Baldur's Gate 3: Best Shortswords, Ranked

Highlights

Shortswords in Baldur’s Gate 3 are one-handed melee weapons that deal Piercing damage and can be dual-wielded.
Some Shortswords have unique effects, actions, or spells attached to them, making them more valuable.
Players can find different Shortswords in various acts of the game, with some being better suited for early or mid-game.

Shortswords in Baldur’s Gate 3 are one-handed melee weapons that deal Piercing damage and can also be dual-wielded. Characters must have Martial Proficiency to use Shortswords but can use either their Strength or Dexterity Modifier, whichever is highest.

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Rapiers are one of the many one-handed weapon options players have in Baldur’s Gate 3, and these are the strongest in this archetype.

All Shortswords have the Flourish and Piercing Strike actions, which can be situationally useful, but the very best Shortswords have unique effects, actions, or spells attached to them. There are plenty of Shortswords for players to find in Baldur’s Gate 3, but some are better than others.

Updated January 16, 2024 by Joe Grantham: Game of the Year winner Baldur’s Gate 3 is now available on all platforms, and as even more players throw themselves into the colossal DnD-inspired adventure, having all the stats and effects of relevant weapons becomes even more important.

While Shortswords are far from the highest-damage weapons, they can be used alongside the best shields in BG3. Accordingly, this list has been updated to include even more Shortswords, especially those found in Acts 1 and 2.

9 The Baneful

Base Damage: 2~7

Baldur's Gate 3 The Baneful (Shortsword)

Damage	Rarity	Weapon Skills
1d6 + 1 Piercing	Rare	Only functions if it’s Bound to an Eldritch Knight or is a Warlock’s Pact Weapon. Favored Weapon: This weapon has a +1 bonus to damage and Attack Rolls. Baneful Bond: On a hit, possibly Bane the target. Baned targets receive a -1d4 penalty to Attack Rolls and Saving Throws.

The Baneful is a niche Shortsword as it can only be used as a Bound weapon by Eldritch Knights (a fighter subclass) or as a Pact Weapon by Warlocks. The bonuses to damage and Attack Rolls are great in the early and mid-game, and enemies with the Bane debuff are a lot less scary.

To get their hands on The Baneful sword, players will need to discover one of Act 1’s many hidden locations, the Myconid Colony in the Underdark. Here it is sold by the trader Blurg.

8 Shortsword Of First Blood

Base Damage: 1~6

Damage	Rarity	Weapon Skills
1d6 Piercing	Uncommon	Deals an additional 1d8 Piercing to targets that still have all their hit points.

The Shortsword of First Blood is a severely underrated weapon for the early to mid-game as dealing an extra 1d8 to full-health enemies can be lethal when they don’t have high health pools at this stage. Of course, the lack of a Weapon Enchantment does hinder the sword from achieving much else, as its base damage is lower than many of its counterparts.

Players can find the Shortsword of First Blood in the later stages of Act 1 at the entrance of the Decrepit Village in the Underdark. More specifically it is found on the corpse of a Deep Gnome.

7 Ambusher

Base Damage: 2~7

Damage	Rarity	Weapon Skills
1d6 +1 Piercing	Rare	Sentinel Weapon: Gain a +1 bonus to Initiative Rolls and gain Advantage on Perception Ability Checks. Ambusher’s Streak: In combat, deal an additional 1d6 Necrotic damage against creatures that haven’t taken a turn yet.

The aptly named Ambusher Shortsword is great for those who want to strike first in a fight, perhaps by using stealth. With a higher chance to have their turn first in combat, players can then make use of the extra Necrotic damage to enemies who haven’t had a turn yet.

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Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Piercing Weapons, Ranked

Piercing weapons are sharp and pointy, and in Baldur’s Gate 3, they can help players get the edge over their enemies.

The problem with the Ambusher is that even though it’s not ranked among the absolute best Shortswords in BG3, players still have to wait until Act 3 to purchase it from the Dragonborn trader Exxvikyap. She can be found in the Rivington General store in Rivington.

6 Slicing Shortsword

Base Damage: 2~7

Damage	Rarity	Weapon Skills
1d6 +1 Piercing	Rare	Deepflesh Slice: When the wielder attacks with Advantage, the attack inflicts Bleeding.

The Slicing Shortsword is a solid option for the mid-game, and characters who can consistently attack with Advantage will get the most out of it by making their enemies bleed. When enemies bleed in BG3, they take 2 Slashing damage at the start of every turn and have Disadvantage on Constitution Saving Throws.

Once players have reached Moonrise Towers in Act 2, they can purchase the Slicing Shortsword from the merchant Lann Tarv, who can be found on the first floor surrounded by pilgrims.

5 Fleshrender

Base Damage: 3~8

Damage	Rarity	Weapon Skills
1d6 +2 Piercing	Rare	Part the Flesh: Makes a strike that has a chance to prevent enemies from healing.

Fleshrender is a Rare Shortsword with solid Piercing damage, but against bosses who rely on healing, the Part the Flesh action makes this a must-have weapon for characters with no spells to prevent healing.

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The only downside to Fleshrender is that players must wait until Act 3 to acquire it, and even then, they must become an Unholy Assassin by accepting Bhaal before it can be sold by Echo of Abazigal in the Murder Tribunal.

4 Render Of Mind And Body

Base Damage: 2~7

Damage	Rarity	Weapon Skills
1d6 +1 Piercing	Uncommon	Psychic Steel Virtuoso: When the wielder attacks with Advantage, they deal an additional 1~8 Psychic damage.

The extra 1d8 Psychic damage that Render of Mind and Body can provide when players attack with Advantage is extremely strong and matches the base damage of the Shortsword. If they can consistently attack with Advantage, this Shortsword quickly becomes one of the best.

However, this particular weapon will only be sold by Lann Tarv in Moonrise towers if players are able to convince Disciple Z’rell to give them additional help in their hunt for Ketheric’s Relic.

3 Knife Of The Undermountain King

Base Damage: 3~8

Damage	Rarity	Weapon Skills
1d6 + 2 Piercing	Very Rare	Organ Rearranger: The wielder scores a Critical Hit when rolling a 19. When they roll 2 damage or less, they can reroll the dice, taking the highest result. Shadow Blade: The wielder has Advantage on Attack Rolls against Lightly or Heavily Obscured targets when using this blade.

Despite its name, the Knife of the Undermountain King is a Shortsword and is one of the best in the game. Not only does it make scoring a Critical Hit easier, but it also gives the wielder another chance after rolling 2 damage or less. Incredibly, this effect is applied to any attacks, not just those performed by it.

As a Very Rare weapon, the Knife of the Undermountain King deals great base damage, but unlike other Very Rare items, it can be found in Act 1 at the Githyanki Creche Y’llek, where it is sold by A’jak’nir Jeera.

2 Sword Of Life Stealing

Base Damage: 3~8

Baldur's Gate 3 Sword Of Life Stealing Shortsword

Damage	Rarity	Weapon Skills
1d6 +2 Piercing	Very Rare	Life Stealing Critical: On a Critical Hit, the target takes an extra 1-10 Necrotic damage as long as it isn’t a construct or an undead. The wielder also gains 10 temporary hit points.

The Sword of Life Stealing is a fairly standard Shortsword; however, whenever players land a Critical Hit, it becomes overpowered, as the wielder not only deals extra Necrotic damage but also gains temporary HP.

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Thankfully the Sword of Life Stealing is fairly easy to get hold of; players can simply purchase it from Dammon the blacksmith at the Last Light Inn in Act 2 of the game.

1 Crimson Mischief

Base Damage: 4~12

Baldur's Gate 3 Crimson Mischief Shortsword

Damage	Rarity	Weapon Skills
1d6 + 2 Piercing + 1d4 Necrotic	Legendary	Prey Upon the Weak: This weapon deals an additional 1-4 Piercing damage against targets with 50% of their hit points or fewer. Redvein Savagery: When the wielder makes an attack with Advantage, the target takes an additional 7 Piercing damage. Crimson Weapon: When the wielder makes an attack with their off-hand weapon, they can add their Ability Modifier to the damage of the attack.

As a Legendary Shortsword, Crimson Mischief is one of the best melee weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3 and can deal extraordinary damage under certain circumstances. If players attack with Advantage against low health enemies they can deal 1d4 + 7 extra Piercing damage on top of the sword’s fantastic base damage.

Crimson Mischief is also a fantastic option as an off-hand weapon as it will deal extra damage. To get their hands on this weapon, players will need to kill Orin in Act 3, as this is her blade.