Longsword +1
Longsword +1 is an uncommon, lightly enchanted martial melee weapon in Baldur's Gate 3. Its enchantment improves attack and damage rolls, making it a dependable early-game weapon.
Key Takeaways
Longsword +1 is a straightforward early-game magical longsword: its main benefit is the +1 enchantment rather than a unique weapon action or passive.
Reliable enchanted longsword
The +1 enchantment improves attack and damage rolls, making this an uncomplicated upgrade over a mundane longsword for characters already using the weapon family.
Versatile martial weapon
It is a martial melee weapon with the Versatile property, so a proficient wielder can use it in one hand or two hands depending on the setup.
Useful early in Act 1
Longsword +1 variants can appear during Act 1, where a modest enchantment bonus can remain useful before more distinctive named longswords become available.
Simple strength, limited identity
Its dependable attack and damage bonus is its defining advantage, but it lacks the unique actions, passives, or broader build identity associated with weapons such as Phalar Aluve or Larethian's Wrath.
Overview
Longsword +1 is an uncommon martial melee weapon in Baldur's Gate 3. It is a straightforward magical upgrade to the standard longsword: dependable in early Act 1, flexible in one or two hands, and less mechanically distinctive than named longswords.
The weapon belongs to the longsword family and uses the martial weapon proficiency category. Its +1 enchantment improves attack and damage rolls, making it a practical improvement over a non-magical longsword without changing the weapon's basic role or requiring a specialized playstyle.
Its defining handling trait is Versatile. A character can use Longsword +1 in one hand while keeping the other hand available, or wield it with both hands when that suits the character's equipment and combat approach. This flexibility is more important than any unique action or passive effect.
Longsword +1 occupies an early- to mid-progression role rather than serving as a major build-defining reward. Players may encounter it during Act 1, where its reliable enchantment can make it a useful replacement for ordinary martial weapons while they continue looking for more specialized equipment.
The weapon is distinct from named alternatives such as Phalar Aluve and Larethian's Wrath, whose value comes from unique properties rather than a simple enchantment improvement. Longsword +1 is therefore best understood as a dependable standard variant in the base game, not a legendary or story-exclusive weapon.
How to Obtain
- Act 1 access to the Druid Grove or another Act 1 trading area.
- Sufficient gold if purchasing it; no confirmed class, attribute, DLC, or NG+ requirement.
- The weapon is not restricted to one-per-playthrough, but a vendor route can be lost if the trader becomes unavailable through story progression, hostility, or death.
- 01In Act 1, visit Dammon in the Tiefling refuge at the Druid Grove and inspect his merchant inventory for Longsword +1. Its appearance is not guaranteed, so check again after relevant progression or use another trader rather than treating one stock list as universal.
- 02If no trader offers it, inspect weapons carried by Githyanki encountered in Act 1, including the patrol near the Mountain Pass approach. A Longsword +1 may be obtained as loot, but this is not a guaranteed drop or fixed quest reward.
Availability
The Longsword +1 is encountered during Act 1. No separate DLC, Online, NG+, or difficulty-specific availability is established for this weapon.
Mechanics and Handling
Longsword +1 handles like a conventional longsword rather than introducing a weapon-specific combat gimmick. Its defining choice is whether to keep a free hand available or commit to two-handed use: the Versatile property supports both arrangements, while the +1 enchantment improves its attack and damage rolls in either configuration. The one-handed setup is useful when the character also needs a shield, while two-handed use is the natural choice when maximizing the weapon’s listed versatile damage. Exact damage dice and the resulting modifier should be read from the weapon’s current item entry rather than inferred from the enchantment alone.
A flexible frontline moveset
The weapon uses the ordinary close-range longsword attack pattern, so spacing and target access matter more than a special passive. Its melee reach requires the wielder to stay engaged with the target; switching between one- and two-handed use changes how the weapon fits the character’s equipment plan, not its identity as a longsword. The +1 bonus is an accuracy-and-damage benefit, not a separate damage rider or status effect.
No ammunition or upkeep loop
Longsword +1 does not use ammunition or a reload resource. Baldur’s Gate 3 also does not ask the player to maintain a conventional weapon-durability meter during normal play, so its practical handling is governed by action economy, positioning, proficiency and hand occupancy rather than repair or resource management.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- The +1 enchantment improves both attack rolls and weapon damage, making it a dependable upgrade over ordinary longswords.
- Its Versatile property supports either one-handed use or two-handed use, allowing the wielder to adapt around a shield or another off-hand choice.
- As a straightforward martial weapon, it offers a useful early-game option without depending on a special passive or resource.
Weaknesses
- It has no distinctive named weapon effect, so it can be displaced by unique longswords that provide additional actions, spells, or passives.
- Its benefits are mainly numerical and do not compensate for lacking martial proficiency, which prevents the wielder from using the weapon at full effectiveness.
- Two-handed use gives up the defensive or utility benefits of a shield, while one-handed use gives up the weapon's larger Versatile damage profile.
Best uses
- Use it as an early Act 1 upgrade for a character with martial weapon proficiency who wants reliable melee attacks.
- Choose it when a build values the flexibility to switch between shield use and two-handed damage without changing weapons.
- Keep it as a practical replacement until a unique longsword's special effect better matches the character's class or equipment plan.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class / role | Distinctive property | Acquisition context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longsword +1 | Straightforward +1 enhancement; no signature action | Commonly available during Act 1 | — |
| Phalar Aluve | Unique Sing and Shriek actions provide party support or enemy debuff utility | Act 1 unique weapon found in the Underdark | — |
| Larethian's Wrath | Unique weapon action gives it broader combat utility than a basic enchanted longsword | Act 1 unique weapon associated with the Githyanki creche | — |
| Everburn Blade | Permanently fire-coated, trading versatility for a distinctive damage rider | Act 1 tutorial encounter reward | — |
Lore and Design
The Longsword +1 has modest visual detailing: complex filigree at the blade’s base and decorative runes distinguish it from an ordinary longsword. Its presentation is primarily that of a common magical upgrade rather than a named relic with a documented character, faction, or story history. Githyanki soldiers are frequently equipped with weapons effectively matching this longsword variant, while unique weapons such as Phalar Aluve and Larethian’s Wrath carry the more distinctive identities and properties.
Trivia
- Longsword +1 is associated with Githyanki equipment: many Githyanki soldiers carry weapons that are effectively this enchanted longsword variant. Its presentation also includes decorative filigree and runes at the base of the blade, details that distinguish it visually from an entirely mundane longsword.