Baldur's Gate 3 Guide | How To Beat Balthazar

Here's everything you need to know on how to beat Balthazar in Baldur's Gate 3.

Game Guide by Ornstein on Dec 31, 2024

Balthazar is the center of all things necromancy within Baldur's Gate 3, and his vast array of spells and tactics could overwhelm even the best-prepared adventuring parties. A combination of planning, knowledge about his strengths and weaknesses, and tactical execution on the battlefield is going to be necessary in order to take him down. Follow these steps now.

Setting Up for Success

Get your party ready for Balthazar. Make sure everybody is correctly fitted out for what they'll be doing-armed and armored. Focus on items that provide bonuses to saving throws; Balthazar absolutely loves casting spells that strike either Constitution or Wisdom saving throws. Items providing necrotic damage resistance are especially good, as most of his damage originates from necromantic spells.

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Rest for a very long period of time before the fight so that your health, spell slots, and abilities will be full. Prepare spells like Counterspell and Dispel Magic to neutralize his magic; buffs like Bless to make your party more effective; stock as many items as possible, including healing and resistance potions and scrolls. Lastly, prepare AoE spells and abilities for cleaning up the zombie minions that he summons.

Knowing The Battlefield

The arena in which you'll fight Balthazar is part and parcel of the encounter. High-ground positions will give a decided advantage to any ranged character. Chokepoints in the arena let you bottle up opponents in one area for focused attacks. Be aware of any environmental hazards, like explosive barrels or flammable surfaces, that you can use to inflict more damage on enemies.

Pre-Casting: Positioning is everything before the engagement. Ranged characters should be put up on an elevated terrain to increase their chances of hitting and more damage, while melee fighters must be near the center in order to intercept enemies. Keep your group spread out to avoid being hit by AoE spells since Balthazar can cast awful magic like the Circle of Death.

Balthazar's Minions

Balthazar draws power from being able to summon and control undead companions while more than attacking your party with spells. However, he is the key to this engagement since taking him down would mean the rest of his minions will scatter. Focus on him, but still manage to use your AoE to thin out the minions.

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Starting the fight against Balthazar focuses on using single-target high-damage spells and attacks. Spells such as Guiding Bolt and Magic Missile will create consistent damage, while your melee fighters will have their weapons charmed to overcome their damage resistances. Have your spellcaster Counterspell when he throws any powerful magics, such as Hold Person or Blight.

Give most of your attention to Balthazar, but make sure that every now and then, some time is spent in keeping his minions off with the help of crowd control powers. Spells such as Turn Undead, Web, and Entangle will hold his allies if your party has a cleric; divine abilities definitely blast undead enemies to smithereens, freeing up the rest of your party to show some love to the necromancer.

Weakness Exploitation

He isn't indestructible, and in his overindulgence with magic, he opens himself to disturbance. He can't cast spells under silence, whereas under Stunned or Paralyzed, he is utterly useless for a couple of rounds. Spells that attack his protection, such as Heat Metal against his armor or Ray of Sickness, might sap his efficacy.

Balthazar's minions of undead are also very vulnerable to radiant damage. Moonbeam and Spirit Guardians are excellent spells that allow you to hold your own on the battlefield.

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Winning the Fight

The only way to defeat Balthazar is by balancing offense and defense. While you want to take him down as fast as possible, you really do not want to let the safety of your party go astray. Immediately heal the injured party members and cast protective spells like Shield of Faith or Mirror Image in order to protect those members who cannot really defend themselves.

Once Balthazar falls, his army of zombies collapses, and you emerge victorious. Take the time to thoroughly loot the area, for the things that Balthazar possesses usually contain vital goods and clues that enable you to advance further on your journey. This is quite a challenging battle; however, this can be won with proper planning and strategy and used to help boost your party for later trials.

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