Mage

This page is specifically for mages in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition. See Mage (Baldur's Gate) for the version for Baldur's Gate.

Mages use spells which lead to different effects on creatures and objects. Their magic can be used for offensive ends, inflicting damage and status effects on the user. It can be used for supportive goals, increasing the armor rating of the mages or from allies and can be used to summon creatures. Their magic can't be used to restore health or cure allies from curses, for that you need clerics or druids.

Their mastery of the magical art comes at the price of not being skilled in martial combat, they cannot wear heavy equipment such as shields, headgear and body armor, they are only able to wear magical robes. For that reason mages aren't usual found on the front line of large battles. They also have a limited amount of weapons they can use, which are staffs, daggers, slings and darts. Unlike Specialist Mages, mages can learn any spell from the eight schools of magic. Mages are free to choose any alignment they like. Only humans, Elves and half-elves can become mages. Gnomes can only become Illusionists.

Mage Spellbook
For the complete list of spells, see Spells (Baldur's Gate II). For the complete list of spells that can be used by mages, see Wizard Spellbook (Baldur's Gate II). Mages can use lvl 9 spells, if their intelligence is high enough, through this no longer necessary in the Throne of Bhaal expansion pack.

Mages can learn new spells by successfully writing down any scroll a wizard can use. Intelligence and wisdom determine the chance of successfully writing them down. See Character Abilities for more information.

Character abilities table
During character creation, rolls below the minimum value for the class will be increased to that value. This table uses the values for Humans, other Races have modified ability scores.

* Prime Requisites for Dual-classing.

^^ Applies only to standard Mage and the Wild Mage class kit. The Specialist Mage class kits have varying minimum ability scores.

Specialist Mage
Specialist Mages are mages who specialize in one of the magic schools.

Wild Mage
Wild Mages are mages who specialize in wild magic.

High-level class abilities
Mages can access to level 10 spells, which are added to the level 9 wizard spellbook after they have been chosen. These spells are:
 * Comet
 * Dragon's Breath
 * Energy Blades
 * Improved Alacrity
 * Summon Dark Planetar, evil aligned mages.
 * Summon Planetar, good and neutral aligned mages.
 * The option to spend three high-level class ability points to gain a level 6, 7 and level 8 spellslots.

Spell progression
Specialist mages gain one extra spellslot for each level, but this comes at the cost of not being able to cast spell from certain schools. Wild Mages gain one extra spellslot for each level and can cast spell from any school as well as their own unique wild magic spells.

Sorcerers have their own spell progression table and gain new spell levels at a slower rate than mages, gaining access to new spell levels one level after a mage would - this trend continues until level 12, at which point sorcerers learn new spell levels at the same rate as mages. Sorcerers also have no intelligence requirement for learning spells of level 4 or above.

Note: Mages in Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal whose intelligence is lower than 18 can in fact learn lvl 9 mage spells and can use the lvl 10 spell abilties.

Table for experience, hitpoints and weapon proficiency
Mages will know all high level abilities available to them by level 25. Max THAC0 of 13 reached at level 22.