Baldur’s Gate 3 Companion Guide

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Baldur’s Gate 3: Everything You Need to Know About Recruitable NPCs

Baldur’s Gate 3 is gaining traction with its captivating story and immersive gameplay, attracting many avid RPG players. In addition to your own personalized character, you can also recruit other individuals to join your party and accompany you on your dungeon-delving adventures. To ensure the success of your quests, it’s important to familiarize yourself with all the recruitable NPCs in the game. These non-player characters (NPCs) have unique personalities, backstories, and abilities that can provide valuable support in both combat and dialogue. Currently, there are five eligible companions in the game, with more expected to be added later. Here’s a breakdown of each recruitable NPC and how to unlock and optimize their potential.

Shadowheart

Shadowheart is a versatile high half-elf cleric who specializes in the Trickery domain and is dedicated to the night god Shar. With a focus on ranged support, she excels at utilizing damage spells and healing abilities from a distance. Whether you need a powerful healer, a versatile spellcaster, or a competent melee fighter, Shadowheart can fulfill any role you need in your party.

How to Unlock Shadowheart

To unlock Shadowheart, there are two methods, but it’s recommended to find her from the beginning to avoid unnecessary efforts. Here’s how to recruit Shadowheart:

  • During the prologue: Head to the lower deck of the Nautiloid and locate Shadowheart’s pod in a room on the left side. Retrieve a rune from a chest in the adjacent room and insert it into the nearby console to unlock the pod. Shadowheart will emerge and offer to join your party.
  • After the prologue: Proceed to the entrance of the Dank Crypt (Abandoned Ruins) located at the northern end of the Ravaged Beach. Engage in a conversation with Shadowheart, and she will willingly join your party.

Shadowheart’s Stats

  • Strength: 12
  • Dexterity: 14
  • Constitution: 14
  • Intelligence: 10
  • Wisdom: 16
  • Charisma: 10

Tips for Building Shadowheart

  • Prioritize increasing her Wisdom score to enhance spellcasting ability and saving throws.
  • Invest in Dexterity and Constitution to improve survivability in combat.
  • Select spells that align with her playstyle, focusing on healing spells for a dedicated healer or damage and utility spells for a versatile spellcaster.
  • Take advantage of her Trickery Domain abilities, such as Pass Without Trace for stealth missions, and use her ability to turn invisible to escape challenging situations.

Astarion

Astarion is a high-elf vampire rogue with a penchant for ruthless pragmatism and a soft spot for monsters. With high Dexterity and versatile skills, he brings both combat prowess and spellcasting abilities to your party. His exceptional Dexterity score makes him a formidable opponent, while his Charisma score allows him to navigate through challenging situations with charm. Astarion is an excellent choice for players seeking a stealthy and adaptable companion.

How to Unlock Astarion

To recruit Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3, follow these steps:

  • Find Astarion: He can be found hiding from a monster on the Ravaged Beach, southwest of the Roadside Cliffs.
  • Speak to Astarion: Assist him in defeating the monster. After the battle, Astarion will offer to join your party, and you can choose whether to accept or decline his proposition.

Astarion’s Stats

  • Strength: 8
  • Dexterity: 17
  • Constitution: 14
  • Intelligence: 13
  • Wisdom: 13
  • Charisma: 10

Tips for Building Astarion

  • Prioritize improving his Dexterity score to enhance attack rolls and Armor Class (AC).
  • Invest in Constitution to enhance survivability during combat.
  • Choose Rogue skills that align with your preferred playstyle, focusing on Stealth and Perception for a stealthy assassin or emphasizing Persuasion and Deception for a charming rogue.
  • Utilize Astarion’s Vampire abilities to your advantage. His Vampiric Bite inflicts significant damage, and his Vampiric Drain ability allows him to heal himself.

Gale

Gale is a cheerful and intelligent human wizard who values humor, peace, and avoiding unnecessary bloodshed. As a versatile glass cannon, he wields a diverse range of spells. You can encounter him directly at the Roadside Cliffs Waypoint, north of the Crashed Nautiloid.

How to Unlock Gale

To recruit Gale in Baldur’s Gate 3, follow these steps:

  • Find Gale: Locate him at the Waypoint near the entrance to the Druid Grove.
  • Speak to Gale: Assist him in defeating a Mind Flayer he is studying. After the battle, Gale will offer to join your party, and you can choose whether to accept or decline.

Gale’s Stats

  • Strength: 9
  • Dexterity: 14
  • Constitution: 15
  • Intelligence: 16
  • Wisdom: 11
  • Charisma: 13

Tips for Building Gale

  • Prioritize increasing his Intelligence score to enhance spellcasting ability and saving throws.
  • Invest in Constitution to improve survivability in combat.
  • Choose spells that align with your playstyle, opting for offensive spells like Fireball and Lightning Bolt for an offensive wizard or utility spells like Detect Magic and Dispel Magic for a versatile approach.
  • Leverage his cantrips effectively, as they offer valuable damage and control options.

Lae’zel

Lae’zel is a fierce githyanki fighter known for her brutal nature and refusal to compromise. She excels in melee combat, wielding a longsword and donning half-plate armor. Initially captured by tieflings, you can find her in a cage when leaving the first room of the Nautiloid.

How to Unlock Lae’zel

To unlock Lae’zel in Baldur’s Gate 3, follow these steps:

  • Find Lae’zel: Search north of the Roadside Cliffs, where she is held prisoner by tieflings in a cage.
  • Speak to Lae’zel: Assist her in escaping from the tieflings. After the escape, Lae’zel will offer to join your party, and you can choose to accept or decline.

Lae’zel’s Stats

  • Strength: 18
  • Dexterity: 14
  • Constitution: 15
  • Intelligence: 10
  • Wisdom: 12
  • Charisma: 8

Tips for Building Lae’zel

  • Prioritize enhancing her Strength score to improve attack rolls and damage output.
  • Invest in Constitution to boost survivability in combat.
  • Select feats that align with your preferred playstyle. Consider Great Weapon Master and Polearm Master for a damage-dealing fighter, or Tough and Sentinel for a tank role.
  • Leverage her racial abilities to your advantage, such as moving through rugged terrain without penalty and casting the Misty Step spell once a day.

Wyll

Wyll is a human warlock with a fiend patron known as the Blade of Frontiers. He upholds heroic values, defeating evil and protecting the innocent. With a flexible spell list, Wyll can adapt to various roles. You’ll encounter Wyll near the main entrance of the Druid’s Grove, where he engages in battle against a goblin siege as an independent AI NPC.

How to Unlock Wyll

To unlock Wyll in Baldur’s Gate 3, follow these steps:

  • Find Wyll: Locate him at the Druid Grove, near the entrance to the Goblin Camp.
  • Speak to Wyll: Help him defeat a group of tieflings he is sparring with. After the fight, Wyll will offer to join your party, and you can choose whether to accept or decline.

Wyll’s Stats

  • Strength: 9
  • Dexterity: 13
  • Constitution: 15