Baldur's Gate 3: All Major Combat Status Effects, Explained

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Baldur's Gate 3 is an absolutely enormous RPG, even in its current Early Access state. If developers' estimates are right, players can expect to spend upwards of 100 hours to get through the campaign, let alone second playthroughs with different choices. One major aspect of combat in both Dungeons and Dragons and Baldur's Gate 3 is Combat Conditions.

There's a lot to understand about Conditions in BG3, and it doesn't help when the game doesn't do a great job of explaining what each Status Effect actually does. Refer to the list below to find just about everything players need to know to take advantage of these combat-oriented Conditions.

Updated September 19, 2023 by Erik Petrovich: In BG3 conditions can generally be sorted into positive and negative categories. Baldur's Gate 3 status effects can be difficult to understand, though, especially if you don't know how to navigate the in-game context menus. Some negative BG3 status effects don't come until later in the game, while other Baldur's Gate 3 conditions are present practically throughout an entire playthrough. Players who are struggling to understand exactly what a condition does can refer to this list of every negative combat status effect in BG3 for quick and easy explanations on what every effect in the game does.

Every Negative Combat Condition in Baldur's Gate 3

These Status Effects are typically applied in combat or have a negative effect in a combat setting, and can be taken advantage of to gain the upper hand strategically.

For example, an enemy (or party member) who is knocked Prone will automatically trigger Critical Hits for attacks made against them. Some spells like Ray of Frost and Arms of Hadar come from specific abilities and cause unique Status Effects, while others can be inflicted – or suffered – by a variety of classes.

Status Effect	Explanation
Acid	Reduces Armor by 2
Arms of Hadar	Can't take Reactions
Alcohol	Flammable, will deal explosive damage when lit to all standing in area
Bane	1d4 penalty to Attack Rolls/Saving Throws
Bleeding	2 Slashing damage each turn Disadvantage on Saving Throws
Blinded	Halved Ranged Attack distance Disadvantage on Attack Rolls
Burning	1d4 Fire damage each turn
Charmed	Can't attack caster Caster has Advantage on Charisma checks against this target
Chest Trauma	Disadvantage on Constitution Saving Throws -1 Action
Chilled	Additional vulnerability to Cold-type damage Resistant to Fire-type damage
Chill Touch	Can't heal Undead get Disadvantage on Attack Rolls
Color Spray	Halves Ranged attack distance Disadvantage on Attack Rolls Advantage on Attack Rolls against this target
Crippled	Cannot move Disadvantage on Dexterity Saving Throws
Dazed	Cannot take Reactions Loses Dex bonus to Armor Disadvantage on Wisdom Saving Throws
Difficult Terrain	Movement speed halved, indicated by red line on travel preview
Downed	Death Saving Throws begin 3 Successes before 3 Failures means you don't die Any HP gain cancels Downed
Electrocuted	1d4 Lightning damage each turn
Encumbered	Movement reduced Jump distance halved
Ensnared	1d6 Piercing damage each turn Cannot move Disadvantage on Dex Saving Throws and Attack Rolls Attack Rolls against Ensnared targets have Advantage
Entangled/Enwebbed	Cannot move Disadvantage on Dex Saving Throws and Attack Rolls Attack Rolls against Ensnared targets have Advantage
Enthralled	Under control of another entity, cannot take actions
Faerie Fire	Attacks against this target have Advantage
Feeble	Strength-based attacks deal half damage
Frenzied	+2 damage with Melee and Thrown weapons Grants Resistance to Physical damage and Advantage on STR Checks
Frightened	Cannot Move Disadvantage on Checks and Attack Rolls
Frostbite	Takes an additional 1 Cold damage per stack
Gaping Wounds	+2 piercing damage against this creature
Goaded	Must attack caster
Hamstrung	Halved movement distance
Hastened	+2 Armor Advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws x2 movement distance +1 Action Becomes lethargic next turn
Hemorrhaged	Bleeds for 1d6 damage at the end of the affected creature's turn
Heavily Encumbered	Movement dramatically reduced Not able to Jump or Climb Disadvantage on all Ability Checks and Attack Rolls
Hideous Laughter	Cannot move or attack (knocked prone) Disadvantage on Strength/Dex saving throws Can only be Saved at end of turn or when being attacked
Hunter's Mark	+1d6 damage from caster Advantage on Perception and Survival checks against target for caster
Hypnotized	Cannot take any actions
Incapacitated	Cannot act or react
Infested	1d4 Piercing and 1d4 Poison damage each turn Spreads to melee attackers
Lethargic	Cannot take actions as a result of Haste or similar effect wearing off
Maddened	Automatically attacks nearest creature
Mental Fatigue	-1 to CHA, INT, and WIS Saving Throws
Nauseated	Vulnerable to Psychic and Acid damage
Newborn	Disadvantage on Attack Rolls Reduced AC & HP Cannot take Reactions
Off Balance	Disadvantage on Strength/Dex checks Advantage on Attack Rolls against the target
Paralyzed	Incapacitated Automatically fails all Strength/Dex checks Advantage on Attack Rolls against the target
Pinched	2 Pinch damage each turn -3 m (10 ft) movement distance
Poisoned	Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Ability Checks
Poisonous Fumes	1d4 Poison damage each turn while remaining in area
Prone	Can't move, act, or react Disadvantage on Strength/Dex Saving Throws Advantage against Prone targets within melee range
Radiating Orb	-1 to Attack Rolls per stack Sheds light from affected creature
Ray of Frost	-3 m (10 ft) movement distance+
Reduced	Size is physically smaller -1d4 damage with all Weapon-based attacks Disadvantage on Strength Saving Throws and Ability Checks
Reeling	-1 to Attack Rolls for each stack
Restrained	Cannot move Attack rolls against affected creature gain Advantage
Reverberation	-1 to STR, DEX, & CON Saves per stack
Shocked	Cannot react Disadvantage on Dexterity Saving Throws and Ability Checks
Silenced	Cannot cast spells Immune to Thunder-type damage
Sleeping	Incapacitated Automatically fails all Strength/Dex Saving Throws Advantage on attacks made against Sleeping targets Auto-crits when in melee range Taking damage nullifies effect
Slightly Drunk	+2 to STR Disadvantage on CHA & DEX checks
Spiteful Suffering	1d4+CHA modifier Necrotic damage every turn Advantage on Attack Rolls made against targets with Spiteful Suffering
Steeped in Bliss	Grants Advantage on Physical checks (STR, DEX, CON) Grants Disadvantage on mental Saving Throws (WIS, CHA, INT) Vulnerable to Psychic-type damage
Stunned	Cannot move Cannot act, react, or take bonus Actions
Surprised	Cannot take any actions as enemy team can take theirs for "free"
Threatened	Disadvantage on Ranged Attack Rolls
Turned	Must move away from caster as much as possible Cannot move within 9m of caster Cannot take Reactions Taking damage nullifies effect
True Strike	Attacks gain Advantage against affected creatures
Twisting Vines	1d4 Piercing Damage per turn Halves Movement speed
Unconscious	Unable to participate in combat, normally as a result of non-lethal Attacks
Vicious Mockery	Disadvantage on Attack Rolls (one-time use)
Weak Grip	Disadvantage on Strength Saving Throws and Attack Rolls
Wet	Resistant to Fire damage Vulnerable to Lightning/Cold damage