Top 10 Best Spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

Baldur’s Gate 3 has an extensive collection of Spells in the game, divided into separate Spell Lists that certain Classes can use, or gain access to through Feats. If you’re looking to equip your Magic users with some of the most useful and powerful Spell Selections, then look no further; we’ve got all the information you’ll need. Here’s everything you need to know about the top 10 best Spells in Baldur’s Gate 3, including a complete breakdown of each Spell’s requirements and effects.

Baldur’s Gate 3 – Top 10 Best Spells in the Game

While certain Spells are catered more towards specific Classes or character builds, there are a select few that are so powerful or provide such strong utility that they’re beneficial to include in almost any Magic user build.

Note: These Spells are in no particular order or ranking, and do not include Cantrips. To view the latter, check out our complete guide covering the best Cantrips in BG3.

Magic Missile

While Magic Missile may not deal as much damage as flashier Spells, the utility that it brings is incredibly valuable. This ranged Spell enables you to select multiple targets, and will never miss, meaning you can use it to pick off multiple low HP enemies in a single turn or to quickly dispel the likes of pesky Mirror Image clones. You can also use Magic Missile to pick off a singular low HP target before they’re given the chance to heal or use threatening Abilities, meaning it’s incredibly versatile.

Chromatic Orb

Not only is Chromatic Orb capable of taking out a decent chunk of your enemy’s HP, but you can also Upcast this Spell at a higher leveled Spell Slot to increase the damage output further. However, the most valuable aspect of Chromatic Orb is the Caster’s ability to choose which type of damage they deal with this Spell, allowing them to strategize against the weaknesses and resistances of their opponents.

Healing Word

While Healing Word is nowhere near the most powerful Healing Spell in Baldur’s Gate 3, it has the unique aspect of being performed as a Bonus Action. This means that you can both heal someone and make an attack, or other Action within the same turn, which is an incredibly valuable option to have as a part of your dedicated Healer’s kit.

Misty Step

Casters have one glaring weakness in Baldur’s Gate 3 – they’re often the squishiest members of the party, meaning they can go down very quickly if they take heavy damage before getting a chance to heal. This often happens when a Caster is rushed and Surrounded by strong Melee Classes, as this essentially traps them in, forcing them to stay in that position and fight an uphill battle, waste their next turn on Disengaging, or attempt to run away and inevitably get hit with a swarm of Opportunity Attacks.

However, Misty Step changes this, giving your Magic users a get-out-of-jail-free card. If you find your squishy Magic users surrounded by enemies or in a dire situation with limited health and a lack of healing left, then you can cast Misty Step to freely teleport to any location within max combat range. Furthermore, teleporting doesn’t trigger Opportunity Attacks.

Haste

It doesn’t matter who you cast this Spell on, you will likely find significant value in doing so. When cast on your strong Melee Attackers, such as Fighters, Rogues, or Paladins, this will enable them to use the doubled Movement Speed to rush enemies, and then hit them with a flurry of attacks. Fighters and Paladins are already capable of performing 2-3 Attacks per turn, so adding a third or fourth Attack to the mix makes for devastating potential damage output.

The same can be said for Rogues, who can Sneak Attack, Attack again, and then Bonus Action Offhand Attack (or in the Thief’s case, 2x Offhand Attacks). Alternatively, while it will cost you Spell Slots, casting Haste on one of your strongest Spell Casters can be hugely effective, granting them the potential to cast two Level 2 or 3 Spell Slots in a single turn, which can result in some hefty damage or healing. Haste lasts for up to 10 turns as long as Concentration is maintained, and has the potential to turn members of your party into killing machines, so you should look to pick this one up for sure.

Scorching Ray

In Baldur’s Gate 3, the versatility of a Spell is key to succeeding in battle, and Scorching Ray is a clear example. This Spell enables you to send 3 rays of fire at one or multiple enemies, dealing between 2 and 12 damage each for a potential of 36 damage total. This can be used in many different situations, from picking off multiple low HP enemies to isolating and downing a specific target to turn the combat in your party’s favor. Furthermore, Scorching Ray is a ranged Spell, allowing you to make these plays from the safety of the back line.

Bless

Bless is an incredibly value support Spell, enabling you to select up to three of your allies (including yourself, if you wish) to receive a bonus +1d4 to Attack Rolls and all Saving Throws. As Bless can last for up to 10 turns if Concentration is maintained, this Spell provides immense value for both your team’s damage output, thanks to a higher hit rate on Attacks, and much better survivability against enemy Magic Users or any other situations that require Saving Throws from your comrades.

Cloud of Daggers

If you’re looking for a powerful AOE Spell, Cloud of Daggers will do the trick. This creates a cloud of spinning Daggers within an area of effect that attacks anyone inside for between 4 and 16 Slashing Damage. This Spell also has the potential to last for up to 10 turns if Concentration is maintained, allowing for the damage to trigger multiple times.

Hold Person

Hold Person is amazing for setting your Melee party members up for success. Upon casting this spell on any Humanoid creature, they will be unable to move, act, or react until they succeed in a Wisdom Saving Throw. While in this Paralyzed state, any Melee Attacks from within 3m are an automatic critical hit, meaning you can’t miss, and are guaranteed to deal damage. Like many other Spells, Hold Person is capable of lasting for up to 10 turns if Concentration is maintained, making it extremely effective at isolating threats or targeting certain bosses.

Counterspell

If your party members are capable of learning this Spell, then you’d be severely missing out if you chose not to take it. Counterspell is essentially a huge middle finger to any annoyingly powerful enemy Magic user you encounter during your playthrough, as it allows you to expend your reaction during a turn of combat to completely negate their Spell. Some characters have devastating Spells that can deal hefty blows to multiple party members at once, so being able to shut them down without expending your Action or Bonus Action is an amazing asset to have within your build.

That’s it for the best Spells in Baldur’s Gate 3. Now that you’ve checked out some of the best options available in the game, why not take a look at our complete Class tier list to help work out which Magic build works best for you? This way you may be able to identify where you want to incorporate some of the Spells mentioned above.