Summary

• Vicious mockery in Baldur's Gate 3 offers memorable lines for taunting enemies, dealing psychic damage, and disadvantage on attack rolls.
• The game includes almost a hundred vicious mockery lines, adding fun insults to any character's repertoire, including unexpected ones.
• The best vicious mockery lines include insults like "It vexes me to know of you," "Your body is a temple to an idiot god," and "Pernicious, putrifying pissant."

Vicious mockery is one of the most exciting spells to use in Baldur's Gate 3, offering a wide variety of memorable lines perfect for taunting enemies. This bard spell is all about insulting foes, but it backs up those stinging words with magical enchantments that can cause its targets to take psychic damage and disadvantage on an attack roll. Baldur's Gate 3 has almost a hundred vicious mockery lines in total, all of which can be fun, but a select few stand out from the roster as the most devastatingly iconic options.

Preparing the lineup of vicious mockery insults for Baldur's Gate 3 was clearly no small task on the part of developer Larian Studios, as both custom characters and any of the available party characters can be classed or re-classed into being bards. Consequently, even characters like Lae'zel, who seems unlikely to take up the occupation, have a bank of fully voice-acted taunts should the situation arise. Some insults can end up being even funnier depending on who's delivering them, but any of the best vicious mockery lines are welcome additions to any character's repertoire.

10 "It vexes me to know of you."

Your Existence Is Annoying

One major entry in the canon of enemies getting no respect is "It vexes me to know of you," which really cuts to the core by more or less insulting their general existence. There's not much room to work on self-improvement when the very self appears to be the core of the problem. Perhaps they can take some solace in knowing that they're a thorn in the bard's skin, but this seems like a solid recipe for Psychic damage all the same.

9 "As the leg, you'll end in defeat."

An Epic Dad Joke

"As the leg, you'll end in defeat" is ittedly not quite as scathing as some of the other highlights of vicious mockery, but it's certainly silly enough to be ed. This line has an endearing dad joke quality that might sound best when deployed by Gale or Karlach, although hearing a serious character like Lae'zel say it is funny in its own right. Who knows what cruel remarks these vicious characters will think up next — hopefully not something as devastating as "make like a tree and leaf."

8 "Your body is a temple... to an idiot god."

Compliments Shrouded In Insults

"Your body is a temple" is typically used as an invocation of the sanctity of flesh and spirit, but the vast pantheon of the Forgotten Realms makes it easy to turn this around into something more insulting. One god that would fit the "idiot" description quite easily is Bahgtru, a patron of pure strength who clearly dumped his Intelligence stat to get there. As Bahgtru is a god of orcs, a race that isn't present in the game, this insult can't be used in its most literal application. Even so, it's certainly not going to help any opponent's self-image.

7 "Thou art saucy as gruel."

Don't Try Too Hard

Few things are more disappointing than flavorless food, and comparing a foe to such frustrating fare is bound to take its toll on them. Just how accurate this insult is might depend on who it's being used against, at least when sticking to the meaning of saucy as clever and impudent. Auntie Ethel, for example, has a full library of vicious mockery retorts of her own, so it would hardly be fair to deploy in her boss fight. She could certainly outdo it with a comeback, as most of her lines cut to the quick with a character or race's deepest insecurities.

6 "Barrel-sharp, the wit on you."

Insulting One's Intelligence

"Barrel-sharp, the wit on you" isn't the most original of basic ideas, essentially akin to saying someone isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, crayon in the box, or any other indication of dullness. Still, there's something about the phraseology that strikes a special cord, especially the invocation of an object that would, under no scenario ever have a cutting edge. Considering just how many barrels are strewn about the world of Baldur's Gate 3, it's also a line that's sure to invoke an immediate mental image in any opponent — unless, of course, they really are too dull to conceive it.

5 "My Life: Part 12: The Boring Opponent."

A Cutting Insult

Like in many RPGs, books scattered about in Baldur's Gate 3 are often found in serialized form, where reading a complete adventure requires picking up various parts to assemble a numbered sequence. Part 12, however, sounds like it could very well be skipped, as most will likely be uninterested in "The Boring Opponent." This form of dismissal might be even ruder than more vicious insults, reminding foes that they're not even an engaging diversion.

4 "Thine eyes — pools of tepid piss."

It's Not Flirting

Eyes are a favorite subject of poets from time immemorial, from classic sonnets to fanfiction that clumsily inserts "orbs" in search of a synonym. Of course, there's no rule stating that eyes must be only compared to beautiful things, and Baldur's Gate 3 finds quite the opposite in this vicious mockery line. "Tepid" is what really seals the deal here, assuring an enemy that the vibrancy of fresh piss would still outdo their lack of luster.

3 "Behold! A most noisy cuck!"

There Is No Retort

The word cuck has seen something of a resurgence in recent years, often used in a way that isn't exactly conducive to productive conversation. Of course, productive conversation isn't the goal of combat in Baldur's Gate 3, and hearing "a most noisy cuck!" in this context can be especially amusing. There's no good way for a foe to respond to this one, as protestation will only affirm the idea that they need to shut their mouth.

2 "Pernicious, putrifying pissant."

Alliteration At Its Best

Alliteration is the name of the game when it comes to many vicious mockery insults in Baldur's Gate 3, and perhaps none do it as beautifully as "Pernicious, putrifying pissant." There's just something so satisfying about hearing characters enunciate the P's. Each word here is also loaded with extremity, conjuring an image of a rotting waste that just won't go away. This is the perfect refutation to the classic adage that "the worst they can say is no," as they could, unfortunately, say this instead.

1 "Oh look, it's Elminster's ballbag."

Invoking A Famous Wizard

"Oh look, it's Elminster's ballbag" is a line that can take some time to pay dividends, at least for Baldur's Gate 3 players who aren't already familiar with the character from other Dungeons & Dragons material. Actually meeting Elminster, however, makes the insult all the more humorous and cutting. There's something about invoking wizened wizards for vulgar swears that adds a dash of color to any fantasy setting, and the world of Baldur's Gate 3 is no exception.