Ever wondered how romance works in Baldur's Gate 3 and if there is a possibility to date multiple characters at once? Here is everything you need to know to make the whole journey more intense and steamy.
The developers put a lot of effort into a possible relationship with your love interests in Baldur's Gate 3. This guide will help you, if you're in the mood of bonding with your desired companion. You'll only be able to see believable, complex and erotic scenes after you raised the approval from your chosen one to a certain degree.
We will answer all your questions with whom you can bond with, if you're able to date multiple companions, and how to raise the approval to begin with.
Be aware of spoilers in this article!
Let's march into the unknown with a lot of heartbreaks but also the salvation you desire – yes, I'm looking at you Astarion!
Baldur's Gate 3 Love Interest: Overview
- Date Multiple Characters
- How Romance Works
- Gain Love Interest Approval
- How To Get A Romance Scene
- Every Love Interest You Can Bond With
Baldur's Gate 3: Date Multiple Characters
Let's be honest, in any RPG with romance options there will always be the question if you're able to date multiple characters, right? Please don't let it be just me!
If you so desire, you're able to date multiple companions at once, but not everybody will like this idea. So prepare yourself for some heartbreak if you can't choose between the love interests you want to pursue.
But on the other hand, we have also some characters who don't mind if you're getting involved with more than just one relationship.
In the section "Every Love Interest You Can Bond With", we pointed out with whom you can date with, while keeping others close to your heart or which character rather have you on their own.
Baldur's Gate 3: How Romance Works
To make things clear, there are no gender or race restriction in Baldur's Gate 3. The gender isn't important at all and has no impact on the main story.
Even though the race doesn't matter and not affect your ability to find comfort in the arms of others, it still has an effect on you to a certain degree. Choosing a specific race and the suitable proficiencies will unlock certain dialogue options, but also lock out some for you.
Once you met your chosen one, keep pursuing the character, try to get their trust and approval. Nobody will welcome you with open arms, because everybody has a difficult past and is cautious by nature.
We will talk about the approval in the next section!
Baldur's Gate 3: Gain Love Interest Approval
To gain the approval of your companions, you need to pay attention to their personalities and pick your choices correctly. Depending on that, they might like your choice or not. There is even the possibility you get the approval from one of those and a disapproval from another one.
For example: Helping some people in the Druid's Grove will raise the disapproval from Astarion, but also raise the approval from Shadowheart and Gale at the same time. If you pursue a relationship with Astarion you need to take into account some answers maybe doesn't seem "right" to you. But at the end, we don't have a right or wrong path in Baldur's Gate 3.
The best option to pursue your love interest is by focusing on their personal quests. Siding with them and how they feel throughout the quest will have a big impact on your relationship.
If you'd like to see how much each companion likes you, there's a neat option in the menu. It shows a diagram of their approval. This only works for the main companions you start with. You can also date some non-companions who join your group, but you need to choose the correct dialogue options as they won't be shown in the approval menu.
Be aware: If you upset some people too often, they will eventually leave your party for good and never return to you!
Baldur's Gate 3: Trigger Romance Scene
You need to visit your camp on a regular basis in order to speak with your desired love interest, especially if they have an exclamation mark above their head. This will lead to conversations and eventually an update on their side quest.
Some scenes may unfold as you enter the camp or during the night of a Long Rest. If this hasn't happened, you need to raise the approval a little bit further.
You don't only increase the approval by big and mandatory decisions for the main story quest line, but also through some trivial matters, just like helping an animal or entertaining a little kid. From a certain perspective, everything matters in Baldur's Gate 3.
Baldur's Gate 3: Every Love Interest You Can Bond With
These are your possible love interests you can bond with:
- Astarion
- Shadowheart
- Gale
- Lae'zel
- Wyll
- Karlach
- Minthara
- Halsin
- Minsc
- Jaheira
Love Interest: Astarion
- Up for a polyamorous relationship with any character
- Approval Raised: Shows of power, ruthless thinking, dramatics, the finer things in life, siding with monsters, upholding his personal freedom, indulging his dark tendencies
- Disapproval Raised: Altruism, compromise, weakness, boring behavior, restraint, judging him for his condition, wellbeing of others over personal gain
Astarion wanders around the west path of the shipwreck. He is a vampire spawn, serving a sadistic master until he was snatched away. Now he can walk in the light, but can he leave his wicked past behind?
Love Interest: Shadowheart
- Up for a polyamorous relationship with certain characters, and Lae'zel isn't one of them – supposedly those who share similar interests
- Approval Raised: Use of trickery and manipulation, seeing through lies, anti-Gith statements, kindness to animals, kindness to the poor, kindness to children
- Disapproval Raised: Unnecessary cruelty or rash actions, being tricked or manipulated, pro-Gith statements, humiliation, disrespect to Shar, prioritizing Lae'zel over her
If you didn't rescue Shadowheart in the tutorial, she will be in the Overgrown Ruins waypoint, otherwise she'll wake up with you at the beach. She is one of Shar's dark disciples, sent on a sucicide mission to steal an item of great power.
While wrestling with her faith and strange, untamed magic, Shadowheart has enemies on all sides - and a long-buried secret to uncover.
Love Interest: Gale
- Up for a monogamy relationship – he doesn't want to share you
- Approval Raised: Intelligence, magical knowledge, non-violent approaches, kindness, poetry
- Disapproval Raised: Unnecessary violence, stupidity, lack of curiosity, judgement over his condition, prying into his memories without consent
Gale is stuck within a magical portal in the stonewall. You'll meet him at the Roadside Cliffs waypoint. He is a ambitioned wizard with a Netherese Destruction Orb beating in his chest.
This heart is counting down to an explosion that can level a city. But he is confident he'll overcome it, but the time is not on his side.
Love Interest: Lae'zel
- Up for a polyamorous relationship with certain characters, and Shadowheart isn't one of them – most likely only accepts characters who have the same way of looking at the world.
- Approval Raised: Combat expertise, pro-Gith statements, cooperating with her, aggression
- Disapproval Raised: Compassion, disagreeing with her, distraction, anti-Gith statements, pointless do-gooder behavior, prioritizing Shadowhearts suggestions
You'll find Lae'zel North-East of the shipwreck at the beginning of the game. She sits within a prison cage waiting to be rescued by you. Lae'zel is a ferocious Fighter, faced to transform into the very monster she has sworn to destroy. She must prove herself worthy of rejoining her people, if they won't execute her first.
Love Interest: Wyll
- Currently, unknown if he is polyamorous or monogamy
- Approval Raised: Heroics, altruism, helping those who need it, fighting villains, anti-monster sentiments
- Disapproval Raised: Working with villains, selfishness, entitled behavior, anything pro-Devil or pro-Goblin, engaging in needless violence or cruelty
Wyll will be first introduced as you try to approach the Druid's Grove for the first time, afterward he will wait at the training ground. He made a name for himself as the "Blade of Frontiers". Wyll has a pact with a seductive devil but tries to escape this bargain, even if he needs to rescue this individual beforehand.
Love Interest: Karlach
- Partly polyamorous and monogamous later in the game
- Approval Raised: Liberation, seizing life, not being embarrassed, combat prowess, being brave, standing up against injustice or bullying
- Disapproval Raised: Cowardice, pointless cruelty, backing down when threatened, self-restraint, anything pro-Devil, being deceitful or manipulative
You will either find Karlach through the quest "Hunt the Devil" or just find her by following the blood trail at the riverbank from The Risen Road. Once a slave sold to an Archdevil in order to fight in the blood wars. Now seeking revenge on the one who sold her in the first place
Love Interest: Minthara
- Currently, unknown if he is pro polyamorous or monogamy
- Approval Raised: Pro-Goblin, betray Tieflings and Druids, courage and decisive choices, unwavering loyalty to the Absolute, prioritizing her interests
- Disapproval Raised: Being dominate over her, cowardice, hesitation, inconsistency in alliances, siding with Tieflings
Minthara is waiting at the Goblin's Camp. Being a obedient worshipper of the Absolute, she will do anything as long as the mystical deity is pleased with her. No matter how dirty or bloody the work could be.
Love Interest: Halsin
- Up for a polyamorous relationship, especially with Astarion involved
- Approval Raised: Engage yourself in discussions about nature, side with the Tiefling refugees, rescuing him from the Worg Pens
- Disapproval Raised: Betraying the Tiefling refugees, actions harming nature or wild creatures, ignoring his insight
Halsin needs to be rescued from the Goblin's Camp Worg Pens. He's a Wood Elf Druid and also the first Druid in the Emerald Grove. He can transom into various animals thanks to his Wild Shape ability. And yes, Halsin is also the bear from the infamous romantic bear-sex-scene.
Love Interest: Minsc
- Currently, unknown if he is pro polyamorous or monogamy
- Approval Raised: Be heroic, let him act in heroic ways, show your love for animals
- Disapproval Raised: Injustice, hurting animals, self-centric choices
You'll find him in the Lower City's Sewers in Act 3. You must keep Jaheira alive and land a non-lethal attack as your final blow in the fight against him. Minsc is a ranger from the distant land of Rashemen and a returning character from the Baldur's Gate franchise, with his hamster partner Boo.
Love Interest: Jaheira
- Currently, unknown if he is pro polyamorous or monogamy
- Approval Raised: Uphold justice, display acts of courage and valor, be decisive in critical situations
- Disapproval Raised: Malicious behavior or decisions, deceitful actions in any regard
First introduced in the Last Light Inn, in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, she will be able to be recruited after you complete several main quests. Once you're ready to assault Moonrise Towers, Jaheira will be waiting for you.
There are also several potential options, leading Jaheira to her demise. Keep those things in the back of your mind:
- Keep Cleric Isobel alive, at any cost
- When interacting with the Nightsong, you must prevent Shadowheart from killing her
- During the section in the Moonrise Tower, don't let her be AI controlled, as she is killed off easily by the enemies here and this leads to her ultimate demise otherwise
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