Permanent bonuses

There are many different permanent character enhancements or bonuses that can be obtained throughout Baldur's Gate 3. See below for details on these bonuses and how they can be obtained.

See also: Illithid Powers, another form of permanent bonuses that can be obtained.

Chapter One

• The following permanent character bonuses can be obtained in Chapter One of the game's story.

Name	Effect	How to Obtain	Notes
BOOOAL's Benediction	Gain Advantage on Attack Rolls against Bleeding targets.	Sacrifice a companion to BOOOAL in The Festering Cove.
Paid the Price	Gain +1 to Intimidation checks. Imposes Disadvantage on Perception checks and attacks against hags. Also changes the chosen eye's appearance.	Accept Auntie Ethel's deal to remove the parasite at the Riverside Teahouse.
Auntie Ethel's Hair	Gain +1 to an Ability Score of choice.	Defeat Auntie Ethel during Save Mayrina and take her deal to spare her life.
Volo's Ersatz Eye	Grants a permanent  See Invisibility effect.	Rescue Volo from the Goblin Camp. When speaking to him in the Campsite afterwards, tell him about your Tadpole infection and agree to his experimental surgery.
Brand of the Absolute	Allows the benefits from Absolute Equipment.	Agree to let a character be branded by Gut in the Goblin Camp.	Multiple characters can receive the brand.
Instrument Proficiency	You know how to play a variety of musical instruments and are able to entertain a crowd with them.	Pass two Charisma checks while helping Alfira with her song in the Druid Grove.
Loviatar's Love	When you have 30% Hit Points or less, you gain a +2 bonus to Attack Rolls and Wisdom saving throws.	Submit to Abdirak and put on a good performance for him in the Shattered Sanctum.
Survival Instinct	Gain the additional Illithid Power Survival Instinct.	Help Omeluum investigate the parasite.	Any class can receive this additional power.
Necromancy of Thay	Gain a permanent +1 to Wisdom Saving Throws and ability checks. In addition, gain Speak with Dead once per long rest.	Pass all three Wisdom saving throws while reading Necromancy of Thay, a book found in a hidden area in the Apothecary's Cellar beneath the Blighted Village. Succeeding at only 2 checks will grant the Speak with Dead spell but not the saving throw bonus.

Chapter Two

• Potion of Everlasting Vigour / +2 Strength / Convince Astarion to bite Araj Oblodra / Probably need to give her your blood first
• Awakened / You can use all of your Illithid Powers as a Bonus Action / Make the Zaith'Ish in the githyanki infirmary explode / If you faill any of the saving throws you will take permanent ability damage to one of your mental scores
• Arabella's Shadow Entangle / Entangle undead and shadow creatures (link to spell page here) / Tell Arabella about the fate of her parents, she will give you this ability a bit later after some encouraging from Withers
• Githzerai Mind Barrier / Advantage on Intelligence Saving Throws / Take the Waking Brain (found after the brain connect puzzle in the Illithid Colony) to the Mind-Archive Interface, and agree to purge the mind when talking to the Slack-Skinned Head

Chapter Three

• Partial Ceremorphosis / Gain access to tier 3 Illithid Powers, and automatically unlock all tier 1 Illithid Powers / Consume the Astral-Touched Tadpole offered by the Emperor
• Danse Macabre / Create 6 ghouls that fight alongside you / Read The Tharchiate Codex (found at the end of the Vault puzzle in Ramazith's Tower), then read the last page of the Necromancy of Thay (from Act 1)