Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3is a massive RPG with countless spells, many of which have alternate forms and myriad uses. Naturally, with the amount of spells available to players, some are undoubtedly stronger than others, withthe best spells inBG3often being seen as the biggest and most powerful.
However, with how creative players can get in this open-ended adventure, there are also plenty ofunderrated spells inBaldur’s Gate 3for them to choose from. These underrated feats of magic often seem simple or underwhelming at first, but when players understand their true potential, they will regret ever overlooking them.
Self/9m AOE
Grants the caster and nearby allies immunity to falling damage.
TheFeather Fallspell is fairly simple, granting immunity to fall damage for 10 turns. However, many players don’t know that it is an AOE spell, meaning the whole party can become as light as a feather. There are many otherwise inaccessible locations in the game, includingentire secret areas, that players can only reach with this spell.
As a Ritual spell,Feather Fallcan be cast for free outside of combat, and if players have a large party member, such as a Druid transformed into a bear, it can even be used to deal damage. If that character was to jump from a great height onto enemies below, they would deal decent damage while taking none themselves.
Action
9m/4m AOE
Inscribe a circle of arcane glyphs on the ground. When stepped on by an enemy, the selected magical effect will trigger.
Glyph of Wardingis a good spell to have at the ready, given its versatility. A handy feature of this spell allows players to choose the damage it deals. They can choose for it to deal Fire, Cold, Lightning, Thunder, or Acid damage, all of which will be better suited againstdifferent enemy types.
Alternatively, players can create an area of Sleep or Detonation, both of which can be overpowered in certain situations. For example, if players see a group of enemies all standing together, they could put theGlyph of Warding: Sleepdown, and all enemies that fail a Dexterity Saving throw will be put to sleep for 2 turns.
1
18m
Command a creature to flee, move closer, freeze, drop to the ground, or drop its weapon.
Eventhe best Level 1 spells inBG3are often overlooked, and this is no different forCommand. Unless it is upcast against more enemies, this spell commands a single target, and depending on the scenario, all options are secretly strong.
Best used against strong enemies, one of the best uses is to command a target to drop their powerful weapon. By doing so, players will not only deprive that target of their source of damage, but they can then pick up this superior weapon and use it against its owner. This trick can actually be used very early on toacquire the Everburn Blade. The two movement commands, Approach and Flee, could also be used to make a target walk into damage.
4
9m/3m AOE
Summon a Divine Guardian who sacrifices its Hit Points to damage enemies.
When used normally, theGuardian of Faithis a decentLevel 4 spell; however, when used in combination with a few other spells, it quickly becomes overpowered. This is because, normally, the Guardian of Faith takes as much damage as it deals, limiting its uptime.
However, if a defensive spell such asGlobe of Invulnerabilityis used to protect the Guardian, then it can continue hitting any enemies that move or attack within its circle of influence, without taking damage itself. The Guardian of Faith is perfect for defending allies while they heal or simply for slicing up enemies in a choke point.
The caster links themselves to a target with a bolt of lightning. Deal an additional 1d12 Lightning each turn by activating it.
As a mere Level 1 spell,Witch Boltis rarely even considered one ofthe best Lightning spells inBG3, never mind one of the best all-around damage spells. However, when upcast using a Level 5 or 6 Spell Slot,Witch Boltcan deal incredible damage, especially against wet targets.
This is because it not only scales well with an extra 1d12 Lighting damage per Spell Slot, but it also uses an Attack Roll, meaning it can crit. If, for example, players cast a Level 6 version ofWitch Boltagainst a wet target and force a crit, it becomes one of the highest damage single target spells. This easily makes it one of the most underrated spells inBG3.
