Lightning. Considered a force of the gods in many cultures around the world, it’s undoubtedly a powerful, potentially devastating even, natural phenomenon. And for Baldur’s Gate 3 players, a well-placed lightning bolt or spell offers an exceptional way to take on waves of enemies. But what are the best lightning spells in Baldur’s Gate 3, and how can you make use of these lightning charges with a suitable character build to best optimize your game? Well, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about the best lightning spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 in today’s guide to help.
What are the Best Lightning Spells in Baldur’s Gate 3?
There are many different lightning spells in Baldur’s Gate 3, and perhaps unsurprisingly, these can vary widely in terms of their efficacy. However, if you have been trying to decide which lightning spells to base your character build on in Baldur’s Gate 3, the following five spells are undoubtedly worth considering.
#1 Lightning Bolt
Another incredibly powerful lightning spell in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Lightning Bolt charge, a devastating Evocation that deals up to 8d6 of damage to the victim. Perhaps the features that set this spell apart from the rest, though, are its 30m range - definitely plenty of room to do a lot of damage - and the fact that it can target every enemy within the range of this beam. As such, if your own dexterity is high enough, the Lightning Bolt spell can potentially devastate an oncoming charge. Just be careful not to catch your allies in the line of the spell!
#2 Chain Lightning
Without a doubt, the Chain Lightning spell is one of the most powerful lightning spells in Baldur’s Gate 3, if not the game as a whole. Indeed, this hard-hitting spell goes above and beyond most lightning spells in that it deals a whopping 10d8 of lightning damage, equating to up to 80 points of damage. That’s exceptionally powerful - although, of course, the spell is unsurprisingly locked behind a Level 6 spell slot, so you won’t be able to use this spell until you’ve mastered other spells first.
#3 Glyph of Warding
The Glyph of Warding spell isn’t exclusively a lightning spell, given that it can deal a range of different damage types. Nevertheless, the spell is still a useful tool, and offers a further benefit of not needing concentration despite being a lasting spell. This helps make it a handy spell that allows the player to trap potential foes, giving you a significant leg-up against many enemies.
#4 Chromatic Orb
It might not be the single most powerful spell on this list, dealing just 2d8 of lightning damage, but the Chromatic Orb spell can still prove incredibly useful. Not least of all, the spell unlocks at level 1, and being a lightning spell, foes generally have less resistance to this spell type. This helps make Chromatic Orb a handy early-game spell to use.
#5 Lightning Arrow
The Lightning Arrow spell is an incredibly useful Transmutation spell for Ranger class characters, allowing you to upgrade your ranged weapons with lightning damage. Not only does this deal 4d8 of lightning damage, but it can also cause up to an additional 2d8 of further damage, and better still doesn’t require any concentration. In addition, the spell deals a small deal of damage to any nearby creatures close to the intended target, making it a useful spell to take on a number of foes at once. However, it’s main limitation is obvious: it’s locked to the Ranger class only, so it’s not a spell that regular Baldur’s Gate 3 lightning charges builds can use.
Creating an Effective Baldur’s Gate 3 Lightning Charges Build
Thus far, we’ve considered some of the most powerful lightning spells in Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s still worth considering how these might tie in with your own character build, though - which is why it’s worth keeping the following tips in mind at the outset of your game. Indeed, there’s a lot you’ll need to consider when setting up a new game. For example, many games benefit from having private server hosting at the outset. Meanwhile, for Baldur’s Gate 3 players, choosing an appropriate lightning build is a must.
One of the first choices you’ll need to make is which class you opt for. Generally speaking, sorcerer, warlock, and cleric builds can all lend themselves well to a lightning charges build in Baldur’s Gate 3. However, any spell class can potentially work if you have a particular preference.
In terms of skills, dexterity is a must. Making sure your dexterity is of a high level helps reduce the risk of enemies passing a dexterity check, helping your spells land with full damage against foes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Thoughts
Character creation in Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t always simple, and as part of this, it’s important to consider carefully the type of skills you’ll want to use in the game. However, it’s worth noting here that certain spell types will often be more or less effective for a particular play style - and Baldur’s Gate lightning charges are just one such example.
However, it’s important to keep in mind here that not all lightning spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 are created equal, and some are undoubtedly more powerful than others. As such, it’s crucial to consider the different Baldur’s Gate 3 lightning spells to decide which will best suit your own character build.
What are the Best Lightning Spells in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Make Your Own game Server
There are many different lightning spells in Baldur’s Gate 3, and perhaps unsurprisingly, these can vary widely in terms of their efficacy. However, if you have been trying to decide which lightning spells to base your character build on in Baldur’s Gate 3, the following five spells are undoubtedly worth considering.
#1 Lightning Bolt
Another incredibly powerful lightning spell in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Lightning Bolt charge, a devastating Evocation that deals up to 8d6 of damage to the victim. Perhaps the features that set this spell apart from the rest, though, are its 30m range - definitely plenty of room to do a lot of damage - and the fact that it can target every enemy within the range of this beam. As such, if your own dexterity is high enough, the Lightning Bolt spell can potentially devastate an oncoming charge. Just be careful not to catch your allies in the line of the spell!#2 Chain Lightning
Without a doubt, the Chain Lightning spell is one of the most powerful lightning spells in Baldur’s Gate 3, if not the game as a whole. Indeed, this hard-hitting spell goes above and beyond most lightning spells in that it deals a whopping 10d8 of lightning damage, equating to up to 80 points of damage. That’s exceptionally powerful - although, of course, the spell is unsurprisingly locked behind a Level 6 spell slot, so you won’t be able to use this spell until you’ve mastered other spells first.
#3 Glyph of Warding
The Glyph of Warding spell isn’t exclusively a lightning spell, given that it can deal a range of different damage types. Nevertheless, the spell is still a useful tool, and offers a further benefit of not needing concentration despite being a lasting spell. This helps make it a handy spell that allows the player to trap potential foes, giving you a significant leg-up against many enemies.#4 Chromatic Orb
It might not be the single most powerful spell on this list, dealing just 2d8 of lightning damage, but the Chromatic Orb spell can still prove incredibly useful. Not least of all, the spell unlocks at level 1, and being a lightning spell, foes generally have less resistance to this spell type. This helps make Chromatic Orb a handy early-game spell to use.#5 Lightning Arrow
The Lightning Arrow spell is an incredibly useful Transmutation spell for Ranger class characters, allowing you to upgrade your ranged weapons with lightning damage. Not only does this deal 4d8 of lightning damage, but it can also cause up to an additional 2d8 of further damage, and better still doesn’t require any concentration. In addition, the spell deals a small deal of damage to any nearby creatures close to the intended target, making it a useful spell to take on a number of foes at once. However, it’s main limitation is obvious: it’s locked to the Ranger class only, so it’s not a spell that regular Baldur’s Gate 3 lightning charges builds can use.
Creating an Effective Baldur’s Gate 3 Lightning Charges Build
Thus far, we’ve considered some of the most powerful lightning spells in Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s still worth considering how these might tie in with your own character build, though - which is why it’s worth keeping the following tips in mind at the outset of your game. Indeed, there’s a lot you’ll need to consider when setting up a new game. For example, many games benefit from having private server hosting at the outset. Meanwhile, for Baldur’s Gate 3 players, choosing an appropriate lightning build is a must.One of the first choices you’ll need to make is which class you opt for. Generally speaking, sorcerer, warlock, and cleric builds can all lend themselves well to a lightning charges build in Baldur’s Gate 3. However, any spell class can potentially work if you have a particular preference.
In terms of skills, dexterity is a must. Making sure your dexterity is of a high level helps reduce the risk of enemies passing a dexterity check, helping your spells land with full damage against foes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the strongest Baldur’s Gate 3 lightning spell?
Perhaps the strongest Baldur’s Gate 3 lightning spell is Chain Lightning, which deals a whopping 10d8 of lightning damage in one fell swoop. The spell is a Level 6 Evocation spell and has a relatively moderate range of 18m.
What skill checks do Baldur’s Gate 3 lightning spells use?
In Baldur’s Gate 3, when an enemy is struck or hit by a lightning spell, they will usually roll a dexterity check. If their dexterity is higher than the spellcaster’s, they may lower or otherwise fully avoid the spell’s damage.
Final Thoughts
Character creation in Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t always simple, and as part of this, it’s important to consider carefully the type of skills you’ll want to use in the game. However, it’s worth noting here that certain spell types will often be more or less effective for a particular play style - and Baldur’s Gate lightning charges are just one such example. However, it’s important to keep in mind here that not all lightning spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 are created equal, and some are undoubtedly more powerful than others. As such, it’s crucial to consider the different Baldur’s Gate 3 lightning spells to decide which will best suit your own character build.