Spells play a vital role in both combat and exploration in Baldur's Gate 3. To optimize your party's abilities, you may need to manage and change spells. In this guide, we'll walk you through the ins and outs of spell preparation and alteration in BG3.
When to Change Spells
Characters can change their spells outside of combat or during level-up. You might want to adjust your spells based on your party's needs or specialize your party members' roles (e.g., designating a healer).
Who Can Prepare Spells
Spell management varies depending on your character's class:
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Clerics, Druids, Paladins, and Wizards: They must prepare spells before using them. These classes can change prepared spells anytime outside of combat.
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Other Spellcasting Classes: Classes like Bards, Eldritch Knight Fighters, Rangers, Arcane Trickster Rogues, Sorcerers, and Warlocks can only replace a spell when leveling up. This applies to all subclasses as well.
How to Prepare and Change Spells
If you fall under the category of Cleric, Druid, Paladin, or Wizard, you can prepare and change spells during each level-up or when not in combat.
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Preparing Spells at Level-Up: Click on 'Prepare Spells' on the left sidebar of your level-up screen. You can prepare a certain number of spells based on your level. Remove any currently prepared spells to free up space and choose from your list of Known Spells.
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Preparing Spells Outside of Combat: Access your Spellbook by pressing 'K' on the keyboard or mouse or using the radial shortcut menu with the right trigger on the controller. From here, you can remove prepared spells to swap them with different ones. The number of spells you can prepare depends on your level.
How to Change Spells During Level-Up
All spellcasting classes can change spells during level-ups.
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For Clerics, Druids, Paladins, and Wizards: You can change your Prepared Spells by selecting from your Known Spells.
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For Other Spellcasting Classes: You can replace one spell when leveling up. This option is available at every level-up. You cannot replace Cantrips, only Spells that use a spell slot. Go to 'Replace Spell' on the left sidebar, choose one spell to change out and one to change in. Select 'Change' under 'Out' to remove a spell and 'Change' under 'In' to replace it.
Respec to Change Spells
If you want to make significant changes to your character's build, you can speak with Withers to respec your character for 100 gold. This option allows you to rebuild your character and make multiple changes at once. Your character will start at Level 1 for your newly selected class and can level up to your current character level. Check out our comprehensive guide on how to respec your character and locate Withers!
That's all you need to know about preparing spells in Baldur's Gate 3!
