Sorrow
Sorrow is a rare two-handed +1 glaive in Baldur's Gate 3. Its Sorrowful Lash cantrip pulls a target closer as a bonus action, but Regret deals psychic damage to its wielder when the weapon successfully deals damage.
Key Takeaways
Sorrow is an early-game glaive defined less by its enchantment than by the control effect—and drawback—attached to its weapon cantrip.
A rare +1 glaive with a distinct control tool
Sorrow is a rare, two-handed +1 glaive whose defining feature is Sorrowful Lash, a cantrip that lets its wielder pull an enemy closer as a bonus action once per turn.
The pull can reshape melee positioning
Sorrowful Lash gives a reach-weapon user a way to bring targets into a more favorable position. This makes Sorrow useful for setting up melee attacks or disrupting enemy spacing, rather than treating it as an ordinary glaive.
Its major limitation is built into every successful hit
Regret causes the wielder to take 1 psychic damage whenever Sorrow successfully deals damage. The self-damage is a persistent cost, so the weapon’s control utility must justify using it over a less burdensome alternative.
Access is tied to the Druid Grove’s hidden Wolf Altar vault
Sorrow is associated with Rath’s quest route and is physically found on a stone slab at the Wolf Altar in the Druid Grove’s hidden vault. The acquisition section should distinguish the quest-related access condition from the final pickup location.
Its cantrip property creates an item-synergy angle
Because Sorrowful Lash counts as a cantrip, it can interact with effects such as the Ring of Arcane Synergy. That gives Sorrow a niche beyond its weapon damage and differentiates it from glaives that offer only standard martial actions.
Overview
Sorrow is a rare two-handed glaive in Baldur’s Gate 3 whose defining feature is control rather than uncomplicated damage. Its Sorrowful Lash cantrip pulls a target closer as a bonus action, but the weapon’s Regret effect deals psychic damage to its wielder whenever Sorrow successfully deals weapon damage.
Sorrow occupies an unusual early-game role: it is a martial polearm that gives its wielder a repeatable way to reposition an enemy without spending the action normally used for a weapon attack. That makes it relevant for characters who want to bring a threatening target into melee, move an enemy into a more favourable formation, or create a setup for the party’s next turn. Its value therefore depends on the encounter and on whether the user can tolerate its drawback.
The weapon is not simply a stronger alternative to an ordinary glaive. Its distinctive trade is the combination of Sorrowful Lash and Regret. Pulling a creature can improve access for melee allies or alter who can reach whom, but every successful damaging hit also inflicts 1 psychic damage on the wielder. The self-damage is a real cost during prolonged fights, especially when the weapon is used for repeated attacks rather than occasional control.
Sorrowful Lash is also notable because it is a cantrip, allowing it to interact with equipment that responds to cantrip use. In particular, the Ring of Arcane Synergy is a relevant pairing: the lash can help trigger the ring’s effect, giving the weapon a role in a cantrip-enabled item setup rather than limiting its appeal to conventional polearm users. That interaction should be evaluated separately from the glaive’s normal attack routine.
In progression terms, Sorrow is an early Druid Grove weapon and is associated with Rath and the grove’s hidden vault. It is available through the grove’s refugee storyline, so its presence is tied to the player’s handling of that early-game situation rather than to a late-act boss or a downloadable-content system. The standard campaign item is the subject here; Sorrowful Lash, Regret, and its access to martial weapon actions are what distinguish it from more straightforward glaives.
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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 Damage1d10+1
- Damage TypeSlashing
- Enchantment+1
- RarityRare
- Weight2.7 kg
- Value380 gp
- Entry TypeNamed / special
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar slashing weapons
| Weapon | Base Damage | Damage Type | Enchantment | Weight | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sorrow | 1d10+1 | Slashing | +1 | 2.7 kg | 380 gp |
| Everburn Blade | 2d6 | Slashing | — | 2.7 kg | 130 gp |
| Balduran's Giantslayer | 2d6+3 | Slashing | +3 | 2.7 kg | 1300 gp |
| Silver Sword of the Astral Plane | 2d6+3 | Slashing | +3 | 2.7 kg | 1300 gp |
| Drakethroat Glaive | 1d10+2 | Slashing | +2 | 2.7 kg | 960 gp |
Damage is the dice expression; weight and value are the game’s own figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Baldur's Gate 3 Act 1 and access to the Emerald Grove.
- Progress in Save the Refugees, including rescuing Halsin and completing the associated grove objective.
- The Rune of the Wolf from Rath, obtained after the grove objective is resolved.
- No DLC or New Game Plus requirement.
- 01In Act 1, enter the Emerald Grove and resolve the grove’s refugee crisis while pursuing the Save the Refugees quest. Rescue Halsin and complete the associated grove objective so that Rath remains available to reward you.
- 02Speak with Rath in the Inner Sanctum after the grove objective is complete. Rath gives you the Rune of the Wolf as the relevant quest reward; this is the item needed to open the hidden vault beneath the grove.
- 03Take the Rune of the Wolf to the Wolf statue in the grove’s Inner Sanctum. Place the rune in the statue’s socket to reveal the entrance to the hidden vault, then enter the vault and collect Sorrow from the stone slab at the Wolf Altar.
- 04Sorrow is a fixed pickup in the vault rather than a random enemy drop. Because the Emerald Grove’s fate can change during Act 1, resolve this route before closing off or destroying the grove if you want to preserve access.
Availability
Requires Access to the Druid Grove and progression through Save the Refugees; no separate ability-score requirement is established for this weapon.
Sorrow is an Act 1 reward associated with Rath and the Druid Grove's hidden vault. It is a rare +1 glaive; no DLC, NG+, rotating-stock, or separate difficulty gate applies.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Sorrowful Lash gives the wielder a once-per-turn bonus-action pull, letting a melee character reposition an enemy without spending their action or movement. This can bring a target into melee range, pull it away from a protected position, or set up hazards and allied attacks when the target can be moved.
- Because Sorrowful Lash is a cantrip, it can interact with effects that respond to cantrip use. The Ring of Arcane Synergy is a relevant example: using the lash can help activate that ring's offensive benefit, subject to the ring's own conditions.
- As a two-handed glaive, Sorrow occupies the polearm role and provides access to its standard martial weapon actions, including Rush Attack, Lacerate, and Brace (Melee). Its +1 enchantment makes it a practical early-game weapon while its control effect remains useful beyond its raw weapon damage.
Weaknesses
- Regret deals 1 psychic damage to the wielder whenever Sorrow successfully deals damage. Repeated attacks can therefore impose a persistent health cost, and the drawback is especially awkward for characters already operating near low hit points.
- Sorrowful Lash uses a bonus action, so using it competes with other bonus-action choices such as off-hand attacks, class features, consumables, and movement-dependent tactics. Its value drops when the target cannot be pulled or repositioned safely.
- The weapon is two-handed, preventing simultaneous shield use and making it a poor fit for characters whose defensive plan depends on a shield or whose build does not support martial glaive use.
Best uses
- Use Sorrow on a frontline controller who can turn the pull into positional advantage: draw enemies into allied melee range, away from vulnerable companions, or toward a prepared environmental hazard.
- Consider it for a character using Ring of Arcane Synergy or another cantrip-triggered interaction, provided the build can tolerate the bonus-action commitment and Regret's self-damage.
- Treat it as an early-game control sidegrade rather than a universal damage upgrade: it is most attractive when Sorrowful Lash will matter in the encounter and the wielder has reliable healing or enough durability to absorb Regret.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class and core profile | Defining property or action | Best comparison point | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sorrow | Sorrowful Lash is a bonus-action cantrip that pulls an enemy closer once per turn; Regret deals 1 psychic damage to its wielder whenever the weapon deals damage | Provides early access to enemy repositioning while retaining the standard glaive role and martial weapon actions | Its self-damage makes repeated attacks costly, especially when the pull is not tactically useful | — |
| Glaive | Standard glaive profile with no Sorrow-specific pull or self-damage effect | A straightforward baseline for reach-based Strength weapon users | Lacks Sorrow's bonus-action control and any unique utility | — |
| The Dancing Breeze | Supports a Dexterity-oriented glaive approach through its Finesse property | A later glaive alternative for characters who want reach without relying on Strength | Does not provide Sorrow's Sorrowful Lash pull; its value is tied more closely to its enchantment and Dexterity compatibility | — |
| Halberd of Vigilance | Centres on initiative and opportunity-attack performance | A practical alternative for a reach user who values acting earlier and controlling enemy movement through reactions | Offers a different control profile rather than Sorrow's bonus-action pull, and does not avoid the opportunity cost of using a two-handed polearm | — |
Used In
- Save the RefugeesSorrow is associated with this Druid Grove questline and its resolution; Rath is the relevant reward-giver or access point.
- RathThe druid associated with Sorrow's acquisition in the Druid Grove, including the route leading to the hidden vault.
- Druid GroveSorrow is found within the Grove's hidden vault rather than being a general-world drop.
- Wolf AltarThe weapon rests on a stone slab at the Wolf Altar in the Druid Grove's hidden vault.