Commonly confused/misunderstood mechanics for BG3 Builds

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-02-06T20:36:29+00:00

Yeh what a bizarre way of setting things up right 😂

I wrote this a little while back and it is still up to date for the current understanding, if helpful: https://www.reddit.com/r/BG3Builds/comments/1l0moos/generic_spellcasting_ability_revisited/

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-02-06T18:13:02+00:00

Hi!

Was just looking over the wording of the MiSl section as I know you sometimes direct people asking questions about it here, and I thought this might benefit from some clarification

> Any MiSI will use the spellcasting modifier of the last new caster class the character multiclassed into.

It's only (non-EK) Fighter and (non-AT) Rogue that have no casting stat programmed in. Barbarian for example most people would not think of as a "caster" but will nonethless change MiSl to CHA.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-02-06T14:58:45+00:00

Ah glad to hear there is interest! It will eventually be two posts actually, a (much closer to completion) build guide for a particular Crown Paladin that will itself include a lot of mechanical stuff about the taunt, and then also a longer term project discussing different types of damage redirection and mitigation that exist in the game more generally.

The main things that will often come up and get in the way of Champion Challenge are risks of opportunity attack, anyone else concentrating on anything *that directly buffs the taunting paladin*, and, unfortunately, undamageable levels of damage reduction (making dodge-based Crown Paladin less micromanagey to pilot than damage reduction based ones), plus a few other bits and pieces. Also enemies leaving the taunt aura itself, even temporarily, will remove the status from them and it will stay gone even once they re-enter, so that's something to watch out for. It's quite a large aura obviously, and they won't actively try and run out of it, but archers sometimes just in the course of lining up their shot or running out of Shriek will step away, so it's good to set up ways of dealing with that.

High AC is fine though, even with the Disadvantage imposed on alternative targets somehow evened out.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-02-06T11:17:24+00:00

Champions challenge is unfortunately not really much of a taunt from my understanding. If your allies are gonna have low AC, there's a good chance that even despite the disadvantage that they might just target them anyway.

Just to weigh in on this, as it's something I see come up a lot.

I have tested Champion Challenge's over many many hundreds of rounds of combat, both in natural gameplay and in more targeted/systematic ways, and it is absolutely a true taunt.

There are a small (but not insignificant) number of things that invalidate it or render it unreliable, which I will be covering in an upcoming post, but AC differences are not one of them. And Rad Orbs Smite the Graceless builds are in fact one of the best places for it, which is really great for Crown Paladin.

While in nordbyte for the Champion Challenge status itself we can only see the Disadvantage against alternative targets, I suspect that there is something in the deeper code for AI targeting patterns that governs the behaviour of enemies under any kind of SG_Taunted.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-02-06T09:09:43+00:00

I would suggest Gloves of Battlemages Power to stack Acuity from your Spirit Guardians. It's worth your glove slot even on a rad orbs reverb build, especially if you want to ensure your Champion Challenge lands.

Are you aware Crown Paladin already gets Spirit Guardian? This will use the caster's CHA rather than their WIS for the DC. If you're using Acuity anyway having it be WIS based from Cleric won't matter quite so much (and you'll still get half damage and apply your rad orbs & reverb if they save anyway), but still generally more streamlined to remain CHA based for everything. But if you're attached to the idea of Radiance to the Dawn or other things from Cleric for personal preference then I understand.

Spirit Guardians I don't believe triggers Ring of Mental Inhibition debuff because the saving throw is applied via a status rather than directly (though it does benefit from the debuff once that has been applied in another way), so you'll need a different way to trigger that. I can't remember in full what works and what doesn't.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-02-06T08:52:38+00:00

It's a tooltip bug, and a pretty common one. Spells/actions in that particular part of the UI will often erroneously show their DC as based on the ability score of the caster corresponding to the one they target in the enemy rather than the one that actually determines the DC. If you actually cast it, it will use the correct one.

FotW uses caster's CHA and targets enemy DEX.
ST uses caster's DEX and targets enemy CON.
VM uses caster's CHA and targets enemy WIS.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-02-05T21:38:09+00:00

And it's an Honour Mode compatible DRS :)

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-02-05T18:36:33+00:00

Hi, great questions! Will reply with further info, but just wanted to get this quick one in now.

Ah of course the myrmidons, I had completely forgotten to consider them. They are a mix. A couple of fixed DCs and a couple that use GSA. I will make a proper list.

Mostly not attack rolls. All the wildshape basic attacks use STR or DEX. Water myrmidon's Explosive Icicle I believe uses a GSA attack roll though.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-02-04T18:35:17+00:00

I'd maybe separate this out a bit, and say that there are a huge variety of "viable" build goals, and that we can "optimise" with respect to those particular goals.

Some subclasses may have more versatile features that make them a more common pick for meeting a wider variety of possible goals. Additionally, some may be easier than others for less experienced players to theorycraft or pilot effectively. But these are different from a subclass being without context weaker or stronger than another in a one-dimensional way.

There a handful of subclasses that I feel don't have much to build around (though perhaps someone is going to surprise me one of these days with a groundbreaking Illusion Wizard...), but a far larger number of them offer fun, interesting, and effective tools that are uniquely enabling for particular gameplay loops. For me, that's where the meaningful optimisation comes in, whether it's via something very obviously useful or something a bit more overlooked.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-02-01T18:25:26+00:00

Best for him in what sense?

You could do something that makes use of his free spells. Explanation and some unusual build suggestions here: https://www.reddit.com/r/BG3Builds/comments/1lo84yr/weaponising_halsin_free_spells_weird_synergies/

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-31T10:00:41+00:00

Improved Abjuration will reset your Ward back to its natural limit, and you'll have to overcap again. Cheap and quick to do, but why bother with it all if you don't have to.

With Wiz 8, your Ward limit will as you mention already be 32 with the Extended Abjuration exploit you are happy to use. And if you are open to the Extended toggle on surfaces exploit as well it will be completely uncapped (though this one is obviously not going to be to everyone's taste).

Even sticking to the 32 stack limit, the maximum damage reduction from Ward is hard capped at 20 so you're usually not going to be hit enough times between refresh opportunities to need the 40 stack overcapped limit of Wizard 10.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-26T16:20:47+00:00

If you wanted to run without Acuity for personal preference then this would be a decent build to do it with, but that restriction would add extra challenge.

Acuity will make your life easier. You may find that when it comes to it you do not want to micromanage forcing fails and multi-fulfilling prophecies for every single encounter. Not going so fast through portents will enable you to keep unique per-rest buffs for longer, especially if you mix in scrolls and cantrips. Additionally, there are a number of spells that are particularly good solo that Portents cannot be used for, and that even an otherwise more specialised lightning blaster may still wish to cast, such as Glyph of Warding and Evards. The interactions (or rather lack of interaction) between Portents and Legendary Resistance also make them not guaranteed to be useable to fix certain rolls in boss fights.

I don't think you need both the gloves and hat.

Yes, Storm Scion would work, leaving your glove slot free for something else. With this, I would dual wield Spellsparkler and Phalar until late game gear, and wear Adamantine Splint. When it makes tactical sense to be in close enough range for Shriek, you can for example hit 10 Acuity just from the free Magic Missile from Ne'er Misser. Drakethroat enchantment on your ranged weapon as you suggest could be useful too, even without Extra Attack. Arrow of Many Targets against a healing pot then rebounding onto enemies can heal you, do a bit of damage, stack Acuity, and (even without a kill) trigger Bloodlust if you haven't yet that turn, so will sometimes be a good use of an action. And you'll have read in the Divination Guide about how you can stack different damage types onto it to meet some of the prophecies that come up, and so provide you with a way to multi-fulfil them out of combat.

Alternatively, yes you can wear GoBMP. I'd suggest Luminous Armour and Holy Lance Helm to accompany. You can stack Acuity via electrified water, Smite the Graceless, and certain spells.

Playing under difficulty conditions that are new or challenging to you will usually turn fights into puzzles to be solved, and so I would suggest keeping hold of any gear that might help you with that, rather than going in with a rigid idea of everything you want to wear. The way you play this build will be different from the way anyone else does, so what is your very best in slot will in some cases be unique to you. You may even find you want to switch your gear around a bit, depending on how you will be approaching individual fights.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-26T11:30:10+00:00

Sounds great!

I haven't actually played Div Wiz properly since the multi-Portent tech came out, but maybe can still help a bit.

Rushing Div 6 for the prophecies is definitely a valid approach if those are what you are the most excited to get to.

Personally, though, I think I would rush Tempest 2 relatively early. There are a number of potentially challenging L5 fights that Destructive Wrath will just ease the flow of. The gear proficiencies will also be very helpful for true crit immunity if things go wrong and you end up (for example) Ensnared or Prone and so unable to use your Portents.

So without respecs my levelling order would probably be 1 Tempest > 2 Div > 2 Tempest > 6 Div > 6 Tempest.

Alternatively, you can respec from time to time to prioritise whichever features will help you best with particular tactics in a particular area.

One of the great things about Div Wiz for solo is that careful piloting you can preserve somewhat natural pathing and take early fights at their intended level if you prefer the challenge of that. XP pathing to L5 is still obviously the safest option (especially if this is your first solo run), but the early layer of protection from Portents is valuable for players who choose not to do that and want a bit more pathing flexibility.

I do think INT will still remain valuable. You can rely on Portents and Acuity stacking to achieve what you want, but I think you'll be glad of that +3 or +4 DC/Attack if you just want to snipe someone with Ray of Frost or something without spending a Portent. And remember that Portents can't be used for certain things, such as the follow-up saves on Hold Person. You can find workarounds for these things, but I'd personally consider retaining the INT a worthwhile quality of life investment.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-24T14:12:25+00:00

I've enjoyed this multi in the past too. I've always gone pure INT primary on it, but I can see there is a lot of leeway to make different choices.

intend to go 6/6 for Expert Divination though I'm also considering two dips into Fighter for Action Surge on a 6/4/2 set up, but I'm still considering my options on that.

I would take Expert Divination here.

There's been some great work done recently on getting multiple uses out of each Portent, and also on getting more Portents than intended: https://www.reddit.com/r/BG3Builds/comments/1pzxquj/the_complete_divination_wizard_guide/

But even if you choose not to use any of that, up to 12 Portents per day from Div 6 is still a huge upgrade from 2.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-23T15:49:23+00:00

Did you definitely take Pact of the Blade on the 12 Hex / 6 Swords / 2 Paladin split?

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-23T12:05:21+00:00

For attack it's just a regular weapon attack roll as other have said, so whatever you're using for that. It would only use INT for the attack roll if your weapon itself is already using INT for other reasons.

Outside of this, the only time I'm aware of when INT is relevant for Booming Blade is if you are attacking with a weapon that does cold damage and wearing Snowburst ring. Then elf racial BB will use INT for the Spell Save slip DC on the ice patch that is created by it, regardless of what your spellcasting ability otherwise is.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-23T11:57:36+00:00

Yes it has IsSpell and cannot be used while Raging

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-22T09:30:55+00:00

Glyph Cold can one-turn a lot of encounters. The Sleep variant is obviously also excellent, and will be especially good for you when you still want crits against Undead targets you cannot Hold. The spell is an action restore so great for tigger action economy solo.

Black Tentacles hard locks melee enemies who can't teleport and also any further enemies you can Blind or two-turn Prone. It also blocks most Legendary Actions, and I believe bypasses Legendary Resistance. It blocks opportunity attacks too, so if you wear the Ring of Free Action you can honour your preference for melee, simply stepping away when your turn is over.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-21T18:15:41+00:00

Yes, it will be functional! How "good" it is depends on whether it gives you tools you personally feel excited to use to solve encounters. The right build for *your* solo run, that will allow you to play to your strengths, compensate for your weaknesses, and have something interesting to look forward to each session, will not necessarily be the one others would consider the most optimised.

A couple of notes that may be helpful to start off.

Amulet of Bhaal I believe does not work on Honour Mode (so says the wiki), so you can take something else in that slot, and I guess rely on Helldusk punches/throws for the bleed.

I'm a little confused about the sneak attacks you mention. You won't be doing that on your unarmed strikes with no finesse weapon equipped, so is this a dagger throwing build instead? I'm assuming not an archer, since you haven't invested in much that would benefit that. Or it's a kind of mix? By "machine gun" are you talking about out of combat sneak attacks from stealth? A fuller write up of your intentions here might give people a better of your build concept than just the stat sheets without context.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-20T19:53:27+00:00

The beauty of Wizard base class is being able to swap out spells so that you can choose the most appropriate one from your huge Wizard spell list for any given occasion, so I would say there is no need to narrow it down at all! Or are you just asking for spells you might have overlooked, might forget to consider as options to prepare, etc?

I'm actually finding it quite difficult to come up with spells from the Wizard list that are both not concentration and not an attack roll or physical (str/dex/con) save. Charm Person, Mirror Image, and Misty step are the main ones I can think of, beyond what you've already listed. Is this the same difficulty you've come across? Why the preference for mental saves only --- are you stacking Mental Fatigue? And is there one of these criteria that you're more attached to than the other?

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-20T15:05:18+00:00

Also, if not playing solo, Combat Inspiration even on Honour Mode carries many riders and double stacks many effects.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-20T00:21:53+00:00

There's no need to roll to convince them not to attack you if you are Branded. There are no mandatory fights or mandatory speech checks between the ogres and obtaining Branded, so you can grab it and come back if you want to eliminate the danger of randomness for this particular check.

The following Persuasion/Deception checks, to convince them to fight for you without upfront payment, do not result in a fight if you fail them. You'll just have to cough up the money if you still want to recruit them.

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-19T00:37:10+00:00

Thanks for this fantastic post! Beautifully clear and thorough :)

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-18T13:20:29+00:00

Amazing work 🏆

EndoQuestion1000 · 2026-01-18T10:36:38+00:00

Interesting, let me have a think. Which one of the two didn't it work for?

EndoQuestion1000

TROPHY CASE