Enchantment is one of the many magical schools in Baldur's Gate 3. It alters the target's mental state in either positive or negative manners. This includes acts of bravery, compulsion, or complete madness. The school does not affect their physical being, which is more common among Abjuration and Transmutation spells.
Most Enchantment magic requires concentration, meaning only one can be used by each caster. This makes it best suited for someone with high constitution saving throws. That includes Sorcerers in Baldur's Gate 3, Eldritch Knight Fighters, and party you have given the Resilient feat.
7 Compelled Duel
Paladins can use Compelled Duel starting at the second class level in Baldur's Gate 3. This forces the target to only attack the caster for three turns. They can attempt a Wisdom saving throw to nullify the condition. This spell can be used to protect already injured or compromised allies. But, the enemy does not need to hold back and can still use its most deadly attacks against the Paladin.
Using magic as a Paladin also prevents them from using more Divine Smite charges and lowers their overall damage output. Picking Compelled Duel might prolong the fight if the rest of the team could have defeated the enemy using all their actions. Always check the turn order and first assess if it makes sense to attack instead.
6 Vicious Mockery
All Bards in Baldur's Gate 3 can add Vicious Mockery to their list of Cantrips. At first level, it deals 1d4 Psychic damage, and the target has a disadvantage on an attack for one turn. The damage increases to 2d4 at 5th level and 3d4 at 10th level. Enemies that make a Wisdom saving throw prevent all of the effects.
A d4 is a low amount of damage, so players should use this mostly for applying disadvantage. Both College of Valor and College of Swords subclasses gain Extra Attack at 6th level, resulting in greater damage from using weapons. The main boon for Vicious Mockery is not a projectile, allowing it to be cast on enemies above or below as long as they are within 18 meters.
5 Confusion
Bards, Druids, Sorcerers, and Wizards all have the option of learning Confusion as a 4th level spell slot. Knowledge Domain Clerics also gain automatic access, and Warlocks can select it as their 7th class level Invocation “Dreadful Word.” Confusion causes all creatures in a 6-meter burst to attack randomly, move, or stand around doing nothing for three turns.
Confusion causes full battlefield chaos: the afflicted might attack each other, allies, or do all sorts of unpredictable things. However, the pure randomness might still result in them attacking you in the process. The spell is a significant risk that can pay off, make the situation worse, or change things very little.
4 Bless
Both Clerics and Paladins can prepare Bless as a level one spell slot. This provides up to three creatures an extra 1d4 bonus on all attacks and saving throws. They must be within 9 meters of each other for the initial casting but can move away. It lasts for 10 turns or until the mage releases concentration.
While Bless itself is nice for increasing the party's performance, Clerics and Paladins have many better spells at their disposal. It is much more efficient to cast Bless via an item, like a scroll, or rare magic weapons like the Staff of Arcane Blessing. This allows the Cleric to keep the spell slots for much deadlier combos, like using Spirit Guardians (Conjuration) and Sanctuary (Abjuration) to deal damage while remaining invincible.
3 Hold Person
Hold Person is a second-level spell slot option for multiple classes in Baldur's Gate 3. It can be accessed by Bards, Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards. It is also an option for Rogues who selected Arcane Trickster and the Oath of Vengeance Paladin. The creature's mind is paralyzed and cannot move or act. If attacked within 3 meters, the hit is always critical damage.
The spell is best utilized by someone who can get in close to capitalize on the critical hits. This could be a War Cleric, College of Swords Bard, or Arcane Trickster Rogue - the latter being the default build for Astarion. Note that the spell only works on humanoids. To paralyze beasts and ghosts, one will need to switch to Hold Monster. This is a 5th level spell, a much rarer spell slot that can be used for other strong magic.
2 Dominate Person
Seasoned Bards, Sorcerers, and Wizards can learn Dominate Person. This puts an enemy on your side for 10 turns. They can attempt a Wisdom saving throw to break free. This check is made on first casting the spell every time they suffer damage.
Because of the repeated saving throw chance, Dominate Person is best used on an enemy that is unlikely to be hit. This makes it suitable for a stealthy archer or mage in the backlines. If used on a melee fighter, the enemy might use their weakest attack to free their ally. Still, the hit might be enough for you to follow up and outright kill the formally mind-controlled foe.
1 Friends
Bards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards can pick Friends as their starting Cantrip. Fighters and Rogues that venture into partial casters with the Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster subclasses can also opt for the spell. It provides an advantage on all Charisma rolls as long as the target is not hostile. There is no saving throw, though Larian Studios has warned that allies can become bitter if the spell is used when playing on the Tactician difficulty setting.
NPCs only become angry with the person who casts Friends. You can switch active party and be treated fairly again. Another sneakier route is to cast Disguise Self and pretend to be someone completely different.
If you are playing on either Explorer or Balanced, very few NPCs react to Friends being used against them. This makes it incredibly potent to select during any conversation. Characters proficient in Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion can easily weasel their way into unique situations. Among the possibilities include preventing a fight, discounts at shops, or gaining access to a restricted area in Baldur’s Gate 3.
