Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Necromancy Wizard Build Guide

How to make the best necromancer build in BG3.

By Jarren Navarreteon
Best Necromancer Build Baldur's Gate 3 cover

The school of necromancy is one of the most powerful subclasses for the wizard in Baldur’s Gate 3. The power to siphon life from others is considered taboo in many social circles, but those who can disregard judgment will find that necromancy is the road to many powerful builds. We made this guide to show you the best necromancy wizard build in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Best Necromancy Wizard Build in Baldur’s Gate 3

The best necromancy wizard build uses corpses on the field to summon the undead to fight for you. This build can also debuff enemies to make them easier to kill. However, it can take a lot of investment to make this build, as raising the dead won’t be available until at least Level 5.

BG3 Necromancy Wizard Build – Best Race

The Asmodeus Tiefling is the best race for this necromancy wizard build in Baldur’s Gate 3. This race gives you an additional free cantrip and two spells. They also come with additional features that gives you several benefits to playing this race.

Tieflings have Darkvision which is extremely useful for Underdark expeditions. Asmodeus Tiefling have Hellish Resistance which grant them protection against fire damage. They only take half damage from it. So when you have a spellcaster on your team who loves to set the whole environment on fire, you don’t have to worry as much.

Asmodeus Tieflings also have Hellish Rebuke to surround their attackers in flames. And at Level 5, they get a free Darkness spell that allows them to blind targets inside a certain radius, preventing ranged attacks.

BG3 Necromancy Wizard Build – Best Class

Although most spellcasters can access necromancy spells, the wizard class is the best for this school of magic. They have a subclass completely dedicated for necromancy which give you extra features that make you a more potent necromancer. So if you have to choose a class for dedicated necromancy, pick the wizard.

Wizards have special features that will help make this best necromancy build. By picking this class, your necromancer will inherit several features that are extremely useful:

  • Arcane Recovery: Recover spells Level 4 and lower outside of combat
  • Multiple Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, Quarterstaff, Light Crossbow
  • Saving Throw Proficiencies: Intelligence, Wisdom

You also get to pick 2 more skill proficiencies. Pick Investigation and Religion as they are both centered around the Intelligence stat which wizards revolve around on.

BG3 Necromancy Wizard Build – Best Ability Score

For the Necromancy Wizard’s ability score, you should make it like this:

  • Strength: 8
  • Dexterity: 14
  • Constitution: 10
  • Intelligence: 16
  • Wisdom: 12
  • Charisma: 10

The necromancy school revolves around Intelligence as its primary stat so starting out with high intelligence is a requirement for this build.

BG3 Necromancy Wizard Build – Best Subclass

As a wizard, you can select the necromancy school subclass which gives you certain benefits when using spells related to necromancy. The necromancy school subclass gives you additional features:

  • Necromancy Savant: With this subclass, learning spells from necromancy scrolls will only cost 25g per spell level.
  • Grim Harvest: Per each turn, killing a creature with a spell regains you hit points equal to twice the spell slot level used. Three, if it’s a necromancy spell. This doesn’t affect Undead and Constructs.

It should already be a no-brainer to pick the necromancy class for the best necromancer build. The Grim Harvest feature from this subclass is irreplaceable for its ability to give you hit points upon killing creatures. Its Necromancy Savant will also help you save money while learning the highest level necromancy spells.

BG3 Necromancy Wizard Build – Best Background

There are multiple backgrounds that you can choose for the necromancy wizard but so far either Sage or Acolyte are the best ones. Both of these two backgrounds give you proficiency in your Intelligence stat which is your wizard’s primary ability.

BG3 Necromancy Wizard Build – Level Progression Guide to select one

As your necromancer levels up, they’ll gain access to new spells courtesy of their race, class, and subclass. Here’s what we recommend you do per level:

Level 1

At Level 1, you get three cantrips and two Level 1 spell slots to learn. Here’s what we recommend you take in this level:

Cantrips

  • Bone Chill: Prevents your target from healing until your next turn. Undead targets gain Disadvantage on their next attack roll.
  • Fire Bolt: Hurl a bolt of fire.
  • Mage Hand: Conjures a magical hand that can manipulate and interact with objects.

Spells

  • False Life: Gives you temporary 7 Hit Points until Long Rest.
  • Ray of Sickness: Can potentially poison your target.
  • Shield: When about to be hit by an attack from an enemy, increase your AC by 5. Also protects you completely from Magic Missile attacks.
  • Thunderwave: Release a thunderous wave that pushes away all creatures and objects. Targets on Saving Throws still take half damage. A great spell to push away aggressive melee combatants coming too close to you.
  • Mage Armour: Surround an unarmored creature in a protective magical force. Its AC increases to 13+ its Dexterity modifier. The armor you cast stays on until Long Rest.

Level 2

At Level 2, you can finally pick the necromancy school subclass. You won’t get to select one more spell slot. Here’s what we recommend you pick for this Level:

  • Ice Knife: Throw a shard of ice that deals 1-10 Piercing damage. It explodes and deals 2-12 Cold damage to anyone nearby. It leaves and icy surface for 2 turns.
  • Chromatic Orb: Hurl a sphere of energy that deals 3d8 Thunder damage, or deals 2d8 Acid, Cold; Fire, Lightning, or Poison damage and creates a surface.

Level 3

At Level 3, you can cast Level 2 spells for the first time. You get 2 Level 2 spell slots and 1 Level 1 spell slot. Here’s what we recommend you take for this level:

  • Ray of Enfeeblement: Target deals half the damage of weapon attacks that use Strength.
  • Mirror Image: Create 3 illusionary duplicates of yourself that distract attackers. Each duplicate increases your AC by 3. Whenever you successfully evade an attack, one of the duplicates disappears.
  • Misty Step: Surrounded by silver mist, you teleport to an unoccupied space you can see. A great spell for repositioning.

Level 4

At Level 4, you get to learn a new cantrips, 2 spells, and pick a feat. You can also forgo picking a feat to invest more in your Ability Score. Here’s what we recommend you take for this level:

Cantrips

  • Poison Spray: Project a puff of poisonous gas. Targets hit take 1d12 Poison damage.

Spells

  • Blindness: Limit a target’s range of sight. They will miss their attacks easier and they’re easier to hit. Attack Rolls against them have Advantage but theirs have Disadvantage.
  • Scorching Ray: Hurl 3 rays of fire. Each ray deals 2-12 Fire damage.

For your feat, get Magic Initiate: Wizard which lets you learn 2 new cantrips, 1 Level 1 spell from the wizard spell list. All spellcasting ability from these 3 spells is Intelligence.

  • Ray of Frost: Target has their movement speed reduced by 3m.
  • Acid Splash: Cast a bubble of acid that damages each target it hits.
  • Magic Missile: Cast 3 magical darts that always find their mark for 2-5 Force damage. Since it’s always guaranteed to hit, it’s a useful finisher when you can’t afford to miss. You can target up to 3 enemies with it.

Level 5

At Level 5, you get 2 new spell slots to learn. Here’s what we recommend for this level:

  • Vampiric Touch: Siphon life from the enemy by touching them.
  • Bestow Curse: Targets get a Disadvantage in either Attack or Saving Throws. You can gain additional damage when you attack the target or rob them of their turn.

You may be tempted to get Revivify but it’s better to get a cleric like Shadowheart to use this ability. Instead, you should focus on other necromancy skills that are available for this level. You also shouldn’t get the Animate Dead spell because you’ll get it for free on the next level.

Level 6

At Level 6, things start to really open up for the necromancy school subclass. You get a spell and two additional subclass features. Here’s what you can expect at this level:

  • Animate Dead: Turn a corpse into an undead servant.
  • Undead Thralls Additional Undead: When you use Animate Dead, you can raise an additional corpse.
  • Undead Thralls Better Summons: Undead you raise have additional hit points equal to that of your wizard level. They gain additional damage from your Proficiency Bonus.

Unlike the Level 3 spell slot, this version of Animate Dead is always prepared. You also get to pick two new spells for yourself at this level. Here’s what we recommend:

  • Haste: Target yourself or an ally to become Hastened: gain an action, become faster, and harder to hit.
  • Fireball: Shoot a bright flame from your fingers that explodes upon contact, torching everything in the vicinity. Targets on Saving Throws still take half damage. Targets hit take 8d6 Fire damage.

Level 7

At Level 7, your necromancer will gain access to Level 4 spells. Here’s what we recommend you take for this level:

  • Blight: Plants are more susceptible to this spell; they roll with Disadvantage and still take half damage if they succeed the roll.
  • Conjure Minor Elemental: Conjure a minor elemental to fight alongside you. Along with the undead you summon, this will add an additional member to fight alongside your party.

Level 8

At Level 8, you get to pick between a feat or adding points to your Ability Score. Choose to add two more points to you Intelligence stat. You also get 2 new spells at this level. Here’s what we recommend you take:

  • Banishment: Temporarily Banish your target to another plane of existence.
  • Ice Storm: Impel a storm of hail ice to crash from the sky, covering the ground and striking all objects and creatures within range.

Level 9

At Level 9, you get access to the more powerful Level 5 spells. Here’s what we recommend you take for this level:

  • Conjure Elemental: Summons an ally that will follow and fight for you.
  • Cloudkill: Conjures a cloud of poison gas that can be reposition on each turn.

Level 10

At Level 10, you gain a powerful subclass feature that renders you resistant to necrotic damage and prevents your maximum hit points from being reduced. Here’s what you can expect at this level:

  • Inured to Undeath: Grants resistance to Necrotic damage and prevents hit point maximum from being reduced.

You also get to learn one new cantrip and two new spells. Here’s what we recommend you take:

Cantrips

  • Blade Ward: Receive only half damage from Piercing, Bludgeoning, and Slashing attacks.

Spells

  • Fly: Gives your target the ability of flight. This spell can be casted before battle to grant a huge increase in mobility.
  • Dimension Door: You can teleport yourself and an ally adjacent to you to a location you can see. However the ally cannot be larger than medium.

Level 11

At Level 11, you can now use the most powerful spells in the game. Here’s what we recommend you take:

  • Create Undead: Raise a corpse as a mummy that fights by your side until Long Rest. The corpse targeted must be medium or small corpse.
  • Circle of Death: Surround a creature with entropic energy. The target and surrounding creatures are devastated.

Level 12

At Level 12 you’re at max level and you get two more picks of Level 5 spells. Here’s what we recommend you take at this level:

  • Arcane Gate: Cast two linked teleportation portals that last for 10 turns.
  • Flesh to Stone: Target a foe to atrophy and restrain them until the temporarily turn to stone. If the target doesn’t succeed in a Saving Throw in 3 turns, they’ll Petrify.

BG3 Necromancy Wizard Build – Best Companions

Here’s who we recommend you take with you as a necromancer wizard:

  • Shadowheart: As a Cleric, her healing and support skills are critical to team composition.
  • Astarion: As a Rogue, his high single-target damage potential can lead to many corpses you can reap from as a necromancer.
  • Karlach: As a Barbarian, her ability to charge to the front lines can cripple enemy formation before they have a chance to fight back.

Wizard don’t have a lot of hit points and their limitations in armor types mean that they can’t take as much damage. You’ll need reliable companions which you can recruit early in the game to help protect you from taking direct damage.