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The Lightning Charges can be found on several pieces of Act 1 gear, and we’ll tell you how to best use them in Baldur’s Gate 3!
What are Lightning Charges in Baldur’s Gate 3
In Baldur’s Gate 3, Lightning Charges are a Condition you can inflict on target enemies, which will boost your attack rolls by +1 and cause you to deal a small amount of additional Lightning damage on attack. Additionally, you can stack these charges up to five times. When you gain 5 charges, they are all consumed the next time you deal damage. No matter how you attack, you will deal an additional 1-8 Lightning damage to your target.
Moreover, you will lose one Lightning Charge per turn. Therefore, you’ll need to decide strategically when and how to use your Lightning Charges.
Lastly, Lightning Charges are a mechanic in Baldur’s Gate 3 that are not specific to any race or class. Rather, they are tied to specific armour and weapon items in the game. Any party member can potentially equip and use them, so long as they have the necessary proficiency.
How to Accumulate Lightning Charges in Baldur’s Gate 3
Accumulating Lightning Charges in Baldur’s Gate 3 will somewhat depend on your combination of equipped items. The specific conditions each item requires to gain lightning charges are similar but always exactly the same.
For example, the Joltshooter, The Sparky Points, and the Spellsparkler all grant the user two Lightning Charges when the wielder deals damage. However, the Spellsparkler is a bit different because it is a quarterstaff, and you must cast a spell or cantrip to gain the Lightning Charges.
All items that generate Lightning Charges in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- The Joltshooter (Longbow): When the wielder deals damage with this weapon, they gain 2 Lightning Charges.
- The Sparky Points (Trident): When the wielder deals damage with this weapon, they gain 2 Lightning Charges.
- The Spellsparkler (Quarterstaff): When the wielder deals damage with a spell or cantrip, they gain 2 Lightning Charges.
- The Speedy Lightfeet (Boots): When the wearer dashes or takes a similar action in combat, they gain 3 Lightning Charges.
- The Watersparkers (Boots): If the wearer starts their turn on an electrified surface, they gain 3 Lightning Charges.
- The Sparkle Hands (Gloves): On a hit with an unarmed attack, the wearer gains 2 Lightning Charges.
How to Consume Lightning Charges in Baldur’s Gate 3
Furthermore, several other items in Baldur’s Gate 3 provide unique ways for you to consume your Lighting Charges beyond the basic extra damage on 5 stacks. Each item is different, with some giving you temporary hit points, others a boost to AC, a unique action, or allowing you to build Charges when hit.
These pieces offer alternative ways for you to use your Lightning Charges or passive ways of gaining additional Charges. For example, the Lightning Aura class action on The Real Sparky Sparkswall shield has a chance to Jolt nearby enemies. A Jolted enemy takes Lightning damage each turn and cannot use Reactions.
The Jolty Vest is another gear piece that can inflict a condition. If you have Lightning Charges and are hit, your attacker may become Shocked. A Shocked enemy also cannot take Reactions. Moreover, they have Disadvantage on all Dexterity ability checks and saving throws.
All items that consume Lightning Charges in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- The Blast Pendant (Necklace): Once per Long Rest you may focus the electricity in your veins as a Bonus action. Your next lightning spell or cantrip deals additional Lightning damage equal to your remaining Lightning Charges. On a hit, all of your Lightning Charges are consumed.
- The Jolty Vest (Medium Armour): When the wearer takes damage while having Lightning Charges, the attacker must succeed on a Dexterity Saving Throw or become Shocked.
- The Lifebringer (Head circlet): When the wearer gains Lightning Charges, they also gain 3 temporary hit points. The temporary hit points disappear if the wearer runs out of Lightning Charges.
- The Protecty Sparkswall (Clothing): The wearer has +1 to Armour Class and Saving throws as long as they have Lightning Charges.
- The Real Sparky Sparkswall (Shield): Grants the Lightning Aura Action, which consumes 3 Lightning Charges to create a Lightning Aura that damages nearby enemies.
- The Sparkle Hands (Gloves): On a hit with an unarmed attack, the wearer gains 2 Lightning Charges. While imbued with Lightning Charges, attacks against metal constructs and foes wearing metal armour gain Advantage
How to Use Lightning Charges in Baldur’s Gate 3
The best way to use Lightning Charges in combat are to equip items that will allow you to stack at least 5 Charges per turn, so that you can consume them with unique actions or get that maximum amount of additional damage on an attack. Moreover, to really get the most out of Lightning Charges you’ll want to cast the Haste spell on your character or drink a Potion of Speed. Consequently, they will be able to take more than one action. Another option would be to equip these items to a Fighter build, so that you can take advantage of Action Surge (Level 2) and Extra Attack (Level 5).
The Best Way to use Lightning Charges in Combat:
- Play the Fighter class for additional actions/cast Haste/drink Potion of Speed.
- Equip either the The Joltshooter, The Sparky Points, or The Spellsparkler depending on your build.
- Wear the The Speedy Lightfeet boots.
- Hit your enemy with an attack, then use the Dash bonus action, even if you don’t need to move far.
- Now you have 5 stacks of Lightning Charges.
- Either make an another attack to use the stack for additional Lightning damage
- Or consume those Charges by using the the unique Class Action provided by The Real Sparky Sparkswall or The Blast Pendant
Additional Lightning Charges Strategies
These are the basics of using Lightning Charges, but if you strategize and think about the other attacks or spells in your arsenal, you can really take advantage of the additional damage provided. For example, when you have 5 stacks of Lightning Charges built up, choose an attack that will have an area-of-effect. The additional Lightning damage from the accumulated Charges will apply to all the enemies you hit with your next attack.
Even passive features such as Cull the Weak can proc the extra damage. Cull the Weak is an Illithid Power you can toggle that triggers when you bring a creature down to fewer Hit Points than your currrent number of evolved Illithid Powers. When that happens, the target dies, and and all nearby creatures take 1~4 Psychic damage.
How to Get Lightning Charge Items
In Baldur’s Gate 3, you can acquire all of the Lightning Charge related gear pieces during Act 1 of the game. Therefore, this can help give one of your characters more of an edge, which is incredibly helpful in some of the challenging early game.
Your first opportunity to get a Lighting Charge item will be the The Speedy Lightfeet, which can be found in a Heavy Chest near the windmill the Blighted Village.
Then north of the Blighted Village you will discover the inn at Waukeen’s Rest on fire. Save Counsellor Florrick from the burning building and she will reward you with choose of one weapon out of three: The Joltshooter, The Sparky Points, or The Spellsparkler. You cannot get all three of these weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3, so choose wisely depending on which character and class you are planning on using.
Next are the second pair of boots, The Watersparkers. These are in a Gilded chest near Minthara’s location inside the Shattered Sanctum.
Finally, The Sparkle Hands can be found in a wooden chest next to a large tree stump in the south of the Sunlit Wetlands.
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