Baldur’s Gate 3 player explains why Cantrip keeps missing
Larian StudiosBaldur’s Gate 3 players are pointing out why one specific Cantrip keeps missing, as it’s used by party members who are poorly optimized.
While Baldur’s Gate 3 has many character creation options for the protagonist, the same cannot be said for the party members. This is due to the limited options that are available if the player chooses not to re-spec them in the camp.
Chances are, most players will keep Astarion and Shadowheart in their party. This is because Astarion’s Rogue abilities are useful both in and out of combat, while Shadowheart is the best healer available. The melee fighter and arcane caster roles have multiple options for the other party members to fill.
Astarion and Shadowheart have something unusual in common: they can cast the Fire Bolt Cantrip, despite not being arcane spellcasters. This is due to their elven heritage, which grants them a free Cantrip from the Wizard spell list.
Larian StudiosAstarion & Shadowheart are really bad at using Fire Bolt in Baldur’s Gate 3 (and you can’t change it)
A post on the Baldur’s Gate 3 Reddit by a user named abramcpg explained why Astarion and Shadowheart are so bad at using Fire Bolt. This is because the Cantrip’s attack bonus is tied to their Intelligence stat, which is low for both, with Astarion adding +1 and Shadowheart adding nothing.
The only other modifier they add to Fire Bolt is their Proficiency Bonus, but it still has a low chance of hitting. This means there are far better options for spending their Action on their turn, with Astation favoring ranged weapons and Shadowheart her magic spells.
What makes this situation worse is that players can’t respec this aspect of their character. Withers can only change a party member’s class, not their racial features, which means Fire Bolt cannot be switched out.
Fire Bolt does have one purpose, as it can be used to ignite flammable surfaces. This is extremely useful when coupled with the Grease spell or explosive barrels. That being said, there are plenty of other options for lighting fires in Baldur’s Gate 3, including the abundant Fire Arrows.
D&D 5E accounted for this issue in later books, as Cantrips provided by racial features can receive a bonus from Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. If this concept had been included in Baldur’s Gate 3, Shadowheart would have had an amazing Fire Bolt, as it could be coupled with her high Wisdom stat.
It’s a shame that Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t give Astarion and Shadowheart more fitting Cantrips, like Friends or Minor Illusion, which would be useful additions to their arsenal. Hopefully, a future patch will let players respec NPC racial bonuses, giving them better Cantrips for the game’s early hours.