Starting a romance with Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3 is on the top of many players’ to-do list. Therefore, this guide will show you how to successfully make advances to the handsome half-elf during all acts.
Here’s the deal: Shadowheart is a half-elf companion in Baldur’s Gate 3 who can be freed from a locked Mindflayer capsule at the beginning of the D&D role-playing game. Besides, the sincere fighter is one of those characters with whom a large part of the gaming community would like to start a romance.
However, during our more than 100 hours with Baldur’s Gate 3, we were often put to the test by Shadowheart. For example, we had to convince our fellow companion for three acts that our character is the best partner for her. Based on our experience, the following guide will tell you how to …
- … find and free Shadowheart
- … handle her personality and start a romance with her
- … get her maximum approval
- … respond optimally in the dialogue with her
Where to Meet Shadowheart and how to Free her
In the course of the story, you will meet Shadowheart on the nautiloid ship. They have captured your future romance and locked her in a mind flayer capsule in the right part of the ship (to the north on the map). As soon as you approach it, you’ll hear Shadowheart calling for help.
To free the distressed woman from the capsule, you have to use the control panel next to the capsule. However, you still need a rune that activates the console. You can find both items like this:
- Go into the room to the right of the chamber where Shadowheart is trapped.
- Right at the entrance you will find a corpse. Loot it to get a key for extra loot.
- Continue to the end of the room, where you will find another corpse. The second corpse contains the rune you are looking for.
- Go back to the console and activate it using the rune.
Once you have successfully completed the dialog, Shadowheart will be freed. Now you can devote yourself to the deep romance that awaits you.
How to Start a Romance with Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3
First of all, it is helpful to know that Shadowheart, may she be called Shadowheart, is 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 their personal attitude.
Logically, for example, a murdering rogue with a bad-weather disposition will find it very difficult, if not impossible, to win the heart of a contrary character.
How to get Maximum Approval From Shadowheart
To get Shadowheart’s overall approval, go by her preferences and personality traits. Things she honors include:
- … respecting their privacy and personal boundaries.
- … “good deeds”. Shadowheart appreciates it if you don’t stab everything and everyone in conflict situations and if you proceed with caution in dialogues.
- … actions in self-interest on the other hand. Strange, isn’t it? But who among us doesn’t behave contradictorily at times.
- … curiosity and secretiveness. As a member of the Trickery Domain, Shadowheart is really into mysticism as well as the exploration of mystery.
- … stealthy actions. Make up brute force right away if you want to please this lady. She awards points for tricky (keyword: “deception”) or secretly solved problems, so always be cunning.
- … lively use of responses to be diced in dialogues. In addition to responses in the Deception category, Shadowheart also likes successful attempts at persuasion, as well as rolls based on “Insight” and “Religion”.
| 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 Shadowheart. |
Also important: As you may have noticed, Shadowheart and Lae’zel are practically mortal enemies. Without a mediator, they would tear each other apart, so don’t follow Lae’zel’s suggestions or wishes, especially not in the presence of Shadowheart. That way you will definitely get a big demerit.
The same will happen if you don’t give her the necessary time to open up to you. Therefore, listen to what she tells you. If she doesn’t want to talk about a certain topic, then don’t poke around in it. You would be demonstrating curiosity in this way, but not all curiosity is to the cleric’s liking.
How to Get Additional Consent
In the case of Schattenherz, it’s a lot like courting a partner in real life: listen to her interests and cater to them if necessary. In your dialogues with Shadowheart, you’ll always find opportunities to learn more about her favorites, whether it’s places she likes to hang out or things she particularly likes. For example, your comrade-in-arms has a favorite flower, which you can find out about in the dialogue.
If, despite everything, you should 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 Shadowheart than in “sober” situations.
The Romance with Shadowheart in Act 1
While in Early Access of Baldur’s Gate 3 it was not yet possible to start a romance with Shadowheart before the quest “Save the Refugees”, this is now easily possible in the full version. Dialogues with Shadowheart include romance options not only during rests, but sometimes during your journey.
By the way, should you approach the dark-haired late in the game, you don’t have to worry about having missed your chance. At least in the first act, you can still steer your relationship with her in the direction of a romance at any time. The only thing to keep in mind is that it’s easier to win Shadowheart’s sympathy if you haven’t started her personal quest yet.
The beginning of the romance with Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the dialog option “I can’t help but thinking the two of us missed the chance for a relationship – a true relationship”. It then triggers your first date on a cliff during the next long rest in the camp, You have to click the sleeping bag at camp to be picked up by Shadowheart at night.
| Mehr Romanzen in Baldur’s Gate 3: |
Because a date is of course an intimate moment, “wrong” answers play a smaller role here than in other situations. “Correct” answers, on the other hand, will help you learn more about Shadowheart and continue to score minor points with her. During the first flirtation, make sure to respect any secrecy on her part.
However, if you try to get more information out of Shadowheart than she’s willing to give at the moment, she won’t hold it against you. However, something may go wrong in a later scene where your character and Shadowheart are side by side.
Your crush apparently finds it boring if you go with standard answers like “Let’s do this again.” In this case, you guys will be ending the date as single and single. In the best case, however, a kiss finally marks the beginning of your relationship. You could also “demand” the smooch in a more dominant way (“If you want something from me, you should come and get it”), but you should rather refrain from that.
Successful Answers
Here’s an example of what answers you’ll be successful with:
- I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
- To us.
- Tell her about how you grew up in Baldur’s Gate.
- Your turn. It’s only fair. (Persuasion roll 10)
- Wrong. You like night orchids and you can’t swim (…).
- The moment is not to stop yet.
If the automatic “detect thoughts” roll fails here, it could be that despite everything it does not come to a kiss. In this case, repeat the date Then repeat the date, or smooth things over by approaching Shadowheart, talking to her about last night, and selecting the answer “I should have kissed you”.
- I hope there will be more of this.
- Kiss her.
- No. Quite the opposite.
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The Romance with Shadowheart in Act 2
Is this a trap? In the second act, your flirtation with Shadowheart threatens to falter or possibly even end. The reason for this is her religious devotion combined with your visit to the Silent Library. Namely, this dungeon houses, among other things, a statue of Shar, whose faithful follower is your girlfriend.
You have the opportunity here to support Shadowheart’s admiration for Shar by having her pray to the statue. However, you’d better not do that if you care about your connection with Shadowheart. In her religious frenzy, she will feel all the more attached to Shar after praying and will tell you that she wants to serve her deity with body and soul from now on.
A scenario in which there is no place for you? It sounds like it, especially in view of the further course of the story.
Because in the second act your love will be put to another test. After your victory over Balthazar, Shadowheart will be in possession of the Spear of Night and may use it to kill Nightsong. You can verbally support your girlfriend in this matter, or dissuade her. However, the latter requires a charisma roll of 20 points.
| Shadowheart as a Companion
The braided half elf has her qualities not only as a relationship partner. Shadowheart also knows how to handle a weapon, and quite skillfully at that. Her abilities as a companion are based on the following basic values:
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If Shadowheart really does let Nightsong taste of the Spear of Night, she will take the role of Shar’s Chosen One and possibly end the relationship with you. However, otherwise you will be able to convince Shadowheart once and for all to leave Shar behind and continue the relationship with you. Anyway, Shadowheart won’t renounce Shar within a few hours, so you should support her mentally for a while.
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The Romance with Shadowheart in Act 3
During the third act, Shadowheart receives the blessing of the Moon Goddess Selune. From the probably optimally spared Nightsong (who reveals herself as Aylin, daughter of the Moon Goddess), you learn many private things about your friend. For example, the reason for her dislike of swimming and other details from her past.
If you continue to behave according to Shadowheart’s liking, the third act fires off the final cinematic sequence of this romance. This also represents the climax of your relationship, because Baldur’s Gate 3 apparently takes heart in the fact that you should always stop just when things are at their best.
In case you want to watch the scene in question right now, you can do so a little further down. Otherwise, here are the answer options that will lead to the successful completion of the romance.
Successful Answers
Again, here is an example of which answers you are successful with. The following answers refer to the final beach scene with Shadowheart.
- “There are easier ways to get me naked, you know…”
- “You first.”
- “It’s hard not to. You’re beautiful.”
- After that, all options work.
Note: If you did not spare Nightsong in the second act, you will have to choose other dialogue options. In this case, respond as follows:
- “Why me?”
- “As you wish.”
And after the scene change to the Selûne statue:
- “What’s that? More wine?”
- “No, not at all. And now we are going to feast?”
- Kiss her
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