Uncover the Shadows in her Heart.
Shadowheart has one of the biggest story arcs out of all the BG3 Companions, and to fulfil her destiny we have our comprehensive Shadowheart guide which covers where to find her, the best build and has all the big choices in Baldur’s Gate 3 explained.
We’ll certainly be more help than Shadowheart is when you first meet her, as her dedication to secrecy and Lady Shar means she’s a tough nut to crack, requiring a hands-off approach at first.
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This will go a long way if you want to romance her, as Shadowheart will greatly appreciate the space you give her to do her thing.
We’ll also be going over how to respec Shadowheart, as changing her subclass will allow a high DPS whilst retaining healing abilities with the right equipment.
With all that said and done, let’s see if we can shine a little light on the shadows in her heart.
How to save Shadowheart on the Nautiloid in Baldur’s Gate 3
To save Shadowheart when you’re aboard the Nautiloid Ship, you need to first find her. Shadowheart can be found in a chamber above the room where you have your first encounter with the Imps. Climb up the Arterial Flesh Ladders and you’ll find her suspended in a Mind Flayer Pod.
Select the Pod and you will start the Rescue the Illithid’s Captive side quest and, despite Lae’zels protests, the ship won’t actually crash any time soon – so you are free to do this.
Proceed into the room to the East and there will be a dead Thrall. Loot the body and take the Eldritch Rune.
Go back to the room with Shadowheart and insert the Rune into the control panel – Shadowheart will then be released from the Pod.
Be sure to actually talk with her, as this will complete the side quest and she will join your party for the rest of the duration of the Prologue, making a lot of the battles ahead much easier.
Read more on Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Baldur’s Gate 3 review – our final verdict
- Baldur’s Gate 3 builds – create your character
- Baldur’s Gate 3 romance – quench your thirst
- Baldur’s Gate 3 cast – all voice actors
- Baldur’s Gate 3 mods – best hacks and cheats
- Baldur’s Gate 3 multiplayer – co-op explained
- Baldur’s Gate 3 companions – recruit them all
- Baldur’s Gate 3 classes – best class and sub-class
- Baldur’s Gate 3 change appearance – can it be done?
- Baldur’s Gate 3 early game tips – get an epic sword
- Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox – cheap ways to play
- Baldur’s Gate 3 on Steam Deck – D&D on the go
- Baldur’s Gate 3 Legendary items – a leg up to end the game
Where to find Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3
Shadowheart can be found lying unconscious just ahead on the beach near the Abandoned Ruins. Wake her up and she will thank you for saving her and she can join your party.
If you don’t see her or wake her up, she will be found in the Druid’s Grove, where she will still offer to join you and still offer her thanks.
If you didn’t save her on the ship, or at least made an attempt to, she can be found further along the beach at the locked door up ahead, but she will still offer to team up with you as you are both infected by the Mind Flayer’s Tadpole – though it may take a lot more effort if you were planning to romance her.
If you have Lae’zel with you before you recruit Shadhowheart, you will have to pass a Persuasion Check for her to join you, not that that will stop them from bickering, of course.
Shadowheart build advice in Baldur’s Gate 3
When Shadowheart hits Level 3, we recommend you respec her to the Light Domain Subclass, as this is the best option for healing and dealing damage, something we noted in our Cleric Build guide. A lot of what’s in there is applicable so it’s well worth checking out.
Roleplaying-wise, the Light Domain doesn’t make much sense for Shadowheart as a worshipper of Lady Shar, the deity of Darkness, but it doesn’t make any difference to the story.
Below is a step-by-step guide of what to select at each level.
Level 1
- Respec Subclass to Light Domain
- Warding Flare
- Unlock Domain Spells Faerie Fire and Burning Hands
- Unlock Cantrip Light
Level 2
- Unlocks Class Action Radiance of Dawn
- Unlocks Channel Divinity Charges Turn Undead
Level 3
- Unlock Domain Spells Flaming Sphere and Scorching Ray
Level 4
- Feat – Select Ability Improvement and raise Strength and Wisdom
Level 5
- Unlock Class Feature Destroy Undead
- Unlock Domain Spells Daylight and Fireball
Level 6
- Improved Warding Flare
Level 7
- Unlocks Domain Spells Wall of Fire and Guardian of Faith
Level 8
- Feat – Select Ability Improvement and increase Wisdom by two
- Unlocks Potent Spellcasting. This adds your Wisdom Modifier to your Cantrips damage output
Level 9
- Unlocks Domain Spells Flame Strike and Destructive Wave
Level 10
- Unlocks Divine Intervention which can be used once. Sunder the Heretical is extremely useful to save for the biggest boss battles, as it deals up to 80 radiant damage to enemies in a radius
Level 11
- Unlocks Level 6 Spells
Level 12
- Feat – Choose War Caster
Best equipment and weapons for Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3
Here we have the best equipment and weapons for Shadowheart to increase her damage output and healing abilities.
- Head – Wapira’s Crown (grants Shadowheart 1d6 Hit Points when healing others)
- Gloves – Hellriders Pride (When you heal another party member, they also gain resistance against Bludgeoning, Piercing and Slashing from weapon attacks)
- Boots – Boots of Aid and Comfort (When the wearer heals a target, it gains an additional 3 temporary hit points), available to buy from Grat the trader in the Goblin Camp.
- Necklace – Amulet of Misty Step (allows you to teleport to a visible location and is great to get out of danger or to a party member who needs healing), available to buy from Omeluum in the Myconid Colony.
- Ring – Ring of Absolute Force (Allows you to use Thunderwave, great for crowd control), can be looted from Sergeant Thrinn.
- Ring – The Whispering Promise (When you heal a party member you get a +1d4 bonus to Attack Rolls and Saving Throws for two turns), available from Grat the Trader or Roah Moonglow in the Goblin Camp or Brem in the Zhentarim Hideout.
- Weapon (Main hand) – The Blood of Lathander for early game or Selunes Spear of Evening.
- Weapon (Off-hand) – Glowing Shield (once per short rest if your health goes below 50% and you take damage, you get 9 temporary hit points), available from a locked chest on a hill beyond the Goblin Camp and the co-ordinates (X: -53, Y: 470)
Big Shadowheart choices explained
Before we begin, we will preface this by warning you there are spoilers ahead, so if you just wanted to best build and equipment for Shadowheart then stop right here! Otherwise, venture forth and all shall be revealed.
Act 1
During Act 1 as you earn Shadowheart’s trust, she will reveal that she is a follower of Shar, the Deity of Darkness, if you open the Guiled Chest in the Owlbear Cave. Your Guardian will contact you and when approaching the Mountain Pass or Underdark, the Artefact she carries will protect you and you can find out what she knows.
Lae’zel and Shadowheart will potentially try and kill one another during a Long Rest at camp, and you need to talk them down or side with Shadowheart.
If you go to Grymforge, Shadowheart will reveal that she has always wanted to become a Dark Justiciar. These are all useful things to know before proceeding onto the Shadow-Cursed Lands, where Shadowheart’s story really opens up.
Act 2
Upon entering the Shadow-Cursed Lands, you discover that Shadowheart is able to withstand the Shadow Curse. You may have spotted the Temple to Shar during your time in Grymforge and wondered how to get in there, and this is exactly where we are headed.
North of the House of Healing in Baldur’s Gate 3 lies a Mausoleum in which is a puzzle that you need to solve before proceeding on to the temple.
Once inside, you will be confronted with yet more puzzles before being able to progress through the Gauntlet of Shar.
During this, you will come across the Spear of Night, and once all of the trials of the Gauntlet of Shar are complete, you will be teleported to the realm where Nightsong resides and be faced with two choices.
- Kill Nightsong – This transforms the Spear of Night into Shar’s Spear of Night and makes Shadowheart completely devoted to Shar, rendering her non-romanceable.
- Save Nightsong – This turns the Spear of Night into Selune’s Spear of Evening and Shadowheart converts to worshipping Selune, leaving her available to romance and changing her appearance.
If you save Nightsong, it lets you uncover something held very dear to Shadowheart in Act 3.
Act 3
When you reach Baldur’s Gate proper, you will travel to the House of Grief in the Lower City. Go into the Cloiser and the following can happen depending on your choices in Act 2.
- If you killed Nightsong, Shadowheart will ascend to the Leader of the Church of Shar and command her troops in the final battle.
- If you saved Nightsong, you can defeat Viconia the Mother Superior of the Church of Shar (killing her or sparing her, though killing her gets you some very powerful items) and upon entering the Chamber of Loss – massive spoilers – Shadowheart can rediscover her real name and the identity of her parents.
And there you have it, Shadowheart’s story all wrapped up neatly in a bow (or not if Lae’zel killed her in your camp)
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