War Pick
The War Pick is a versatile martial melee weapon in Baldur's Gate 3 that deals piercing damage and can be used in one or two hands.
Key Takeaways
Versatile piercing weapon
War Pick is a martial melee weapon with a piercing damage profile and versatile handling, allowing it to be used in either one or two hands.
Strength-oriented choice
The base weapon is not Finesse, so ordinary attacks generally favor Strength rather than Dexterity; it also requires martial weapon proficiency for full use.
Plain base item
The standard War Pick has no intrinsic named passive or spell. Enchantment bonuses or special effects belong to specific magical variants rather than the base weapon.
Useful but role-specific
Its flexible hand usage and piercing damage make it a practical Strength weapon, but Dexterity-focused characters usually have better-suited alternatives.
Compared with a mace
Compared with the simpler mace, War Pick trades easier proficiency access for martial weapon handling and a versatile, piercing-focused role.
Overview
War Pick is a standard martial melee weapon in Baldur’s Gate 3, built for characters who want a straightforward pick-style weapon without a named-item passive.
It deals piercing damage and uses a compact melee moveset. Its Versatile property allows it to be handled with one hand or two, making it compatible with either a shield-bearing setup or a more damage-focused two-handed approach.
Unlike named or legendary weapons, War Pick’s role comes from its basic weapon properties rather than a unique spell, passive, or story association. It is therefore mainly a practical early- or mid-game equipment choice, rather than a long-term item destination for a specialized build.
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 Damage1d8
- Damage TypePiercing
- RarityCommon
- Weight0.9 kg
- Value50 gp
- Entry TypeStandard / enhancement variant
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar piercing weapons
| Weapon | Base Damage | Damage Type | Enchantment | Weight | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| War Pick | 1d8 | Piercing | — | 0.9 kg | 50 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 |
| Sword of Life Stealing | 1d6+2 | Piercing | +2 | 0.9 kg | 480 gp |
Damage is the dice expression; weight and value are the game’s own figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Access to the relevant Act One area and proficiency with martial weapons, or another way to use martial weapons effectively. No DLC or NG+ requirement applies.
- 01In Act One, check Dammon’s stock in the Hollow at the Druid Grove. War Pick is a standard martial weapon, so its availability is tied to ordinary vendor inventory rather than a named quest reward; inspect the stock before resolving the Grove’s major storyline.
- 02If Dammon does not offer one, check other Act One weapon vendors and ordinary loot, including the traders in the Goblin Camp and Shattered Sanctum. Generic weapon stock is not a guaranteed, one-per-playthrough placement, so vendor availability may require checking again after progression.
Mechanics and Handling
The standard War Pick is a close-range, piercing weapon with a versatile moveset. Its one-handed and two-handed attacks use the weapon's normal melee attack sequence; the two-handed option changes the weapon's damage die rather than adding a separate special attack. It has no ammunition, reload, durability, or throw-and-return behaviour to manage.
Spacing and attack commitment
The War Pick rewards staying in ordinary melee range rather than trying to control space at reach. Its piercing damage is consistent across its basic attacks, while the versatile property lets the wielder trade an off-hand or shield for the weapon's two-handed damage option. That choice is mechanical, not cosmetic: characters who rely on a shield, dual wielding, or another off-hand benefit should compare those benefits against the larger two-handed hit.
Weapon actions and special effects
The base War Pick does not provide an innate elemental rider, status buildup, passive damage effect, or limited-use resource. Its available weapon actions come from Baldur's Gate 3's standard weapon-action system and the weapon's category, rather than from a unique War Pick-exclusive mechanic. Any bonus damage, spell, or conditional effect comes from a particular enchanted variant, character feature, or temporary effect and should not be attributed to the ordinary War Pick.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Its versatile handling lets the wielder use it in one hand or commit both hands, preserving an off-hand option when flexibility matters while allowing a stronger two-handed damage die.
- Piercing damage and martial-weapon access make it a straightforward fit for characters already proficient with martial melee weapons, without imposing an unusual build requirement.
Weaknesses
- It offers no distinctive named passive, spell, or item-set effect to offset its conventional weapon role.
- Using it one-handed gives up the larger damage die available when it is wielded with both hands, while using both hands sacrifices the benefits of an off-hand weapon or shield.
- It competes for the same melee slot with named weapons whose enchantments or special actions can provide more build-specific value.
Best uses
- A flexible early- or mid-game martial weapon for a character who alternates between an empty off hand, a shield, and two-handed attacks.
- A practical choice when a build wants piercing melee attacks but does not depend on a unique passive, spell, or legendary weapon effect.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Base damage | Damage type | Properties | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battleaxe | Slashing | Versatile | A close alternative for characters wanting the same one- or two-handed damage profile with slashing damage. | — |
| Longsword | Slashing | Versatile | Provides the same versatile damage progression while serving builds that prefer slashing damage. | — |
| Warhammer | Bludgeoning | Versatile | A comparable martial weapon whose bludgeoning damage may suit targets or effects that favor that damage type. | — |