A good spell in any Dungeons and Dragons game can turn a situation to your advantage. Some focus on utility, while others specialize in dealing devastating damage. With Baldur's Gate 3 fully release, it's the perfect time to go through the game and get familiar the spells on other to new players.
Spells in the early game aren't what you would call catastrophic, but for casting classes, they form your toolbox. In Act One, the spells open to you range from cantrips to second or third level (depending on how quickly you move on to Act Two). While most spells can be useful sometimes, here are some of the best ones that every party should have access to.
Updated by Abigail Angell on August 11th, 2023: With the Full Release of Baldur's Gate 3 out now, this tier list has been revised to take the final version of the game into account. Some third level spells have additionally been replaced to focus primarily on the first tier of spells players are able to learn.
10 Guidance
Skill challenges are abundant in Baldur's Gate 3. There are 18 separate skills in game that dictate your ability to persuade, sneak, perceive, and much more. The Guidance cantrip improves all of them, and is one of the best cantrips in the game.
Without even costing a spell slot, Guidance lets you add 1d4 to any skill roll you make for 10 turns after it's cast. It's most useful at lower levels where the DCs you need are lower. Though it only gives a small boost, Guidance manipulates probability in your favor and is a constant boon to have. Clerics and Druids should definitely grab it.
9 Mirror Image
Mirror Image is the perfect buff for those squishy casters who can't wear armor. This second-level spell summons three illusions, each raising your armor class by three. Every time you dodge an attack, an illusion disappears.
Since casters generally have lower health out of all classes, Mirror Image can help keep them alive. It doesn't require concentration for its sustained effect, so it's useful for keeping your actual concentration spells going. Mirror Image is available to Wizards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and some Druids.
8 Hold Person
Paralysis is a devastating status in Baldur's Gate. Paralyzed creatures are considered incapacitated, incapable of moving or acting. It also guarantees they will receive critical damage from melee attacks.
Hold Person is one of the few ways to inflict paralysis on your enemies. It's limited only to humanoid enemies, so no undead or monsters affected, but it's still well worth preparing. It can help you defeat a troublesome enemy quickly, or at least take them out of the fight for a while. It's a widely available spell for casters.
7 Magic Missile
Baldur's Gate, and Dungeons and Dragons are games of chance at their core. Nearly everything that happens is up to the dice. However, there are times when you need a certain enemy gone, and you can't risk taking a chance, no matter how small. Magic Missile is your answer.
This spell lets you fire off three projectiles that deal a small amount of damage, but they can't miss. So long as you're in range, you can rely on this spell to always work. You can divide the projectiles as you please, and you get one more for every level you upcast. It's available to Sorcerers, Wizards, Eldritch Knights, and Arcane tricksters.
6 Armor Of Agathys
A versatile spell for both attack and defense, Armor of Agathys cloaks your caster in a layer of ice. The spell grants you five temporary hit points, and any enemy that hits you with a melee weapon takes five damage. The retaliation damage lasts so long as you have temporary hit points left.
Where this spell really excels is in how it scales. For every higher spell level you use to cast the armor, both the health and the damage rise by an additional five. Armor of Agathys is only available to Warlocks, but it's a must-pick for them because they always cast spells at a high level relative to their character level.
5 Guiding Bolt
Starting out, Clerics don't have access to many damaging spells. Guiding Bolt is one that becomes a staple. As a ranged attack dealing 4d6 damage at first level, it packs a hefty punch. With radiant as a damage type, it's not often resisted - enemies such as undead may even be vulnerable to the damage.
The additional benefit of giving advantage to the next attack on the target makes it support allies as well. Use it to set up your Rogue for a Sneak Attack or offset the high defense of an enemy. It's one Cleric-only spell that is always worth having.
4 Bless
Bless is everything you could want in a support spell. Creatures affected gain an additional 1d4 bonus to attacks and saving throws, kept up as long as the caster maintains concentration. Because a success or failure on the dice can mean the difference between life and death, you should take every opportunity to move the needle in your favor.
The best part of Bless is it can affect your entire team. You'll have to upcast it to second level from first to affect all four of your party members, but this is worth the slot. If you position well and have a caster with high Constitution, this spell can remain up for an entire boss encounter. To access this powerful spell, however, you need a Cleric or Paladin in your party.
3 Faerie Fire
This Light-hearted sounding spell is a must-have for Arcane Tricksters, Clerics, and Druids. Although Faerie Fire doesn't do any damage by itself, it is a great way to soften up enemies for your heavy hitters. This is because the spell coats everything in a large AoE in light, granting your party advantage on attacks for the duration. Effectively, it is an AoE Guiding Bolt.
Despite the potential power of this spell, it is a 1-st level spell, meaning you'll be able to pick it up right at the beginning. It is worth noting that some creatures will not be effected by the spell, as they get a chance to make a Saving Throw, but a spellcaster with a high DC will make it hit more often than not.
2 Healing Word
Healing in Baldur's Gate is like putting a band-aid on a sword wound. The healing you do can't keep up with the damage output from your enemies. Spending your actions to staunch wounds gives your enemy time to do more of them, resulting is a slower but sure execution.
This is why Healing Word is essential. Its healing output isn't great, but you can cast it from range to help a downed ally rise again or give them a buffer against a fatal blow. Most importantly, it only uses your bonus action. You can give out critical healing and still act. Clerics and Bards, this is your healing tool in combat.
1 Pass Without Trace
Turn based games always adhere to the action economy. Whoever can act sooner and more often will have the advantage. While later on you can pick up spells such as Haste or Animate Dead to get more turns in combat, your best tool early is a Surprise Round.
However, to successfully surprise your enemies, you need to stealth up close enough to them to attack without being seen. Some characters, such as Rogues and Shadow Monks, can do this fairly easily while others really struggle. Pass Without Trace is the best utility spell in the game because it ensures your Stealth Missions are successful by adding +10 to all Stealth Checks your party makes. The spell is concentration, but lasts until a Long Rest, meaning you could conceivably have it up all the time. Druids, Rangers, and Trickery Clerics should pick this one up ASAP.