While almost every player has created their own main character, what about the Baldur’s Gate 3 companions? If you’re going for a Lone Adventurer campaign, you’ll need to pad out your party. Players can have up to four characters in the party, whether real friends or BG companions. We’d recommend keeping a full party to make encounters as balanced as possible, but who should you choose?
Beware – there are some pretty massive spoilers ahead!
Astarion – Vampirey Goodness
You can meet Astarion pretty early on in the campaign by the Ravaged Beach. This Vampire spawn will immediately try to kill you and that pretty much sets the tone for the relationship with him. It might seem a little odd to keep a character that delights in the suffering of others with you, but his lock picking skills are unparalleled.
Astarion gets his sneak attack damage on flanked enemies with ranged and melee weapons, making him an ideal ally to melee heavy parties. By adventuring with him, you can unlock a series of cool story lines to free him from his maker, Cazador.
Romancing Astarion is easier said than done. You’ll need to make some questionable dialogue choices to gain his approval. Remember, his ultimate goal is his own self preservation. By showing you value the same things, you’ll claim his black little heart without too much trouble.
Source: Larian Studios
Shadowheart – Emo Princess
To get Shadowheart in your party, you need to rescue her from the Nautiloid at the start of Act 1. You can do this by finding the key on a Mindflayer corpse in the next room and using it to control the console. From there, all you need to do is take a few steps on the Ravaged Beach and she’ll say it’s better to stick together.
The impact a cleric like Shadowheart has will depend on which domain they are. She starts out as a trickery domain but you can respec her with the help of Withers into one of 6 other domains. Shadowheart is probably the most rebuildable of the Baldur’s Gate 3 companions. It’s almost as if the game recommends you keep a healer handy.
Shadowheart’s storyline centres around her following the goddess Shar. Followers are famed for their secrecy and she is no different. Her tough exterior hides a vulnerable girl who values privacy above all else. Respect her boundaries and it becomes easy to develop a closer relationship.
Source: Larian Studios
Lae’Zel – The Size of the Chip on this Gith’s Shoulder
She’s a Githyanki fighter who is more sure of her opinions than anyone we’ve ever known. Lae’Zel is the first companion that you’ll meet along your journey as she helps you to escape from the Nautiloid. However, you’ll need to venture over to the Cathedral Ruins and rescue her from some Tieflings.
As a fighter, Lae’Zel fills the roles of DPS and tank well. From 2nd level, she gets Action Surge, meaning she can take multiple actions per turn. This is a big win in early fights as those missed hits can have a big impact.
Like Astarion, Lae’Zel is cruel by nature. While her delight in pain is rather less romanticised than his, violence and a strong sense of duty are the key to her heart. But she’s a simple creature really, just agreeing with her is the easiest way to grind approval.
Source: Larian Studios
Wyll – Good Guy Warlock
Wyll the Warlock doesn’t join your party alone. He comes with The Fiend attached as a product of his Warlock pact, who drives a huge part of his story. While this does give him access to one of the most broken cantrips, Eldritch Blast, it can make for some interesting interactions.
You can find him in the Emerald Grove training with some of the Tiefling children. All you have to do to get him to join your party is speak to him. The man is clearly easily convinced! Remember as well that you can alter his pact to suit your playstyle with the help of Withers.
Wyll is a good guy, despite his demon pact. Gaining his approval is pretty easy when compared to other Baldur’s Gate 3 companions. Being kind and considerate to other NPCs is the best way to win Wyll’s heart.
Source: Larian Studios
Gale – The Ego on This Guy
Gale might be a powerful wizard but he definitely thinks too much of himself. His cocky attitude has got him into some sticky situations. Apparently it’s up to you to get him out of them. You’ll meet Gale near the Ravaged Beach where he’ll be stuck inside a portal. Simply pull him out and he’ll agree to join you.
Having a magic caster who can stand at the back of a fight and cast spells is a big benefit for players who prefer melee classes for their Tavs. Yes, you’ll have to put up with him eating all your magic items, but that character quest unlocks as soon as Gale joins your camp. Inconveniently, he doesn’t even need to be in the party for him to start demanding this of you.
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that moral superiority is the way to go with Gale. Taking the moral high ground, helping people and general good deeds all will have him falling in love with you in no time.
Source: Larian Studios
Karlach – Muscle Mommy
She’s one of the most popular Baldur’s Gate 3 companions and with good reason. Karlach is a Tiefling Barbarian that you’ll come across on the Risen Road. To make your life recruiting Karlach easier, we’d recommend traversing the cliff before you complete the Emerald Grove missions. Similarly, there are paladins in a nearby town that will ask for Karlach’s head. Do not agree to the mission or you’ll have to fight her to the death.
Barbarian’s a huge damage dealers and tanks. If you don’t have another big damage companion like Lae’Zel or Minthara in the party, it’s likely you’ll struggle without Karlach.
While a fan of violence, Karlach is also pretty compassionate. Being kind to animals like the scared boar and owlbear cub is the best way to gain her approval. There are some pretty spicy romance scenes available for Karlach, she’s certainly a fan favorite.
Source: Larian Studios
Halsin – Beware the Cave Bear
You’ll hear all about Halsin long before you meet him at the end of the Emerald Grove questline. While he’s slated as a great healer, he won’t be able to remove your tadpole. Halsin is the leader of the Druids and is a Circle of the Moon Druid himself. When exploring the Goblin Camp, you might hear whispers of a cave bear that has been captured. If you free the bear during the fight in the Shattered Sanctum, it’ll turn into an ally and eventually reveal itself to be a wildshaped Halsin.
Halsin has all of the moral high ground of Gale with none of the arrogance. It’s not easy to gain a high approval rating from Halsin. However, he does prefer party members that don’t act in an evil way. Helping Thaniel at the Lost Light Inn in Act 2 is the perfect way to romance him.
Source: Larian Studios
Minthara – A Real Bad Egg
For those looking for a more evilly aligned playthrough, Minthara might be the perfect Baldur’s Gate 3 companion. You can find her in the Shattered Sanctum within the goblin camp. In fact, she’s one of their leaders. That means that if you want her on your side, you need to avoid killing the goblins in the camp and sanctum at all costs.
As a Paladin, Minthara can deal huge damage both with melee weapons and magic. She can tank with remarkable efficiency. Her Oath will have little impact on her damage output but it’s worth considering how it will affect her spells.
Developing a relationship with Minthara is all about betrayal and murder. Betray Zevlor to get her to join your party. Kill Ketheric Thorm. She’ll fall in love in no time.
Source: Larian Studios
Minsc – Late Game Ally
You’ll only be able to meet Minsc in Act 3. While you’ll likely already be attached to the party you have by this point, you shouldn’t count him out. This kind hearted Human Ranger can only be recruited if you complete the Aid the Underduke questline.
If you do recruit Mincs, he’ll be set at level 1 but have enough XP for you to level him up. That means you can scale his build however you like straight from the level up screen. He’ll still have a tadpole too, meaning he can be persuaded to gain Ilithid powers.
Unfortunately for all you romance fans, it’s not possible to romance Minsc in the game at this point. Game of the Year? Perhaps not for Minsc fans!
Source: Larian Studios
Jaheira – Single Classing is for Cowards
Initially, you’ll only encounter Jaheira in the Last Light Inn as part of the Harpers. It’s simple, help her and she’ll help you. While Jaheira might come across a little hostile at first, even going as far as to offer you a drink laced with a truth serum, she’s good at heart.
Jaheira has multiclassed into both Fighter and Druid. This is a bit of an odd combination but it can make for some very interesting interactions in battle. You can scale her more for weapon damage, magic damage or healing if need be.
There are two opportunities to recruit Jaheira in both Act 1 and 2 of the game. While you’ll be several hours into the game, there’s a long way to go before you’ll beat the game.
Source: Larian Studios
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