You never stop learning – not even in Baldur’s Gate 3. Therefore, it can also happen that one can change their opinion about inconspicuous cantrips even after several runs. One of these cantrips initially seems useless, but can be very effective, especially for tacticians.
Which cantrip is being referred to? It is the cantrip “Minor Illusion,” which can be learned by bards, sorcerers, wizards, or warlocks starting at level 1. The cantrip conjures a simple illusion that prompts nearby creatures to investigate. In Baldur’s Gate 3, this illusion is a cat, making it a very convincing bait.
On Reddit, a player shares in a post that they have never used Minor Illusion so far, but other users report in the comments how valuable this inconspicuous cantrip can actually be and in which situations the illusion seems particularly effective.
Here you can see the animated short film for Patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3:
An inconspicuous distraction with high potential
How effective can Minor Illusion be in battles? Minor Illusion appears rather unremarkable when compared to other more effective options like Thunderous Blade or Dreadful Ray.
The top comment by Cyb3rM1nd under the Reddit post describes how useful Minor Illusion can be in battles: “It’s a really good cantrip. Setting traps, attracting enemies, triggering traps.” They add that the cantrip can make challenging battles, like against the formidable Grym in the Adamantine Forge, significantly easier:
“With this cantrip, you can win the battle against the Grym without risk – your only threat is the Mephits, which pose no challenge. […] You can lower the platform normally and then use Misty Step or travel quickly back to the stairs. Then you can make any ranged attack on the valve and the lever and lure the Grym with a Minor Illusion into the center, trigger the hammer lever with a ranged attack, and crush the Grym.”
What else can the cantrip be used for? A distraction method in battles can also be used outside of combat.
“The cantrip is also great for stealth,” adds Cyb3rM1nd via Reddit, “Lure enemies away so you can sneak past more easily. Or make them look away so you can steal things.”
Minor Illusion is an example of how not only pure attack spells can be useful. A clever tactic in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be just as valuable. Moreover, it can provide a great sense of achievement when a plan actually works as intended. Here on MeinMMO, we have already reported on another inconspicuous spell that can turn a battle to your advantage: Baldur’s Gate 3: An inconspicuous spell can save your butt against some nasty opponents
