Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3can be a challenging game for players new to the genre, but there are a few strategies players can devise that make even the toughest fights a walk in the park. By the time players reach Act 3 ofBaldur’s Gate 3, they should have access to some of the best builds in the game which will give them the tools necessary to take on the endgame bosses. However, there is one spell that players shouldn’t overlook, and although it can be tricky to obtain, grants access to one of the most overpowered abilities in the game.
There is a lot of good endgame loot inBaldur’s Gate 3such as the Helldusk Armor setthat can only be acquired by taking on dangerous quests. As is often the case, these risks are well worth the rewards since many of these late-game items can make a huge difference in the final battles ofBaldur’s Gate 3. One spell that players shouldn’t go without is Artistry of War, which can be easily missed or wasted if players aren’t careful, potentially locking them out of an overpowered spell for Wizards that can easily dispatch endgame foes.
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Baldur’s Gate 3 Players Should Make Good Use of the Artistry of War Spell
Artistry of War is aLevel 5 Evocation Spellthat summons the apparitions of six master strategists that can each attack individual targets dealing 2d6 + 6 Force damage. This spell is essentially a super-powered version of the classic Magic Missile spell as it can hit multiple targets or a single target multiple times, making it the perfect spell for dealing with overwhelming fights. However, the main downside of this spell is that it is only obtainable as a scroll, meaning that it only gets a single use before the scroll is consumed.
The good news is that players can circumvent this restriction by taking advantage of the Wizard class’s ability to learn spells from scrolls which can then be inscribed into their book and used permanently. A character likeBaldur’s Gate 3’s Galecan pay a fee of gold to learn Artistry of War, which becomes Curriculum of Strategy: Artistry of War once learned in this way. Now, instead of a single-use scroll, players have permanent access to this spell as long as they recharge their spell slots by resting or by using the Spell Slot Restoration ability.
Finding the Artistry of War scroll can be a bit of a dangerous task as it involves descending into the vault belowSorcerous Sundries, a shop that can be found within the Lower City of Act 3. Players following Gale’s Wizard of Waterdeep companion questline will end up needing to go down there anyway in order to obtain the Annals of Karsus for the Wizard. However, the Sorcerous Sundries Vault also contains a lockpickable case containing a book titled “The Red Knight’s Final Strategem,” which nets the player the Artistry of War scroll once they read it.
With the Artistry of War spell in hand, players are well-equipped to take on many ofBaldur’s Gate 3’s third-act battles which often feature an onslaught of enemies to defeat. Artistry of War is particularly helpful in fights against bosses like Cazador, Raphael, and Sarevok who are all flanked by other powerful foes, which this spell can quickly dispatch before they overwhelm the player and their party. There aren’t manyscrolls inBaldur’s Gate 3that are more powerful than Artistry of War, so players should be sure to have their Wizard learn it so that they can continue to take advantage of its power in more battles than the scroll’s single-use allows.
Baldur’s Gate 3is available now on PC and PS5, with an Xbox Series X/S version also in development.
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