My Ultimate Guide to Conquering Baldur's Gate 3 in 2026 with These Amazing Exploits!

Let's be honest, folks. Baldur's Gate 3 can be a brutal, soul-crushing experience, especially in that diabolical Honor Mode. I've been there, staring at the 'Game Over' screen more times than I care to admit. But what if I told you there are still ways to bend the rules in your favor? After years of patches, some absolutely glorious exploits have survived the Larian Studios' purge, and I'm here to share my secrets. These aren't just tricks; they're game-changers! Trust me, with these in your arsenal, you'll feel unstoppable.

Get Helldusk Armor From Raphael In Act One

Free Powerful Armor

Can you imagine strutting around the Emerald Grove in one of the most powerful armors in the game during Act One? I did! The Helldusk Armor is a beast, and snatching it from the devil Raphael himself is a thrill. Here's my foolproof method:

1. First, chat with Nettie in the Emerald Grove. This triggers Raphael's spawn near the bridge outside the Blighted Village.

2. This is crucial: split your party! Leave one character a good distance back.

3. Approach with your main character to start Raphael's dialogue.

4. Immediately switch to your distant companion and take a ranged potshot at him. Poof! He vanishes in a huff.

5. Later, when you try to go to the Mountain Pass, he'll appear in your camp, ready for a chat. Don't let him speak! Hit him with a Silence spell or arrow.

6. Now, unleash hell with non-lethal attacks until he's knocked out.

7. Loot him faster than a rogue picks a lock before he disappears. Boom! The Helldusk Armor is yours!

Isn't it just beautiful to outsmart a devil?

Granting Yourself Unlimited Movement Speed With The Aspect Of The Elk Ability

Never Stop Moving

Who needs horses when you can become The Flash of Faerûn? If you have a Wildheart Barbarian in your party with the Aspect of the Elk, you've got a speed engine. This ability grants an extra 5 feet of movement to nearby allies. The trick? The buff applies every single time you enter its area of effect.

So, what did I do? I just danced! I'd step in, get the buff, step out, and step right back in. Rinse and repeat. Before I knew it, my character was zipping across the battlefield like a caffeinated squirrel. Just remember not to wander too far between dips, or you'll waste that precious speed. It's tedious, but watching your Tav blur across the screen is worth it!

Huddle Around A Potion And Break It To Boost The Whole Party

Give The Entire Party A Treat

Running low on healing potions for a big fight? Don't you hate rationing? Here's a community-saver: you don't have to drink a potion to benefit from it. You can break it on the ground!

Imagine this: your whole party is looking rough after a scrap with some Gnolls. Instead of passing around your last Superior Healing Potion, you place it gently on the floor. You gather your companions around it in a tight, hopeful circle. Then, you give it a little... tap. SMASH! A healing mist envelops everyone! This works with any breakable potion—speed, strength, you name it. Just do it before combat starts, unless you want your clustered party to be one big fireball target.

Use Smokepowder Bombs Without Using An Action

All You Need Is Fire

Actions are the currency of combat in Baldur's Gate 3. What if I told you could spend that currency on something else while still blowing things up? For Smokepowder Bombs, you can! Throwing one normally uses an Action. But dropping it? That's free.

My favorite tactic: find or create a nice patch of fire (a candle, a brazier, a Burning Hands spell). Drop a Smokepowder Bomb from your inventory next to the fire. Then, use the simple 'Move' action to slide the bomb into the flames. KA-BOOM! No Action spent, just pure, unadulterated explosive chaos. You can chain this with multiple bombs for a spectacular (and free) fireworks show at your enemies' expense.

Acquire A Permanent Shadow Blade With The Help Of A Hireling

A Powerful Blade For Early In The Game

The Shadow Blade spell is awesome—a psychic damage-dealing beauty. But it's temporary, vanishing after a Long Rest. Well, not anymore! With a simple hireling loophole, you can make it permanent.

1. Go to Withers and hire a spellcaster (Sorcerer, Wizard, or Warlock).

2. Level them up to at least 3 so they learn Shadow Blade and cast it.

3. Once they're holding that gorgeous purple blade, go back to Withers.

4. Dismiss the hireling.

5. Now, re-hire the exact same hireling.

They will return... with the Shadow Blade still equipped! And here's the kicker: it's now a permanent item that any character can use, and it survives Long Rests. It's like a legendary weapon delivery service!

Get What You Want From Merchants Using A Warlock

Free Money And Items

Running low on gold? Need that sweet, sweet magical item a merchant is hoarding? Let's make a deal they can't refuse... because it's an illusion! This uses the Warlock's Bind Pact Weapon feature.

1. Bind a weapon (any weapon) to your pact.

2. Open trade with a merchant.

3. On your side of the barter screen, place any weapon from your inventory.

4. Now, drag that weapon from the trade window directly onto your character's weapon slot to equip it. This will swap it with your bound Pact Weapon.

5. Magically, your bound weapon appears in the trade window! The merchant will value it highly.

6. You can't actually finalize selling it (it's bound!), but you can drag the merchant's gold and items into the offer.

7. Accept the trade. You get all their stuff, and your bound weapon teleports right back to your hand. It's the perfect crime!

Steal A Weapon From A Summon

Obtain Unobtainable Weapons

Some of the coolest weapons in the game are wielded by summons like Devas or Elemental Myrmidons, and they're not supposed to be lootable. Want them? You'll need lightning-fast reflexes.

1. Summon your creature (or find an enemy one).

2. Open its inventory. You won't see the weapon listed.

3. Look for a tiny preview/model button below their inventory portrait and click it.

4. For a split second, their weapon appears in the inventory window!

5. If you're quick enough, click and drag it, then immediately open your own inventory and drop it in.

Congratulations! You now have a weapon no one else does. It's tricky, but so satisfying.

Leave One Party Member At Camp To Keep Your Team From Getting Wiped

One Companion Left Behind

This is the ultimate Honor Mode safety net. The rule is brutal: if your whole active party dies, your campaign ends. Forever. My heart can't take that pressure! So, I cheat death itself.

1. Ungroup your party.

2. Leave one companion at camp. They must still be in your active party selection, just physically in camp.

3. Venture forth with your other three heroes.

If disaster strikes and your trio is wiped out, your game isn't over! Your campaign continues because one party member is still alive, safe and sound at camp. Sure, you fight with a man down, but it's a small price for immortality. Just be warned, some story moments might force them to your location, so use it wisely!

So there you have it, my fellow adventurers! These are the exploits that have saved my sanity and propelled me to victory in 2026. Will Larian patch them someday? Maybe. But until then, why not use every tool in the box? After all, in a world with mind flayers and evil gods, don't you deserve a little break? Now go out there and break the game—I mean, play the game!