The Baldur's Gate 3 Legendary items are the most powerful you can get in the game, and usually lie at the end of tricky puzzles or complicated questlines. Each one of these items comes with its own range of special abilities and often has multiple bound spells that tie into its functionality. These can be passive benefits like removing fall damage or preventing you from being blinded, or they can be more on-the-nose, as with Nyrulna's thunder explosions when you hurl the trident at enemies.
Since I'm still playing the game, I haven't found every Legendary item yet, but I've included a decent variety, from weapons to legendary books that grant strong spells. I'll also be sure to add more Legendary weapons and items as I find them. All that said, here are the Baldur's Gate 3 Legendary items I've found so far along with how to get them yourself. Be warned: since Legendary items are often dropped by important characters, some of these entries do have spoilers about people you can fight as part of the story.
The Blood of Lathander
- Weapon type: Mace
- Lathander's Blessing: Once per long rest, when your hit points are reduced to zero, you regain 2-12 hitpoints. Allies within nine metres regain 1-6 hit points.
- Lathander's Light: Sheds holy light in a six metre radius. In combat, fiends and undead standing in the light are blinded, unless they pass a constitution save.
- Bound spells: Sunbeam
You can get this glowing mace in the Rosymorn Monastery in the Mountain Pass, specifically in Creche Y'llek below it. You'll have to find your way to the Inquisitor's chamber and then solve a few puzzles, including how not to nuke the monastery when you nick the mace itself. The Blood of Lathander is especially good to claim before the Shadow-Cursed Lands, since it creates light, and is a strong early choice for Shadowheart.
Selune's Spear of Night
- Weapon type: Spear
- Selune's Blessing: You gain advantage on wisdom saving throws and perception checks.
- Darkvision: You can see in the dark up to 12 metres.
- Bound spells: Moonbeam and Moonmote
This legendary spear is one of the two weapon variations you get depending on the Nightsong choice that Shadowheart makes near the end of act 2. This transforms the regular Spear of the Night you get in the Silent Library into either this version or the one below. Selune's Spear of Night is yours if you save Nightsong and Shadowheart, and I generally think it's the better weapon because Moonbeam is an absurdly powerful spell if you line it up right to hit lots of enemies.
Shar's Spear of Evening
- Weapon type: Spear
- Shar's Blessing: You gain advantage on saving throws while Lightly or Heavily Obscured. This weapon deals an additional 1d6 to creatures that are similarly obscured.
- Blind Immunity: The wearer cannot be blinded.
- Bound spells: Shar's Darkness
Shar's Spear of Evening is what you'll get if Shadowheart kills the Nightsong and it's perfect if you want a weapon that just generally buffs you when you're in darkness, but also gives you the ability to create that darkness yourself with its bound spell. Still, it's no Moonbeam.
Nyrulna
- Weapon type: Trident
- Zephyr Connection: This weapon will return to your hand when thrown. You cannot be forced to drop the trident. When thrown, the weapon creates an explosion that deals 3-12 thunder damage in a six metre blast.
- Veil of the Wind: You gain +3 metre bonus to movement speed and jump distance. Equipping this weapon gives you immunity to fall damage.
- Nyrulna glowing: This object shines with a glowing light in a radius of six metres.
This legendary trident comes from the Circus of Last Days near Rivington from act 3 onwards, specifically, by outwitting Akabi the Djinni to win the jackpot of his wheel of fortune. The key thing you need to do is pickpocket his magic ring—which he uses to rig the game—and then spin the wheel. Akabi will accuse you of cheating and teleport you to a jungle with monsters, but if you make it to the portal, you'll find a chest with Nyrulna. This trident is very strong, both in providing passive bonuses like its fall damage immunity, but also as a throwing weapon.
Crimson Mischief
- Weapon type: Shortsword
- Prey Upon the Weak: This weapon deals an additional 1-4 piercing damage against targets below 50% HP.
- Redvein Savary (main-hand): When you make an attack with advantage, you deal 7 additional piercing damage.
- Crimson Weapon (off-hand): When you make an attack with your off-hand weapon, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the attack.
While this shortsword and the dagger below it are separate weapons, you'll get them as a pair when you defeat Orin in the Temple of Bhaal in the Undercity in act 3. You can gain access to the temple by following the questline around investigating the murders in the city. These weapons can be used individually, but their main-hand and off-hand skills are very complementary.
Bloodthirst
- Weapon type: Dagger
- Improved Critical: The number you need to roll a Critical Hit while attacking is reduced by 1. This effect can stack.
- Exploit Weakness (main-hand): Creatures hit with this weapon receive vulnerability to piercing damage.
- True Strike Riposte (off-hand): When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can retaliate and gain True Strike.
- Bound spells: True Strike
The greatest strength of this pair of weapons is how versatile and interchangeable they are in terms of being used either in the main-hand or off-hand. That said, I think Bloodthirst is strongest when used off-hand for that amazing True Strike Riposte ability, especially if your character is good at dodging attacks.
Duelist's Prerogative
- Weapon type: Rapier
- Elegant Duellist: While your off-hand is empty, you score a Critical Hit when you roll a 19. Moreover, you gain an additional reaction per turn.
- Withering Cut: On a hit with a melee weapon, use a reaction to deal additional Necrotic damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus.
- Bound Spells: Challenge to Duel, Dueller's Enthusiasm
You can get this Legendary rapier in Act 3 once you arrive in the Lower City. The weapon is linked to the Save Vanra quest, which you can either begin by visiting Vanra's mother in the Basilisk Gate barracks, or by investigating the Blushing Mermaid tavern. Either way, you'll find yourself wrangling with a hag, but if you complete the quest you'll get this blade as a nice reward.
Orphic Hammer
- Weapon type: Warhammer
- Spell Resistance: You have advantage on Saving Throws against spells.
- Bound spells: Unshackling Strike
The Orphic Hammer is more of a narrative weapon than it is a particularly powerful Legendary item, since it allows you to free Orpheus, opening up an alternate ending to the game. You can get this weapon by travelling to the House of Hope in Act 3, or by making a deal with Raphael in Sharess' Caress on Wyrm's Crossing.
Balduran's Giantslayer
- Weapon type: Greatsword
- Giantslayer: On a hit, double the damage from your Strength modifier. This weapon grants you advantage on attack rolls against large, huge, or gargantuan creatures.
- Bound spells: Giant Form
You can get the Legendary Balduran's Giantslayer greatsword by completing the Wyrmway below Wyrm's Rock and defeating Ansur. This dragon has a lot of health and an annoying lightning AoE attack, so it's quite a tricky fight, but afterwards you can loot his corpse to get the sword.
Gontr Mael
- Weapon type: Bow
- Promised Victory: On a hit, possibly inflict Guiding Bolt on the target.
- Gontr Mael glowing: This object shines with a glowing light in a radius of six meters.
- Bound spells: Celestial Haste
You can get the Gontr Mael Legendary bow by defeating the Steel Watch Titan boss in the basement of the Steel Watch Foundry in the Lower City. You have to do this as part of killing Gortash and getting his Netherstone during Act 3, that is, if you don't want to have to deal with giant robots at the same time as fighting him. The boss is quite tricky, since you'll also have to fight multiple Steel Watchers at the same time, but once it's beaten you can loot this bow from its corpse.
Viconia's Walking Fortress
- Item type: Shield
- Rebuke the Mighty: When a foe hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to deal 2-8 force damage and knock it prone unless it succeeds a Dexterity check.
- Spellguard: You gain advantage on saving throws against spells. Spell attack rolls against you have disadvantage.
- Bound spells: Reflective Shell and Warding Guard
This shield comes from Viconia DeVir in the House of Grief in the Lower City during act 3. If you're following Shadowheart's quest, you'll potentially end up fighting her—and perhaps the entire Cult of Shar, but either way, this is Viconia's shield. It's real good, too, providing armour class +3, protective spells, and a damage-dealing twist on your usual shield bash reaction with the Rebuke the Mighty ability.
Helldusk Armour
- Item type: Heavy armour
- Armour Class: 21
- Helldusk Armour: You are considered proficient with this armour while wearing it.
- Infernal Retribution: When you succeed a saving throw, the caster receives burning for three turns.
- Prime Aegis of Fire: You have resistance to fire damage and cannot be burned. You take three less damage from all sources.
- Bound spells: Fly
The Helldusk Armour is a very difficult Legendary item to acquire, since you have to go to the House of Hope in act 3, and defeat Raphael to claim it. As you'd expect, it's a very tough fight, but in all fairness, it's incredibly good armour. You don't even need proficiency in heavy armour in order to use it, which potentially lets you use a feat on something completely different.
Gloves of Soul Catching
- Item type: Armour
- Soul Fist: Your unarmed attacks deal an additional 1-10 Force damage.
- Soul Catching: Once per turn, on an unarmed hit, you gain 10 hitpoints. Alternatively, you may forego the healing to gain Advantage on Attack Rolls and Saving Throws until the end of your next turn.
- Constitution: +2 (up to 20)
Just like the Helldusk Armour, these gloves are linked to the House of Hope in Act 3. In order to get them, you need to rescue Hope from her prison, and make sure she survives the final boss battle with Raphael, which is no easy feat. If you manage it, you'll get a little message indicating your success along with the gloves.
Helm of Balduran
- Item type: Medium armour
- Balduran's Vitality: This helmet heals two hitpoints at the beginning of every turn.
- Balduran's Favour: You have a +1 bonus to Armour Class and Saving Throws.
- Stun Immunity: You can't be stunned
You can get the Helm of Balduran the same way you get Balduran's Giantslayer: completing the Wyrmway. In the Dragon's Sanctum with Ansur, you'll find the helmet on a little podium at the back of the room. If you really don't want to fight the dragon, then you should be able to just sneak through and grab it, though I'm not sure if the Ansur cutscene automatically begins if you pass a certain point. Either way, defeating the boss lets you get both Legendary items.
Markoheshkir
- Weapon type: Quarterstaff
- Arcane Enhancement: You gain a +1 to Spell Save DC and spell attack rolls.
- Arcane Battery: The next spell you cast when this is toggled active doesn't consume a spell slot.
- Bound spells: Kereska's Favour
This is the best staff in the game for spellcasting that I've found, and you can get it in Ramazith's Tower in the Lower City. The easiest way to get here is as part of the Nightsong quest, heading to Sorcerous Sundries, and then through the portal to the tower where the wizard Loroakkan lives. Use the "Below" button on the lower floor of the tower to transport to where this is protected by a barrier. Pull the lever and pass an Arcana check to unlock it. This staff is really good for Gale since the Arcane Battery ability stacks nicely alongside his Arcane Recovery ability, and Kereska's Favour makes it a tad easier for him to survive.
The Red Knight's Final Stratagem
- Item type: Book
- Spell: Curriculum of Strategy - Artistry of War (Level 5 Evocation)
I included this book right after the staff because it's only a button press away. From the lower level of Ramazith's Tower, hit the "Vault" button and you'll be transported to a room with a display case that has this book inside. Reading the book will give you the powerful Scroll of Artistry of War that your wizard can learn. The spell deals 18-78 force damage as you summon six spectral strategists and choose individually who they target.
The Annals of Karsus
- Item type: Book
- Spell: Dethrone (Level 5 Necromancy)
This book isn't far past the previous one. If you keep heading through the doors from where you found The Red Knight's Final Stratagem, you'll come to a door labelled Ramazith. Unlock this and, being wary of traps, head through the Silverhand door, the Evocation door, then turn around and go through the Silver door to find a lever you can pull. This will unlock the Karsus Vault back in the original room and you can find the book inside. Reading it gives you the Scroll of Dethrone, which your wizard can also learn, dealing 30-80 Necrotic damage, and half damage even on a save.
The Tharciate Codex
- Item type: Book
- Condition: Tharciate Withering and then Tharciate Vigor
The final legendary book in the Sorcerous Vault is behind the Elminster door. Again, being wary of traps, head through the Silverhand door, the Abjuration door, then the Wish door to find a lever unlocking the vault. Inside, you'll find The Tharciate Codex. Now, this one doesn't give you a spell when you read it, but if you have the Necromancy of Thay and its Dark Amethyst key, you can get the Danse Macabre spell that lets you summon six ghouls and it's honestly one of the most powerful spells I've come across, though the linked guide deals with all that. Reading this book will give you Tharciate Withering, reducing your constitution by five. You'll need this effect to read Necromancy of Thay, but once done, you can use the Remove Curse spell, and the condition will convert to Tharciate Vigor, giving you 20 temporary HP every time you long rest.
Mask of the Shapeshifter
- Item type: Helmet
- Bound spells: Shapeshift
There isn't too much to say about this one since it's DLC you get from the Deluxe Edition of the game. It isn't especially powerful since it only grants Shapeshift, but you can use it as soon as you access your camp, making it quite a good early game item.
