Summary
- Baldur’s Gate 3 players came together to discuss their favourite spells.
- The most popular choice is Spirit Guardians, which is a very powerful cleric spell.
- Several other options are also popular, including Misty Step and Speak With Animals.
It’s no secret that clerics are one of the best classes in both tabletop Dungeons & Dragons and Baldur’s Gate 3 because of how powerful their spells are, especially on the healing front. This fact is reflected in a recent Reddit thread by Hojo405 which quizzed the Baldur’s Gate 3 community on what their favourite spell in Baldur’s Gate 3 is.
With so many powerful spells in Baldur’s Gate 3, the competition was always going to be fierce. The most popular comment in the thread from glyendushka chooses Spirit Guardians as their favourite spell. Spirit Guardians is a level three conjuration spell primarily used by clerics who learn it at character level five. It surrounds the caster with spirits that damage nearby enemies, perfect for melee-focused cleric builds. “That spell saved my Act 2 several times,” writes the commenter.
A Dangerous Sphere
If you don’t re-spec Shadowheart from her default class, then you’ll likely have witnessed her wielding this spell and demonstrating its power. If the caster can maintain their concentration then Shadow Guardians offers consistent damage, while also halving the enemy’s movement speed. It gives your party a dangerous focal point to play around on the battlefield. The spell also doesn’t cost an action to maintain, so after its initial cast, the caster can use their actions to run around the battlefield, triggering it on as many enemies as possible.
Spirit Guardians is difficult to compete with, but Same-Share7731 chooses a beautifully simple favourite, Counterspell. This level three abjuration spell learned by sorcerers, warlocks and wizards allows the caster to use their reaction to stop the effects of an enemy spell if a check is passed. It’s simple but potentially one of the most powerful spells in the game because of its ability to nullify spellcasting opponents: “Counterspell is so damned satisfying. Especially when you shut down some smug b**tard like Raphael,” writes Same-Share7731.
Reflectingpilgrim puts forward my own favourite spell, Misty Step. This level-two conjuration spell is widely available and allows the caster to teleport to a visible unoccupied space. It’s incredibly versatile and can often change the outcome of a battle if used correctly. Pinned down by ranged enemies? Misty Step into melee range. Your mage is surrounded by bloodthirsty goblins? Misty Step to safety. It’s an incredibly useful tool to have in your arsenal.
All of these spells have clear uses for combat, but what about the best out-of-combat spell in Baldur’s Gate 3? JumboWheat01’s favourite spell is the ever-useful Speak With Animals: “Just so much extra dialogue,” they comment. The animals in Baldur’s Gate 3 are an endless source of entertainment, and I highly recommend doing a playthrough with this spell on one of your characters if you haven’t already.
Other popular choices are Fireball, Ice Storm, Eldritch Blast and Guidance.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is the long-awaited next chapter in the Dungeons & Dragons-based series of RPGs. Developed by Divinity creator Larian Studios, it puts you in the middle of a mind flayer invasion of Faerûn, over a century after the events of its predecessor.