Quick Links
Baldur’s Gate 3is filled with useful magical items, many of which allow the user to apply conditions when performing certain actions. One condition shared by several pieces of equipment is “Arcane Acuity”, which provides a +1 bonus to spell attack rolls and spell save DCs per turn of the condition remaining.
By using Arcane Acuity equipment well, players ofBaldur’s Gate 3can drastically improve the effectiveness of their spellcasters by making their attacks more likely to hit and their spells harder to resist. This guide will break down each of the items that can provide Arcane Acuity, how to find them, and which are the most useful. Some of these items, like the Hat of Fire Acuity, may be difficult to obtain depending on moral choices during the game, but this was not considered when ranking the items in this list.
Elixir of Battlemage’s Power
The Elixir of Battlemage’s Power allows the drinker to gain 3 turns of Arcane Acuity, and also prevents Arcane Acuity’s duration from dropping below 3 turns.
Using this Elixir, you can guarantee that the drinker will always have at least 3 turns of Arcane Acuity, and thus a +3 bonus to spell attack rolls and spell save DC, regardless of any other equipment they are using and any damage they take. Combined with some of the other items in this list, you can reach some incredibly high spell attack roll/spell save DC boosts very early in combat.
you’re able to buy these Elixirs of Battlemage’s Power from any merchant who sells Elixirs or Potions, but they’ll only start appearing once you’re at least level 6. This means you can get access to them toward the end of Act 1 and the beginning of Act 2. Stock up on them whenever you see them, and you can easily have Arcane Acuity buffs on all of your spellcasters for difficult fights.
Helmet of Arcane Acuity
The Helmet of Arcane Acuity is a light armor helmet that grants the wearer +1 to Dexterity Saving Throws. It also has the ability “Battle Acuity”, which grants 2 turns of Arcane Acuity whenever the wearer deals damage with a weapon attack.
It is found in the Mason’s Guild in Act 2 (Coordinates X: 107, Y: -758) inside a locked and trapped Gilded Chest. To even reach it you’ll need to gain access to the secret basement area, which is most easily reached by using the Tower-Shaped Key. To get this key, you’ll need to persuade Mattis to part with it at the Last Light Inn, or purchase it instead. If Mattis died during Act One, the key will be moved to a bag behind a counter inside the Inn.
This helmet is probably one of the best Arcane Acuity items,especially for Warlocks and Spellsinging Wizards, since it can be acquired during Act 2 and makes it easy to build up Arcane Acuity during battle. This is especially true when making use of spells like Booming Blade or the various Smite spells to empower your melee attacks. By doing this, you can benefit from the Helmet of Arcane Acuity and also the Gloves of Battlemage’s Power with a single action, generating even more Arcane Acuity.
Gloves of Battlemage’s Power
The Gloves of Battlemage’s Power are gloves that provide a +1 bonus to Strength Saving Throws and have the ability “Battlemage’s Power.” This grants 1 turn of Arcane Acuity whenever the wearer hits a target with any spell or cantrip that uses a weapon. Practically speaking,this effect can be triggered by all smite spells (and also Divine Smite itself), Booming Blade, both versions of Ensnaring Strike, Hail of Thorns, and attacks made using Flame Blade or Shadow Blade when they’re in your main hand. Triggering Divine Smite as a reaction when casting a Smite Spell will trigger Battlemage’s Power twice.
You can track down these gloves at Reithwin Tollhouse in Act 2 (Coordinates X: -84 Y:-88) on the second floor. They’re locked inside a chest. These are fantastic for any class, but especially strong when worn by Paladins since they can be triggered multiple times with the aforementioned Smite Spell and Divine Smite reaction combo.
Hat of Storm Scion’s Power
The Hat of Storm Scion’s Power grants its wearer 2 turns of Arcane Acuity whenever they deal Thunder damage with an attack. Araj Oblodra, in Moonrise Towers, sells this hat, making it easy to get once you enter Act 2. Thunder damage is a key part of two of the game’s strongest subclasses: Tempest Domain Cleric and Storm Sorcery Sorcerer. Because of this, the Hat of Storm Scion’s Power will prove useful in several different spellcasting builds, especially those utilizing the Reverberation condition.
Paired with Phalar Aluve and the Psychic Spark Amulet, you can use the Hat of Storm Scion’s Power to stack a ton of Arcane Acuity in a single turn. You just need to activate Phalar Aluve: Shriek, and then cast a second-level Magic Missile spell. Each missile striking a target in range of Shriek will deal thunder damage, generating 2 turns of Arcane Acuity, and you’ll be firing five missiles with this setup for a total of 10 turns of Arcane Acuity.
Another option for generating lots of stacks quickly is by utilizing Eldritch Blast or Scorching Ray in conjunction with Phalar Aluve: Shriek, since each fires multiple beams and thus can trigger the Hat of Storm Scion’s Power multiple times.
Hat of Fire Acuity
The Hat of Fire Acuity grants 2 turns of Arcane Acuity whenever the wearer deals fire damage. This is a simple and effective item that’ll benefit any spellcaster who deals a lot of fire damage, though unfortunately, it can only be obtained by killing the Strange Ox at any point after it reaches the Last Light Inn in Act 2. This means losing the chance to gain the Ox as an ally later.
This hat is a very reliable way to generate Arcane Acuity on a build with a focus on fire magic, and is one of the easiest ways to generate Arcane Acuity without getting into melee range, especially due to the number of damaging fire spells available throughout the game. Some particularly strong options include Scorching Ray (since it fires multiple beams and can thus trigger the hat multiple times) and Fireball.
