Baldur’s Gate 3: How to prepare spells, explained

Baldur’s Gate 3 offers some characters a wide variety of spells to choose from, but only a select few of them will actually be available to use during combat. This is because you only get a certain number of prepared spells, which are the ones that you have access to on your hotbar.

If you have gone to level up or visited a character’s spellbook, then you likely noticed some characters have dozen of spells unlocked. Wizards, in particular, will have the most spells, as they can learn them from scrolls as well as from leveling up. If you have a character that relies them for basic attacks, like a Wizard or Cleric, then you will need to prepare a specific number of them before being able to use each one.

In the guide below, I will fully explain the prepared spells system, as it can get a little complicated in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Preparing spells in Baldur’s Gate 3

So, let’s say that you just leveled up, and one of the new features you unlock as a result of your new level is a new set of spells. You can select a certain number of these to have access to. However, you will always have to then prepare your primary set of spells, which allows you to actually use them in and out of combat.

Your list of unlocked and prepared spells can be found in your spellbook. Your list of prepared spells is the single line of spells that are all highlighted and next to the open book icon, as you can see in the screenshot below. Under your it, you will find the complete list of spells that you have unlocked. These will be next to a roman numeral, indicating their level.

The difference between your prepared spells and the entire catalog is that you can only access the former from the hotbar. If you want to use one, then you have to prepare it. If you want to replace an already prepared spell, hover over it and then click it (it should have a large, red X over it). Then, you can select a new spell to prepare it. You will now be able to use it inside and outside of combat, and it will appear on your hotbar.

Related: How to get a torch in Baldur’s Gate 3

To sum it up, your prepared spells are the ones you can use, and you can select your prepared spells from the entire list of spells you have unlocked through leveling up.

I suggest heading to each character’s spellbook to fully grasp how this system works. Once you start to fully grasp the prepared spells system, you will likely have a much easier time understanding the combat mechanics in Baldur’s Gate 3.