Leftie Spellblades have more fun in Baldur's Gate 3 | Build

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Check out my Reshade preset over here!: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fH_Fp5augM6ieqM

[@cthulhuwu_]

Congrats on instantly distinguishing yourself from other build channels I’ve seen. I always enjoy when a creator takes the time to explain their approach and thought process and not just rattle off the most broken abilities and items

[@devv197]

I love how this build “comes online” really early on. Level 4 for this build is akin to level 5 for a pure fighter. And once you start putting in Wizard levels you can really start to go crazy. Im gonna use this on my next playthrough.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Its a lot of fun! Especially if you stack up some scrolls to use until you can get enough wizard levels for some meaningful spells

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Okay, so I am in Act 3 and Ive finally realized the power of scrolls. Honestly, scrolls are so strong that its probably worth it to just go two levels into Evocation Wizard, and then put the rest of your levels into Rogue. I haven't tested it, but scrolls are nutty strong on this build when wearing the Helmet of Arcane Acuity.

[@pancakes4193]

Man, as someone who has been *obsessed* with BG3 and has consumed dozens of build channels I'm very excited to see what you can bring to the table. Your philosophy on builds especially with regards to most of said videos focus on the lategame is very astute. You also really know what you're talking about and I can tell that effort and research was put into this video despite only being less than 15 minutes long. I see that this is your first BG3 build video so I'm definitely sat for more!

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

I appreciate it! I cant promise a lot of builds because Ive got other games and series to work on! But i do have some more bg3 content planned

[@Daggoth65]

I would Like to introduce you to the Swords Bard 8, Thief 4 Build, Two Offhand Attacks, Two Main Hand attacks, 4th Level Spells, Fighting Style, Medium Armor, Battlemaster like Manuvers that recharge on short rest, Doesn't miss any Feats/ASIs, Double Expertise, and High Charisma for being the face of the party, a third short rest. Start one level Bard, then Three Rogue for Thief (Or go 3 bard first for the fighting style) Your build is a little stronger true at level 1 but this build never feels weak even on Tactician.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Yea Ive heard nothing but good things about the swords bard, which low key makes me not want to play it 😂😂😂. On this character, I actually WANT low charisma for the face because winning all of your dialogue checks is a little too strong, makes it feel like everything always goes your way which keeps you out of some really fun and sticky situations. I played a Warlock last time around and saw a lot of cool charisma options, but now I want something a little different.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Oh one thing you will lose (or get via a feat) is constitution saving throw proficiency which is verrry nice to have, especially early on with the spidersilk armor and haste/enlarge scrolls.

[@abra2133]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming i recommend trying bard out not only because swords is fun, but because the class dialogue options are amazing. drow bard is the most dialogue options you can get with any race/class combo

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

I played disguised as a drow warlock last run and had a lot of fun with unique dialogue!

[@erikamelsbach2270]

Honestly 2 levels of Paladin adds a lot more power to Bard than an additional bonus action

[@KiraAotsuki]

As a lefty who loves spellblades, words cannot express how happy i am to stumble across this build! Thank you!

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Aww! Im glad it might be able to help represent you in game!

[@MistyKathrine]

Fun fact: If you play as an Astarion or Shadowheart Origin, you get to pick which mage cantrip you want during the character "creation" screen. This video is definitely something to consider for those interested in playing as one of those characters.

[@Gamer_Cafe]

Yes, because they are high elves/high half elves like this video explains. All origin characters follow the same creation rules as the player character. So wyll as a human gets an extra proficiency and extra carry weight.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

This would be a great build for shadowheart! You cant change it with a respec though right?

[@Daggoth65]

Sadly no, Because you cant swap Race stuff in the Respec menu and the cantrip comes from their race @@CreativeExcusesGaming

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@@Daggoth65 thats what I thought. Big bummer! But this would still work well for a respeced shadowheart as a ranged variant with firebolt -> two hand crossbow attacks. The hand crossbows have been very powerful for my current run on this build even as a spellblade. I cant always close the gap, or I need to hit two targets that arent right next to each other, and the off hand crossbow hits have been incredible for that. Its a bonus reason to make this a dex fighter instead of strength

[@MistyKathrine]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming Yeah, can't change during a respect, only during "creation". It's why I specifically mentioned it as an option for origin plays.

[@leoerus]

You're only the 2nd channel that really thinks about their builds. Lots of surface level low thinking content on BG3 stuff. But you are very thoughtful and take an interesting angle at this. Well done, I will be here for more BG3 content

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Thanks! Thoughtful is what I strive to be in everything so thats a big compliment (thoughtful is literally on my resume 😂)

[@dAWwr906]

Since this guide is a sort of geared towards beginners I think it'd be worth mentioning that you don't need levels in Wizard to cast from scrolls. Anyone can cast any scroll without any skill checks. Stealing scrolls of 4th level and below are easy and give access to great spells like blur, mirror image, misty step, dimension door, or stoneskin if you have nothing to concentrate on. Since the build is pretty open it might be worth mentioning that Elf cantrips always scale off intelligence no matter what. Unless you did mention it.

[@poisonapple4540]

Wait wait wait I CAN FINALLY BE A LEFTIE IN A GAME????!!! 'm gonna go cry over there Then I'm going to make meself and start a new play though, hehehe

[@JeremyAndersonBoise]

Subbed, this was much better than most class build videos because you shared your reasoning and didn’t just rattle off a bunch of overpowered combinations. I think being suggestive rather than prescriptive is going to serve you well.

[@xcavarz]

Hat of pyroquickness. Chuck a fireball into a crowd and then go in with 3 offhand attacks (+1 BA thief, +1BA from hat)

[@ChildCelebrity]

Almost every build I see focuses on what’s possible when you’re finally maxed. Or you’re supposed to respec every two levels to shift your power around. I think for this you’d be better off starting rogue for the proficiencies, as I think fighter still gets fighting style when you class into it after

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

I want fighter first for the proficiencies actually! I want the scimitar proficiencies so I can use the scimitars on the nautiloid immediately, I want the heavy armor proficiency possibly for late game, but most importantly, I want the constitution saving throw proficiency because I can combine that with the spidersilk armor from Minthara to get very good concentration. That way I can have haste in the late game without issue, or I can have fog cloud or bless or something up all the time. Itll be very nice to have the fighter’s starting proficiencies.

[@ChildCelebrity]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming Ah, I got ya. I've been playing a Rogue/Bard build for my first play through so I got used to going rogue first level for the extra skill expertise

[@azidal3755]

To be fair there are usually enough short swords on the nautiloid that you can use them as an alternative to the scimitars. The only mechanical difference is the damage type. I'd still start fighter for the con saves proficiency, armor, and HP.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

The biggest thing ended up being the heavy armor proficiency because I started using Adamantine Splint armor right after the grymforge and used it all the way until the credits rolled. Preventing any critical hits is one of the best defensive effects in the game and is absolutely worth prioritizing, especially now that honour mode is out.

[@azidal3755]

​​@@CreativeExcusesGamingI was looking around to see if there was any medium armor that could negate crits but it looks like it's only heavy armor. Was trying to see if we could keep the sneaking easily usable.

[@jbpax]

✨D o p a m i n e✨

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

MY FAVORITE!!!

[@angelabranson363]

Thanks for helping fill the gaps for early gameplay. You're right, so many build videos focus on Act 3.

[@LarGist]

Nice to see build focusing on maximizing action exonomy, most builds seem to sleep on that especially on early levels. I personally usually go for abjuration wizard as spellblade for pure bulkiness, but might now try your plan for evo, idea for sculpted fireballs dropped at melee range just feel awesome and cant believe I havent thought of that before

[@spacetrainbaby3737]

i know you dont know much about tabletop rpgs, but this replicates kind of the same concept as the magus class from pathfinder

[@Anthony0fFire]

This is a breath of fresh air in the build video lineup. A concept build that works from level 1, amazing! I totally agree that by mid Act 3, I'm usually losing interest and already thinking about new builds for the next playthrough. You've avoided several things I don't like about most build videos: 1. Hog all the best gear on this one character, take hag's hair - sure, if you're playing solo (no party) I guess? Most people don't though... so statistically for 3/4 of the builds they're looking to use, they can't do that. 2. Most of the gear is acquired in Act 3, and the build is somewhat item reliant - okay, so you're ~2/3 of the way through the game before your build is any good or much fun. That's a lot of hours where you're not "doing the thing". To be fair, the game is a bit light on gear. There should probably be twice as much as there is.

[@tomc.5704]

It's really cool to see how you approach building with this as your first experience with 5e-ish mechanics. I say "5e-ish" because this would not have been possible in 5e. Which probably hurts my build creativity; I'm not used to BG3 mechanics - Thief doesn't get an extra bonus action. Which is honestly a shame, thief isn't a very good subclass and that honestly sounds awesome! - Two weapon fighting only lets you make an attack with your offhand weapon as a bonus action IF and AFTER you make an Attack with a light melee weapon in your main hand. Can't do it after dashing, can't do it after casing spells. Has to be a light melee weapon in each hand. (Unless you have other features). Hm. I wonder about adding both of those changes to my list of homebrew rules.

[@Sparty450]

I did something similar to this, and the ring from the creche that infuses your weapons with the element of your last spell works incredibly well with your offhand attacks so that you can use that buff in the same turn instead of needing to wait until the next

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Thats the ring I want! I forgot what it was called and where I found it lol, but thats the plan

[@PaulRGauthier]

Well done! I really appreciate that you talk about the PLAY STYLE of your build. Most people don't do that. All those guides but they leave you floundering as to how to PLAY the damn class, even basic classes. The only thing I don't like about doing dips in multi-classing is that you lose out on a feat. That's thing with this build. What you get in return might be worth the loss, that's a personal preference thing I guess.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

So far, it feels worth it. There are so many good equipment pieces that can make up for missing accuracy or feats that I think having 3 forms of attack, tons of mobility, and the ability to throw a fireball at your feet and disengage all at the same time is pretty worth it. Right now Im using a lightning charge setup at level 5 on this and it is big fun. If only I could find a finesse weapon that gives lightning charges so I can use my sneak attacks most turns while stacking lightning charges.

[@Daggoth65]

You can do a very similar play as he did in the video as a Swords Bard 8 Thief 4 without losing a feat/ASI you just get the fighting style a little later, Still 4th level spells, and the Swords Bard maneuvers are amazing imo. super fun build imo

[@WexMajor82]

Doesn't work in D&D 5e. For the bonus action attack, you have to declare the ATTACK main action. So you can still make 2 attacks while in melee, but not while you do everything else.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Someone else mentioned this which is pretty interesting. Good thing this build isn't for DnD but for BG3!

[@rex9413]

I would suggest going with Sorcerer at level 5 instead of using the race-based shocking grasp. So from levels 1-4, you're just a dual wielding martial character. The reason I suggest sorcerer is that shocking grasp benefits from situational metamagic like distant spell or twin spell. Additionally, draconic bloodline (blue or bronze) get +CHA to lightning spell damage at class level 6 (so total level 10). Additionally, if you equip potent robes, you get another +CHA to cantrips, which shocking grasp is. So with all that plus necklace of elemental augmentation, you get +3xCHA to shocking grasp for 3d8+15 or so assuming 20 CHA at level 12. If you use the Sylvan Scimitar from Jaheira, you attack with your CHA as well, so DEX isn't as important. You can also give your sylvan scimitar a lightning enchantment from the drakethroat glaive for extra lightning damage. You should also use the ring of arcane synergy to add +CHA again to your weapon attack damage. Lastly, if the target is wet, you do 2x damage on lightning. If the target is paralyzed via a hold ___ spell, you can crit with shocking grasp for obscene amounts of damage. You should be using most of your spell slots on haste or shield as needed. And your sorcery points should be used for boosting shocking grasp. Anyways, those are some thoughts on where you can take this core concept into the late game. I tested it on my late game save file, and it's pretty effective. Thanks for the fun and cool build concept!

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

I finished up my tactician run with the build as a 7 evocation wizard, 4 rogue, 1 fighter. Late game I just stole and spammed sunbeam scrolls every fight for big blinds, solid aoe damage, and applying reverberation + arcane synergy. I maxed out dex for armor class and initiative, and used arcane acuity for fantastic spell save DCs and spell attacks. Your suggested setup is probably more efficient, but sunbeam is my favorite spell in the game by miles lol, so at the very least, Id get much less value out of meta magic spamming sunbeam scrolls. (I also dropped a lot of magic missiles which were great. Pretty much all of my spell slots went to magic missiles and shield I think)

[@shinronvaynex5900]

have been playing a similar build. 1 fighter. 4- warlock. 4 rogue 3 fighter. the idea is pretty much the same. but instead cha, and eldritch blast. using pact of the blade, then put that weapon on the off hand. this way you can focus every thing in to cha. using dual wield feat, you get the sword and staff. taking thief gets you a second bonus action. as for fighter. pick champion for better crit chance + warlocks old gods fear on cit. or alternatively eldritch knight for more spell slots and the shield spell. which also gets you bound weapon. for that specific weapons. i instead focused on warlock first because you get that extra beam at lvl 5.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Putting the warlock’s pact weapon in the offhand is a GENIUS idea. With that setup you can use the daredevil gloves to make eldritch blast a melee cantrip. In the late game that means you can get 3 eldritch blast beams and two off hand pact weapon attacks in a single turn. If you get your charisma to 22, you are doing at least 30 damage per turn in just the extra damage on your eldritch blast and your offhand attacks. Add in something like the potent robe and you are absolutely destroying stuff by blasting away and smacking stuff.

[@dAWwr906]

​​@@CreativeExcusesGaming Underdark Knife is a good early mid game option for off hand because it lets you crit on Eldritch Blast on a 19. Real shame dark urge can't get potent robes normally. Almost invalidates a warlock build.

[@juauke]

Oh exactly what I was looking for (how to put some Warlock into the mix), I'm gonna keep this for later

[@abra2133]

if anybody wants to know some good items, the ring of arcane synergy and the sylvan scimitar in off-hand are probably two BiS for this kind of build. Spoiler Warning: the ring is from the female githyanki you meet when you enter the creche, scimitar is from jaheira. either from recruiting her or looting it from her if she dies in the assault

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

The infernal rapier is much better than the sylvan scimitar for this character (and acquired only like 30 minutes later unless youre a murderer lol), but its better to go with a dex/strength accuracy weapon because you can use the helmet of arcane acuity every turn to add more bonus to your spells than you would get from using your spell casting modifier for melee attack rolls. They are very thematic weapons though. I did test if arcane acuity affects attack rolls when using your spell casting modifier though and the buff doesnt seem to work unfortunately even though it buffs the snot out of your rolls for spells.

[@Disbrot]

I love how you tied in Catan and Uno, as a Dnd player I've never thought about it like that. Just subscribed

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Thanks! I will warn you that Im not a bg3 only channel, so I hope youve got some interest in Runescape and Elder Scrolls Online 😂 those are my main content (for now at least). Ive got some bg3 stuff planned that should be super fun if I can pull it off

[@allenl5960]

Huh, I didn't think of using the racial bonus spell plus fighter to get dual weapon fighting and cantrips at lv1. That's a pretty good idea actually. I was going for bard for my bonus action spellbade build since that also gives two weapon fighting and unlike fighter, is a caster class(so you get a bit more spell slots), but seeing this, fighter 1->caster1->thief 3 then respec at lv6 into bard3/rouge 3 might have been better for getting the 'spellblade' playstyle up earlier than bard 3->thief 3 considering this progression gets both two weapon fighting and extra bonus action noticeably later.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

If youre willing to respec that often, then that sounds like a fun way to achieve your goal!

[@locknload9590]

You’re so right. Exactly the way it feels. Reaching act 3 is like, game is over in term of challenge. You can be godlike in about few minutes of act 3, knowing where the crazy equipements are. Nice fresh air video !

[@locknload9590]

And also, lv5 is definitely a huge power spike for some build. I had a lot of fun with a lv4 restriction team. As you say, your build is easily functionnal at lv4.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Did you play through the whole game at level 4?!

[@locknload9590]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming act 1 and 2, grym forge and Ketheric were intense fights ! Act 3, i droped my session once again 😅 to play a solo duergar (« permanent » invisibility at lv5 is too juicy !)

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@@locknload9590 Acts 1 and 2 are definitely my favorites so I feel the need to start over so hard 😂 but Act 3 does have a lot of exploring to do, so its been good fun on my runs. It just makes me antsy for the next run lol

[@soldierx345]

To put it in perspective though, if Gandalf the White (Lord of the Rings) was in DnD, he'd be level 5. The tabletop game goes to 20, and typically has godlike feel around 11-13 depending on class.

[@LionLord63]

I love the idea. Weren't there build details in the description if you wanted to use an alternative caster? I was planning on trying it out with Spore Druid and wanted to rely on those extra details

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

I forgot i mentioned that in the video… I changed where I am hosting builds to my discord now instead of in the video descriptions! There are full writeups for all three builds on there now! The link is in the description. The caster + crossbow variant is actually exactly the same as the melee variant though, you just take a different first cantrip

[@ronin504]

This would be the only build I've seen where True Strike wouldn't be completely useless. You would always have at will advantage to trigger sneak attack.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Yup, if you wanted you could do that! But it wouldnt be 100%. I think sneak attack only works if you dont have disadvantage, which truestrike would only cancel out but not prevent. Itd have to be tested

[@harrisondunn5376]

I think something like this could work really well with 2 fighter, 3 rogue and at least 3 levels in warlock and pact of the blade (for charisma scaling melee damage so you don’t have to suffer in rp and still do good damage with your two off hand melee hits) add the gloves in act 1 that let you cast ranged spells in melee and you can use the multiple beams of Eldritch Blast first then follow up with multiple off hand attacks. Not sure what to do with the rest of the levels though

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

That would work too, but isnt available at level 1 which I really wanted. Someone else in the comments mentioned they did something like what youre describing. But if you take the dual wielder feat, and use the infernal rapier in your offhand, you dont even have to be a pact of the blade warlock which means you can go pact of the tome for haste. Then you theoretically throw out 9 eldritch beams and 2 bonus action attacks in one turn if you action surge. Thats 11x your charisma modifier lol. 20x with the potent robe on, plus a possible sneak attack, and whatever other riders you get.

[@harrisondunn5376]

@@CreativeExcusesGamingwow that’s a really good point!! Didn’t consider that. And yes of course yours is better to be able to pull off at level one no doubt there, great video!

[@erikslorenz]

I had a fun modded playthrough using bladesinger mod with 5e spells so you get booming blade and green flame blade. Missing those cantrips really hurts for spellblade style

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Ill have to check those out when I get around to modding the game!

[@EstrethAthema]

Ooo I didn't even consider the Rogue Levels for an extra Bonus Action. Wonderful idea! I'm only level 4 on my Battlemage Durge run so far but I'm going to be replacing two Wizard levels with two Warlock levels and have Eldritch Blast as my main Cantrip (Hits 3 times, Pure EKs hit 3 times with weapon attacks, made sense to me!), yes that would make the build very MAD but I don't mind picking up some items and Ethel's Boon to enable this build (Gloves of Dex and Warped Headband of Intellect), it's my third run and I want to experiment! Also want to supplement the spellcasting with Scrolls and be a sort of Scroll Savant Battlemage (because even playing as a pure Wizard a lot of the Scrolls just gather dust in my inventory). Because I'm focusing more on EB, my offhand attacks will be using Hand Crossbows and I'm planning on getting the Ne'er Misser for said Offhand, mainly because it's Force Damage and I can flavour it as slinging out some Magic Missiles. Yeah could do Sorcerer instead of Wizard but I prefer the flavour of Wizard as well as the spell adaptability. For anyone else who is thinking of doing something similar, make sure that you take the level in Warlock AFTER the level in Wizard (or other none Charisma full caster) so that your Equipment and Scrolls will scale off your Charisma. Also it will be more around the mid game that this build will truly come online but the baseline fun is still there at Level 4

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

By the end of my run, I basically just used spell slots for shield and then main casted sunbeam every turn so the wizard levels I used past 2 werent even necessary! This setup works just fine without being MAD if you just skip the high elf cantrip idea entirely and just use charisma classes

[@SerothTalon]

Theoretically, you could do this with a polearm like Sorrow. Have a longer attack range, attack with the butt of the glaive as a bonus action, and also cast thorn whip as a bonus action as well.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

The attack with the butt of your polearm/glaive/halberd/staff doesnt hit very hard unfortunately. It doesnt get your ability modifier added to the damage. But, sorrow is very cool for getting a nice bonus action if your spell casting is accurate enough!

[@SerothTalon]

@CreativeExcusesGaming true, but if you are going for a "spellblade" build, you can take points in Warlock and make it your pact weapon. This would boost your spellcasting and make the glaive scale off of charisma.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@SerothTalon Yea I played a blade pact warlock last run and it felt more like a fighter with the occasional eldritch blast than a spellblade. Someone else pointed out that you can use the dual wielding feat + infernal rapier to get a charisma scaling offhand dual wield as a blade pact warlock though. With that kind of setup and this one, you could cast eldritch blast and attack twice in one turn, and you may not need the two weapon fighting style at all (though dont quote me because you might still need it). If you did that and had 22 charisma in act 3, you would be applying your charisma modifier 5 times per turn which would be 30 damage on its own + all the weapon and blast damage + rider effects.

[@eduardorickrot4763]

Lovely! I actually did another version of this idea, with my swords bard thief. 9 lvls of swords bard gives you extra attack, two weapon fighting, lvl 5 spells and flourishes. Later in the game With arcane acuity helmet and jungle ring, I was just demolishing enemies with attacks and unavoidable spells from action and bonus action. Your version starts off stronger, though.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

The helmet of arcane acuity is going to be huge when I hit act 2. Same for that ring that gives arcane synergy. I cant wait lol, but right now Im having a blast stacking lightning charges with a dash, then using the extra accuracy and damage for two turns of attacks. Its a nice little buff

[@illiaJ5622]

Interesting approach, thank for the video! Also, both "pure" Arcane Trickster and Eldritch Knight only get up to 2nd level spells (pure AT's spell slots are a bit bugged right know though). AT's also get one less known spell, presumably because they don't have that many to chose from anyway. And AT's also get an improved Mage Hand which mostly doesn't work though...

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

I though EKs get to level 3 slots. Woops! Whats the less known trickster spell? And is it useful? Most of the “trickster” (as a themed archetype, not the class) stuff that seems useful is mobility, invisibility, and disguise self.

[@illiaJ5622]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming I meant that AT's get less spells total (8) than EK's (9). With that said, Tricksters mostly pick spells from Illusion and Enchantment schools, of which on first two levels there's around 10 different spells. Knights pick mostly from Evocation and Abjuration. Both AT's and EK's can get a couple of spells from Expanded list (any 1st and 2nd level Wizard spells). As with all Rogues, AT's get a feature at lvl 3 and 9. Aside from getting ability to spellcast (and thus getting more spells with levels, together with general rogue features), at lvl 3 you would also get a "Mage Hand Legerdemain". It gives/improves (if you already have it) normal Mage Hand by making it invisible. It's also supposed to allow your Mage Hand to use Thieve's Tools, Disarm Traps etc., but it currently can't do that due to a bug. ET's 9th level ability gives your enemies disadvantage against spells you cast from sneaking. It's actually pretty good, but also very late, especially if you picked levels in other classes (probably Wizard). Also, it's a good advice you gave on multiclassing into Wizard if one intends to play sort of a spellsword. Gives some prepared spells and an ability to scribe them. Hope it wasn't too long of a comment... (who am I kidding?)

[@OakandIV]

Fun build, and a fun video. I have done something similar with a Swords Bard, and it really did feel like a powerhouse from the start. It’s a personal choice, but I don’t like respecting that much myself. For the companions, or if you make a mistake, but I feel like it changes the characters story. It’s more interesting when your characters were doing all of the things you wanted them to do from the start.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Agreed. I respeced Shadowheart from trickster cleric into a war cleric after her good spoilers and that felt perfect. On this character, i only have one respec in the build path because I just dont want to delay my first feat choice to level 8 lol.

[@Daggoth65]

I loved making my shadowheart into a Light Domain cleric after change of heart seemed like an extra fu to shar @@CreativeExcusesGaming

[@angelabranson363]

I'm doing a swords bard Durge for my second playthrough and want to multiclass so I'm considering some ideas from this build.

[@nothershineless3822]

man what a fun video and u open my eyes would take me a while to notice that u can max by using left hand the cantrip choice by class REALLY comes in hand to try any elemental build of the game and they are hella fun

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Thanks! Lefties have more fun 😂😂

[@thesussadin]

Idk who else knows this, but Produce Flame is excellent for producing the Castigation Ring + Callous Glow Ring combo. I have an Asmodeus Tiefling Warlock and it's nice, convenient and best of all, free

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

oooo, do you get the callous glow extra damage on your produce flame? edit: also do you mean "coruscation ring"?

[@thesussadin]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming Yes, I meant that. But I use the light to proc on e.blast. Since warlocks don't have too many cantrips, it helps with choice. I use minor illusion a lot, so e.blast + minor illusion is what I'm stuck with for most of early game.

[@llGalexyll]

This build is really cool, and I’m 100% keeping this in my back pocket for a run. I might suggest only taking 7 levels of Wizard though, if you’re okay with only getting a single ASI on this character. Action Surge seems like an excellent way to continue abusing the action economy. Or, you could accept that this character won’t be able to cast spells above 3rd level (akin to a half-caster in this game, I guess), then take 4 levels each of Fighter/Rogue/Wizard. Taking Eldritch Knight to give you a couple extra cantrips and free up prepared slots in your spellbook could be pretty useful. I have no clue how this would look as you progress through the game, but I’m sure there’s a way to keep the momentum going. My first run of the game has been a Wild Magic Sorcerer 4/Div Wizard 2/Lore Bard 6, and while that’s been pretty fun I will say that Act 1 was rough for me. I had chosen Wild Magic for the free advantage on skill checks, and while I wouldn’t exactly say I *regret* that decision… I would have survived more fights if I went Draconic Bloodline. Also, I had intentionally dumped Dex for “character” reasons (this was a character I wanted to play at a table), and… yeah no, wrong choice lol. Only time I respec’d the character was to fix a mistake with which cantrips I picked up at which levels, however. All this to say, as others already have, it’s really cool that you were thinking of the early game for this build as well as the late game. Builds don’t make much sense to me if they aren’t useable for 70% of the game. And, as a personal preference… I just don’t want to remake a character with Withers every other level.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

So for personal reasons, I actually dont intend to take any ASIs, only other feats. I want to see if my itemization can overcome the accuracy issues you can run into, so Im probably going to keep my high end stats limited to 16 unless boosted by an item or by an elixir. But tbf, you probably only need level 3 spells for haste because why cast anything else lol. I just want to fireball my feet and run away. Thats the goal. Someday I might play this kinda setup as a sorc or tempest cleric so i can cast call lightning and attack twice in one turn which sounds like so much fun. I love call lightning lol

[@blackhat4206]

Tempestuous Magic is so useful for the extended movement without taking opportunity attacks that I’ve never died as a Storm Sorcerer. Highly recommended.

[@eidolon8816]

Would love more builds that are fun all the way through! Like you, by act 3 I'm feeling done and don't really care about the build. I want something that's engaging through the whole thing and this is definitely something I'll try.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

I finished the script for a second one that feels really good! Im using it alongside this one on my first tactician run!

[@eidolon8816]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming Looking forward to it!. Tactician is harder than I thought it would be, im still stuck in act 1!

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@@eidolon8816 Its definitely a bigger challenge. It takes some serious damage to make it through

[@Psybound]

My respect and appreciation to you, great concept of builds and designs to enjoy throughout the game, not just when reach a point later in the game. Thank you, will look back here for more great ideas.

[@charlottearanea7507]

I really like this build. Comes online immediately, fully realized by the time you get to the Goblin camp, and leaves a lot of room for personalization. I love the idea of spellblades but haven't found Eldritch Knights particularly fulfilling, mainly due to main action leveled spells being so situational since you give up your Extra Attack. Using the offhand weapon and doubled bonus action as a sort of pseudo-Extra Attack feat is a creative solution while also giving a lot of flexibility. Super excited to play around with this build in my next playthrough.

[@Solrex_the_Sun_King]

I was about to post an idea for a build but it needs complete refactoring when I realize bonus actions don't benefit from extra attack. I had a build that was fighter 1 rogue 4 Paladin 5 Sorc 1 cleric 1, but if I don't get extra attack on bonus actions, then Paladin 5 is not necessary. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

What is your goal with the build? You would still have 4 attacks with just rogue 4 paladin 5 if you dual wield. You would have very few smites, but you would attack quite a lot.

[@Tigerbro6]

sad I couldn't be lefty from the rip in this game tbh for all its roleplay options

[@duncanm9818]

something of note, in the gith creche you can get the Daredevil Gloves that can make ALL non-save (ie acid splash, poison spray, etc.), spell attacks into melee like how shocking grasp is

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Yup, I dont remember if I used them but I think I didnt. The gloves of belligerent skies from the same place are even better for those big magic missiles with the spell sparkler. Also preventing reactions on honor mode is insanely good!

[@cyrylkowalczyk9392]

Ultimate leftie spellblade: Fghter 2 Thief 3 Pact of the Blade 3

[@ZlyLudekPL]

I have never ever used a shocking grasp and I fail to see how good it is. Even in the best case scenario of using it on a wet, metal target in melee range and being able to move away without being hit by opportunity attack, it still only seems good to quicken it as a sorc so you can walk way and use another spell without penalties. This is not a comment on or any serious critique of the entire video, I just really dislike Shocking Grasp :|

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Yea so in the late game, its not doing as much as I thought it would, but does pair pretty well with the gloves of belligerent skies! One you hit level 6 though, you get your other wizard cantrips online, and in the late late game you can use scrolls of sunbeam for an 8d6 aoe cantrip lol.

[@enbee1512]

Took this and ran rogue 4 fighter 6 and wizard 2. Got me 2 attacks, 2 bonus action, 3 feats and 3 chances to cast sheild as a reaction. I also have battle master abilities and use scrolls to cover my casting the 2 wizard levels are to turn off friendly fire

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Yea if you use scrolls, something like this is very strong, and scrolls in act 3 with a good rogue or bard to steal them are infinite.

[@floofyboi2520]

Would getting to lvl 3 fighter for eldritch knight not be more effective? I havent played bg3 so idrk but getting action surge seems like it would be tasty

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Action surge is nice, and basically at level 5 the build is completely online. Everything after that is icing. I think a fully optimized version of the build would be 4 thief rogue, 4 eldritch knight fighter, and 4 evocation wizard. Youd have a fair few spell slots, and you can be the group’s dedicated scroll user. You’d have action surge, two bonus actions, all 3 feats, and the important bits of being a wizard like level 3 spell slots for haste if you want it.

[@Smite_Sion]

The most fun build I know is the wizard tank, definitely can recommend. If your goal is to start it as soon as possible you either start as a white dragonic sorcerer or a warlock to gain access to armor of agathys. After that go all levels into Abjuration Wizard. The idea is that the Arcane ward protects your armor of agathys from breaking, but if you get hit by a melee attack it still deals the full amount damage. And armor of agathys scales great the higher level you cast the spell. When you cast it as a level 6 spell, it grants 30 temp hp and returns 30 cold damage every single time you get hit by a melee attack. If you want to make this build about 4x better, you need a party member with warding bond, this grants the wizard resistance to all damage and which is applied before the arcane ward reduces the amount of damage. The remaining amount get's subtracted from the warding bond caster, which is very low. Late game the wizard needs to be hit for at least 40~45 damage to actually take at least 1 point of damage which is then shared with the warding bond caster. Your most important spell will be glyph of warding & counter spell, for GoW the range is not great, but you can face tank the enemies anyways. It is really flexible with the damage types and can be used as setup (like casting it somewhere before battle then throwing a enemy onto it), the damage is not much worse then fireball 5 ~ 40 damage instead of 8 ~ 48 BUT the most important part is that it is an abjuration spell so every time you cast it, you gain 3 additional charges on your arcane ward. Counter spell is self explanatory, it is an abjuration spell that deals with one of your weaknesses being spell damage. Fire Shield can also be used for additional return damage if you wish, but I don't think this is great unless you do a solo run. For race, githyanki, dwarf or half elf is probably best just because of armor proficiencies, half elf especially having dark vision and light armor & shield proficiency. You might want to get hit, but getting hit to often reduces the effectiveness of the arcane ward, so try to balance it a bit. There are 2 early game items that are very nice, one in act 1 underdark and the other in act 2. Just for any person that does not want to read any further . . . . . . . . . . . . . In act 1 you have Mourning Frost, simple but effective staff for any cold damage based build. You can achieve it in the underdark by combining the broken cold staff pieces found on various drows. In act 2 you have Icebite Robe, it grants cold resistance and a free use of a level 3 armor of agathys which is nice but not mandatory. You can find it in a sarcophagus below the mausoleum.

[@MyAutobotLoveAffair]

Could you go into a little more depth on using an arcane archer? There are less hand crossbows out there and less perks to get from those items so it seems like the trickiest.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

It really is just use the best hand crossbows you can find, namely the ne’er misser and whatever you want in your mainhand (because mostly youll be casting scrolls or spells with your action and bonus action shooting). Sharpshooter still pops off on hand crossbows, and two weapon fighting applies to hand crossbows as well. Melee definitely has more options, but the hand crossbow version is probably stronger overall because of sharpshooter

[@sergeoh735]

i could replace 8 wizard with 8 sorc or 8 warlock and still good?

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Yes! Just make sure you take sorc first if you want early cantrip access that works with your charisma!

[@pmaEGG]

Would love to hear your ideas on what would be good builds/good classes to pair with this one for synergy!

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Honestly this thing pairs well with everything that isnt using its gear! You want a ranged damage dealer? This can do it, a melee damage dealer? This can do it. A crowd controller? Easy. This can do anything but tank really

[@WakkasLove]

Would you please describe the Arcane Crossbow? I prefer ranged/spells and this build is genius, so I am super curious about the Arcane Crossbow. Thank you!

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Its exactly the same, just use hand crossbows instead of melee attacks! There are some other comments where I go more in depth, but it really is as simple as just using ranged weapons and a ranged cantrip of your choice instead. If you dont mind respeccing or waiting until level 5 for your cantrip, or getting firebolt from the gold wyrmlimg staff in the goblin camp (you can get it insanely early if you have disguise self), you can also play this as a draconic sorcerer instead of wizard for wicked strong cantrips in the late game, and the ability to twin cast said cantrip. Wizard makes the playstyle available immediately and is more versatile, draconic sorcerer would be stronger in terms of cantrip damage in the late game.

[@WakkasLove]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming Thank you for this reply! Draconic sorcerer is my favorite for RP and stealth arcane archer was always my goto in Skyrim. I really enjoy that combo and can't wait to try this build. Thank you very much and have a Blessed day!

[@quint3ssent1a]

I'd say, in late act 2 all of the action economy becomes mostly irrelevant. With "awakened" buff you get to use illithid powers as a bonus action (some of them are really good), and one of them makes all your bonus actions into actions (mind sanctuary, allows you to take actions and bonus actions interchangeably). With something like multiclassed fighter/thief, haste, helm of grit, you can vomit out so many attacks it becomes truly insane. And your attacks will be no puny offhand ones, but a mighty greatsword attacks.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Sure, except I dont like the illithid powers at all 😂 in 2/3 runs, I havent even picked up a parasite so I never get the dumb UI element, and Ive never evolved to half illithid for a run, only once as an alternate save to see what would happen and I hated it lol

[@DParkerNunya]

This does require a very explicit style of play, and not everyone likes the idea of the brain worms. My main run only did it twice (coincidentally also a fighter/rouge) and I failed the roll to not evolve, so I decided to double down. But most characters I play I really don't want the worms.

[@floofyboi2520]

Does bg3 have polearm master? If it does wait until he hears about it...

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Lol I have heard about it and even used it, but its already well used and a well known combo with the sentinel feat, and I dont think it matches super well with my playstyle

[@eickengelson8120]

This is the kind of build i have been Looking for in bg3, i love the approach of focussing on what you can do with levels alone AND the Focus on act1, too many great builds Are only viable at act 3 which normally discoureges me from trying them.

[@friendlytalbot4050]

This was an excellent guide that really broke down why you went the path you did. Most builds focus on late game and max level, even in the TTRPG, which makes it harder to make them work at where you spend most of your time at: the early levels. Having a build that comes online quickly and can branch off is a far better playing experience than having to wait and be bored with something that won't work until later.

[@bbtube11]

Thanks for this, I love the build. I also find it annoying to watch build videos that show a build that is totally gear dependent that requires basically finishing 95% of the game to achieve.

[@quentinbrousson1972]

is acuracy a probleme past act 1 ? if you go 16 dex and 16 int and you unlock your first feats later how do keep hiting ennemies with both your spell and your blade ? Very cool video tho, i really love the way you build

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Accuracy in Act 2 is not amazing, especially if you take dual wielder like I did but there are a few ways to make up for it through itemization. If you really need accuracy with your melee weapons, you can always hang onto and then pop an elixir of hill giant strength for an immediate jump in accuracy. For hitting with spells, you can use the helmet of Arcane Acuity to add +4 to spell attack and save DCs if you hit twice with a weapon in one turn. You could also use my other build or any character with bless to bump up the accuracy some more. You can combo the Risky Ring with the Ring of Free Movement in the mid and maybe the lategame to give yourself permanent advantage, or you can find ways to blind enemies like an ally with Lathandar’s Blood, Blindness, Malice, or some other method to also get advantage. You can also use the Psychic Spark amulet, Ne’er Miss, and your early spell slots to use a bunch of Magic Missiles to make sure you dont miss. You can use the Spell Sparkler staff from act 1 to add lightning charges which is a +1 to attack rolls. Basically there are a ton of ways to increase your accuracy in the game, so getting a +2 from taking two ASI feats isnt always necessary. Im in Act 3 and have 18 dex on both this build and my blessed ranger, and both are still shredding things on Tactician. I beat a spoiler dragon at level 10, a big bad murder boy at level 11, and Im about to bop a murder lady into next week I think lol.

[@quentinbrousson1972]

thanks you ! i was going on shadowheart as a monk but i will try your holy ranger !@@CreativeExcusesGaming

[@argo7155]

Im actually angry that off hand costs bonus action. Pathfinder have better dual wielding "fantasy"

[@peggle09]

This is fun does ot work well with an Eldritch knightbuild?

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Sorta? But there are very few features an eldritch knight gets that this character doesnt also get, but because of scrolls you can really put however many fighter levels in as you want as long as you get the 3 rogue levels for thief, and two levels of wizard for your subclass

[@jahjj79]

Oh yea! This is what we have been looking for! Please make more videos..BG3 is the best! Outstanding video

[@chirubime7470]

I subscribed for more! I was just griping about how late game builds frustrate me a lot, since the majority of the game is played before that.

[@Origin820]

Omg I love this build. But I wanna change it up a bit. How about using ranger instead of fighter? I just really like the ranger vibe… With this tho, I don’t know how far to take ranger, at ranger 1 it’s practically the same as your fighter1/theif3/wizard8 build. At level 2 ranger instead of fighter, however, you’d be losing a feat, but be gaining some nifty ranger spells, and total out to a level 8 spellcaster nontheless. At level 3 ranger, you’d end up as a a level 7 spellcaster (getting level 4 spells same as with a level 8 spellcaster) , and you’d end up as a 3/3/6 ranger rogue wizard. With this, you’d be getting gloomstalker ranger abilities, which is a +3 to initiative, among other things. Would this be better than if you were to get a feat? Such as say a ranger 4/thief3/wizard5 - at this point, if I’m correct, you’d still be getting level 4 spells as it’s 5 wizard plus 2 spellcaster levels from ranger. What do you think? Also, is it worth getting dual wielder for this build? With that you could be dual wielding a staff and a sword or two long swords with a d10 damage die. Thanks a lot for this build tho!

[@Origin820]

There’s also the option of 8 wizard/4 ranger. This misses out on the extra attack, but you would get level 5 spells… actually at that point I’d just do 1 ranger/thief 8 wizard akin to your build - the extra feat is not worth the extra attack… although with ranger 4 you wouldn’t just be getting another feat, but also gloomstalker. What do you think about that?

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@@Origin820 If I was going to combine ranger with a caster here, I wouldnt choose wizard. I would probably go ranger 3 for the two weapon fighting style + subclass (gloomstalker or hunter are both great options, but Id probably choose hunter myself), then go 3 thief for the extra attack, then 6 light/life/tempest cleric or 6 spore druid. OR! I would go 4 Ranger, 8 spore druid because spore druid offers very solid spells, a 1d6 to your weapon attacks, extra temp hp, and a way to consistently use your reaction to deal damage or summon things which means you wont feel the missing extra attack all that much. The 4/8 spore druid could use sharpshooter + collosus slayer ranger + symbiotic entity for one shot per turn that deals 2d6 + 1d8 + 17 + any additional dice or damage from gear like a +2 from caustic band + 2 from archery gloves or legacy of the masters, etc. This would be big damage once per turn, and technically it comes online at level 6 with a 4 ranger + 2 spore druid if you can protect the temp hp. Then you can still use your action to cast moonlight as a damaging concentration spell that isn't super resource intense if you can keep your concentration.

[@Origin820]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming why would you choose hunter over gloomstalker? Also, would it be worth adding an extra level in ranger or theif for an extra feat in exchange for what a druid or cleric would gain at level 6? I’m also considering a level 1 wizard dip for spell scrolling (there’s a nifty mechanic where you can put on the intellect headband, choose your wizard spells, then unselect the headband and you’ll still keep the spells, effectively being a decent wizard spellcaster with neither many wizard spells nor any intelligence)

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@@Origin820 the wizard trick only works for utility spells which Im not a fan of because your spell save dcs and attack rolls will suck. For hunter v gloomstalker, I really like collosus slayer. An extra d8 of damage every turn is very strong. Gloomstalker only gets the one extra attack per combat, and initiative. The initiative is great, but I almost always choose collosus slayer over gloomstalker. I only have one gloomstalker character.

[@Darkcur]

Okay so if i want to make the same build but for Astarion, what wizard subclass should i go?

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Id probably go evocation still but if you want something a little more thematic, you could go necromancy and use vampiric touch as your main spell

[@Darkcur]

@CreativeExcusesGaming I was thinking the same, but it's good to have confirmation.

[@justindo5491]

Great video man, I'm having so much more fun with casters now. Thanks!

[@LordAgrail]

This man just invented pathfinder 1e magus in dnd 5e Great

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

According to some other comments, this doesnt actually work in 5e, just in bg3’s loose interpretation of 5e, but cool!

[@jakeparkinson8929]

replace wizard with 7 in bard for extra attack feat and 1 in wizard. i finished a playthrough with a 6/5/1 bard warlock wizard, level 4 spells and can attack as many times as a eldritch knight by stacking blade pact with extra attack and can prepare from scrolls. act one is a little rough, you ideally want to either get warlock to level 5 first or put 3 levels into swords bard for medium armor and flourishes then put 5 levels into blade warlock. Depends on your preference for medium armor or not. A half-elf or human gets shield proficiency with light armor so that kinda does the same thing. it starts coming together in act two since you should definitely have enough xp if you did both the mountain pass and the underdark. Act three, the steel watchers respawn so you can effectively grind them for xp without having your build incomplete before doing act 3's content. It's kinda broken in act 3.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

The thing is, if I wanted to be using my action for an attack instead of a cantrip, I would do something like that, but I want to use a cantrip or spell. With the right itemization, I could replace wizard with sorcerer or warlock for sure, but for me, Id rather just take wizard levels and get the ability to fireball my feet.

[@daviddent5662]

Well Ned Flanders would love this build quite a lot I think! Leftorium seal good-didly-oodness seal of approval! Also unironically if you don't want to class Astarion into the amazing Rogue/Ranger build he seems made for and want to somehow find a way to keep him in mystical-bladed combat this seems like a good path. Also kinda nice if you somehow fucked up and didn't get him Bite since without it he loses a lot of action economy and actual power.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

*whispers* Ive never played with Astarion in my party

[@FormOfKorn]

I really hope you do more videos on BG3, I've been hooked on this game and this is by far the best build guide I've seen because of the way you demonstrate its early game use. This even inspired me to try and create my own build centered around this base, though I still haven't fully worked out the details yet. Great work dude.

[@stfauth6031]

Action surge is just too powerful to give up… you are way better off going 5 levels in fighter over 3 in thief because extra attack is every round… with action surge that’s 5 attacks total (including 1 offhand) and 3 every round after… if you haste it doubles your main hand attacks so that’s 4 attacks with still having your bonus action where hasted with 3 lvls thief leaves you 2 attacks and two bonus actions… being that you want to be a spell blade the ability to attack with both hands and cast a dmg spell in a single round… do either 5 lvls Eldritch Knight and 7 lvls evocation for level 4 spells or go 6 and 6 if you value an extra feat because fighter gets an extra feat at level 6…(getting the dual wielding feet is fun for this build because you dual wield long swords or staffs or even have one of each…) With 1, 3, 8 spread you have you lose spell slots from Eldritch Knight, action surge, only 2 feats and you still only have level 4 spells slots… I’m not an expert and play however you want to but I just did a run with a drow spell blade and it turned out to be a great build and changed as I leveled up… because I put higher dex and dropped strength and was thinking of using rapiers but I found the extras spell slots and buffs from staffs and long swords that I would pop a str potion before big fights and use cantrips on lesser enemies… or if you wanted dual hand crossbows works if you don’t want to be in melee but I pictured my character fighting like Gandalf with a sword and staff… but I rocked med or heavy armors that allowed my dex bonus to ac

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

The issue with taking 5+ levels in fighter is that means casting a spell with your action is almost never efficient at all. Why do that when I can just attack between 2 and 6 times? Having access to extra attack makes the build muuuuuch more blade than spell. Instead, with this setup I get versatility, mobility, and two attacks + a spell every turn. I get the value of 3 actions every turn, I can use sneak attacks as a reaction, and I still get level 4 spell slots, and I get to use things like the helmet of acuity and the ring that gives arcane synergy much more efficiently. Your suggested fighter setup gets 2 attacks and a bonus action every turn, and my setup gets 2 attacks (or a dash and attack) and an action every turn. They are different flavors of efficient. In my actual run I am actually using the dual wield feat with the spell sparkler main hand and a rapier off hand with the speedy light feet giving me lightning charges on dashes. The combination has been very fun so far (and i havent unlocked the broken magic missile just yet except from the necklace in the underdark). The biggest problem with this build is that my hitpoints wont scale like a fighter so Ill be a little squishier than normal.

[@stfauth6031]

@@CreativeExcusesGamingyour build is more of thief/mage type of build focusing on sneak attacks, wouldn’t it just be better to go 4 thief/8 wiz or 3/9… your getting the extra feat or lvl 5 spells… I understand what your saying because I tend to attack twice most turns and use my off hand attack but you don’t have to close distance with my build you can blast from the outside or cast buffs on allies… I was trying not to say anything but there’s two really good long swords that are finesse weapons so they can work as well… I like that you’re able to save spell slots on trash mobs because of your multiple attacks… so many different flavors and combinations with how BG3 multi classes work. I’m actually really surprised at how they actually made the fighter class so good and it’s good throughout the whole game… they tend to lose usefulness in a lot of ttrpgs late game

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@stfauth6031 two weapon fighting from the the one level fighter is very strong, and Im not really relying on sneak attacks. Theyre just nice to get when i have advantage or if I have an ally around, but a staff and sword combo works really well to get access to all the juicy staves for extra spell save dc and spell attack. Its using thief to get access to the extra bonus action, but if I could get that reliably somewhere else, I would. The starting level in fighter also gives the excellent constitution proficiency making my later concentration spells exceptional. The way Im playing this is definitely like a nimble spellblade with decent casting, good weapon attacking, and good synergy between the two.

[@stfauth6031]

⁠@@CreativeExcusesGamingI had written out a longer breakdown but I don’t want to be that person, telling you how to play… I just think that you may end up too squishy going 1/3/8… sneak attack only triggers once per round. Also here’s an idea if you plan on using the Hag’s hair you are probably better off with with 10/15/14/17/10/8 stat spread to start… Use the hag hair on int and that way you can get the Athlete feat for +1 dex and 50% added jumping distance. You’d end up with 10/16/14/18/10/8 at level 5 and the improvement to jump will allow you even more movement considering you have two bonus actions. You will rarely need or see any benefit from the +1 from wis being at 12… I went 8/15/14/17/8/12 because there’s way more dialogue checks then anything else in the game so I thought the +1 to those with favorable beginnings and guidance got me through most checks…

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@stfauth6031 i took 12 wisdom for skill checks as much as for saves because I wanted great insight and bad charisma. Having strong charisma changes the story quite a bit and I wanted to see what it would be like without succeeding at most charisma checks

[@ElsoreSorensen]

Nice! I like the build and idea. This is something i will try for my next run through.

[@SapphireSolstice67]

Great video, thanks for focusing on early game

[@jpri26]

Well done, guy

[@almeriomitchell24]

Will this build work with sorc instead of wizard?

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Yes with a caveat. It wont come online until level 5 because you have to take a level of sorcerer first if you want the cantrip access. Leveling order would be: 1 sorc, 2 fighter, 3, 4, 5 thief rogue, 6-12 sorcerer. (This leveling order would work with any caster you want as well, including warlocks which can bind a one handed weapon then move that weapon to their offhand by equipping a second weapon so that they can scale everything off of charisma. This results in some pretty nutty charisma based damage scaling, especially if you can pull off wearing the potent robe) Sorcs can also use some cheese/exploits to take this kind of setup to even higher heights with two attacks and two cantrips per turn if you really wanted. But that relies on being willing to cheese the hell out of the sorcerery point system and a few select items.

[@almeriomitchell24]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming Thank you.

[@LuckyAJC]

you should do a follow up build for mid and then another for late game

[@iren_rin9099]

And wait till lvl 8 for the first fit. Such a nice build.

[@mistakai4226]

This looks like a swords bard with an extra bonus action instead of flourishes and a much slower spellcasting progression.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Except you get to use an intelligence cantrip instead of charisma, the extra bonus action allows for more attacks and mobility than a swords bard would get naturally, the fighting style is available immediately, and your spell list will be dramatically different with way more offensive options. Swords bard looks like magic is much more about control and utility while a wizard is more versatile. The casting progression is muuuch slower, that is for sure, and you wont even get level 5 spells, but youll have lots of versatility, mobility, constitution proficiency for concentration spells, access to heavy armor if you want it, and one additional attack per turn if you use your action and both bonus actions on offense. (But you can also take 8 levels into swords bard instead of wizard and then youre really popping off with 4 attacks per turn, flourishes, and can use your sneak attack as a reaction).

[@bossdozz]

I really enjoyed this build video, as a DnD nerd BG3 confuses the hell out of me and every build video is "get this item and spam this" I really appreciate the thought out explanations on why you would choose something especially when its flavour over what is most meta, I hope to see a lot more of these

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

I can only make them as fast as I do playthroughs 😅😅 and my current one hasnt quite worked out like I wanted it to, so I might not make a video on it. I like these early multiclass setups though. They are very fun

[@bossdozz]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming oh yeah well I'm still in my first blind playthrough in act 1 after 60+ hours! Keeping them early act 1 ish only keeps you from overloading and people will eventually want to make builds their own with the insanely unique items

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@bossdozz 60 HOURS IN ACT 1?!?! I finished my first run in 80 hours 😂😂😂 I didnt even feel like I went fast. Didnt skip through dialogue or anything hahaha. That is incredible

[@HuyNguyen-ck7hl]

Very well thought out. You sure you’re not part of a 5E optimizer discord or Reddit group lol

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Before watching WAY TOO MANY bg3 build videos, I couldnt have told you that DnD was on the 5th edition. All i know about the game is there are lots of dice, there are dungeons, and there are dragons. Tbh though, if bg3 is somewhat representative, there are a lot fewer dragons than I would have expected 😂😂😂

[@san0j]

This build is perfect for making Trickery Domain cool and somewhat useful. The Divine Strike (poison) triggering from offhand and Channel Divinity helping out with Sneak Attacks!

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Its only problem is that will take either until level 9, or until level 12 to get to which is a brutal wait to me lol

[@san0j]

Yep, I guess "perfect" was the wrong word here;P I do like Hold Person into 2x crit @ lvl 7 though...@@CreativeExcusesGaming

[@Griffex394]

Your hit points are going to be very low and you'll be really MAD (multi ability dependant), but I agree that this seems fun. I would probably prioritise a high Con if I were to try it out.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Is 3 stats really multi attribute dependent? There are so many ways to raise all of your stats to respectable levels so it doesnt seem that bad

[@Griffex394]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming In short... Yes. Unlike a Paladin, who also has 3 stats, you are a full Caster (almost). This means that in order to be good with spells, you need a higher Intelligence than a Paladin's Charisma. Also, since you'll be attacking twice per turn, I imagine that you'll want a high Dex, otherwise your attacks won't be great. Finally, you'll need more Constitution than a Paladin, since most of your hit dice will be d6s, unlike a Paladin that has a d10. So yes, Super dooper MAD. But items can help you with that :)

[@KuaEtus]

I'm planning to do the Jack of all Trades chalange and this is exactly my approach. Fighter off hand shenanigans, that and wizard scroll learning for high lvl spells 👌.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

That is probably the best route 😂 its what I was thinking too!

[@mycenaeangal9312]

That's tempting but honestly you can't get feats so you're stuck with light weapons. I kinda feel like sword and board is better actually. You can take your cleric level early to get bonus action attacks a few times a day and then rely on wizard for access to higher level spells.

[@KuaEtus]

@@mycenaeangal9312 I plan to use a hand crossbow 😬

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@mycenaeangal9312 the hardest part about being stuck with light weapons is no staff/rapier mainhand, but otherwise some of the best mainhand and offhand weapons are light, especially in the late game, and light weapons will scale with dex so you can get solid armor class even without heavy armor

[@Nerocrossius]

Enjoyed your video and approach. How do you go about the arcane crossbow approach?

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Swap shocking grasp for firebolt/ray of frost, and dual wield hand crossbows! If you want access to both playstyles, melee and ranged, you’ll get both at level 6 with your first wizard level once you have more than one cantrip (if you follow the written leveling order in the description). The biggest advantage to maining the crossbows over alternating or going melee is that you can rock two stat stick staves for a bunch of extra spell attack and spell save DC if you go with the dual wielder feat.

[@christinehede7578]

I recognise your voice from some elder scrolls videos, did you change your channel name?

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Nope! Been the same name since I started! I do think I have a generic white american man youtuber voice though, so it might be similar to someone else’s

[@jamesgrieve8435]

I am curious on the Arcane Archer you mentioned. Do you happen to have a Video on this?

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

I do not, this is my first bg3 video! But the concept and stats are basically the same, just use hand crossbows + firebolt instead of melee weapons + shocking grasp, and take the archery fighting style instead of two weapon fighting.

[@TheAusar]

Fun fact. In DnD 5e, this is a 7th level feature for the Eldritch knight. (They can do this with non light weapons, too. But it's bad XD). But this is actually very nice, because it's one of the few single target attacking build, that doesn't feel bad if you multiclass before level 5 and delaying your extra attack, because you get your extra attack at 4. The only issue is, that you have to actually hold two weapons, but you can go for a silly buff weapon like scarlet remittance in your main.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

In BG3 you also get the bonus attack feature on the Eldritch Knight at level 7, but like. Why would I cast a spell and bonus attack when I can just attack twice? Maybe for self-haste or a guaranteed magic missile or something if a priority target REALLY needs to go down? But you can do that from level 1 already if you just get the fighting style so its kinda just weird. If I were to rebalance it, I would say the level 7 Eldritch Knight feature should be that cantrips count as an attack for extra attack purposes, so they can cast two cantrips in one turn, or they can cantrip + attack, or just two attacks, and then at level 11, they can still get their third attack and now they can cantrip 3x, attack 3x, or a combination.

[@slamindorf5478]

Your balancing idea is actually how later-created subclasses work, like the Bladesinger Wizard, the DnD creators have basically mentioned that is how EK will work in the next version. @@CreativeExcusesGaming

[@DParkerNunya]

​@slamindorf5478 Legit the reason I've never played an EK is because Bladesinger exists

[@aronagerton2909]

Solid build. I'm in. Subscribed.

[@christinehede7578]

I don't understand why jump is an action but misty step is a bonus action.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Jump is a bonus action! It just costs 3m of movement speed as well. Misty step costs a spell slot (or a scroll, or a long rest item ability) instead of movement and has waaaay more range

[@dirzz]

One of the best build videos for BG3, looking forward for more!

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Thanks! There is a second one up right now!

[@Zambukaneer]

I've not tried multiclassing, I hadn't found the right explaination for me. I think this video actually helped me understand it more, so thank you. I just have a question: Is there some reason not to pick the fighter's action surge and carry on from there? Do 8 levels in wizard offer something better?

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

By taking 1 more fighter level, youll miss out on a feat and limit yourself to one unless you go 2 fighter, 4 rogue, 6 wizard. But action surge is really really strong, so its not a bad idea. I just want those level 4 spell slots and to feel more magical. Ive played with action surge enough lol

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Looking at it some more instead of sleeping, you could go 1 fighter, 3 rogue, 6 wizard, and 2 paladin to still get level 3 and maybe one level 4 spell slot, and get access to smites with your offhand attacks. Then with the great constitution proficiency from fighter and hopefully advantage from some source on concentration saves, you could conceivably cast a spell/cantrip and smite twice in a turn depending on how the smite reactions interact with bonus action attacks (if they spend your reaction resource or not)

[@Zambukaneer]

Nice one. Thanks for taking the time to reply. Gonna try some multiclassing in single player to get a feel for it. I should probably save the leftie multiclass for my next multiplayer playthough. My friends seem to think I take almost as long picking feats as I do in character creation, so picking up action surge instead might save their sanity... a little.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@Zambukaneer honestly for your first feat, just go dual wielder and find two rapiers or a staff + rapier. Its a very fun combo either way that bumps your damage up every turn

[@edgarroberto3451]

Loved the idea and loved the both videos ! You should continue on bg3 builds. Good job, liked & subscribed :D Almost every other videos about builds are lacks the idea and way of thinking also they tell the viewers "you should play the game after you finished the game" I still cant get idea out of my mind to mixing this build with level 5 cleric to get Spirit Guardians, Create or Destroy Water, Sanctuary, Command and Bless or maybe level 2 sorc with Armour of Agathys and twin meta magic with 1 level wizard for scroll learning... oh maybe 2 level warlock... So much potential !!!

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

If you dont care about the level 1 cantrip + attack part, you can dump the intelligence stat for wisdom and go cleric instead. Then you could have a life cleric with decent heals, damage, crowd control, all of it. If I did that, i would definitely go 1 fight, 4 rogue for a feat, then 6 cleric and respec at 12 to 1 fighter, 3 rogue, 8 cleric so I could use divine strike + sneak attack on my hits in the final fights! That would be a fun climax to the build. I just love the idea of divine strike lol

[@edgarroberto3451]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming that's exactly what i was thinking! At the start level 1 cantrip + attack part is really valuable. Warped Headband of Intellect is also available pretty early in the game. I would also consider paladin route too. Smites work with left hand and sneaks, plus one more proficiency for fighting styles. Same thing goes for bards too, but spore druids can be great with Symbiotic Entity & Halo of Spores and other summons to back us up. 1 fight, 4 rogue, 7 druid. Weirdly enough we can wild shape into owlbear with action and use 1 bonus action for enlarge then use another bonus action to jump on them and... Also wild shape has 1 extra attck at lvl 5...

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@edgarroberto3451 but your wild shape will be low hp because it scales with druid level

[@edgarroberto3451]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming yeap that's the main handicap :(

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Its still a free source if temp hp and possibly some nice damage, especially if you go moon druid and wild shape as a bonus action, then leap as an owlbear, then attack. But the biggest problem of all is you cant really do any of that fancy stuff until youre like level 10 or 11. It is cool to be able to bonus action shapeshift to absorb a bunch of damage and maybe have a single turn of shapeshiftery shanagins while being a regular melee fighter other turns.

[@drewforchic9083]

My favorite part of this is that I make optimized builds for 5e as a hobby, but didn't even think of this when I started BG3 because several of those key features for this build work differently in the base game, making this not viable, and I hadn't appreciated the changes, whereas you're coming in with no D&D experience and picked it out before I did.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

Prior knowledge can get in the way sometimes! I was worried I was going to get flamed by the tabletop crowd for this video 😂😂

[@jjeas36]

​@@CreativeExcusesGamingthe thing is, RAW (rules as written) you're not allowed to make an offhand bonus action attack in 5e because you need to do an Attack action with your main hand first. Casting a cantrip is a Cast a Spell action, thus you cannot do an offhand bonus attack. However, BG3 rules are different so thats why no 5e vets really thought of this

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@jjeas36 oooo thats interesting! And that makes the level 7 eldritch knight feature make a lot more sense.

[@drewforchic9083]

@@jjeas36 Furthermore, Thief doesn't give you 2 bonus actions, merely more options for what to do with your single bonus action. So you couldn't stack more attacks on it.

[@benjamincason7337]

Wdx😊

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

What does this mean 😂😅

[@sdnnvs]

Start in 5:20

[@Angels-Haven]

awesome build idea

[@Nikolai0169]

Fun fact, the rogues sneak attack works with ranged spell attacks. This is a distinct difference from the actual 5e system where it has to come from a weapon attack. Thanks to this the crossbow version of the build gets an additional attempt at a sneak attack by casting fire bolt or ray of frost, though the sneak attack damage will still be piercing damage. When I noticed this for the first time, I decided to try building a charisma based rogue by dipping 2 levels into warlock at levels 2 and 3 for eldritch blast and its invocations, and the rest going into arcane trickster rogue for utility spells. The knockback especially can skyrocket your damage if you utilize high ground well. While the choice of patron doesnt matter too much, I specifically with the great old one as a patron for the fear on crit feature it has as a little bonus. You could probably get a lot more use out of this if you go assassin instead of arcane trickster. It also just works very well with advantage and multiple beams, and can pay off in dividends if you decide to utilize crit fishing items later on in the playthrough. As usual the choice of race doesnt matter terribly much. I personally went with the shield dwarf for the medium armour proficiency, as I wouldnt be maxing out my dexterity anyways. I will say that for the first 2 levels this will feel a lot weaker than many other early builds, but as soon as youve got your invocations you start seeing its effects, and especially when you hit lvl 5 and get your second beam this becomes a very consistent sneak attack machine since you get the advantage from hiding on all of your beams. The sneak attack will still only proc once though, so keep that in mind if you split your beams.

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

My cantrips have never once triggered a sneak attack… you are triggering your sneak attack with eldritch blast? My sneak attack just triggers when I use my offhand attacks with advantage.

[@Nikolai0169]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming it specifically has to be a ranged spell attack, shocking grasp wouldn't work since its melee

[@Nikolai0169]

@@CreativeExcusesGaming in addition to what I said above, you still need to have a finesse or ranged weapon in hand, just in case you weren't doing that

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@@Nikolai0169 Yea Im at the end of the game so Ive used a good number of rays of frost and firebolts. Maybe ive never thrown those out with advantage before

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

@@Nikolai0169 yea I have dual hand crossbows that I use as often as my melee weapons lol. And for the offhand sneak attacks, it says you need a mainhand finesse weapon, but you dont. I get sneak attacks with a mainhand staff all the time, I just cant sneak attack as an action.