Summary
- Wizards, Bards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks shine in Baldur's Gate 3 with a wide array of spells at their disposal for strategic gameplay.
- Spells like Shatter, Thunderwave, and Wrath of the Storm offer high damage and utility for various situations in the game.
- Fireball, Radiance of the Dawn, and Ice Storm bring massive destructive power, but beware of potential friendly fire.
Any role-playing game that takes place in a magical setting is going to offer casters an array of spells, which is why Wizards, Bards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks are popular choices when it comes to single-class character builds as well as for multi-classing. A bit of spellcasting ability goes a long way, and Baldur's Gate 3 offers plenty of spells to choose from when it's time to get strategic, clever, or destructive.
Baldur's Gate 3: Best Level 3 Spells, Ranked
Level 3 Spells can provide Baldur's Gate 3 players with intense power, ensuring they can deal deadly damage even at lower levels.
The subject of which spells are the best for certain tasks and activities in Baldur's Gate 3 is one for vociferous debate, but when it comes to laying waste, there are a few choices that are better than others. When it's time for AoE and high damage numbers, here are some of the most destructive spells in Baldur's Gate 3. You'll want to keep a Witchbreaker with you in case opposing mages have powerful weapons like these.
7 Shatter
Evocation, Level 2
- 3d8 of thunder damage, 10ft radius, +1d8 for each spell slot above level 2.
Evocation isn't just a spell for Storm Sorcerers and Tempest Clerics. Every casting class, including even subclasses like Eldritch Knights and Arcane Tricksters, can learn this spell. It also appears occasionally in scroll form, but it's rather expensive and rare.
Items that grant the wearer the ability to cast this spell include the Sentient Amulet, which is part of The Laughing Monk quest. Shatter is useful against enemies that don't respond to more conventional forms of damage, like Constructs, so make sure you have it available to you if you're fighting Steel Watchers or Grym. It may not be a go-to source of damage, but it can be an important secondary one.
6 Thunderwave
Evocation, Level 1
- 2d8 of thunder damage, 5ft reach, +1d8 for each spell slot above level 1.
Thunderwave has some very potent destructive and demolition properties, but don't let that distract you from the convenient defensive features that casters can also use. Since this spell is available to literally every casting class at level 1, and maintains its utility further into the game, there's no excuse not to have it. If you become overwhelmed by enemies and need some space in a tight melee situation, or need to blast down a door, you'll be very glad that you do.
Baldur's Gate 3: Best Warhammers, Ranked
Warhammers are impressive weapons in Baldur's Gate 3, and these might be the most fantastic of them all.
For those classes that don't usually cast spells, but want the advantage it gives, it's also available via any of the Magic: Initiate feats. Certain pieces of gear can grant the wearer this spell, like the 
Ring Of Absolute Force or the Thunderpalm Striker gloves. It may not be a primary damage tool either, but it can certainly fulfil that role where needed.
5 Wrath of the Storm
Tempest Domain Cleric, Level 1
- 2d8 lightning or thunder damage, 7ft melee radius, triggered by a successful hit on the caster.
All an enemy has to do is hit a Tempest Cleric to find themselves in a world of hurt. A savage subclass that's equally good at defense and DPS, the Tempest Cleric is the only (Cleric) build that has access to this spell, and what makes it truly overpowered is that it's a Reaction that doesn't require a spell slot, an Action, or even a turn.
Wrath of the Storm has two variants to make it even more fun: Wrath of the Storm: Lightning and Wrath of the Storm: Thunder. The only difference is the type of damage, so you can choose depending on the situation. For example, if your targets are standing in water, zap them with Lightning. If they're constructs, one of the few types of damage that will work on them is Thunder. The unfortunate thing about this spell, of course, is that it requires the player to take damage to activate.
4 Destructive Wave
Evocation, Level 5
- 5d6, thunder damage, 5d6 radiant damage, 30 ft. Radius, can render targets Prone or Unconscious.
What's really destructive about this spell is how it can be used strategically in battle to move your enemies around. Use it to knock targets off things like cliffs, rooftops, or bridges, and to demolish pesky crumbling walls or locked doors. The additional status chance can be very useful against tricky opponents too.
Baldur's Gate 3: Best Clubs, Ranked
Fans who want to carry a trusty club into combat can't go wrong with the following options.
Clerics of the Light and Tempest Domain, which are known for their powerful DPS abilities, learn these spells as part of their regular spellbook. Other casting classes also have the option of choosing it from a list of spells, and Evocation Wizards can learn it from a scroll at a discount. In terms of availability and utility, it's a cut above those spells we've featured so far. There are even more powerful options ahead, though.
3 Fireball
Evocation, Level 3
- 8d6 fire damage, 13 ft radius, +1d6 damage for each spell slot level above level 3.
It's so satisfying to watch your targets -- and everything in their vicinity -- explode in a giant frothing bowl of flaming destruction. Fireball is one of the more accessible of the highly destructive spells in the game. It's readily available in scroll form, granted by a few special items like the 
Incandescent Staff, and it's also included in the list of spells available to every casting class.
There's an important caveat to using it though: The best thing about Fireball, its sheer destructive power, is also the worst thing about it. Allies can get caught up in this mess just as easily as an enemy, and only Wizards of the Evocation School have the Sculpt Spells ability to protect their friends when it's time to burn it all down.
2 Radiance of the Dawn
Light Domain Cleric, Level 2
- 2d10 radiant damage + character level, 30 ft radius, only harms hostile targets.
Only Light Domain Clerics can cast Radiance of the Dawn, and there are no exceptions. This is the primary way the game limits access to this awesome spell. The ability to deal 20 damage of any kind with one hit at level two is ludicrous.
Baldur's Gate 3: Best Level 2 Spells, Ranked
These are the best level 2 spells that players can obtain in Baldur's Gate 3, ranked from worst to best.
You can cast this mighty spell as many times as you have spell slots, and the higher level your Cleric is, the more damage it deals. The Light Domain is one of the more powerful subclasses in the whole game, let alone for Clerics, and this spell is a great incentive to try out the game's least-played class. The very fact of its limited availability is really its only shortcoming.
1 Ice Storm
Evocation, Level 4
- 2d8 bludgeoning damage, 4d6 cold damage, 20ft radius, +1d6 bludgeoning damage for each spell slot level above level 4.
The name of this spell doesn't do it justice. This is a thunderous dump of hail, snow, and freezing rain, which means a deadly mix of cold and bludgeoning damage in a 20-foot radius. It can put out fires along with breaking furniture and doors, in addition to the monstrous damage it will deal to your enemies.
Ice Storm is one of the spells usually associated with Druids and Tempest Clerics, but virtually every spellcasting class has access to this spell (a pure source of damage rather than a multi-purpose spell like Speak to the Dead). It also exists in scroll form, but given how destructive this great icy blast is, it tends to be expensive to buy and difficult to find.
Baldur's Gate 3
- Released
- August 3, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- RPG
