Following significant updates to the game's finer systems since its launch, Baldur's Gate 3 is still set to receive one of its most substantial patches yet. By bringing a new subclass to each of the base class options in the title, the upcoming Patch 8 will redefine the experience of each one through nuanced additions rooted in the Dungeons and Dragons source material. When it comes to the new take on the Sorcerer especially, the typical benefits of multiclassing might become even more prevalent than they've always been in Baldur's Gate 3.

As one of the more unconventional inclusions of Baldur's Gate 3's Patch 8, the Shadow Magic Sorcerer will serve as a distinctly contrasting alternative to the focuses of the existing subclasses. It allows the player to manipulate darkness, seeing within it and eventually being able to teleport into shadows. Surprisingly, however, the primary feature which sets this option apart is its signature summon, a shadow hound with an effect that has the potential to work well with the popular Sorcerer/Warlock multiclass build.

The Shadow Magic Sorcerer's Hound of Ill Omen Can Redefine a Core Mechanic of the Class

Changing the Dynamic of Sorcery Points

Nimbus, the shadow mastiff, can be summoned at the cost of a Bonus Action and three Sorcery Points, which is rather costly for what a 42 HP creature brings to the field. What sets it apart is the Ominous Bite feature, an attack with a chance to inflict the Hound's Omen condition. Depending on chance, one of several damage types is associated with the Omen. These include, Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison, and Thunder, and once the appropriate type is inflicted upon the enemy with the Hound's Omen, the Shadow Magic Sorcerer in Baldur's Gate 3 regains a single Sorcery Point.

While the Hound of Ill Omen may cost a lot of this precious resource, it's capable of regenerating this cost and continuing to sustain the player's magic reservoir. This already has important implications for Baldur's Gate 3's Sorcerer itself, but adding to the dynamic of balancing the spell slots of different classes gives it another layer of utility.

The Synergy of a Warlock Multiclass with Baldur's Gate 3's Shadow Magic Sorcerer

Balancing Pact Magic Spell Slots and the Omen Effect

Given that they're two Charisma-based classes, the Sorcerer/Warlock has always been a viable route to take a caster in Baldur's Gate 3. The Pact Magic of the Warlock also grants the distinction of being a magic user with a completely unique set of spell slots associated with its output. These may be very limited, and only restricted to the highest spell slot a character is capable of, but they are restored on Short Rest and can coexist with the arsenal of a Sorcerer. By using the Hound's Omen condition to freely restore Sorcery Points, which can be used for Metamagic or conversion into spell slots alike, this pairing is capable of providing one of the deepest pools of casting to draw from in the game.

The Only Caveat is Spell Slot Consumption Order

A factor which could serve to automatically balance this multiclass is the fact that Warlock spell slots are generally not actually able to be purposefully consumed until all regular spell slots have been expended. When it comes to converting slots into Sorcery Points, for instance, the slots granted by Warlock Pact Magic in Baldur's Gate 3 won't be able to be used until they are the last ones remaining. Despite the lack of convenience this restriction brings, the inevitably large set of resources at the player's fingertips can support a long-lasting magic presence in battle.