Justiciar's Scimitar
Justiciar's Scimitar is a very rare +2 weapon in Baldur's Gate 3 that can blind enemies when its wielder attacks with Advantage.
Key Takeaways
Justiciar's Scimitar is a very rare +2 weapon whose value comes from turning Advantage into a chance to blind its target. It is acquired in the Gauntlet of Shar and has unusual proficiency behavior compared with an ordinary scimitar.
Advantage-powered debuff
Shadowsoaked Blow can blind a target when the wielder attacks with Advantage. The effect gives the weapon a control role rather than making it solely a source of weapon damage.
Requires a reliable setup
Because the blindness effect is tied to attacks made with Advantage and is chance-based, the weapon performs most consistently for characters who can regularly create or exploit Advantage.
Very rare +2 weapon
Its +2 enchantment places it among Baldur's Gate 3's high-rarity weapons. The enchantment should be considered separately from Shadowsoaked Blow and any other conditional effect.
Gauntlet of Shar acquisition
The weapon is obtained by defeating Lythindor in the Gauntlet of Shar. Reaching that reward generally involves killing the rats at the base of the Gauntlet's main floor, so the route carries a major story-area spoiler.
Atypical proficiency behavior
Despite its name, Justiciar's Scimitar has been noted for unusual scimitar-proficiency behavior. Players should check the weapon's current in-game proficiency handling rather than assuming it follows every standard scimitar rule.
Utility over universal damage
Compared with a conventional scimitar, its defining advantage is the chance to inflict blindness through Advantage rather than a uniquely documented damage profile. That makes it more appealing to debuff-focused or stealth-oriented characters than to builds that cannot create Advantage consistently.
Overview
Justiciar's Scimitar is a very rare +2 melee weapon in Baldur's Gate 3 that turns Advantage into a chance to blind its target, giving it a control-oriented role beyond ordinary scimitar damage.
The Justiciar's Scimitar is a named, unique scimitar associated with the Gauntlet of Shar. Its defining feature is Shadowsoaked Blow: when the wielder attacks with Advantage, the weapon can inflict Blind on the target. That makes the weapon relevant not simply because of its enchantment, but because it can convert a favourable attack setup into a defensive and offensive debuff. The effect is especially meaningful against enemies that rely on sight-based attacks or against parties that can repeatedly create Advantage.
Its place in progression is tied to an optional encounter within the Gauntlet of Shar rather than to a normal shop rotation or a broad random-loot pool. The weapon is obtained by defeating Lythindor, with the encounter connected to the rats found around the base of the Gauntlet's main floor. This context makes the scimitar a mid-game reward with a clear thematic and mechanical identity, while keeping the major story details of the area out of the overview.
Compared with a conventional scimitar, Justiciar's Scimitar is less about being a straightforward one-handed finesse option and more about supporting a character who can attack from Advantage consistently. Stealth-oriented characters are a natural fit, but the underlying requirement is reliable access to Advantage rather than a specific class. Its unusual proficiency classification also distinguishes it from ordinary expectations about scimitars: current game data and update notes indicate that it may not use the standard scimitar proficiency treatment, so readers should check the weapon's displayed classification in their game rather than infer every restriction from its name.
The blind effect gives the weapon a different progression profile from alternatives that offer only a larger damage contribution or a separate passive. It does not automatically replace every stronger-enchantment or build-specific weapon, because its value depends on both triggering Advantage and having targets that can be meaningfully affected by Blind. For characters who can meet those conditions, however, the scimitar offers a way to add recurring battlefield control to attacks without making it the centre of a full build.
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 Damage1d6+2
- Damage TypeSlashing
- Enchantment+2
- RarityVery Rare
- Weight1.35 kg
- Value480 gp
- Entry TypeNamed / special
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar slashing weapons
| Weapon | Base Damage | Damage Type | Enchantment | Weight | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justiciar's Scimitar | 1d6+2 | Slashing | +2 | 1.35 kg | 480 gp |
| Phalar Aluve | 1d8+1 | Slashing | +1 | 1.35 kg | 250 gp |
| Adamantine Longsword | 1d8+1 | Slashing | +1 | 1.35 kg | 100 gp |
| Adamantine Scimitar | 1d6+1 | Slashing | +1 | 1.35 kg | 190 gp |
| Duke Ravengard's Longsword | 1d8+1 | Slashing | +1 | 1.35 kg | 250 gp |
Damage is the dice expression; weight and value are the game’s own figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Act 2 access to the Gauntlet of Shar.
- Access to the rat encounter at the base of the Gauntlet's main floor.
- The encounter is available in the base game; no DLC or New Game Plus requirement applies.
- 01Reach the Gauntlet of Shar in Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3. The Justiciar's Scimitar is not sold by a vendor and is not found as a normal chest pickup; its acquisition is tied to an optional encounter inside the Gauntlet.
- 02At the base of the Gauntlet's main floor, locate and kill the rats in the area. Continue dealing with the rat encounter until Lythindor appears; this is the trigger associated with the weapon's hidden Justiciar encounter.
- 03Defeat Lythindor and loot his body. The Justiciar's Scimitar is the guaranteed weapon reward from this encounter. Because the encounter is optional and tied to the Gauntlet's rat sequence, the weapon can be missed if that content is not completed before leaving or resolving the relevant Gauntlet events.
Availability
Requires Reach the Gauntlet of Shar and trigger the Lythindor encounter by dealing with the rats at the base of the main floor.
No vendor price or separate currency requirement applies. This availability context reflects the post-Patch 8 game; no Online, NG+, or DLC variant is listed.
Mechanics and Handling
The Justiciar's Scimitar is defined less by a special attack sequence than by the condition attached to its unique weapon effect. Its Shadowsoaked Blow can Blind a target when the wielder attacks with Advantage. The effect is therefore conditional: ordinary attacks do not receive the same debuff simply because this weapon is equipped, and an Advantage-enabled attack can still fail to apply the Blind effect. Its value rises when the wielder can create or reliably maintain Advantage rather than making unsupported attacks into a target's defenses.
As a scimitar, it uses the light, finesse-oriented handling associated with that weapon type. This supports dual-wielding and allows the relevant attack ability to be determined by the character's combat context rather than forcing every user into a Strength-based setup. The weapon's +2 enchantment improves its attack and damage rolls, but that numerical benefit remains separate from Shadowsoaked Blow: the enchantment does not make the Blind effect automatic, and the special effect does not replace the weapon's normal slashing attack.
Shadowsoaked Blow rewards reliable Advantage
The weapon's defining interaction is the Advantage check attached to its attacks. A character who can attack from a consistently favorable position, gain Advantage through a class feature or condition, or otherwise build around Advantage has more opportunities to trigger the weapon's Blind effect. Stealth-oriented play can fit this pattern, but the scimitar itself does not grant stealth, Advantage, or a guaranteed opening attack.
Blind is most useful as a control effect rather than as a direct damage increase. Once applied, it can interfere with the target's ability to fight effectively and can make the affected enemy easier to manage while the party focuses on other threats. Because the trigger is chance-based, it should be treated as an additional debuff opportunity, not as a dependable replacement for a spell, class feature, or other source of battlefield control.
The scimitar moveset remains straightforward
The Justiciar's Scimitar uses the ordinary close-range scimitar attack pattern. Its practical handling is therefore governed by positioning, the number of attacks available to the wielder, and whether the character can attack with Advantage; it does not introduce a charge, ammunition, reload, thrown-return, or resource-management loop. Its light property makes it suitable for characters who want to pair it with another light weapon, while its finesse property keeps it compatible with Dexterity-focused weapon use when the character's other rules support that choice.
The weapon should be evaluated as a normal melee weapon with an Advantage-gated status rider, not as a separate stance or transformation weapon. There is no supported indication here of a special reach rule, altered attack timing, durability system, or conditional damage multiplier beyond Shadowsoaked Blow. Those omissions matter in practice: its handling advantage comes from how often the wielder can meet the trigger, not from a different reach profile or a hidden attack-speed rule.
Proficiency behaviour needs attention
Despite its scimitar name and presentation, the weapon has been associated with an unusual proficiency classification in Baldur's Gate 3. This means its practical usability should be checked on the current item and character interface rather than inferred from the name alone. Proficiency and ability-score choice are separate questions: a character may be able to use the item without having ordinary scimitar proficiency, while the attack's ability modifier still follows the game's weapon rules and the character's build context.
That anomaly can broaden who can make practical use of the weapon, but it does not remove the need to verify the character's attack setup. In particular, it should not be treated as proof that every class gains the same benefits from equipping it, nor as evidence that the item grants any general proficiency to the wielder.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- A very rare +2 weapon combines a reliable enchantment bonus with a control-oriented effect rather than relying only on its base damage.
- Shadowsoaked Blow can Blind a target when the wielder attacks with Advantage. Blinded enemies have disadvantage on their attack rolls, while attacks against them are made with Advantage, so a successful trigger can improve both offense and defense.
- The effect naturally rewards characters that create Advantage through stealth, concealment, positioning, or class features, giving those builds a reason to keep the weapon equipped after obtaining it.
- Its unusual classification can reduce the normal scimitar-proficiency barrier for some characters, although the exact practical benefit depends on how the current game version treats the item.
Weaknesses
- Shadowsoaked Blow is conditional: the wielder must attack with Advantage, and the Blind effect is not guaranteed on every qualifying attack.
- A control effect is less valuable against enemies that resist or otherwise mitigate its condition, and it does not replace the need for a dependable way to create Advantage.
- The weapon is still a light melee weapon, so its practical reach and target access remain those of a scimitar; it cannot solve fights where engaging in melee is unsafe or impossible.
- Using it means giving up another weapon's unique passive, weapon action, or stronger build-specific synergy. Its +2 enchantment alone does not make it the automatic choice for every melee character.
Best uses
- Stealth-oriented characters that regularly begin attacks from Advantage and can turn the resulting Blind condition into safer follow-up attacks.
- Rogues and other melee attackers that can repeatedly exploit Advantage, especially when party positioning makes isolated targets easy to pressure.
- Encounters where reducing an enemy's ability to attack accurately is more valuable than selecting a weapon focused purely on damage riders.
- Characters who want a named Act 2 weapon with a meaningful control payoff but do not have, or do not wish to rely on, ordinary scimitar proficiency.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Weapon type | Base damage | Enchantment | Distinctive effect / role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justiciar's Scimitar | 1d6 slashing | +2 | Shadowsoaked Blow can blind a target when the wielder attacks with Advantage; a strong choice for Advantage-focused or stealth-oriented characters. | — |
| Belm | 1d6 slashing | +2 | Supports dual-wielding with a special bonus-action off-hand attack when held in the main hand; better suited to attack-volume builds than debuffing. | — |
| Knife of the Undermountain King | 1d6 piercing | +2 | Rewards Advantage-based attacks with critical-hit synergy and is a close alternative for Dexterity crit builds. | — |
| Phalar Aluve | 1d8 slashing | +1 | A finesse-capable longsword with party-oriented Sing and enemy-oriented Shriek actions; offers broader group utility at the cost of the Justiciar's Scimitar's stronger enchantment and blind-focused effect. | — |
Trivia
- Despite its name, Justiciar's Scimitar has been documented in some versions of Baldur's Gate 3 as lacking the usual scimitar proficiency classification. This unusual classification can let characters without scimitar proficiency wield it without the normal weapon-proficiency restriction; the behaviour should be treated as version-sensitive rather than a universal rule.