by Claude Helper | Sep 8, 2026 | Spells
Level 1 Evocation spell available to Paladins. It adds 2d6 Thunder to a hit and shoves the target 3m, possibly Prone. A control smite that loves a nearby ledge.
Spell description: Your weapon rings with thunder as you strike, pushing your target 3m away and possibly knocking it Prone. If the spellcaster misses the initial Attack, the Spell Slot and Bonus Action are not consumed.
Spell properties
- Damage: 2d6 Thunder plus normal weapon damage
- Damage type: Thunder
- Range: Weapon range
- Save: STR save
- Attack type: Melee weapon Attack Roll
- Conditions applied: Pushed back 3m and knocked Prone on a failed save.
- Cost: Action + Bonus Action + Spell Slot
- Recharge: Per action
Spell upcasting
Casting Thunderous Smite at higher levels provides no additional benefits.
How to obtain Thunderous Smite
- Paladin at Class level 2
- College of Lore (Bard) at Class level 6 via Magical Secrets
- Bard at Class level 10 via Magical Secrets
- Source item: Cacophony
Your weapon rings with thunder as you strike, pushing your target 3m away and possibly knocking it Prone. If the spellcaster misses the initial Attack, the Spell Slot and Bonus Action are not consumed.
When to cast Thunderous Smite
The push and Prone are the value, not the 2d6. Smite an enemy on a ledge and the 3m shove sends it off the edge, and a Prone target is easy pickings for the rest of your party. It is a control smite dressed up as a damage one.
It costs no slot on a miss, so there is no downside to leading with it, and the Strength save to resist the knockback is one many enemies fail. Line up a cliff or a chasm and this Level 1 slot can end a dangerous enemy outright.
by Claude Helper | Sep 8, 2026 | Spells
Level 1 Evocation spell available to Bards, Druids, Sorcerers, and Wizards. It deals 2d8 Thunder in a 5m cube and pushes everything 8m away. Devastating with a cliff at your back.
Spell description: Release a wave of thunderous force that pushes away all creatures and objects.
Spell properties
- Damage: 2d8 Thunder
- Damage type: Thunder
- Range: Melee (1.5m)
- Area: 5m (17ft) cube
- Save: CON save
- Conditions applied: Pushed back 8m.
- Cost: Action + Spell Slot
- Recharge: Per action
Spell upcasting
Casting Thunderwave at a higher level deals an additional 1d8 Thunder damage for each spell slot level above the 1st.
How to obtain Thunderwave
- Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard at Class level 1
- Tempest Domain (Cleric) at Class level 1, as a Domain Spell
- Arcane Trickster (Rogue) and Eldritch Knight (Fighter) at Class level 3
- Storm Sorcery (Sorcerer) at Class level 6
- Granted by features: Magic Initiate: Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, or Wizard
- Source items: Ring of Absolute Force, Thunderpalm Strikers
Release a wave of thunderous force that pushes away all creatures and objects.
When to cast Thunderwave
Thunderwave is damage plus a big shove: 2d8 to everything in a 5m cube and an 8m push on a failed save. Stand with your back to a ledge, let the enemies close, and blast the whole group off the edge for a Level 1 slot.
The push is the point, so cast it where the terrain does the killing, a chasm, a cliff, a hazard, rather than into open ground. In the right spot it is one of the highest-value Level 1 spells in the game; on flat terrain it is just a small area nuke.
by Claude Helper | Sep 8, 2026 | Spells
Level 1 Evocation spell available to Bards, Clerics, and Druids. A Bonus Action heal at 18m that picks a downed ally off the floor from across the battlefield. Every healer should keep a slot for it.
Spell description: Heal a creature you can see. No effect on undead and constructs.
Spell properties
- Healing: 1d4 + Spellcasting modifier
- Range: 18m (60ft)
- Cost: Bonus Action + Spell Slot
- Recharge: Per action
Spell upcasting
Casting Healing Word at a higher level heals an additional 1d4 Hit Points for each spell slot level above the 1st.
How to obtain Healing Word
- Bard, Cleric, Druid at Class level 1
- Granted by features: Magic Initiate: Bard, Cleric, or Druid
- Source item: Amulet of Restoration
Heal a creature you can see. No effect on undead and constructs.
When to cast Healing Word
The number is small and it does not matter. Healing Word is a Bonus Action at 18m range, which means it picks a downed ally straight back up off the floor from across the battlefield while your Action still does something useful.
Downed characters in this game stand up on any healing at all, so 1d4 is plenty. Keep a slot for it on every healer, because reviving a party member for a Bonus Action, without walking into the melee that dropped them, wins fights.
by Claude Helper | Sep 8, 2026 | Spells
Level 1 Divination spell available to Bards and Druids, and a Ritual. It lets you talk to beasts, which unlocks a surprising amount of quest content, lore, and shortcuts.
Spell description: Gain the ability to comprehend and verbally communicate with beasts.
Spell properties
- Range: Self
- Duration: Until Long Rest
- Ritual spell
- Cost: Action + Spell Slot
- Recharge: Per action
Spell upcasting
Casting Speak with Animals at higher levels provides no additional benefits.
How to obtain Speak with Animals
- Bard, Druid at Class level 1
- Nature Domain (Cleric) at Class level 1, as a Domain Spell
- Ranger at Class level 2
- Oath of the Ancients (Paladin) and Wildheart (Barbarian) at Class level 3
- Knowledge Domain (Cleric) at Class level 6
- Forest Gnome at Character level 1
- Granted by features: Magic Initiate: Bard or Druid, Ritual Caster
- Source item: Potion of Animal Speaking
Gain the ability to comprehend and verbally communicate with beasts.
When to cast Speak with Animals
It is a Ritual, so out of combat it costs you nothing but a moment, and Baldur’s Gate 3 is stuffed with talking animals that hand you quests, secrets, lore, and the occasional shortcut. Keeping it prepared quietly opens a lot of content.
There is no combat use whatsoever, so it lives entirely in the exploration and dialogue half of the game. If you have a Druid or Bard, cast it and forget it, because it lasts until Long Rest and pays off constantly.
by Claude Helper | Sep 8, 2026 | Spells
Level 1 Evocation spell available to Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards. It links you to a target and auto-deals 1d12 Lightning each turn you spend an Action on it. Niche, and demanding of your turns.
Spell description: Call forth a beam of crackling energy and link yourself to the target through an arc of lightning. Each turn, you can activate the arc to automatically deal an additional 1d12 Lightning damage.
Spell properties
- Damage: 1d12 Lightning initial, then 1d12 each turn
- Damage type: Lightning
- Range: 18m (60ft)
- Duration: 10 turns
- Concentration spell
- Attack type: Ranged
- Cost: Action + Spell Slot
- Recharge: Per action
Spell upcasting
Casting Witch Bolt at a higher level increases the initial damage by 1d12 Lightning for each spell slot level above the 1st. The damage on subsequent turns is always 1d12 Lightning.
How to obtain Witch Bolt
- Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard at Class level 1
- Draconic Bloodline (Blue, Lightning ancestry) Sorcerer at Class level 1
- Arcane Trickster (Rogue) and Eldritch Knight (Fighter) at Class level 3
- Granted by features: Magic Initiate: Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard
Call forth a beam of crackling energy and link yourself to the target through an arc of lightning. Each turn, you can activate the arc to automatically deal an additional 1d12 Lightning damage.
When to cast Witch Bolt
The pitch is guaranteed repeat damage: after the initial hit, you spend an Action each turn to auto-deal another 1d12 with no attack roll. Against a single tough target that keeps you in range, the total damage over several turns is respectable.
The problem is that it eats your whole Action every turn to maintain, and it ends if you move out of range or lose Concentration, so those follow-up turns are turns you cast nothing else. It is a niche pick that shines against one big, stationary enemy and struggles everywhere else.
Range: Weapon range
Save: STR save
AoE: 5m (17ft) cube 
Duration: Until Long Rest 
