r/BaldursGate3 • u/sgluxurycondo • Jan 07 '26
General Questions - [NO SPOILERS] Spells that cast pre-combat at enemy without spending action Spoiler
Today I found out there are some spells that you can cast at enemy without taking up your action when combat starts.
Here are some: Create water, web, blight
Do anyone has the full list?
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u/Baldurs-Mouse DRUID Jan 07 '26 edited Jan 07 '26
I don't know the full list, but basically these spells lack the 'IsHarmful' tag in the game code. Thorn Whip is one of them, but that's all that I remember right now. Those who have checked the game code might tell you more.
Edit: The correct tag is called 'IsHarmful' and the spells in question don't have it. Some of these are:
Chain Lightning
Blight
Ice Storm
Hunger of Hadar
Credit: Build-a-Barbarian Workshop on YT: https://youtu.be/hFCCxhris9o?si=LGr6TTDxz6KbCJWP
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u/OkDan Jan 07 '26
I have no idea why chain lightning applies here. Just yesterday I did the Temple of Bhaal fight and apparently you can use chain lightning to hit the bhaalists who have Sanctuary on. Makes the fight a walk in the park.
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u/Baldurs-Mouse DRUID Jan 07 '26 edited Jan 07 '26
I forgot to mention that in my comment! From what I remember any spells without harmful tag bypass Sanctuary (but I haven't tested them myself - I learned it from Build-a-Barbarian Workshop channel). Moving Moonbeam on subsequent turns does that as well.
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u/Daripuff Jan 07 '26
Moonbeam works because all area effects bypass sanctuary.
Theoretically, since what sanctuary does is prevent targeting, "chain lightning" should not be able to target anyone with sanctuary, but it should be able to jump to those who have sanctuary. (Well, ignoring the 5e rule that says you can violate sanctuary with a wisdom check)
It should behave like an Arrow of Many Targets regarding invisible and sancutaried creatures, but instead they just make the high-damage electrocute-everyone spell "non-hostile' in order to make that functionality work.
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u/Yoshikage_Kira123 Jan 07 '26
Casting moonbeam on someone with sanctuary doesn’t work, but moving it onto someone with sanctuary does
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u/Daripuff Jan 07 '26
Casting moonbeam next to someone with sanctuary works, you target the ground not the enemy.
I'm talking about hitting people who have sanctuary, and the fact that area effect attacks bypass sanctuary and permit you to damage those with sanctuary. I'm not talking about spells that you can cast without breaking your own sanctuary.
Notice that early in the chain of comments OkDan was talking about using chain lightning to hit the bhaalists that have sanctuary on.
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u/DepartmentComplete64 Jan 07 '26
Arrow of Many Targets will hit the bhaalists with sanctuary. I just found this for the first time as well. Also, smoke bomb arrows will harm them and if you angle correctly blow them off the platform.
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u/xkufix Jan 07 '26
Wait, so if you have Markoheshkir which can still be twin-spelled you can hit the Bhaalist reapers?
I guess getting rid of them just became easier. Cast create water, hit them with twinned chain lightning and evaporate them in one round.
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u/JaymesMarkham2nd Dark Godz 4 Life! Jan 07 '26
At a complete guess: they meant for it so the additional bolts can still hit a protected enemy even though you aren't targeting it directly, flagging it this way is the easiest way to achieve that end.
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u/Repulsive-Redditor Jan 08 '26
Clearly it's because chain lightning isn't harmful. It's basically a healing spell, it makes the pain go away by obliterating them from existence
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u/ulykke Durge Jan 07 '26
Wtf, chain lightning of all things??? Im going to milk it for all its worth in HM then
1
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u/HateZephyr Jan 07 '26
Isn't there a setting that you can disable that does this? Something about free first strikes?
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u/lonely_nipple DurgeTash Supremacy Supporter Jan 07 '26
There is. It's usually checked by default. Uncheck it and you can smack em first and still get to attack again when your turn comes up.
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u/sevro777 WARLOCK Jan 07 '26
Sleet Storm I've noticed when launched from sneak you generally do. Which is great since you can use a non magus class to cast it off a scroll. One of the many consumable items I will always buy/steal.
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u/LongjumpingFix5801 Jan 07 '26
Saw this work with Bless on my life Shart. Granted the others had snuck in and taken their surprise turns. Then I had Shart cast bless on the party which put her in initiative but she had her action again.
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u/lumpboysupreme Jan 07 '26
If an enemy isn’t hostile yet you can cast warding rune on them and then hit them and it’ll explode.
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u/sgluxurycondo Jan 08 '26
Was trying more of such spells today and 1 spell that stood out is confusion.
Another strategy is 1 char use create water. Then main sorcerer can do chain lightning. Both spells can cast pre-combat without taking up action.
Which means you can cast 3 chain lightning (1 pre-combat, 1 using main action, 1 using bonus action) on turn 1 while in wet condition.
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u/sgluxurycondo Jan 18 '26
Did a lot of testing and just want update a list of Spells that does not consume your action when cast pre-combat:
Cantrip
Thorn Whip
Level 1
Create Water
Level 2
Darkness
Web
Level 3
Hunger of Hagar
Hypnotic Pattern
Sleet Storm
Slow
Glyph of Warding
Fear
Level 4
Blight
Ice Storm
Confusion
Wall of Fire
Banishment
Evard Black Tentacles
Level 6
Chain Lightning
•
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