Best Summons In Baldur’s Gate 3

Summary

• Conjuration magic in Baldur’s Gate 3 offers a wide variety of helpful summons for combat and exploration.
• Experimenting with summons, like Mage Hand and Flaming Sphere, can enhance gameplay and solve puzzles.
• Players can find powerful summons like Lump the Enlightened ogres or the Infernal Rapier Cambion to dominate encounters.

Baldur’s Gate 3

players are likely to encounter magic at some point, either when they use it themselves or have it thrown at them. Conjuration is a subclass of magic that centers around conjuring things into existence, and this includes a wide variety of summoning abilities that can assist players in combat and general exploration.

Summons can be a helpful addition to any encounter and are worth experimenting with. With so many options these are some of the best summons in the game for those who want to dominate the initiative and control the battlefield.

Updated March 12, 2025, by Kristy Ambrose: Summons come in many varieties, ranging from inanimate objects to celestial beings, and most require a spell or unique item to call these special allies. Dungeons & Dragons

players will recognize many of these creatures as the same or inspired by those in the popular tabletop game. Knowing which Summon to use at the right time is crucial information to have for players, since they are vastly different, especially on higher difficulties like Tactician and Honor mode. Powers can range from simple assists, in the case of Scratch, or powerful spells like the angelic Deva.

20

Mage Hand

A Racial Ability Or A Learned Spell

• Spell Level: 0
• Spell Type: Conjuration
• Damage: 1 bludgeoning

While the spectral hand summoned from this simple Conjuration cantrip is perhaps the most basic summon in the game, it shouldn’t detract from the fact that Mage Hand can be a really useful spell. Perhaps the most obvious reason for this is that Mage Hand is the only cantrip with a limitation on how frequently it can be used, in most cases once per short rest.

Mage Hand isn’t often used as a combat spell, but it’s stronger than the average utility cantrip. It can be used in battle to deal minor damage or shove or throw things, but it is only worth activating if there are no better actions available. Its real effectiveness comes from circumventing certain puzzles, such as the bibberbang mushroom field in the Underdark.

19

Spiritual Weapon

An Early Game Force Multiplier

• Spell Level: 2
• Spell Type: Evocation
• Damage: 1d8+4 Force

For players with a Cleric like Shadowheart in their party, Spiritual Weapon will likely be their first experience with a summoned construct. The advantages of getting one of these out on the field as soon as combat starts will quickly become self-evident.

When a Cleric casts a Spiritual Weapon, they choose between summoning a Greataxe, Greatsword, Halberd, Maul, Spear, or Trident. The summoned weapon moves independently and has its own turn, initiative, health pool, and resistance, and the Cleric can direct it to Move, Attack, and Fly. Spiritual Weapons increase in power as the caster levels up. They shine brightest during the early levels of Act 1.

18

Flaming Sphere

Second Level Spell Of Druids, Wizards, And Light Domain Clerics

• Spell Level: 2
• Spell Type: Conjuration
• Damage: 2d6 fire

Flaming Sphere

pretty much does what it says on the tin. Spellcasters can use this spell to summon a big flaming ball that casts light, damages nearby characters and objects, and can attack. As it is only conjured from a second-level spell, the damage output of the Flaming Sphere isn’t all that high, but it can still make for a nifty little summon.

This is especially true as, like with most summons, the spellcaster can move the sphere around. Players might not expect what is essentially a great big flaming rock to be able to reposition itself, but it most certainly can and can be utilized quite tactically as a result.

17

Sethan: Spiritual Greataxe

Purchase This Weapon From Ferg Drogher In Rivington

• Spell Level: 6
• Spell Type: Evocation
• Damage: 3d8+1 bludgeoning & spellcasting modifier in force damage

Ferg Drogher, the Sharran lookout who hangs around in Rivington, can sell the protagonist this Very Rare axe if they can convince him to disclose his special wares. It grants the wielder the use of a level 6 Evocation spell, Sethen: Spiritual Greataxe, once per long rest.

This is in addition to Sethan being a powerful, hard-hitting weapon already, Sethan grants players the ability to summon the Sethan: Spiritual Greataxe to aid in combat. This is an overpowered version of the level 2 Cleric spell, Spiritual Weapon. On top of this powerful summon, Sethan also allows players to cast Enlarge/Reduce

once per long rest.

16

Lump The Enlightened

Pass A Few Dice Rolls And Pay Him Off

• Level: 4
• Type: Giant
• HP: 67
• AC: 13
• Size: Large
• Initiative: +1

Lump, the unnaturally intelligent ogre, and his two companions are some of the most unique summons in the game. Players meet the trio in The Blighted Village and can persuade the ogres to fight for them. If successful, Lump will give the player a war horn, allowing them to be summoned.

While they can be powerful allies, they can only be summoned in outside areas in Act One. However, the group does have some powerful loot, notably Lump’s Headband Of Intellect

, so it is worth calling them into a tough battle, letting them do all the work, and then finishing them off for the loot and experience.

15

Iron Flask

Inside The locked Caravan Strongbox

• Level: 5
• Type: Aberration
• HP: 118
• AC: 14
• Size: Medium
• Initiative: +2

The Iron Flask can be found in the Zhentarim lockbox discovered in the gnoll cave. Throwing the Iron Flask releases the creature trapped inside, which just so happens to be a Spectator. While this summon can be incredibly powerful in a fight, there are a few major drawbacks, starting with the various debilitating spells this creature casts, including Wounding Ray and Ocular Nightmare.

The first drawback is that it is a one-time use. Who’s going to volunteer to get the spectator back into the flask? The second issue is that the spectator is hostile to all nearby creatures, including the player and their party members.

14

Flesh

A Summon Courtesy Of Balthazar

• Level: 7
• Type: Construct
• HP: 182
• AC: 11
• Size: Medium
• Initiative: -1

Flesh is a powerful summon, but his utility is drastically reduced as he can only be summoned in the Gauntlet of Shar in Act Two. Players meet the necromancer, Balthazar, who wants their help retrieving an artifact, and he offers his “brother” as some extra muscle.

Balthazar can be persuaded to give players a bell that summons his flesh golem brother, creatively named Flesh if the player can pass a few dice rolls. Slam is his main melee attack, and it does 4d8 + 5 bludgeoning damage, but there are also his special attacks, Corpulent Rage and Multiattack, which trigger Berserk attacks that include Thunder damage.

13

Shadow Lantern Wraith

Granted By The Shadow Lantern From Moonrise Towers

• Level: 5
• Type: Undead
• HP: 24
• AC: 13
• Size: Medium
• Initiative: +3

Speaking of Balthazar, if Gale is in the party when players explore the necromancer’s workshop in Moonrise Towers, the wizard companion can turn a moon lantern into a shadow lantern. A very evil process, it allows players to summon another spooky buddy.

While the Shadow is a powerful companion, they can only remain summoned if the lantern is equipped, making it a little awkward to summon at times. Despite this, the Shadow Wraith is well worth trying for players willing to do some dark magic.

12

Ice Mephits

Summoned Using Conjure Minor Elemental: Ice Mephits

• Level: 7
• Type: Elemental
• HP: 21
• AC: 11
• Size: Small
• Initiative: +1

Conjure Minor Elemental: Ice Mephits

is a Level 4 Conjuration spell available to druids and wizards. Players can choose to summon an azer, two mud mephits, or two ice mephits. While they are all pretty useful, the ice mephits tip the scale, being the most useful in combat.

Their numbers and ice attacks can leave foes slipping over and landing Prone. They can fly and have various ways of doing Frost damage, such as Freezing Claws, Ice Breath, and Death Burst. Regardless of which summon players prefer, Conjure Minor Elemental is a great Conjuration spell to have in the tool belt.

11

Planar Ally: Cambion

Granted By The Infernal Rapier, Wyll’s Unique Weapon

• Level: 10
• Type: Fiend
• HP: 82
• AC: 10
• Size: Medium
• Initiative: +4

The spell Planar Ally

allows a high-level Cleric to summon a creature from beyond the material plane. This includes creatures like the Djinni and the Deva, which are both impressive allies in their own right, but the Cambion outburns them all, and this summons is a variation of that only granted by a certain item.

The fiendish cambion gets its mention due to a unique item obtainable by the warlock companion character, Wyll. Should Wyll successfully free his patron’s “devil asset” from the Mindflayer colony at the end of Act Two, he will be rewarded with the Infernal Rapier

that allows its user to cast Planar Ally: Cambion once per long rest.

10

Artistry of War

Cast From A Scroll In The Sourcerous Vault

• Spell Level: 5
• Spell Type: Evocation
• Damage: 12d6+6 Force

One of the strongest summoning powers in all of Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Artistry of War, a spell that can be obtained in scroll form and locked behind a DC 15 Perception check in the Sorcerous Vault in Act 3. For most, the Scroll of Artistry of War is a one-time-use item, but for Wizards, it’s a new spell they can add to their arsenal.

When cast, the Artistry of War allows the caster to throw six master strategists, considered to be Constructs, toward a target. Each of these summons can be directed at a separate target (or the same one) and directed just like Magic Missile, dealing 8-18 Force Damage per hit.

Combined, this means that the caster has the ability to dish out 48-108 damage from a single level 5 spell slot. Additionally, since this attack works exactly like Magic Missile, it cannot miss, ensuring that whoever the Wizards aim these constructs at is going to have a bad time.

9

Us

Rescue It From The Nautiloid And The Mindflayer Colony

• Level: 1
• Type: Aberration
• HP: 55
• AC: 12
• Size: Small
• Initiative: +2

Familiars are helpful creatures to have in Baldur’s Gate 3. The level one spell ” Find Familiar

” is a must-have, simply to add an extra body to the initiative. Some familiars can even have a role in the narrative, like the plucky little Us from the Prologue.

If players befriend the Intellect Devourer, they’ll accompany the party as they escape the Nauiloid but then disappear until the end of Act 2. They appear again in the Mindflayer Colony and save Us again, and this time they are given the power to summon this handy companion permanently.

8

Bear, Ursa Igens

A Variation Of The Ranger Spell, Summon Companion

• Level: Variable
• Type: Beast
• HP: Variable
• AC: Variable
• Size: Large
• Initiative: +0

Continuing the animal summons theme, Ranger characters get their own unique summon, an animal companion. Each time they summon this companion, they can choose what form it takes, and this is the most advanced form of the Bear for the Beastmaster subclass. Ursine Reinforcements allows the Ursa Igens to summon yet another bear, making this a summon within a summon.

To make that animal bond even stronger, the companion levels up alongside its Ranger. As with most entries, they all have their uses, but the bear is one of the most powerful. While Rangers should consider experimenting with and mixing up their companion, as the different animals all level equally, the bear form may become a firm favorite.

7

Dryad

One Of The “Woodland Beings” Summoned By Druids

• Level: 6
• Type: Fey
• HP: 22
• AC: 13
• Size: Medium
• Initiative: +2

The Level 4 Conjuration spell ” Conjure Woodland Being

” allows a Druidic caster to summon a Dryad. This is a powerful companion for level 4. Her attack does a surprising amount of damage, given her dainty little attacking sound, especially after using the bonus action, “Strengthened Shillelagh

.”

On top of her use of powerful spells like “Spike Growth” and ” Entangle

,” she has the ability to add another summon to the battle, a wood woad. With many other powerful, passive features, she isn’t a summon to be underestimated.

6

Deva

A High-Level Cleric Summons

• Level: 10
• Type: Celestial
• HP: 136
• AC: 21
• Size: Medium
• Initiative: +4

The level 6 Conjuration spell Planar Ally

can summon three possible entities, and one of them is called Deva, a winged humanoid creature with access to the Paladin skill, Wrathful Smite. Deva is a DPS-focused summon that exclusively deals single-target damage using Wrathful Smite and Concussive Smash. It also gets access to Revivify, allowing it to help revive allies who have succumbed to death.

It’s possible to summon a Deva using the Scroll of Bestial Communion Scroll found in a hidden area of the Sorcerous Sunderies in Act 3. A Wizard can learn the spell permanently from the scroll. There is no difference in stats between the Deva summoned by Sights of the Seelie: Summon Deva and the one summoned by Planar Ally.

5

Djinni

One Of The Options When Casting Planar Ally

• Level: 10
• Type: Elemental
• HP: 161
• AC: 19
• Size: Medium
• Initiative: +2

Djinni is one of the three possible summons that can be conjured using the level 6 spell, Planar Ally

. An extremely powerful companion, the Djinni is best at controlling enemy units. It has four special abilities and spells and gets the ability to cast Thunderwave without expending a spell slot, allowing it to knock groups of enemies Prone.

Drunken Inhale is an AoE control ability that inflicts the Intoxicated status effect on enemies who fail a Constitution save. Sweetplum Gales is a nightmare for spellcasters to deal with, forcing anyone who fails a Strength save to be rooted in place and unable to move. Finally, Shifting Winds works exactly like Misty Step

, allowing the Djinni to teleport on command.

4

Fire Myrmidon

Cast Conjure Elemental, Choose “Fire”

• Level: 11
• Type: Elemental
• HP: 123
• AC: 18
• Initiative: +8

As well as being a potential wild shape for some Druids, these elementals can be summoned using a sixth-level version of the Conjure Elemental

spell, a big sibling to the Conjure Minor Elemental

spell, and a huge leap in power. Players can choose the type of elemental from the elements of air, water, earth, and fire.

Each has its utility, but players may often find themselves coming back to the fire myrmidons. Like the other myrmidons, they can teleport as a bonus action each turn, but they can also hasten themselves, and their attacks eat away at an opponent’s health. It is also worth noting that slightly less powerful elementals can be summoned using the same spell at fifth level instead.

3

Guardian Of Faith

The Companions Summoned By The Guardian Of Faith Spell

• Level: 7
• Type: Construct
• HP: 60
• AC: 20
• Size: Medium
• Initiative: +0

A Guardian of Faith

is a powerful creature, summoned by Clerics using a Level 4 Conjuration spell of the same name. They protect the area in which they are summoned, attacking any creatures who enter the area or make an attack within the area. As stalwart guardians, they have a large pool of health but take a lot of damage each time they attack.

While this means they are usually killed almost as quickly as they are summoned, they do tremendous melee damage, making short work of enemies in the time that they act as guardians. For a sneaky bonus tip, they are formidable when paired with a Globe of Invulnerability

2

Danse Macabre Ghouls

Finish The Quest “Unlock The Ancient Tome”

• Level: 3
• Type: Undead
• HP: 22
• AC: 12
• Size: Medium
• Initiative: +2

Danse Macabre is a very special fifth-level Necromancy spell, which is unlocked by completing the “Unlock the Ancient Tome” quest and learning the secrets of the Necromancy of Thay. It had its glory days as a completely overpowered spell when it used to summon six ghouls with much more health, each controlled by the player.

Now, the Danse Macabre spell summons four less beefy ghouls. Despite this much-needed nerf, they are still extremely powerful thanks to their overwhelming numbers and ability to paralyze their targets.

1

Scratch

Invite Him To Camp

• Level: 2
• Type: Beast
• HP: 11
• AC: 11
• Size: Medium
• Initiative: +1

When the player finds Scratch in the wilderness, he’ll initially be hostile, but a few kind words and a lucky dice roll will make him more friendly. Take the option to invite the lovable dog to the campsite, and he’ll become a permanent fixture. Speak to him a few more times, and he’ll eventually hand over Scratch’s Ball

.

Keep this ball in the player’s inventory, and they’ll have the power to play a game of fetch with the dog, or cast the spell Find Familiar

. This is a variation of the Ranger spell that only applies to Scratch. He can appear in battle and use his melee power of Bite or the more useful Help, which can assist Downed characters or those who have conditions like Ensared, Off-Balance, and Sleeping.