Baldur's Gate 3: Best Acid Spells

Out of all the damage types available in Baldur's Gate 3, acid is underrepresented when it comes to spells. However, they are out there and offer as much variety to spellcasters as the more common damage types. Varying from ranged spell attacks to weapon enhancements and even area-of-effect spells, acid can be a corrosive tool to add to a spellcaster's repertoire.

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On top of delivering sickly green damage to a player's enemies, acid has another unique effect when creatures stand in pools of it. A creature covered in acid will have its armor class reduced by two, so long as it remains coated in the stuff. With so limited options, it can be tough to work out which of the acid spells within Baldur's Gate 3 are worth utilizing, but some stand out and are well worth preparing.

Updated January 22, 2024, by Nyah Payne: In 2023, Baldur's Gate 3 cemented its place as a pivotal entry in gaming history. They swept the 2023 Game Awards, including winning the prestigious Game of the Year award, but still continued to add new features to the already beloved RPG. They brought the game to Xbox Series X/S, added new epilogue content, and introduced a new hardest difficulty, Honour Mode, which challenges players to complete the game without getting a 'game over'. While acid spells are still lacking some love, these are the five that spellcasting players should be aware of!

5 Acid Splash

Damage Dealing Area Of Effect Cantrip

• Level: Cantrip
• Damage: 1d6 Acid
• School: Conjuration
• Casting Time: Action
• Range: 18m

It will come as no surprise that a cantrip is one of the weaker acid spells. However, Acid Splash can even struggle to stand up alongside stronger damage-dealing cantrips, like superstars Fire Bolt and Eldritch Blast. The main reason for choosing Acid Splash over the stronger damage dealers is that Acid Splash can affect multiple creatures, as long as they are standing close enough together. Despite that positive, Acid Splash still has some major drawbacks.

Firstly, the small area of effect means that players are too often limited on which enemies they can target without also splashing acid on their allies. Secondly, Acid Splash only deals damage to targets that fail a dexterity saving throw. On a success, the spell has no effect. Acid Splash is a conjuration spell with an eighteen-meter range, available to sorcerers, wizards, and eldritch knight fighters. But players will generally find more reliable cantrips to use for dealing damage.

4 Chromatic Orb

Choose Acid To Lower Enemy AC

• Level: 1
• Damage: 2d8 Acid
• School: Evocation
• Casting Time: Action
• Range: 18m

Chromatic Orb is a first-level spell from the evocation school that really shines for its versatility. Similar to Acid Splash, Chromatic Orb is a ranged spell attack with a distance of eighteen meters and a small two-meter radius area of effect. Before players cast it, however, they can choose the damage type, and acid is one of the options. This makes Chromatic Orb perfect for overcoming an enemy's resistance to specific damage types.

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The acid version of the spell creates an acid surface that will lower the armor class of any creature standing in it by two. While Chromatic Orb is a great spell in some circumstances, it can suffer from similar drawbacks. It can be hard to avoid getting allies in the crossfire, and it isn't the most effective spell for dealing damage. Chromatic Orb is available to sorcerers, wizards, eldritch knight fighters, and arcane trickster rogues, as well as bards with Magical Secrets.

3 Elemental Weapon

Paladin Spell Improves Martial Effectiveness

• Level: 3
• Damage: +1d4 Acid
• School: Transmutation
• Casting Time: Action
• Range: Melee

A spell specific to paladins, Elemental Weapon may not be the most dramatic spell, but it doesn't need to be. Paladins are primarily a martial class, with some spellcasting options available, often to improve their martial effectiveness. Elemental Weapon is the perfect example of this.

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The level three transmutation spell imbues a weapon with the player's choice of elemental power, acid being one of them. This gives it the same versatility as Chromatic Orb. The weapon gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls and deals an extra 1d4 damage, whichever type the player selected. It is a very useful unique spell for paladins.

2 Melf's Acid Arrow

One Of The Highest Damage Dealing Acid Spells

• Level: 2
• Damage: 4d4 Acid + 2d4 Acid (Delayed)
• School: Evocation
• Casting Time: Action
• Range: 18m

Another exclusive spell, Melf's Acid Arrow is only available to wizards. It ranks so highly because it is one of the highest damage-dealing acid spells available. It is a level two evocation spell attack with a range of eighteen meters, and it deals a lot of damage on its initial hit, with targets still taking half the damage if the attack misses.

If the attack is successfully hit, the target will take all the initial damage, and a further amount of damage at the end of their turn. On top of the large damage, the attack leaves a pool of acid on the ground, which also decreases the armor class of those standing in it by two.

1 Hunger Of Hadar

Powerful Spell For Crowd Control

• Level: 3
• Damage: 2d6 Cold + 2d6 Acid (Conditional)
• School: Conjuration
• Casting Time: Action
• Range: 18m

The highest-ranking acid spell also shares the glory with cold damage. Hunger of Hadar is a level three conjuration spell, primarily for warlocks, although bards can get their hands on it through their Magical Secrets. It is a powerful spell and, even better, it really looks like it too! Befitting warlocks, Hunger Of Hadar conjures a huge dark cloud filled with eldritch horrors. It can cover a large area and acts as difficult terrain, meaning enemies will have a hard time traversing the cloud.

Creatures will take a large amount of cold damage when they start their turn in the cloud, and can potentially take a large amount of acid damage if they end their turn in the cloud and fail a dexterity saving throw. If the damage and difficult terrain weren't enough, creatures within are blinded. Hunger Of Hadar is an incredible spell for dealing with large groups of enemies and controlling the space, and any spellcaster willing to deal with a few eldritch abominations should add it to their spell list.