Baldur’s Gate 3 buffed a Shadowheart weapon so she could actually use it
Larian StudiosThe developers of Baldur’s Gate 3 changed how a weapon intended for Shadowheart worked, as it turns out she couldn’t use it, thanks to a quirk in the Dungeons & Dragons 5e rules.
In Baldur’s Gate 3 and D&D 5e, each character class has different Weapon Proficiencies. If you have proficiency with a weapon, then you get to add your Proficiency Bonus when using it. Naturally, warrior classes have a better weapon selection than spellcasters or sneaky classes.
One weapon that didn’t make sense in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Justiciar’s Scimitar. This is found deep in the Gauntlet of Shar and is clearly a weapon of the Goddess of Darkness’ faith, as it has a chance of blinding foes. Despite this, Shadowheart wasn’t proficient with it, as it’s a Martial Weapon, not a Simple one.
As discussed in a thread on the Baldur’s Gate 3 Reddit, the developers changed the Justiciar’s Scimitar to have no Weapon Proficiency limitations, allowing Shadowheart to use it effectively, as it was clearly intended for her.
As explained by one user, “Wiki note – “As of Patch 4, the weapon does not have a proficiency classification, is not classified as a Scimitar, and does not require proficiency.”
Another user clarified, “I think they removed the tag because they expect people to equip it on Shadowheart. Which as a half-elf Cleric, without feats or multiclassing, cannot use a scimitar.”
These changes to the Justiciar’s Scimitar mean that every character can use it with proficiency, not just Shadowheart. It’s a really good weapon to give to a Rogue, such as Astarion, meaning that anyone can make the most of one of Shar’s holiest weapons.