Top 10 Status Effects in Baldur’s Gate 3 That Everyone Should Use

Baldur’s Gate 3 features a dynamic and complex combat system, full of conditions and status effects that players and enemies can suffer. Some, like the paralyzed and the blind, are lifted directly from the Dungeons and Dragons. But others are entirely new and really shine in video game format.

Some of these status effects are so powerful that players have made entire builds to activate them. And with the plethora of items and spells that can cause these effects, this is easy to do. These ten status conditions stand out as some of the most powerful that Baldur’s Gate 3 introducedand players should try to use them in their next character build.

10

Wrath allows melee builds to increase weapon damage

A perfect early game build for barbarians

Wrath is a status buff that players can gain access to early on with some powerful gear. Specifically, the cap of wrath

linebreaker boots and blood drinker outfit, which can be found in the first act. Each of these pieces of clothing allows the wearer to gain wrath on their turns, either through run, take damage, or start a round with less than half health.

Wrath increases melee weapon damage by one point per stackup to seven batteries in total. Dealing five to seven extra damage per hit at early levels is huge, especially for barbarians and fighters who want to get as much raw damage as possible with each attack. There is no penalty associated with wrath, meaning there is free extra damage as long as the equipment conditions are met. Since Wrath is tied to three pieces of early-game gear, it probably won’t be part of the late-game build-up, but it could make a big difference in the first act.

9

Mental fatigue is useful for setting up certain spells

Wear out your opponents’ minds

Mental Fatigue is a debuff that players can apply to certain enemies and that certain enemies can apply to players. It often accompanies psychic damage, and reduces the affected creature’s intelligence, wisdom, and charisma saving throws by one per stack. Just like wrath, it can stack up to seven times, decreasing by one each round. It’s great for forcing enemies to fail spell saving throws, like those against hold person

or hypnotic pattern.

Players can use the mental inhibition ring or the brain drain gloves

to inflict this condition on enemies. It can be used by certain Gith at the Y’llek Daycare Center where the ring is acquired, so players should be ready to receive it. However, it is worth noting that This effect does not cause a penalty on repeated tests, meaning enemies will not be harmed during later saves against the same effect.

8

Arcane Synergy complements a Spellblade’s abilities

A simple but powerful effect to combine magic and power

Players who combine spells and weapons will be intrigued by this effect. Arcane Synergy increases damage dealt by weapon attacks by an amount equal to your spellcasting modifier. This is usually a three to five point increase, which is substantial, especially if the effect can be triggered every turn. Fortunately, equipment that provides mysterious synergy makes this easier.

The ring and diadem of arcane synergy

both grant two turns of the effect when activated. The ring requires the user to cast a trick, while the diadem only requires the wearer to inflict a condition on another creature. There are dozens and dozens of conditions in the game that are easily applicable, some not even requiring action on the part of the player, which makes this item very easy to use reliably. The extra damage per attack is useful, easy to use, and feels very themed for magic blade builds in BG3.

7

Lightning loads can accumulate roof damage

An easy strategy for many builds

Atmospheric charges are a known quantity in BG3 fandom, probably because of how accessible they are. There is seven items that can provide electrical charges to the user, and six more that benefit from the fact that the player has electrical charges. Many of these items are available in the first act, and beginning players often notice the synergy they provide and equip them on a single character.

Mechanically, electrical charges are an attack and damage boost, granting +1 to attack and damage rolls as long as players have any. Unlike many other effects, electrical charges do not get stronger with multiple batteries. However, upon obtaining five stacks, a player’s next attack will deal an extra 1d8 lightning damage and expend all charges.

Lightning charges work well with caster builds that rely on magic missile

supernatural blast or scorching ray, as they increase each individual attack. And, of course, other items like the spark protection

benefit in other ways from electrical charges. It is worth highlighting, however, that the power of an electrical charge drops at higher levels, and players clinging to various items based on electrical charges may be hindering their own power.

6

Force Conduit provides enhanced protection

Master in heavy armor, eat your heart out

Force Conduit is a defensive buff that players can use to avoid taking damage from certain attacks. Three items can grant stacks: the skinburster

billowing mail and Swire’s sled. Each stack of power conduits a character possesses reduces physical damage taken by one, and since the effect can stack up to seven times, it can end up reducing damage monumentally.

The effect can also cause damage to enemies, as with five or more stacks, all creatures around the user take 1d4 force damage whenever the user is hit. This damage may be negligible and the effect is certainly defense focused. Still, the power conduit is an extremely powerful condition that more players need to utilize.

5

Reverb is a great effect for turning off enemies

Storm Clerics will feel more powerful than ever

Reverberation can be granted by four items in the game and interacts with many others, as it often works in conjunction with thunder damage. Reverberation works like mental fatigue, inflicting a -1 penalty on the affected creature’s saving throws, dexterity checks, and Constitution checks. It’s different, however, because with five stacks of reverberation, creatures take 1d4 thunder damage and can fall prone.

This is very useful, as knocking down enemies can take away your reaction, cancel your concentration on a spell, and reduce your movement speed in the next turn. Additionally, they have a -5 saving throw penalty against falling to the ground due to the reverberation itself, meaning it usually works. This effect pairs wonderfully with magic missiles, which can inflict five stacks in a single turn, or with something like spiritual guardians

which deals damage every turn.

4

Boost is useful for navigating the battlefield

Speed ​​is time, time is damage, damage is power

Movement is super important in Baldur’s Gate 3given how much positioning and range influence combat. The more movement any character has, the better off they are, and boost provides a direct increase in movement speed. Each boost stack provides a bonus of five feet of movement speed per turn, and since the effect stacks up to five times, it can eventually grant a bonus of +25 feet. nearly doubling most characters’ base movement speed.

The utility of Momentum is increased by how quickly a given item, the helmet of haste

can be acquired in the first act. Players can use this effect from the beginning to the end of the game, and it remains good throughout the game. The only downside to boost is that all stacks are removed when a character is stunned or knocked prone.

3

Radiant orb increases the defense of the entire party

Blind your enemies with radiant light

The radiant orb also functions as a way to increase visibility during a fight and reduce the enemy’s chances of hitting with attacks. This condition inflicts a -1 penalty on attack rolls per stack applied, up to ten stacks. Much like the force conductor, this condition is defensive; Unlike the power conduit, it works to protect everyone in the group.

Inflicting any kind of penalty on enemy attack rolls can make even the most threatening opponents smell bad, and items that inflict radiant orb do this well. THE coruscation ring

especially prepares you for success, since applies an orb to enemies that take damage while illuminatedand the orbs themselves act as light sources.

2

Wet and cold both synergize with many things

Great settings for a ton of jokes

Admittedly, wet and cold are a little different than the other conditions on this list, since they are most often considered environmental effects. But to omit them would be to ignore how many players make builds specifically to inflict these effects on enemies to increase damage output. This is because chilled enemies take double cold damage, and wet enemies take double cold and lightning damage.

Both effects can be used to set up groups of enemies for heavy damage from AOEs like cone of cold

and lightning. But they can also work together to incapacitate enemies. Chilling a wet creature will freeze it, temporarily restricting him and making him vulnerable to even more types of damage. The creative potential of these effects is truly impressive.

1

Arcane Acuity is the perfect skill for any battlemage

Success breeds success, over and over again

Finally, arcane acuity is probably the most powerful effect in the game for player characters to use. This increases spell attack and saves CD by one for each stack of it, and since it stacks up to ten times, this represents a potential +10 on saving throws against all spells. This type of buff can turn normally difficult-to-use abilities, like an oathbreaker’s undead control, into certainties. And it’s generally good for every spellcaster in the game.

Five items grant this effect, including one potion: the elixir of battlemage power

which provides three stacks of arcane acuity at the start of each turn. This potion is what makes this effect so good, as it lasts for an entire day, and is basically just +3 to all attacks and spell saves until your next long rest. It even avoids the usual weakness of arcane acuity: that taking damage reduces stacks. Every magician must make use of this condition in Baldur’s Gate 3as it is too powerful to ignore.

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