Summary
Just because Magic Items provide unique effects to weapons inBaldur’s Gate 3doesn’t mean ordinary armaments can’t contend with their enchanted counterparts. Thanks to the Dip Bonus Action, characters can dip their weapons into surfaces to further enhance their damage output, resulting in coated blades or arrows that give a +1d4 of the damage type associated with the dipping source.
However, just because Dipping is often done on environmental surfaces doesn’t mean players need to create them to secure certain damage bonuses. With the rightCoating, players ofBaldur’s Gate 3can further enhance their weapons with special benefits other than a base damage buff.
(Updated on 27 May 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam)Courtesy of Hotfix #17, players enjoying Baldur’s Gate 3 may be able to enjoy it further, as the game removes more bugs that may ruin their present playthrough. This is particularly the case when players try to manipulate the environment with various effects, surfaces, and even Coatings that may drastically affect their combat performance. With the game tweaking more of its gameplay mechanics, players may be able to rely on more Coatings in the game, some of which give players opportunities to use Fire Damage more effectively against opponents, inflict debilitating poisons, and even stop enemies on their tracks. As such, more Coatings have been added to this list to expand further on the game’s best options.
Where To Find
Sister Lidwin (House of Healing), Derryth Bonecloack (Myconid Colony)
The Very Rare nature of thePurple Worm Toxinis attributed to its extremely potent capabilities as a Coating. When used on aBaldur’s Gate 3weapon like a Greatsword, it acquires the “Coated In Purple Worm Toxin” Condition for 10 turns. Targets hit with a weapon bearing this condition take 1d10 Poison Damage whenever they end their turn, with the effect only ending upon succeeding a DC 19 CON Save.
What’s more interesting about the Purple Worm Toxin is how it can also create a dippable surface upon being thrown on the ground. The surface itself lasts for 10 turns and remains capable of bestowing the same Condition to all weapons dipped into it. Considering how both uses of the Very Rare Coating still counts towards its consumption, creating a surface near the party that all members can use to inflict debilitating per-turn Poison Damage can give them the best edge in combat.
Rare
Effect
Encrusted With Frost: 2-turn Disadvantage on DEX Saves; if Coating itself has at least 7 Turns, target must succeed DC 12 CON Save or take 1d4 Cold Damage
N/A
While players can rely on aBaldur’s Gate 3Wizard buildfor elemental attribute shenanigans,Oil in Freezingcan become a convenient way of debilitating enemy forces with a chilling effect. Coating a weapon with this Oil gives it the Coated in Oil of Freezing Condition, lasting for 10 turns. Hitting an opponent successfully with the Coated weapon will afflict them with the Encrusted With Frost effect.
This two-turn effect will impose Disadvantage on DEX Saves to affected targets. Moreover, if the Coating itself still has at least seven turns remaining on the Coated weapon, Encrusted targets have to pull off a DC 12 CON Save or take 1d4 Cold Damage. While the 1d4 Cold Damage within a certain turn threshold is minuscule, the more important component of this Coating is the DEX Save Disadvantage, practically encouraging combos with heavy-hitting Evocation Spells that enemies would dodge with DEX Saves.
Despite the overall firepower of Spells like Fireball, they become useless when used against foes who have Fire Resistance. However, withArsonist’s Oil,characters like an Eldritch Knightcan guarantee that foes who normally resist Fire Damage are still able to suffer the wrath of their flames. When used as a Coating, the Coated weapon receives the Coated In Arsonist’s Oil Condition. Should players hit a foe who has Resistance to Fire Damage, this Resistance transforms into a Vulnerability for two turns. When used against bosses who ordinarily have innate Resistances, an Eldritch Knight can combo Arsonist’s Oil with an ever-reliable Scorching Ray.
Since Arsonist’s Oil lasts for 10 turns on the affected weapon, it may be better off used as a surface. When thrown on the ground, weapons dipped in Arsonist’s Oil can inflict the same Condition to targets, but at least the player’s nearby allies should theoretically now be able to transfer the condition to multiple targets at a time.
Inflicts Paralysed and Poisoned
Echo of Abazigal (Murder Tribunal), Fytz the Firecracker (Lower City)
While aScimitar-toting Rogue inBaldur’s Gate 3may be able to pull off debilitating Sneak Attacks with the right Advantage, they might want to maximize their available damage with a Coating likeCrawler Mucus. Coating their weapon with this icky oil gives it the Coated In Crawler Mucus Condition for 10 turns, where targets struck with the Coated armament get the Stricken With Crawler Mucus effect.
Targets affected by this debuff need to succeed a DC 13 CON Save or become both Poisoned and Paralyzed for a turn. At the hands of an ally who can inflict this on a target, a Rogue multi-hitting a Sneak Attack into an affected target not only enjoys an auto-Crit at Advantage when hit in melee (Paralyzed), the target even Reacts at a Disadvantage (Poisoned) if they attempt to hit back.
Targets take extra 4d4+4 Fire Damage if they receive Fire Damage within 2 Turns
Anyone who’s ever played a Spellcaster inD&Dknows thatMage Hand can become one of the most powerful assets to a partydue to its versatility. When it comes to its use as something that can throw Grenades at opponents,Oil of Combustioncan be quite a dependable multi-purpose item. When used as a Coating, the affected armament receives the 10-turn Coated in Oil of Combustion Condition. Hitting a target with this Condition inflicts the Oil of Combustion Condition, dousing them with oil that makes them take an extra 3d6 Fire Damage should they receive Fire Damage.
It’s this effect that makes Oil of Combustion more practical as a Grenade instead. Should this become a surface, the player’s long-ranged combatants can bombard Coated arrows onto opponents before their Wizard casts Fireball. Since the Oil’s effects will release extra 3d6 Fire Damage at a 10-foot radius, Oil of Combustion can make for a debilitating AoE.
10Oil Of Diminution
Make Enemies Pint-Sized And Easier To Deal With
Other than creating distance, Shoving doesn’t seem all too effective when defeating foes inBaldur’s Gate 3- that is until players discover thatShoving enemies off cliffs and ledgescan make boss battles easier than expected. Unfortunately, many bosses end up boasting high Strength stats that trying to Shove them can become tougher than players anticipate.
WithOil of Diminution, this becomes much easier to accomplish. When hit, a target needs to succeed a Constitution Save or suffer Disadvantage on Strength Checks and get a -1d4 penalty for all their melee attack damage. This means even if players still can’t Shove their target despite the Disadvantage, the creature in question still suffers some melee damage reduction.
9Wizardsbane Oil
Transform Spellcasters Into Easier Targets
Regardless of how powerful a mage’s spell is in theirBaldur’s Gate 3gameplay, their attack power is almost always useless if enemies still manage to succeed in their Saves. With theWizardsbane Oil, players can verify spellcasters become useless outright. Coating a weapon with this oil will have targets receive a -3 debuff to their Spell Attack Rolls and Spell Save DC, making it much easier for them to miss and for the players to dodge attacks.
Moreover, Wizardsbane Oil ensures the target has a Disadvantage in maintaining their Concentration, making this perfectfor multi-specializing Bardsthat can be assigned as the resident mage-killer. Despite this oil’s effects lasting for only two turns, a character with high enough attack stats can continuously inflict this debuff on pesky spellcasters before they strike back.
8Basic Poison
Default Poison Can Be Consistently Powerful
Despite the commonality ofBasic Poisonas a Coating, its accessibility throughoutBaldur’s Gate 3gameplay makes it a must-have for constant damage over time in encounters. When used as a weapon coat, Basic Poison will force targets to succeed a CON Save or become Poisoned.
While the damage dealt to targets as they retain the Poison status differs depending on their Poison Resistance, Basic Poison can continuously impart this effect as long as the coating persists. This makes Basic Poison a good pair for classes with multiple attack options, such as Thief Rogues with their Extra Bonus Attack, or Fighters with their Action Surges.
Players enjoying theirBaldur’s Gate 3playthroughs may not immediately rely ondamage-over-time as a surefire way of eliminating opponents, especially since the damage they deal might not be enough to land a killing blow.Serpent Fang Toxintries to bypass this problem by ensuring players deal extra damage per attack instead.
When used as a Coating, the Serpent Fang Toxin grants an additional 1d6 Poison Damage to active weapons that land successful hits. The 1d6 boost is the equivalent of a Sneak Attack for the Rogue, making this quite a deadly addition to an assassin’s arsenal.
6Thisobald’s Brewed-Up Bellyglummer
More Powerful Poison Damage To Foes
Perhaps the epitome of Poison-based Coatings inBaldur’s Gate 3combat, usingThisobald’s Brewed-Up Bellyglummercan become one of the best methods of dealing consistent Poison Damage to foes given its rather powerful nature. At its core, foes hit need to succeed a DC 17 Constitution Save or risk receiving 1d6 Poison Damage per turn.
Despite the straightforward nature of this Coating, the DC 17 Constitution Save can be tough to beat, especially since not all creatures prioritize CON among their Attributes. Not to mention, using a weapon with this Coatingin multi-attack situationscan continuously apply the status effect anyway.
