Among the new subclass options coming to Baldur's Gate 3 next year is the shadow magic sorcerer, a spellcaster focused on manipulating the darkness to their benefit. It's a fairly powerful option for sorcerers in Dungeons & Dragons and will likely be a good choice in BG3 as well, able to see through magical darkness and recover quickly from near-death injuries.

The only origin character in the game that starts as a sorcerer by default is the Dark Urge, and it does make some sense for them to take this subclass, given their own predispositions towards the shadier sides of magic. But there's another origin character that may be a better fit for this subclass, one that isn't even a sorcerer at the start of the game but who fits the shadow magic subclass surprisingly well: Gale of Waterdeep.

Gale Fits The Archetype Of A Sorcerer Already

A Suave Spellcasting Savant

Gale is a wizard by default, fitting, given his high intelligence and the amount of study he devotes to his arcane craft. But Gale also fits pretty well into the archetype of a sorcerer in BG3. Sorcerers are born with their magic or otherwise, gain it through some interaction with the arcane, and harness it naturally through their charisma. Gale is a self-described magical prodigy, seemingly with some talent for spellcasting since he was a child, and he shows a reasonable degree of charismatic skill in his dialogue and actions.

It is interesting that, while Gale speaks and behaves like a character with high charisma, he only has a twelve in the ability score by default. Still, that and his class can be quickly changed during a conversation with Withers.

Both mechanically and character-wise, Gale would make a lot of sense as Sorcerer/Wizard multiclass. The metamagic features of a sorcerer would show off his power over the Weave, and he would still be able to learn higher-level spells, thanks to the wizard's ability to learn them from spell scrolls.

Shadow Magic Is Clearly Seen In Act Two

Gale Can Interact With Parts Of The Shadow Weave

As for why Gale is a shoe-in for a shadow magic sorcerer, the evidence can be found in Baldur's Gate 3's second act. It takes place primarily in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, a blighted area torn apart and cursed by fragments of the Shadow Weave and Shar's influence. As a companion, Gale will comment on the shadow weave's taboo nature and may even help the player harvest it by creating a shadow lantern.

However, players going through the game as Gale will still get another option: power themselves up using the Shadow Weave and gain an extra 3rd-level spell slot. Not only is this one of the best origin character-specific powers in the game, but it also shows that Gale is predisposed to manipulating forbidden magic, the exact powers that would fit a shadow magic sorcerer.

An Evil Gale Could Become Master Of The Shadows

Lean Into Gale's Dark Side With Shadow Magic

Players who have beaten the game either as Gale or with him in their party will know that the wizard's story can go in drastically different directions, depending on their influence. He may be tempted towards ambition and power and claim the Crown of Karsus for himself, or he may abandon the path toward godhood to retain his humanity. Harnessing the shadow Weave is certainly a morally dubious act, and it could play into Gale's turn towards the dark side.

While in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, Gale may realize how the shadow Weave could help him to compete magically with Mystra once he ascends to godhood and sacrifices his morals. It would be a fun and in-character path for him to go down, given his ambitious nature and tendency to fly too close to the sun throughout the plot of Baldur's Gate 3.