Top 5 New Spells in BG3 Patch 8

Baldur’s Gate 3’s new Patch 8 adds five new spells to the game, to go along with the 12 new subclasses.

In this article, we’ll rank the five new spells to see which one is the best. We’ll also explain how to use all of the new spells, and which classes can access each one.

#1: Staggering Smite

Staggering Smite is a new Smite spell only available to the Hexblade Warlock subclass. It deals a hefty chunk of Psychic Damage (infused into your weapon attack) and has a chance to stagger the target, preventing them from taking reactions.

This starts as a Fourth Level spell, but it effectively becomes a Fifth Level spell when you reach Warlock Level 9, thanks to the automatic upcasting feature innate to Warlock Spell Slots.

This spell gets the top spot for us because it works perfectly with the new Hexblade Warlock which should be focused on melee weapon combat to get the most out of its subclass features. It is also easy to use and reliably deals heavy single-target damage.

#2: Bursting Sinew

Bursting Sinew is a new Necromancy Cantrip in BG3 Patch 8. It allows you to target a corpse and blow it up, dealing 1d10 Piercing Damage in an AoE to all nearby creatures and objects. If you played Larian’s previous title, Divinity Original Sin 2, you may be familiar with the Corpse Explosion spell in that game, which works similarly.

The main difference is that the Corpse Explosion in that game is really overpowered because the damage scales up, whereas in BG3 you are limited by the damage dice being a 1d10, so it’s much less OP. But it is still a great way of dealing repeatable AoE damage, and it especially plays into the hands of players who like to think outside of the box.

This powerful new Cantrip is a great fit for the new Death Domain Cleric subclass.

Bursting Sinew is available to Clerics, Wizards, Arcane Tricksters and Eldritch Knights. Other classes can gain access to it via a Magic Initiate Feat.

#3: Toll the Dead

Toll the Dead is another new Necromancy Cantrip added to Baldur’s Gate 3 with the Patch 8 update. It’s unique among Cantrips since it uses the d12 damage dice, giving it higher damage potential than other Cantrips in BG3. However, this only applies when you’re using it against an enemy that is not at full HP. Against full HP enemies, you’ll only roll a d8. The Cantrip will scale up as your character levels up, increasing to a maximum of 3d12 damage at Level 10.

This Cantrip is attractive due to its high damage potential and long range of 18 metres, but it comes with a downside – it imposes a Wisdom Saving Throw on enemies, and if they pass the Saving Throw they will take no damage at all. This is a similar drawback to the Sacred Flame Cantrip which can feel frustrating to use especially at low levels due to its fairly low success chance against a lot of enemies.

Later on you can improve this situation by equipping items that increase your Spell Save Difficulty Class.

Toll the Dead is available to Clerics, Warlocks and Wizards. Other classes can gain access to it via a Magic Initiate Feat.

#4: Booming Blade

Booming Blade is a new Cantrip that works in a pretty unique way. It involves a normal weapon attack vs your enemy that deals normal weapon damage. However, if the target moves on their next turn after being hit by Booming Blade, they will take 1d8 Thunder Damage (scaling up at higher levels).

This is like a weaker version of Smite Spells since the damage is conditional and the enemy can avoid it by standing still. But if you are playing a melee-heavy character, then it makes sense to use this as your main Cantrip in many situations, since you are probably doing good weapon damage anyway, and this just adds a bit of extra potential damage.

Booming Blade can be unlocked by Sorcerers, Wizards and Warlocks. It is a great companion for the new Bladesinging Wizard and Hexblade Warlock subclasses.

#5: Shadow Blade

Shadow Blade is a new spell that allows you to summon a magical dagger that deals 2d8 Psychic Damage per hit (boosted by your Strength or Dexterity Modifier, whichever is highest). A similar version of Shadow Blade was already available in BG3, by equipping the Shadow Blade Ring. But now, it has been added to the Spell List of several classes.

While this is ranked at the bottom of our list, it is not necessarily a bad spell. 2d8 base damage isn’t actually that bad for a melee weapon, especially not for a Dagger. However, it is quite niche. If you’re building into melee combat, then you’re sooner or later going to find a powerful melee weapon that is just better than the Shadow Blade. For ranged spellcasters, it’s generally better to avoid being caught in melee to begin with, but if you can’t help it, I suppose it might be handy to fall back on Shadow Blade in a tight spot. But personally, I would instead spend a Spell Slot on Misty Step to escape the melee (which also only uses a Bonus Action) rather than trying to slug it out in a less-than-ideal situation.

Still, Shadow Blade has an aesthetic appeal that some players will love, and you can make it work if it’s something you want to build around. You could use it as a backup weapon for a Shadow Sorcerer Build.

It is available for Sorcerers, Warlocks, Wizards, Arcane Tricksters and Eldritch Knights.

The post Top 5 New Spells in BG3 Patch 8 appeared first on AlcastHQ.