Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Sorcerer Multiclass Build – BEST AOE Damage Guide

In BG3, multiclassing is extremely powerful, and it can result in characters dishing out insane amounts of damage. In this article, I will break down the best AOE Damage build in Baldur’s Gate 3 – Tempest Cleric/Sorcerer Multiclass Build.

This is an incredibly potent multiclass build that focuses on dealing incredibly high damage with lightning spells. This damage will be empowered through the Destructive Wrath feature from the tempest domain channel divinity, which will let us roll max damage with lightning and thunder spells. We will also be using the wet condition, allowing us to deal double damage with lightning spells. So the build will ensure us to deal maximum damage that is also doubled!

In this build, we will also showcase how to effectively use an Illithid power called Black Hole to group enemies and obliterate them with our AOE Lightning damage.

We will build a character of 2 levels in Tempest Cleric and 10 levels in Sorcerer. You can use the links below to scroll down to the relevant section. The level progression will look like this:

• Starting Ability Points: STR 8, DEX 13, CON 12, INT 8, WIS 16, CHA 17 (link)
• Character level 1: Cleric level 1 – Subclass – Tempest Domain (link)
• Character level 2: Cleric level 2 – Destructive Wrath (link)
• Character level 3: Sorcerer level 1 – Subclass – Draconic Bloodline: Blue; Spell: Chromatic Orb (link)
• Character level 4: Sorcerer level 2 – Metamagic – Twinned Spell & Distant Spell (link)
• Character level 5: Sorcerer level 3 – Metamagic – Quickened Spell; Spell: Shatter (link)
• Character level 6: Sorcerer level 4 – Feat – Ability Improvement: DEX 14, CHA 18 (link)
• Character level 7: Sorcerer level 5 – Spell: Lightning Bolt (link)
• Character level 8: Sorcerer level 6 – Elemental Affinity (link)
• Character level 9: Sorcerer level 7 – Spell: Greater Invisibility(link)
• Character level 10: Sorcerer level 8 – Feat – Ability Improvement: CHA 20; Spell: Dimension Door (link)
• Character level 11: Sorcerer level 9 – Spell: Hold Monster or Telekinesis (link)
• Character level 12: Sorcerer level 10 – Metamagic – Heightened Spell; Spell: Dominate Person (link)

Here you can see how to perform a combination of spells that will output the highest amount of damage in one turn. For more details, you can also watch the view below.

If you like power gaming and are interested in another build that focuses on outputting insane amounts of damage on a single target and can solo bosses, check out my BG3 paladin warlock multiclass build.

This article will break the build down level by level and tell you exactly what skills, feats, and spells to take to build a character with the highest AOE damage in Baldur’s Gate 3. Let’s first look at the starting ability point requirements for a Tempest Cleric/Sorcerer multiclass build.

Tempest Cleric/Sorcerer Multiclass Build – Level by Level

Starting Ability Points

For this build the race and background is pretty much irrelevant, as we will be getting everything we need from our spells and class features. You should start the build with ability points of STR 8, DEX 13, CON 12, INT 8, WIS 16, CHA 17.

Character lvl 1 – Tempest Cleric lvl 1

• Select the class: Cleric – This will give us access to heavy armor and shields.
• Select the subclass: Tempest Domain – You will gain a class action called “Wrath of the Storm.” – It is a spell similar to Hellish Rebuke, but it does lightning or thunder damage, so it will work great with our build.

• Spell: Thunderwave: another good starting spell that will synergize with our build since it is thunder damage.

Character lvl 2 – Tempest Cleric lvl 2

• At level Tempest Cleric level 2 we gain the most important subclass feature called the Destructive Wrath. This skill will allow us to use our Channel Divinity to deal maximum damage with our Thunder or Lightning spells. Destructive Wrath gets refreshed on a short rest.

We can use Destructive Wrath with our level 1 Thunderwave spell, ensuring that it deals 16 damage (the maximum if the enemies fail their save).

Character lvl 3 – Tempest Cleric lvl 2 Sorcerer lvl 1

At character level 3, this starts to come online. Make sure to take Chromatic Orb, as this will be our main source of lightning damage at this stage.

• Multiclass into: Sorcerer – This will give us access to heavy armor and shields.
• Select the subclass: Draconic Bloodline – At sorcerer level 6 this subclass will allow you to deal more damage based on our CHA modifier, depending on the Dragon Ancestor we choose now. We will be taking Draconic Ancestry: Blue for Lightning damage, but you can also go with Draconic Ancestry: Bronze. Draconic Ancestry: Blue will give us access to another lightning spell called Witch Bolt.

• Spells: Make sure to take Chromatic Orb, as this will be one of our primary sources of lightning spell damage.

Character lvl 4 – Tempest Cleric lvl 2 Sorcerer lvl 2

At Sorcerer level 2 we get access to Sorcery Points and Sorcerer’s class passives called Metamagic. Take Metamagic: Twinned Spell and Metamagic: Distant Spell.

• Metamagic: Twinned Spell – This will allow us to cast two Chromatics Orbs – it has to be 2 different targets.

• Metamagic: Distant Spell – This will allow us to increase the range of our spells, helping us reach distant targets.

Character lvl 5 – Tempest Cleric lvl 2 Sorcerer lvl 3

At Sorcerer level 3, we will take Metamagic: Quickened Spell. This will allow us to cast a spell that costs an action as a bonus action.

• Metamagic: Quickened Spell – essentially, we will be able to cast 2 lightning spells a turn

• Spell: Shatter – we will be taking a level 2 spell called Shatter, that we can upcast to a 3rd level spell, since we have 5 total levels in full casters (2 Cleris + 3 Sorcerer).

Character lvl 6 – Tempest Cleric lvl 2 Sorcerer lvl 4

At Sorcerer level 4, we will unlock feat – we will be taking ability improvement to boost our DEX to 14 and our CHA to 18. For spells, I would take Hold Person for more control in fights.

• Feat: Ability Improvement: DEX 14, CHA 18

• Spell: Hold Person – great spell to control strong enemies

Character lvl 7 – Tempest Cleric lvl 2 Sorcerer lvl 5

At Sorcerer level 5 we get another power spike, and that is because we get access to a spell called Lightning Bolt. It is an AOE spell that allows you to hit your enemies in a line. This is going to be our go-to AOE spell at this point. Since we have 7 levels in full caster (2 Cleric + 5 Sorcerer) we can upcast Lightning Bolt to a level 4 spell.

• Spell: Lightning Bolt – AOE spell that hits all targets in a straight line

Character lvl 8 – Tempest Cleric lvl 2 Sorcerer lvl 6

At Sorcerer level 6 you will get access to Elemental Affinity: Damage, based on the Dragon Ancerty chosen at the beginning of the Sorcerer build. This means we get to add our CHA modifier to are lightning spells, because we chose our Blue or Bronze Dragon ancestry. This will give us an additional 10 damage to the hit.

• Spell: Haste – you can Twin spell the Hast spell, allowing you to haste 2 ally targets – this is extremely powerful.

Character lvl 9 – Tempest Cleric lvl 2 Sorcerer lvl 7

At Sorcerer level 7 we will be taking a spell called Greater Invisibility. It is a great defensive and offensive spell. as it gives you advantage on your attack rolls – great when using Chromatic Orb.

• Spell: Greater Invisibility

Character lvl 10 – Tempest Cleric lvl 2 Sorcerer lvl 8

At Sorcerer level 10, we will unlock another feat – we will be taking ability improvement to boost our CHA to 20. For spells, I would take Dimension Door for more support.

• Feat: Ability Improvement: CHA 20

• Spell: Dimension Door

Character lvl 11 – Tempest Cleric lvl 2 Sorcerer lvl 9

At Character level 11 we get access to level 6 spell slots, but not level 6 spells – that is ok, since we can upcast out existing spells. Also, you can get access to Chain Lightning spell via a legendary item, that I will cover in another post. For spells either take Hold Monster or Telekinesis.

• Spell: Hold Monster – great spell to immobilize a dangerous enemy

• Spell: Telekinesis – great support spell to save a party member or throw an enlarged druid Owl Bear onto a group of enemies for crazy damage. 🙂

Character lvl 12 – Tempest Cleric lvl 2 Sorcerer lvl 10

At level 12 we will get access to another spell – I would take Dominate Person for control. We also get access to another Metamagic – take Heightened Spell to deal even more damage with your spells.

• Spell: Dominate Person

• Metamagic: Heightened Spell

BG3 Cleric Sorcerer Combo for MAX damage

First, be sure that you enter the fight hasted. To output the most amount of damage you will start your combo with a Cleric level 1 spell Create Water and apply the Wet condition on a group of enemies, that you have clustered with an Illithid power Black Hole. After that, you can Quicken Spell your Lightning bolt, upcast it to a level 6 spell, and on the first instance of the spell apply the Destructive Wrath. Proceed with another Lightning Bolt, thanks to the Quickened spell.

If you have correctly pulled this combo off, then a whole horde of enemies will be insta-killed. Hope you enjoy this build and write in the comments you experience with the build – happy to hear your feedback! 🙂