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Template:CompanionTab Karlach is a playable character in Baldur's Gate 3, who can either be selected as an Origin during character creation, or recruited as a Companion when playing a different character.
| Fury of Avernus | |||||||
| Karlach Cliffgate | |||||||
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| Stats | |||||||
| Level 1 | |||||||
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 Race
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 Type
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Humanoid | ||||||
 HP
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14 | ||||||
 AC
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13 | ||||||
 Movement Speed
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9m / 30ft | ||||||
 Size
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Medium | ||||||
 Weight
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90kg / 180lbs | ||||||
 Proficiency Bonus
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+2 | ||||||
 Initiative
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+1 | ||||||
| Passive features | |||||||
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| Resistances | |||||||
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| Character information | |||||||
| Class | 
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| Background | Outlander | ||||||
| Location | The Risen Road | ||||||
| Enemies | Zariel, Enver Gortash | ||||||
| Additional information | |||||||
| Voice actor | Samantha Béart | ||||||
| Models | |||||||
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Gameplay
- Karlach is a Tiefling with the Outlander background, and the default class of Barbarian.
- Due to the Infernal Engine in her chest, Karlach is uniquely able to spend Soul Coins as consumable items. Doing so will grant her
until her next Long Rest. This feature is available whether she is played as the Origin or a Companion. - During a Multiplayer session, if one player selects the Karlach Origin, all other players are prevented from selecting the Wyll Origin, and vice-versa. Wyll can still be recruited as a companion after character creation.
Quests
- As Origin Karlach:
- Servant of None is the Personal Quest.
- Forging a Heart affects the state of her Infernal Engine.
- As Companion Karlach:
- Our Fiery Friend is Karlach's primary Companion Quest.
- The Hellion's Heart affects the state of her Infernal Engine.
Personality
Karlach is an extremely passionate individual who strives to live life to the fullest. She tends to speak excitedly regarding any of life's simple pleasures, whether that be food, drink, friends, or intimacy. Her demeanor is generally joyous and very forward, having no fear of loudly proclaiming her love of being alive and how much she cares for those close to her. Her positive disposition and infectious energy seem to allow her to make friends easily. Interactions with those who knew her prior to the events of the game's story imply that she has always been this exuberant, even as a poor child growing up in the outskirts of Baldur's Gate.
However, this lust for life hides the trauma of betrayal and fear of a life cut short. After becoming a trusted confident (or so she believed) of Enver Gortash, the Banite sold Karlach out to Mizora as a lab rat to test her new invention, The Hellion's Heart. This forced her to live a life of conflict in the Nine Hells, as well as die relatively soon should she ever leave. Tyrants like Gortash and Mizora are some of the only things that can make Karlach act genuinely bitter and hateful due to how they stole away her chance at a normal life. Attempting to stop (or at least delay) the destruction of the infernal engine is the driving force of Karlach's personal mission, hoping to live in the world she loves for at least a while longer.
In addition, Karlach has a very strong sense of right and wrong. She enjoys attempting to help innocent people with their troubles and not expecting anything in return, something she finds in common with Wyll after their rocky first meeting. Her honesty can cause her to come off as somewhat naive at times. As befitting a Barbarian, Karlach is very impulsive and easy to provoke, always ready to jump into a fight, especially if it means fighting someone attempting to talk their way out of answering for their crimes. She also gets along well with Astarion, despite their moral differences, due to both wanting to live their life outside the shadow of their abusers.
Story
Personal history
Karlach was a citizen of the Lower City of Baldur's Gate before being taken prisoner and forced to fight in the Blood War, the eternal conflict between demons and devils. She was a prisoner and champion of Zariel, Archdevil and ruler of Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells. Taking a risky chance on escape, Karlach boarded a hostile Mind Flayer ship when it appeared in the sky of Avernus. Using it, she made her escape from the Hells but was infected with a Mind Flayer Tadpole in the process. Now hunted, Karlach is a fugitive on the run from Zariel's forces, who seeks to have her warrior returned to her, and punished.
Interactions
Characters
While either played as an Origin, or in the party as a companion, Karlach has unique interactions in conversations with the following characters listed here. (List may not yet be complete)
Spoiler warning! This section reveals details about the story of Baldur's Gate 3.
Characters are grouped by the Act they are first encounterable in.
Act One
Act Two
Act Three
Approval & disapproval
Main Article: Karlach/Approval
Romance
- See Karlach/Romance
Karlach can be romanced.
Speak With Dead
Can be spoken to with 
Speak with Dead.
Achievements
Hot Date
Go on a date with Karlach - now that's playing with fire.
Trivia
- Karlach is voiced by Samantha Béart.
- Karlach was originally voiced by Shala Nyx in Early Access.
- In Multiplayer, if Karlach is chosen as an Origin by one player, Wyll cannot be chosen by any other players, and vice versa.
- Throughout development Karlach had multiple design changes.
- In Early Access she only had a placeholder model created with the same assets as a custom character. He had two horns and no scars and was a Fighter (with a datamined tag of a Paladin).
- Concept art shows different proposals for her face, initially planning to give her more scars and more aggressive features. She also had a few different starter armour designs with one repurposed to become Unwanted Masterwork Scalemail. Her other concept armour can be seen on her Magic the Gathering Card.
Gallery
Karlach's first appearance in early access
Karlach in Early Access Patch 9
Karlach in Early Access
Concept art with Karlach wearing a different starter armour (Unwanted Masterwork Scalemail)
Concept art with another starter armour
Datamined Karlach restored by mods
Datamined Karlach restored by mods
Armour Concept Art by Jane Katsubo
Armour Concept Art by Jane Katsubo
Armour Concept Art by Jane Katsubo
Promotional Wallpaper
External links
Karlach on the Forgotten Realms Wiki