The early stretches of the Baldur's Gate 3 campaign can be a little tough, especially for new players who aren't too familiar with how the mechanics work. Once words fail to avoid or defuse volatile situations, parties often have no choice but to fight for their lives. Having a balanced team is often enough to make these encounters less stressful, but the best way to win early on is to find and use a weapon players can really trust.
The Sword of Justice is one of the best greatswords players can get near the beginning of Baldur's Gate 3. Apart from hitting harder than its more common counterparts, it grants players the ability to Tyr's Protection, an Abjuration spell that increases the user's Armor Class by +02. These are often enough to carry players throughout the entirety of Act One and most of Act Two. Here's how to get this weapon.
Where to Get the Sword of Justice
The good news is the Sword of Justice is fairly close to the Druids' grove. The bad news is that players will have to make a tough decision in order to get it. From the grove, head past the Blighted Village and jump across the broken bridge near the barn. Players will see an ambushed caravan and a bunch of bloated hyenas on the road. Ignore the animals (by going underneath the bridge) and head straight to the trading post-turned-massacre site on the other side.
Inside the post is Anders, a Paladin of Tyr who is hunting down a one-horned devil. He makes an offer to the player: cut down the devil, and he will give them the Sword of Justice. Parties can find this devil by the stream below the trading post.
The devil, Karlach, will plead her innocence when confronted, and this is where the decision enters the scene. If players side with Anders and kill Karlach, they will receive the sword. If they side with Karlach and kill Anders, they will have to fight a Level 4 Paladin along with the rest of the people inside the outpost.
Siding with Karlach is highly recommended, as killing Anders will also reward players with the Sword of Justice. Plus, victory over this fake paladin will give players the option to recruit Karlach into their party. She is a powerful Zariel Tiefling with access to Barbarian skills as well as the Legacy of Avernus attacks. Incidentally, she's also a prime candidate for Sword of Justice wielder.
Paladins will not break their oaths if they decide to attack Anders after speaking with Karlach.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on PC, with a PS5 version coming soon.