So I’ve been sweating over frost builds in BG3 lately, specifically whether pure wizard or multiclassing hits harder. Figured I’d just dive in and test both paths myself like a lab rat. Grabbed my level 8 save file – decent gear, nothing insane – and hit Withers for a quick respec.
Started pure. Made a level 8 Evocation Wizard, maxed Int obviously. Picked all the icy spells: Ray of Frost, Ice Knife, Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm, even Glyph of Warding set to cold. Went down Sorcerous Sundries and splurged on the Snowburst Ring too, hoping for those ice patches.
Took the build for a spin in Act 2 near Moonrise Towers. Target practice: some Absolute grunts. First impression? Disappointing. Ray of Frost felt weak-sauce, especially against those tougher bois. Ice Knife? Pretty pathetic AOE. Glyph was okay for control, laying down slippery ice, but damage-wise? Nah. Felt like I was chucking ice cubes at a bonfire. Single-target damage was just… sad. Ended up relying way too much on boring ol’ Magic Missile. Frost fantasy? More like frost fizzle. Felt trapped.
- Pure Pros: Easy leveling, full spell slot access.
- Pure Cons: Damage underwhelming, resource-heavy spells hit like wet noodles.
Got frustrated fast. Respecced again! Decided to try a mixed brew: Two levels in Tempest Domain Cleric for that sweet Channel Divinity Destructive Wrath (max lightning/cold damage!), then poured the rest into Wizard (Evocation). Kept Snowburst Ring. Grabbed the Mourning Frost staff too – free Ray of Frost casts with bonus cold damage? Yes please.
Mixed Class Run Time. Same grunts near Moonrise, same Gale, different spices. Opened with Ice Storm! Big whoosh! Hailstones everywhere! Then hit the fattest dude standing in the storm with a Chromatic Orb: COLD flavor. Boom! Channel Divinity burned – max damage! Critted! Saw some HUGE numbers, man. Like, way bigger than Wizard ever coughed up.
- Multiclass Pros: HUGE spike damage potential with Channel Divinity + Chromatic Orb/Ice Storm, better utility.
- Multiclass Cons: Fewer high-level spell slots, leveling feels slower, gotta manage two classes.
Verdict after testing? Forget pure Wizard for frost damage. Felt like dragging myself through mud. That multiclass with Tempest Cleric? Game-changer for big, satisfying BOOMS. Yeah, it’s a bit fiddly with two classes, and you gotta be smart with your Channel Divinity charges because they’re precious. But man, seeing those big blue numbers pop when you max out an Ice Storm or Orb? Pure wizard can’t touch that. It costs you some top-tier magic versatility, sure, but for pure frost POWER and those glorious elemental reactions when things get wet? Tempest Cleric mixed in is absolutely worth the hassle. Went back to wizard pure for giggles later and instantly regretted it. Mixed wins.