Highlights
- Baldur's Gate 3 draws most of its spells from the original Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition source books, which means more recent spells are limited.
- Some of the best spells from the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition system did not make it into Baldur's Gate 3 for various reasons, such as being too recent or difficult to adapt to a video game.
- The absence of certain spells, both low-level and high-level, like Booming Blade, Conjure Animals, and Wall of Force, has affected gameplay in Baldur's Gate 3.
Baldur's Gate 3 is built on the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition system, adapted from tabletop to CRPG by Larian Studios. With almost a decade of races, classes, features, and spells to draw from, it was inevitable that some elements of Fifth Edition wouldn't make the cut for Baldur's Gate 3.
Among the most notable absentees are some of the best spells in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, which didn't make it into Larian's CRPG for a variety of reasons. Most of the spells in Baldur's Gate 3 are drawn from the original 5E source books, meaning that more recent spells are rare, and even some of the original spells would have proved too difficult to adapt to a video game.
The Best Low-Level Spells
Cantrips
These three Cantrips from the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide enable Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard characters to use their magic in melee, and are the core of many "gish" or spell-sword builds on the tabletop.
- Booming Blade
- Green-Flame Blade
- Sword Burst
Level 1 Spells
These excellent 5E spells are either too recent, in the case of Silvery Barbs, or too hard to incorporate into a CRPG, like Detect Magic and Silent Image. Although Absorb Elements still made it into Baldur's Gate 3 through the Cloak of Elemental Absorption magic item, it's not available as a spell.
- Absorb Elements
- Detect Magic
- Silent Image
- Silvery Barbs
Level 2 Spells
Baldur's Gate 3 sticking to the original Player's Handbook for its spell lists means it misses out on some excellent choices that were added in later source books, like Earthen Grasp, Vortex Warp, and Summon Beast. Other great spells, like Suggestion, are from the Player's Handbook but offer too much freedom to suit a CRPG.
- Maximilian's Earthen Grasp
- Vortex Warp
- Suggestion
- Summon Beast
The Best Mid-Level Spells
Level 3 Spells
Leomund's Tiny Hut has protected the sleep of many a D&D party, but is unfortunately made irrelevant by Baldur's Gate 3's resting mechanics. However, it's less clear why the endlessly useful Dispel Magic, the iconic Conjure Animals, and the powerful Thunder Step failed to make the cut.
- Conjure Animals
- Dispel Magic
- Leomund's Tiny Hut
- Thunder Step
Level 4 Spells
Xanathar's Guide to Everything introduced many great spells to Fifth Edition, but unfortunately two of its best, Shadow of Moil and Sickening Radiance, failed to make the cut for Baldur's Gate 3. Additionally, while players can smash, shove, and throw items all day long in Baldur's Gate 3, the freeform control that Stone Shape allows would never have worked in the game, and neither would the DM-guided responses of Divination.
- Divination
- Shadow of Moil
- Sickening Radiance
- Stone Shape
The Best High-Level Spells
Level 5 Spells
Arcane spellcasters in Baldur's Gate 3 have missed out on some truly iconic spells with the absence of Animate Objects, Creation, and Wall of Force. While the Cleric's lack of Commune means they can no longer simply ask their god for solutions to their problems. Finally, the Summon Draconic Spirit spell may be a great choice for Dragon Sorcerers, but was most likely too recent to make the cut.
- Animate Objects
- Commune
- Creation
- Summon Draconic Spirit
- Wall of Force
Level 6 Spells
Level 6 is the highest spell level that players can reach in Baldur's Gate 3, and it's also where spells start to appear in Fifth Edition that are simply too expansive and powerful in their effects to work in a CRPG. Forbiddance, Contingency, and True Seeing are all examples that a little too open to work in Baldur's Gate 3. Meanwhile, the Mental Prison and the Investiture spells could certainly work in a video game but are both from Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
- Contingency
- Forbiddance (Cleric)
- Investiture of X
- Mental Prison
- True Seeing
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on macOS and PC, and it's coming to PS5 on September 6.
