Best weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3 & how to find them

Lucas Simons
Dammon the Blacksmith, in Baldur's Gate 3

In Baldur’s Gate 3, there are hundreds of powerful weapons you can try for your build. Here’s how to find the best melee, spellcaster, and ranged weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, your journey across Faerun will bring you face-to-face with many strong creatures, and tackling them might prove to be difficult if you are not prepared with some of the most powerful weapons and spells in the game.

Here are the best weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3, with stats, tips, and where to find each of them.

Baldur’s Gate 3 best weapons

Mourning Frost

Mourning Frost is one of the best spellcaster weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3, and the best part is that you can get it early on during Act 1. It requires a little bit of exploring, and we cover it all in our how to get the Mourning Frost guide.

Its stats are not so great overall, but what matters most is its Passive Ability, called Insidious Cold, which causes every cold damage spell you cast the ability to cause Chilled upon the target. This makes it the best CC tool in the whole game.

Mourning Frost in Baldur's Gate 3
Mourning Frost turns each ice spell into a powerful crowd-control source.

Heart of Ice is another passive that grants one point of extra frost damage per spell, which can be seen as average. However, in the early game, it is invaluable, as each point of damage counts towards victory. Combine this staff and the Winter Grasp gloves, and you will be an unstoppable freezing machine.

Infernal Rapier

The Infernal Rapier is a melee weapon, and another great addition to the already overpowered Warlock arsenal. Its passive makes the user add its spellcasting Ability Modifier to Attack Rolls and grants a +1 to Spell Save DC. It also enables the user to cast Planar Ally: Cambion to summon a powerful Devil to fight alongside you.

Infernal Rapier of Wyll in Baldur's Gate 3
Infernal Rapier is Wyll’s signature weapon, granted to him by Mizora during Act 2.

You can acquire the Infernal Rapier by saving Mizora during Act 2 and bargaining with her for an additional reward for Wyll. He must be at your party, otherwise, Mizora will leave, and you will miss this chance to get one of the best melee weapons in the game.

Markoheshkir

Markoheshkir is the ultimate spellcaster weapon you can get in Baldur’s Gate 3. You can find it inside Lorrakan’s Tower (Sorcerous Sundries) in Baldur’s Gate, located in the Lower City area. If you follow the Nightsong Quest, it will eventually lead you there.

When you talk to Lorrakan, whatever you choose, turn around and find some flying furniture that you can jump as if they were floating platforms. Now, descend to the lower level of Lorrakan’s lair, where you will see four switches. Drink a potion of See Invisibility, and you will see one that says “Below.”

Press that switch and it will send you to the lower level, where you will see two invulnerable barriers, and, if you are still under the effects of See Invisibility, you will see two levers. Pull them both for two OP mage items. One of them is this Staff that grants you access to a Free Spell slot once per short rest, the other one is Kereska’s Favor Evocation Spell, which grants a buff for the selected Elemental Damage Type until the next Long Rest.

Markoheshkir in Baldur's Gate 3
Markoheshkir is the best Staff for a Wizard or Sorcerer in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Duellist’s Prerogative

The Duellist’s Prerogative is a mythical rapier, a melee weapon that can be obtained later on during Act 3 and will require you to face Auntie Ethel for a second time. Here’s a full guide on how to obtain this beauty.

It possesses several great qualities, besides its +3 enchantment. The Elegant Duellist passive, which activates when you equip just this weapon, grants an additional reaction per turn and reduces the Critical Score threshold to 19.

It also grants the Withering Cut passive, which permits you to use your reaction to apply additional Necrotic Damage equal to your proficiency bonus (DEX most likely).

It has two additional Active Features: Challenge to Duel, which causes enemies to attack the caster of said ability, and Dueller’s Enthusiasm, which allows you to perform a quick dash and strike extra attack once per short rest.

On top of all that, it has an additional hidden passive that grants yet another additional attack per turn. All these features make it the best Finesse weapon in the game.

Duellist's Prerogative in Baldur's Gate 3
The Duellist’s Prerogative has one of the coolest weapon designs in the entire game.

Sword of Life Stealing

The Sword of Life Stealing is a relatively easy weapon to get in Baldur’s Gate 3, it has a +2 enchantment and is one of the best melee weapons in the game. It works great for a Rogue or a dual-wielding Warrior/Ranger.

Its passive makes it Steal Life on a Critical Hit, causing 1-10 extra Necrotic Damage to the target and granting the attacker 10 temporary hit points.

Sword of Life Stealing in Baldur's Gate 3
This shortsword can be a powerful off-hand weapon for a dual-wielding character.

You can purchase this Shortsword from Dammon the blacksmith in the Last Light Inn, during Act 2 for only 1100 gold coins.

Hellfire Hand Crossbow

The Hellfire Hand Crossbow is an excellent ranged weapon that you can acquire late during Act 2 by defeating the demon Yugir. It’s located inside the Gauntlet of Shar, and dealing with him will be part of the Quest you obtain from Raphael once you approach Thorm’s Mausoleum. You cannot miss it.

Hellfire Hand Crossbow
This Hand Crossbow works best when used with Stealth.

This Hand Crossbow grants the user the ability to cast Scorching Ray at level 3 once per long rest. It also makes every shot burn the target if the attacker is Hiding or Invisible. It’s a great weapon for Astarion or a Gloomstalker Ranger.

Selûne’s Spear of Night

Selûne’s Spear of Night is the best versatile weapon in the game. You can get your hands on this beauty during Act 3 if you are romancing Shadowheart and if you convinced her to Spare The Nightsong.

At some point, when you approach your camp at the beginning of Act 3, take control of Shadowheart and approach Nightsong, talk to her, and she will grant you this weapon, which is based on Shar’s Spear of Night, but purified by the Light of Selune.

Not only does it have a +3 enchantment, but it grants the user Darkvision, and also an advantage in each Wisdom Saving Throws and Perception Checks.

Selune's Spear of Night in Baldur's Gate 3
Selune’s Spear grants access to the most powerful area buff in the game.

It also grants access to Moonbeam, a powerful Divine Spell that causes Radiant Damage and can be moved once per turn during 5 turns, dealing damage to each creature standing in its wake. It also grants the ability to cast Moonmote, a global crowd control/buff effect that slows enemies, gives them a disadvantage on Wisdom Checks, and grants an advantage to allies in the area.

Nyrulna

Nyrulna is one of the best two-handed weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3, but it also has the ‘Versatile’ feature, which makes it one of the best one-handed weapons too. Its high damage, extra 1d6 thunder damage, and passives are a lethal combination.

The wearer of Nyrulna gains a +3m bonus movement speed (the amount of distance you can move during a turn), and Immunity to fall damage (you become immortal even if you jump from the tallest building). It has the ‘Return’ passive, which makes it return to your hand when you throw it and causes an explosion of 3-12 Thunder damage wherever it lands when thrown.

Nyrulna in Baldur's Gate 3
Nyrulna is every thunder god’s dream and it even returns to your hand when thrown.

To get Nyrulna, you need to have Astarion or another Rogue in your party, go to the End of The World Circus in Baldur’s Gate 3, and look for a red Djinn featuring a ‘Spin the Wheel’ game.

Don’t talk to him yet. Take Astarion apart, enter Stealth mode, and pickpocket the Djinn. Steal its ring, then talk to the Djinn and spin the wheel. You will automatically win the ‘rigged game,’ the Djinn will get furious and send whoever stole the ring to a jungle full of velociraptors.

You only need to remain stealthy, look where the dinosaurs are patrolling, and one-shot them with ranged Sneak Attacks. You’ll have no problem dispatching them if you are stealthy, even the Matriarch hidden in the cave. Once you have dealt with all of them, approach the portal at the end of the jungle, lockpick the chest, and get your prize.

The Blood of Lathander

When it comes to one-handed weapons, The Blood of Lathander is the best one around. It’s a sacred relic +3 weapon that you can get early during Act 2. You can find it by traveling to the Mountain Pass, following Lae’zel’s quest to find her ‘creché.’

Once you reach the Rosymorn Monastery, you need to climb to the upper level of the ruins and look for a Vitral room, with a strange Circular Vitral in the middle. Then, you need to fetch 4 ceremonial weapons spread through the monastery.

Place each weapon in the corresponding altars according to the Circular Vitral. You need to drag them from the inventory and drop them in the altars. Once all four are placed, a small secret stash will open. Pick up the Dawnmaster’s Crest and save it for later. Advance through Lae’zel’s quest until you are allowed in the Commander’s Room, below the ruins of the Monastery.

Blood of Lathander in Baldur's Gate 3
The Blood of Lathander is the strongest one-handed Mace in the game.

Turn to the left inside the Commander’s Room, and you will find 2 statues. One needs you to cast the Grease Spell or throw a Grease Bottle over it, as it is stuck. Then, place the two statues facing opposite sides (East, and West).

A path will open, you need to solve another puzzle. Use your nimblest character (Astarion, or a Rogue) to climb down the ledges, disable the traps, and open the path before you. Then, move forward until you see the altar with the Blood of Lathander shining there.

But beware, only approach it with the character that has the Dawnmaster’s Crest. Instead of interacting with the floating mace, look for a keyhole to drop the crest. Drag it from your inventory, and you will disable the Security Measure that would have killed you all if you picked it.

You will then have a +3 Mace that grants you a Powerful Spell called Sunbeam, at level 6 it deals a ton of Radian Damage in a straight line and blinds every creature trapped in its path. It also grants the wearer the passive called Lathander’s Blessing, which allows you to revive yourself and your allies once per Long Rest automatically the first time you drop to 0 hp.

The second passive causes all Undead near you to have to take a Constitution Saving Throw or become Blinded by the sheer force of its light.

Gontr Mael

Gontr Mael is the best ranged weapon in the whole game, and one of the strongest bows in Baldur’s Gate 3. To get this bow, you must first reach Act 3 and take the quest to Save the Gondians or Destroy the Steel Watch Foundry.

Either path you pick will lead you to fight against the Steel Watcher Titan, a gigantic construct Boss that will drop this Bow once you defeat him.

Gontr Mael in Baldur's Gate 3
This Mythical Bow will sear your enemies with Radiant Bolts once every two shots.

Its insane stats are paired with a passive that grants each shot the possibility to become a Guiding Bolt spell cast at your character’s highest caster level. It also grants the user a charge of the spell-like ability Celestial Haste, an improved version of the Haste spell.

Equip this bow to your preferred warrior characters, and you can even turn him into a legendary Arcane Archer, or try this incredible feat of defeating the hardest boss Solo.

Least Expected

The Least Expected bow, is yet another great ranged weapon, with some hidden passives that make it, on some occasions, better than other +3 bows in Baldur’s Gate 3.

When a character wields Least Expected, it always rolls attacks with advantage when standing in shadows. Plus, each shot causes an extra 1d4 Necrotic damage.

Least Expected has 2 hidden passives. When hitting a target illuminated by the light, it has a chance to cause 1d4 extra Necrotic damage and blind its target.

Least Expected in Baldur's Gate 3
Least Expected is a good companion for a Gloomstalker Ranger or Assasin Rogue.

The other one is an accumulative Necrotic Damage passive granted for wearing a full set of Dark Justiciar’s set. Gauntlets, Boots, Helmet, Chest, Talisman and Rings. It will cause an extra point of damage per set piece equipped. Each piece of the set also has a synergy with Darkveil Precision passive and grants certain effects when standing in the shadows.

You can obtain this bow from a chest in the third room of the Gauntlet of Shar. After your battle against the Revenant Justicars, look for it near a coffin in the corridor to your left, right next to the friendly zombies.

Those are the best weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you are still looking for more Baldur’s Gate 3 content and guides, you can also check out how to craft potions or the best Wizard build. Or perhaps you’re looking for info on how to get the rare companion Us, or the best way to defeat Auntie Ethel.