20 best spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

If you’re playing any type of spellcaster in Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll have an array of spell options at your disposal. Here are the 20 best spells you can use in Baldur’s Gate 3.

What are the best spells in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Because of the large amount of spells available from the Dungeons & Dragons 5e rules, Baldur’s Gate 3 has a ton of options. This makes it incredibly hard to narrow down all the spells we’ve seen and been able to play around with. Overall though, anyone who has these 15 best spells in their arsenal during their playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3 will probably make good use of them.

Eldritch Blast

Nothing beats having an amazing cantrip, which you can cast for free at any point. Dealing 1d10 Force damage, Eldritch Blast is a Warlock’s favorite ability to whip out during a fight. If no spell slots are left, not to worry, because Eldritch Blast comes in clutch. The cool thing about Eldritch Blast is any class can get it by choosing the Warlock Feat.

Related: Best Baldur’s Gate 3 feats, ranked (BG3)

Also, when Warlocks gain Eldritch Invocations, they can choose some that improve this cantrip. For example, Repelling Blast pushes the target backward, while Agonizing Blast can add to the cantrip’s damage. Not only that, but when Warlocks reach level five, they can cast two beams in one turn, and at level 11 three beams.

Speak with Animals

While you may not think this is a good spell, it’s a lot more helpful than you realize. Many classes can use this spell, such as Druids, Bards, Warlocks, and even Rangers. Or, if you’re a Forest Gnome, you have this spell inherently.

There are plenty of situations during Baldur’s Gate 3 where you’ll find an animal that may lead you to a quest or help you out if you can speak with them. What if you run into a wild Owlbear? Perhaps just try talking with it. Casting this spell invites many unique conversations and quests you would never find without it. Sometimes animals know more than people do.

Bane

This level one spell is incredibly useful during combat scenarios with multiple enemies. If you’re a Bard, Cleric, or Warlock, make sure to learn Bane. It will give a penalty to saving throws and attack roles for up to three creatures of your choice.

The penalty is a 1d4, and if you cast it with a higher spell slot, it can affect more creatures. Bane is a great Concentration spell which is already available at level one. It helps to turn the tides of battle and affect whether or not your enemies hit you.

Bless

On the opposite end of Bane is Bless. Frankly, I prefer Bless to Bane since it helps your allies, but both are great. This level one spell is basically the same as Bane, but can affect your party members. You can give up to three creatures of your choice a 1d4 to add to an attack roll or saving throw.

Related: Best Warlock spells and cantrips in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

Again, this is incredibly useful when you’re one or a few numbers off from hitting an enemy’s Armor Class. It also requires Concentration, so try not to get hit while using Bless. Both Bless and Bane last for 10 turns!

Shield

If any of your characters have the chance to learn this Reaction, take it. This is a level 1 spell that, as a Reaction, allows you to increase your Armor Class by five points. Essentially, you miss whatever attack comes at you.

Like all Reactions, you can decide when to cast Shield, unless you make Reactions automatic. Also, Shield allows you to take no damage from Magic Missile. That nasty spell has no attack roll or saving throw, meaning it hits you every time. That is unless you have the Shield spell.

Inflict Wounds

For only being a level one spell, Inflict Wounds is amazing. Only available to Clerics and Oathbreaker Paladins, Inflict Wounds deals 3d10 Necrotic damage upon touching a creature. Any Cleric needs this spell at all times because of how much damage it can do in one hit.

Since Shadowheart is the only Cleric companion, I always make sure she prepares Inflict Wounds. Not only can she keep the party healed, but if a creature gets too close, she can simply touch them for some wild Necrotic damage.

Hold Person

Every spellcasting class can learn this uniquely useful spell. Hold Person is a level two spell that can force a person to stay in one place for up to 10 turns. While there is a Wisdom saving throw to beat it, anyone with low Wisdom will probably be stuck in this spell for a while. Hold Person is restricted to humanoids, but later on, you’ll get Hold Monster which is great for all creatures.

I found this spell incredibly helpful during some annoying fights in Baldur’s Gate 3. I would be stuck reloading saves trying to beat a group of enemies when one time I tried to Hold Person on the most powerful enemy. They were stuck for quite a few turns, as I took that time to deal with the other enemies around my party.

Hellish Rebuke

There’s another great Reaction spell besides Shield. Hellish Rebuke is a level one spell that Warlocks, Oathbreaker Paladins, and Asmodeus Tieflings can cast. If an enemy gets a hit on you, use this Reaction to hit back with fire damage.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 class tier list (BG3) – Best classes, subclasses, and races

Although the target does have to make a Dexterity saving throw, if they save, they take half damage. Hellish Rebuke deals 2-20 Fire damage, which is a great Reaction to have for decent damage. It’s also only level one, which you’ll always have the most spell slots for.

Misty Step

Ever want to get to a location you can see, but it’s just out of reach? Or are you trying to make a quick getaway from the fray of combat? Misty Step is great for that. Many spellcasters can learn this ability, and it’s on a few magic items. Honestly, Misty Step is one of my favorite spells in the game because it makes it possible to explore various areas.

Basically, as a Bonus Action, you can disappear and reappear at a location of your choosing. It has to be in range, and in your sight. But this is still a great level two spell, especially since it cannot trigger Opportunity Attacks from nearby enemies.

Magic Missile

This is another incredible level one spell. Available to Wizards and Sorcerers, Magic Missile shoots three darts to creatures for 1d4+1 damage. The amazing thing about Magic Missile is that there’s no attack roll or saving throw needed; it always hits.

If you have an enemy with a high Armor Class, Magic Missile will still hit them no matter what. It also has a decent range of 18 meters, and you can shoot each Magic Missile at different targets.

Spiritual Weapon

One of the most helpful Cleric spells in Spiritual Weapon. Only for a Bonus Action, you can summon a ghostly version of a weapon of your choice. It has its own Initiative, and it can fly around while helping you hack enemies.

Spiritual Weapon is a must-have for any Cleric character. Not only is this weapon great for getting more damage in, but it also has some health. This means that enemies may decide to hit your Spiritual Weapon instead of you, which acts as a bit of a distraction.

Guidance

Guidance is probably the most useful cantrip someone can have. This is because you can cast it as much as you want, and it’s useful for aiding dice rolls. If any party member has Guidance, they can give a 1d4 bonus to any ability check.

There are plenty of times throughout Baldur’s Gate 3 where you’ll need to roll for an ability, and Guidance can help at any point with that. Since it’s a cantrip, you won’t run out of it. Clerics and Druids have this spell, so if you keep Shadowheart around, she can always give you Guidance on ability checks.

Fireball

Fireball is probably the best damage spell in Baldur’s Gate 3. Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards can cast Fireball once they unlock level three spell slots. This incredibly powerful spell will deal 8d6 Fire damage in a 6-meter radius. It’s insanely powerful.

For only being a third-level spell, Fireball really packs a punch. Although it does require a Dexterity saving throw, the target will still take half damage if they succeed. Don’t accidentally hit your friends with this one!

Knock

Knock knock, who’s there? It’s a locked door or chest. Don’t have any lockpicks left? Not to worry, Knock is a level two spell that can automatically unlock any mundane lock. This does mean that if it’s magically locked, this spell won’t work.

Luckily, most locked doors or chests in Baldur’s Gate 3 have simple locks, which makes Knock a very useful spell. A few classes can learn this spell, such as Wizards, Bards, and Sorcerers. It really comes in handy if you don’t feel like wasting a lockpick, or you just don’t have one.

Mirror Image

Warlocks, Sorcerers, and Wizards can cast this defensive second-level spell. Three illusory images of whoever casts it surround themselves. It causes enemies to become distracted, and each illusion adds three points to your Armor Class.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Cleric multiclass build

Every time you evade an attack, the duplicate fades, alongside their bonus. If you don’t have a very high Armor Class, this spell is very practical and can help you easily evade enemy attacks. However, if you have a high Armor Class, this will make you untouchable for a few turns.

Healing Word

Though you can rely on potions to keep your health high in battle, a much better source of healing is Healing Word. This level one spell is incredibly useful and needs to be in at least one party member’s toolbelt.

With Healing Word, you can heal an ally for 1d4 plus your Charisma modifier. Since I’m playing Bard who have high Charisma, this spell is even better. Cure Wounds is also an amazing heal, one that is ever strong, but it requires you to touch the ally which can be challenging in combat. You can also cast Healing Word with a higher spell slot to heal even more HP.

Dissonant Whispers

While not many classes can get Dissonant Whispers since it’s an Enchantment spell, Dissonant Whispers is one of the best spells in the game because it deals 3d6 Psychic damage which is a lot, and can Frighten an enemy if they fail a Wisdom Saving Throw.

Frighten is a great debuff because it makes the target have Disadvantage on Ability Checks and Attack Rolls and they can’t move. If there’s an enemy you want to nail down to one place, then cast Dissonant Whispers to make them not move, and as a bonus they have Disadvantage — this lasts for two turns.

Call Lightning

Like Fireball, Call Lightning is an incredibly good level three damage spell. It deals 3d10 damage, can be upcast for more damage, and you can recast it without using a Spell Slot for up to 10 turns if you maintain your Concentration.

Call Lightning is ridiculously good because you can keep dealing very high damage as long as you don’t get your Concentration broken. While Fireball is great for dealing high AoE damage, it can only be cast once. If you’re smart, you can keep using Call Lightning to decimate your foes.

Sanctuary

In my opinion, Sanctuary is one of the best defensive spells in Baldur’s Gate 3. This level one spell allows the target to not be able to get targeted by creatures for up to 10 turns.

If your tank or support is in trouble and they need to take a few turns to recover, cast Sanctuary on them and none of the enemies can touch them. Keep in mind, AoE attacks can still harm them, but they can’t be targeted by single-hit attacks.

Find Familiar

A truly slept-on spell in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Find Familiar. This spell allows you to summon a companion that will stick around until cast away or defeated. The reason why Find Familiar is good is not because of damage but because they serve as excellent damage sponges.

Say you’re fighting a really tough boss. With a Familiar on the field, the boss may target them and hit them for upwards of 60 damage. The Familiar, which can be summoned again and only has around let’s say 11 HP, takes it all instead of a player in your party getting one-shot.

While those are the best spells in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’re still confined to what spells your class and subclass get you. To be prepared for the long adventure ahead, make sure you start on the right foot with the best class, subclass, and race.