The Struggle with the Useless Disguise Spell in Baldur’s Gate 3

Many Baldur’s Gate 3 players are currently split in their opinions regarding a Level 5 spell that has been labeled as “useless.” This confusion is due to the uncertainty surrounding how to properly cast and utilize the spell.

“Seeming”is a powerful spell that can be cast by characters who have reached Class Level 9, such as Bards, Sorcerers, Wizards, Archfey Warlocks, and Trickery Domain Clerics (who have access to it as a domain spell).

Seeming, when cast, has the ability to conceal not only the caster, but also their companions, which can prove advantageous in evading undesirable circumstances or evading foes. However, the actual execution of the spell is not as simple as the description may suggest.

A discussion about the usefulness of the Seeming spell was initiated by players on Reddit, where they shared scenarios where it could be effective. However, the original poster expressed frustration with the spell, stating that they were unable to make it work.

“I decided to use Seeming, thinking it would make it easier for me to sneak in and out of places,”explained the person in the poster. “I cast it on my party, but it only allowed half of us to successfully disguise ourselves. To make matters worse, it didn’t even give us the option to choose our disguises!”

Baldur's Gate 3 spellcasting — Larian Studios

Spells are a powerful tool in Baldur’s Gate 3.

After the claim that Seeming does not give the option to decide how you and your party appear was made, commenters quickly disproved it. They pointed out that both their own experiences and the official Wikipedia page for Baldur’s Gate 3 state that the spell allows you to choose your disguises after casting it.

“Listed as “Adjust Seeming,”this is a self-cast action that enables the user to transform into any race with masculine or feminine features.”

Some party members were unsure if they could successfully save against the disguise, while others claimed to have never witnessed anyone do so.

This could imply that the person who originally posted the question may have faced difficulties other than casting the spell, or that they may be dealing with a distinct situational challenge.

“One commenter shared, ‘That’s strange. I don’t recall having to make saves with the spell before. Perhaps someone was observing you and you had to roll against them.’ However, others pointed out that guards will still recognize your presence, regardless of your appearance. This is functioning as intended.”

Despite differing opinions on various aspects of the game, players generally concurred that there are more effective ways to conceal a party than using a Level 5 spell. Utilizing items and lower-level spells can achieve the same result and allow for higher-level spells to be saved for more urgent scenarios.