The world of Baldur's Gate 3 is filled with dungeons cloaked in darkness. The only way to explore these areas is by illuminating the path ahead with a Torch. Regrettably, the game lacks explicit instructions on this important aspect.

To light your way, through the following guide, which details everything you need to know about torches — from adding them to your inventory to equipping them. This holds true whether you're playing Baldur's Gate 3 with a controller, or using a keyboard and mouse.

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How to Add Torches to Your Inventory

baldur's gate 3 light source slot filled by a torch

To equip a torch, you first need to add it to your inventory. Fortunately, the steps to doing so are quite straightforward. Initially, you need to find a torch. Players can do so through the following means:

  • Acquire it when you encounter it in the world.
  • Loot it from crates, chests, or the remains of defeated enemies.
  • Purchase it from merchants for a handful of gold.

After obtaining a torch, the game will automatically allocate it to your designated light source slot, as seen in the above image.

Torches function similarly to weapons. They cannot be shared, and are assigned to individual party members. As such, if you want three of your party members to have torches, you will need to acquire three separate torches. Later in the game, you will be able to swap out your torch with a lantern, which will equip in the same light source slot.

How to Equip a Torch

Using Keyboard & Mouse

baldur's gate 3 character equipping torch with mouse

When playing Baldur's Gate 3 with a keyboard and mouse, you can equip the torch by clicking the 'Toggle Light Source' icon next to your character's portrait. The small size of the icon may contribute to the lack of clarity for some players.

There's another way to equip a torch if you don't like the above method, or have difficulty finding the icon. Bring up the inventory menu and right-click on the torch icon, then select 'Equip.'

Using A Controller

Equipping a torch with a controller is relatively simple when compared to its keyboard and mouse counterpart. Simply hold the 'UP' directional button on the D-pad, and your character will bring up the torch. Alternatively, you can also equip the torch through the Inventory menu by pressing X over the torch icon.

baldur's gate 3 equipping a torch when using a controller

Another option is to customize the Radial Menu and assign the torch to an empty slot. Here's how to do it.

  1. Open the Radial Menu by tapping LB or RB.
  2. Navigate to an empty slot in the Radial Menu.
  3. Press X/Square with the empty slot selected.
  4. Choose 'Set Slot' and browse the list of equipment and spells.
  5. Locate the torch, and press A/X to set it to the empty slot.
  6. Equip the torch directly from the Radial Menu.
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9 /10

Baldur's Gate 3
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RPG
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
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Released
August 3, 2023
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Larian Studios
Publisher(s)
Larian Studios
Engine
Divinity 4.0
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
Full cross-platform play.
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Franchise
Baldur's Gate
Genre(s)
RPG