How To Romance Shadowheart In Baldur’s Gate 3

Shadowheart, the half-elf cleric, is one of many romance options in Baldur’s Gate 3. She worships Shar, a neutral evil goddess of the night and forgetfulness. Players can recruit Shadowheart to their party early in the game. She is an excellent companion but can also be a romantic partner if they play their cards right.

Shadowheart is an important character in the overarching story of Baldur’s Gate 3. The more she approves of the player, the easier it will be to romance her. Gaining her approval can change the path of the campaign. Shadowheart prefers it when players are kind to children and animals, allows her to worship Shar, and shows distrust against the Gith.

How To Recruit Shadowheart In Baldur’s Gate 3(BG3)

There are two ways players can recruit Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3. The first involves finding her within a pod on the Nautiloid ship near the beginning of the game. The console to open her pod is missing a part, which can be found in the room across from the pod room. Upon opening the pod with a Skill Check, Shadowheart will follow the player through the ship until it crashes. She can then be found on the beach, where she will join the party.

If players don’t rescue Shadowheart from the crashing ship, they will get a second chance to recruit her once they crash-land. If they follow the beach north, they will find a crypt where Shadowheart is banging on the door, trying to get in. Although her initial approval of the player won’t be as high as it would have been had they rescued her, players still have a chance to romance this Baldur’s Gate 3 character if they recruit her at the crypt.

How To Get Shadowheart’s Approval In Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

Romancing Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3 has a lot of pros and cons. The biggest challenge with making Shadowheart a romantic partner is that she wants to have a monogamous relationship and requires the player to follow a strict set of decisions to maintain her approval. Players should avoid sleeping with other companions as a result. However, if players keep a consistent personality with Shadowheart, her approval will grow more and more.

If players love Shadowheart, they will likely wish to avoid too many interactions with another Baldur’s Gate 3 companion named Lae’zel. She is a Githyanki, and Shadowheart harbors a profound prejudice against Githyanki. Agreeing or showing kindness to Lae’zel or any other Githyanki will lower Shadowheart’s approval of players. This means that distrusting and disliking the Githyanki will make Shadowheart more at ease.

Just as Shadowheart hates the Githyanki in Baldur’s Gate 3, she also hates oppressors. She dislikes those with wealth and disapproves of humiliating others. Avoid siding with wealthy characters or humiliating NPCs if they want to stay in Shadowheart’s favor. Actively fighting oppressive figures can improve the player’s relationship with Shadowheart. While Shadowheart doesn’t want the player to be kind to Githyanki or wealthy characters, she is an animal lover and kind to children. As a result, being kind to animals and children will boost the player’s approval rating.

Shadowheart‘s devotion to Shar is central to her arc through Baldur’s Gate 3. Although she may lose this devotion part-way through the game, it is essential that Shadowheart’s faith is respected and honored. Many of her preferences come from her faith in Shar. Since Shar represents secrecy, Shadowheart would rather have players deal with threats through trickery, persuasion, and manipulation rather than direct and unnecessary violence. One great way to pick trickery over bloodshed is to poison the goblin party in Baldur’s Gate 3 rather than fight them.

Another key trait Shadowheart picks up from her chosen deity is a strong sense of privacy regarding herself and those around her. If players want to romance this Baldur’s Gate 3 companion, they need to respect her boundaries and keep out of business that doesn’t concern them. If Shadowheart wants to avoid talking about something, it is best to avoid pushing the subject.

Important Moments With Shadowheart In Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

The first major moment of romance with Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3 tends to appear when the player celebrates the end of the side quest “Save the Refugees” at their camp during a long rest. During the party, players should speak to Shadowheart and pick the following lines of dialogue:

• “Tieflings?”
• “Are you worried Shar won’t approve?”
• “I’d be glad to.” (Note: Choose this line if she offers a drink)
• “I’ll find you after everyone’s turned in for the night.”

Once the conversation with Shadowheart is finished, head for their bedroll. An option to sleep alone or with Shadowheart will appear. If players pick Shadowheart, they will have successfully completed the main romantic scene with Shadowheart in Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Players will be playing with fire if they choose to play as the Dark Urge in Baldur’s Gate 3. With this dark trait, once players fall in love and begin sharing a bedroll with Shadowheart, they may get an event where they wake up and feel compelled to kill Shadowheart in her sleep.

Players should speak with Shadowheart whenever they get the chance. One of her new dialogue options will mention her favorite flower, the Night Orchid. Ensure to collect a Night Orchid in Act 2 from the Shadow-Cursed Lands for extra approval. The bigger Act 2 moment comes during the Gauntlet of Shar in Baldur’s Gate 3. While in this dungeon, either kill or spare the Nightsong. This results in Shadowheart being blessed or forsaken by Shar, depending on the outcome.

If players choose to spare the Nightsong in Baldur’s Gate 3, they must tell Shadowheart that she isn’t alone. From there, they must support Shadowheart when she changes her look by saying they love it. Then, players should talk about the relationship and kiss Shadowheart. This is the more stable choice for pursuing a relationship with Shadowheart, but players can choose to kill the Nightsong and will still have a chance at a relationship. Kill the Nightson rather than have Shadowheart do it, or she will abandon the relationship.

From there, as long as players maintain a high approval rating with Shadowheart, they will get a cutscene with her in Act 3. This cutscene includes skinny-dipping and intimate times along the beach. This cutscene represents the conclusion and solidification of the player’s romance with Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3.