Starting a romance with Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3 is at the top of many players’ to-do lists. So here’s a guide that shows you how to successfully romance the handsome Tiefling lady during all acts.
What this is about: Karlach is a Tiefling companion in Baldur’s Gate 3, who is to be hunted down via quest in the first act of the role-playing game. Besides, the potential companion is one of those characters that a not too small part of the gaming community would like to start a romance with.
How easy or difficult it will be for you to end up with the barbarian Karlach depends, of course, on what kind of character and what kind of attidude you travel Faerûn with. No less important is how you behave towards Karlach in the course of the romance. In Baldur’s Gate 3, romances, just like the story, extend over several acts, so even after you land, you can get things wrong.
But we’re here to help, so the following guide will tell you how to start a romance with Karlach and how to stay on cloud nine with her in the long run.
How to Start a Romance with Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3
First of all, it is helpful to know that Karlach, even if she is a powerful barbarian, has a “good heart”. Because the basis of every romance in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the general approval of the beloved, and this can only be won through actions and words that fit the personal attitude of your dearie. So a murdering rogue with a bad-weather disposition will find it very difficult, if not impossible, to win the heart of a contrary character.
Anyway, although Karlach is a righteous nature who basically approves of any heroic or generally “good” deed, it could be that some decisions she approves of conflict with the views of other party members. This means especially Lae’zel and, strangely enough, Shadowheart, who herself is on the side of justice.
You get Karlach’s approval through …
- … heroic actions in general.
- … “good deeds”. Karlach appreciates it, if you don’t stab everything and everybody in conflict situations and if you proceed with caution in dialogues.
- … open-mindedness and expressed love for life. No wonder, after all, considering Karlach has escaped the hells.
- … Sincerity and openness in emotional matters, of course, also in relation to your developing love affair.
How to Get Additional Consent
In the case of Karlach, it’s just like courting a partner in real life: respond to her interests and cater to them if necessary. In the dialogues with Karlach, there are always opportunities to learn more about her, and you can use this knowledge to score points in a later conversation with her.
However, if you ever screw up an answer terribly, you probably know that Baldur’s Gate 3 has a quick-save function (the keys F5 to save and F8 to load the last game state). It’s also interesting to know that you’re more likely to slip up during intimate moments with Karlach than in “sober” situations.
| Note: The guide is not yet complete. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a complex game, every decision can change the course of the game. We are gathering information from the game and other sources to give you the most accurate guide possible on how to start and continue the romance with Karlach. |
The Romance with Karlach in Act 1
Karlach is one of those potential lovers with whom it is easier to form a bond. One of the reasons for this is that she does not have an overly complex personality, that is, she is neither closed nor particularly mysterious.
Apart from that, Karlach is characterized by the fact that anyone who touches her gets burned, because her body also visibly has the temperature of a blast furnace (see picture below). This is also the dramatic component of this relationship story and probably one of the reasons why the romance with the Tiefling barbarian is so worth playing.
While it was not yet possible to start a romance with Karlach before the quest “Save the Refugees” in Early Access of Baldur’s Gate 3, this is now easily possible in the full version. Dialogs with Karlach include romance options not only during rests, but sometimes during your journey as well.
| More Romances in Baldur’s Gate 3: |
By the way, if you approach the horned woman late in the game, you don’t have to worry about missing your chance. At least in the first act, you can always steer your relationship with her in the direction of a romance. The only thing to keep in mind is that Karlach’s sympathy will be easier to gain if you pursue her personal quest.
Cool me Down, Please
To do this, you need to find Infernal Iron and bring it to Dammon. Finally, you can talk to Karlach (in the camp) and tell her that you have an idea how to solve her “fire problem”. Then direct any spell or action that creates ice or water at Karlach. This also works with a water barrel or similar.
After that, show your cleverness by testing the result with a kiss. However, the romance between Karlach and you hasn’t really begun at this point. However, it could be that this “test” already prevents you from romances with other companions, so always be careful with the kisses!
To officially start a romance with Karlach, it’s enough if you tell her that you want to spend more time with her. In the dialogue it is then important to indicate that you are quite willing to accept any pain or burns when it comes to touching Karlach.
Following this, go to your bedroll and interact with it. You then have the choice of going to bed alone or thinking about Karlach. If you choose the latter, you’ll at least spend a moment with her in your sleeping place. Admittedly, problems will arise, but you just have to convince yourself once again to start a relationship with your crush to get the whole thing off the ground.
The Romance with Karlach in Act 2
In Act 2, you will finally progress with Karlach’s companion quest. Here it is important to spare Nightsong during the events in the Gauntlet of Shar. Otherwise, Dammon might be affected by the consequences of her death, so you won’t be able to bring him Infernal Iron to help Karlach. However, if Dammon is okay, you can find him in the same place where you get the Infernal Iron: in the Shadowlands.
Once you’ve brought Dammon enough Infernal items, he can eventually cause Karlach to touch others relatively safely. After that, all you have to do is rest in the camp to trigger the next intimate moment with Karlach, in which things “get down to business” quite properly.
However, something can still go wrong if you miss to react to Karlach’s important condition update in the conversation with Dammon. In general, though, you can be just as open and honest in Act 2 as you were at the beginning of the relationship without fear of negative consequences.
The Romance with Karlach in Act 3
We can already say for sure that the romance with Karlach will continue in the third act. We will, of course, continue playing Baldur’s Gate 3 and update this section as soon as we find safe walkthroughs.
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