Summary
- The Resilient Feat boosts any ability score by +1 and gives Proficiency in saving throws, which is beneficial for all builds.
- Auntie Ethel's Hair provides a single-use +1 to any ability score, a favorable choice for improving Perception with Wisdom.
- Khalid's Gift amulet boosts Wisdom by +1 and grants the power of Aid, while the Mirror of Loss can improve any ability score for a small sacrifice.
Baldur's Gate 3 bases its character creation on various ability scores, like the Dungeons & Dragons game that it uses as a template, and one of them is Wisdom. It seems like a niche ability at first, but it's one of the more widely used spellcasting modifiers and is also used for various ability checks.
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Druids, Rangers, Monks, and Clerics all use Wisdom as a basis to cast spells, with some variation depending on the subclass and Feats chosen. Players who are building a multiclass character are advised to choose classes that share common ability scores, and how powerful that character becomes also depends on how they buff that crucial stat.
1 The Resilient Feat
Get It ASAP
- A permanent bonus that's better taken sooner than later
Players should take this Feat sooner rather than later so it can be used to help the character with their progression, and they can choose any ability score they want by +1. The player can only raise their Wisdom to a maximum of 20, and choosing this Feat also gives them Proficiency in the saving throws for this stat.
One more point to Wisdom can give several classes an edge on their casting powers, but for any build, it gives the character a better chance for Perception and Insight checks. The ability to detect traps, hidden doors, or cryptic messages is heightened by a higher Wisdom score, so it's for more than just spellcasters.
2 Auntie Ethel's Hair
Make Friends With The Hag In Act 1
- Suffer a Hag to live and get a permanent ability buff
Auntie Ethel's not so bad, just a Hag trying to get by in a hostile world, and maybe the impetuous nature of Mayrina was off-putting. The player has the option of letting her live when fighting her in the cavern beneath the Tea House, and if they also agree to give her Mayrina and her unborn child, Ethel awards them with a lock of her enchanted hair.
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Ethel has to be able to speak to make this deal, so try to avoid using Silence or knocking her out. The hair is a single-use consumable and adds +1 to any ability score of the player's choice, and Wisdom is a good choice for any class that wants to improve Perception.
3 Loviatar's Love
Accept Abdirak's Wisdom In The Shattered Sanctum
- Not an ability score buff but a saving throw improvement
One of the most memorable moments in Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3 is meeting Abdirak in the Shattered Sanctum. This priest of Loviatar, the goddess of pain, can give the main character a lesson they won't forget and a permanent buff to improve their Wisdom saving throws. The only way to remove Loviatar's Love is by dying and being resurrected, which isn't the same as needing a simple Assist.
How to get the buff is a whole other adventure, and anyone who wants some extra Approval with Astarion and Shadowheart should take the time to experience it. When the character drops below 30% health, it triggers the condition of Loviatar's Love. This provides a generous +2 to Wisdom saving rolls, along with an equally generous attack buff.
4 The Ability Improvement Feat
An Essential Step For Any Build
- An obvious choice for any build, especially casters that use Wisdom
Every class should take this Feat early in the game to boost their most important ability to its maximum level. Clerics, Rangers, and Monks are all classes that should prioritize this Feat, but every build should take it sooner rather than later.
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The Ability Improvement Feat is flexible because it allows the player to choose to improve one ability score by +2 or two of them by +1 each. Classes like Monks and Paladins, which rely on several ability scores depending on the build, can spread their ability score improvements around, while others can use it to max out their most important stat.
5 Khalid's Gift
Find It In Jaheria's Secret Stash
- A souvenir from another chapter in the Baldur's Gate saga
Gamers who are familiar with the original Baldur's Gate will also know Khalid, a playable Fighter character and Jaheira's husband. According to the lore, he and Jaheria were tasked by Gorion to guard his ward, the protagonist of the story and a child of Bhaal.
The beginning of Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal includes a tragic scene that involves Khalid's untimely death, and if the player explores Jaheira's house in Baldur's Gate in the third game, they might acquire this amulet. Khalid's Gift boosts the wearer's Wisdom by +1 and gives them the power of Khalid's Gift: Aid, which is the same as the 
Aid spell, and can restore 1d10 of hit points to the target.
6 Mirror Of Loss
Located In The Cloister Of Somber Embrace
- Pass some dice rolls for Arcana and Perception to use this powerful item
There's a version of the Mirror of Loss in the Gauntlet of Shar in Act 2, but this one is damaged and doesn't work. When the player enters the House of Grief in Baldur's Gate and fights their way into the Cloister of Somber Embrace, they'll discover the intact version that can be used to improve any ability score in exchange for a small sacrifice.
Where to Find the House of Grief in Baldur's Gate 3
The House of Grief is an important part of Shadowheart's story in Baldur's Gate 3.
The character has to give up a memory to get a +2 to the stat of their choice, and this has some interesting implications depending on their build and backstory. It's common for important information to be removed, too, so characters have to be careful what they decide to give up.
7 The Necromancy Of Thay
Located In The Apothecary's Basement
- Grants the passive ability Forbidden Knowledge, which gives a buff to Wisdom checks
Like some other objects that improve ability scores, the Necromancy of Thay can be used by characters other than the protagonist, but in this case, once one person opens the book, no other can use it. If Tav or Durge isn't interested, Astarion and Gale are also decent choices.
Successfully opening and reading the first three pages of the book gives the character a passive condition called Forbidden Knowledge. This doesn't raise their Wisdom score but gives them a +1 improvement to Wisdom saving throws and ability checks, which is the next best thing.
Baldur's Gate 3
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Full cross-platform play.
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG
