Best Level 5 Spells In Baldur's Gate 3

With progression in Baldur’s Gate 3 ending at Level 12, spellcasters who reach this coveted level eventually get access to more powerful spells in the D&D adaptation. While 6th-Level spells can undoubtedly cause unprecedented havoc against opponents and bosses in Baldur’s Gate 3, players may want to consider using cost-friendly Level 5 spells that may pack just as much firepower.

Although 5th-Level spells remain costly in terms of spell slots, their right usage can result in effects that make the cost worthwhile for casters. When players find themselves in need of saving their 6th-Level spells in case of dangerous situations, 5th-Level spells can become an efficient substitute for more tactical plays.

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By  Rhenn Taguiam

Updated September 23, 2024, by Rhenn Taguiam: With Baldur’s Gate 3 devs Larian Studios teasing more updates coming for the hit RPG, fans of TTRPGs and Dungeons & Dragons might be eager to learn what else is in store for them in their experience. After all, the Dark Urge just got an upgrade with much grislier endings, so what else awaits in fresher Baldur’s Gate 3 updates? Players who want to elevate their Baldur’s Gate 3 experience should consider knowing exactly how to master the game’s limited arsenal of Level 5 Spells. While acquired late in the game, knowing how to take advantage of a Flying Ghoul summon, inflicting a specitic kind of debuff, and infusing a Bard with a powerful Smite Attack can change the dynamics of challenging fights.

20 Animate Dead: Flying Ghoul (Necromancy)

Summon Dead That Can Fly To Enemies

A Necromancer build is among the best a player can attempt in Baldur’s Gate 3 gameplay, especially since this allows the traditional 4-person setup to expand into a more formidable fighting force. This is thanks in part to Animate Dead, a 3rd-Level Spell that will enable players to use a Medium-sized corpse and turn it into either a Skeleton or a Zombie. At higher levels, players can also use more corpses at once. However, one of the most impressive iterations of the Spell is Animate Dead: Flying Ghoul, a 5th-Level spell.

Unlike other versions of Animate Dead, Flying Ghoul is a must-try in a player's arsenal thanks to its Flying property. This allows them to reach further distances, attacking weaker enemies at the rear with their powerful Claws and insta-killing Downed enemies with Devour.

19 Contagion (Necromancy)

Inflict A Particular Disease Debuff On Opponents

Due to a Necromancer’s control over the forces that bind life and death, it’s unsurprising that a powerful-enough spellcaster can use Contagion. This 5th-Level spell allows players to make a ranged Spell Attack on a target and, on a success, choose a disease to infect them with. Each Contagion variant Poisons the opponent, imposes debuffs on a specific Attribute, and inflicts a separate condition.

What’s worse, should the target fail three CON Saves, the selected Contagion will persist after the Long Rest, potentially making it a lifetime sickness. By then, the only way to cure the afflicted will be through Lesser Restoration. In the case of Mindfire, failing the third CON Save turns the target permanently hostile. What makes Contagion such an interesting spell isn’t just this effect, but the fact that using this outside combat won’t be counted as an aggressive action against NPCs — that is, unless the players miss the initial attack roll.

18 Banishing Smite (Abjuration)

Enemy Removal On Hit

Like their Dungeons & Dragons counterpart, the Divine Smite aspect is one of the best assets a Paladin can have in Baldur’s Gate 3. After all, players can only apply the Divine Smite’s damage bonus after knowing if the attack hits, ensuring the Paladin that they only use up their spell slot lot on a confirmation. Paladins get more types of smites throughout their progression, allowing players to diversify their attacks.

However, there is one type of Smite in Baldur’s Gate 3 that pure Paladins don't have access to: Banishing Smite. Accessible only to Bards via Magical Secrets, Banishing Smite has the same property as Divine Smite: it only applies its bonuses and effects upon confirmation of a hit. However, this time, Banishing Smite will Banish any target hit with less than 50 Hit Points. This sends the creature to another plane of existence as long as the spellcaster maintains their Concentration. During dangerous fights, being able to take out bosses even for short amounts of time can give players much-needed space to clear pesky mobs.

17 Dispel Evil And Good (Abjuration)

Become Harder To Kill By Evil, Good Beings

As agents of both higher beings and their respective causes, it makes sense for the Cleric and Paladin to possess Dispel Evil and Good (Abjuration). When used, the player will now impose Disadvantage on Attack Rolls made by all creatures of the Aberration, Celestial, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, and Undead types. Moreover, players now have the ability to Break Enchantments that have rendered allies Possessed, Frightened, and Charmed.

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At first glance, players might feel like they’re wasting a 5th-Level Spell Slot for a dispel and Disadvantage on Attacks against themselves. However, this Spell lasting for 10 turns and its implications can make this extremely beneficial for a frontline tank. During the most crucial endgame boss fights, practically becoming nigh-unhittable by mobs and sometimes bosses can be the saving grace of a tank. Not only that, being able to get allies out of dangerous status ailments can ensure they are back in the battle as soon as possible.

16 Cone Of Cold (Evocation)

A Chilling Blast Of Cold Easy To Synergize With Water

Players who want a potent yet straightforward way of dealing damage to enemies may appreciate the chill of Cone of Cold (Evocation). Similar to the destructive Fireball, Cone of Cold also unleashes elemental wrath in its immediate vicinity. This time around, the spellcaster releases a flurry of cold air in a cone up to nine meters away, with all targets having to roll a CON Save or risk taking 8d8 Cold Damage.

Despite the straightforward nature of this attack, Cone of Cold is also easy to set up with combos. For instance, targets made Wet before Cone of Cold will be Vulnerable to Cold and Lightning Damage, making them take twice as much damage from Cone of Cold.

15 Cloudkill (Conjuration)

Create A Moving Ball Of Death

Poison Damage remains one of the most annoying damage types in Baldur’s Gate 3 combat, especially with the way it can debilitate its targets with damage over time. This is what makes Cloudkill (Conjuration) especially deadly, as it creates a poisonous cloud that deals 5d8 Poison Damage per turn. Targets inside need to pull off a CON Save or risk taking the full damage, and they take half on a success.

What makes Cloudkill especially potent is its special properties. The Cloud itself Heavily Obscures its immediate environment, which is a 6-meter cloud anywhere within 18m. Players can reposition the cloud during their turn, allowing spellcasters to chase enemies until the full 10 turns of the Spell runs out. With the right defenses, it could theoretically only take a spellcaster, their defending warrior, and a couple of ranged attackers to obliterate foes with this cloud.

14 Seeming (Illusion)

Transform Multiple Allies Into More Tolerable Disguises

Certain locations in a player’s Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough can become immediately hostile to their party, especially when they do an action that can cause a chain reaction to affect their reputation. For instance, attacking Dror Ragzlin in the Shattered Sanctum will cause all Goblins inside as well as those in the Goblin Camp outside to go hostile to players.

Theoretically, Seeming should be able to help players navigate this sticky situation. When cast, Seeming can disguise up to four members of the player’s adventuring party, allowing them to take on the guise of a more palpable being that enemies can tolerate. Likewise, disguised party members can benefit from other spells such as Speak With Dead, especially when the recently deceased refuses to talk to a character who had just murdered them.

13 Planar Binding (Abjuration)

Will An Extraplanar Being Into Submission

Although much of a player’s Baldur’s Gate 3 experience takes place in Faerun, their adventures may inevitably take them to various otherworldly locations fitting of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. And with spells such as Conjure Elemental giving creatures access to otherworldly companions, it’s unsurprising for these beings to find their way to Faerun in some form or fashion.

Instead of players summoning their own extraplanar entity to fight on their behalf, they can use Planar Binding to will that being into submission. This spell can only target Elementals, Feys, and Fiends, and this only works once they fail a Wisdom Save. However, its 10-turn duration can turn the tide in a losing battle, especially if the beings in question are separate entities and not allies attached to an enemy caster.

12 Dominate Person (Enchantment)

Transform A Threat Into An Ally

Many bosses in a player’s Baldur’s Gate 3 experience are humanoid, making them more challenging to defeat as they possess similar options as player characters, such as armor, weapons, and even spells. Dominate Person can turn the tide in a losing battle, especially if the target has low enough Wisdom that they can’t pull off a WIS Save against this Concentration spell.

Being an Enchantment spell, Dominate Person’s effect isn’t entirely damaging. Instead, its target will fight on the player’s side for 10 turns. The target only tries to WIS Save against the control whenever they get hit - a complicated endeavor for bosses with high AC and stats such as Dexterity that are often needed to avoid attacks.

11 Insect Plague (Conjuration)

Use Insects To Control The Flow Of Combat

When it comes to managing enemy ranks in combat in Baldur’s Gate 3, AOE Spells have become a fundamental part of securing the team’s survival. However, should players have access to a 5th-Level Spell Slot, Insect Plague can turn the tide in a losing battle, especially when facing a lot of foes.

When cast, Insect Plague conjures a pack of locusts at a point within 18 meters. All opponents in the immediate area roll a CON Save or take 4d10 Piercing Damage. Not only that, the area transforms into a Difficult Terrain and imposes Disadvantage on Perception Checks. The Difficult Terrain alone should give players enough to run or reposition to more beneficial areas, while the 4d10 Piercing Damage can take care of mobs rather quickly.