Quick Links
The half-elf Cleric Shadowheart is one of the first companions that can join your party inBaldur’s Gate 3.She’s an excellent fighter and has invaluable healing powers, but at first she’s very secretive and standoffish. By gaining her approval through your actions, and respecting her views during conversations with her, you’re able to get her to open up and potentially even fall in love with your character.
If you’re planning to pursue a romance with Shadowheart, this guide will step you through the process of recruiting and befriending her.
This guide contains spoilers for Shadowheart’s storyline.Updated July 18, 2025, by Sean Murray:Getting in bed with a cleric like Shadowheart means staying away from demons like Raphael. But besides staying away from the forces of Avernus, you’ll also have to gain Shadowheart’s confidence. That’s where this guide comes in, now with improved formatting and more links to other helpful Baldur’s Gate 3 topics.
How To Recruit Shadowheart
During the introductory adventure aboard the crashing nautiloid, you’ll hear Shadowheartcalling for help from inside a podin the room with the illithid test subjects. The console next to her pod opens it but is missing a part. Enter the roomdirectly across from where you entered; you’ll have to fight an Intellect Devourer inside.
If you freed the Intellect Devourer from the dead elf but let it escape, it will attack you here, meaning you’ll have to fight two of the creatures instead of just one.
When the monsters are defeated, search the far side of the room; you’ll find a rune that can be inserted into the console next to Shadowheart’s pod. Once that’s done, interact with the pod to make a Skill Check that will free her. The easiest way to open the pod is touse your mysterious illithid powersgranted by the parasite in your head.
After the nautiloid crashes, you’ll find Shadowheart unconscious on the beach just a few steps from your starting position. Wake her up and she’ll join your party permanently. While it’s technically possible to romance Shadowheart if you didn’t rescue her from the pod,she’ll like you a lot more if you take the time to free heron board the nautiloid.
If you’re wonderinghow to build Shadowheartin terms of equipment, spells, and more,check out this guide here.
How To Increase Shadowheart’s Approval
Shadowheart, in general, respects characters who do the right thing.Helping people in needwill usually cause her approval to increase, and she isfirmly against working with the forces of evil, even if the ends justify the means. Early in the game, this means that Shadowheart will disapprove if you seek help from the goblins or Raphael when it comes to removing the illithid parasites.
Shadowheart alsodislikes usingillithid powers, but as your relationship with her increases, you can make Persuasion checks in camp to make her at least neutral on the subject.
Shadowheart worships Shar, the goddess of secrets, shadows, and loss.Keeping secrets is therefore very importantto her - if she says she doesn’t want to talk about something,respecting her wishes and backing offwill gain her approval, while pushing the issue will cause her to dislike you. Shadowheart also disapproves of giving away too much information to suspicious or unfamiliar characters.
Shar is considered an evil goddess by many of Faerun’s people, so Shadowheart will appreciate it if youkeep an open mind about her religiononce she reveals it to you.
How To Start Shadowheart’s Romance Storyline
As long as Shadowheart’sapproval is positive,she’ll respond to flirtatious or suggestive dialoguebut won’t initiate any herself.
Once Shadowheart’s approval of you has increased sufficiently, a new dialogue option will open when you speak to her at the camp. Tell Shadowheart that you’dlike a chance to connect with her,and she’ll suggest sneaking off together while the rest of the party is asleep.
If you accept, you’llget an event when you take a Long Resta few nights later - typically two or three, though this number may change if other nighttime events such as Astarion’s reveal supersede Shadowheart’s event.
During romance scenes with Shadowheart, it’s important thatyou always make the first move. Not only is Shadowheart perfectly content to wait for you to seize the initiative, but doing so will alsoincrease her approval further.
