Spear of Night
The Spear of Night is a rare +1 quest weapon central to Shadowheart’s story, the Gauntlet of Shar, and the choice surrounding the Nightsong in the Shadowfell.
Key Takeaways
The Spear of Night is both a rare +1 spear and a major branching artifact in Shadowheart’s Gauntlet of Shar storyline. Its immediate purpose is tied to the Nightsong confrontation, while the choice made in the Shadowfell determines which legendary successor becomes available.
Quest weapon with a specific narrative purpose
The initial Spear of Night is a rare +1 weapon associated with the Nightsong and the Gauntlet of Shar. Its importance is therefore not limited to its ordinary spear attacks; it marks a major point in Shadowheart’s personal story.
Obtained through the Silent Library puzzle
The weapon is acquired by solving the Silent Library’s puzzle and placing Teachings of Loss: The Nightsinger on the pedestal. This makes the book-and-pedestal interaction the critical acquisition condition rather than a vendor purchase or ordinary enemy drop.
Its fate depends on the Shadowfell decision
The Spear of Night’s progression is choice-dependent. Sparing the Nightsong can lead to Selûne’s Spear of Night, while killing her allows the character to claim Shar’s Spear of Evening instead.
The later Selûnite version adds support utility
Selûne’s Spear of Night is a distinct legendary outcome rather than a simple description change. It grants access to abilities including Moonbeam, Moonmote, and Darkvision, giving the resulting weapon a broader support role.
Important to the story, but not required to remain equipped
The spear is a pivotal artifact for Shadowheart’s route, yet it does not need to stay equipped for the story to progress. Players should distinguish its narrative significance from a permanent equipment requirement.
A transitional weapon rather than the final comparison point
Compared with Selûne’s Spear of Night and Shar’s Spear of Evening, the initial +1 Spear of Night is the earlier quest-stage form. Its main distinction is the branching path it enables, not a claim of superiority over either legendary successor.
Overview
The Spear of Night is a rare spear in Baldur's Gate 3 whose importance extends well beyond its early combat role. Found during the Gauntlet of Shar, it is both a usable +1 weapon and a central instrument in Shadowheart's personal quest, with its later significance determined by the party's choice concerning the Nightsong.
Unlike an ordinary spear acquired for damage or proficiency coverage, the Spear of Night is tied directly to the Gauntlet of Shar's progression. It is obtained in the Silent Library by solving the room's book-and-pedestal puzzle, making the item part of the dungeon's narrative path rather than a random drop or routine vendor purchase. Its initial form is a rare, lightly enchanted weapon intended for the confrontation with the Nightsong.
The spear's defining feature is therefore its narrative function. Possessing it helps establish the context of the Shadowfell decision, but the weapon does not need to remain equipped for the story to advance. In practical terms, its early +1 form is a situational Act 2 weapon; its greater importance comes from what it represents for Shadowheart and the opposing claims of Shar and Selûne.
The Spear of Night is also best understood as the starting point of a branching weapon identity rather than as an isolated final reward. If the Nightsong is spared, the choice can lead to Selûne’s Spear of Night. If the Nightsong is killed, the corresponding outcome is Shar’s Spear of Evening. These are distinct legendary weapons, so their properties and role should not be treated as statistics of the original spear.
That branching context separates the Spear of Night from more straightforward alternatives such as a normal spear or another early Act 2 weapon. Its value lies in combining an immediately usable martial item with a major quest decision and a visible change in Shadowheart's path. Readers comparing it with the later Selûnite or Sharran weapons should treat those as choice-dependent successors, not simple upgrades available alongside both outcomes.
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+1
- Damage TypePiercing
- Enchantment+1
- RarityRare
- Weight1.35 kg
- Value190 gp
- Entry TypeNamed / special
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar piercing weapons
| Weapon | Base Damage | Damage Type | Enchantment | Weight | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spear of Night | 1d6+1 | Piercing | +1 | 1.35 kg | 190 gp |
| Selûne's Spear of Night | 1d6+3 | Piercing | +3 | 1.35 kg | 640 gp |
| Vision of the Absolute | 1d6 | Piercing | — | 1.35 kg | 330 gp |
| Spear +1 | 1d6+1 | Piercing | +1 | 1.35 kg | 40 gp |
| Spear +2 | 1d6+2 | Piercing | +2 | 1.35 kg | 95 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 2 and access to the Gauntlet of Shar.
- Access to the Silent Library and the ability to obtain and place Teachings of Loss: The Nightsinger.
- The initial spear is a fixed, one-time pickup in the Silent Library and can be missed by leaving the puzzle unresolved. No vendor, DLC, New Game Plus, or special mode requirement applies.
- 01In Act 2, enter the Gauntlet of Shar and reach the Silent Library. The library is accessible as part of Shadowheart’s Gauntlet of Shar progression, before the Shadowfell confrontation.
- 02Clear the hostile creatures in the Silent Library, then locate the book Teachings of Loss: The Nightsinger. Place it on the Riddle of the Night pedestal to open the sealed chamber.
- 03Enter the newly opened chamber and take the Spear of Night from the altar. This is a fixed pickup rather than a random enemy drop or vendor item, so the weapon is guaranteed once the library puzzle is completed.
- 04The Spear of Night is obtained before the Nightsong decision in the Shadowfell. That later choice determines whether the story develops it toward Selûne’s Spear of Night or Shar’s Spear of Evening; those are separate later outcomes, not alternate ways to find the initial spear.
Availability
Requires Reach the Gauntlet of Shar and progress through the Silent Library; no purchase, character-level gate, or DLC requirement is established.
Its later fate depends on the Nightsong decision. Major story spoiler.
Requires The Shadowfell confrontation must be resolved by either sparing or killing the Nightsong.
Sparing the Nightsong leads toward Selûne’s Spear of Night, while killing her leads toward Shar’s Spear of Evening. These are separate later outcomes rather than simultaneous versions available in one branch.
Mechanics and Handling
The Spear of Night handles like a conventional versatile spear rather than a weapon with a separate resource, charge cycle, or ammunition system. Its ordinary attacks use the normal melee attack flow for the equipped wielder, while its two-handed option changes how the weapon’s damage die is applied. The important exception is its story-linked interaction with the Nightsong in the Shadowfell: the spear is the designated weapon for that confrontation, so its significance there is conditional on the player’s choice rather than a permanent combat bonus that applies to every target.
Versatile reach weapon with a straightforward attack pattern
As a spear, the weapon is usable in one hand or with both hands when the other hand is free. Its normal attack is a close-range piercing weapon attack, and it does not introduce a special attack cadence, reload, ammunition pool, or returning-weapon behaviour. The two-handed configuration is the relevant handling choice: it gives the spear its larger versatile damage die, while one-handed use leaves the wielder free to carry a shield or another item in the off-hand.
The Spear of Night is therefore more flexible than a strictly two-handed polearm, but it should not be treated as a reach weapon unless the equipped item’s current properties explicitly show Reach. Its practical spacing is that of the spear properties displayed on the item, not an inferred extension from the weapon’s name or appearance. Attack ability selection likewise follows the weapon’s actual properties and the wielder’s build; the spear does not automatically make every user rely on a particular ability score.
Spear weapon action: Rush Attack
The spear weapon family provides Rush Attack as its distinctive weapon action when the character meets the normal weapon-action conditions. Rush Attack converts movement into an aggressive forward attack, allowing the wielder to close distance and strike rather than spending the turn only on positioning. Its value is situational: it can help bridge a short gap or pressure an exposed target, but using movement to reach that target can also leave the attacker in a less safe position.
Rush Attack is a weapon action, not a passive effect of the Spear of Night’s quest history. It does not create a separate charge resource, and it should not be confused with a guaranteed knockback, guaranteed prone effect, or an additional attack unless the current combat result and other active features supply those effects.
The Nightsong interaction is the weapon’s defining condition
The Spear of Night’s unusual behaviour is narrative and conditional rather than a broad damage multiplier. During the Shadowfell confrontation, it is the weapon associated with killing the Nightsong. The scene can remove, transform, or supersede the item depending on the decision made there, so its pre-confrontation state should not be assumed to remain the party’s permanent version afterward.
If the Nightsong is spared, the original spear does not become a general-purpose Selûnite weapon through ordinary combat use; the later Selûne’s Spear of Night is a separate outcome and should be treated as a distinct weapon with its own effects. If the Nightsong is killed, the related Shar’s Spear of Evening is likewise a distinct result. The Spear of Night’s role is consequently strongest in the Shadowfell decision itself, while its everyday handling remains that of its underlying spear type.
No durability or consumable upkeep
The Spear of Night has no known durability track, ammunition requirement, reload step, or weapon-specific resource to maintain in Baldur’s Gate 3. Its combat choices are instead governed by action economy, positioning, hand configuration, proficiency, and the weapon action available to the spear family. Keep it equipped when the Shadowfell interaction is relevant, but do not expect merely holding it to provide the later legendary weapon effects or to advance the quest without the associated story choice.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Its +1 enchantment gives the initial Spear of Night a dependable early upgrade over an ordinary spear, while keeping it usable as a conventional melee weapon before the Shadowfell decision.
- The weapon is directly tied to the Nightsong confrontation, so carrying it gives the party a dedicated narrative and combat purpose during Shadowheart’s Gauntlet of Shar storyline.
- Its most important advantage is progression value: the Shadowfell choice can lead to either Selûne’s Spear of Night or Shar’s Spear of Evening, turning this otherwise temporary weapon into the starting point for a major legendary-weapon branch.
- It does not need to remain equipped for the story to progress, allowing the player to preserve it as a quest artifact or hand combat duty to a better-suited weapon user.
Weaknesses
- The initial Spear of Night is primarily a quest-stage weapon; its defining value is concentrated around the Nightsong decision rather than a broad, build-defining passive effect.
- Its +1 enchantment is modest compared with the later legendary weapons associated with the same storyline, so its combat value can decline as Act 2 progresses and stronger options become available.
- The weapon’s eventual upgrade path is choice-dependent. Pursuing the Selûne or Shar outcome changes which legendary spear becomes available, so keeping the initial spear does not preserve both branches.
- It is a poor fit for a character who cannot use spears effectively or for a party that has already assigned its melee role to a stronger specialized weapon; the spear’s narrative importance does not create a universal combat advantage.
Best uses
- Use it during the Gauntlet of Shar and the Shadowfell when its intended connection to the Nightsong is relevant, especially if the player wants the weapon choice to remain visible in Shadowheart’s personal storyline.
- Keep it available until the Nightsong decision is resolved if the party wants to preserve flexibility between the Selûne-associated and Shar-associated legendary outcomes.
- Equip it temporarily on a spear-capable melee character when an ordinary +1 weapon is useful, but treat that as a stopgap rather than the main reason to build around it.
- Store it safely as a story artifact when another weapon better matches the party’s class, proficiency, or combat plan; progression does not require it to stay equipped.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class and role | Enchantment context | Distinctive mechanics or identity | Acquisition context | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spear of Night | Rare +1 weapon | Quest-linked weapon associated with Shar and the Nightsong confrontation | Obtained in the Gauntlet of Shar; its significance continues through Shadowheart's Shadowfell choice | Players who want the narrative artifact before committing to its later branch | — |
| Selûne’s Spear of Night | Legendary successor to the Spear of Night | Grants Selûnite support features, including Moonbeam, Moonmote and Darkvision | Becomes available through the branch in which the Nightsong is spared | Support-oriented characters and parties following Shadowheart’s Selûnite path | — |
| Shar’s Spear of Evening | Legendary successor on the opposing branch | A darkness-associated legendary weapon with Shar-themed benefits | Becomes available through the branch in which the Nightsong is killed | Characters following Shadowheart’s Shar-aligned path | — |
| Spear | Ordinary non-unique spear | Provides the baseline spear moveset and properties without the Spear of Night’s quest significance | Commonly available as standard equipment or loot | A straightforward replacement when the quest weapon is unavailable or reserved for story reasons | — |
Used In
- The Chosen of SharShadowheart's personal questline, in which the Spear of Night becomes central during the Gauntlet of Shar and the Shadowfell decision.
- Gauntlet of SharThe dungeon where the Spear of Night is recovered and where Shadowheart's trial culminates.
- Silent LibraryThe library within the Gauntlet of Shar containing the pedestal puzzle that reveals the Spear of Night.
- ShadowheartThe companion whose Shar-related personal story determines the weapon's narrative significance and possible transformation.
- NightsongThe Shadowfell figure for whom the spear is intended; the player's choice regarding her determines the weapon's later fate.
- Selûne's Spear of NightThe later legendary outcome associated with sparing the Nightsong.
- Shar's Spear of EveningThe alternate legendary outcome associated with killing the Nightsong.
Lore and Design
The Spear of Night is primarily a narrative artifact in Baldur’s Gate 3, not merely an early-game spear. Its role is tied to Shadowheart’s personal story, the Gauntlet of Shar, and the confrontation with the Nightsong. The weapon’s significance comes from the decision surrounding that confrontation: its fate reflects whether Shadowheart’s path remains aligned with Shar or turns toward Selûne.
The weapon’s acquisition in the Silent Library reinforces that connection. Solving the library’s puzzle by placing Teachings of Loss: The Nightsinger on the pedestal leads to the spear, linking its physical recovery with Shar’s teachings and the trials of the Gauntlet. The item is therefore part of the story’s religious and character-choice framework, rather than an unrelated treasure placed in the area.
[Major spoiler] The Spear of Night is a branching narrative marker rather than a single final form. Sparing the Nightsong can lead to Selûne’s Spear of Night, while killing her allows the player to claim Shar’s Spear of Evening. These outcomes associate the resulting weapons with opposing divine paths and make the spear’s identity part of Shadowheart’s larger character arc. The weapon can be retained as a significant artifact, but equipping it is not itself required to advance the story.
Trivia
- The Spear of Night has two possible narrative successors rather than a single fixed end state. Sparing the Nightsong can lead to Selûne’s Spear of Night, while killing her can lead to Shar’s Spear of Evening.
- Its identity is therefore tied to Shadowheart’s central religious choice in the Shadowfell. The weapon acts as a material marker of whether her story turns toward Selûne or remains aligned with Shar.
- The Selûnite successor is notable for combining a weapon role with party-support tools, including Moonbeam, Moonmote, and Darkvision. This makes the branch outcome more than a name change: the resulting item also reflects a different intended role.