10 Underrated Spells In Baldur’s Gate 3

In the world of Baldur’s Gate 3, players have access to a vast arsenal of magical spells, each with varying amounts of value in and out of combat. While many players gravitate toward popular, high-damage options like Fireball or Magic Missile, there are numerous lesser-known spells that can tip the tide of battle or solve complex narrative puzzles. These underrated gems offer subtle advantages, creative flexibility, and unexpected synergies. Here are ten underrated Baldur’s Gate 3 spells you should absolutely consider adding to your spellbook.

1. Create or Destroy Water

Often overlooked because of its seemingly mundane utility, Create or Destroy Water is an elemental sleeper hit. Besides extinguishing flames or creating water surfaces, it plays a strategic role when paired with lightning or cold damage. Casting this spell can create puddles that help trigger status effects like Electrified or Frozen. In elemental-heavy zones, especially in Act 2 and 3, this spell can transform the battlefield into your playground.

2. Command

Simple but devastating, Command allows you to force enemies to drop weapons, flee, or fall prone with a single word. The spell’s versatility is often underestimated; forcing a powerful melee opponent to drop their weapon or fall prone can buy your party a critical round. Against humanoid enemies who rely on positioning or weapon attacks, Command often serves as a pseudo-stun, granting allies advantage in combat. Among Baldur’s Gate 3 spells, few offer this much control for such a low cost.

3. Silence

Most players think of Silence as a niche counterspell, but it is an essential tool in many combat and stealth strategies. Dropping a zone of silence can entirely neutralize enemy spellcasters or shut down magical alarms and traps in sneaky infiltrations. In tight dungeon corridors, a silent zone also prevents enemies from rallying or calling reinforcements. With increasing arcane threats throughout the game, this spell gains more relevance the deeper you go.

4. Enlarge/Reduce

Far more than a novelty spell, Enlarge/Reduce opens up a range of combat and exploration tactics. Enlarge boosts melee damage and reach, turning rogues and rangers into surprising brutes. Reduce, on the other hand, is fantastic for slipping through tight spaces, disarming traps, or weakening enemies. It also works on objects, allowing you to manipulate the environment in clever ways. Creative players can get a lot of value from this underused tool among Baldur’s Gate 3 spells.

5. Grease

While it looks silly at first glance, Grease is a classic battlefield control spell with surprising tactical merit. When paired with fire or lightning, it becomes a damage-dealing hazard, while on its own it can force enemies prone, consuming their movement and giving your allies advantage. It’s ideal in choke points, doorways, and narrow caves. If your party has lots of elemental synergies, Grease is an easy setup spell that can trigger cascading effects. Especially in the early game it is great to manage choke points by causing enemies to slip on it, or creating a zone of fire by setting the grease on fire.

6. Minor Illusion

Don’t underestimate this cantrip just because it doesn’t do damage. Minor Illusion is a sandbox spell for clever players. You can use it to distract guards for pickpocketing or sneaking, lure enemies into traps, break line of sight, or even escape combat entirely. In dialogue-heavy or stealth-driven quests, this spell offers countless ways to gain the upper hand. While flashy offensive magic grabs attention, this subtle spell is a true utility powerhouse in the Baldur’s Gate 3 spells catalog.

7. Protection from Evil and Good

This spell doesn’t receive enough love, yet it offers tremendous defensive benefits against many of the most dangerous enemy types in the game — including fiends, fey, aberrations, undead, and celestials. It gives your ally protection from being charmed, frightened, or possessed, and attackers of those types have disadvantage. In boss fights or when facing mind-controlling foes like Mind Flayers, this spell can protect your most vital party member at critical moments.

8. Feather Fall

Falling damage in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be brutal, especially in vertical environments. While Feather Fall might seem like an out-of-combat tool, it can be used during combat to gain dramatic repositioning without risk. Send your rogue diving off a cliff to flank enemies from below. Leap down from a tower mid-fight to escape danger. Some puzzles also require high vertical mobility, making this spell invaluable. Many of the best Baldur’s Gate 3 spells are about movement, and Feather Fall is often overlooked for just that.

9. Tasha’s Hideous Laughter

Crowd control is king in tough encounters, and Tasha’s Hideous Laughter delivers on that front with style. It incapacitates a creature with laughter, rendering them prone and unable to act. Unlike Hold Person, it works on any creature with Intelligence 4 or higher, making it more broadly applicable. It’s especially useful early on when action economy matters most. Neutralizing a tough foe for even two rounds can swing an encounter in your favor.

10. Enhance Ability

This spell doesn’t just buff stats — it enables exploration, dialogue success, and clever roleplay. Use Cat’s Grace for dexterity boosts during traps and stealth, or Eagle’s Splendor before a persuasion attempt. It’s invaluable in long dungeons where multiple ability checks await. When paired with Guidance, you can stack your chances at skill checks across the board. In a game as reactive and nuanced as Baldur’s Gate 3, spells that support narrative flexibility should not be ignored.

These ten spells might not boast the flashy effects of Meteor Swarm or Cloudkill, but they offer meaningful, often decisive utility in both combat and narrative. Whether you’re trying to bypass a tricky encounter, control the battlefield, or unlock new story options, leveraging these spells can redefine your experience. The next time you prepare your spellbook or level up, take a second look at the options you might have dismissed. Sometimes the most underrated Baldur’s Gate 3 spells are the ones that help you win without ever drawing your sword.