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Trying to win over the heart of your Baldur’s Gate 3 companion Shadowheart through romance? If you’re having trouble, read our guide to navigate your way.
Baldur’s Gate 3 lets players do many things in the expansive world of Faerûn. While battling rising evils and fighting to be rid of the tadpole parasite in their minds, your party has little time for much else. However, such personal struggles can only bring unlikely companions closer to each other. As a protagonist of the BG3 story, you have the option to pursue romance with nearly all of your companions. Among them is Shadowheart, a Trickery Cleric and Shar’s favourite princess. Starting cold, aloof, and secretive, this companion’s story and romance can blossom into something special if you’re committed enough to work on it. Here’s everything that you need to know to romance Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Guide to Romance Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3
Each Act of BG3 brings different story beats for your companions. Shadowheart is intrinsic to the game’s story in many ways, which is why she has a prominent role in many parts of the game’s three acts. With this comes a chance to be in her good graces and inch closer to a romance. Unlike some of the other companions, Shadowheart’s romance is a slow burn which requires nurturing until much later in the game. As a final warning, there will be spoilers ahead, so keep that in mind as you read the guide.
How to Gain Approval with Shadowheart
An important step in building a romance with Shadowheart is earning her approval. This will make her open up more to your character over time, especially during Act 1. If you’re looking to earn Shadowheart’s approval and avoid pitfalls, keep the following in mind:
- Use deception, cunning, and guile to avoid unnecessary combat.
- Perceive truth and uncover lies, show curiosity.
- Show shrewdness in interactions and the ability to extort and scam, when justified.
- Avoid prying, especially towards Shadowheart herself.
- Respect personal boundaries.
- Show kindness towards animals and the weak.
- Disagree with the Githyanki and Lae’zel.
- Appear naive, gullible, and easily swayed.
- Fail important Insight checks throughout the story.
- Be mean towards animals.
- Agree with the Githyanki and Lae’zel.
- Start needless combat or attack outright.
- Agreeing with the teachings of Selune.
Furthermore, unlike some companions, Shadowheart isn’t bothered with exclusivity. She is happy to share your character with others, but only as long as she remains your primary love interest.
Act 1
At the beginning of the game, you will have plenty of opportunities to build rapport with Shadowheart. While working towards building up approval, there are also several instances of dialogue that you shouldn’t miss.
Initially, Shadowheart bears the mysterious artefact that protects your party from the tadpole’s influence. Aggressively prying into that will get you nowhere and hurt your chances at a romance with her. Respect her privacy and feign ignorance, which will help her open up more about it and herself as the story progresses.
Eventually, you can start the romance arc early by selecting “I can’t help but feel like you and I might have missed a chance to connect. Truly connect.” as a dialogue option. This will lead to a scene in which you share wine with Shadowheart during one of the future long rests. This way, you will be able to choose another companion to spend the night with during the camp celebration, and Shadowheart won’t mind.
However, even if you miss this dialogue option, you can still share the wine with her at the camp celebration and that way recover your chances at a romance. Just make sure to select Shadowheart as your chosen companion when the time comes. In both cases, this will result in your first kiss with Shadowheart and the start of a potential romance.
On your way towards Act 2, you can elect to go through the Underdark. There are several instances where you can gain large chunks of approval from her. One instance is helping her explore more about the history of the Sharan fortress in Grymforge. Another is by obtaining the Noblestalk and letting her use it during the quest to save Baelen from the mushroom field. This will give her respite from Shar’s wound on her hand.
Act 2
Act 2 in Shadow Cursed Lands features a large focus on Shar’s influence upon the land, which in turn puts Shadowheart in focus. However, she will grow distant and cold, completely determined to discover the temple of Shar and become a Dark Justiciar.
While you will be able to learn more about her and her Goddess in this Act, there won’t be much progress romantically until you reach the Gauntlet of Shar portion. During this time, you can simply keep improving your approval.
Once in the Gauntlet, help Shadowheart through the trials to become Dark Justiciar, but let her take the lead during rituals to further gain approval. Eventually, you will reach the final step, which involves the choice of how to deal with the Nightsong.
This brings two diverging paths to Shadowheart’s story. If you encourage her to kill the Nightsong and become Dark Justiciar, this will put her on the colder path dubbed Dark Shadowheart. However, you have the option of sparing the Nightsong, with two ways of going about it. You can try a Persuasion check (with DC 30 no less) to make her stop. Or, you can let Shadowheart choose for herself. If your approval is high enough, she will make the choice to spare the Nightsong by herself. The Nightsong then turns out to be Dame Aylin, who knows things about Shadowheart that she herself doesn’t.
The story then progresses to Moonrise Towers and facing Ketheric Thorm, but after the events of the Gauntlet, Shadowheart may be ready to profess her dedication to your character. This is guaranteed if you have freed the Nightsong.
Act 3
Selunite Shadowheart
At the beginning of Act 3, Shadowheart learns more about her past from Dame Aylin in camp. Deemed an outcast by her cult, she expects to be hunted as you approach Baldur’s Gate. You can reassure her to improve your approval further. After meeting an agent of Shar in Rivington, she will want to confront her Matron in the House of Grief in Baldur’s Gate.
The confrontation in the House of Grief represents the culmination of Shadowheart’s Daughter of Darkness questline. There, you will face none other than Viconia DeVir, who turns out to be the High Priestess of Shar in Baldur’s Gate.
Given the options, choose to side with Shadowheart and defeat the Shar worshippers. Then, you will face the choice of the fate of Shadowheart’s parents. You can make the choice for her, or once again let her choose. With both options, her service to Shar will be at an end and her personal story concluded. After this, during one of the future long rests, Shadowheart will approach you to spend some intimate time together, harkening back to her story about being unable to swim.
Dark Shadowheart
If you have taken the Dark Justiciar route, Shadowheart will still want to confront Viconia DeVir in House of Grief. Having grown colder and more determined towards you, she will view your character as her plaything if you’ve kept the approval high. After meeting the agent of Shar in Rivington, Shadowheart will urge you to seek out her Matron.
Once you reach House of Grief, you can support Shadowheart in supplanting Viconia and overtaking the cult of Shar. After the ensuing battle, Shadowheart will be able to become the new High Priestess of Shar. With this, if your character is still eligible for romance, she will proposition you during one of the next long rests.
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Conclusion
Seeking romance with Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a slow burn that takes time to build up. It is a long yet rewarding process that involves learning to trust each other and tearing down the walls of secrets that Shadowheart and Shar have built. In that sense, it can be considered one of the more rewarding romance paths that you can take in BG3, though all companions have interesting paths of their own.
Also check out more of our Baldur’s Gate 3 guides, such as Best Build for Shadowheart, How to Get to the Nautiloid Helm, and How To Leave the Selunite Outpost.