Baldur’s Gate 3 10 Best Spells Guide
Nov. 1, 2021Baldur’s Gate 3 10 Best Spells Guide
In thisBaldur’s Gate 3 Best Spells Guide, I’m going to discuss the top 10Spellsin the game after the implementation ofPatch 6. Due to the large number of Spells to choose from, the list is limited to those that use upSpell Slots. If you’ve been looking for the best buffs, DPS and support Spells out there, then this Guide is for you!
Unlike Cantrips, Spells consume Spell Slots that more often than not, need to be replenished by taking aLong Rest(or aShort Restin some cases). These slots are very limited at earlier levels so it’s important to choose the best ones to maximize them as much as you can.
Spells in D&D 5th Edition andBaldur’s Gate 3function differently. Some are considered Ranged Attack Spells, which targets the total Armour Class of an enemy. Meanwhile, others force enemies to roll forSaving Throwsto determine whether or not they get fully damaged by a particular Spell. We’re going to go through these types of Spells in descending order and see what makes them noteworthy. Let’s begin with theHex Spell.
Hex is a Level 1Enchantment Spellthat lets you cure your enemy by imposing aDisadvantageon theirAbility Checkof your choice while dealing an additional 1-6 Necrotic Damage. This Spell is a Bonus Action, which means you should cast it first, followed byEldritch Blastin the same turn. When your target dies, you can use Hex again on another creature but you will no longer need to consume a Spell Slot. It’s vital toWarlocksgiven the limited number of slots they have.
It also has a long range of 18 meters to target far away creatures. Hex requires Concentration so you can’t cast it in conjunction with other Spells that use Concentration. Additionally, it helps to have an average to highConstitutionof at least 14, to raise your chances of succeeding in makingConstitution Saving Throwsshould you be attacked in order to maintain Concentration. Hex is available to Warlocks.
Misty Stepis a Level 2Conjuration Spell, which allows you to teleport to an unoccupied space within a range of 18 meters. Due to its long distance, the Spell is much better thanJumpbecause it allows you to teleport to higher ground. Similar toHealing Word, this is also a Bonus Action so you can activate it and then cast a Ranged Attack Spell to deal massive damage against the enemy. Alternatively, you can combine it with a Melee Damage Spell such asThunderwaveif you wish to knock your target down from a cliff.
Another use of Misty Step is the ability to escape from tough situations by teleporting to a vertical space that’s inaccessible to enemies especially since some Spellcasters likeWizardshave low HP. It also doesn’t provokeAttacks of Opportunityeven in Melee Range so you’re safe to evade as much as you can.
Misty Step is available to Wizards, Warlocks andSorcerersby default. If you’re having trouble preparing the Spell due to limited Spell Slots, you can gain access to this by equipping theAmulet of Misty Step, which is dropped byMintharain theShattered Sanctum.
Greaseis a Level 1 Conjuration Spell that allows you to knock enemiesProne, which makes them vulnerable, because of the difficult and slippery terrain it creates while reducing their Movement Speed by half. When they fail theirDexterity Saving Throw, they’ll succumb to this condition for one round. But what makes Grease a highly potent debuff Spell is its ability to make the corresponding surface flammable. You can combine this with theFire Bolt Cantripto deal an extra 1d4 Fire Damage or to cast this beside a barrel of oil, which you’re able to break to start the fire.
When ignited Grease deals damage over time against affected targets so it’s definitely a must-have Spell. One drawback is it also causes damage to your allies if they’re standing on the surface. If you remember how fire works inDivinity Original Sin 2, you know that it can become uncontrollable. What’s more is it has a long range of 18 meters and a wide AoE, thereby ensuring that you impact numerous enemies even from a distance. Furthermore, you can cast this at choke points like doorways or chambers leading into a hallway in order to funnel targets through the difficult terrain.
Grease is available to Wizards,Sorcerers of the Black Draconic Ancestry,Arcane Trickster Rogues, andEldritch Knight Fighters.
Blessis a Level 1 Enchantment Spell, which is a standard buff that should often be used prior to the start of any tough encounter. As a Level 1 Spell, it grants 3 allies a 1d4 bonus on bothAttack Rollsand Saving Throws. You can choose whom among your party takes the buff by hovering the cursor close to them. As a Level 2 Spell, it grants the same amount of bonus to all 4 members. Bless increases your chances to successfully attack enemies and to lessen or completely negate the effects of their Spells due to better Saving Throws.
Compared toBane, you don’t have to worry about whether or not enemies will fail their Saving Throws in order for you to receive this bonus because you always will. Similar to Faerie Fire, Bless can also remain active for up to 10 turns. The only downside to this is that it’s a Concentration Spell, so it can get interrupted by an unlucky Constitution Saving Throw. Bless is only available to theCleric Class.
Magic Missileis a Level 1Evocation Spellthat fires out three missiles, which each deal 2-5 Force Damage. At Level 2, the number of missiles increases to four. What makes this an essential Spell in Early Access for any caster is it doesn’t miss. The only time it will fail is if an object obstructs the view between you and your target. To make Magic Missile a stronger DPS Spell, you need to purchase theSapphire SparkfromBlurgin theEbonlake Grotto. For each projectile, you deal an additional 1-4 Force Damage. As a result, you’ll be able to inflict 9-27 damage at Level 1 Magic Missile and 12-36 damage at Level 2, which is huge.
Another way to capitalize on this Spell is to use it when you’re trying to eliminate enemies with low HP from lower ground. Since Magic Missile is not a Ranged Attack Spell, you don’t incur a bonus or penalty based on your position with respect to the target. Additionally, its damage isn’t affected by your character’s Spellcasting Ability Modifier so if you have an Eldritch Knight and you’re still waiting to get theWarped Headband of Intellectto boostIntelligence, then you can certainly rely on this Spell. Magic Missile is available to Wizards, Sorcerers, Eldritch Knight Fighters, and Arcane Trickster Rogues.
Healing Word is a Level 1 Evocation Spell that restores 1d4 + Spellcasting Ability Modifier worth of HP. At Level 2, this is raised to 2d4 + the same Spellcasting Ability Modifier. UnlikeCure Wounds, you don’t have to touch your ally to replenish a portion of their health since you’re able to cast Healing Word from a long distance of 18 meters. But what makes this support Spell truly shine is that it’s a Bonus Action.
As such, you can use it in addition to casting a different Spell. The biggest function of Healing Word is the ability to help a fallen ally as long as they’re within range. This gives them another chance to fight without having to activate theHelp Action, which would require you to move and stand next to them, thereby improving survivability. Healing Word can be accessed by playing as a Cleric orDruid.
Chromatic Orbis a Level 1 Evocation Spell that’s one of the newer Spells released in Patch 6. It’s highly versatile because you’re able to choose from several elemental damage types such as Poison, Acid, Lightning, Fire, Cold and Thunder. For example, you can initially deal 2d8 Fire Damage. At Level 2, your respective damage die is increased by 1, which is equivalent to 3d8 worth of Fire Damage. All elements besides Thunder start with a base damage of 2d8 and it’s due to the fact that they also create surfaces to deal additional damage or to disable the enemy. For instance, castingChromatic Orb: Acidinflicts the surface with Acid, thereby reducing the target’sArmour Class (AC)by 2.
Chromatic Orb: Thunder, on the other hand, doesn’t have the capability to create difficult terrain. As a result, its base damage is higher at 3d8 while its Level 2 counterpart is at 4d8 Thunder Damage. Furthermore, this doesn’t require Concentration and it’s a Ranged Attack Spell so taking advantage of higher ground is advised. Chromatic Orb is accessible to Wizards and Sorcerers.
Guiding Boltis an Evocation Spell, which deals a huge 4-24 Radiant Damage even at Level 1. At Level 2, this increases to 5-30 damage, making it a notable Spell in encounters involving bosses or enemies with high HP. Guiding Bolt is multifunctional in that it also providesAdvantageon the succeeding attack against the same target regardless of the party member who performs it. As such, you can eliminate the enemy in as few turns as possible. As long as you position your character on higher ground, you’ll receive additional Attack Roll Bonuses prior to casting the Spell. Guiding Bolt is available to Clerics.
Moonbeamis a Level 2 Evocation Spell, which calls forth a beam of light to deal 2-20 Radiant Damage against enemies who cross the path. It forces them to make Constitution Saving Throws, but even if they succeed, they still receive half the damage. This can be cast from afar at a distance of 18 meters and it requires Concentration to maintain said beam.
Moonbeam inflicts burst and persistent damage such that you immediately harm targets the moment you cast the Spell. When it’s their turn, they’ll take another damage as long as they’re still in the AoE. Although the radius is a bit small and can no longer be moved as of Patch 6, Moonbeam continues to be one of the best Spells out there especially when you cast it at choke points to deny entry. Moonbeam is available to Druids.
Scorching Rayis a Level 2 Evocation Spell that allows you to deal a whopping 2-12 Fire Damage for each of the three rays it hurls. In total, it’s able to deal 3x 2-12 Fire Damage in a single turn. You can target 1 target 3 time, or up to a total of 3 enemies. Although Scorching Ray has a chance to miss since it’s a Ranged Attack Spell like Guiding Bolt, the amount of damage the Spell inflicts is massive enough to include it in the list.
If you’re playing as a Sorcerer and you have theQuickened Metamagic Option, you can apply this to Scorching Ray twice in one turn. You cast the first Scorching Ray as a Bonus Action and the second one as anAction. As a result, you’re able to efficiently slay or weaken tough bosses with reliability.
Scorching Ray is available to Wizards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, andLight Domain Clerics. Similar to Misty Step, you can access the Spell by equipping theCirclet of Blasting, which is bought in the Ebonlake Grotto.
The two Spells worth mentioning due to the decent defense and damage they provide areMirror ImageandGuidance.
Mirror Image is a Level 2Illusion Spell, which creates three duplicate copies of your character to confuse enemies. Each of these duplicates provides a bonus AC of 3, thereby effectively boosting your overall defenses. Not only does it make you more challenging to hit, but it also doesn’t require Concentration unlikeBlur. This makes it an essential Spell forClasseswith lower HP especially if they keep dying in combat.
Mirror Image is accessible to Wizards, Warlocks, Sorcerers and theTrickery Domain Clerics.
Last but not the least is Guidance, which is aDivination Cantrip. This can be used for lockpicking or in dialogue as it provides you with a 1-4 bonus on Skill Checks. Guidance increases your chances of successfully charming your way in conversations. What’s more is since it’s aCantrip, you can use it for an unlimited number of times without having to worry about Spell Slots. Guidance is available to Clerics and Druids.
So that’s it for the Best Spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access. What did you think of the list? What are your favorite Spells so far? Let us know in the comments below!
Stay tuned for more Baldur’s Gate 3 content as we take a look at other guides, and be sure to drop by ourTwitch Channelif you have questions about the game. If you need something specific, check out ourBaldur’s Gate 3 Wikiwhich is being worked on night and day!
Reiku
Writer at Fextralife. I enjoy playing RPGs, narrative-driven games, and platformers. Outside of gaming, I like watching meaningful movies and reading sci-fi and dystopian books.
Great guide. I used Vicious Mockery onZhalk and it made the fight much easier.
This is an excellent guide and one that I wish I had when I first started playing. It is really difficult to know which spells to choose and having something which points you in the right direction is essential for new players.
