Okay so today I finally got around to testing Wrath properly in BG3 after totally misunderstanding it at first. Here’s exactly how my experiment went down.
My Starting Point
Honestly? I just assumed Wrath was another basic damage buff like Divine Smite. Slapped it on my Paladin during some goblin fights, clicked the button, and… barely noticed anything happen. Felt super disappointed, like why is this ability even here? Decided to dig deeper.
Testing Like a Dummy (Literally)
Went to camp, spawned one of those training dummies near Withers. Cast Wrath with my Paladin – bam, a weird purple cloud appeared over the dummy. Didn’t see damage pop up. Weirder, it gave me this status icon showing crossed swords. Tried hitting the dummy with a regular attack:
- First swing: Hit normally, no extra damage.
- Second swing: CRIT! Big numbers!
Wait what? Reloaded, tested 10 more times. Same pattern: first hit nothing special, second hit ALWAYS crit. Mind blown. This ain’t no damage buff – it’s a setup skill!
Live Combat Trial Run
Took the dummy knowledge into a real fight against Githyanki warriors. Strategy:
- Cast Wrath on the meanest-looking Gith first turn (cost one bonus action).
- Sent my Fighter to whack him. Normal hit, took some damage.
- Immediately after, had my Paladin jump in with a Level 2 smite… BOOM. Critical hit doubled those smite dice. Absolute execution.
Works on bosses too! Cast Wrath on Grym, let someone else bonk him once, then unloaded my biggest spells. Melted his health bar.
What Finally Clicked
- Wrath forces crits… but ONLY on the second attack against that enemy.
- Perfect for teamwork: Debuff enemy > Teammate taps them > Your next hit nukes.
- Wastes smite slots if you use it solo before attacking – don’t be like past-me.
So yeah, quit thinking of Wrath as holy damage juice. It’s a tactical grenade. Throw it, let someone else pull the pin, then you bring the explosion.