Scrolls are an important, but often neglected, aspect of Dungeons and Dragons and Baldur's Gate 3. Many players hoard their scrolls. They save them for a tough fight, but for many players, no fight ever seems tough enough to justify using a one-shot item.
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Scrolls in BG3 work differently for different classes. For wizards, a list of the best scrolls is the same as a list of the best spells, due to wizards expanding their spellbook via scribing scrolls. This uses the scroll in the process, removing it from the inventory. Most of the other classes use spells as magical items with one use. Regardless, these are some of the most useful for players to have on hand.
Updated on April 22, 2024, by Jeff Drake: When this article was first published, Baldur's Gate 3 was still relatively new. Now that some time has passed, more items have been discovered by players, some of those new items being scrolls. Scrolls play an important role during the fight and are best used toward the end of the fight when the party's spellcasters are running out of memorized spells. This update will introduce a few of the newer scrolls that have been discovered, and include bullet points detailing where they can be found.
13 True Resurrection
Revive A Fallen Companion At Full Health
Spells to bring a dead party member back to life are not the type of spells that players will hopefully use much. Any fight the entire party walks away from is a victory, even if the player is forced to cast every memorized spell, as well as use every potion, magic arrow, and scroll in their inventory.
There are a few choices when it comes to bringing the dead back to life in Baldur's Gate 3. The best of these options is the True Resurrection scroll. This spell revives a downed character with all of their hit points, unlike the Revivify spell, which revives the target with only one hit point.
- Given after reviving Gale during the "In Case Of Death" quest.
12 Bestial Communion
Summon Divine Help
Summoning an animal or creature to aid in a fight can be a life-saving tool. Being able to summon a powerful celestial being to help the party almost ensures victory. The scroll of Bestial Communion lets the user summon a Deva; which is a powerful celestial being - along the lines of an angel.
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In addition to being a skilled warrior, the Deva also comes with several spell-like abilities. The most important of these abilities is Revivify. So a Deva can not only help win the fight but bring any dead party members back to life after the fight is won. If the party has a wizard this spell should be immediately scribed into their spellbook.
- Gained after reading the Caution Before the Seelie book.
11 Dimension Door
Travel Instantly Between Two Points
By means of this spell the caster, and one ally, can be magically teleported to any unoccupied spot within range. This happens instantly, and the range is far enough (98 feet) for the caster to escape a dangerous situation. This spell can also be used to bypass an obstacle in the path.
This is a scroll that should be scribed by the party wizard as soon as it's obtained, or held until this can be done. This is too valuable for a one-off use in scroll form. This is one of the best fourth-level spells in the game.
- Gained from various merchants and traders, and can be found as loot.
10 Knock
Bypass Locks With Ease
Not every party has a thief, or for that matter, any member with thieving skills. When running a party like this, a locked chest can present more of a problem than it should. This is especially true when first starting, and the options for getting at the loot in a locked chest are limited.
Knock scrolls are essential in a party without a member who can pick locks. In the Baldur's Gate games, the thief class's usefulness ends at picking locks, picking pockets, and disarming traps. But those three skills are beyond valuable and help ensure that the party is well-equipped. This scroll eliminates one of those needs, allowing players to unlock doors.
- Gained from various merchants and traders, and can be found as loot.
9 Lesser Restoration
Remove Debilitating Status Ailments
There are numerous status conditions in Baldur's Gate 3. In fact, there are so many that unless a player knows what creatures they will be facing in the near future, they pick curative spells with the hope they'll be helpful in the upcoming fights.
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Lesser Restoration removes the poison, disease, paralysis, and blindness status effects for one creature. It's wise for the party healer to have at least one of these memorized. Sometimes one isn't enough though, so it's also wise to have the healer carry a few of these scrolls. Any other party member that can use this scroll, like a paladin, should carry at least one to use on the healer if they become paralyzed, poisoned, or blinded in battle.
Update: This scroll can still be used, but it was removed from the game and requires 3rd party programs to unlock.
- Gained from various merchants and traders, and can be found as loot.
8 Healing Scrolls
Restore Lost Hit Points With Healing Scrolls
What goes for the Scroll of Lesser Restoration goes double for scrolls with healing spells. Any and all of them, from the lowly Cure Wounds and Healing Word to Prayer of Healing, can come in handy. Memorized healing spells run out fast in a tough fight, so it makes sense to have some backup healing scrolls on hand.
This is another scroll that might be better if held by a member of the party who can use the scroll but isn't the party's main healer. This will improve the chances of saving the party healer should they be critically injured.
- Gained from various merchants and traders, and can be found as loot.
7 Spike Growth
Great For Enemy Groups And Zoning
In Baldur's Gate 3, early use of an area of effect (AoE) spell is one of the many ways to easily win a fight. These spells take a tough encounter, and turn it into a 15-second affair during which no party member takes damage. Tactics like this can get boring over time but are nevertheless incredibly effective.
This spell has a fairly large area of effect, a long duration, does damage to enemies moving through the area, and slows enemy movement through the area. This scroll should be saved for times when the party needs to retreat to a more advantageous position. Spike Growth will slow the enemy's pursuit and is a good scroll to give the party's ranger.
Update: This scroll can still be used, but it was removed from the game and requires 3rd party programs to unlock.
- Gained from various merchants and traders, and can be found as loot.
6 Fireball
The Definitive Area Of Effect Spell
Fireball, is...well, fireball. It is the one spell most players immediately seek out when starting a game. Players will carry a low-level wizard around in hopes that one day they will find, or purchase, a Scroll of Fireball for their wizard.
This scroll is on this list simply because of how devastatingly powerful the Fireball spell has been since the early days of Dungeons and Dragons. Once the party wizard has this spell in their spellbook, give the next Fireball scroll to another member of the party who can use it. Simultaneous Fireball spells will defeat most enemy groups instantly.
- Gained from various merchants and traders, and can be found as loot.
5 Ice Storm
Deal Damage And Leave Surfaces Slick With Ice
In previous Baldur's Gate games, Ice Storm was usually picked as the damage-dealing fourth-level spell because there weren't many other options. When compared to Fireball, which is a level lower, Ice Storm seems underwhelming. However, this has changed with Baldur's Gate 3.
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Ice Storm now leaves an icy surface in the area of effect, which is huge (19-foot radius). There is a good chance creatures caught in the Ice Storm will at some point fall prone. This will make them easy targets for party members with ranged weapons.
- Gained from various merchants and traders, and can be found as loot. One is carried by Stonemason Kith in the Underdark area of Grymforge.
4 Chromatic Orb
An All-Purpose Spell For Any Situation
Chromatic Orb is a fantastic spell due to its versatility in combat. There are many variants of Chromatic Orb; Thunder, Acid, Fire, Lightning, Cold, or Poison damage can be selected. This also covers the surface in fire, ice, or acid, depending on which variant is used.
This ensures the player will be more prepared to exploit the weaknesses of enemy creatures. Fighting a giant insect? A fiery Chromatic Orb will take care of that problem. A warrior in metal armor is attacking? An acidic Chromatic Orb will weaken their defenses.
- Gained from various merchants and traders, and can be found as loot. Chromatic Spell scrolls can be crafted via the Craft Scroll action.
3 Conjure Minor Elemental
Summon Help In Battle
One winning strategy in the Baldur's Gate (and Icewind Dale) series is to have a summoner in the party. They need not be a specialist, just able to cast spells that summon creatures to fight by the party's side. One of the better summoning spells is Conjure Minor Elemental.
Lower-level summoning spells are good for putting up a weak bulwark in front of advancing creatures. This spell summons two Mud Mephits, two Ice Mephits, or an Azer. In other words, this is when summoning spells begin conjuring creatures that can do more than act as a meat shield for five seconds.
- Gained from various merchants and traders, and can be found as loot. Good spots to check are Sorcerous Sundries and Blurg.
2 Artistry Of War
Summon Six Projectiles That Can Be Individually Targeted
Higher-level spells are generally harder to come by in the Baldur's Gate series. They often need to be found rather than purchased, and if they are purchased, they are incredibly expensive. There isn't exactly a bounty of damage-dealing fifth-level spells; actually, there aren't many fifth-level spells in total.
One of the best damage-dealing fifth-level spells is Artistry of War. This spell summons six projectiles that can be independently targeted. These projectiles do 2d6+1 Force damage. This spell is a much more deadly version of Magic Missile.
- Gained after reading The Red Knight's Final Stratagem book.
1 Revivify
Bring The Dead Back To Life
It is entirely possible that the unthinkable will happen when playing Baldur's Gate 3: a party member dies in battle. Healing spells will not help that poor soul reclaim its body. Instead, stronger magic will be needed in these situations.
Revivify brings a deceased party member back to life, albeit with only one hit point. The spell can also move the target body anywhere within the spell's area of effect. Every member of the party should carry at least one of these scrolls, if possible, just in case the party's main healer is killed.
- The player begins with this scroll, as do all allies and hirelings. They can also be purchased from merchants.
Baldur's Gate 3
- Platform(s)
- PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG
