Highlights
- Necrotic damage spells in Baldur's Gate 3 are often overlooked but can be devastating, with effects ranging from stopping regen to damaging ability scores.
- Spells like Chill Touch and Halo of Spores deal necrotic damage, and not just from the Necromancy school.
- Harm is a powerful spell that reduces hit points to one, while Contagion: Flesh Rot decays flesh and lowers charisma.
There are several different types of magical damage in Baldur's Gate 3, and most players are familiar with the elemental forms of damage such as ice, fire, and lightning. Necrotic damage is a devastating power that often gets overlooked or avoided because of its sinister connections.
Not all Baldur's Gate 3 spells that do necrotic damage involve the dead, although most of them do, and not all of them are cast by Clerics or Paladins. Several spells deal necrotic damage that aren't even from the Necromancy school, but are instead class actions used by Druids of the Spore or Oathbreaker Paladins.
9 Chill Touch
Despite the name, this spell does necrotic damage as opposed to cold damage. To be precise, it deals 1D8 of necrotic damage, plus it stops them from regaining any hit points. If the target happens to be undead, they also get a Disadvantage on their attack rolls.
This is one of the most common spells that does necrotic damage in the game. Virtually every BG3 spellcasting class can use it, and certain races like High Elves know it as a cantrip.
8 Halo of Spores
This is an ability exclusive to Druids that follow the Circle of Spores, and they have access to it as soon as they choose their subclass at level 2. Halo of Spores counts as an Action, so it can be used both in and out of combat.
The user can cast this spell at any target within a 6-meter range, and it can be hostile or a part of the environment. The target has to make a Constitution saving throw or be stricken by 1D4 of necrotic damage.
7 Spirit Guardians
A Conjuration spell that can only be used by Clerics of level 3 or higher, Spirit Guardians also has an impressive AoE effect. The caster summons several benevolent spirits to protect the area around and near the caster for 10 turns.
In addition to taking 3D8 of either Radiant or Necrotic damage, it also slows the movement speed of the target by half. Even if they succeed in a saving throw, they have to take half the damage, and it's still a lot.
6 Symbiotic Entity
Another spell from the Druid Circle of Spores, Symbiotic Entity can be cast by itself, but works best when combined with Halo of Spores. On its own, it gives the caster an extra 8 hit points, and any damage they do while they have them deals 1D6 of necrotic damage as well. It doesn't stack with other spells like Aid, however, which also grants temporary hit points.
When combined with Halo of Spores, the effects of Symbiotic Entity double, which is great because the former lasts for a lengthy ten turns. Careful casting Wild Shape, however, as it will cancel Symbiotic Entity.
5 Inflict Wounds
4 
A Cleric is usually known for healing wounds, and this spell does the opposite of that by causing wounds. It's part of every Cleric's regular spellbook and other spellcasting classes can learn it from scrolls.
For a level 1 spell, it's one of the strongest there is, doing 3D10 of necrotic damage, but the catch is that the target has to be within less than 2 meters. That's practically melee range, so this spell makes more sense for a Cleric, who usually has a higher AC.
3 Contagion: Flesh Rot
There are a few variations of Contagion, and although all of them are from the Necromancy school, none of them do necrotic damage on their own. Instead, each one has a negative effect on one of the target's ability scores, such as Intelligence, Strength, or Wisdom. They also have some gruesome and painful effects to go along with that condition, like boiling blood or a blinding headache.
In the case of Flesh Rot, it does what the name describes, decaying the target's flesh. It makes them more vulnerable to any and all kinds of damage and lowers their Charisma.
2 Harm
This is one of the "reverse healing" spells from the Necromancy school, and the healing classes are the ones that learn it as they advance in levels. Other classes can use or learn this spell if they can find it in school form.
Harm is a level 6 spell, and it does 14D6 of necrotic damage. The goal of the spell is to reduce the target's hit points to one and keep them from restoring them. If the target succeeds on a saving throw, they take half the damage but avoid having their hit points permanently reduced.
1 Arms of Hadar
It's a sordid spell from the underworld that includes both necrotic damage and tentacles. Perfect for those building a dark Sorcerer, an evil Wizard, or a necromancer Cleric based on Eldritch lore, Arms of Hadar Warlock spellbook, because of course, it is.
It's not from the Necromancy school, but a Conjuration spell, so other classes can cast it or learn it if they have the scroll. It's available from level 1 and does 1D6 of necrotic damage to a single target.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on PC and is set to release for PlayStation 5 on September 6, 2023.