Weaponminor

Handaxe

The Handaxe is a light, thrown simple melee weapon in Baldur's Gate 3, offering flexible close-range attacks and a practical option for characters who want to combine melee combat with thrown weapon attacks.

Importance

minor

Baldur's Gate 3 · weapon

Key Takeaways

Thrown light weapon

Handaxe is a Simple melee weapon with a 1d6 slashing damage die, the Light property, and the Thrown property. It can therefore serve as either a one-handed melee weapon or a throwable weapon.

Proficiency matters

It uses Simple weapon proficiency rather than an invented Strength or Dexterity requirement. Without proficiency, the wielder loses the normal benefits of proficient weapon use.

Strength-focused by default

Handaxe is not a Finesse weapon, so it is not a natural Dexterity-based melee choice. Its thrown role also suits characters whose build already supports Strength-based attacks.

Flexible, but modest

Its main advantage is combining Light one-handed use with thrown flexibility. The trade-off is its modest damage die and the absence of Finesse compared with a dagger.

Common availability

The ordinary Handaxe is a general equipment option rather than an inherently quest-gated named reward; its exact acquisition depends on the applicable merchant or loot source.

Overview

Handaxe is a standard Simple melee weapon in Baldur’s Gate 3, defined by its Light and Thrown properties rather than a unique passive or named quest role.

It is a practical early-to-mid-progression sidearm that can be used in close combat or thrown when distance matters. Its Light property supports dual-wielding, while Thrown lets the same weapon fill a situational ranged role. Unlike a dagger, it is not Finesse, so it does not naturally support Dexterity-based attacks; compared with heavier axes, it is easier to use but offers less raw weapon damage. The ordinary Handaxe is a base-game item, not a DLC-exclusive or legendary weapon.

Statistics

This game publishes dice damage rather than 0–100 bars, so the verified damage, enchantment, weight and value are listed instead. Taken from the project's verified weapons database, not from generated text.

Base Damage
1d6
Damage Type
Slashing
Rarity
Common
Weight
0.9 kg
Value
16 gp
Entry Type
Standard / enhancement variant

Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.

Compared to similar slashing weapons

Weapon	Base Damage	Damage Type	Enchantment	Weight	Value
Handaxe	1d6	Slashing	—	0.9 kg	16 gp
Dragon's Grasp	1d6	Slashing	—	0.9 kg	65 gp
Sickle	1d4	Slashing	—	0.9 kg	10 gp
Phalar Aluve	1d8+1	Slashing	+1	1.35 kg	250 gp
Adamantine Longsword	1d8+1	Slashing	+1	1.35 kg	100 gp

Damage is the dice expression; weight and value are the game’s own figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.

How to Obtain

01In Act 1, visit Arron, the trader in the Hollow at Druid Grove, and check his weapon inventory for a Handaxe. It can also appear as ordinary loot or in other traders’ inventories, but those alternative appearances are not guaranteed.

Availability

Story campaign — base gameAvailable

Requires No DLC, NG+, difficulty, or ability-score requirement

Handaxe availability is not tied to a unique progression gate. As a generic Simple weapon, it may be present in merchant inventories or found as ordinary loot; merchant stock and price can vary by vendor and progression.

Mechanics and Handling

Close-range and thrown handling

The Handaxe supports two distinct attack patterns. In melee, its light property makes it suitable for dual wielding, while its versatile property allows one-handed or two-handed use. Its normal melee reach is short, so spacing matters against enemies that threaten a wider area. As a Thrown weapon, it can also be used for ranged attacks from the character’s inventory; throwing consumes the relevant attack action and uses the weapon’s own damage profile rather than turning it into a firearm-like projectile.

Slashing weapon actions

As a slashing weapon, the Handaxe can access Lacerate when the character has the applicable weapon-action resources. Lacerate is a close-range strike intended to inflict Bleeding, making it more useful against targets vulnerable to that condition than a plain attack. The ordinary Handaxe has no built-in returning effect, so a thrown copy may need to be recovered after the attack. Enchanted handaxes can change this handling if their individual item effects add a return, passive, or alternative action.

Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses

Strengths

Light property supports dual-wielding alongside another eligible light weapon, giving characters a flexible melee setup.
Thrown property lets a proficient wielder attack from outside normal melee distance without switching weapon types.
As a simple weapon, it is accessible to more classes and characters than a martial weapon.

Weaknesses

Its ordinary weapon profile offers fewer defining benefits than named handaxes with stronger enchantments or unique effects.
Thrown attacks consume the weapon's position and do not provide a built-in returning effect, so repeated ranged use can require retrieval or replacement.
The light property limits its dual-wielding pairing options compared with versatile or non-light alternatives.

Best uses

An early-game off-hand weapon for a character who already has suitable dual-wielding support.
A backup for a Strength-oriented character who wants a throwable melee weapon without committing to a dedicated ranged loadout.
A simple, replaceable weapon for characters who need basic slashing damage and occasional thrown attacks rather than a unique weapon effect.

Compared With Similar Weapons

Compared With Similar Weapons
Weapon	Proficiency	Damage dice	Properties	Primary distinction
Handaxe	1d6 slashing	Light; Thrown	Balanced option for one-handed melee or throwing	—
Light Hammer	1d4 bludgeoning	Light; Thrown	Lower base die, with bludgeoning damage	—
Dagger	1d4 piercing	Finesse; Light; Thrown	Supports Dexterity-based attacks through Finesse	—
Battleaxe	1d8 slashing; 1d10 slashing when versatile	Versatile	Higher damage die, but lacks the Handaxe's Thrown property	—