Sword of Life Stealing
The Sword of Life Stealing is a very rare +2 shortsword in Baldur's Gate 3. Its Life Stealing Critical ability adds Necrotic damage and grants temporary hit points when the wielder lands a critical hit.
Key Takeaways
The Sword of Life Stealing is a conditional critical-hit weapon: its value comes from converting eligible critical hits into extra Necrotic damage and temporary hit points.
Fixed +2 shortsword
This very rare shortsword has a +2 enchantment and uses the Finesse and Light properties, supporting Dexterity-based or dual-wielding setups without requiring a separate weapon variant.
Life Stealing Critical
On a critical hit, Life Stealing Critical adds 1d10 Necrotic damage and grants the wielder 10 temporary hit points.
Target restriction
The bonus damage and temporary hit points do not activate against undead or constructs, so the effect is encounter-dependent rather than universally available.
Act 2 availability
Dammon can sell or be robbed of the sword at the Last Light Inn during Act 2, making its availability dependent on reaching that location and preserving the relevant vendor encounter.
Critical-focused synergy
The sword suits builds that increase critical-hit chances; Killer's Sweetheart is one item that can be paired with it to help force a critical hit.
Conditional rather than universal value
Compared with a conventional +2 shortsword, this weapon trades a straightforward enchantment benefit for a stronger payoff when critical hits occur against eligible targets.
Overview
The Sword of Life Stealing is a very rare shortsword in Baldur's Gate 3 that rewards critical-hit builds with extra necrotic damage and temporary hit points.
The Sword of Life Stealing is a named, very rare melee weapon with the shortsword's Finesse and Light properties. Its identity is defined less by a broad damage profile than by Life Stealing Critical, a weapon feature that activates when the wielder scores a critical hit against an eligible target.
When the feature triggers, the target takes additional Necrotic damage and the wielder gains temporary hit points. The effect does not function against undead or constructs, so the sword's defensive value and bonus damage depend on the enemies in the encounter rather than applying uniformly across every fight.
That conditional design places the sword most naturally in a dual-wielding or other close-range setup that already invests in critical-hit frequency. It can complement equipment such as Killer's Sweetheart, but it does not itself guarantee critical hits; its payoff comes from turning successful critical hits into both offence and short-term survivability.
The weapon is available during Act 2 through Dammon at the Last Light Inn, making it a mid-to-late progression option rather than an opening-game shortsword. Its appeal is therefore situational: it offers a distinct critical-hit reward compared with ordinary enchanted shortswords, while its temporary-hit-point effect is less dependable in battles dominated by undead or construct enemies.
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 TypePiercing
- Enchantment+2
- RarityVery Rare
- Weight0.9 kg
- Value480 gp
- Entry TypeNamed / special
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar piercing weapons
| Weapon | Base Damage | Damage Type | Enchantment | Weight | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sword of Life Stealing | 1d6+2 | Piercing | +2 | 0.9 kg | 480 gp |
| Duellist's Prerogative | 1d8+3 | Piercing | +3 | 0.9 kg | 1300 gp |
| Crimson Mischief | 1d6+2 | Piercing | +2 | 0.9 kg | 640 gp |
| Knife of the Undermountain King | 1d6+2 | Piercing | +2 | 0.9 kg | 480 gp |
| Bow of the Banshee | 1d6+1 | Piercing | +1 | 0.9 kg | 190 gp |
Damage is the dice expression; weight and value are the game’s own figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Reach Act 2 and access the Last Light Inn.
- Dammon must be alive and present at the Last Light Inn; events that prevent him from appearing or leave him unavailable can block this acquisition route.
- This is a base-game Act 2 acquisition with no separate DLC or NG+ requirement.
- 01During Act 2, reach Dammon’s merchant inventory at the Last Light Inn in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. The Sword of Life Stealing can be obtained there by purchasing it from him or by stealing it from his inventory; no boss drop or quest reward is required.
Availability
Requires Dammon must be present at the Last Light Inn
The sword can be purchased or stolen from the vendor. No universal price is stated because the transaction context may vary.
Mechanics and Handling
The Sword of Life Stealing uses the normal shortsword attack pattern rather than replacing the weapon’s basic attacks with a separate stance or resource system. Its practical distinction is therefore concentrated in the critical-hit rider: the weapon becomes more valuable when the wielder can create or land critical hits reliably, instead of offering a special effect on every successful strike.
Life Stealing Critical
On a critical hit, Life Stealing Critical adds 1d10 Necrotic damage to the target and grants the wielder 10 temporary hit points. Both parts of the effect are conditional rather than baseline damage or permanent healing, so they should not be treated as applying to ordinary hits. The bonus damage and temporary hit points do not apply when the target is an undead creature or a construct.
Because the trigger is tied specifically to critical hits, effects that improve critical-hit chances have direct mechanical relevance to this sword. Killer’s Sweetheart is one example of a compatible item for a critical-focused setup, although the sword does not require that item to function. Its value is highest when the rest of the character’s equipment, class features, or combat plan already supports critical hits.
Shortsword Handling
As a shortsword, it has the Finesse and Light properties. Finesse allows the relevant attack to use the character’s more suitable physical ability modifier under Baldur’s Gate 3’s normal weapon rules, while Light supports pairing it with another light weapon for dual-wielding. These properties make the sword usable in both a single-weapon setup and a dual-wielding arrangement, subject to the wielder’s proficiency and build.
The weapon has no separately documented charge, ammunition, reload, durability, or recall behaviour in the supplied mechanics. Its unusual combat behaviour is the conditional critical-hit effect, not a modified attack sequence or a resource-consuming special attack. Against undead or constructs, the sword still functions as a shortsword, but its named life-stealing rider should not be counted when assessing the attack.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Life Stealing Critical rewards a confirmed critical hit with an additional 1d10 Necrotic damage and 10 temporary hit points, giving the wielder both offensive pressure and short-term survivability.
- Its Finesse and Light properties fit Dexterity-based characters and dual-wielding setups without requiring the sword to occupy both hands.
- The effect supports critical-hit-focused equipment and tactics; pairing it with tools such as Killer's Sweetheart can make its defining payoff more attainable.
Weaknesses
- Its signature benefit is conditional on landing a critical hit, so its extra damage and temporary hit points are unreliable without dedicated critical-hit support.
- Life Stealing Critical does not provide its bonus damage or temporary hit points against undead or constructs, reducing its value in those matchups.
- As a shortsword, it competes for a one-handed weapon slot with other rare weapons and may offer less consistent value to characters who do not build around critical hits.
Best uses
- Use it on a melee character whose equipment, class features, or combat tactics increase the frequency or reliability of critical hits.
- Use it in dual-wielding configurations when the character can capitalize on repeated attack opportunities while retaining the sword's critical-triggered defensive benefit.
- Prefer it for encounters against living, non-construct enemies where both parts of Life Stealing Critical can function; consider another weapon when undead or constructs dominate the fight.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class and properties | Defining effect | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword of Life Stealing | Critical hits deal an extra 1d10 Necrotic damage and grant the wielder 10 temporary hit points; ineffective against undead and constructs | Critical-hit builds that benefit from survivability during humanoid or beast encounters | — |
| Knife of the Undermountain King | Improves critical-hit reliability, particularly for attacks made with Advantage | Crit-focused dual wielders who want more frequent critical hits rather than temporary hit points | — |
| Crimson Mischief | Provides offensive bonuses tied to the target's health and attacks made with Advantage | High-level melee builds prioritising sustained damage and critical-hit synergy | — |
| Bloodthirst | Supports critical-hit builds and can improve the party's effectiveness against targets vulnerable to Piercing damage | A critical-focused off-hand or dual-wield setup willing to use a dagger instead of a shortsword | — |
Used In
- DammonDammon sells or can be stolen from for the Sword of Life Stealing at the Last Light Inn during Act 2.
- Last Light InnThe Act 2 location where Dammon offers the Sword of Life Stealing.
- Killer's SweetheartA related critical-hit item that can support the sword's Life Stealing Critical effect.
Trivia
- The Sword of Life Stealing’s named critical-hit feature has a creature-type exception: undead and constructs do not receive its bonus damage, and the wielder does not gain the associated temporary hit points. This makes the effect behave differently depending on the target’s classification, even when the attack itself scores a critical hit.