Shadowheart

Loyal Warrior
Shadowheart
Stats
Level 1
STR 13 (+1) DEX 13 (+1) CON 14 (+2) INT 10 WIS 17 (+3) CHA 8 (-1)
Race	High Half-Elf
Type	Humanoid
HP	10
AC	15
Movement Speed	9m / 30ft
Size	Medium
Weight	75kg / 150lbs
Proficiency Bonus	+2
Initiative	+1
Passive features
Darkvision  Fey Ancestry  Fear of Wolves
Character information
Class	Trickery Domain Cleric
Background	Acolyte
Location	Nautiloid, Ravaged Beach, Emerald Grove
Family	Arnell Hallowleaf (father), Emmeline Hallowleaf (mother)
Allies	Shar
Enemies	Selûne
Additional information
Voice actor	Jennifer English
Models

Overview

Approval

Banter

Romance

Shadowheart is an Origin character and Companion in Baldur's Gate 3. She is a Half-Elf Cleric with the Acolyte background.

Origin characters can be played as the main character, otherwise, they can be recruited as a companion early on.

We're in this together, but I'll happily go it alone. My faith will keep me company.

— Shadowheart's strong devotion.

Gameplay

As a Cleric, Shadowheart is capable of casting spells, healing and buffing allies, and tanking damage for her party. Her subclass is Trickery Domain, allowing her to cast a variety of stealth and illusion magic not normally available to Clerics.

Proficiencies

Equipment

• Simple weapons
• Light armour, Medium armour, Shields

Saving throws

• Wisdom
• Charisma

Skills

• History
• Religion
• Insight
• Medicine

Spells known

As a Cleric, Shadowheart automatically knows all non-cantrip Cleric spells.

Level 1 spells known

• Bane
• Bless
• Command
• Create or Destroy Water
• Cure Wounds
• Guiding Bolt
• Healing Word
• Inflict Wounds
• Protection from Evil and Good
• Shield of Faith
• Charm Person (domain)
• Disguise Self (domain)

Cantrips known

• Guidance
• Resistance
• Sacred Flame
• Fire Bolt (from High Half-Elf)

Recruitment

Shadowheart can be recruited in Act One. She will always be encountered.

• Shadowheart is first encountered on the Nautiloid during the Prologue, trapped inside a Mind Flayer pod. She can be freed by interacting with the nearby console or using certain class-restricted dialogue options on the pod. If she is freed, she will join the party as a temporary companion. Upon escaping the Nautiloid, she leaves the party.
• Shadowheart is encountered again a second time at the Ravaged Beach inside the Wilderness. If she was freed from the pod during the Prologue, she will be unconscious on the ground and wake up when interacted with. If she was not freed, she will instead be found attempting to gain entry to the nearby Dank Crypt. Either way, she can be invited to join the party after speaking with her.
• If Shadowheart is not interacted with at the Ravaged Beach, she will move to the Druid Grove on her own in search of a healer. She can be spoken with there and invited to join the party.
• If the player enters the Goblin Camp without having recruited Shadowheart, she will show up and save the party from the Voice of the Absolute. If not recruited, she may be convinced to wait here, or fought to the death.
• If the player ignores the Goblin Camp and walks towards the Mountain Pass, she will similarly appear to save the party members from the Voice, as the party members attempt to cross the bridge into the main area.
• If the player ignores the Goblin Camp and the Mountain Pass, and manages to enter the Underdark, she will appear to save the party from the Voice of the Absolute, as the party members enter the elevator to the Shadow-Cursed Lands.

Background

A loyal cleric of Shar, Shadowheart is the sole survivor of a holy mission undertaken on the Mistress of the Night's behest. She alone must deliver a relic of immense power to her coven in Baldur's Gate, while threatened by a strange new magic that is burgeoning from within.

Personal quest

Shadowheart's Companion Quest is: Daughter of Darkness.

Personality

Shadowheart is guarded and hesitant to reveal information about herself, her motives, or the relic she carries. She displays a particular distrust of Githyanki such as Lae'zel. Often, she seems indifferent to the plight of others; however, she does not explicitly take pleasure in their suffering, and will disapprove of unnecessary cruelty and violence. She will usually approve of finding non-violent solutions to situations, and treating animals and children with compassion. Above all, Shadowheart values pragmatism.

Interactions

Approval & disapproval

Main article: Shadowheart/Approval.

Shadowheart likes finding pragmatic and efficient solutions to problems. She appreciates discretion, privacy, and open-mindedness. Shadowheart generally responds well to acts of heroism.

Shadowheart dislikes those that disapprove of her worship or people pressing her for answers or details. She does not like needless cruelty or violence and can respond unfavorably to being too open with untrustworthy or unknown individuals.

She loves animals and will always react favourably to positive interactions with them and negatively to cruelty towards animals.

Romance

See Shadowheart/Romance.

Shadowheart can be romanced.

Achievements

To Bloom in Darkest Night
Gift Shadowheart a night orchid - her favourite flower. Always knew she was a softie.

Trivia

• Shadowheart is voiced by Jennifer English.
• According to Larian Studios, until Patch 3, Shadowheart was the most romanced female companion and the second most romanced companion overall.
• The cantrip selection Shadowheart has in the beginning is very sub-optimal, which can be frustrating, especially to newer players who may not understand why:
  • As the  Fire Bolt cantrip Shadowheart starts with is a high half-elven racial spell, its attack roll bonus scales off intelligence, an ability Shadowheart is not specialized in. This makes the hit chance of this version of firebolt very low in Shadowheart's hands.
  • Her other cantrip,  Sacred Flame is not an attack cantrip, but rather a saving throw cantrip, This means it is not helped by the various bonuses and advantages an attack would enjoy (High Ground Rules, Advantage from hidden attack, etc). Furthermore, it is a dexterity save cantrip, and dexterity is an ability many enemies are decent at.
  • The best way out of this situation is to pick up a better offensive cantrip elsewhere, either by picking  Produce Flame when at cleric level 4. Or finding equipment that grant offensive cantrips (in such cases Shadowheart's natural Spellcasting Ability, Wisdom, is used instead)
  • And since her Strength and Dexterity isn't high either, early on her best offensive option is likely to be  Guiding Bolt while at range, and  Inflict Wounds while up close. Both of course costs spell slots.
  • She can also indirectly contribute to the party's damage output via  Bane and  Bless, the former making the affected enemies 10% more likely to miss their attacks, the latter making the affected allies 10% more likely to land a hit. Note that bane requires its target to fail a saving throw to take effect so it is somewhat less reliable.
    • These are both Concentration spells however, so there is a risk in using these. make sure Shadowheart is safe from damage if this is the option chosen. Also note that only one Concentration spell can be maintained at a time by a single caster.
  • Finally,  Create Water confers the Wet Condition to the affected targets, making them vulnerable to cold and lightning damage, meaning they will take double damage from those damage types. This also potentially creates a harmful surface for the party's enemies.
• At the time of the events of Baldur's Gate 3, Shadowheart is over 40 years old, as evidenced by ambient dialogue in the dormitory section of the Cloister of Sombre Embrace.

Gallery

• 

  Shadowheart's appearance pre-release

• 

  Shadowheart's Early Access promotional art

• 

  Shadowheart during Early Access

• 

  Early Access model

External links

• Shadowheart on the Forgotten Realms Wiki
• Shadowheart's free D&D Character sheet pdf on D&D Beyond