The best Baldur’s Gate 3 spell doesn’t do any damage

Choosing the best spell in Baldur’s Gate 3 is no easy feat, as there are many that give you a real edge in combat. But, after a lot of thought, the best spell actually does nothing to help you in combat. 

Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t only about combat, as Transmutation spells can often be just as useful in a playthrough. In fact, the Level 2 Transmutation spell Knock makes exploration easy, and that’s why it’s our pick for the best spell in the game.

Knock is a Level 2 Transmutation spell that allows you to open doors with non-magical locks regardless of its lockpicking difficulty. Especially if you are using a magic-focused character like a Wizard, Knock can save you from wasting tons of Thieves’ Tools trying to get into places and loot chests. 

Yes, Astarion is obviously there to help with this (as the best character for lockpicking), but Knock takes away the necessity to rely on bringing the character into your party at all times.

For example, you can unlock the door Balthazar is hiding behind when you run into the skeletons in the Gauntlet of Shar. Simply use Knock on the door once combat initiates, get someone to open it, and Balthazar will join the fight. You now have an extremely powerful necromancer on your side for the price of a Level 2 spell. 

Plus, once he’s taken care of the Dark Justiciars, you can head inside and finish him off without having to worry about fighting him later on when you meet the Nightsong.

One of the most popular player uses for Knock has been to almost completely skip the Gauntlet of Shar in Act 2. 

If you go to the side of the Gauntlet where Yurgir is located, you can fly down to the door that guards Shar’s Domain. From here, you can use Knock on the door, and you’ll be let in without a hitch. Just make sure you have the Spear of Night with you, and you’ve successfully solved the Gauntlet without the headache. 

Players have found some other clever uses for Knock, too, which includes bypassing the puzzles in Ramazith’s tower to get the Annals of Karsus. “TURNS OUT, you can use knock on the Karsus and Elminster doors and just get in that way,” ‘half_hearted_fanatic’ shared on Reddit. 

So, as a spell that lets you bypass multiple difficult fights, get through difficult areas, and give you easy access to strong loot, Knock take’s my pick for the best spell in Baldur’s Gate 3.

If you want to know more about the game, you can check out how to counter enemies with Radiant Retort and a great hoarding tip to save Honour Mode runs.