Beann’shie

Beann’shie is a heavy steel sword with a cold edge. It shares its name with the beann’shie, the wailing spirit better known as a banshee, and in The Witcher 3 it exists as both a crafted sword and a relic you can find.

The crafted version is made by a master blacksmith from the Beann’shie diagram and needs level 44. It deals +10 frost damage on top of its base damage, with +50 armor piercing and +20% Aard intensity. The relic is officially random loot, but a randomisation quirk makes it show up reliably in a handful of guarded treasures once Geralt is high enough level. Several of them are watched by a basilisk, including one on an island northwest of An Skellig and one on a small island southwest of Novigrad. The full list is under How to get it.

The mix of armor piercing and Aard makes it a good fit for a build that knocks human enemies down and finishes them with a heavy blow. In The Witcher 2 it was one of the strongest and rarest steel swords, found or crafted in Chapter I or III.

Across the games

In The Witcher 2, Beann’shie is a steel sword dealing 56-62 base damage with a 25% chance to freeze enemies. It adds 25 damage when striking from behind, 1 Adrenaline per hit and 65 Vitality regeneration while Toxicity is raised. It weighs 9 and has two upgrade slots. It is crafted from its diagram using 14 Iron ore, 2 Leather, 2 Timber, 2 Drowner brains and 2 Necrophage eyes.

Damage: 56-62
Freeze: 25%
Damage dealt when attacking from behind: 25
Adrenaline generation on hitting foe: 1
Vitality regeneration with raised Toxicity: 65

Stats & effects

Crafted version:
+10 Frost damage
+50 Armor piercing
+20% Aard Sign intensity

Dismantle result

1 × Dimeritium ore
1-3 × Glowing ore ingot
1 × Sapphire

Crafting materials

1 × Monster feather
2 × Dimeritium ingot
1 × Monster bone
1 × Monster brain
1 × Sapphire

How to obtain

CraftLoot / treasure

Crafted: a master blacksmith can make it once you have the Beann’shie diagram.

Relic: it is officially random loot, but because of a randomisation bug it reliably shows up in some guarded treasures once Geralt is high enough level. Known spots: an island northwest of An Skellig guarded by a basilisk; a small island southwest of Novigrad guarded by a basilisk; a treasure northeast of the Harpy Feeding Ground guarded by a basilisk; and one between the Inn at the Crossroads and Ursten, guarded by a bilge hag.

In the books & earlier games

In The Witcher 2 Beann’shie is one of the strongest steel swords, but also one of the rarest, found or crafted from a random diagram in Chapter I or III. It was removed from the PC version of the Enhanced Edition.