Best Spells in Baldur’s Gate 3

If you've ever sat at a restaurant and stared at the menu for half an hour not knowing what to order, then you know what it feels like to level up a Wizard or a Sorcerer in Baldur's Gate 3. There are too many spell options and they all look good in the picture. How to choose? Let me help you with this guide to the best spells in BG3.

Best Spells in BG3, Ranked

Choosing the best spells is not an easy task, but the best way of doing so is by splitting them into categories—some spells are great for dealing damage, some are key for support, and others may only shine when out of combat. Ultimately, which ones you pick will depend on the role your character has in the party. So, here is a list of the best spells for each purpose.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 – Best Cantrips & Spells List

Best Level 1 Spells in BG3

Sanctuary

This spell is often overlooked for its simplicity, but considering it is a bonus action, it has plenty of utility. When cast on an ally, it makes them untargetable by enemy attacks, meaning you can use your action to help a downed friend and use your bonus action to cast Sanctuary on them. Doing so will give them at least one full round of immunity to heal up and get back in the fight. Another use I found is to cast it on someone who is holding a Concentration-based spell like Hunger of Hadar or Hypnotic Pattern; now the only way of breaking their concentration is with AoE damage.

Thunderwave

The force released by this spell is perhaps more important than the 2d8 Thunder damage it deals. You can use this spell to push creatures away from you and off cliffs to their instant death. On low-strength characters, this is one of the few options they get to shove someone. Even at higher levels, I still use it with Gale to get out of the melee range of the opponents.

Bane

When cast at higher levels, Bane allows you to add one more target for each level above 1st, meaning if you cast it at level 4, you can Bane up to 6 enemies. Imposing a disadvantage like that on every enemy attack can turn the tides of a battle in just a few rounds.

Best Level 2 Spells in BG3

Hold Person

The most powerful spells are often not damage-based but rather crowd control or debuffs. Hold Person allows you to paralyze a single humanoid target, leaving them out of combat for at least one round and making all melee attacks against them land an automatic critical hit. Especially at low levels, this can be extremely powerful, as it allows you to eliminate the enemy boss in just one round.

Heat Metal

This spell causes a metal weapon or armour to glow red-hot and forces the creature touching it to let go or receive Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Ability Checks. If the creature is still in contact with the metal, you can use your bonus action on subsequent turns to deal 2d8 fire damage. How cool is that?

Misty Step

This is probably the best mobility spell in the entire game. It only takes a 2nd level slot and a bonus action to reposition in the battlefield and it gets you out of danger or up on higher ground in an instant. It is my favorite spell to give to squishy characters like Wizards or Sorcerers.

Best Level 3 Spells in BG3

Counterspell

Counterspell allows you to nullify another creature's spell as a reaction. It automatically cancels any spells of 3rd level and lower, and it requires a roll for any of higher level. Still, it is never a bad idea to bring Counterspell to a fight. Particularly against high-level bosses, this can prevent a dead party member in round 1 or stop your Barbarian from being turned against you.

Hypnotic Pattern

All creatures in the area need to roll a Wisdom Saving throw or become incapacitated for two full rounds. The best part is, once the enemies failed their Saving Throw, they don't get another one at the end of their turns, so as long as you can keep concentrating on the spell (combine with Sanctuary!), all those enemies will skip their next two turns.

Fireball

The Bohemian Rhapsody of magic spells, this Greatest Hit carried over from the very first edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Being such an iconic spell, it is overpowered on purpose: its damage output of 8d6 is higher than most other third-level spells.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 – Best Feats for Gale in BG3

Best Level 4 Spells in BG3

Confusion

This spell befuddles the minds of creatures within a 30-foot radius, which is a large enough space to encompass several enemies. Those who fail their Saving Throw will become confused and may skip their turns or attack one of their allies. I used it against Yurgir the Orthon and his squad of Merregons, and they began killing each other while my party watched from a distance.

Phantasmal Killer

This spell not only frightens the target but also deals 4-40 Psychic damage every round until the enemy succeeds in its Saving Throw. It is not only a consistent source of damage, but also great utility as a frightened creature can't move and has Disadvantage on Ability Checks and Attack Rolls.

Wall of Fire

Create a blazing wall of fire and burn anyone who dares to stand too close. This is an ideal spell to funnel enemies or cut them off when you are outnumbered; it can split a room in half or block a door so you can deal with half of the enemies at a time.

Best Level 5 Spells in BG3

Hold Monster

Hold Person can be used against humanoids, but Hold Monster allows you to Paralyze every other creature (except undead). Targets who fail a Saving Throw have to skip their turns and receive critical hits from any melee attacks.

Conjure Elemental

Summons are incredibly powerful in BG3, since they can dish out damage but also absorb some of the enemies' attacks. Having an extra set of hands (or claws, or flame-paws) and an extra pool of HP in the party can dramatically change the outcome of a fight.

Cloudkill

I generally avoid using Poison spells in BG3 due to the popularity of poison resistance (undead, constructs, and elementals, among others, are resistant or immune to poison). However, I have to admit Cloudkill is a great crowd-control spell; it deals 5d8 Poison damage to every creature in the area, and you can move the cloud on every turn.

Best Level 6 Spells in BG3

Globe of Invulnerability

This spell creates a dome around you, making everyone inside it immune to all damage. This applies to you, your allies, and any enemy that stands near you. It only lasts for three turns but that is more than enough to revive someone, heal, or just let the dome dismiss all the arrows and spells the enemies tries to throw from outside. The best part is the Globe doesn't stop you from attacking, so you can stand in there and shoot Firebolts at the enemies outside of it.

Disintegrate

Shoot a thin green ray from your finger and deal 50-100 Force damage (10d6 +40). The +40 bonus makes Disintegrate the most devastating spell in the game since it allows you to be consistent with the damage output even when your rolls don't go your way. I combine this with my Sorcerer's Twinned Spell and can easily kill two medium targets in the first turn of combat.

Planar Ally

You can use this spell to summon a Djinni, a Cambion, or a Deva, who will act as your companion until your next long rest. These summons are the most powerful in the game, and each of them has appreciable utility and skills to bring to the table. Even better, Planar Ally doesn't require concentration, and effectively gives you a fifth companion.

Related: BG3 – Upcasting, Explained

Best Scrolls in BG3

Web

Web covers an area on the ground, making it difficult terrain and possibly enwebbing creatures. It is a 2nd level spell and its scroll is easy to come by, but most people probably stop using it on higher levels. However, Web has a great use out of combat that is unknown to most people: you can jump from any height on top of a web and not take any falling damage. This means that if you lack the Feather Fall spell and you want to jump down from a high place, you can use your scroll of web on the ground and land on it.

Create Water

This spell can remove puddles of water or create rain within a 10-foot circular area (the latter very effective in builds like Tempest Cleric). What the description of the spell doesn't say is the rain also eliminates invisibility from creatures. For just a level 1 slot, it is a very practical spell, so it's never a bad idea to keep a scroll of Create Water in your backpack.

Fog Cloud

You can use this spell in combat to cover a door or a downed character that needs healing, but I find the best use is when I want to steal an object and don't want to be seen. Invisibility fades away when you make a hostile action, so when you are about to commit a crime, your best option is to hide in a thick cloud of fog.

Speak With Animals

There are so many interesting animals in the game, and many quests are only obtainable if you can speak with them. If you don't have a character who can cast the spell, it is imperative to hoard every Speak With Animals scrolls you can find.

Dimension Door

Having a scroll of Dimension Door in my pocket saved the life of my Dark Urge. She was pushed into the lava during a fight, and her body was irretrievable; it was instant death and no one could revive her as she was, floating in a river of molten rock. Luckily I could use Dimension Door with Astarion to teleport him and the scorched body of the Dark Urge. Once we reached a safer location, I could use a Scroll of Revivify on her.

Revivify

Scroll of Revivify is one of the most handy scrolls you can have on you. It effectively allows characters to revive one another without having to use a spell slot or even know a reviving spell. I've lost count of how many times having a Scroll of Revivify in my inventory saved me, especially after remembering to spread them amongst my party.

Knock

While Astarion is excellent at picking locks, sometimes you may encounter a lock with too high a DC or don't have any more Thieves' Tools. A Scroll of Knock allows you to open a lock magically, further expanding Gale's talents. It may not be the most frequently used scroll, but you'll be thankful to have one on hand.

For more information on Baldur's Gate 3, check out How to get the Blackguard’s Plate Armor in BG3 and Baldur’s Gate 3 Best Starting Classes – BG3 Best Beginner Classes on Pro Game Guides.