Even in Early Access, Baldur’s Gate 3 has all the marks of a rich RPG, including the ability to romance your companions.
But Baldur’s Gate 3 romance isn’t as straightforward as in other RPGs, since starting a relationship with other characters doesn’t just involve choosing predictable conversation options that have the right symbol attached to them.
Each decision you make contributes to your companions’ attitude towards you, and gaming the system by leaving them at camp isn’t an option, as they’ll still have their opinion regarding your exploits.
Baldur's Gate 3 Romance
You can track your companions’ approval level on their panels, which you can bring up by pressing the B key.
Approval goes up or down as soon as you perform a certain action or make specific choices, and you’ll see pop-up text on the screen, informing you of the shift.
The trick is that, in most cases, you’ll have to get a feel of what the companion you want to romance in Baldur’s Gate 3 appreciates; and this won’t always be obvious.
To maximize your chances, it’s best to always speak to them while you’re resting in camp, as that can lead to learning more about them.
Although you can theoretically pursue romancing every companion, you’ll inevitably have to make a choice. Doing so from early on increases your chances to gain high approval with the chosen character, which definitely helps.
Not only do they value different or even opposing things, but the game currently lets you share a single cutscene with a companion. This happens at camp, after you rescue Halsin the druid.
Below, you’ll find a brief rundown of what each companion appreciates which should, hopefully, give you a start in terms of romancing them.
- Wyll - Approves: Being compassionate, helping others; Disapproves: Cruelty, aiding goblins
- Lae'zel - Approves: Cruel actions, straightforwardness, refusing to help others; Disapproves: Helping others, agreeing with Shadowheart
- Gale - Approves: Being sympathetic towards others, Helping the druids; Disapproves: Random violence, aiding goblins
- Astarion - Approves: Allowing him to sate your thirst (you'll know it when you see it); Disapproves: Being ousted to certain characters, helping the refugees in the Druid Grove
- Shadowheart - Approves: Giving her privacy, focusing on removing the tadpole; Disapproves - Intruding on her mind, helping others, agreeing with Lae'zel
Baldur’s Gate 3 also allows you to romance Minthara, a Drow female NPC found in the goblin camp.
She’s one of the three goblin leaders and starting a relationship with her – although calling it that would be a stretch – requires you to side against the druids.
That’s largely because you can only romance Minthara by murdering the people in the Druid’s Grove. It’s arguably the least time consuming option, but not necessarily an easy one.
Like most aspects of the RPG, Baldur’s Gate 3’s romance will likely evolve over the course of its Early Access period, so expect things to be changed and added.
For more help with the RPG, check out our guides on the Gilded Chest in the Owlbear cave and Hag boss location.
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