How to Free Shadowheart From the Mindflayer Pod in Baldur’s Gate 3

Q: How To Rescue Shadowheart from the Mindflayer Pod

Follow these steps to find and rescue Shadowheart from the pod that she's trapped in: Head to the Nautiloid’s upper chamber Go towards the mind flayer pod and encounter Shadowheart Find the lifeless body of the dead thrall in the adjoining chamber and retrieve the Elaborate key Retrieve the Eldritch Rune Insert the Eldritch Rune into the console next to the pod Pass the Illithid Wisdom check Pass the check and Shadowheart will be freed

Q: What Happens if You Don’t Rescue Shadowheart?

If you don’t rescue Shadowheart, she will eventually die. She will be killed by the Mindflayers or by the tadpole that is growing inside of her. However. if you want to recruit Shadowheart as a companion, you will need to make sure to rescue her from the Mindflayer pod. There are other ways to get Shadowheart, you can find her at the Abandoned Ruins or in the Druid Grove. However, that can only happen if you have first saved her from the pod on the Nautiloid.

Q: How To Free Shadowheart With the Barbarian Class

You heard us right, if you are playing a Barbarian, it is an option to skip all of the above steps and rip the lid straight from the pod. You will have to pass a Strength roll check of 10. Use your formidable Barbarian strength and rage to quickly and efficiently free Shadowheart from the pod. However, if you fail the check, the result would be as if you've hit the pod - so bear in mind the risk of doing so.

Are you stuck trying to figure out how to free and save Shadowheart from the Mindflayer pod in Baldur’s Gate 3? Fear not intrepid adventurer, we have you covered. It is worth to the note that this technique below applies to the most current version of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Shadowheart is one of the potential companions that you can recruit in Baldur’s Gate 3. She is a Trickster Domain cleric of Shar who is trapped in a Mindflayer pod, the Illithid Captive side quest in Act 1, aboard the Nautiloid ship prologue. In order to release her, you will need to find the correct rune and insert it into the console next to her pod. Saving Shadowheart makes the initial stages of the game much easier, so it’s a good idea to add her to your party early on. In order to do that, read our guide to learn how to free Shadowheart from the Nautiloid pod in BG3.

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Complete Guide How to Rescue Shadowheart from the Mindflayer Pod

Follow these walkthrough steps to find and rescue Shadowheart from the pod that she’s trapped in:

Head to the Nautiloid’s upper chamber.
Go towards the mind flayer pod and encounter Shadowheart.
In the adjoining chamber, go to the opposite end of the room and, on raised steps, you’ll find the lifeless body of the dead thrall. Loot it and retrieve the Eldritch Rune.
Insert the Eldritch Rune into the console next to the pod.
Choose the Illithid Wisdom option.
Pass the check and Shadowheart will be freed.

To save Shadowheart from the pod, first, carefully observe the panel without any forceful contact (Do not press the “Hit it” option). Next, proceed down the hallway until you reach a chamber where you spot another individual who appears inaccessible for conversation. Behind them lies a lifeless body on the floor. Retrieve the key from the body and retrace your steps back down the hallway.

How to Save Shadowheart Without the Rune

To free Shadowheart without the rune, you will need a Warlock Class on your team. With a Warlock, you will be able to pass the Arcana check and open the control panel instantly. If you don’t have Warlock on your team, then you will need to find the Eldritch Rune to release Shadowheart.

How to Find the Eldritch Rune and Open the Pod

The Eldritch Rune is located in a chest in the next chamber. On the left side, you will find a table holding a chest. Open the elaborate chest and extract the Eldritch rune from within. This rune will fit into the empty socket of the adjacent panel, placed on the right of Shadowheart’s pod in the chamber. There will also be some cartilaginous chests nearby, so make sure to open these to get some loot.

How to Pass the Illithid Wisdom Check

After you insert the rune, you will need to pass an Illithid Wisdom skill check in order to open the pod. The check is dependent on your other actions and can be anywhere from 0 to 15, so you will need to have a high Wisdom score in order to succeed.

playing looking at the console device near shadowhearts pod in baldurs gate 3 — Image by N4G Unlocked

There is another way to free Shadowheart without using the rune. Some classes can hack open the console device, for example, if you are trained in the Arcana skill or a Wizard. You can try using your ability to open the console or use the Illithid powers.

Once you have passed the check, Shadowheart will be released from the pod. You can then recruit her to your party and continue on your quest.

How to Free Shadowheart With the Barbarian Class

Lae'zel and Barbarian trying to free shadowheart from pod — Image by N4G Unlocked

You heard us right, if you are playing a Barbarian, there’s an option to skip all of the above steps and rip the lid straight from the pod. You will have to pass two Strength roll checks, each with a DC of 10. Use your formidable Barbarian strength and rage to quickly and efficiently free Shadowheart from the pod. However, if you fail the check, the result would be as if you’ve hit the pod – so bear in mind the risk of doing so.

Tips on How to Save Shadowheart from the Mindflayer Pod

Make sure to have a high Wisdom score in order to pass the Illithid Wisdom check.
If you don’t have a high Wisdom score, you can try to find a way to boost your Wisdom temporarily. For example, you could drink a potion of Wisdom, use a scroll of Bless, or use Lae’zel.
Otherwise, find and use the Eldritch Rune to safely free Shadowheart from the illithid pod.

What Happens if You Don’t Rescue Shadowheart?

If you don’t rescue Shadowheart, you will have several other opportunities to find and recruit her. If you want to recruit Shadowheart as a companion, you will need to make sure to rescue her from the Mindflayer pod as your safest bet. Therefore, it’s best to free Shadowheart from the pod before the Nautiloid crashes in Baldur’s Gate 3.

However, there are other ways to get Shadowheart afterwards. After the crash, you can still find the pod on the beach. Failing that, you can find her at the Abandoned Ruins or in the Druid Grove. The last chance to recruit her will present itself as you approach the Goblin Camp.

If you love playing Baldur’s Gate 3, whether on PC or on console, check out our other articles on the game such as How to Romance Shadowheart, How to find Astarion, and How to leave camp in Baldur’s Gate 3.