These Two Overlooked Baldur's Gate 3 Spells Are Massively Helpful

Everyone loves cats. And, in Baldur's Gate 3, you can make use of their spectacular abilities to get past tricky situations or to give yourself an advantage in battle. Our guide discusses the Baldur's Gate 3 Minor Illusion and Wild Shape Cat, two spells that ensure you'll have a meow-velous time in Faerun. These cat-based abilities have been a bit overshadowed in the Baldur's gate 3 community so far, but as you'll see below, players are starting to better appreciate how helpful cats can be in the world of Baldur's Gate.

How to use Minor Illusion and Wild Shape Cat in Baldur's Gate 3

The Baldur's Gate 3 Minor Illusion spell is available to most spellcasting classes, such as the Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard. It can also be used by certain subclasses, like the Eldritch Knight Fighter and the Way of Shadow Monk. Wild Shape Cat, meanwhile, is available to Druid players.

How to use Minor Illusion

Minor Illusion spawns a magical cat, which disappears after 10 turns (or roughly 10 seconds). Since it's a cantrip, it can be cast repeatedly without expending spell slots (that means you won't need to do a long rest). It's also fairly underutilized, but is extremely powerful in the right situations, as noted by Twitter user @Papapishu.

Indeed, the idea is to cast Minor Illusion to lure enemies to certain spots. Once they've moved in place, you can cast spells like Thunderwave, Fist of Four Thunders, Eldritch Blast with the Repelling Blast perk, or a simple Shove action, to push them to their doom. The only downside here is that you might not be able to pick up their loot if their bodies fall down a chasm or an unreachable area.

Using a Baldur's Gate 3 cat illusion also works wonders if you want NPCs to move away from an area, or to look away so you can change their line of sight. While people are distracted, you can quickly switch to turn-based mode, and then pickpocket or sneak past them.

How to use Wild Shape Cat

The Baldur's Gate 3 Wild Shape Cat, meanwhile, can be used to full effect by Druids, as evidenced by a short video clip from Twitter user @Helexzura. The user cites how a Druid that has shapeshifted into a cat can jump to pass through gates, or go through small holes and pipes.

This can also be used to full effect in various locations. For instance, once you reach the Counting House in Act 3, you're tasked with entering the secure vault. However, before you can open it, you still need to find the passcode.

As it turns out, a storage room in the lower level has a pipe that a small cat can fit into. This allows someone like Halsin or Jaheira to reach the bank manager's office, which has the clue. Moreover, once you've entered the inner chambers, you'll notice several locked vaults behind metal grates. You'll waste all your spell slots if you attempt to Misty Step or Dimension Door your way through these places. But, a cat can simply jump, and then lockpick the safes for loot.

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Speak with Animals

As an aside, there's the Speak with Animals spell, which is available to several classes, and also via the Ritual Spells feat. Casting it allows you to talk to various creatures, such as dogs, owlbears, and, of course, cats.

Overall, there are many ways for you to make use of cat spells in Baldur's Gate 3. Whether as part of a stealthy approach, a means of luring enemies, or just hilarious dialogues, you're sure to have a paw-some time. Meow!