With the release of pPatch 7,Baldur’s Gate 3officially supports modded content for both PC and console players. That means that more people than ever cango through Faerûn with additional classes, races, and, of course, spells. Modders have been hard at work for months on PC adding new stuff to the game, and much of it is now being carried over to Xbox and PlayStation audiences. With so much additional content to interact with, and so much more still to come, players may be wondering what to experiment with first.
Some of the most fun and simple add-ons to the game come in the form of spells that player characters can learn,pulling on the enormous compendium of magic incantations available inDungeons & Dragons. While many of the spells in the TTRPG simply won’t work in video game format, there are dozens that players have already translated into the world ofBaldur’s Gate 3. These 10 spells deserve a place in the critically-acclaimed game, and thanks to mods, some of them are already available.
10Booming Blade Is An Effective Choice For Spellslinging Warriors
Eldritch Knights Should Keep This Spell In Mind
Booming bladeis a melee-focused cantrip inDnD, one that boosts the damage and utility of weapon attacks. At early levels, the spell can be used to replace a weapon attack for the same damage, but withthe additional effect of dealing thunder damage if the hit creature tries to move. It’s a neat cantrip that gets a damage boost at higher levels, but since it can’t be used in conjunction with the extra attack feature, many martials avoid it past fifth level.
Dungeons & Dragons: 15 Most Useful Cantrips
While they may not always be as powerful as levelled spells, there are some very useful cantrips available to players in D&D 5e.
That being said,the cantrip works well for Eldritch Knights, who at level seven can take a bonus action attack after casting a cantrip. It’s a neat way to deal some elemental damage with basic weapon attacks, and it gives spellcasters a nice melee alternative to shocking grasp. The cantrip is currently available in several mods, including the popular 5e Spells mod created byCeleson Nexus Mods.
9Earthbind Would Allow Players To Disable Enemy Mobility
Movement Plays A Big Role In Baldur’s Gate 3
BG3includes a lot of flying enemies, whoseaerial movement allows them to evade opportunity attacks, floor hazards, and navigate mapsmuch easier. The way the game lays out its battlefields makesflight super useful, and disabling it is more important than it would be in manyDnDcampaigns. That’s why the spellearthbind, while typically a rather niche option for players to take, could be so valuable here.
Earthbindforces a creature to make a strength saving throw or drop to the ground and lose its flying speed. This could be great for grounding harpies or winged horrors, whilebeingbalanced enough that it wouldn’t completely shut down a dragon encounter. Unfortunately, the spell is not yet available in any existing mods for console, but hopefully it will come that way soon.
8Wither And Bloom Buffs Necromancy And Healer Builds
A Spell That Could Play On The Game’s Shadow Magic
A rather unique healing spell,wither and bloomsaps energy from nearby creatures to restore some vitality to allies. It is unique in how it harms and heals at once, and inDnD, it relies on using allies' hit dice for their health recovery. Hit dice aren’t a thing inBG3, but this could still easily translate into the game’s combat system by just making the healing equivalent to a few dice rolls.
Luckily, several mods like 5e Spells already includewither and bloom, so players can try this out now if they so wish. It is also neat thatan area of the game, the blighted Shadow-Cursed Lands in Act 2, matches up aestheticallywith this necromantic healing spell. With that in mind, it could even make sense for certain enemies in that area to be able to cast this on players, such as the undead cursed corpses walking the area.
7Thunder Step Creates An In-Between For Teleportation Spells
A Fun Way To Increase Mobility
WhileBG3includes a few teleportation spells, likemisty stepanddimension door,thunder stepis unique in how it can also damage nearby creatures. For that reason, the third-level spell might be a little overpowered in comparison todimension door, especially since the latter can only take players 100 feet in its video game form. Still, this spell is too cool to ignore, and matches the flavor of certain builds, like the Stormsorcerer subclass inBG3and Tempest cleric.
The distances of a few of the existing teleportation spells have been adjusted to reflect the size ofBaldur’s Gate 3’s battlefields. With that in mind,thunder stepwould probably allow players to travel around 60 feet.
Thunder step, like many of the spells listed, is available in the 5e Spells mod, and makes teleportation an offensive move rather than just a mobility tool.The game is currently a little short on spells that can deal thunder damage, so this would also even the scales a bit in that regard. If added with attention to how the other teleportation spells have been modified, this could be a great addition to any build focused on magical movement.
6Silvery Barbs Is A Great Option For Social Casters
A Newer Spell That Has Quickly Gained A Reputation
Silvery barbsis loved and despised by many, since the spell can be very helpful or chaotic in certain circumstances. It works rather simply: casters can use a reaction after an enemy makes a roll toforce them to roll again and use the lower of the two results. On top of that, the caster then chooses an allied creature to give advantage to. It works similarly toportent, changing the result of a roll after knowing what it would have been.
One reason Larian may have leftsilvery barbsout ofBG3is because other abilities, like Bardic Inspiration, have been adapted to be more easily used as a reaction. Still, this spell gives non-combat casters a helpful way to use their slots.
The spell can be very frustrating for DMs when cast often, butas a video game,BG3would have no such issue.Thus, the spell seems like a good match for the game, and would give casters who have a lower spellcasting modifier an effective way to use their slots in order to help out their party.
5Bigby’s Hand Is A Classic Option For High-Level Casters
A Spell That Seems Perfect For This Setting
Baldur’s Gate 3includes a plethora of summoning spells, allowing players to create a veritable army of magical creatures to join their party. A fun addition to that army would beBigby’s Hand,a huge arcane hand that can fight and move creatures aroundat the caster’s behest. The spell is a classic high-level option for wizards, named after a famously powerful player character, and it seems like it would fit right in mechanically withBG3’s other summons.
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Unfortunately, no console mods have implemented the spell yet. Part of the reason for that might be thatmage handcan now bemore active in combat, pushing and hitting enemies,but the existence of themage handmodel and code seems like it would makeBigby’s Handan easy addition. Hopefully, in the near future, wizards will be able to punch and throw enemies around with this beloved spell.
4Dragon’s Breath Matches Well With A Certain Subclass
A Draconic Incantation With The Strength To Back It Up
Dragon’s breathis a fun spell mainly used to emulate a dragon’s breath weapon, albeit in a much less potent form. Casting it allows the affected creature touse an elemental breath weapon in a cone shape to harm enemies.It essentially functions like an action-activated dragonborn breath attack, but one that deals less damage and can be used multiple times over the spell’s duration.
This spell would be fun for non-dragonborn Draconic Bloodline sorcerers, making them feel more in-tune with the source of their magic.The Draconic Bloodline subclass is already a little light on abilities, and making this spell always prepared for them would even the score a bit.Dragon’s breathis available in the 5e Spells mod for players that want to try it out.
3Synaptic Static Fits With The Game’s Illithid Themes
A Spell That Works For Enemies As Well As Players
Synaptic staticis a high-level AOE spell that functionsnot only to deal damage, but to debuff groups of enemies. Creatures in the spell’s area make an intelligence saving throw, taking psychic damage on a failed save as well as receiving a 1d6 penalty on pretty much every roll they make for the next minute. It’s a very powerful spell, and one that fits in withBG3’s mind flayer encounters.
The waysynaptic staticworks is fairly similar to how mind flayers inBG3use their Mind Blast feature, so turning it into a player feature would be quite easy.
This spell could easily be adapted to become a part of the mind flayer’s toolkit, making them more dangerous and granting them a better variety of actions.It could even be a potential illithid power in the player’s tadpole skill treerather than a spell, to better fit with the idea that it is a mind flayer ability. All of that being said, the spell’s area might need to be reduced so it does not completely overpower options likecone of cold.
A Desperately-Needed Alternative To Sacred Flame
It’s a popular joke at this point that Shadowheart, the party’s default cleric, almost never lands a hit with herfire boltorsacred flamecantrips. And in general,the damaging cantrip options for clerics are rather sparse and none too effective. Adding another 5e option, liketoll the dead, would give clerics more choices while also improving their damage output. The spell deals necrotic damage, dealing even more if the target is below their max hit points.
The cantrip is available in certain mods, and is a fitting choice for Shadowheart especially, given thatradiant damage doesn’t really fit her aesthetic at the game’s start. Necromancers and trickery clerics might lean towards this option since it fits with their subclass, and in general, the cantrip is just a better alternative to the stunted sacred flame.
1Catapult Would Allow For More Environmental Interaction
Playing Into The Game’s Dynamic Battlefields
One of the most fun things aboutBaldur’s Gate 3’scombat mechanics is how much they interact with the surrounding world. Players and enemies can break parts of the terrain, modify them,throw items or each other, and generally enjoy how much detail the developers put into making the environments feel alive. A spell likecatapultwould lean even further into that idea,allowing low-strength spellcasters to partake in the wild throwing of objects around the map.
D&D: Underwhelming Spells That Would Be Better As Cantrips
While D&D undoubtedly has some amazing spells, there are some that are a bit less impressive which perhaps should be categorized as cantrips instead.
Catapultis a spell that can send small objects flying at enemies to deal damage. It’s a pretty simple spell inDnD, but one thatBaldur’s Gate 3could build on, given how many background objects can be interacted with.A version of the spell that deals different types or amounts of damage depending on the object catapulted would be extremely cool. Some versions of the spell already exist in certain mods, and players should definitely check them out if they want more ways to mess with their surroundings in the game.
Sources:Celes/Nexus Mods,Kgasse/Reddit
Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
