Best Weapons in Baldur's Gate 3: Act 3

Act 3 in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the climactic and most challenging portion of the game. As your party delves deeper into the mysteries of the game’s final act, the enemies you face become far more dangerous, and having the right weapons can make all the difference. This guide will explore the best weapons to find in Act 3, detailing where to find them, what makes them stand out, and how they can enhance your party’s capabilities. From devastating melee weapons to magical ranged options, let’s dive into what Act 3 has to offer.

Githyanki Greatsword +2

• Location: In the depths of the Lower City.
• What makes it great: This is a staple for any Githyanki warrior or any Strength-based character. The Githyanki Greatsword +2 offers a high base damage of 2d6+2, alongside a great critical hit modifier, making it a perfect weapon for those wanting to land devastating blows.
• How to use it effectively: Pair this sword with high-Strength characters like Lae'zel or a custom Githyanki build, especially if you’ve been specializing in two-handed weapons. It benefits greatly from critical hit bonuses, so using it with abilities or spells that enhance your chance to crit, like the Fighter's Action Surge, will maximize its effectiveness.

Bloodthirst (Dagger)

• Location: Can be found in the House of Grief.
• What makes it great: Bloodthirst is a terrifyingly strong dagger with a unique passive. It deals bonus damage against targets with less than 50% health, and its critical hits are guaranteed when attacking surprised enemies.
• How to use it effectively: This is perfect for Rogues or dual-wielding builds. Given its bonus damage to low-health enemies, it is ideal for finishing off weakened foes. Its critical hit feature makes it a great choice for surprise attacks. Combining this with skills like Sneak Attack ensures massive damage output.

Sword of Justice

• Location: Found during one of the critical quests in the Lower City.
• What makes it great: The Sword of Justice is a longsword that provides not just high damage (1d8+3), but also grants the wielder the ability to cast Shield of Faith, boosting their Armor Class (AC) by 2. This adds both offensive and defensive utility.
• How to use it effectively: Ideal for Paladins or Fighters who can use both spell and melee. The added bonus of Shield of Faith makes this sword not only a hard-hitting weapon but also gives you an edge in defense during prolonged battles.

Staff of Crones

• Location: Hidden in the depths of the Underdark and finally retrievable in Act 3.
• What makes it great: The Staff of Crones is a weapon for spellcasters, offering significant buffs to spellcasting abilities. It enhances spells by adding +2 to spell attack rolls and saving throw DCs, making your spells harder to resist.
• How to use it effectively: This is perfect for a Sorcerer, Wizard, or Warlock. Its boosts to spell attack rolls and DCs ensure your spells land more often and are harder for enemies to resist. Use it to amplify crowd control spells like Hold Person or offensive spells like Fireball.

Hellfire Crossbow

• Location: Acquired from Raphael in his mansion.
• What makes it great: The Hellfire Crossbow is an incredibly powerful ranged weapon, dealing fire damage with every shot. Its additional ability to ignite targets makes it deadly in prolonged combat encounters.
• How to use it effectively: A great choice for any character proficient with crossbows, such as Rangers or Rogues. The fire damage over time synergizes well with abilities that require multiple hits to trigger, like Hunter’s Mark or Hail of Thorns.

Silver Sword of the Astral Plane

• Location: This rare and powerful sword can be found in a special encounter in the final sections of Act 3.
• What makes it great: This sword is one of the most powerful in the game, dealing 3d6+3 damage, along with the ability to sever the soul of any enemy it kills, preventing resurrection. It also grants a bonus to Wisdom saving throws and Intelligence-based checks, perfect for dealing with enemies using psychic damage.
• How to use it effectively: This weapon is excellent for the main character or a companion specialized in two-handed weapons and Strength. It excels at both high-damage output and countering resurrection or healing spells, making it incredibly useful in the toughest encounters in the game.

Shar's Spear of Evening

• Location: Gained as a reward for completing Shar's trials.
• What makes it great: This spear deals significant radiant damage and provides the wielder with advantage on attack rolls made in dim light or darkness, making it a perfect weapon for ambushes and night-time encounters.
• How to use it effectively: Ideal for Paladins or Fighters, especially those focused on close combat in darker areas of the map. The radiant damage makes it effective against undead and other creatures weak to this type of energy.

The Harmonic Duet (Dual Wielded Scimitars)

• Location: These unique scimitars can be obtained from a secret vendor in the Lower City.
• What makes them great: These scimitars deal both slashing and thunder damage with each strike. They have a special passive that grants a chance to cause enemies to become stunned with each successful hit.
• How to use them effectively: Perfect for characters specialized in dual-wielding weapons, like Rangers or Rogues. The stun chance makes these scimitars an excellent choice for crowd control, especially when dealing with large groups of enemies.

Nyrulna (Trident)

• Location: Found in a dangerous encounter in the late stages of Act 3.
• What makes it great: Nyrulna is a legendary trident that not only deals significant damage (1d8+3) but also creates shockwaves with every hit, knocking back and damaging nearby enemies. Its wielder also gains immunity to lightning damage.
• How to use it effectively: Best used by melee fighters who can utilize the crowd control aspect of the shockwave. It's also effective against enemies with lightning-based attacks, allowing you to tank damage while delivering powerful blows.

Amulet of Greater Health (Honorable Mention)

• Location: Found in a hidden vault beneath the Lower City.
• What makes it great: While not a weapon, the Amulet of Greater Health deserves a mention for the survival benefits it provides. It increases the wearer’s Constitution to 19, greatly boosting hit points and concentration checks for spellcasters.
• How to use it effectively: Give this amulet to your tankiest character or a spellcaster reliant on concentration spells. The Constitution boost helps ensure they stay alive in the most difficult encounters.

Conclusion

Act 3 of Baldur's Gate 3 brings with it some of the most powerful and unique weapons in the game. Whether you're wielding the legendary Silver Sword of the Astral Plane or using the Hellfire Crossbow to rain down fiery bolts, choosing the right weapon can greatly enhance your effectiveness in battle. Experiment with different combinations, and tailor your weapon choices to the enemies and challenges ahead. Remember, while power is important, synergy with your party’s abilities and your personal playstyle will ultimately define your success.