Baldur’s Gate 3: How to speak with animals in BG3

If you created a spellcaster in Baldur’s Gate 3 or browsed through some spellcaster options in the character creation menu, you likely saw the spell Speak With Animals show up a few times. New players will naturally wonder how a spell like this is meant to be used—it is not something you’ll see in most games as it doesn’t offer any immediately obvious benefits for your character.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has a plethora of utility spells that can be used for niche interactions both in and out of combat. With extensive possible routes and outcomes for even the most seemingly insignificant encounters, you want to always remain vigilant and on the prowl for opportunities to engage with NPCs—human or otherwise.

The spell/condition Speak With Animals will allow you to, well, speak with animals, and opens up tons of opportunities to avoid fights, receive aid in combat, learn useful information, or simply have a good laugh.

How to get the spell Speak With Animals in Baldur’s Gate 3

The most universal way to speak with animals in Baldur’s Gate 3 is by casting the spell Speak With Animals. This is a level one divination spell that will allow your character to speak with animals until your next long rest. The spell is a standard action that can be cast outside of combat without expending a spell slot. The following classes are able to acquire Speak With Animals:

• Bards can learn the spell at level one.
• Druids automatically know the spell at level one and can prepare it at any time outside of combat.
• Rangers can learn the spell at level two.
• Warlocks can acquire the spell at level two by selecting the Beast Speech Invocation.
• Barbarians can learn the spell by selecting the Wild Heart subclass at level three.
• Paladins know the spell at level two and can prepare it at any time outside of combat.
• Clerics can learn the spell at level one by selecting the Nature Domain subclass.

While acquiring the spell is different for each class, casting the spell and its effects are the same once you have it. Unfortunately, their are no scrolls for Speak With Animals, so Wizards are unable to learn the spell. However, no matter what class you select, you can craft a Potion of Animal Speaking in the Alchemy tab by combining three extracted Acorn Truffles and one salt of any kind.

The final guaranteed way to acquire the ability to speak with animals is by selecting the Forest Gnome subrace, which starts with the spell at level one. If you read “guaranteed way” in that last sentence and thought to yourself “is there a non-guaranteed way,” you’re correct! You can always play a Wild Magic Sorcerer and hope for dumb luck on a Wild Magic Surge.

How to use Speak With Animals in Baldur’s Gate 3

Once you have the spell or potion to cast Speak With Animals, simply use it (making sure you are out of combat). Your character will now have the ability to speak with animals until their next long rest. There are endless possible ways to take advantage of the effect, but I recommend starting with:

• Speaking with Scratch.
• Speaking with the Owlbear and its cub.
• Speaking to any of the animals in Druid Grove.