Permanent bonuses
Permanent bonuses are special conditions, character enhancements, or other abilities, which will generally remain permanently after obtaining them. Some permanent bonuses will, however, be removed if the character 
.
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.
 | Spoiler warning: The following content contains unhidden spoilers. Read at your own risk. |
Act One
The following permanent character bonuses can be obtained in Act One of the game.
BOOOAL's Benediction
Gain 
Advantage on attack rolls against 
targets.
How to unlock
Sacrifice a companion to BOOOAL in The Festering Cove. Effect stops working if all Kuo-toa in the Cove are killed.
This buff is granted to all present party members, and is permanently lost upon death.[Needs Verification]
You cannot use hirelings for the sacrifice.
Paid the price
You have a +1 bonus to Intimidation checks, but 
Disadvantage on Perception checks. Additionally, you have Disadvantage when attacking Hags. Changes the chosen eye's appearance.
How to unlock
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. Can be raised above 20.
How to unlock
Defeat Auntie Ethel during Save Mayrina and take her deal to spare her life.
Volo's Ersatz Eye
Grants a permanent 
effect. Changes the right eye's appearance. The right eye's colour is permanently changed to "Blue 3". This cannot be reversed using the Magic Mirror.
How to unlock
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 and unlocks unique dialogue options when speaking to followers of the Absolute.
How to unlock
Agree to let a character be branded by Gut in the Goblin Camp.
Multiple characters can receive the brand after the first character has been branded by Gut (by controlling them and speaking to Warlock Greez).
Instrument proficiency
You know how to play a variety of musical instruments and are able to entertain a crowd with them.
How to unlock
Pass one of two Charisma (Performance) checks while helping Alfira with her song in the Druid Grove.
Bards have this automatically and this provides no additional benefit to them.
Loviatar's Love
When you have 30% Hit Points or less, you gain a +2 bonus to Attack Rolls and Wisdom saving throws.
How to unlock
Submit to Abdirak and put on a good performance for him in the Shattered Sanctum.
|Effect is permanently lost if the character dies and is revived.[Needs Verification]
Survival Instinct
Gain the additional Illithid Power 
Survival Instinct.
How to unlock
Help Omeluum investigate the parasite.
This is an unique Illithid power not obtainable through regular Illithid Powers progression.
Necromancy of Thay
Gain the 
passive feature and 
Speak with Dead spell once per long rest.
How to unlock
Turn all three pages while reading Necromancy of Thay, a book found in a hidden area in the Apothecary's Cellar beneath the Blighted Village.
Turning only 1 page will grant only Speak with Dead. The reader does not need to succeed on the Saving Throws associated with turning the pages.
Find Familiar: Scratch
Summon the best boy. Scratch's keen nose can discover many things hidden around the world.
How to unlock
Leave Scratch with your scent so he joins your camp, then later when he offers you a ball, throw it to play fetch with him. Having Scratch's Ball in your inventory allows you to use 
.
Find Familiar: Cheeky Quasit
Summon Shovel (or Basket, or Fork), the Cheeky Quasit.
How to unlock
Find the unique 
Scroll of Summon Quasit in one of the coffins of the hidden area in the Apothecary's Cellar beneath the Blighted Village. Wizards can learn this spell, or after summoning talk to the Quasit and they will permanently teach you the spell under certain conditions.
Awakened
You can use all of your Illithid Powers as a Bonus Action
How to unlock
Make the Zaith'isk in the infirmary of Crèche Y'llek explode and succeed at all three saving throws. The saves are significantly easier if you are in the device rather than Lae'zel. The person that gets the buff is always the player character.
Failing any of the saving throws for the Zaith'isk inflicts permanent, stacking penalties to the Ability Scores of the character inside it: each failure will, respectively, give -2 to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Constitution. Partial ceremorphosis will remove the ability debuff.
Act Two
- The following permanent character bonuses can be obtained in Act Two of the game's story.
| Name | Effect | How to Obtain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potion of Everlasting Vigour | Gain +2 Strength | Convince Astarion to bite Araj Oblodra in Moonrise Towers | Can be raised above 20 |
| Arabella's Shadow Entangle | Entangle an undead or shadow creature | Tell Arabella about her parents' fate after Save Arabella | |
| Githzerai Mind Barrier | Advantage on Intelligence Saving Throws |
Insert the Waking Mind (found at X: 750 Y: -139 after the brain connect puzzle in the Mind Flayer Colony) into the nearby Mind-Archive Interface, speak to the Slack-Skinned Head, and agree to purge or consume its mind. | Effect is permanently lost if the character dies and is revived (as of Hotfix #6). |
| Summon Us | Allows you to summon Us, an intellect devourer. | Prevent Us from dying on the Nautiloid during the Prologue, then free it from its cage in the Mind Flayer Colony. | |
| Level 3 Shadow Spell Slot | An additional Level 3 Spell Slot, separate from normal Spell Slots. Recharge: Once per Long rest. |
Consume the Shadow Weave from the corpse of Gerringothe Thorm, Malus Thorm or Thisobald Thorm. Once and only as Gale. Cleansing the Shadow Weave grants Mystra's Blessing until Long rest instead. | Only available to Gale while playing his Origin. Gale as Companion does not get it. |
| Slayer Form | Gain the ability to transform into the Slayer once per Long Rest | Kill Isobel, your lover, or the companion with the highest approval toward you as part of The Urge quest. Alternatively, accept to become Bhaal's Chosen after defeating Orin in Act Three. |
Only available while playing the Dark Urge Origin. |
Act Three
- The following permanent character bonuses can be obtained in Act Three of the game's story.
| Name | Effect | How to Obtain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partial Ceremorphosis | Gain access to tier 3 illithid Powers, and automatically unlock all tier 1 Illithid Powers and the Fly tier 3 Illithid Power | Consume the Astral-Touched Tadpole offered by the Emperor | This will cause a cosmetic change in the character. |
| Sweet Stone Features | Gain a  +1d4 bonus to  Attack rolls and  Saving throws. |
Pay Boney in the Circus of the Last Days 5000 gold to construct a statue of yourself. | Can only construct a statue for a single character. The effect begins once you long rest. Statue appearance is exactly as character is seen outside of conversation- pay attention to ranged/melee weapon being displayed.
This effect will be overwritten if the character is affected by Bless or is healed by a character wearing The Whispering Promise. Once the Bless effect expires, they will not regain Sweet Stone Features until completing another long rest. |
| Monk's Hideous Laughter | Gain casting of Tasha's Hideous Laughter per long rest | Carry the Sentient Amulet from Grymforge to a casket under the Open Hand Temple in Wyrm's Crossing, completing Help the Cursed Monk. Must choose to accept the curse yourself. | Possible wisdom loss if you fail Constitution/Wisdom saves. The sentient amulet seems to lose all of its abilities after the quest completion. |
| The Tharchiate Codex: Blessing | After a long rest, gain 20 temporary hit points | Read The Tharchiate Codex (found at the end of the Vault puzzle in Ramazith's Tower) | Remains active if The Tharchiate Codex is also used to obtain Danse Macabre |
| Danse Macabre | Create 4 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) and pass a 20 Wisdom Saving Throw | Comes with a curse that lowers Constitution by 5, but can be removed with the Remove Curse spell while keeping Danse Macabre |
| Mirror of Loss | Gain +2 to an Ability Score of your choice (and optionally +1 to Charisma) | Offer a prayer (DC 25 Religion Check) to the Mirror of Loss in the House of Grief, then sacrifice one of your ability scores, or your knowledge of the Necromancy of Thay. You'll receive the option to choose a +2 bonus to any ability.
If you sacrificed an ability, you'll receive the Stolen Vigour curse (-2 to that Ability). This can be cured via Occasionally, when sacrificing an ability to the mirror, you may receive the Patriar's Memory buff (+1 CHA). If this happens, interact with the mirror again, sacrifice your knowledge of Necromancy of Thay, and choose an ability to receive a +2 bonus. After both interactions, the mirror is sated. Cast |
Can be raised above 20 (up to 24, for all memories, including the Patriar's)
If no prayer is offered prior to sacrificing memories, no bonus is received. As of Hotfix #4, all bonuses from the Necromancy of Thay are retained when you sacrifice its knowledge, along with the Ability Score increase - this is likely a bug. As of Hotfix #4, it is unclear whether the Patriar's Memory buff is a bug, as it doesn't trigger every time. This may require several save-and-load attempts to attain. It is also unclear whether there is a way to gain a +1 bonus to ability scores other than Charisma. [Needs Verification] In order to ensure you receive Patriar's Memory the story the Narrator tells you must be the following: "Disappointment floods your mind. You were sure to succeed Stelmane, but Lord Enver Gortash has stolen your support. All that charming and cajoling in the parlous of the Upper City, Wasted." You can continue to reload until you receive this specific memory. |
| Unstable Blood | Your blood is now highly flammable and will explode on contact with fire | Give your blood to Araj Oblodra in Moonrise Towers in Act 2, then meet her again east of The Blushing Mermaid in Act 3 and help her again. She will give you a potion that grants this feature once drunk. | Tip: Give to a Tiefling or Red/Gold Dragonborn or equip an item that grants  Fire Resistance to minimize the damage you yourself take from the explosions.
|
| Vampire Ascendant | Gain class actions Ascendant Bite and Mistry Escape, as well as an extra 1d10 Necrotic damage to weapon and unarmed attacks. |
Defeat Cazador without killing any of his spawn whilst having Astarion in your party. Afterward, allow Astarian to complete the ascention ritual. | Only available to Astarion. |
