Karlach/Romance

Overview

Approval

Disapproval

Banter

Romance

Karlach can be romanced. The following sections explain Karlach's romance-specific storyline and unique mechanics.

Act One

In Act One, the player character can flirt with Karlach several times. This does not directly impact or progress the romance with her, though it can advance approval enough to allow for one to begin. Two examples:

1. After giving Karlach her first upgrade from Dammon, the player character can say, "I still can't touch you, though". Karlach then asks if the player character wants to. Replying, "Of course I do" results in +10 approval.
2. After taking down the Paladins of Tyr, the player character can tell Karlach that she looks "Hot" after her rage (+3 approval).

Visiting the player at night

This scene is bugged and no longer triggers without mods. As a result, Karlach's romance can only start at the tiefling celebration.

If the player character reaches 30 approval with Karlach and is not double-dating, Karlach visits them at night and confesses her feelings. This unlocks romance specific dialogue trees at the camp celebration, which vary depending on whether the player character chooses to date Karlach or to remain friends during this romance scene. There is not much wiggle room to get 30 approval before the celebration. Refer to Karlach's approval guide.

Hot tip: The flames around Karlach visibly increase whenever she gets excited, particularly when turned on. (sparks literally fly during kisses). When she is very exited, her flames can become hot enough to turn blue.

The player character is not able to touch Karlach during the first romance scene since it is not possible to progress  The Hellion's Heart past the first step in Act One. However, she can be convinced to try a brief kiss – which the player character can either end quickly or embrace the moment. Both options result in burnt lips, but with different dialogue.

Goblin hunt celebration at camp

The camp celebration at the end of the  Save the Refugees quest is a key moment in Karlach's romance story. Regardless of approval, the player character can inform Karlach how much they like her, with the following outcomes (requirements below each):

1. Accept as 1st choice – Karlach excitedly agrees to visit the player character after everybody else goes to sleep that night (during Long Rest).
   • The player character has an approval of 20 or higher and no other romance scenes were initiated during the camp celebration.
2. Accept as 2nd choice – Karlach comments on the player character's already-planned romance scene (see below). However, she still awkwardly asks if the player character wants to spend time with her later instead.
   • The player character has an approval of 20 or higher and no more than one other active romance.
   • If option 2 - "I'd really like that." is selected, then Karlach joyously accepts and immediately plans to meet up later.
   • If option 3 - "You. Me. Bed. Now." is selected, Karlach wrestles with herself, stating, "I don't think your little friend would let me hear the end of it if I accepted. No matter how much I wanted to." before giving in to her desires by saying, "And I... I really want to. Ugh. This is bad. But I want to be bad with you."
3. Reject on 1st interaction – Karlach declines, stating "Ah, c'mon, let's not spoil an effective thing. You point, I rage, we win. Doesn't need to be more complicated than that."
   • The player character has an approval of 19 or lower.
   • The player character has an approval of 20 or higher, but is dating two or more companions already.
   • The player character was partnered (i.e. had a romance scene) with anyone else before the camp celebration began
4. Reject on 2nd interaction – Karlach declines further conversation, stating, "Cheers to you, soldier. And to me, if I do say so myself."
   • Happens when the player character interacts with Karlach and rejects her by choosing option 4 "Enjoy yourself tonight, Karlach." or option 5 "Leave", then attempts to speak with her again.

Karlach's romance scene is identical whether initiated before the celebration, during as 1st choice, or during as 2nd choice. When done as the 2nd choice, the other companions do not appear to react in any way to being stood up that night.

Karlach's remarks on the player character's existing romance with other companions

• Lae'zel - "Speaking of, I hate to butt in, but I've seen the way you and Lae'zel have been looking at each other. I like her, and I bet she's a wildcat after midnight, but I'm just not sure I trust her yet. Mind yourself, all right? But hey. At least some of us are getting a little action.
• Astarion - "Speaking of possibilities, what's this I've been hearing about you and Astarion? Don't get me wrong, I'd ride him to the Feywild and back if I had the chance, but I wouldn't let my guard down around him. Good to see the two of you getting along, anyway. At least one of us is getting a little action."
• Gale - "Take you and Gale, for instance. Don't think I haven't noticed the sparks flying. He's a good egg. A little scholarly for my tastes, but I'm sure you could crack his spine like a new book."
• Shadowheart - "Speaking of, from where I'm standing it looks like you and Shadowheart are getting more... familiar. She's a funny one. All pointy and secretive, but it seems like there's someone very sweet beneath it all, you know?"
• Wyll - "Then we have you and Wyll, the ultimate incarnation of all things good in the world. There's something between you two, isn't there? He's a good one. The best, maybe. When I think about what he sacrificed for me... Give him something to smile about, all right?"
• Note – "a little action" comment:
  • With Lae'zel, Karlach adds, "But hey. At least some of us are getting a little action."
  • With everyone else, Karlach adds, "Good to see the two of you getting along, anyway. At least one of us is getting a little action."

From the beginning, Karlach expresses frustration at not being able to act on her desires with the player character. She comments often on her pent-up urges, and ends the first romance scene early to pleasure herself after getting too worked up.

Attempts at cooling off

After reciprocating her feelings during the first romance scene, it is possible to tell her how much the player character would love to touch her. Karlach follows up on this the morning after, asking the player character if they have any leads. If the player expresses confusion, Karlach says, "There's got to be something, right? Something cold - or water! Or maybe if you were less... burnable. There's a thought, right?"

The player character can figure out a way to cool her down with  Water or magic for a quick embrace, going into a discussion of letting the player character have fun with others while she is unavailable due to her engine.

Act Two

The last chance to start romancing Karlach is at the tiefling party. If the player character does not spend the night with her there, it is no longer possible to start or progress a romance Karlach for the remainder of that playthrough.

Once Act Two is reached and the party have arrived at the Last Light Inn, Karlach's engine can be repaired with the help of Dammon. During the next long rest (and if no other events are queued), the player character can have sex with her or cuddle together.

Partnering with another companion before Karlach's Act Two scene takes place ends the relationship with Karlach. Typically, romanced companions confront the player character if they partner up with someone else first. However, because Karlach's confrontation is bugged, the player never has an opportunity to choose her over someone else.

If the evening romance scene is not triggered by the time the party leave Act Two, then Karlach terminates the relationship upon arriving in Act Three. After completing  The Chosen of Shar, a solidifying romance event with her cannot be triggered anymore - it is too late.

Act Three

After entering the Lower City, Karlach asks to have a "first date" at her favourite restaurant, The Singing Lute. She pretends to be only just meeting the player character (with varying levels of success), and she and the player character ask each other getting-to-know-you questions over dinner and a drink. At the end of the date, Karlach reveals she has rented a private room for the night in the inn upstairs, and the player character can agree to accompany her there. Like with her previous romance scene, there is a choice between intimacy scenes: sexual and non-sexual ("I'll happily head upstairs with you, but I want to make sure I'm clear about not wanting to sleep together.").

In the Circus of the Last Days, the player can take Zethino's love test with Karlach.

Karlach always declines a foursome with the drow twins at Sharess' Caress, but is supportive if the player character has sex with either twin individually. Karlach neither gains nor loses approval from hiring one of the twins.

If the player character chooses to have sex with Mizora, they are confronted by Karlach afterwards. She is deeply hurt and, regardless of whether the player apologizes for or justifies their behavior, demands an ultimatum for their relationship. Depending on dialogue choices, the player character can continue their relationship with Karlach, break up and go back to being just friends, or permanently kick Karlach out of the party.

Romance mechanics

This section contains information regarding the unique in-game mechanics and interactions for Karlachs's romance.

Relationship stages

Like the other major romance options in the game, Karlach's relationship progression can be divided into specific stages: friendly, dating, partnered, and ex-partnered.

1. Friendly: When not romanced, Karlach's greetings to the player character are friendly as long as she has at least 10 approval.
2. Dating: In Act One with high enough approval, the player character can begin dating Karlach.
3. Partnered: If the player character is still dating Karlach in Act Two, they have the option to progress the relationship with her (via an evening cut-scene) after completing both upgrades to her infernal engine.
4. Ex-Partnered: Once partnered with Karlach, the player character can break up with her anytime by selecting the appropriate dialogue options.

Unique dialogue

See the "Romantic" columns on Karlach's Banter page for more examples.

Greetings

Player characters who romance Karlach will hear unique greetings dependent on the stage of the romance and approval/game progression:

• Friendly:

• "Hey, soldier."
• "Soldier?"
• "What's on your mind?"
• "Copper for your thoughts?"

• Dating:

• "Hey, you."
• "What're you thinking about?"
• "Oh, hi!"
• "Hey, soldier." (low approval)
• "Uh huh?" (low approval)
• "What is it?" (low approval)

• Partnered:

• "Darling."
• "Hey!"
• "Soldier?"
• "Hey, you."
• "What's on your mind?"
• "Yeah, honey?" (low approval)
• "Hmm?" (low approval)

• Ex-Partnered:

• "Hey, soldier." (high approval)
• "Yeah?" (high approval)
• "What's on your mind?" (high approval)
• "What?" (low approval)
• "Yeah?" (low approval)
• "Something on your mind?" (low approval)

Party/camp interactions

While in the partnered stage (following her relationship progression scene in Act Two), Karlach has the following unique dialogue options that are always available when interacting with her both in camp and while she's in the party, which can be instigated by selecting "About our relationship...":

• The player character can inquire about Karlach's feelings regarding the relationship. ("Are you happy with how things are between us?")
• The player character can ask for a kiss. ("Can I kiss you?")
• The player character can break up with Karlach. ("Karlach, I think things have gone far enough between us.")

As Origin Karlach

Like her Companion counterpart, Origin Karlach's infernal engine presents a challenge to pursuing romance, and her personal story progression affects when and if specific romantic interactions are available with different characters. Before her second upgrade, Karlach is not able to touch her love interest, and romance dialogue adjusts to reflect this. If Karlach partners with someone prior to her second upgrade, she has the option to say "I wish I could kiss you" to her love interest instead of asking for a kiss.

An incomplete list is below:

Astarion

In his Act One romance scene, instead of initiating sex, Astarion becomes frustrated and confused that he cannot touch Karlach. It is possible to suggest they just lay near each other and talk instead, which is a novel concept for him. Karlach still appears naked in the morning.

Astarion’s Act Two romance scene does not account for Karlach’s engine when pressuring him into sex, meaning the implied sex scene (and resulting break-up) happens even if Karlach is not actually able to be touched.

If Astarion does not ascend and Karlach's heart has not been upgraded, he acknowledges this during the graveyard scene and tells that he is willing to wait.

If Astarion ascends, he inevitably breaks up with Karlach. If Karlach accepts his proposal to “fix her” and become his spawn, he is unsuccessful in turning her—he will catch on fire after drinking her blood, whether or not her engine is repaired. Enraged, he breaks up with her. This situation leads to a unique post-break-up dialogue where Astarion accuses her of “rejecting him with her whole body” and concludes she is “doomed”.

However, it is still possible for a romanced Ascended Astarion to accompany Karlach to Avernus. Defeating Cazador and taking the boat to the Morphic Pool without long resting preserves their relationship and its romance wrap-up scene, where Astarion demands she return to Avernus to live and offers to go with her. Accepting his offer proceeds to Karlach’s Avernus ending as normal. Epilogue dialogue implies they are still a couple and, like other Avernus partners, are searching for a way to fix Karlach’s engine.

Wyll

Karlach is able to romance Wyll in her own origin, and pursuing this option adds a handful of unique lines acknowledging Wyll's prior objective of hunting her down.

Even if Karlach’s engine is not repaired, Wyll insists on dancing with her in his Act Two romance scene. If Karlach protests, Wyll claims he will not be burnt as long as her emotions are kept under control - Karlach can even choose to do "a calm twirl" when dancing. Karlach is unable to kiss Wyll after their dance; despite his subdued reaction to this, however, he still becomes partnered with her afterward.

Wyll heavily encourages Karlach to return to Avernus in their romance wrap-up scene and goes with her, whether it is to ensure she survives or, if he broke his pact, as part of hunting down Mizora. If Wyll becomes Grand Duke, however, his commitments to Baldur’s Gate render him unable to join her, and their relationship becomes long distance if she goes to Avernus alone. As Grand Duke, Wyll promises to join Karlach in Avernus "once the city's been put to rights after this disaster."

Lae'zel

Karlach can only begin a romance with Lae'zel in Act Two, after receiving her second engine upgrade. If Karlach has 40+ approval with Lae'zel and isn't double-dating or partnered with anyone else, Lae'zel wakes her one night to confess her feelings, challenging her to a duel as a show of affection. If Karlach accepts and rises to the challenge, she can choose to begin a relationship with Lae'zel after the fight.

Gale

If he did not pursue the crown, Gale offers to go to Avernus with Karlach in his romance wrap-up scene. If he became a God, Karlach has to go to Avernus alone to be reunited with him in the epilogue. There, God Gale offers to ascend her and fix her heart.

Halsin

If Karlach is partnered to Halsin, he does not offer to go to Avernus with her, due to his duty to help heal the former shadowcursed lands.

Minthara

Karlach is not given the option to sleep with Minthara after completing  Raid the Emerald Grove; however, Minthara can be romanced after recruiting her to the party and upgrading Karlach's engine. In her romance wrap-up scene, Minthara demands to go to Avernus together and make Zariel sorry for ever hurting her, and accepting proceeds to Karlach’s Avernus ending as normal. Otherwise, if the player character refuses, Minthara breaks down and says she does not accept Karlach's choice but will stay with her until she is gone; it is implied that Minthara travels to Avernus anyway to avenge her.

Shadowheart

If Karlach's heart is not upgraded in time for Shadowheart's Act Three romance night, it affects both versions of the scene. Instead of sleeping with Shadowheart after skinnydipping, Karlach can spend the night with her on the beach under the stars—"just near enough." On the Sharran path, Karlach's inability to kiss Shadowheart cuts the Nightfall scene short, with Shadowheart remarking, "A shame. I wanted to show you just how rewarding the embrace of darkness could be... but perhaps it is not meant for you. Good night."

In her final romance wrap-up scene, Shadowheart attempts to persuade Karlach to return to Avernus, and accompanies Karlach if she did not become Mother Superior.

Dammon

Dammon is necessary to complete  Forging a Heart, allowing Karlach to fully engage in romancing her companions. While he cannot be romanced in any playthrough, his dialogue is more flirtatious when speaking to Origin Karlach. When obtaining the second engine upgrade, Karlach can even (internally) comment on this with 'Pause. Is he flirting with you?'.

Karlach can fantasize about kissing Dammon as an alternative to her threesome fantasy during a long rest alone on the Ravaged Beach. However, this is not possible in normal gameplay, as this scene becomes unavailable after entering the Emerald Grove.

Finding Dammon in Act Three after having already received both engine upgrades has him lamenting his inability to stabilize her engine. He remarks there is something he would have liked to do "in another life", but does not finish the thought.

Mizora

Despite her hatred of all things related to Zariel, Karlach can accept Mizora's one-night stand – unhappily so, especially if choosing to Smile the rictus grin of the damned. when accepting. As Mizora is a cambion, she is an available sex partner for Karlach even if she has not repaired her engine. (She may say that only she can bear the "fire of Avernus" within Karlach.) In their sex scene, Karlach has more demanding dialogue choices available to her. If she backs out at any time, Mizora is disappointed, saying she had hoped Karlach was ready to come home.

Haarlep

Like Mizora, Haarlep is of the Hells, so they can be a sex partner for Karlach even when her engine is not fully upgraded.