Baldur’s Gate 3 has many abilities for players to use in battle, but you have to be extremely careful when using a specific spell, as it can harm people outside of combat.
One underappreciated aspect of Baldur’s Gate 3’s incredible level of player freedom is the ability to fight almost everyone in the game. Sure, Vlaakith can Wish you to death if you insult her, but most other foes can be tackled as soon as you meet them.
It’s also possible to accidentally aggro enemies in Baldur’s Gate 3 due to AoE effects. Spells like Fireball can be incredibly powerful, but if they hit an NPC or accidentally ignite a surface, then expect to add more enemies to the battle.
One spell can accidentally harm non-combatants, but only if used in certain areas. As pointed out in a thread on the Baldur’s Gate 3 Reddit, the level 2 Druid spell, Moonbeam shouldn’t be used indoors in buildings with floors.
“Don’t use moonbeam on upper floors of buildings,” a player explained. “It appears to continue all the way to the ground floor and will kill anyone that walks through the column, which caused me to have to reload when Halsin became the most wanted man in Baldurs Gate.”
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Moonbeam summons a shaft of light that damages creatures that enter or start their turn in its radius. As there are two Druid party members in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll likely have access to the spell at some point.
Baldur’s Gate 3 interprets Moonbeam’s effect as being in the same spot across multiple floors, so people below the spell can still be harmed.
This iteration of Moonbeam is different from how it works in D&D 5e, where it only hits a single spot. The Baldur’s Gate 3 version is likely a result of engine limitations or a developer oversight rather than an intentional change to the spell’s effect.
Moonbeam is a great spell in areas where the player can bottleneck the enemy, as they’ll take damage whenever they reach a choke point. Players just need to be aware that Moonbeam can accidentally hit the wrong people should some NPCs be loitering around downstairs.
