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In the sprawling world ofBaldur’s Gate 3, you’re sure to find yourself presented with a plethora of buffs to enhance your journey. While many of these advantages fade after a brief rest, a select handful will accompany you all the way throughout the game, from one challenge to the next.
Whether it’s the ability to explode your blood, or use certain actions as bonus actions, these enhancements are essential for any adventurer looking to save the world from the Absolute. This comprehensive guide will teach you exactly how to acquire every lasting bonus the game has to offer.
Updated on Jun 03, 2025, by Eva Csaki:Baldur’s Gate 3 continues to surprise and delight gamers in the years since its Early Access unveiling. With a storyline that is plot-rich and expansive, it is no surprise that secret abilities and new bonuses are still being discovered. To ensure that you are kept up to date on all recently discovered bonuses, we have given our guide a once over and added six new permanent bonuses that you may obtain in the game, as well as how and where to find them.
Brand of the Absolute
Submit to Abdirak’sbeating and react accordingly.
Grants you a+1 to intimidation checks, but imposesDisadvantageonPerceptionchecks.
Allow the Kuo-toa tosacrificeone of your companions to BOOAL.
Survival Instinct
Grants you the’Survival Instinct’Illithid power, which lets youprevent an allyfrom going into adowned stateand heal them instead.
Myconid Colony
Help Omeluumtry to extract your Parasite, and pass three Skill Checks.
Awakened Illithid Powers
Allows you to use your Illithid powers with aBonus Action, instead ofan Action.
Usethe GithyankiZaith’iskand pass three Skill Checks.
Instrument Proficiency
Alfira the Tiefling Bard can befound in the Druid Grovein a small alcove north of where the druids are conducting their ritual. You’ll need to speak to andhelp her finish writing her song lyrics. Afterward, you’llgain proficiencyin musical instruments.
Though not the most flashy of buffs, there aremoreuses for musical instrumentsin Baldur’s Gate 3than just jamming out with them at camp!
Find Familiar: Scratch
You canfind Scratch in the woodsto the northeast of the Blighted Village. You’ll need to pass aPerception or Animal Handling checkto convince him to sniff you andfollow you to campafter ascertaining that his previous master is dead.
Note thatyelling at the dead master, or trying topickpocket the bodybefore calming Scratch down, will cause Scratch tobecome hostile and attack.
After a Long Rest, you’llfind Scratch at your camp, where he’ll be a permanent fixture.
Being able tospeak with animals, either via the Bard, Druid, and Ranger spell list, or the Warlock invocation, will help you understand the situation to better help Scratch!
Priestess Gut can befound in the Goblin Camp. You’ll find herbranding Goblinsin the middle of themain hall of the Shattered Sanctum. Speaking to her will give you the choice toreceive a brand yourself.
Obtaining theBrand of the Absolutewill give you the ability tofully use the following items:
Loviatar’s Love
Abdirak, a devout worshipper of Loviatar, can be found in theGoblin Camp. You’ll find him in a room within the Shattered Sanctum, to theleftof whereLiam and Spike can be found. Speak to him, andaccept his offer to flagellate you.
During this encounter, you’ll need to pass a series of three rolls (your choice ofIntimidation, Performance, or Constitution), after which you’ll receive this buff.
Loviatar’s Love gives you a whopping+2 to Attack Rolls and Saving Throwswhen you’re under30 percent health—a significantincreasewithin the bounded accuracy system of Baldur’s Gate 3. Putting this on afrontliner, such as aFighter or Barbarianwho will be taking the hits in combat regularly, can beincredibly powerful.
To ensure that you receive Loviatar’s Love, be sure toloudly exaggerateyour suffering and pain when Abdirak beats you. You can challenge him todo betteror cry out in an exaggerated performance. Abdirak worships pain, so showing him you like and can take pain is the way to earn his blessing.
Paid the Price
Auntie Ethel is a hag that can be found in theSunlit Wetlands (or Putrid Bog, if you pass theArcana checkto detect the illusion of magic), near theRiverside Teahouse waypoint (X:-10, Y:252).
You may encounter her beforehand in the Emerald Grove, or near the Blighted Village, where she is seemingly being harassed by two men. Regardless of what you do during these encounters, you’ll be able tofind her in her Teahouse, where she’ll offer torid you of your Tadpoleinexchange for one of your eyes.
Accepting her offer will replace one of your eyes with a glowing, whitish-green eye. Mechanically, this gives you a+1 on Intimidation checksbut gives youDisadvantage on Perception checks.
This is a pretty hefty trade-off, asPerception checks are commonplacethroughout the game — but a+1 to Intimidationisn’t bad for the party’s social face. Consider itcarefullybefore agreeing!
Accepting Auntie Ethel’s offer will inflict apermanent cosmetic changeon your character!
Auntie Ethel’s Hair
After locating Auntie Ethel as detailed in the previous section, you’ll be able tofight her in her teahouse or lair. If you come out on top in this tough fight, you can opt toleave her at low health(10HP) without killing her, and she’ll offer you a deal in which you canspare her lifein exchange for her hair.
Using her hair will give youa +1 in any Ability Score of your choice.
Volo’s Ersatz Eye
Volo can be foundin the Goblin Camp, locked in a cageto the left of where you can find Abdirak(as mentioned in the Loviatar’s Love section of this article).
You cansave him from his plightby killing his new Goblin owner or tricking her into giving you the key. Whatever you do, you caninvite him to your campafterward. While he’s at your camp, you canexplain your Mindflayer Parasite situationto him. After a Long Rest, he will claim to have a cure for you.
Letting Volo try to remove the Parasite will inflict apermanent cosmetic changeon your character!
If you go along with it,he’ll engage in some questionable surgical practices, but end up replacing your eye with amagical eye that allows you to see invisible creatures.
BOOOAL’s Benediction
The Festering Covecan befound to the east of the Arcane Tower,and is where you’ll be able to engage with some Kuo-toan cultists trying to worship ‘BOOOAL’, their conceived god of murder.
You’ll have several choices here, including sacrificing one of your companions to ‘BOOOAL’ togain this boon for the whole party.
Your sacrificed companioncannot be revived by any meansand will bepermanentlydead for the game. Youcannotsacrifice aHirelingfor the buff.
This buff will grant youAdvantage on Attack Rolls against bleeding targets. Of course, the price to receive it isextremelyhefty. That said, if you’ve held a grudge against Astarion all this time for trying to stab you when you first met, this is apretty solid buff— especially when you have several party members who can inflict bleeding,
Omeluumis a Mindflayer who can be found in theMyconid Colony (X:99, Y:-101)within the Underdark, right by the Ebonlake Grotto.Speak to Blurg, the Hobgoblin merchant in the colony, to summon Omeluum.
you’re able to explain your Mindflayer Parasite situation to him, after which he’ll send you ona quest to gather ingredients. Complete this quest, drink his potion, and pass several Ability Checks to receive this buff.
Survival Instinct allows you toinfuse an allywith Survivability, allowing them toheal for 3d4 Hit Pointsinstead of going into a downed state when they reach 0 Hit Points.
This is a permanent status effect that you can obtain by getting into theGithyanki Zaith’isk at Crèche Y’llek.Endure the treatment until the endand pass some increasinglydifficult Saving Throws (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Constitution).
Though Lae’zel will want to undergo the Zaith’isk treatment first,the buff willonly apply to the character who does so.
Awakenedwill allow you to use any Illithid power as aBonus Action instead of an Action. Bonus Actions are an underused resource for the vast majority of classes, making this a great buff for players who plan on cultivating their Illithid powers.
Failing any of the Saving Throws will impose a-2 to the abilityinvolved in the check — potentially costing you2 pointseach inIntelligence, Wisdom, and Constitution.
This is amassivepenalty, and we’d recommend saving before you attempt this check — or consider it carefully before going through with it.
Grants GaleAdvantageon checks tomaintain Concentration on spells.(Gale Only)
Investigate and inform Arabella about herparents' fate.
Allows you to summonUs, an Intellect Devourer.
Necrotic Laboratory
Prevent Usfrom dying on the Nautiloid, then free it from its cage.
Grants youAdvantageonIntelligence Saving Throws.
Complete the brain puzzlein the Necrotic Laboratory, and insert the Waking Mind into the Mind-Archive interface.
Bardic Inspiration
Earn a1d12 Bardic InspirationCharge to use once per Long Restwithoutconsuming regular Bardic Inspiration Charges.
Moonrise Towers
Must be aBard.Talk to Alfirain Moonrise Towers when she wants to play music for the Tiefling Children.
Allows you totransform into the Slayeronce every Long Rest.
Shadow-Cursed Lands
Can only be earned when playing as theDark Urge. Eitherkill your lover, Isobel,or thecompanionwho approves of you the most. Part ofThe Urgequest.
BecomeBhaal’s Chosen in Act Three.
Gale’s Level 3 Shadow Spell Slot
Gale gains anextra Level 3 Shadow Spell Slotthat functions separately from regular Spell Slot Spells.
Reithwin Town
Can only be earned when playing asGale’s Origin. Earned after killing Malus, Gerringothe, or Thisobald Thorm andconsuming the Weavefrom their corpses.
Potion of Everlasting Vigor
Araj Oblodrais a Drow who can befound in Moonrise Towers.
You’ll be able to give her some of your blood, and — if you have Astarion with you—force him to drinksome of her blood in exchange for a potion that willincreaseyourStrength score permanently by +2.
Doing so will permanentlyhurt your relationship with Astarion. So, if you’re trying toromance the vampire rogue, you may want to avoid doing this.
Mystra’s Benevolence
Solving Balthazar’s bookshelf puzzlein his chambers will give you access to a private laboratory, where you can choose to eithermake a Shadowlantern with dark magicordestroy the siteso that it can no longer be used to produce Moonlanterns for the Cult of the Absolute.
The consequences of each choice are explained in more detail inour guide aboutBalthazar’s laboratory.
Letting Gale destroy the ritual circle will grant himMystra’s Benevolence, which grants himAdvantage on Concentration checks. This is a great boon for the relatively-fragile wizard class to have.
This boon isonly obtainable by Gale, and only if youlet Gale destroy the ritual circle.
Arabella’s Shadow Entanglement
Arabella can be found during Act Twoin front of the Thorm Mausoleum, looking for her parents. You’ll be able tofind her parents in the House of Healing, though they’ll unfortunately already be dead by the time you arrive.
Informing Arabella about the fate of her parents will grant you herShadow Entanglement ability, which lets you cast Entangle on theUndead and shadow-basedcreatures of theShadow-Cursed lands.
Conjure: Us
Us is an Intellect Devourer that you canmeet at the very start of the game,aboard the Nautiloid ship. If you helped it and kept it alive during the tutorial of Act One,you’ll be able to find Us again,in the Mindflayer Colonyunder Moonrise Towers.
Freeing Us here will make it a loyal ally you cansummon once per rest to aid you in battle.
Githzerai Mind Barrier
To obtain this buff, you’ll need tosolve the brain puzzle in the Necrotic Library,within the Mindflayer Colony under Moonrise Towers. After this, you’ll need toplace the Waking Head you find into the Mind-Archive interface, and accept the Slack-Skinned Head’s offer.
This buff will grant youAdvantage on Intelligence Saving Throws— an admittedly uncommonly-used, but still useful, boon to have.
You can gain a permanent charge ofBardic Inspirationto use once per Long Restwithout usingyour existing Bardic Inspiration slots. This Bardic Inspiration Charge ispunchierthan a regular charge and will allow you to cast1d12 damage.
To unlock this extra charge,speak with Alfirathe Tiefling Bard at the end of Act Two. you’re able to find Alfira in Moonrise Towers,offering to improve moraleamong the Tiefling children by singing to them.
If you areplaying as a Bard, speaking to Alfira after she reveals her wishes will grant you the bonus. While fun, youdo not have to play the songwith Alfira to earn the Bardic Inspiration Charge.
Slayer Form
If you are playing as theDark Urge Origin, you canunlock a Slayer Formduring Act Two. The Slayer is a large monstrous form unique toBhaalspawn. This form has the following stats:
16
98 HP
14 m or 45 ft
200kg or 800lbs
+2
Strength (STR)
Dexterity (DEX)
Constitution (CON)
Intelligence (INT)
Wisdom (WIS)
Charisma (CHA)
20
14
17
10
8
+5
+3
+0
-1
+7
The Slayer form also has aProficiency Bonus of +2.
To unlock the Slayer Form as the Dark Urge, you need tochoose tokill Isobel, your romanced companion, or thecompanionwith whom you have thehighest affinityduring’The Urge’quest.
You will also be able to transform into the Slayer Form if you have chosen tobecome Bhaal’s Chosenin Act Three. However, choosingnotto become Bhaal’s Chosen during Act Three will meanlosing the Slayer Formforever.
Gale’s Level Three Shadow Spell Slot
If you are playingGale’s Origin, you can unlock anextra Level Three Spell Slotalongside your regular Spell Slots to be usedonce per Long Rest. This Spell Slotwill not depleteone of your regular Level Three Spell Slots.
To unlock this ability, you need toabsorb the Weavefrom the corpse of one of eitherMalus Thorm, Gerringothe Thorm, or Thisobald Thormafter defeating them.
Youwill notgain the spell slot if you choose tocleanse the Weaverather than absorb it.
How To Get
Partial Ceremorphosis
Unlocks Tier Threeand automatically completes Tier One of theIllithid Power Skill Tree.
Eat, or open your mind to, theAstral Tadpole.
Makes yourblood flammable and explosive.
Complete the’Help the Cursed Monk’questline.
Vampire Ascendant
GrantsAstarion the ability to use Misty Escape(turn into a gaseous form) and Ascendant Bite (6d6 Necrotic Damage + 6d6 Healing), as well as abonus of 1d10on all weapon and unarmed Attack Rolls. (Astarion Only)
Grants you a+2 bonusto an ability of your choice.
House of Grief
Interact with theMirror of Lossand pass the Skill Checks in the House of Grief.
Obtain andread the Tharchiate Codex.
Danse Macabre
Allows you to castDanse Macabre, a Fifth-Level Necromancy Spell thatsummons six ghoulsto fight alongside you.
Obtain and read theTharchiate Codex,then read theNecromancy of Thaybook again.
Gain a+2 bonusto allSaving Throws.
Stormshore Taberncale
Offer goldto one of the deities in Stormshore Tabernacle until you canask for a blessing.
Ask Volo about the Slayer andread the guidebookhe offers you.
Sweet Stone Features
Grants you a1d4 Slashing damagebonus to all Attack Rolls and Saving Throws.
Circus of the Last Days
Buy a Stone Statueof yourself or your companion from Boney. The bonus goes to whoever was sculpted.
At the start of Act Three, your campsite will be attacked by Githyanki warriors, and the Absolute will begin to take over your mind. You’ll need toescape into the Astral Plane, after which you’ll need tosaveyour Dream Guardianfrom being killed by more Githyanki.
After all of this, your Dream Guardian will offer you a way toundergo Partial Ceremorphosis, which willgreatly enhance your Illithid powersbut inflict a mass of black veins across your face.
Consuming the Astral Tadpole will inflict apermanent cosmetic changeon your character!
Undergoing Partial Ceremorphosis on any party member will
Players who don’t mind consuming the Mindflayer Parasite Specimens and utilizing Illithid Powers will definitely want to weigh thecosmetic changesagainst this list ofpowerful new boonsthat Partial Ceremorphosis will give you.
You’ll also be able to convince your party members toundergo Partial Ceremorphosiswith a variety of social checks. The requirements and consequences of doing so aredetailed in our guide about the Astral Tadpole.
Unstable Blood
Araj Oblodra, a Drowwhom you can meet in Moonrise Towers during Act Two, can be found again in the city of Baldur’s Gate during Act Three — this time at theBlushing Mermaid tavern.
If you gave her your blood the first time (though you don’t have to have forced Astarion to bite her), she’ll be happy to work with you again togive you another potion.
This one will turn your bloodexplosive and flammablewhen it comes in contact with fire.
Monk’s Curse
The Sentient Amulet is anitem you can obtain in Grymforge, during Act One. You can complete itsHelp the Cursed Monkquestlinein the city of Baldur’s Gate, bytraveling to thecrypt under the Open Hand Templeand bringing the Amulet to a specific coffin.
You’ll need topass a series of checks— riskingtwo points of Wisdom— to obtain the ability to castTasha’s Hideous Laughter, a First Level Enchantment spell, at will.
That said, the Sentient Amulet offers several great effects for the Monk class, making this apotentially poor trade-offif you have a Monk in your party.
Astarion isa companion whom you canrecruit at the start of the gameduring Act One. Following his personal storyline, The Pale Elf, will eventuallylead you tothe Szarr Palacein the Lower City of Baldur’s Gate, where you’ll help himprevent his former master, Cazador, fromascending into a Vampire Ascendantand gaining incredible power.
After defeating Cazador, you’ll have the option tolet Astarion ascend in Cazador’s place, resulting inAstarion becoming the Vampire Ascendantinsteadat the cost of thousands of lives.
Ascending willgrant Astarion the ability to use Misty Escapeto turn into a gaseous form, and use an Ascendant Bite(6d6 Necrotic Damage + 6d6 Healing).He’ll also receive a bonus of 1d10 on all weapon and unarmed Attack Rolls.
Though an incredible buff to Astarion, be warned thathis personality will become permanently changed; Astarion will becomemore arrogant and disagreeable, treating all other creatures with disrespect.
If you are romancing Astarion, he will also become uncomfortably possessive.
Mirror of Loss
The Mirror of Loss can be found in the House of Grief, during Shadowheart’s personal story. More information about locating and using the mirror can be found inour detailed guide on how to use the Mirror of Loss.
When operated correctly, the Mirror of Loss will grant you a+2 and -2 in two separate Ability Scores. However, the penalty can beremoved withRemove Curse, leaving you with just a +2 buff.
Tharchiate Vigor
The Tharchiate Codex can be foundin the Sorcerous Vaultwithin Ramazith’s Tower. After a series of puzzles, you’ll be able toobtain this book from the Elminster Vaultwithin the tower.
Initially, upon reading the book, you’ll be cursed by a status effect calledTharchiate Withering.UseRemove Curseon yourselfto turn it into a buff calledTharchiate Vigor,which will instead give you a boon of20 Temporary Hit Pointseach time you Long Rest.
After obtaining theTharchiate Codexas detailed above, you canrevisit theNecromancy of Thay bookyou could obtain from theBlighted Village during Act One(detailed in an earlier section of this guide).
You’ll now be able tofully read the Necromancy of Thay, granting yourself a powerful Fifth-Level Necromancy spell,Danse Macabre, which will give you the ability tosummon ghoulsto fight for you.
Anointed In Splendour
The Anointed In Splendour bonus gives your character a+2 bonus to all Saving Throws.
To unlock this bonus, head toStormshore Tabernacleand offer gold to any one of the deities until you have earned the right torequest a blessing. There is no flat fee to earn this blessing, and youwill not knowthe exact amount you need to pay until the blessing has been offered to you.
The cost of a blessinglevels alongside your character,and is affected by thedifficulty levelyou have chosen for your game.
Theother wayto unlock this bonus is availableonly to Gale. If Gale asks Mystra forforgivenessat Stormshore Tabernacle, she will forgive him andGalewill earn the Anointed in Splendour bonus for therest of the game.
Slayer Knowledge
Another bonus only available to theDark Urge Origin, Slayer’s knowledge gives your characterAdvantage against Slayer Abilitiestargeted at you. This gives you Advantage overall of Bhaal’s Chosen.
To unlock this bonus, you must choose torescue and untie Voloat the Steel Watch Foundry. After speaking to him and ultimately sending him to your camp, you’re able to speak to him again andask him about the Slayer.
Read Volo’s guidebook, and you will earn the Slayer Knowledge bonus for yourentire party.
Unlockable in theCircus of the Last Days, Sweet Stone features gives you a1d4 Slashing Damage bonusto allAttack Rolls and Saving Throws. This bonus appliesonce every Long Rest.
Talk toBoney the Mephitin the tent at the back left of the circus. You need topay him 5000 goldto sculpt a statue of either you or one of your party members.WhoeverBoney Sculpts will earn theSlashing Damage Bonus.
Only one characterin your party can obtain this bonus. The bonus will also wear off if your character has beenBlessed by theBlessSpellor washealedby a character wearingThe Whispering Promise. Long Resting will replenish the bonus.
