Best Cantrips In Baldur’s Gate 3

Summary

• Key cantrips like Light, True Strike, and Friends offer crucial advantages in and out of combat.
• Cantrips like Shillelagh and Sacred Flame provide powerful and strategic damage options for spellcasters.
• Unique cantrips like Bone Chill, Minor Illusion, and Eldritch Blast augment combat versatility and efficiency.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has finally been released with full access for players to enjoy on PC. BG3 has plenty of tried-and-true RPG classes for players to choose from. Many of these classes are spellcasters, which allow the player to explore all sorts of powerful spells and magical abilities.

Like the tabletop title Dungeons and Dragons, some of the most important spells are the ones that don’t use up any spell slots. These are known as cantrips and can be very useful in certain battles or situations outside of combat. Each class has its own interesting choices for these cantrips. However, these few are by far the best that players should always have equipped if they can.

Updated on December 17, 2024, by Megan Smith: The list of best cantrips in BG3 will soon be expanding when the next patch is added to Baldur’s Gate 3 in the upcoming year, as Larian Studios has announced that every class will be getting a new subclass for players to experiment with. This, therefore, means there will be more spells and cantrips for players to use, though, in the meantime, players still have the usual cantrips to make the most of. These are the BG3 best cantrips for players to use that not only include the typical cantrips that deal a lot of damage but also the ones that have the most utility outside of combat.

1 Light

Light Up An Area Or Weapon

• Bard
• Wizard
• Sorcerer
• Cleric
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
• Fighter (Eldritch Knight)

Players may be surprised to see a cantrip as simple as Light be included as one of the greatest cantrips players should have on one of their party members. However, those who have met Act 2 will realize how essential this spell is. In Act 2, players will be met by the Shadow Curse. This will damage and eventually curse those who stay in the shadows.

Therefore, players will be forced to use light sources to stay out of the shadow curse, which may mean players can’t use their usual weapons. However, by casting Light on a player, they can still use their usual weapon while having a light source until they long rest.

2 True Strike

Advantage On The Next Attack

• Bard
• Sorcerer
• Warlock
• Wizard
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
• Fighter (Eldritch Knight)
• Ranger (Mage Breaker)

As mentioned, some of the best cantrips are the ones that give the player an advantage on the battlefield instead of doing damage. True Strike is a brilliant spell for those who wish to increase their chances in a fight.

After targeting a character with this cantrip, the caster will have Advantage on their next attack roll against this opponent. Therefore, a player is more than likely to hit their foe without the risk of missing their next attack. Many of the caster classes can use this cantrip, though it’s most useful for the Warlock to make sure all their valuable spells hit.

3 Friends

Advantage On Charisma Checks

• Bard
• Sorcerer
• Warlock
• Wizard
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
• Fighter (Eldritch Knight)

Friends is a cantrip that players are likely to favor predominantly outside of combat rather than in it. Users can cast this cantrip on an individual to give them Advantage on Charisma rolls.

With this cantrip, available players will have an easier time persuading others in dialogue, as the spell can be cast just before taking a roll to make sure the player is in the most advantageous position possible. However, when the spell ends, the opponent is likely to know they were charmed and accuse the spellcaster of doing such a thing. This can lead to some dangerous repercussions.

4 Shillelagh

• Druid
• Cleric (Nature Domain)

Shillelagh is a must for any Druid who has chosen a club or a quarterstaff as their weapon of choice. While many spells are to be used at a distance, this cantrip benefits greatly from being deep in the action of battle. When using a bonus action, the player will enchant their weapon with Shillelagh for ten turns.

Once enchanted, the weapon becomes magical. This changes the damage roll of the weapon to 1d8 + 1. In addition, the attack roll will now instead use the class’s spell ability modifier instead of the melee modifier. This gives players even more of a chance at hitting their target.

5 Sacred Flame

1d8 Of Radiant Damage

Clerics may be known for how it supports other players though they do have their own fair share of cantrips that can deal a bit of damage. One such example of this is Sacred Flame. Any enemy that is within an eighteen-meter distance of the player will need to succeed in a dexterity saving roll or take one d6 of damage.

Unfortunately, Scared Flame can only be used by Cleric. Therefore, this cantrip isn’t widely available to every spellcaster the player can pick from. However, there are better cantrip options for other classes.

6 Poison Spray

1d12 Of Powerful Poison

• Druid
• Sorcerer
• Wizard
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
• Fighter (Eldritch Knight)

While some cantrips can hit an opponent without being able to see them, others will attack in a cone ahead of the selected character. Poison Spray is one of these spells. If an opponent fails a Constitution saving throw, they can expect to face a cloud of toxic gas head-on which can do as much as 1d12 damage.

The only drawback of this spell is how close the player has to be to their opponent. Due to the cantrip being available to various classes, players can determine how much they are willing to risk with their character. For example, players may choose to use this cantrip as a Druid but not a Wizard, as Wizards are notoriously fragile.

7 Mage Hand

A Helping Hand For Every Occasion

• Bard
• Sorcerer
• Warlock
• Wizard
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
• Fighter (Eldritch Knight)

Mage Hand is another spell that doesn’t deal any damage but is still great to have, especially outside of combat. Mage Hands are great for getting across a deadly trap without setting it off due to the hand floating, or having it control buttons while the player stands elsewhere.

Besides this moment, the hand can attack or throw things. Therefore, a player can prepare a battle by putting explosives next to the hand that it can then throw. If all else fails, it can be a great distraction to pull enemies into the player’s line of sight.

8 Thaumaturgy

Intimidate Opponents

• Cleric
• Tieflings (Zariel & Asmodeus)

As seen, cantrips are great to be used outside of combat. This includes when talking to various characters in the game. While some players may wish to be nice, others may wish to intimidate those they interact with and the Thaumaturgy Cantrip makes this much easier.

When in dialogue and about to make a roll, players can cast this Cantrip to give themselves advantage on the roll. This Cantrip can also be used when needing to do performance checks, making it the perfect Cantrip for any bard.

9 Vicious Mockery

Emotional Damage That Ruins An Enemy’s Hit

• Bard
• Warlock (Pact of the Tome)

Sometimes in battle, a player just wishes to hurl insults at the enemy instead of attacking. Thankfully, as a Bard or even a level three Warlock with the Pact of the Tome, a player can do just that while also damaging their foe.

Although this cantrip only does 1d4 damage, it also applies a disadvantage to the opponent’s next attack roll, which will therefore defend any team member the enemy attempts to attack. Dealing damage may be important in battle, but reducing the amount of damage taken by the player’s party is even more important.

10 Shocking Grasp

1d8 Lighting Damage That Stops Reactions

• Sorcerer
• Wizard
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
• Fighter (Eldritch Knight)

Shocking Grasp is another cantrip that players may be frightened of using since it needs the player to be right next to their opponent. However, it’s a brilliant spell for a spellcaster who has found themselves too close to the enemy. Shocking Grasp doesn’t only deal 1d8 of lightning damage, which has an advantage if the enemy is wearing metal armor, but also stops that unit from using reactions.

This means a player can make their escape away from the enemy without causing an opportunity for attack and possibly getting hit again.

11 Fire Bolt

1d10 Of Simple Fire Damage

• Wizard
• Sorcerer
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
• Fighter (Eldritch Knight)

Fire Bolt is the Wizard alternative to Eldritch Blast. It can be wielded by several classes and is a free cantrip for High Elves regardless of class. Using the player’s intelligence modifier to cast, players can hurl a ball of fire at their opponents which will deal a d10 of fire damage.

This is the go-to cantrip for many spellcasters when they don’t want to waste spell slots. If the player has direct sight of their opponent with nothing in the way, this cantrip is likely to hit its target every single time.

12 Produce Flame

A Cantrip With Plenty Of Utility

• Cleric
• Druid
• Tiefling (Asmodeus)

Players may be surprised to see Produce Flame being considered such a great cantrip, especially as its description of making a small flame doesn’t appear as if it would be very useful. However, this cantrip has plenty of uses, from helping a player light up a dark area to being incredibly lethal when thrown at enemies, depending on whether players have found items that improve their spellcasting.

Alongside this, Produce Flame also doesn’t cost anything to use. A player can produce a flame on their turn and throw it for free without requiring another action, though if the player decides to throw it on a different turn it will cost them an action to do this.

13 Resistance

Bonus To Saving Throws

Spellcasters like Druids and Clerics can also use their cantrips to protect themselves or others. Resistance is a great example of this and is perfect for any player who believes their unit will likely be attacked by various effects during battle.

When cast on a unit, that character gains a 1d4 bonus for their saving throws, which lasts for 10 turns, as long as the caster hasn’t lost concentration. This makes them less likely to fall victim to the spells of others, as well as any other effects.

14 Bone Chill

1d10 Necrotic Damage With An Added Bonus To The Undead

• Sorcerer
• Warlock
• Wizard
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
• Fighter (Eldritch Knight)
• Druid (Circle of the Spores)

Originally known as the spell Chill Touch, Bone Chill is a Necromancy cantrip. It allows the player to do a hefty number of Necrotic damage and also has the chance to prevent the target from healing during their next turn.

Players are likely to face many opponents that will use this spell against them, so it’s great to give these enemies a taste of their own medicine. What makes Bone Chill even better is how it can be used against undead foes. If an enemy classed as Undead is hit with Bone Chill, they will have a disadvantage on their attack rolls. With this cantrip, players can then get up close and personal with less worry of getting hit in return.

15 Minor Illusion

A Spell Made For A Hitman

• Bard
• Sorcerer
• Warlock
• Wizard
• Fighter (Eldritch Knight)
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
• Monk (Way of Shadow)

Another cantrip that players tend to overlook is the Minor Illusion spell. Stealth is a mechanic in Baldur’s Gate 3 that players tend to forget about, though when used in certain situations it can make Minro Illusion not only the best warlock cantrip in BG3, as it is also a brilliant option for the entire team.

Players can use Minor Illusion to pull many enemies to look in a particular direction to then allow the player to either ambush the enemies or even sneak a little close to set up some explosive barrels to blow them all up. It doesn’t always need to be destruction either, as players can simply distract enemies to then walk past them or avoid unnecessary fights.

16 Ray Of Frost

Cold Damage That Increases As The Player Levels

• Sorcerer
• Wizard
• Fighter (Eldritch Knight)
• Bard (Magical Secrets)

Returning to cantrips that can do a decent bit of damage, Ray of Frost is another excellent option for players who are unsure what cantrips they should have equipped on their spellcasters. Besides the base damage it does, Ray of Frost also levels alongside the player, meaning as they gradually get stronger, so will this damaging cantrip.

Being hit by the Ray of Frost also reduces the enemies’ movement speed. This isn’t the only advantage of this cantrip, as since this spell also does cold damage, players can also aim for puddles of water to freeze them and create a slippy surface that the enemies will struggle to walk over, making them prone and vulnerable to attacks.

17 Guidance

A 1d4 Bonus To Ability Checks

• Cleric
• Druid
• Warlock (Pact of the Tome)

Baldur’s Gate 3 has many worthwhile cantrips for the player to use. But of all of those that don’t deal any damage, Guidance is by far one of the best. With this cantrip, players are sure to always have Advantage on their rolls in dialogue.

Similar to Friends, this cantrip can be cast before having to roll when talking to an individual. This cantrip lasts for ten turns and gives the player Advantage on all ability checks. This can also be used in battle to improve a player’s chances, though it is unlikely to be seen for this purpose.

18 Eldritch Blast

1d10 Of Force Damage That Levels With The Player

Unsurprisingly, one of the best cantrips available in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the cantrip strictly available for Warlocks. In the beginning, Eldritch Blast can only do 1d10 damage to an opponent. However, as player level up their Warlock, they will unlock features for this cantrip that will make it even more powerful or do different effects.

If a player decides to have a Warlock in their party, they should always have Eldritch Blast equipped as this spell will be the most used out of all those available. The spellcaster isn’t required to spend a single spell slot to cast it.