Finish the Masterwork Weapon

Key takeaways

The quest is straightforward once its three-part structure is understood: investigate the village, retrieve the Underdark material, and return to the forge.

• Start with the journal Search a house in the Blighted Village for Highcliff's Journal. Finding it is the point that initiates the quest rather than merely discovering a weapon or crafting location. Find the journal
• The blueprints are separate Highcliff's Blueprints are hidden in the building's basement. Do not treat the journal as the complete set of instructions; the basement search is a distinct part of the investigation. Recover the blueprints
• The bark comes from the Underdark Sussur Tree Bark is the required special component, and it is located near the Sussur Tree in the Underdark. The route to the material is separate from the village investigation. Collect Sussur Tree Bark
• Choose one weapon The completed forge produces one of three rare magic weapons: a Sussur dagger, sickle, or greatsword. The choice determines the weapon form, while the shared Silence utility is the central reward. Select the weapon

Finish the Masterwork Weapon

Finish the Masterwork Weapon is an Act One side quest about completing an unfinished forge project in the Blighted Village.

The quest begins when you find Highcliff's Journal inside a house in the Blighted Village. The journal points toward an unfinished masterwork weapon and establishes that the work cannot be completed with ordinary materials. This makes the quest an exploration objective as much as a crafting objective: first locate the records that explain the project, then search the same building for the missing technical information.

Highcliff's Blueprints are hidden in the building's basement. Recovering them identifies the forge's intended special material, Sussur Tree Bark. The bark is not found in the Blighted Village; it must be sought in the Underdark near the Sussur Tree, so completing the quest requires reaching a separate hostile region rather than simply clearing the village.

The final stage takes place at the forge. Combining Sussur Tree Bark with the forge fire changes the flames to blue and allows one weapon to be crafted. The available results are a Sussur dagger, Sussur sickle, or Sussur greatsword. Each is a rare magic item whose defining utility is applying Silence to an enemy after a successful hit, preventing that struck target from casting spells.

Where this sits

Requirements

You need access to the Blighted Village, the building containing the quest documents, the Underdark, and the Sussur Tree area before the weapon can be completed.

• RequiredReach the Blighted VillageThe quest is initiated by finding Highcliff's Journal in a house there.
• RequiredSearch the building's basementHighcliff's Blueprints are hidden below the house and are needed to identify the required forge material.
• RequiredReach the UnderdarkSussur Tree Bark is found in the Underdark rather than in the village.
• RequiredDefeat the hook horrorsThe hook horrors guarding the bark must be overcome before the material can be safely recovered.
• RequiredBring the bark back to the forgeThe bark must be combined with the forge fire to change the flames blue and enable crafting.

Objectives

1. Find Highcliff's Journal in the Blighted VillageThe journal is inside a house and starts the side quest.
2. Locate Highcliff's Blueprints in the basementSearch beneath the building to find the instructions required for the masterwork.
3. Find Sussur Tree Bark in the UnderdarkTravel to the area near the Sussur Tree and obtain the special forge component.
4. Defeat the hook horrors guarding the barkThe material is protected by hostile hook horrors, so the gathering step includes an encounter.
5. Craft a Sussur weaponUse the bark with the forge fire, then select a Sussur dagger, sickle, or greatsword.

WalkthroughSpoilers

1. 01

   Find Highcliff's Journal

   Search the house in the Blighted Village

   Enter the house associated with Highcliff's work and inspect its contents until you find Highcliff's Journal. Reading or discovering the journal establishes the masterwork weapon objective and directs your attention toward the unfinished forge project.

   Location: Blighted Village

   TipTreat the journal as the starting clue, not as the final crafting instruction; the blueprints are hidden elsewhere in the same building.

2. 02

   Locate Highcliff's Blueprints

   Investigate the basement

   Continue searching below the house to locate Highcliff's Blueprints. The basement search is easy to overlook if you leave after finding the journal, but the blueprints provide the information needed to identify Sussur Tree Bark as the crucial material.

   Location: Basement beneath the house in the Blighted Village

   Watch outDo not assume the quest is ready to finish after finding the journal. The basement documents are a separate objective.

3. 03

   Find Sussur Tree Bark

   Travel to the Underdark

   Once the blueprints have revealed the required material, make your way into the Underdark and continue toward the Sussur Tree. The bark is not supplied by the village forge, so the quest cannot be completed entirely within the Blighted Village.

   Location: Underdark

   TipPrepare for a hostile exploration area before committing to the trip; the bark's location is guarded rather than freely handed over.

4. 04

   Recover the bark

   Approach the Sussur Tree area

   Search around the Sussur Tree for the Sussur Tree Bark needed by the masterwork forge. The objective is to secure the material, but reaching it brings you into the territory of the hook horrors that protect it.

   Location: Near the Sussur Tree in the Underdark

   Watch outThe bark is guarded. Keep the party ready for combat before trying to collect it.

5. 05

   Clear the guardians

   Defeat the hook horrors

   Fight the hook horrors around the Sussur Tree area before attempting to complete the gathering step. The source material does not establish a fixed enemy count or a required combat method, so focus on surviving the encounter and making the area safe enough to take the bark.

   Location: Sussur Tree area, Underdark

   TipControl the battlefield and avoid splitting the party while dealing with the guardians; the important quest condition is defeating the hook horrors, not using a particular tactic.

6. 06

   Combine the bark with the forge fire

   Return to the masterwork forge

   Bring Sussur Tree Bark back to the forge in the Blighted Village after recovering it. Place the bark together with the forge fire; the flames turn blue, confirming that the special crafting process is active.

   Location: Masterwork forge in the Blighted Village

   Checkpoint
7. 07

   Craft one Sussur weapon

   Choose the finished weapon

   Use the blue forge fire to create one weapon from the available Sussur options: a dagger, sickle, or greatsword. The quest culminates in this selection, and the resulting rare magic item can apply Silence to an enemy when a hit succeeds.

   Location: Masterwork forge in the Blighted Village

   Watch outThe available reward is a choice among three weapon types, so select the form that best matches the character who will use it.

   Missable

Mission mechanics

Finish the Masterwork Weapon uses a material-gated crafting sequence. The journal and blueprints establish the project, but neither document completes it by itself. Sussur Tree Bark is the component that changes the forge state, so the quest's progression is split between investigation, travel, combat, and crafting.

The bark's role is visible at the forge: combining it with the forge fire turns the flames blue. That change is the signal that the forge can produce the special weapon rather than an ordinary result. The process therefore depends on bringing the correct material back to the original crafting location.

All three reward choices share the same defining combat utility. A successful hit applies Silence to the struck enemy, which prevents that enemy from casting spells. This makes the reward particularly relevant when a party wants a weapon-based way to pressure spellcasting opponents, although the best choice depends on whether the intended wielder uses a dagger, sickle, or greatsword.

What works and what does not

Encounter phases

1. 1

   Approach to the Sussur Tree

   Starts: Entering the area near the Sussur Tree in the Underdark

   The bark lies in an area guarded by hook horrors. Position the party before interacting with the objective so the gathering attempt does not leave the group unprepared.

   • Keep the party together while approaching the guarded material.
   • Do not treat the bark as an unprotected pickup; the hook horrors must be defeated.
2. 2

   Hook horror battle

   Starts: Engaging the guardians around the bark

   Defeat the hook horrors that protect Sussur Tree Bark. The supplied facts do not specify a fixed number of enemies, so the encounter should be described by its objective rather than by an unsupported count.

   • Prioritize survival and control of the combat space.
   • After the area is secure, return to the bark and complete the gathering objective.
3. 3

   Forge activation

   Starts: Combining Sussur Tree Bark with the forge fire

   This is the non-combat climax of the quest. The forge flames turn blue, opening the crafting step for the unique weapon reward.

   • Bring the bark back to the village forge before attempting to finish the weapon.
   • Make the weapon selection deliberately because the quest offers one of three forms.

Weapon choice and consequencesSpoilers

• Craft a Sussur dagger

  The quest rewards a rare magic dagger whose successful hits can apply Silence to enemies.

• Craft a Sussur sickle

  The quest rewards a rare magic sickle whose successful hits can apply Silence to enemies.

• Craft a Sussur greatsword

  The quest rewards a rare magic greatsword whose successful hits can apply Silence to enemies.

Completion checklist

• Find Highcliff's Journal in the Blighted VillageThis initiates the side quest.
• Search the building's basementThe blueprints are hidden below the house.
• Collect Highcliff's BlueprintsUse them to identify the special forge material.
• Reach the UnderdarkThe required bark is outside the village.
• Defeat the hook horrors near the Sussur TreeThey guard the crafting component.
• Recover Sussur Tree BarkTake the material after the guardians are defeated.
• Return to the forge in the Blighted VillageThe weapon is completed at the original work site.
• Combine the bark with the forge fireThe flames turn blue when the process is activated.
• Select one Sussur weaponChoose a dagger, sickle, or greatsword.

Quest items

• 01
  Highcliff's Journal

  Where: A house in the Blighted Village

  Finding this journal initiates Finish the Masterwork Weapon.

• 02
  Highcliff's Blueprints

  Where: The basement beneath the house in the Blighted Village

  These hidden blueprints provide the information needed to continue the masterwork project.

• 03
  Sussur Tree Bark

  Where: Near the Sussur Tree in the Underdark

  This is the crucial material used with the forge fire to activate the blue flames.

Failure conditions

• Fail to find Highcliff's JournalThe quest does not begin until the journal is discovered in the Blighted Village house.
• Leave the basement search incompleteFinding the journal alone does not provide the hidden blueprints required for the crafting sequence.
• Attempt to finish the forge without Sussur Tree BarkThe special weapon process requires the bark; the forge flames turn blue only after the bark is combined with the forge fire.
• Lose the encounter near the Sussur TreeThe hook horrors guard the bark, so the material cannot be safely recovered until the guardians are defeated.

Rewards and dropsSpoilers

• Sussur dagger
  One of the three possible rare magic weapon rewards. A successful hit can apply Silence.
• Sussur sickle
  One of the three possible rare magic weapon rewards. A successful hit can apply Silence.
• Sussur greatsword
  One of the three possible rare magic weapon rewards. A successful hit can apply Silence.
• Silence effect
  The defining utility of the crafted weapons: a struck enemy is prevented from casting spells.

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• The quest connects two distinct regions: the Blighted Village supplies the written investigation and forge, while the Underdark supplies Sussur Tree Bark.
• The forge's flames visibly turn blue when the bark is combined with the fire.
• The reward is presented as three weapon types with a common anti-spellcasting function rather than three unrelated effects.

Sources

• Finish the Masterwork Weapon quest reference — bg3.wiki
• Supplementary video guide — YouTube
• Supplementary quest coverage — Inverse

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