Baldur’s Gate 3 features an intriguing array of elixirs, special potions designed to enhance your characters’ abilities throughout a full day of adventuring. Many of these elixirs can be crafted using ingredients found in the diverse environments of the game, while others are scattered as randomized treasures. Each elixir serves unique purposes—ranging from providing damage resistance to mitigating the effects of surprise encounters. However, it’s crucial to note that only one elixir can be active on a character at a time, so choosing wisely is essential.

Identifying the most effective elixirs is vital as you traverse the Sword Coast. By the time players reach the second act of BG3, they will likely have gathered a substantial supply of elixirs, allowing them to equip every party member after a long rest. Here, we delve into five elixirs that are incredibly beneficial for your adventure and five that may be better left unopened.

10

The Elixir of Arcane Cultivation Quickly Becomes Less Useful

An Elixir That Becomes Less Relevant As You Progress

Beginning with the elixir of arcane cultivation, it’s worth mentioning that this potion isn’t necessarily ineffective, particularly at the early stages of the game. Consuming this elixir grants an additional first-level spell slot for the day, making it an invaluable resource for casting spells like magic missile or shield.

However, the drawback is that this elixir tends to be overshadowed by superior versions as players progress. By the second act, players will find higher-level versions of this potion that offer more powerful spell slots. As players near the game’s maximum level, the need for additional spell slots diminishes due to the ample magical resources available between long rests. Ultimately, the elixir of arcane cultivation fails to maintain its relevance, especially when compared to other more potent options.

9

The Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength Is Perfect for Optimizing Martial Characters

A Must-Have for Players Focused on Character Optimization

On a more positive note, the elixir of hill giant strength can raise a character’s strength to an impressive 21, provided their natural score is lower. While a strength score of 20 is typically the cap, this potion is particularly beneficial during the early to mid-game stages when players are still working towards maximizing their abilities.

Furthermore, players can exploit this potion effectively by having a character respec their stats at Withers, minimizing their natural strength, and then utilizing this elixir daily. This strategy may deviate from traditional role-playing norms, but it allows for a character to allocate ability score points towards improving other areas like dexterity and constitution while still achieving a formidable strength score. As a result, this tactic can significantly enhance a character’s power within the party, and players can find enough of these potions to sustain this approach throughout their journey.

8

The Elixir of Radiant Resistance Is the Least Effective Defensive Brew

By the Time You Acquire These Potions, They Become Obsolete

Baldur’s Gate 3 presents a variety of resistance potions, each tailored to provide protection against specific types of damage for a day. Not all of these potions can be crafted, and some are not guaranteed to appear during a particular playthrough. Among them, the potion of radiant resistance stands out as the least useful since radiant damage is infrequently dealt by enemies.

The most notable foes that inflict radiant damage include Minthara and Ketheric, both of whom are encountered before this elixir becomes accessible. Even then, the instances of enemies summoning celestial beings or casting spells like guiding bolt are quite rare. As a result, preparing for radiant attacks by consuming this potion is generally not worth it. In fact, the only other resistance potion that comes close to its ineffectiveness is the force elixir, which at least offers some protection against smokepowder explosions.

7

The Elixir of Viciousness Is Ideal for Critical Hit Strategies

An Excellent Option for Specific Character Builds

The elixir of viciousness is highly sought after by high-level fighters and rogues, as it increases the chance of landing a critical hit by five percent. This effect can stack with other critical hit-enhancing abilities, allowing players to combine it with gear like the dead shot bow or subclass features such as the champion’s improved critical. This means players may experience critical hits nearly a quarter of the time, significantly boosting their damage output.

This elixir is also advantageous for spellcasters, especially warlocks who utilize the spell sniper feature or eldritch blast. However, it’s less effective for characters who primarily rely on spells that require saving throws instead of attack rolls. Overall, it’s a fantastic potion for almost any character to consume before engaging in combat.

6

The Elixir of Barkskin Lacks Practicality

The AC Boost Provided by This Potion Is Insufficient

The elixir of barkskin mimics the effects of the corresponding spell, minus the concentration requirement. This potion sets the drinker’s armor class to 16 for the entire day, comparable to wearing a chain shirt or scale mail with a shield. While an enhanced armor class can be beneficial, for many characters, this number falls short of what they can achieve naturally.

For characters equipped with heavy or medium armor or those utilizing shields, achieving an AC higher than 16 is usually quite feasible. Even wizards can easily reach an AC of 15 or 16 with the mage armor spell. As players advance and acquire better magical gear, the utility of this elixir diminishes significantly. Thus, it’s often advisable to seek out alternative potions instead of relying on this one.

5

The Elixir of Vigilance Makes Ambushes Manageable

The Ultimate Surprise Prevention Potion

Being surprised during encounters can lead to disastrous consequences in Baldur’s Gate 3, which is why features that mitigate this risk are invaluable. The elixir of vigilance provides effects akin to the alert feat, granting a creature immunity to surprise and a +5 bonus to initiative rolls.

This means that characters consuming this elixir will not only avoid losing turns during ambushes but they may also be able to strike first, turning the tide of battle in their favor. While players may experience fewer ambushes in subsequent playthroughs, there remain unavoidable surprise attacks that can spell doom, and this elixir significantly helps in those scenarios.

4

The Elixir of Darkvision Is Mostly Ineffective

Navigating Dark Areas Is Not a Significant Challenge

The elixir of darkvision mimics the darkvision spell’s effects, but it is largely unnecessary. It grants darkvision to characters who would normally lack it, which is already a rare scenario, as almost half of the playable races in BG3 possess this ability. For those who do not have darkvision, torches or the light spell can easily resolve issues associated with nonmagical darkness.

Even without these, dark areas generally do not present a significant obstacle. Most objects remain visible on screens, and the abundance of light sources typically available renders the need for this potion minimal.

3

The Elixir of Battlemage’s Power Is Incredibly Beneficial for Spellcasters

An Essential Buff for Magic Users

The elixir of battlemage’s power provides three stacks of arcane acuity, one of the most powerful stackable buffs available in BG3. Each stack grants a character a +1 bonus to their spell attack rolls and spell save DC, resulting in a significant enhancement when three stacks are achieved. Typically, stacks of arcane acuity diminish when a character is hit or at the end of their turn. However, this elixir replenishes all three stacks at the beginning of each turn.

This remarkable trait allows the elixir to synergize with other sources of arcane acuity, extending the buff’s duration throughout the day. There are high-tier magical items that fail to match the power of this readily craftable potion, making it an indispensable asset for every magic user. Caster characters should not miss the opportunity to utilize this incredible buff.

2

The Tadpole Elixir Is More Harmful Than Helpful

The Sole Elixir That Undermines Its User

While most elixirs provide beneficial effects, the tadpole elixir stands out as an exception due to its negative consequences that often overshadow its few advantages. Consuming this potion inflicts disadvantages on constitution, wisdom, and intelligence saving throws, making it challenging for characters to resist the effects of spells.

As for its benefits, they are quite limited. After using a tadpole power, the drinker gains advantage on attack rolls for three turns, which is minimal. Ideally, one would expect this elixir to offer extra uses of tadpole powers or enable quicker replenishment, but the temporary advantage after using an action to activate a tadpole power is simply inadequate. Consequently, this elixir is hardly worth employing, especially given its penalties to saving throws, rendering it one of the least desirable options.

1

The Elixir of Bloodlust Is Incredibly Effective at All Levels

Unlocking Greater Combat Potential with This Potion

Ultimately, the elixir of bloodlust emerges as the top elixir for any class within the game. Its effects are straightforward yet impactful: upon defeating an enemy, the drinker receives five temporary hit points and gains an extra action during that turn. While the temporary hit points may seem modest, the additional action can significantly boost damage output. Martial characters can utilize this extra action for an additional attack or a strategic dash, while spellcasters may opt to cast another spell.

Items like the potion of speed are highly prized for the extra action they provide; however, unlike that potion, this elixir has no drawbacks. As long as your character continues to eliminate foes in battle, they will keep gaining additional actions, creating a feedback loop of effectiveness. This can lead to a compounding cycle of increased lethality, solidifying this elixir as the best choice in Baldur’s Gate 3.

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