Baldur’s Gate 3 can be a challenging game, so these are the best items you need to save for Act III. You’ll accrue them throughout the game, but put some to the side.
While most of your combat actions in Baldur’s Gate 3 will be done using your class and race abilities, you can also use items to aid you in battle. There are special items that act like one-off effects that everyone can use, including trick arrows with special effects, healing potions that restore wounds without spells, magic weapons with daily powers, and scrolls that replicate arcane powers. These items are essential for most players, especially people who want to solo-run Baldur’s Gate 3.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: All Races & Classes
5: Level 5 & 6 Spell Scrolls
Baldur’s Gate 3 has a hard level cap of 12, so players can only cast a maximum of level 6 spells. Luckily, these can be found and purchased throughout the game, but they should be saved for the final few battles. This is because spells like Cloudkill, Cone of Cold, Dominate Person, Disintegrate, Circle of Death, Otto’s Irresistible Dance, Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere, Chain Lighting, and Eyebite can all give you a massive advantage in combat.
Remember that Level 6 spell scrolls tend to be expensive to buy. If your cash is limited, then focus on the AoE ones, like Cloudkill, Chain Lightning, and Circle of Death, as the latter portion of Baldur’s Gate 3 is filled with fights against tons of enemies, and these spells are vital for evening the score. You also need to be aware that some of these spells can also affect your allies, so be very careful before using one of these precious scrolls, as they can potentially do more harm than good with a misclick.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: All Spells & How They Work in BG3
4. Elixirs Of Necrotic Resistance
These items are fairly mundane, but they make one of the most challenging fights in the game a lot easier. Ensure you have at least four Elixirs of Necrotic Resistance in your inventory in Act III. So long as you have four put aside, you can use any additional Elixirs you have as needed.
You need these items if you intend to pursue Shadowheart’s storyline in Act III. Without spoiling any specifics, you can end up battling a ton of Shar followers in an enclosed environment, and they love to spam Darkness spells and abilities that drain your health while restoring these. Most of their attacks involve Necrotic damage, so giving your party natural resistance to this type will make the hardest battle in the game a lot easier.
3. Potions Of Angelic Reprieve
In Baldur’s Gate 3, players can take a Short or Long Rest to restore spent resources. The problem is that you can only take two Short Rests per Long Rest, and taking a Long Rest requires you to spend food & drink items. What’s worse is that some areas prevent you from entering camp to take a Long Rest while also preventing you from using Fast Travel to escape from the area.
Luckily, there’s a magical equivalent of a lovely nap, and it’s contained within a bottle. The Potions of Angelic Reprieve let players gain the benefits of a Long Rest outside of battle, so long as they can rest for a few turns without disturbance. You should have at least 5-6 of these, if possible, as the end of the game features lengthy battles in areas you can’t escape from. Whenever possible, prioritize the non-Warlock spellcasters of the group, as they can only gain all their spell slots back from a Long Rest.
2. “Wall” Spell Scrolls
The Wall spells are the most useful combat spells in Baldur’s Gate 3. These include Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice, Wall of Stone, Wall of Thorns, and Blade Barrier. Once cast, the player can manipulate the shape and length of the wall, allowing them to create barriers in the path of an enemy.
Wall spells are so useful because they not only deal a ton of damage but can also slow down or prevent an enemy from moving. For this reason, you should save as many Wall spell scrolls as possible, as Act III loves throwing tons of enemies at the player at once, often allowing them to surround the party and slowing down their movement.
The Wall spells can be used to force the enemy into bottlenecks, where they’ll take damage and lose movement speed when entering their radius. The enemy AI also often forces enemy units to Dash through these barriers, preventing them from taking action on their turn.
Just be aware that Wall spells often require Concentration, which means enemies can break the effect by hitting the caster. This means that you should move any Wall casters away from the battlefield as soon as possible, using distance and defensive terrain to your advantage.
1. Potions Of Speed
The best magic item in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Potion of Speed. Once a user drinks it, they gain the Hasted condition for three turns. If a character is Hasted, they gain +2 to their Armor Class, Advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws, their movement speed is doubled, and most importantly, they can add additional Action on each of their turns.
The additional Action on each of the character’s turns is a game-changing ability, especially for magic users, as they can cast another spell on their turn. The extra Action can be used for anything from an additional heal, another attack, or possibly the spell that will end the battle.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: Release Date, Pre-Order Editions, Trailers
Just be careful, as once the effect of the Potion of Speed wears off, the character gains the Lethargic condition for one turn, preventing them from taking Actions, Bonus Actions, or Reactions. The trade-off is worth it, but you can leave yourself vulnerable if you don’t time the use of the potion just right.
