Baldur's Gate 3: Unleash the Ultimate Power - Top Ranked Level 5 Spells for Epic Adventures

Highlights

Level 5 spells in Baldur's Gate 3 can be a cost-friendly alternative to Level 6 spells, offering powerful effects that make them worth the spell slots.

Spells such as Seeming, Planar Binding, and Dominate Person provide strategic benefits in specific scenarios, enabling players to effectively maneuver through hostile territories, manipulate otherworldly creatures, and transform adversaries into allies.

Flame Strike, Curriculum of Strategy: Artistry of War, Dethrone, Hold Monster, Conjure Elemental, Telekinesis, and Mass Cure Wounds are all formidable Level 5 spells that possess distinctive advantages, encompassing devastating attacks, crowd control, and healing capabilities.

At Level 12, Baldur’s Gate 3 players have the opportunity to unlock more potent spells in the D&D adaptation. While 6th-Level spells are capable of causing significant devastation, it may be wise for spellcasters to also consider utilizing Level 5 spells. Despite requiring valuable spell slots, using these spells strategically can provide impactful effects that make the cost worthwhile. When faced with perilous scenarios, 5th-Level spells can serve as an effective alternative, allowing players to preserve their 6th-Level spells for critical moments.

10 Seeming (Illusion)

Certain locations in a player's Baldur's Gate 3 playthrough can quickly become hostile to their party if they perform an action that triggers a chain reaction affecting their reputation. For example, initiating an attack on Dror Ragzlin in the Shattered Sanctum will cause both the Goblins inside and those in the Goblin Camp outside to turn hostile towards the players.

In theory, the spell Seeming should be able to assist players in navigating this challenging situation. When cast, Seeming allows up to four members of the player's adventuring party to disguise themselves as more tolerable beings, enabling them to blend in with enemies. Additionally, disguised party members can also benefit from other spells like Speak With Dead, which proves useful when communicating with recently deceased individuals who refuse to speak to a character that just murdered them.

9 Planar Binding (Abjuration)

While most of a player's Baldur's Gate 3 experience occurs in Faerun, their adventures often lead them to otherworldly realms that align with the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. Creatures with access to spells like Conjure Elemental can bring forth otherworldly companions, which may find their way to Faerun in various forms.

Instead of summoning their own extraplanar entity to fight on their behalf, players can utilize Planar Binding to bring these beings under their control. This powerful spell can only be used on Elementals, Feys, and Fiends, and it requires the target to fail a Wisdom Save. With a duration of 10 turns, this spell can turn the tide of a losing battle, especially if the summoned beings are separate entities rather than allies of an enemy caster.

8 Dominate Person (Enchantment)

Many of the bosses encountered in Baldur's Gate 3 are humanoid, which adds to the challenge of defeating them as they possess similar capabilities to the player characters, such as armor, weapons, and spells. The spell Dominate Person can be a game-changer in a difficult battle, especially against opponents with low Wisdom that are unable to resist its effects.

Dominate Person, an Enchantment spell, does not cause direct damage but instead allows the player to control the target for 10 turns. The controlled target only has a chance to resist the control when they are attacked, which proves difficult for bosses with high Armor Class and stats like Dexterity that help them dodge attacks.

7 Flame Strike (Evocation)

No other attack in Baldur's Gate 3 combat compares to the devastating power of an AOE, and Flame Strike stands out as one of the best 5th-Level Evocation spells. When cast, a spellcaster conjures a towering pillar of fire that descends from the heavens, infused with divine wrath. Although it requires a DEX Save, its victims endure a brutal onslaught of 5d6 Fire Damage + 5d6 Radiant Damage, easily decimating a cluster of enemies and potentially weakening powerful bosses.

While not the most optimal Evocation spell for maximizing DPS, Flame Strike proves to be the most practical choice among other 5th-Level alternatives. Destructive Wave offers an enhanced version of Thunderwave but still necessitates engaging in close combat, while Cone of Cold possesses a considerably smaller range of effect.

6 Curriculum Of Strategy: Artistry Of War (Evocation)

Having a Legendary item in Baldur's Gate 3 grants players the opportunity to utilize powerful enhancements and attacks. The Red Knight's Final Stratagem, in the form of a book adorned with red and gold, allows players to invoke the Curriculum of Strategy: Artistry of War, a 5th-Level Evocation spell. This spell summons six spectral strategists who inflict 18-78 Force Damage.

Unlike other spells in the D&D game, Artistry of War cannot be acquired through conventional means. Players must obtain access to the Final Strategem located in Ramazith's Tower. The significant output of Force damage makes this spell highly valuable in terms of offensive capabilities, surpassing its counterparts at the 5th-Level range.

5 Dethrone (Necromancy)

Ramazith's Tower is an exceptional replica of a classic wizard tower from the D&D world, boasting an array of valuable trinkets. Amongst these treasures lies The Annals of Karsus, a legendary book hidden in a room close to the site of the Final Stratagem in a player's Baldur's Gate 3 adventure. After evading traps and navigating through Silverhand, Evocation, and Silver Doors, players can activate a lever that unlocks the Karsus Vault, revealing this coveted book.

However, it is important to note that this book only provides access to a scroll, granting the ability to cast the spell Dethrone once. Dethrone is a powerful 5th-Level Necromancy spell that inflicts 38-80 points of Necrotic Damage. Even at its weakest, this spell outperforms other crowd control spells of its level in terms of raw damage. Thankfully, Wizards like Gale are able to permanently learn Dethrone through their unique class abilities.

4 Hold Monster (Enchantment)

In Baldur's Gate 3, players often face formidable opponents in the form of monsters, rather than humanoids. These monsters possess unique abilities and are skilled at launching multiple attacks, making them challenging to defeat. As the battles escalate and larger monsters join the fight, players may find it advantageous to utilize the Hold Monster spell.

This spell requires the targeted monster to successfully overcome a Wisdom Save or else be Paralyzed for a maximum of 10 turns. Since Wisdom is typically a weak attribute, casting Hold Monster should not pose a significant challenge. However, what truly makes Hold Monster a lethal ability is its additional effect: any creatures within close combat range will consistently land Critical Hits. This makes Hold Monster an effective tool for swiftly dispatching boss monsters, particularly when accompanied by a skilled Rogue like Astarion.

3 Conjure Elemental (Conjuration)

In RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3, where a four-person party faces numerous opponents, having extra help can make a difference in overwhelming situations. While Familiars, summoned through spells like Find Familiar (1st-Level Conjuration), exist, their limited abilities make them less than ideal for intense combat scenarios. This is where Conjure Elemental comes in, allowing spellcasters to summon an elemental from another plane to lend a hand.

Unlike typical Familiars, Elementals are stronger and have more powerful attacks, justifying the use of a 5th-Level spell slot. When casting Conjure Elemental, players have the option to summon an Elemental or a Myrmidon based on their needs and the spell slot used.

2 Telekinesis (Transmutation)

One of the most game-changing aspects in Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin 2 playthroughs is the ability for players to manipulate the environment to their advantage. This allows them to easily overcome encounters using traps, surfaces, and by pushing opponents off cliffs. With Telekinesis, players can effortlessly throw objects and creatures with just a thought.

When activated, Telekinesis is a 10-turn spell that enables players to launch an object or creature up to 18 meters away from its original position. Creatures must succeed in a Strength Save or fall under the influence of this spell, allowing casters to throw them to a different area or even towards another creature. What makes Telekinesis extremely powerful is that casting it once using a 5th-Level spell slot allows players to cast the spell again for free every turn throughout its duration.

1 Mass Cure Wounds (Evocation)

At later levels, enemies in Baldur's Gate 3 pose a greater challenge for players. This means that spellcasters should not only focus on dealing damage, but also on ensuring the team's survival. While most healing spells come from the Abjuration School, Evocation offers a valuable source of recovery: Mass Cure Wounds.

As the name suggests, Mass Cure Wounds is a distinct spell that enhances the traditional Cure Wounds by allowing it to target multiple individuals. When cast, Mass Cure Wounds can heal up to six creatures, restoring 3d8 + 1d8 HP/level + Spell Ability Modifier. Due to its significant cost, Mass Cure Wounds is best employed in emergency situations, particularly when the designated healer has exhausted their other abilities.

Baldur's Gate 3 is currently available on PC with a MacOS and PS5 release slated for September 6, 2023.