Greetings adventurer! As a fellow spellcaster with countless hours perfecting my craft in Baldur‘s Gate 3, allow me to share my cantrip insights so you can master the arcane arts.
Cantrips form the core of any competent spellcaster‘s repertoire. But with over 20 options available, how do you determine the very best cantrips to learn? This expert guide will outline:
- A ranking of all 24 Baldur’s Gate 3 cantrips from best to worst
- In-depth cantrip analyses highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and hidden potential
- The exact process for learning new cantrips as you level up
- Tailored recommendations to synergize with your class, specialization, and playstyle
So grab your spellbook and quill, we’re diving in!
The Baldur‘s Gate 3 Cantrip Tier List
After scrutinizing each cantrip extensively both in theory and practice, here is the definitive BG3 cantrip tier list:
S Tier – Meta-defining
Eldritch Blast
Minor Illusion
A Tier – Core additions
Mage Hand
Prestidigitation
Guidance
Message
B Tier – Specialist choices
Sacred Flame
Shocking Grasp
Toll The Dead
Ray of Frost
C Tier – Situationally useful
Fire Bolt
Chill Touch
Acid Splash
Poison Spray
Produce Flame
D Tier – Underpowered
True Strike
Infestation
Blade Ward
Now let‘s analyze the standout top tier picks in-depth!
Eldritch Blast – The Gold Standard Offensive Cantrip
Simply put, Eldritch Blast reigns supreme as the cantrip for reliable ranged damage unmatched in average output by any other…
- 1d10 (+5) force damage per beam
- Unresisted damage type pierces nearly all immunities
- Starts at a single beam, scaling up to 4 beams by level 17
- 600 foot range means you can outsnipe most enemies
- Agonizing Blast invocation adds CHA mod to each beam‘s damage
- Pairs with Spell Sniper for 1,200ft(!) range
Here is a table comparing Eldritch Blast‘s scaling average DPR to other damaging cantrips:
| Level | Eldritch Blast | Fire Bolt | Toll the Dead |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 4.5/7 |
| 5 | 11 | 5.5 | 4.5/7 |
| 11 | 16.5 | 5.5 | 4.5/7 |
| 17 | 22 | 5.5 | 4.5/7 |
As you can see, no other damaging cantrip comes close over your adventuring career!
Now Eldritch Blast does heavily rely on the Agonizing Blast invocation, meaning it‘s mostly locked to the warlock class. However, the Spell Sniper feat can grant access too!
So in summary, Eldritch Blast should be any arcane spellcaster‘s first cantrip pick unless you really dislike playing warlocks. Moving on…
Minor Illusion – The S-Tier Utility Pick
While lacking in raw damage, Minor Illusion‘s creative applications make it indispensable…
