Torch
Torch is a common light source in Baldur's Gate 3 that can also serve as a simple one-handed melee weapon and help ignite flammable surfaces.
Key Takeaways
Torch is a utility-first weapon: it provides illumination while retaining a limited melee and environmental role.
Light source and simple weapon
Torch serves primarily as a portable light source, but it can also be equipped and used as a simple one-handed melee weapon with bludgeoning and fire damage.
Its main value is utility
Beyond attacking, Torch can ignite flammable surfaces and supports Dip, allowing another weapon to gain fire damage in situations where the interaction is available.
The hand slot is the trade-off
Equipping Torch occupies a hand, limiting access to two-handed weapons and dual-wield setups while it is in use.
Simple-weapon proficiency still matters
Torch follows Baldur’s Gate 3’s simple-weapon proficiency rules; lacking the relevant proficiency affects its use as a weapon rather than its basic lighting function.
Common availability makes it replaceable
Torches are broadly available from traders, so losing or replacing one is generally less consequential than with a unique weapon or quest reward.
Light cantrip avoids the weapon trade-off
Characters that need both hands for combat can use alternatives such as the Light cantrip or magical lanterns instead of carrying Torch as their active light source.
Overview
In Baldur's Gate 3, the Torch is a standard one-handed melee weapon whose main purpose is illumination rather than sustained damage. It combines a portable light source with a basic bludgeoning attack and limited fire utility, making it a practical exploration tool and an early-game fallback weapon rather than a specialist combat choice.
The Torch occupies an unusual place in Baldur's Gate 3's equipment system. Unlike ordinary clubs and other simple weapons, it can be carried for illumination and used to improve visibility in dark areas. It can be toggled while exploring, so a character does not need to rely exclusively on spells or environmental light when navigating underground or poorly lit locations.
Its combat role is deliberately modest. Holding a Torch uses one of the character's hands, creating an opportunity cost for characters who would otherwise use a two-handed weapon, a shield, or an off-hand weapon. It is therefore most useful when lighting has immediate practical value, or when the character is not dependent on making weapon attacks every turn.
The Torch also interacts with fire-oriented environmental play. It can help ignite suitable flammable surfaces and supports the Dip action, allowing fire-related weapon use when the surrounding conditions permit it. These interactions give it more utility than a purely cosmetic light source, but they do not turn it into a replacement for a dedicated magical or martial weapon.
Torches are common, non-unique equipment rather than a major quest or progression reward. They can be found or bought during ordinary play, and alternatives such as the Light cantrip or magical lanterns can provide illumination without occupying a weapon hand. The base Torch has no important DLC or variant distinction for normal player use; its value depends primarily on whether carrying a hand-held light is worth the lost equipment slot.
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 Damage1d4
- Damage TypeBludgeoning
- Extra Damage1d4 Fire
- RarityCommon
- Weight0.9 kg
- Value10 gp
- Entry TypeNamed / special
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar bludgeoning weapons
| Weapon | Base Damage | Damage Type | Enchantment | Weight | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torch | 1d4 | Bludgeoning | — | 0.9 kg | 10 gp |
| Flail of Ages | 1d8+1 | Bludgeoning | +1 | 0.9 kg | 320 gp |
| Club of Hill Giant Strength | 1d4 | Bludgeoning | — | 0.9 kg | 65 gp |
| Skybreaker | 1d4+1 | Bludgeoning | +1 | 0.9 kg | 65 gp |
| Club | 1d4 | Bludgeoning | — | 0.9 kg | 10 gp |
Damage is the dice expression; weight and value are the game’s own figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- 01In Act 1, check the trade inventory of Arron in the Emerald Grove, Roah Moonglow in the Shattered Sanctum, or Derryth Bonecloak in the Myconid Colony. These merchants are established sources for ordinary Torches; select the item in the trade interface to purchase it when stocked.
- 02Torches can also be found as ordinary loot during exploration, including in containers and among other low-value equipment. Merchant access can be lost if the relevant area or faction becomes unavailable, but the item is not a unique quest reward and is not limited to one per playthrough.
Availability
Requires No stat, proficiency, DLC, NG+, or difficulty requirement.
Availability can vary with access to the relevant traders and story progression. No universal price is listed because vendor prices can vary by context.
Mechanics and Handling
The Torch’s combat identity is secondary to its illumination: it is a one-handed simple melee weapon that lets the wielder carry a light source without relying on a spell or another character. Its attacks use the ordinary melee weapon flow rather than a unique combo, ranged attack, ammunition system, or weapon-specific resource. The important handling trade-off is the hand slot it occupies: carrying it can prevent a character from using a two-handed weapon or from maintaining a preferred dual-wield setup while it is equipped.
A hand-held light source with basic melee attacks
When equipped, the Torch provides illumination while the character explores dark areas and can be used in melee like a basic club-type weapon. Its practical value is therefore situational rather than tied to a distinctive attack pattern. Characters that rarely make weapon attacks can carry one with less opportunity cost than a dedicated martial weapon user, although the occupied hand still matters for equipment choices.
The Torch does not have a firearm-style reload, magazine, ammunition, or durability loop. There is also no Torch-specific charge sequence, return mechanic, or documented weapon resource to manage. Its attack behaviour is governed by the normal melee rules for the equipped weapon, so this section should not treat its light function as a separate combat action or as a replacement for spell-based utility.
Fire, Dip, and environmental interactions
A Torch can participate in Baldur’s Gate 3’s fire-based environmental interactions. It can be used with the Dip action when a suitable fire source is available, allowing a weapon to gain a temporary fire-damage effect under the game’s normal Dip rules. Fire can also interact with flammable surfaces and objects, so the Torch may be useful for setting up or exploiting an environment rather than simply striking a target.
These interactions are conditional: holding a Torch does not by itself justify treating every attack as a universal area effect, a permanent weapon coating, or a substitute for a fire spell. Wet targets and other surface conditions can change how fire interactions behave, so the surrounding terrain and target state remain relevant.
Equipment cost and light alternatives
The Torch’s main handling question is whether its illumination is worth giving up the hand slot. A character using a shield, a two-handed weapon, or two-weapon fighting may prefer a spell-based light source or another magical lighting option instead. Conversely, a character whose combat plan is spell-focused or otherwise does not depend on active weapon attacks can use the Torch with less disruption.
The light can be toggled during exploration, including through the platform’s normal light-source control. Switching away from the Torch removes its hand-slot opportunity cost but also removes the benefit of carrying its illumination in combat.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Provides portable illumination while exploring dark areas, without requiring a spell slot or a separate carried light source.
- Functions as a simple one-handed melee weapon and can interact with fire-focused play through the Dip action.
- Can ignite flammable surfaces, giving it practical environmental utility beyond its direct attacks.
Weaknesses
- Holding it occupies a hand that could instead hold a dedicated weapon, shield, or another useful item, limiting equipment choices during combat.
- Its main value is utility rather than a specialized weapon effect, so characters built around stronger weapon actions or item synergies may gain more from another weapon.
- Keeping the torch equipped for light can force a hand-state change when entering combat or when switching to a preferred weapon setup.
Best uses
- Exploring dark areas when the party does not want to spend resources on Light or rely on another magical illumination source.
- Supporting environmental fire interactions, including igniting flammable surfaces or using Dip before an attack.
- Equipping on a character whose combat plan does not depend heavily on weapon attacks, preserving the torch’s utility while reducing its opportunity cost.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Combat role | Distinct utility | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torch | Provides illumination while equipped; can interact with fire surfaces and supports Dip | Uses a hand that could otherwise hold a weapon or shield, limiting two-handed and dual-wield setups | — |
| Club | Straightforward weapon use without relying on a light source | Does not provide the Torch’s illumination or fire-related utility | — |
| Mace | More directly focused on weapon combat than exploration utility | Lacks the Torch’s built-in lighting function and fire interactions | — |
| Sickle | Can serve as a compact combat alternative when illumination is handled separately | Does not replace a light source or provide the Torch’s fire-related utility | — |