Much like DND 5e, Cantrips in Baldur’s Gate 3 are fairly simplistic Spells that operate on a weaker level than those cast through the use of a Spell Slot. However, the upside to using Cantirps is that they don’t require any Spell Slots to use, allowing you to make the most of them on every turn of combat if you wish. Cantrips are a very important part of not only combat, but also exploration, investigation, improving Stat Checks, and enabling useful bonuses for your party. To help you make the best selection for your Magic user, we’ve listed the best Cantrips to consider in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Best Overall Cantrips in Baldur’s Gate 3, Explained
Baldur’s Gate 3 has over twenty different Cantrips available to the various Magic user Classes, with each one providing an attack, unique benefit, or Advantage for yourself and your party in combat or while exploring the lands and encountering new individuals. In no particular order, here’s an explanation of the best Cantrips available in-game to assist with your Magic user character build. These Cantrips should fit nicely into most Magic builds, so feel free to experiment with your options until you find which ones best suit your character and playstyle.
Shocking Grasp
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Inheritable By |
| 1d8 (Lightning) | The target cannot use reactions. This spell has Advantage on creatures wearing metal armor. It takes damage and receives Disadvantage on its next Attack Roll. | 1 turn | Action | – | Eldritch Knight Wizard Sorcerer |
Shocking Grasp is a very useful Cantrip to keep in your back pocket. Not only will it allow you to deal some Lightning damage to enemies in a pinch when you’re out of Spell Slots, but more importantly, it will block the target from being able to use reactions for one turn.
Being singled out and targeted by strength-based enemies and tanky opponents as a more squishy class can be quite intimidating, and thankfully, Shocking Grasp is essentially a get-out-of-jail-free card. Simply cast the Cantrip, and then run the hell away out of Melee range — without the ability to use reactions, the opponent won’t be able to hit you with an Opportunity Attack on your way out. Plus, it even grants Advantage for your roll on creatures wearing metal armor, which tend to be those pesky Melee classes that you may struggle against.
Sacred Flame
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Inheritable By |
| 1d8 (Radiant) | Conjure a flame-like radiance that deals 1d8 Radiant damge. | – | Action | DEX | Cleric |
Sacred Flame is a must-pick for your Cleric character, making the perfect Cantrip to fall back on when in need. Unlike other ranged Cantrips and Spells, Sacred Flame manifests on the spot rather than being cast from the user’s hand, meaning you can attack without a line of sight to your target. On top of this, it targets a Dex, which is a weak spot for many of the bulkier classes and enemies in BG3.
Poison Spray
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Inheritable By |
| 1d12 (Poison) | Project a puff of noxious gas. The target takes damage and receives Disadvantage on its next Attack Roll. | – | Action | CON | Druid Sorcerer Eldritch Knight Warlock Wizard |
Not only does Poison Spray have one of the highest damage dice for a Cantrip, but it also grants a disadvantage on the target’s next attack role. The more you progress through the Baldur’s Gate 3 story, the more you will begin to notice how crucial it is to grant yourself Advantage and inflict Disadvantage on your enemies as often as possible, making it a very valuable option for you to have on a turn-by-turn basis.
Vicious Mockery
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Inheritable By |
| 1d4 (Psychic) | Unleash a string of enchanted insults at a creature. It takes damage and receives Disadvantage on its next Attack Roll. | 1 turn | Action | WIS | Druid Sorcerer Eldritch Knight Warlock Wizard |
Much like Poison Spray, Vicious Mockery offers two benefits, dealing 1d4 damage and inflicting Disadvantage on the target’s next attack when casted with success. While Vicious Mockery does much less damage than Poison Spray’s 1d12, it offer a much larger casting range of 18m in comparison to the former’s 3m limit.
Vicious Mockery also targets Wisdom for the target’s Saving Throw rather than Constitution, with both Cantrips evening out each other’s strengths and weaknesses. When deciding which one to go with, it all comes down to personal preference and what you believe will best suit your playstyle.
Guidance
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Inheritable By |
| 1d4 (Bonus) | Bestow guidance upon an ally. They gain a +1d4 bonus to Ability Checks. | 10 turns (Con required) | Action | – | Cleric Druid |
Guidance is a very reliable tool to keep up your sleeve, allowing you to cast before any eligible Ability Checks to add a bonus +1d4 to the outcome number for whichever character is rolling the check. Once activated, players will be granted this bonus +1d4 for any Ability Checks for up to ten turns, as long as Concentration is maintained by the caster. If you have an important Skill Check that you do not want to fail, Guidance can save you that stress by bumping your roll up a few numbers for extra safety.
Eldritch Blast
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Inheritable By |
| 1d10 (Force) | Conjure 1 beam(s) of crackling energy. | – | Action | – | Warlock |
Eldritch Blast is a classic for the Warlock class, providing you with a reliable ranged attack option without any cost to your precious Spell Slots. Furthermore, at higher levels, Eldritch Blast becomes even more devastating, with the potential to gain a bonus pushback effect at level 2, and an additional blast at level 5, allowing for a more devastating blow of damage upon a hit. This Cantrip also pairs very nicely with the rest of the Warlock’s kit, making it a must-grab for this Class.
Fire Bolt
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Inheritable By |
| 1d10 (Fire) | Hurl a mote of fire. | – | Action | – | Wizard High Elf High Half-Elf Eldritch Knight Sorcerer |
Fire Bolt is another reliable Cantrip for many Magic users, dealing a reliable 1d10 Fire damage upon a hit. Fire Bolt has a range of 18m, and can be used to create damaging terrains by setting specific areas or substances on fire, such as the Oil Barrels during the Investigate the Ruins quest. You can even pair Fire Bolt with the Spell ‘Grease’ to replicate this whenever and wherever you please during combat, allowing for some serious bonus damage potential, particularly if enemies are grouped up in close quarters.
Best Cantrips For Every Primary BG3 Magic User Class
Furthermore, we’ve also included some Cantrip suggestions for every primary Magic user Class in Baldur’s Gate 3, with some pointers as to why they can bring value to that specific Class. These won’t go into as much detail as the top contenders mentioned above, but are aimed to give you some good starting options to consider and further evaluate when making decisions regarding your character build.
Bard
Minor Illusion
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d10 (Fire) | Create an illusory image that distracts nearby creatures, compelling them to investigate. You can remain hidden while casting this spell. | – | Action | – | 18m |
- Allows you to set up the potential of Sneak Attack for your Rogues and trigger a Surprise round, or provide the perfect opportunity to deal damage on multiple enemies with AOE Spells, as enemies tend to group up to investigate the illusion.
Vicious Mockery
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d4(Psychic) | Unleash a string of enchanted insults at a creature. It takes damage and receives Disadvantage on its next Attack Roll. | – | Action | WIS | 18m |
- Not only is this Cantrip fitting to the nature of a Bard character, but it also gives them a ranged ability to rely upon in battle, helping to weaken the most threatening enemies by adding Disadvantage to their next Attack roll.
Blade Ward
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d10 (Fire) | Take only half of the damage from Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing attacks | 2 turns | Action | – | Self |
- If you ever find yourself in an unfavorable situation such as being stuck in close-quarters with Melee enemies, Blade Ward can significantly decrease the amount of damage taken from their attacks, giving you a better chance at surviving until an ally can provide backup or you find an opportunity to reposition.
Cleric
Sacred Flame
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d8 (Radiant) | Conjure a flame-like radiance that deals 1d8 Radiant. | – | Action | DEX | 18m |
- Sacred Flame is arguably the best Cleric Cantrip to consider. Not only can you cast this Cantrip without maintaining line of sight towards your target, but you can also cast it through barriers and objects that would otherwise block any other Spell or Cantrip.
Guidance
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d4 (Bonus) | Bestow guidance upon an ally. They gain a +1d4 bonus to Ability Checks. | 10 turns (Con required) | Action | – | Melee |
- As mentioned above, Guidance provides a bonus 1d4 for Ability Checks involving any characters within the party . This can truly make all the difference between succeeding or failing a check, with the difference of these outcomes shaping some very important decisions and events during your playthrough.
Blade Ward
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d10 (Fire) | Take only half of the damage from Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing attacks | 2 turns | Action | – | Self |
- If you ever find yourself in an unfavorable situation such as being stuck in close-quarters with multiple enemies, Blade Ward can significantly decrease the amount of damage taken from their Melee attacks, giving you a better chance at surviving until an ally can provide backup or you find an opportunity to reposition.
Druid
Shillelagh
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| – | Imbue your staff or club with nature’s power. It becomes magical, deals 1d8+2 Bludgeoning damage, and uses your Spellcasting Ability for Attack Rolls. | 10 turns | Bonus Action | – | Self |
- Shillelagh allows you to increase the power of an equipped Staff or Club weapon with the power of Nature, dealing very solid damage dice. On top of this, this weapon uses your Spellcasting Ability Modifier for Attack rolls, further improving your potential damage output.
Guidance
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d4 (Bonus) | Bestow guidance upon an ally. They gain a +1d4 bonus to Ability Checks. | 10 turns (Con required) | Action | – | Melee |
- As mentioned above, Guidance provides a bonus 1d4 for Ability Checks involving any characters within the party. This can truly make all the difference between succeeding or failing a check, with the difference of these outcomes shaping some very important decisions and events during your playthrough.
Poison Spray
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d12(Poison) | Project a puff of noxious gas. | – | Action | CON | 18m |
- As one of the best general Cantrips in Baldur’s Gate 3, there’s no surprise it shows up here for Druid. Poison Spray offers an attack with generous damage dice in comparison to other cantrips, making it a good option to fall back on or utilize on when needed.
Sorcerer
Fire Bolt
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d10(Fire) | Hurl a mote of fire. | – | Action | – | 18m |
- Fire Bolt is a reliable classic. When you find yourself in a situation where you don’t want to fully engage, Fire Bolt’s 18m range allows you to attack from a distance, also dealing a solid 1d10 damage on a hit. Despite being one of the more simple Cantrips in the game, you’ll likely be surprised with how much you fall back on it.
Acid Splash
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d6 (Poison) | Throw a bubble of acid that damages each creature it hits. | – | Action | DEX | 18m |
- While Acid Splash may not deal as much damage as other Cantrips, it offers the ability to hit multiple targets from one use of attack. This is exceptionally useful for finishing off enemies who have grouped in close quarters.
Ray of Frost
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d8 (Cold) | Reduce the target’s Movement Speed by 3m. | 1 turn | Action | – | 18m |
- Ray of Frost deals damage to a target, as well as slowing their speed for the next turn. This can be used to help make space from your opponents and take that extra moment of safety to reposition your party, heal allies as needed, or coordinate an attack on the freshly slowed target.
Warlock
Eldritch Blast
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d12(Poison) | Project a puff of noxious gas. | – | Action | CON | 18m |
- As stated earlier, Eldritch Blast is pretty much a Warlock’s bread and butter, so if you fail to include it in your build, you’ll be missing out big time. Eldritch Blast also scales in power as you progress your Warlock Class level, meaning its value extends far beyond early gameplay.
True Strike
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| – | Gain Advantage on your next Attack Roll. | – | Action | CON | 18m |
- True Strike grants you advantage on your next attack roll for two turns (provided Con is maintained), which allows you to prioritize specific targets and even pair the ability with other key features of the Warlock class to trigger even more effects, such as the Hex Spell. You can also cast this Cantrip on an ally to provide them with the perk, giving you heavy involvement in battle strategy.
Poison Spray
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d12(Poison) | Project a puff of noxious gas. | – | Action | CON | 18m |
- Poison Spray is a useful cantrip to consider for when the Force damage of Eldritch Blast simply won’t cut it against a certain enemy type. Poison Spray offers an attack with generous damage dice in comparison to other cantrips, making it a good option to fall back on or utilize for variety when needed.
Wizard
Acid Splash
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d6 (Poison) | Throw a bubble of acid that damage each creature it hits | – | Action | DEX | 18m |
- While Acid Splash may not deal as much damage as other Cantrips, it offers the ability to hit multiple targets from one use of attack. This is exceptionally useful for finishing off enemies who have grouped in close quarters.
Minor Illusion
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d10 (Fire) | Create an illusory image that distracts nearby creatures, compelling them to investigate. You can remain hidden while casting this spell. | – | Action | – | 18m |
- Allows you to set up the potential of Sneak Attack for your Rogues and trigger a Surprise round, or provide the perfect opportunity to deal damage on multiple enemies with AOE Spells, as enemies tend to group up to investigate the illusion.
Shocking Grasp
| Dice Roll | Effect | Duration | Action Type | Saving Throw | Range |
| 1d8 (Cold) | The target cannot use reactions. This spell has Advantage on creatures wearing metal armour. | 1 turn | Action | – | 18m |
- The escape opportunities from bad situations that can occur as a result of this Cantriip are simply far too good to pass up. Shocking Grasp gives you much more survivability as a squishy Wizard, which in turn enables you to stay more involved in combat and enable your party through various Spells.
That’s everything you need to know about the best Cantrips in Baldur’s Gate 3. Now that you’ve been able to identify several of the best options for Magic users, feel free to check out our complete guide covering all Races, Subraces, Classes, and Subclasses within the game, as this may help you finalize your build idea and finally bring that character to life.
Published: Aug 9, 2023 09:53 am