Baldurs Gate 3 Eldritch Knight: A Fighter That Casts

Baldurs Gate 3 Eldritch Knight takes the Fighter's straightforward martial kit and adds a Wizard's spell list on top, drawing on Intelligence rather than Strength or Dexterity for the magic half.

When it actually starts casting

The subclass is chosen at level 3, which is also when spellcasting switches on: Weapon Bond, a ritual that means your bonded weapon cannot be disarmed or knocked from your hand, arrives alongside two cantrips and two 1st-level spell slots. The spell list leans toward Abjuration and Evocation, in keeping with a subclass built to protect itself and blow things up rather than out-utility a full caster.

The two abilities that define the build

• War Magic (level 7). Cast a cantrip, then follow it with a bonus-action weapon attack — the thing that actually makes this subclass feel different to play turn to turn, rather than just a Fighter with some spells on the side.
• Eldritch Strike (level 10). Hit an enemy with a weapon attack and their next saving throw against one of your spells is at disadvantage, a way to land control or damage spells on targets that would normally shrug them off.

How the spell progression scales

By level 10, an Eldritch Knight is running three cantrips and up to four 2nd-level spell slots, with the option to swap known spells as you level rather than being locked into your level 3 picks forever.

Why it plays differently to a pure Fighter

Every other Fighter subclass adds mechanical tricks on top of the same martial chassis — Battle Master's manoeuvres, Champion's crit range. Eldritch Knight is the one that gives you actual spell slots, which means resource management — save that slot, or spend it on War Magic this turn — becomes part of the class in a way it is not for the others.