Baldur’s Gate 3 lets you create a summoner build that allows you to call monsters to fight at your side. However, the subclass that should—in theory—be the best at summoning creatures is upstaged by its own specialization.

Those who have played the old Baldur’s Gate or Neverwinter Nights games might be surprised at how little summoning there is in Baldur’s Gate 3. This reflects a shift in design for D&D 5E, where spawning lots of pets was downplayed to streamline the combat system and remove the requirement for players to oversee their own goons. Here are the best BG3 summoner builds.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 2’s Slayer Form Makes Surprise Return in Baldur’s Gate 3

Necromancers Are the Best Summoners in Baldur’s Gate 3

The Necormancer (School of Necromancy Wizard) is the best summoner in Baldur’s Gate 3. Not only do they get Find Familiar and Flaming Sphere at lower levels, but they gain Animate Dead at as a level 3 spell. This includes an exclusive trait that makes their skeletons stronger and lets them summon more boney boys to their side. As they level up, they’ll also gain access to Conjure Minor Elementals, Evard’s Black Tentacles, Conjure Elemental, Planar Binding, and Create Undead—giving them lots of summoning options.

Those familiar with D&D 5E might think that the Conjurer (School of Conjuration Wizard) is the best summoner in the game. After all, summoning is a huge part of the Conjuration school. This isn’t the case, however, as Conjurers are actually better at teleporting than they are at summoning creatures from other dimensions.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: What’s the Level Cap?

How to Make Gale the Best Summoner in BG3

If you want a summoner but don’t want to put your protagonist in that role, Gale makes an excellent choice. This is because he doesn’t have a subclass when you meet him, allowing you to mold him in your desired image.

You receive bonuses for Animate Dead minions, including increased HP and damage, as well as an additional summon per cast. Wizard Spells, particularly Slow and Counterspell, can be beneficial in preventing your summon army from being obliterated by enemy AoE spells.

This comes with the cons of keeping Gale in your party, but that’s the price you pay for power.

About the author

Scott Baird

Scott has been writing for Gamepur since 2023, having been a former contributor to websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, Screen Rant, The Gamer, and TopTenz. A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started as a film student before moving into journalism. Scott covers Dungeons & Dragons, Final Fantasy, Pokémon, and MTG. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

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