BG3 Morninglord Radiance is a unique ability that can give your melee attacks extra radiant damage. It is granted by the mace called The Blood of Lathander.
When equipped at the Monastery location, The Blood of Lathander will give the wielder +1d4 radiant damage on all their melee attacks. This effect is called Morninglord’s Radiance.
It is an excellent damage boost, especially against undead and fiends who are vulnerable to radiant damage. However, it only works inside the Monastery area. If you unequip the weapon or leave the Monastery, Morninglord’s Radiance is deactivated.
Key Takeaways
- Baldur’s Gate 3 Morninglord Radiance adds 1d4 radiant damage to melee attacks at the Monastery
- Get it by completing “The Monastery” quest and equipping The Blood of Lathander
- Only active inside the Monastery
- Useful for melee characters against radiant-weak enemies
- Can bug it to stay active permanently
How to Get Morninglord Radiance in BG3
To get Morninglord’s Radiance, you first need to complete the quest “The Monastery” after reaching the Goblin Camp. This unlocks access to the Monastery location.
Inside the Monastery basement, there is a secret room behind a puzzle door. Solving the ceremonial weapon puzzle will let you find The Blood of Lathander inside a chest.
Once you have the mace, just equip it and enter the Monastery to activate Morninglord’s Radiance.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Complete the quest “The Monastery”
- Enter the Monastery basement
- Locate the ceremonial weapon puzzle room
- Find all 3 ceremonial weapons in the monastery
- Place the weapons into the floor slots
- Open the secret door
- Take The Blood of Lathander from the chest
- Equip The Blood of Lathander
- Travel to the Monastery
- Morninglord’s Radiance activates
How to Use Morninglord’s Radiance
Morninglord’s Radiance is best used by melee fighters against enemies with radiant vulnerability. Stay inside the Monastery to keep it activated.
Some tips:
- Use it on your Strength or Dexterity focused characters
- Target fiends, undead, and other radiant-weak monsters
- Combine it with a Cleric’s Divine Favor for more damage
- Works great for Paladins and Rangers
The extra damage applies to all melee attacks. But it does not work for ranged weapons. Make sure to unequip the mace before leaving the Monastery, or the effect will be lost.
Is Morninglord’s Radiance Permanent in BG3?
Normally, Morninglord’s Radiance deactivates if you unequip The Blood of Lathander or exit the Monastery area. However, there is a bug that allows you to keep the effect permanently.
To make Morninglord’s Radiance permanent:
- Give The Blood of Lathander to a companion
- Dismiss that companion from your party
- Travel back to the Monastery
- Recruit the companion again
- Their Morninglord’s Radiance will still be active
This bug will likely get fixed eventually. But for now, you can abuse it to keep the radiant damage boost up at all times.
How to use BG3 Morninglord Radiance permanently
Follow these steps to use Morninglord’s Radiance bug so it stays active permanently:
- Make sure a companion is wielding The Blood of Lathander
- Dismiss that companion from your party
- Travel to the Monastery location
- Recruit the companion back into your party
- Their Morninglord’s Radiance ability will remain active now
This exploit lets you keep the radiant damage bonus even outside of the Monastery. It works by tricking the game into thinking you are still inside the Monastery when reactivating the companion.
However, the bug does not always work consistently. You may need to reload and retry it a few times. Also make sure the companion is actually carrying The Blood of Lathander when dismissed.
Best Way to Use Morninglord’s Radiance
To maximize Morninglord’s Radiance, build your character for melee combat with a focus on Strength or Dexterity. Some effective ways to utilize it:
- Polearm Master Build:The bonus action attack from Polearm Master applies the radiant damage twice per turn.
- Great Weapon Master:Use the -5 attack/+10 damage tradeoff to amplify the radiant boost even further.
- Sentinel:Stop enemies in their tracks with Opportunity Attacks boosted by radiant damage.
- Paladin/Ranger:Smite and Hunter’s Mark add even more damage per strike.
- Crowd Control Abilities:Gather enemies together before unloading an AOE smite for extra radiant damage.
Overall, Morninglord’s Radiance synergizes well with any build focused on multiplying melee damage output. Combine it with other radiant abilities for maximum impact.
Morninglord Radiance vs Other Abilities
Compared to other damage options, a few key advantages of Morninglord’s Radiance include:
- Applies to all melee attacks automatically
- Works alongside most other damage boosts
- Grants a damage type that many enemies are vulnerable to
- Available early from a single weapon
However, it loses effectiveness if you rely on ranged combat or casters. Situational bonuses like Sneak Attack and Divine Smite can exceed the 1d4 radiant bonus fairly easily. And it only works in one location.
For pure melee fighters though, it’s one of the best and easiest damage increases available early on.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Morninglord Radiance Builds
Some of the most powerful builds that benefit Morninglord’s Radiance include:
Paladin – Smite stacks radiant on top of radiant. Take PAM or GWM to maximize strikes.
Ranger – Pair with Hunter’s Mark for solid extra damage each attack. Colossus Slayer adds more.
Fighter – Great Weapon Fighting improves the reliability of the 1d4 roll. Action Surge doubles damage output.
Barbarian – Rage bonuses make landing hits more likely. Reckless Attack compensates for the -5 from GWM.
Cleric – Spirit Guardians can gather enemies to get hit with boosted strikes. Spiritual Weapon also benefits.
For any of these builds, focus on Strength or Dexterity first. Maximizing chances to land hits ensures the radiant damage connects consistently. Feats like Sentinel and PAM generate additional attacks to compound the effect. And abilities like Divine Smite that already add radiant damage will benefit the most.
FAQ – August 17, 2023
Is Morninglord’s Radiance permanent?
No, not normally. It deactivates when leaving the Monastery or unequipping the weapon. But there is a bug allowing it to become permanent.
How do I activate Morninglord’s Radiance?
Equip The Blood of Lathander mace at the Monastery location to activate it.
Where can I find The Blood of Lathander?
It’s in a secret chest after solving the ceremonial weapon puzzle in the Monastery basement.
What enemies are weak to radiant damage?
Undead, fiends, some aberrations, and certain fey creatures are vulnerable to radiant.
How much damage does Morninglord’s Radiance do?
It adds 1d4 radiant damage to each melee attack.