Baldur’s Gate 3 Gale companion guide – best build, stats, and inspiration

Want to learn more about Gale in Baldur’s Gate 3? This potent Wizard is one of the many companions you’ll stumble across in Larian Studios’ RPG. With a rather interesting backstory and some powerful offensive capabilities, it’s no wonder that players often pick him to join their party.

As a Human, he doesn’t receive racial bonuses like other Baldur’s Gate 3 races. But his spell kit lets him deal devastating amounts of damage. He’s a great help at locations like Baldur’s Gate 3 Dank Crypt. Read on to know more about how Gale functions in the game.

Who is Gale in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Gale is a potential companion who is a powerful spellcaster in Baldur’s Gate 3. With access to a variety of spells, he’s useful in nearly every situation. As a kindhearted soul, you gain his approval by helping the people of Faerun with their problems. Remember that Astarion, one of Baldur’s Gate 3 companions, won’t take too kindly to anything that doesn’t involve deception.

North of where you land on the Ravaged Beach, you’ll find him at the Roadside Cliffs waypoint. He’s aware of the tadpole in his brain and asks to join your party to get rid of it. You’ve got one to deal with too so it’s a common goal.

Gale’s background and inspiration

Inspiration points are gained by performing tasks that adhere to a character’s background. These let you reroll skill checks at important moments in the game. This applies to Baldur’s Gate 3 companions as well as the main player. Gale has a Sage background. Learning about magic and its history will help you get Inspiration points. Here are some background goals for the Sage in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• A Natural Alliance – Recognise the druid and Harper armour.
• The Phases Unfold – Solve the moon puzzle sealing the door to the Underdark.
• Secrets Of The Matron – Read the obscure text by a drow matron.
• Reanimator – Correctly follow Gale’s instructions to resurrect him.
• The Forbidden Arcane – Read Omeluum’s notes on illithid magic.

To know more about backgrounds, check out our Baldur’s Gate 3 backgrounds guide.

Gale’s starting skills and attributes

Gale joins your party with a humble Quarterstaff, a Simple Robe, and Simple Boots. Without proficiency in Armour, consider using the Mage Armour spell to bolster his defences. He has a surprisingly decent Constitution for a Wizard though. His Strength is pretty low though so don’t try any Acrobatics with him. Here are the skills Gale is proficient with:

• Arcana
• History
• Insight
• Investigation

And here are Gale’s ability scores:

• Strength: 9
• Dexterity: 14
• Constitution: 15
• Intelligence: 16
• Wisdom: 11
• Charisma: 13

Read about Baldur’s Gate 3 abilities and how they affect skills to make the most use of Gale.

Best Gale build

At level 2, Gale gets to pick between the Abjuration Wizard and Evocation Wizard subclasses. Here’s a primer on Baldur’s Gate 3 classes and subclasses if you’d like to learn more. You might get to access more subclasses when Baldur’s Gate 3 leaves Early Access. While Abjuration focuses on defensive options like nullifying magic and banishing foes, Evocation is a more damage-oriented option. Here’s an optimal build if Gale is an Abjuration Wizard:

• Level 2: Magic Missile
• Level 3: Fog Cloud, Misty Step
• Level 4: Mage Hand
• Level 5: Counterspell, Fly

And consider these spells if you go the Evocation Wizard route with Gale:

• Level 2: Magic Missile, Burning Hands
• Level 3: Witch Bolt, Misty Step
• Level 4: Shocking Grasp
• Level 5: Fireball, Counterspell

Reaching level 4 lets you access Baldur’s Gate 3 feats. While you may want to consider Magic Initiate options to give Gale more spell slots, you can also choose to boost his high Intelligence stat instead (up to 18). Wizards can also spend gold to learn spells from scrolls they find in Faerun. This makes him a versatile class with access to other class spells like the Cleric’s Guiding Bolt. This spell even lets Gale take advantage of his Intelligence stat to boost its damage. Cantrips can be used without exhausting spell slots.

With a new Baldur’s Gate 3 max level of 12, expect Gale to make short work of bunches of enemies as long as they don’t get to him. This is where Misty Step comes in handy, letting you teleport away to any location that you can see. You can also use it to quickly gain elevation or ambush enemies.

Where is Gale in Baldur’s Gate 3?

To find Gale, you’ll want to head over to the Roadside Cliffs. This is a waypoint you can find very early in the game after the tutorial. Simply head north of the crashed Nautiliod ship and onto the dirt roads, and you’ll find it.

You’ll find the waypoint portal there seems to be acting up, and there’s a person trapped inside it. Pass a skill check and you’ll be able to free the trapped individual – Gale. After this you can speak to him and either have him join your party or head to your camp.

Gale companion quest guide

Gale’s companion quest is titled The Wizard of Waterdeep. It doesn’t need you to go out of your way too much. At camp, the human Wizard will reveal that he needs to consume rare magical items to keep his unique condition under control. You’ll find these on your playthrough across D&D’s Forgotten Realms setting. This will let you complete his quest in Act 1. Here are some of the items Gale needs in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• The Amulet of Selune’s Chosen in the Shattered Sanctum
• The Disintegrating Night Walkers in Grymforge
• The Idol of Silvanus in the Druid Grove
• The Iron Flask in The Risen Road
• The Necromancy of Thay in the Blighted Village
• The Shadow of Menzoberranzan in the Underdark
• The Staff of Crones in the Sunlit Wetlands
• The Sword of Justice in the Risen Road

This isn’t an exhaustive list however. As long as an item is enchanted with magic, it’ll work to stabalise his condition. However, each time he consumes an artefact, it’ll sate his condition’s hunger less and less.

On the third occasion of this happening, the consumption will barely affect his condition. At this point he’ll reveal the truth behind his problem. Gale was a lover to the Goddess of Magic herself, Mystra. In an attempt to win her approval and gain access to the true power of the Weave, which Mystra forbid mortals from attaining, he sought out a powerful relic. This relic was a fragment of the Weave itself – a leftover piece from an ancient battle when the Weave was shattered and magic itself almost destroyed. Convinced that finding and bringing this lost fragment of the Weave back to Mystra would please her, Gale hunted it down. But the fragment – called a Netherese Orb – instead bound itself to Gale, taking the place of his heart. If it’s not constantly fed magic to keep it dormant, it’ll erupt in a cataclysmic detonation, destroying everything around it across a massive area of land.

Once you learn the truth of his condition, you can choose to keep helping him and stay by his side. Upon reaching the entry to Act 2, you’ll run into a new face – Gale’s previous mentor and legendary wizard Elminster. He’ll reveal that he’s come for Gale with a message from Mystra – a path to forgiveness. Recognizing the threat that The Absolute poses, Mystra offers Gale forgiveness in exchange for him tracking down the Heart of The Absolute, and detonating his Netherese orb to destroy it.

From here, it’ll be up to you whether or not to help Gale sacrifice himself, or to find another way.

How to raise Gale’s approval

Here’s how to raise Gale’s approval in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Tell Shadowheart in Camp that finding a healer is your top priority.
• Successfully deceive Lae’zel’s captors when she’s in her cage.
• Persuade Aradin and Zevlor to calm down.
• Convince Rolan to stay in Druid Grove.
• Agree to help Wyll save the refugees in Druid Grove.
• Invite Wyll to camp.
• Show Guex in the Druid Grove your sword fighting technique.
• Say that the Druids overreacted when speaking to Marriko and Locke in Druid Grove.
• Crush the Tadpole outside of the Druid Grove.
• Convince the Owlbear not to kill you in its cave.
• Invite the Owlbear cub to the camp.
• Attempt to heal the Owlbear cub in the camp when they are wounded.
• Convince Krolla to take the Owlbear cub after playing the game and after talking to the Owlbear cub. Paying will not earn his approval.
• Tell Scratch (dog) that he can come to your Camp if his friend doesn’t wake up.
• Help Auntie Ethel when she’s confronted by Johl and Demir.
• Agree to help Zevlor.
• Make Novice Crusher kiss your foot in the Goblin Camp.
• Tell Minthara that “I’m also on a hunt-You are my prey” in the first dialogue with her.
• Help Karlach in Hunt the Devil quest.
• Sympathetic behaviours.
• Fight the fake god Boooal in the Festering Cove.
• Insist on helping Mayrina when talking to Auntie Ethel at her house.
• Find the evidence of Kagha working with Shadow Druids and expose her. (Quest: Save the refugees)
• Bring Mayrina back home. (Quest: Save Mayrina)
• Point out that Mayrina is being forced by Auntie Ethel to do things. (Quest: Save Mayrina)
• Defy Kagha by not making a habit of threatening children.
• Help improve Alfira’s song in Druid Grove.
• Drink from the Well in the Putrid Bog. (Quest: Save Mayrina)
• Intervene in the dispute between Arka and the imprisoned goblin in the Makeshift Prison.
• Save Arabella from imprisonment in the Emerald Grove. (Quest: Save Arabella)
• Persuade Nettie to provide the antidote to the poison she administered.
• Reassure Lae’Zel in the Camp that she will survive and please Vlaakith.
• End the lives of the dying hyenas in The Risen Road.
• Find Doni to see the Dragon’s Lair.

And here’s what you shouldn’t do as these lower Gale’s approval:

• Prod Gale to tell you more about himself by succeeding in a Wisdom check.
• Join Lae’Zal against the Tieflings if you Persuade them to free her.
• Smear dung on your face when Sentinel Olak asks you to.
• Read the Necromancer Tome from Search the Cellar.
• Agree to open the gate for goblin raiders.
• Tell Raphael you would do anything to remove the tadpole.
• When the player emulates the roar of a mind flayer while talking to Lorin.
• Pocket the ring when Mattis asks you to choose heads or tails.
• Kill the Owlbear Cub and its parent.

How to romance Gale

Gale can be romanced at the refugee celebration after saving the Druid Halsin. Remember that you’ll need to have a high enough approval rating with Gale to do this. Speak with him during the celebration as he practices an incantation. Eventually, the dialogue will have you performing some skill checks so save in advance.

After this, you’ll get to connect to the Weave and you can choose to picture holding his hand or kissing him. He responds positively to these choices in the Weave scene. On another night, you’ll find him struggling to cast magic at a campfire. Console him and then proceed to your bedroll. You can then choose to spend a night with Gale. This currently brings up an ‘Under Construction’ screen.

And that’s everything you need to know about Gale in Baldur’s Gate 3. Baldur’s Gate 3 multiplayer lets a friend take control of companions like this Human Wizard to make the most of his powers. Or you can ask them to try out Baldur’s Gate 3 character creation to make a custom character like yours. Remember that they can’t jump in and out of your single-player saves with a custom character though. Expect more interesting story arcs from Gale when the game launches.

What is the best build for Gale Baldur’s Gate 3?

Abjuration School build is the best Gale build in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Is Gale romanceable in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Yes, you can romance Gale in Baldur’s Gate 3.