies!

Witch Bolt

Link yourself to an enemy with a high-damage lightning arc. It deals 1-12 Lightning Damage and allows you to reactivate the link for guaranteed damage on subsequent turns.

  • Efficiency: Once the initial hit connects, you can deal damage every turn without spending more spell slots.
  • Concentration: This requires you to maintain your Concentration. If Gale takes damage and fails a check, the link breaks.

Pro-Tip: Use this on high-HP targets like bosses to ensure steady, reliable damage throughout the fight.

Chromatic Orb

Hurl a Sphere of Energy, dealing 2-8 Thunder, Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Poison Damage (of your choice) and create a surface of that type.

  • Elemental Weakness: Perfect for targeting an enemy’s specific vulnerability (e.g., using Fire on a wooden creature).
  • Surface Control: Use Ice to make enemies slip and fall, or Acid to lower their Armor Class.

Pro-Tip: Throw a Lighting orb at an enemy standing in water for a massive Area-of-Effect (AoE) shock.

Grease

Creates a massive 8-meter pool of slippery grease that slows enemies down and can knock them Prone, ending their turn.

  • Crowd Control: Forcing enemies to fall down is a great way to waste their movement and make them easy targets.

Pro Tip: Grease is highly flammable. If enemies get stuck in it, follow up with a Fire Bolt or Fireball to ignite the surface for massive explosive damage.

Recommended Spells to prepare:

This will give you a good spell for any situation. Please keep in mind that if someone else in your party already uses something similar, swap it out for something else!

Background & Skills

Gale’s effectiveness relies on Intelligence (INT) and Dexterity (DEX).

Gale is locked into the Sage Background, which gives you two Skill Proficiencies:

  • Arcana (INT) – Recognise and interact with magical objects during your exploration.
  • History (INT) – Recall historical details about the world around you. It can sometimes open up additional dialogue options.

You can now choose two additional Skills to be Proficient with. Plus an extra one because Gale is Human and they get to pick one extra.

Recommended three skills to pick:

  • Investigation (INT) – You are better at noticing and deducing hidden details. Can open up extra dialogue options.
  • Religion (INT) – Recognise religious icons and recall details about religions that you may encounter on your adventure.
  • Acrobatics (DEX) It helps Gale resist being shoved off cliffs and reduces fall damage.

Ability Point Distribution

bg3 gale build starting abilities

In Baldur’s Gate 3, Gale joins your party with an ability distribution that is a little suboptimal in my opinion.

But when you respec Gale, you will also have the opportunity to fix this:

Strength – 8 Points

  • Improves jump distance and carry weight.

Dexterity – 16 Points

  • Vital for defense.
  • Since Gale wears robes, high Dex provides a higher Armor Class (AC) and helps him act earlier in combat.

Constitution – 14 Points

  • Increases Max HP.
  • Vital for Concentration Checks to keep spells active.

Intelligence – 16 Points

  • Your primary stat. Increases spell accuracy and damage.

Wisdom – 10 Points

  • Primary Stat.
  • Powers your spell accuracy and damage.

Charisma – 10 Points

  • Can be useful in social interactions.

Ability Points Why it matters
Strength 8 Not that important.
Dexterity 16 Vital for defense. Since Gale wears robes, high Dex provides a higher Armor Class (AC) and helps him act earlier in combat.
Constitution 14 Increases HP and helps Concentration checks for spells.
Intelligence 16 Your primary stat. Increases spell accuracy and damage.
Wisdom 10 Helps with saving throws, otherwise not that important.
Charisma 10 Can be useful in social interactions.

Prepare Spells for Gale

Like we already mentioned in the Spells section of this BG3 Gale Build, learning and preparing spells are different mechanics.

  • Learned Spells: You pick 6 spells at Level 1, but these are just in your “library.”
  • Prepared Spells: You can only use spells that are currently Prepared (initially 4 slots).
  • Swap Anytime: Outside of combat, you can open your spellbook and swap your Prepared Spells for free.

Recommended Spells to prepare:

This will give you a good spell for any situation. Please keep in mind that if someone else in your party already uses something similar, swap it out for something else!

BG3 Gale Leveling Guide (2-12)

We will now walk through the process of leveling up Gale in Baldur’s Gate 3. For ease of reading, we’ve split this part up into early, mid and late game leveling sections.

We’ve listed what we think are the strongest or most useful spells and cantrips to unlock at each level, but don’t shy away from experimenting with other spells.

  1. Early Game (2-4)
  2. Mid Game (5-8)
  3. Late Game (9-12)

Early-Game Leveling Process (2-4)

We will start with the early-game levels, 2-4.

Level 2 (Subclass Selection)

Gale Build Level 2 Subclass Select for Baldur's Gate 3

At Level 2, you need to choose your Subclass for the Gale build. The Wizard class has a total of 9 different subclasses (Abjuration, Evocation, Necromancy, Conjuration, Enchantment, Divination, Illusion, Transmutation and Bladesinging).

For this build, we’ll be going with the Evocation School, which allows you to learn spells from Evocation Scrolls for half of the gold cost and prevents your own Evocation Spells from harming your allies. Evocation spells focus elemental energy into powerful attacks and enchantments.

The full list of unlocks at this level:

Evocation Savant

  • Learn Evocation Spells from Scrolls for half the gold cost.

bg3 sculpt spells icon Sculpt Spells

  • Create pockets of safety in your Evocation Spells.
  • Allies take no damage from these spells and automatically succeed Saving Throws against them.

This is one of the most powerful passive features. This allows you to stack enemies close to allies and then blow them up, even if allies are in the blast radius, they won’t take damage.

Learn 2 more Spells:

New Spells

Tasha’s Hideous Laughter

  • If the target fails the Saving Throw, they are overcome with a laughing fit.
  • This is a “hard CC” effect that prevents the victim from doing anything.

Sleep

  • A great early-game stun spell.
  • It can put one or several enemies up to a HP limit into a magical slumber.
  • Saving Throws cannot block this spell, but the victim will wake up if they take damage, get Shoved or Helped.

What Spells To Slot: The “best” setup depends on your party. Rather than a locked list, we focus on what spells you should learn so you can swap your Prepared Spells depending on your playstyle!

Level 3

At Level 3, Gale gains another Arcane Recovery charge, increasing the number of Spell Slots he can replenish without needing a Long Rest.

You gain another level 1 spell slot and two level 2 slots. We recommend learning the following Spells:

New Spells

Cloud of Daggers

  • Deals AoE Slashing Damage and can be placed in tight areas where enemies have to get to you.
  • They will walk through it and get high damage.

Misty Step

  • Teleport to a valid location within 18 metres.
  • Only uses a Bonus Action, so you can attack on the same turn.

Level 4

At Level 4, it’s time to choose a Feat for Gale, this is a massive boost to his spellcasting power and also give you an extra prepared spell.

New Feat

  • Feat: Ability Improvement
  • Recommendation: Put both points into  Intelligence.
  • Result: Gale reaches 18  Intelligence, which increases his Spell Hit Chance and your Spell Save DC (making it harder for enemies to dodge your attacks).

You can also select another Cantrip; we recommend:

New Cantrip

Shocking Grasp

  • Melee Cantrip with Advantage against enemies with metal armour.
  • It applies the Shocked condition, preventing the victim from taking Reactions.
  • This can be used to help you run away from a melee heavy hitter without incurring an Opportunity Attack.
  • Ensure that Shocked was applied before running away, or you’ll still risk an opportunity attack.

You’ll be able to Learn 2 more Spells here, too.  We recommend picking up the following Spells:

New Spells

Enlarge/Reduce

  • A handy spell that allows you to Enlarge or Reduce the size of yourself or an ally.
  • Enlarged characters deal more damage in melee and are better at Strength Checks.
  • Smaller characters may be able to access small passageways to access hidden areas.
  • This works well if you have a melee heavy-hitter in your party, such as a Fighter, Barbarian or Paladin.

Hold Person

  • A powerful hard stun that completely paralyses a humanoid target, unless they succeed on a Saving Throw.
  • A victim of Hold Person will always take Critical Hits from melee attacks, making them very vulnerable to damage.
  • They will attempt a new Saving Throw at the start of each turn.

Mid-Game Leveling Process (5-8)

We’ll now go through the leveling process for the Gale Build at levels 5-8.

Level 5

At Level 5, your Proficiency Bonus is improved to +3, meaning you’ll now get a +3 bonus to all Skill rolls that your character has Proficiency for.

Your Arcane Recovery charge is increased to 3, too, again improving the amount of Spell Slots you can replenish with this ability.

You also unlock Third Level Spells at this level, too. Some First and Second-Level spells can be upcasted to the Third Level to make them more powerful.

As usual, you can choose two spells to Learn. We recommend:

New Spells

bg3 haste icon Haste

  • A Concentration Spell that grants the bg3 hastened icon Hasted buff to the target.
  • This gives them an extra bg3 action icon Action each turn, increases their Movement Speed and gives them Advantage on Dexterity saves.
  • Beware that when the effect ends, the target will become bg3 lethargic icon Lethargic, forcing them to skip one turn.
  • This is one of the most powerful spells in BG3. It is highly recommended to always have this as a prepared spell.

Fireball

  • This is a very powerful AOE spell, dealing 8-48 Fire Damage to everything in a 12-metre wide area, with a range of up to 18 metres.
  • Targets that perform a Saving Throw will still take half of the damage.

Level 6

At Level 6, your Gale gains the following new features:

  • bg3 potent cantrips icon Potent Cantrips – When a creature succeeds a Saving Throw against one of your Cantrips, it still takes half of the Cantrip’s damage.
  • Another Third Level Spell Slot, taking your total up to three.

Learn another two Spells. We recommend:

New Spells

Counterspell

  • Nullify another creature’s spell as a Reaction.
  • This is great for interrupting powerful enemy spells.
  • If the target spell is above Third Level, you must Upcast your Counterspell or pass a spell roll to block it.

bg3 stinking cloud icon Stinking Cloud

  • Create a cloud of gas so nauseating that it prevents creatures from taking Actions if they fail a Constitution Saving Throw.
  • This is a good spell for shutting down multiple weaker enemies.
  • Strong enemies will often succeed saving throws against this, as they have high Constitution.
  • But this is great for reducing the threat posed by minions.

Level 7

At Level 7, Gale unlocks the following:

  • Arcane Recovery Slots increased to 4.
  • Access to Fourth Level Spells.
  • One Fourth Level Spell Slot.

Learn two more Spells. We recommend choosing:

New Spells

Conjure Minor Elemental

  • This lets you conjure a Minor Elemental.
  • We prefer the Azer summon, but check out the others to see which one you like best.
  • Summoned creatures are great to have around because the AI will often waste their turns attacking them instead of your party members.
  • As a result, you deal more damage and take less damage.

Blight

  • Deals 8-64 Necrotic Damage to a single target.
  • Remember that Undead and Constructs are immune to Necrotic Damage.

Level 8

At Level 8, you can choose another Feat.

New Feat

  • Feat: Ability Improvement
  • Recommendation: Put both points into  Intelligence.
  • Result: Gale reaches 20  Intelligence, which increases his Spell Hit Chance and your Spell Save DC (making it harder for enemies to dodge your attacks).

Since you increased your Intelligence to 20, this time around you’ll get two new slots for Prepared Spells, instead of the usual one.

You can Learn two more Spells, as usual. Good options are:

New Spells

Dimension Door

  • Teleport yourself and one adjacent ally to a location within sight.
  • This is great for getting a couple of characters into an advantageous position or to escape from a dangerous one.

Confusion

  • An AoE Spell that causes those within to become Confused, randomly attacking, wandering around or passing their turn.
  • They can resist the effects with a Wisdom Saving Throw.

Late-Game Leveling Process (9-12)

Let’s finish off the leveling guide for the BG3 Gale Build by exploring the best options at levels 9-12.

Level 9

At Level 9 of your Gale Build in BG3, he gains access to even more powerful magic. You’ll unlock the following features here:

  • Arcane Recovery Slots increased to 5.
  • Another Fourth Level Spell Slot, giving you three in total.
  • One Fifth Level Spell Slot, and the ability to Learn and Prepare Fifth Level Spells.

Learn two more Spells. We recommend:

New Spells

Hold Monster

  • Paralyse a creature.
  • It can’t move, act or react.
  • Attacks from within 3 metres are always Critical Hits.
  • Lasts for up to 10 turns, as long as you maintain Concentration.
  • This is an upgraded version of Hold Person that can be used against any target.
  • You can unprepare Hold Person and replace it with this spell.

Conjure Elemental

  • With this, we can summon even more powerful creatures.

Level 10

At Level 10, you unlock the following:

  • Choose one more Cantrip. We already picked all the best options, so you can choose whatever you like here.
  • Unlock another Fifth Level Spell Slot, giving you two in total.

New Passive

bg3 empowered evocation icon Empowered Evocation

  • Your grasp of Evocation magic has tightened, and you can add your Intelligence Modifier to damage rolls with any Evocation spells.

Empowered Evocation is an extremely strong passive effect for the Evocation Wizard. Your Intelligence modifier is +5 now that you’ve increased your Intelligence to 20.

This means that every Evocation Damage Dice is guaranteed to roll at least a 6, and the maximum possible roll is also increased. Your Evocation spells will now hit extremely hard.

Learn two more Spells. We recommend:

New Spells

Cone of Cold

  • Make a flurry of frost, crisp air, and condensed snow crystals erupt from your hands.
  • Deals 8-64 Cold Damage to targets within 9 metres.

Cloudkill

  • Craft a large cloud that inflicts 5-40 Poison Damage per turn.
  • You can reposition the cloud every turn.
  • The cloud Heavily Obscures everything within it.
  • Requires Concentration.
  • Check for enemy resistance or immunity to Poison before casting this spell.

Level 11

At Level 11, you’ll gain access to the most powerful magic available in Baldur’s Gate 3, making Gale even stronger.

At this point, you’ll get:

  • Another Arcane Recovery Charge, bringing your total number to 6.
  • One Sixth Level Spell Slot, and the ability to learn Spells of this tier.

Learn two more Spells. We recommend choosing:

New Spells

bg3 chain lightning icon Chain Lightning

  • Strike an enemy with lightning.
  • Three more bolts will leap from the target, electrifying as many as three other enemies within range.
  • Deals 8-80 bg3 chain lightning icon Lightning Damage.
  • Damage is halved if the target Saves.

bg3 sunbeam icon Sunbeam

  • A beam of brilliant light sears and Blinds all creatures in its path, dealing 6-48 bg3 radiant icon Radiant Damage.
  • Until the spell ends, you can recast Sunbeam without expending a spell slot.
  • Requires Concentration.

Pro Tip: Sunbeam is great in tight areas and chokepoints, plus you get double damage against undead and unholy enemies.

Level 12 – Max Level

Max Level BG3 Gale Build

If you’ve made it to this point, then you’ve now reached the maximum level with your Gale Build in Baldur’s Gate 3. Congratulations!

At Level 12, Gale unlocks the following:

New Feat

  • Feat: War Caster
  • Advantage on Concentration: You are now much less likely to lose your spells when taking damage.
  • Shocking Grasp Reaction: You can now use a magical reaction to “zap” enemies who try to run away from you, preventing them from escaping your damage aura.

Learn two more Spells. We recommend:

New Spells

Wall of Ice

  • High damage Spell that raises a wall of solid ice that deals Cold Damage to nearby creatures and blocks movement.
  • Covers a huge area, and you can decide where it is placed.

bg3 otilukes freezing sphere icon Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere

  • Create a ball of churning ice that can be launched instantly to generate a frosty explosion or stored for later use.

On a final note, if you’re really struggling to keep your party alive in the late game, you can instead replace one of these spells with bg3 globe of invulnerability icon Globe of Invulnerability. This creates a 6 metre area that makes all creatures and objects within immune to damage for three turns. But beware that enemies inside the sphere can also gain the buff.

Gale Build Equipment for Baldur’s Gate 3

Best BG3 Gale Build Equipment

In this section, we will outline the best equipment recommendations for Gale in BG3.

We have included both an early game and a late game section for equipment, so you can use this build no matter how far through the game you are.

Don’t worry if you don’t have all of the listed equipment, and feel free to try out different items and combinations too. This is just a guideline and the build can still work great with some of the equipment changed.

Early-Game Gear for Gale

Early-Game equipment is available in Act I and the earlier parts of Act II. It is generally less powerful than the late-game version of the build.

However, there are still some really handy items you can find fairly early in your BG3 playthrough.

Slot Icon Item Effects Location
Head the shadespell circlet icon bg3 The Shadespell Circlet
  • When obscured in Shadow, gain +1 Spell Save DC
 Sold by Omeluum in the Underdark, after helping him to investigate the Parasite
Cloak cloak of protection Icon BG3 Cloak of Protection
  • +1 to Armour Class and Saving Throws
 Purchased from Quartermaster Talli in Last Light Inn
Chest the protecty sparkswall icon bg3 The Protecty Sparkswall
  • +1 to Spell Save DC
  • +1 to Armour Class and Saving Throws if you have at least 1 Lightning Charge
 Looted from a gilded chest at the far end of the trapped bridge in Grymforge
Gloves Bracers of Defence Icon BG3 Bracers of Defence
  • +2 to Armour Class, if you have no armour or shield equipped
 Looted from a gilded chest in the secret area of the Apothecary’s Cellar
Boots boots of genial striding icon BG3 Boots of Genial Striding
  • You cannot be slowed down by Difficult Terrain
 Sold by Blurg in the Myconid Colony
Necklace pearl of power amulet icon bg3 Pearl of Power Amulet
  • Recover a Spell Slot up to Third Level, once per Long Rest
 Sold by Omeluum in the Myconid Colony
Ring 1 ring of protection Icon BG3 Ring of Protection
  • +1 to Armour Class and Saving Throws
 Steal the Sacred Idol in Druid Grove (quest)
Ring 2 crushers ring icon bg3 Crusher’s Ring
  • +3 metres Movement Speed per turn
 Dropped by Crusher in the Goblin Camp
Main Weapon the spellsparkler icon bg3 The Spellsparkler
  • Gain 2 Lightning Charges when you deal damage with a Spell or Cantrip
  • Each charge has a +1 bonus to Attack Rolls and +1 bonus Lightning Damage on attacks
  • Reaching 5 charges consumes them all to deal 1d8 bonus Lightning Damage
 Rescue Counsellor Florrick from the fire in Waukeen’s Rest
Second Weapon Any
  • You can equip any Ranged Weapon that you have Profiency with
  • We’ll usually use Cantrips, so won’t get much use out of this weapon
 N/A

Head: the shadespell circlet icon bg3The Shadespell Circlet

  • When obscured in Shadow, gain +1 Spell Save DC.
  • Location: Sold by Omeluum in the Underdark, after helping him to investigate the Parasite.

Cloak: cloak of protection Icon BG3Cloak of Protection

  • +1 to Armour Class and Saving Throws.
  • Location: Purchased from Quartermaster Talli in Last Light Inn.

Chest: the protecty sparkswall icon bg3The Protecty Sparkswall

  • +1 to Spell Save DC.
  • +1 to Armour Class and Saving Throws if you have at least 1 Lightning Charge.
  • Location: Looted from a gilded chest at the far end of the trapped bridge in Grymforge X: -645 Y: 360.

Gloves: Bracers of Defence Icon BG3Bracers of Defence

  • +2 to Armour Class, if you have no armour or shield equipped.
  • Location: Looted from a gilded chest in the secret area of the Apothecary’s Cellar.

Boots: boots of genial striding icon BG3Boots of Genial Striding

  • You cannot be slowed down by Difficult Terrain.
  • Location: Sold by Blurg in the Myconid Colony.

Necklace: pearl of power amulet icon bg3Pearl of Power Amulet

  • Recover a Spell Slot up to Third Level, once per Long Rest.
  • Location: Sold by Omeluum in the Myconid Colony.

Ring 1: ring of protection Icon BG3Ring of Protection

  • +1 to Armour Class and Saving Throws.
  • Location: Steal the Sacred Idol in Druid Grove (quest).

Ring 2: crushers ring icon bg3Crusher’s Ring

  • +3 metres Movement Speed per turn.
  • Location: Dropped by Crusher in the Goblin Camp.

Main Weapon: the spellsparkler icon bg3The Spellsparkler

  • Gain 2 Lightning Charges when you deal damage with a Spell or Cantrip.
  • Each charge has a +1 bonus to Attack Rolls and +1 bonus Lightning Damage on attacks.
  • Reaching 5 charges consumes them all to deal 1d8 bonus Lightning Damage.
  • Location: Rescue Counsellor Florrick from the fire in Waukeen’s Rest.

Second Weapon: Any

  • You can equip any Ranged Weapon that you have Profiency with.
  • We’ll usually use Cantrips, so won’t get much use out of this weapon.

Late-Game Equipment

The table below shows the recommended late/end-game setup for the Gale. In the late-game there are many more gear options available, so we can now put more emphasis on improving Gale’s Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls.

Slot Icon Item Effects Location
Head hood of the weave Icon BG3 Hood of the Weave
  • Gain +2 Spell Save DC at all times
 Sold by Mystic Carrion in Philgrave’s Mansion
Cloak cloak of the weave Icon BG3 Cloak of the Weave
  • +1 to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls
 Sold by Helsik at the Devil’s Fee, once her special stock is unlocked
Chest robe of the weave icon bg3 Robe of the Weave
  • +2 Armour Class
  • +1 Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls
  • Whenever you succeed a Saving Throw against a spell, restore 1d6 HP
 Inside a Globe of Invulnerability in Ramazith’s Tower
Gloves helldusk gloves Icon BG3 Helldusk Gloves
  • +1 to Strength Saving Throws
  • +1 to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls
  • Rays of Fire (Unique Cantrip)
 Dropped by Haarlep in the House of Hope.
Boots helldusk boots Icon BG3 Helldusk Boots
  • You cannot be forcefully moved by enemy Spells or Actions
  • You’re immune to Difficult Terrain
  • You can use a Reaction to succeed a Saving Throw that you were about to fail
 Looted from a locked gilded chest on the top floor of Wyrm’s Rock Fortress
Necklace spellcrux amulet icon bg3 Spellcrux Amulet
  • Recover a Spell Slot of any level, once per Long Rest
  • Can be used in combat, and only requires a Bonus Action
 Looted from the Warden in Moonrise Towers Prison
Ring 1 ring of protection Icon BG3 Ring of Protection
  • +1 to Armour Class and Saving Throws
 Steal the Sacred Idol in Druid Grove (quest)
Ring 2 ring of feywild sparks icon bg3 Ring of Feywild Sparks
  • +1 to Spell Save DC
 Carried by Auntie Ethel in The Blushing Mermaid – Basement
Main Weapon markoheshir Icon BG3 Markoheshkir
  • +1 to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls
  • Arcane Battery – Cast any spell for free, once per Long Rest
  • Kereska’s Favour, once per Long Rest
 Found inside a Globe of Invulnerability in Ramazith’s Tower
Second Weapon Any
  • You can equip any Ranged Weapon that you have Profiency with
  • We’ll usually use Cantrips, so won’t get much use out of this weapon
 N/A

Head: hood of the weave Icon BG3Hood of the Weave

  • Gain +2 Spell Save DC at all times.

Location: Sold by Mystic Carrion in Philgrave’s Mansion.

Cloak: cloak of the weave Icon BG3Cloak of the Weave

  • +1 to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls.

Location: Sold by Helsik at the Devil’s Fee, once her special stock is unlocked.

Chest: robe of the weave icon bg3Robe of the Weave

  • +2 Armour Class.
  • +1 Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls.
  • Whenever you succeed a Saving Throw against a spell, restore 1d6 HP.

Location: Inside a Globe of Invulnerability in Ramazith’s Tower.

Gloves: helldusk gloves Icon BG3Helldusk Gloves

  • +1 to Strength Saving Throws.
  • +1 to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls.
  • Rays of Fire (Unique Cantrip).

Location: Dropped by Haarlep in the House of Hope.

Boots: helldusk boots Icon BG3Helldusk Boots

  • You cannot be forcefully moved by enemy Spells or Actions.
  • You’re immune to Difficult Terrain.
  • You can use a Reaction to succeed a Saving Throw that you were about to fail.

Location: Looted from a locked gilded chest on the top floor of Wyrm’s Rock Fortress.

Necklace: spellcrux amulet icon bg3Spellcrux Amulet

  • Recover a Spell Slot of any level, once per Long Rest.
  • Can be used in combat, and only requires a Bonus Action.

Location: Looted from the Warden in Moonrise Towers Prison.

Ring 1: ring of protection Icon BG3Ring of Protection

  • +1 to Armour Class and Saving Throws.

Location: Steal the Sacred Idol in Druid Grove (quest).

Ring 2: ring of feywild sparks icon bg3Ring of Feywild Sparks

  • +1 to Spell Save DC.

Location: Carried by Auntie Ethel in The Blushing Mermaid – Basement.

Main Weapon: markoheshir Icon BG3Markoheshkir

  • +1 to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls.
  • Arcane Battery – Cast any spell for free, once per Long Rest.
  • Kereska’s Favour, once per Long Rest.

Location: Found inside a Globe of Invulnerability in Ramazith’s Tower.

Second Weapon: Any

  • You can equip any Ranged Weapon that you have Profiency with.
  • We’ll usually use Cantrips, so won’t get much use out of this weapon.

markoheshir Icon BG3Markoheshkir Additional Info

A Legendary quarterstaff, markoheshir Icon BG3 Markoheshkir is one of the strongest weapons in the game for “full spellcaster” characters like Gale. It gives several bonuses:

  • +1 bonus to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls
  • Arcane Battery: Once per Long Rest, remove the Spell Slot cost of your next spell.

Kereska’s Favour

Gain a special elemental buff of your choice until your next Long Rest, unlocking a special buff and new abilities. This is especially good because it doesn’t require Concentration. You can choose from the following variants:

Sizzling Cataclysm

Gain 50% Resistance to Acid Damage. Can cast Melf’s Acid Arrow and Hunger of Hadar once per Short Rest. Acid Spells deal extra Acid Damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you deal Spell damage, you inflict 1 turn of Noxious Fumes, causing nearby creatures to take 1d4 Acid Damage per turn.

Deadlier than Arsenic

Gain 50% Resistance to Poison Damage. Can cast Cloudkill and Ray of Sickness once per Short Rest. Poison Spells deal extra Poison Damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you deal Spell damage, you inflict 1 turn of Poisoned on the target, causing Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Ability Checks.

Bone-Shaking Thunder

Gain 50% Resistance to Thunder Damage. Can cast Shatter and Destructive Wave once per Short Rest. Thunder Spells deal extra Thunder Damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you deal Spell damage, you inflict 1 turn of Reverberation on the target, causing a -1 penalty to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution Saving Throws.

Bolts of Doom

Gain 50% Resistance to Lightning Damage. Can cast Chain Lightning and Lightning Bolt once per Short Rest. Lightning Spells deal extra Lightning Damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you deal Spell damage, you gain 1 Lightning Charge.

Frost of Dark Winter

Gain 50% Resistance to Cold Damage. Can cast Cone of Cold and Ice Storm once per Short Rest. Cold Spells deal extra Cold Damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you deal Spell damage, you inflict 1 turn of Encrusted with Frost, causing Disadvantage on Dexterity Saving Throws and possibly Freezing the target if they reach 7 stacks.

Flame of Wrath

Gain 50% Resistance to Fire Damage. Can cast Fireball and Wall of Fire once per Short Rest. Fire Spells deal extra Fire Damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you deal Spell damage, you gain 1 turn of Heat, causing you to take 1d4 Fire Damage per turn but allowing you to use Heat Convergence to convert your Heat stacks to bonus Fire damage on your next attack.

Gale Build Extra Info

Below is some additional info that will help you to play this BG3 Gale Build.

Gale Build Tips & Tricks for Baldur’s Gate 3

Let’s dive into some great tips and tricks for the BG3 Gale Build.

1. Mastering Positioning

  • High Ground: Always aim for the high ground to get a +2 bonus to your Attack Rolls.
  • Avoid Melee: Being near enemies gives you Disadvantage on spells. Use Misty Step to teleport away or Thunderwave to blast them back.
  • Don’t Run Blindly: If you move out of an enemy’s reach, they get an “Opportunity Attack.” Use the Disengage action if you are low on health.

2. Damage Efficiency

  • The “Overkill” Rule: Don’t save your big AoE spells (like Fireball or Shatter) only for groups. If a single high-priority target needs to die now, blast them.
  • Fallbacks: If you are out of spell slots, use Fire Bolt. Only use your melee weapon as a last resort.

3. The Power of Haste

The bg3 haste icon Haste spell is the strongest buff in the game. It grants an extra Action every turn.

  • Best Targets: Cast it on heavy hitters like Karlach or Lae’zel to let them attack an additional time this turn.
  • Self-Buff: You can cast it on Gale to let him fire off two massive spells in a single round.
  • Warning: If Gale loses Concentration, the Hasted ally becomes “Lethargic” and skips their next turn. Keep Gale safe!

4. Secret Haste Items

Keep an eye out for gear that grants Haste without using a spell slot:

Best Party Composition for Gale

Gale has a Neutral Good alignment at the start of the game. Gale’s alignment is quite rigid and can’t be influenced much by the player. However, he is more open to working with evil characters than other good-aligned companions (as long as they don’t go too far).

While you can use any party composition with Gale, you’ll have an easier time with characters who match up with his alignment. This leaves the following four options as the most obvious choices:

bg3 halsin icon Halsin (Neutral Good)

  • Halsin shares Gale’s neutral good alignment, and they both have an affinity for magic, so they work quite well together.

bg3 wyll icon Wyll (Lawful Good)

  • Despite his otherworldly pact, Wyll typically maintains a lawful good alignment throughout the game.
  • This goes well with Gale, and you shouldn’t have any problems keeping a positive rapport with both characters by simply being kind.

bg3 karlach icon Karlach (Chaotic Good)

  • Karlach is a very emotional character who can sometimes have outbursts, in contrast to Gale’s calm demeanour.
  • Nevertheless, both characters tend towards the same moral direction in most cases, so they get along well enough.

Shadowheart (Neutral Evil or True Neutral)

  • Shadowheart starts the game with a very neutral alignment, and can be influenced towards a good or evil alignment based on the player’s choices.
  • Shadowheart can’t become evil enough to truly upset Gale, even if you pursue her darker path.

Gale Build Illithid Powers (optional)

BG3 Illithid Powers Skill tree

Illithid Powers are unlocked later in BG3 when you learn more about Mind Flayers and Tadpoles. By eating Jars of Mind Flayer Parasites you gain one point.

This is another optional skill tree that you can get access to if you want. Here are some of the best Illithid Powers for the BG3 Gale Build:

 Concentrated Blast

  • Allows you to deal extra damage to a target when you are Concentrating on a spell.
  • Potentially also healing if the target is Concentrating too.

 Cull the Weak

  • When you reduce a creature’s hit points below a certain threshold, this power instantly kills it and deals 1-4 Psychic Damage to nearby enemies.
  • This is particularly effective when engaging groups of weaker foes, enabling you to thin their numbers rapidly.
  • You have quite a few AoE spells, which are pretty good at activating this effect.

 Fly

  • This can be used to reach hard to get to places or change positions in combat.

 Black Hole

  • This power creates an area-based effect that pulls in and slows targets.
  • It’s particularly useful for crowd control, allowing you to cluster enemies together for area-of-effect attacks or to isolate them from vulnerable allies.

 Psionic Backlash

  • This is a top-tier Reaction from the Illithid Powers skill tree in BG3.
  • This allows you to deal Psychic Damage when a nearby enemy casts a spell.
  • This is especially useful if the target is casting a Concentration Spell.
  • The damage from Psionic Backlash can immediately break their Concentration, ending the spell’s effects.