Baldur's Gate 3 has now entered full release, leading many players, new and old alike, to make a new character. In the game's full release, there have been several changes, including balancing changes, more story, and several new subclasses that have been added to the game.
If you are contemplating a Sorcerer character, your subclass options will be Draconic Bloodline, Wild Magic, and Storm Sorcery. Chosen at level one, these subclasses will influence your attack bonuses, Hit Points, damage resistances, and even your Armor Class. With all these options, it's time to grab your favorite companions, saddle up, and fight some Mindflayers.
Updated by Abigail Angell on August 22th, 2023: Further play testing has revealed the durability of the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer far outscales the minor increase in mobility that the Storm Sorcerer benefits from. As a result, these rankings have been modified.
3 Storm Sorcery
If you're looking for a mobile, damaged, focused Sorcerer, then look no further. The Storm Sorcerer looked at the Draconic Bloodline and decided that one damage type isn't good enough - giving up Hit Points and AC for a second one. However, they tend to feel underwhelming unless you're using Thunder or Lightning spells, as a main feature doesn't work in any other circumstance. Given the prevalence of resistances in the game, and the limited choices for these damage types this is risky business. It can also be tricky to keep them alive, as you'll want them just outside the melee range of enemies for the greatest effect.
The two main features of the Storm Sorcerer are Heart of the Storm and Tempestuous Magic. Using Tempestuous Magic requires a bonus action on your turn just before or after casting a spell and causes a whirlwind to move you 10 feet in a direction of your choice without consuming movement. This is a great tool for repositioning during a fight, keeping you safe. Heart of the Storm, in contrast, is entirely dependent on damage type. When casting a Thunder or Lightning spell, you can cause additional damage to a target of your choice equal to half your sorcerer level. You also gain resistance to Thunder and Lightning damage.
2 Draconic Bloodline
The Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer is one of the standard choices for any newcomer to the D&D system for a reason - it provides additional safety in the form of increased Armor Class and Hit Points. This wiggle room can make the difference between surviving an attack in a bad position or getting immediately shot down. However, you are still a Sorcerer, so your durability won't match the likes of the Barbarian. As a result, it's great for players who are likely to make mistakes, but experienced tacticians won't get as much use out of these features.
In addition to these key stat increases, Draconic Bloodline Sorcerers pick a draconic ancestry. These ancestries are related to different types of dragons in D&D lore. Your options will be Red, Black, Blue, White, Green, Gold, Silver, or Bronze. Each color will grant you increased damage when dealing damage with a specific element (i.e. Cold, Poison, Acid, Lightning, or Fire) as well as resistance to the same damage type. As a result, it is suggested to have several spells of this damage type in your arsenal, but keeping a few backups is also useful in the case that the enemy has resistance too.
1 Wild Magic
The Wild Magic Sorcerer isn't the most powerful of the Sorcerer subclasses; in fact, it is very much in line with the others. However, who can say no to something so fun to play? Leaning heavily on the idea that Sorcerers are born with their power from some unknown force, Wild Magic Sorcerers are vessels of chaos. These sorcerers are able to bend the rules of reality slightly - at the cost of random, unintended bouts of magical nonsense. If you enjoy surprises and/or a good gamble, this subclass is for you.
The main feature of the Wild Magic Sorcerer is Tides of Chaos. This can be activated to allow you to roll with an advantage on the next Saving Throw, Ability Check, or Attack Roll. Statistically, advantage works out to about a +5 to the roll, meaning that you're much more likely to succeed. However, using Tides of Chaos also increases the chance that your other subclass feature - Wild Magic - will activate. Wild Magic dictates that whenever you cast a spell of first level or higher, there is a chance that your magic will misfire, causing a random effect in addition to your intended one. Most of these effects are merely hilarious or inconvenient, but a could also lose you an important encounter.