The Most Powerful Build In Baldur’s Gate 3 Doesn’t Even Use A Real Class

Summary Barrelmancy isn't an official Baldur's Gate 3 magic school, but it's a powerful strategy for explosive combat success.

Smokepowder and Oil Barrels are common items in Act One, and are perfect for decimating foes.

Different barrels deal various elemental damages, making them versatile tools for taking down tough enemies.

Barrelmancy is not an official school of magic in Baldur's Gate 3, though it might be the most powerful. The term refers to using the explosive barrels found all across Faerûn to finish fights before they begin, setting them up around the battlefield so that they can be blown up right at the start of combat. Compared to relying on dice rolls and spells to face BG3's hardest bosses, using barrels is both easier and more reliable.

Especially in an Honour Mode campaign, with only one life and tough enemies to face, players must take advantage of every resource they have. Knowing how to effectively use and find barrels, as well as how to place them in a given zone, may be the difference between success and failure on certain runs. Luckily, these barrels are in no short supply, even in the early game, and the first several boss fights allow them to be used to great effect.

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Collecting Barrels Is A Breeze If You Know Where To Look

Smokepowder & Oil Barrels Are Plentiful In Act 1

Unlike some other consumables in the game, which can appear randomly in different chests or enemy inventories, barrels are consistent in where they appear. Players in Act One may find a large supply of Smokepowder Barrels behind the Zhentarim merchants at the goblin camp. Looking in the Underdark, a stockpile of Oil Barrel waits at the Selûnite outpost.

Of course, carrying a ton of heavy barrels around with the party isn't easy. These items range in weight from around 40 to 80 pounds, meaning they can quickly max out a character's carrying capacity. It's helpful when collecting these items to bring a character with high Strength, such as a barbarian or paladin.

Different Types Of Barrels Can Be Used For Taking Out Different Enemy Groups

Barrels Deal A Variety Of Elemental Damages Or Produce Different Surfaces

Smokepowder barrels are useful against pretty much anything, since they deal a mix of force and fire damage when blown up in an enormous area. Piling these things in Dror Ragzlin's throne room, for instance, allows players to destroy the majority of the enemies in that fight before it even starts, including the boss himself. Other barrels, such as those filled with water, can be used to soak large groups of enemies before hitting them with a lightning spell.

Above Dror Ragzlin's throne room, there are rafters that can be climbed into, which will keep the party out of harm's way when initiating a massive barrel explosion.

The late game provides access to a few unique barrel types, such as the brine barrels which deal acid damage and create an acidic surface. With practice and experimentation, players have found all sorts of different ways to take advantage of these items, which are essentially elemental bombs. The barrelmancer may not be a class, or even intended gameplay, but it is a powerful build and strategy for completing tough Baldur's Gate 3 encounters with hardly any resource cost.