The Ultimate Guide to Unleashing Divination Spells in Baldur's Gate 3

Highlights

Spellcasters can use Divination spells in Baldur's Gate 3 to manipulate destiny and gain advantages in dice rolls, giving them an edge in gameplay.

Speaking with animals may not initially appear advantageous, but in the game, it grants players the ability to communicate with beasts, resulting in both entertaining interactions and useful outcomes. Spells such as See Invisibility and Detect Thoughts can aid players in handling foes that are invisible and obtaining additional information from non-player characters, respectively. However, these spells are more effective when employed outside of combat situations.

The Divination School is a powerful choice for spellcasters in Baldur's Gate 3 who desire to harness the unpredictable forces of fate and destiny. In the world of Dungeons & Dragons, Divination Magic grants the ability to subtly alter destiny, providing invaluable knowledge and advantages in situations that would otherwise be inaccessible.

From a mechanics standpoint, Divination spells manipulate rolls and checks, offering bonuses or penalties to enhance or hinder the likelihood of specific outcomes. Given that Baldur's Gate 3 heavily relies on dice rolls to determine the success of actions, players can strategically employ certain Divination spells to gain a competitive edge.

6 Speak With Animals (1st-Level)

Initially, Speak With Animals may not seem like a useful spell in Dungeons & Dragons, particularly in TTRPG sessions that involve a mix of combat and heavy roleplay. However, in the gameplay of Baldur’s Gate 3, where players have the freedom to engage in conversation with almost any interactive creature, Speak With Animals can provide gamers with an enjoyable experience.

When activated, Speak With Animals enables players to communicate verbally with beasts. This ability remains in effect until a Long Rest, allowing players to explore Faerun and engage in conversations with animals to their heart's content. These interactions can result in beneficial outcomes or lead to amusing conversations, providing players with a much-needed respite from the game's intense storyline.

5 See Invisibility (2nd-Level)

Dealing with invisibility in Baldur's Gate 3 gameplay can be challenging, especially when opponents vanish without a trace while still taking actions. Invisibility is negated when affected creatures perform an action or launch an attack, but a timely and precise strike can catch them off guard.

Fortunately, players have a cost-effective solution to prevent enemies from capitalizing on this condition. By using See Invisibility, casters can perceive invisible creatures and respond accordingly. By strategically attacking, players can expose invisible foes to their team, eliminating the enemy's advantage. However, this spell, which only requires a 2nd-level slot, can also be troublesome for sneaky Rogues, as enemies using it can neutralize the opportunity to gain an edge.

4 Detect Thoughts (2nd-Level)

Detect Thoughts, in its original form in the D&D TTRPG, allows the caster to initially access a target's surface thoughts. To delve deeper, a Wisdom Save is required, as the target can contest the caster's probe through an Intelligence Check. However, Baldur's Gate 3 gameplay simplifies the use of this spell, allowing players to immediately employ it in dialogue options.

When used effectively, Detect Thoughts serves as a useful tool for extracting additional information from NPCs, especially when dealing with individuals who may be withholding relevant details. Nevertheless, its recommended use outside of combat deems it less than ideal for hazardous situations.

3 True Strike (Cantrip)

In Baldur's Gate 3, the combat is turn-based, so players don't need to worry about precise timing for their attacks and dodges. Instead, skilled players should focus on setting up their attacks to cause the maximum amount of damage. This is where True Strike comes in handy for spellcasters who may lack confidence in their strikes.

Once activated, True Strike provides players with Advantage on their next Attack Roll against the targeted creature for two turns. Warlocks, Wizards, and Eldritch Knight Fighters, who typically have access to True Strike, can take advantage of this ability to maximize their damage output. Essentially, they can either save it for a powerful attack the following turn or use it immediately alongside a Bonus Action.

2 Hunter’s Mark (1st-Level)

The Rogue excels at overpowering opponents with multiple attacks, while the Ranger, as a class in Baldur's Gate 3, specializes in manipulating the environment to deal damage from various sources. Rangers can also serve as a close substitute for Rogues in melee combat by utilizing Hunter's Mark. This 1st-Level spell allows Rangers to mark an enemy as their quarry with a Bonus Action, enhancing their weapon attacks with an additional +1d6 Slashing damage. Although the damage boost may seem small, it is comparable to the damage range of a typical Cantrip, making it a cost-effective bonus.

One of the standout features of Hunter's Mark is its ability to allow Rangers to switch targets at no additional cost if their original target dies before the spell's duration, which lasts until a Long Rest. For Rogues who choose to multiclass into Ranger, Hunter's Mark becomes a useful +1d6 buff to their already powerful Sneak Attacks.

1 Guidance (Cantrip)

In Baldur's Gate 3 gameplay, aside from combat, the most significant activities are Ability Checks and Skill Checks involving environmental interactions and dialogue. The Cantrip known as Guidance plays a crucial role in providing a valuable boost to these checks. At first glance, Guidance may seem insignificant, offering only a +1d4 bonus to Ability Checks over a duration of 10 turns. However, the versatility of Guidance and the various ways it can be utilized make it an incredibly useful Cantrip in the RPG.

The 10-turn +1d4 bonus to Ability Checks primarily holds significance during combat encounters, particularly for players who prefer tactics such as Shoving enemies off cliffs or into unfavorable positions. However, in exploration and dialogue scenarios, Guidance becomes significantly more powerful. Players can cast Guidance as frequently as desired to assist with Skill Checks, and it is almost always an available option to enhance rolls during dialogue.

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