How to Get Sword of Screams in Baldur’s Gate 3

In Baldur’s Gate 3, the Sword of Screams is a decent Rapier you can acquire in Act 1 – this short Guide explains everything you need to know about the Sword of Screams in BG3.

Nere BG3

The Sword of Screams is a rare and powerful rapier in Baldur’s Gate 3, offering both piercing and psychic damage, making it a valuable addition to the arsenal of finesse-focused characters. This weapon is particularly beneficial for rogues and bards who specialize in dexterous combat. In this guide, we’ll explore the Sword of Screams, how to acquire it, and tips for using it effectively in Baldur’s Gate 3.

What is the Sword of Screams in BG3?

Baldur's Gate 3 Sword of Screams BG3

In Baldur’s Gate 3 the Sword of Screams is a decent main hand weapon in Act 1 for characters or classes who are choosing to dual wield. There are two ways you can obtain the ability to dual wield in Baldur’s Gate 3:

  1. Take the Dual Wielder feat, which is available to any class or subclass
    • Dual Wielder: You can use Two-Weapon Fighting even if your weapons aren’t Light, and you gain a +1 bonus to Armour Class while wielding a melee weapon in each hand. You cannot dual-wield Heavy weapons.
  2. Choose the Two-Weapon Fighting style, available to Fighters, Rangers, and College of Swords Bards
    • Two-Weapon Fighting: When you make an offhand attack, you can add your Ability Score Modifier to the damage of the attack.

The Sword of Screams offers not only base Piercing damage, but provides additional Psychic damage, as well.

Sword of Screams Abilities and Effects

Below are all the features, abilities, and effects of Sword of Screams in Baldur’s Gate 3:

  • Weapon Type: Rapier
  • Damage: 1d8+4 Piercing; +1d4 Psychic
  • Requirements: Martial Weapons or Rapiers Proficiency
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Location: Looted from Nere at the Grymforge, Act 1
  • Weight: 0.9 kg
  • Value: 130
  • Classes with Martial Weapons Proficiency: Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, and Ranger
  • Classes with Rapiers Proficiency: Bard and Rogue
  • Races with Greatsword Proficiency: Drow
  • Companions Who Can Use This Weapon: Shadowheart, Lae’zel, Minthara, Minsc, Astarion

How to Get Sword of Screams in BG3? Explained

In order to get the Sword of Screams you will need to find Grymforge and start the ‘Free True Soul Nere’ questline, with the intention of killing him. After docking you will hear that Nere is trapped in a cave-in and this will put this quest (as well as an accompanying one, Save the Grymforge Gnomes) on a timer. Once you know about Nere in game you cannot Long Rest at camp more than twice or he will perish. This is an alternative way to get the sword, if you would rather let him die passively. However, even if you choose to do that you’ll still need to blast away the rubble in order to get to his body.

Find the Cave-In

Baldur's Gate 3 Cave in and Nere location
Smokepowered Bomb

From where the boat docks at the Abandoned Refuge just a little bit south you will find the Underdark-Grymforge waypoint. From there you want to make your way further south, where you will find the cave-in nearby the Underdark-Ancient Forge waypoint. You’ll be informed of the cave-in, and find the gnome slaves working away at the rubble. The most effective way to get past the massive rock pile is simply to blast it. If you have extra Smokepowder Bombs on hand, these are probably the quickest way to take care of the problem. Simply set the Bomb next to the pile of rubble (this will cause the gnomes to back away), then get some distance yourself and have a character hit the bomb with a Fire Bolt cantrip.

If you don’t want to use your Smokepowder Bombs (they are a very effective consumable and one you might prefer to save for a fight) you can instead find an alternative explosive by speaking to an escaped gnome named Philomeen. You’ll find her much farther up northeast on the map and you’ll have to pass a Persuasion check in order to safely receive a vial of the explosive powder from her.

BG3 Philomeen Location Grymforge

Confronting Nere

Once you have blasted away the rubble, then Nere will be freed. Angry at becoming trapped, he starts to take that out on the nearby gnomes. You can choose to let him, or fight him (as well as all the surrounding Duergar Dwarves) in an attempt to save the gnomes. While it is possible to pickpocket Nere in order to get another high quality item he has called the Disintegrating Night Walkers, the Sword of Screams will not show up in his pockets. Therefore, you will need to turn against him, which will initiate combat. Once the battle is over, you can loot the Sword of Screams, the Disintegrating Night Walkers, and an additional True Soul tadpole, among other loot, from his body.

How to Use the Sword of Screams in BG3?

The most effective way to use the Sword of Screams in Baldur’s Gate 3 is by equipping it to a Rogue, Warlock, or melee-focused Ranger. Ideally, you want to use this with a dual-wielding build,

Tips and Tricks for Sword of Screams in BG3

These are the best tips and tricks for finding and using Sword of Screams in Baldur’s Gate 3:

  • To reach the Grymforge, you must use the boat at the Decrepit Village in the Underdark.
  • You must kill Nere to get the Sword of Screams, as it cannot be stolen from him.
  • You can also passively let Nere die, by simply ignoring his plight at the cave-in.

FAQs about Sword of Screams in BG3

Where can I find the Sword of Screams in Baldur’s Gate 3?

You can find the Sword of Screams on Nere, who has been trapped by a cave-in down in the Grymforge during Act 1 of BG3.

Which classes or builds benefit most from Sword of Screams?

Dual-wielding builds using classes such as Rogue, Ranger, or Warlock would benefit the most from equipping the Sword of Screams.

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