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Everything you need to know about the 5 biggest changes, new subclasses, spells, and features coming to Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) Patch 8!
Larian Studios has officially announced Patch 8 for Baldur’s Gate 3, proving that even after a year of updates, they’re not improving the beloved CRPG. While Patch 7 was expected to be the last major content update, this latest announcement reveals that more enhancements are coming. Players have been enjoying Patch 8 via a close stress test, and here’s what’s new:
- Crossplay Support – Players can now start co-op sessions with friends across all platforms.
- New Subclasses – Every class in the game will receive a brand-new subclass, expanding build diversity.
- Photo Mode Enhancements – New settings, frames, and stickers allow for more creative and cinematic in-game photography.
- Gameplay Fixes – Fixing key issues for balancing.
Below we address the most important issues in BG3 that players should be aware of, mainly focused on builds, classes, and combat changes.
Patch 8 Baldur’s Gate 3 – Top 5 Changes
The most impactful change to BG3 in Patch 8 is the addition of new spells, cantrips, subclasses, and combat adjustments. Shadow Blade will allow spellcasters to play in melee range and do as much damage as other martial classes. Each class will now have a new subclass, some wildly powerful. And the game will add Cross-Play and Photo Mode. Below is a summary, and read on for more of a deep dive into the 5 biggest changes and how they might influence your next campaign in BG3:
- New Spells: Shadow Blade and Staggering Smite are added which will help spellcasters damage output.
- New Cantrips: Booming Blade, Bursting Sinew, and Toll the Dead have been added.
- Tavern Brawler Feat: Wild Shape Druids will now gain the benefit of Tavern Brawler in Wild Form shape.
- New Subclasses: 12 new subclasses, one for each class.
- Cross-Play: full cross-platform progression, on all platforms.
1. New Spells
Shadow Blade
- Description: Create a Shadow Blade in your main hand that deals Psychic damage.
- School: Illusion
- Cost: Bonus Action + Level 2 Spell Slot
- Range: Self
- Concentration: Yes
- Upcast: Yes
- When you cast this spell using a 3rd or 4th-level spell slot, the damage increases to 3d8 Damage.
- When you cast this spell using a 5th or 6th-level spell slot, the damage increases to 4d8 Damage.
- Classes:
- Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard Class at level 3
- Arcane Trickster Rogue at level 7
- Eldritch Knight Fighter at level 8
The spell Shadow Blade will change BG3 meta combat gameplay due to its raw damage and synergy with the Resonance Stone. Shadow Blade works by summoning a sword in your main hand. Even if you’re not proficient, the spell grants automatic proficiency. It requires concentration, and the cost is a bonus action and a level 2 spell slot. Once summoned, the character can attack with their action, using either strength or dexterity as the scaling modifier, PLUS the extra psychic damage.
What makes the Shadow Blade spell so incredible is, that it allows spellcasters to stack their primary ability (charisma or intelligence), and take an Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength. Therefore, you could have a Sorcerer with 27 Strength and 24 Charisma, hitting targets with Extra Attack and Divine Smite once multiclassed into a Paladin.
The Resonance Stone in particular makes this combination even more deadly. Obtained in Act 2 (Mind Flayer Colony), this stone, carried in your inventory projects a field that makes all targets vulnerable to psychic damage. Vulnerable doubles the damage, thus making your Shadow Blade attack hit even harder. The one major drawback is that constructs are immune to Psychic damage.
How to Use Shadow Blade
Players will want to “upcast” Shadow Blade using a higher spell slot. This will further increase your damage, and stack with the Resonance Stone vulnerability debuff. Constitution will be important for maintaining the spell because it requires concentration and can be interrupted or broken. Also look to acquire the Strange Conduit Ring in Act 1, which deals additional Psychic damage while concentrating.
Another trick to use is the Darkness spell on top of yourself if you have Eversight Ring or Shadow Sorcerer, Warlock with Devil’s Sight. When you use the sword to attack a target that is in dim light or darkness, you make the Attack Roll with Advantage.
Even if your class doesn’t have access to the spell, you can still gain it from the Shadow Blade Ring item found as a reward for completing the Find Arabella’s Parent quest. This spell alone will change the meta, making Wizards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks on par with some of the highest damage-dealing classes in BG3. Well, expect against Constructs!
Staggering Smite
- Description: Attack with normal weapon damage and 4d6 psychic damage that possibly inflicts stagger.
- School: Evocation
- Cost: Action + Bonus Action + Level 4 Spell Slot
- Range: 1.5 meter
- Concentration: Yes
- Upcast: No
- Class: Hexblade Warlock at level 7
The Staggering Smite spell is limited to the Warlock at level 7. Similar to Shadow Blade, this weapon also does Psychic Damage. You can technically combine both Shadow Balde and Staggering Smite, but Staggering Smite requires concentration.
The advantage of using this smite spell is the synergy with the resonance stone and psychic damage. However, it requires a lot of action economy, action and a bonus action essentially ending your turn.
The Stagger status effect applies Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Ability Checks, and can’t take reactions. Therefore, it’s not a game-breaking spell but another feather in the Warlock’s cap.
2. New Cantrips
Booming Blade
- Description: Strike with your weapon, afflicting your foe with a resonance that hurts them for 1d8 Thunder when they move. This spell can be cast while you are Silenced.
- School: Evocation
- Cost: Action
- Range: melee
- Concentration: No
- Upcast: No (level 5 3-24, level 10 5-40)
- Classes
- Cleric, Warlock, and Wizard at level 1
- Magic Initate Cleric, Warlock, Wizard (feat)
The Booming Blade Cantrip is the most exciting being added to BG3. Booming Blade uses an action, your weapon attack, and a bonus of 1d8 Thunder damage when a target moves. This can help with a slight knockback or automatically when the weapon hits if pushed slightly. Booming Blade initially was overpowered and quickly adjusted in Patch 8, Stress Test Update 2 because of Extra Attack Eldritch Knight Fighter. Now it applies just once per action.
A good combination to use is with the weapon Phalar Aluve, feature Shriek. All enemies within 6 meters of range have a 1d4 penalty to all Saving throws. Affected creatures receive an extra 1d4 Thunder damage. There are also two pair of gloves that may interact well with Booming Blade:
- Gemini Gloves: grants the wearer the ability to cast Cantrip that can target foes or allies twice.
- Quickspell Gloves: Grant the wearer the ability to cast a Cantrip as a Bonus Action instead of an Action, once per Short Rest.
Booming Blade, while nerfed recently remains one of the strongest cantrips, especially for melee damage dealers.
Bursting Sinew
- Description: Explode a corpse, causing it to impale those around it 1d10 Piercing
- School: Necromancy
- Cost: Action
- Range: 18 meters
- Concentration: No
- Upcast: No (level 5 increases damage to 2d10, level 10 increases damage to 3d10)
- Classes
- Cleric, and Wizard at level 1
- Magic Initate Cleric, Wizard (feat)
The strength of Bursting Sinew is that it’s piercing damage. Therefore, it stacks or benefits from the Bhaalist Armour in Act 3 doubling piercing damage. This cantrip also increases in damage as the user gains levels. At level 10, you deal 3d10. If you’re in range of the Bhaalist Armour, that could possibly be 60 damage in an AOE for a cantrip!
Toll the Dead
- Description: Deal 1-2 necrotic damage. If the target is at full health, you deal 1d8 Necrotic damage instead.
- School: Necromancy
- Cost: Action
- Range: 18 meters
- Concentration: No
- Upcast: No (level 5 increases damage to 2d12, level 10 increases damage to 3d12)
- Classes
- Cleric, Warlock, and Wizard at level 1
- Magic Initate Cleric, Warlock, Wizard (feat)
The Toll the Dead is a decent damage cantrip that benefits from hitting enemies below 100% health. This cantrip is mainly focused on the new Death Domain Cleric subclass and build. The Reaper subclass features allow the Cleric to attack two targets with a cantrip, giving you a powerful early cantrip when spell slots are low.
3. Tavern Brawler in Wild Shape
One massive change to BG3 in Patch 8 is that Tavern Bralwer Feat will work in Druid Wild Shape Form to all difficulties. Previously, Tavern Brawler only worked in Tactician Difficulty and Below. How the feat works is to increase the Strength or Constitution ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20. When you make an unarmed attack, use an improvised weapon, or throw something, your strength modifier is added twice to the damage and Attack roll.
In WIld Shape, you’re attacks are considered “unarmed” and benefit from this feat. Moreover, the animals or creatures you transform into, replace your current ability score. However, you can use Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength to achieve 27 strength without any feat or ability score investment.
The best combination of Tavern Brawler and Wild Shape is in Act 3 with Bhaalist Armour and Saber Tooth Tiger. The Jugular Strike action lunges at a creature’s throat. If the target is Prone, you deal an additional 2d6 + Strength or Dexterity Piercing damage. This gives you two sources of piercing damage, assuming that the target is knocked prone. The piercing damage doubles, and is buffed further by tavern brawler, giving you huge damage each turn.
This change now makes the Wild Shape Circle of the Moon build viable for solo Honour Mode completions.
4. Best and Worst New Subclasses Introduced in Patch 8
Each base class in Baldur’s Gate 3 has received a new subclass:
- Wizard: Bladesinging
- Bard: College of Glamour
- Barbarian: Path of Giants
- Cleric: Death Domain
- Druid: Circle of Stars
- Paladin: Oath of the Crown
- Fighter: Arcane Archer
- Monk: Drunken Master
- Ranger: Swarmkeeper
- Rogue: Swashbuckler
- Sorcerer: Shadow Magic
- Warlock: Hexblade
Best Subclasses
- Giant Barbarian – Giant’s Rage doubles throw attacks, improving on an already powerful Throw Barbarian Build.
- Shadow Sorcerer – Gain Shadow Blade Spell with Darkness, Metamagic, and melee damage rivaling the Paladin once multiclassed to gain extra attack and Divine Smite.
- Hexblade Warlock – The Hexblade makes the Warlock a true melee juggernaut with Shadow Blade and Staggering Smite.
Worst Subclasses
- College of Glamour Bard – Gains next to nothing as a spell caster and Bard is already great at range or melee damage.
- Circle of Stars Druid – Now that Tavern Brawler works on all difficulties, Circle of the Moon is much better.
- Swashbuckler Rogue – Giving up a bonus action every turn for an attack doesn’t seem worth it.
Spellcaster Meta
Overall the addition of Shadow Blade, Booming Blade, and other spells and cantrips will aid Spellcasters in achieving the same level of combat power as marital melee classes. Due to BG3 balancing with Strength, specifically Elixirs, Tavern Brawler, and gear sets, it’s just too easy to pickup a melee build or a Ranger and dominate combat. However, the new Shadow Blade spell alone with shift the meta and give spellcasters much-needed power.
5. Cross-Play
Larian Studios is adding full crossplay to Baldur’s Gate 3, so players on PC, PS5, Mac, and Xbox can team up easily. Regardless of your platform, players can enable Cross-Play and start a campaign together without losing progression. You can expect a much smoother experience in Cross-Play after the bulk of the stress testing was done to solidify this feature in BG3.
Once Patch 8 and Cross-Play are live, players can invite friends from the multiplayer campaign lobby. Then, players can join the crossplay game through Larian’s Network and carry on progressing across PC, Consoles, and Mac.
This update keeps Baldur’s Gate 3’s multiplayer community strong, making it easier to find co-op partners even as new content is released. By uniting players across platforms, Larian Studios is ensuring the game remains a classic RPG experience for years to come.
FAQs about 5 Biggest Changes in Patch 8 in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)
How does cross-play work in Patch 8?
Cross-play allows players on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Windows, and Mac to form a team together regardless of platform. It also supports cross-platform progression, letting you continue your campaign across multiple platforms.
What features are included in the new photo mode?
Photo mode offers new tools to capture your screenshots in-game:
- Adjustable camera angles
- Character poses
- Post-processing effects
- Frames and stickers
Will Patch 8 include new story content or DLC?
No, Patch 8 focuses on new subclasses and quality-of-life improvements but does not include major story content or DLC. Larian Studios has confirmed that they have no plans to develop additional DLC for Baldur’s Gate 3. Hasbor the owner of the Baldur’s Gate franchise has recently been commenting on the continued plans for the franchise but it will not include Larian Studios as the developers going forward.
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