Spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 offer potent buffs vital for survival in the new Honour Mode. This latest difficulty adds numerous challenges for players, including one save file and permadeath if all characters die. Luckily, there are multiple ways to make Honour Mode slightly easier with supportive spells. These can help mitigate the increased damage bosses deal with their new legendary actions.
Most classes in Baldur’s Gate 3 gain access to additional spells as they level. Players can experiment and try different combinations as the story progresses. However, these powerful effects are limited by spell slots. For example, a level three Cleric can only cast two second-level spells and four first-level spells. All spell slots are recovered after a Long Rest, while a few classes recover some on a Short Rest. Certain spells, such as Mage Armour, last an entire in-game day, leading players to designate a specific character to primarily buff allies.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has a wide variety of spells, each with unique effects. Many of these have alternate uses in and out of combat encounters.
Players must take every opportunity to gain an advantage in Honour Mode. This difficulty is brutal and can kill party members easily. The best way to fight back is by having spell slots available when in combat. Withers in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the answer to succeeding in these encounters. This undead NPC has three main uses for players.
Withers can revive allies, respec characters, and recruit hirelings. This last function allows for additional allies to be added to the camp at the cost of 100 gold. You do not need to bring hirelings into combat, yet they can still be instrumental. Hirelings can cast spells on the party, thus using their own spell slots and saving yours for later. This is also great for making a hireling a different class than what is currently in your party.
To survive Honour Mode, players will want to cast spells that last until a Long Rest on their party members. However, certain effects will override current buffs, such as gaining additional temporary hit points. Many spells last for this duration, but some are extremely potent in Baldur’s Gate 3‘s Honour Mode. One of the best ways to ensure that characters can continue a fight is by casting Death Ward. This spell prevents the targets from being reduced to zero hit points once, instead leaving them at one health.
Death Ward gives players a safety net in case they are ambushed or something unexpected happens. Another great spell to cast is Warding Bond. Characters gain a +1 bonus to their armor class, saving throws, and resistance to all damage. However, the caster takes the same amount of damage from each hit. Every spell that lasts until a Long Rest that can be cast on allies is listed below:
There are also race-specific spells and unique buffs in Baldur’s Gate 3 that last until a Long Rest.
Spell | Effect |
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Armour of Agathys |
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Expeditious Retreat | Dash can be used as a bonus action. |
False Life |
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Longstrider |
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Mage Armour | Increase the target’s armor class to 13 + its Dexterity modifier. |
Protection from Evil and Good |
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Spell | Effect |
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Shield of Faith | The target receives a +2 bonus to the armor class. |
Barkskin | Armour class increased to 16. |
Darkvision | Can see in the dark out to the range of 12m. |
Protection from Poison |
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See Invisibility |
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Warding Bond |
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Daylight | Enchant an item to shine like the sun or summon a sphere of sunlight that dispels all darkness around it. |
Protection from Energy | Touch a creature to grant it resistance to Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder damage. |
Spell | Effect |
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Aid |
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Death Ward | If a target takes damage that would reduce its hit points to 0, it remains conscious with 1 hit point left. |
Freedom of Movement |
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Stoneskin | Take only half the damage of all non-magical Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage. |
Heroes’ Feast |
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Elemental Weapon: Acid, Fire, Cold, Thunder, or Lightning | Target weapon receives a +1 bonus to Attack rolls and deals an additional 1d4 of a specific type of damage. |
Blessing of the Trickster | Advantage on Stealth checks |
Enhance Ability: Bear’s Endurance |
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Spell | Effect |
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Enhance Ability: Bull’s Strength |
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Enhance Ability: Cat’s Grace |
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Enhance Ability: Eagle’s Splendour | You gain an Advantage on Charisma checks. |
Enhance Ability: Fox’s Cunning | You gain an Advantage on Intelligence checks. |
Enhance Ability: Owl’s Wisdom | You gain an Advantage on Wisdom checks. |
Magic Weapon | The weapon becomes magical and receives a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. |
Pass Without Trace | Give yourself and all nearby companions a +10 bonus to Stealth checks in Baldur’s Gate 3. |
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