Starting your journey in Baldur’s Gate 3 involves assembling a team of diverse and capable companions to assist you in your adventures.
Each companion brings unique skills, personalities, and stories, enhancing your gameplay experience.
Yet, you must know where to locate all Baldur’s Gate 3 companions to fully experience all the game has to offer.
Not only that, but you also need to know how to recruit them. Luckily, this guide has it all.
Astarion
Class: Rogue
Species: High Elf
Background: Charlatan
Skills: Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand (Expertise), Stealth (Expertise), Perception, Deception, Performance, Persuasion
Astarion is a cunning and deceptive character harboring a unique secret: he’s a vampire.
As a Rogue, his expertise lies in stealth and tactical strikes. If you don’t have a wizard, making him an Arcane Trickster might be great.
Having a stealthy character with high charisma using transmutation and mage hands is extremely helpful.
Find Astarion to the West of the Crashed Nautiloid, calling for help. Engage in a conversation and make decisions that lead to his recruitment.
Gale
Class: Wizard
Species: Human
Background: Sage
Skills: Arcana, History, Investigation, Insight, Persuasion
Gale is a knowledgeable and cheerful wizard. As such, he has access to a significant number of impressive spells for combat and exploration.
His magical abilities can greatly influence battles, and his knowledge of the Arcane is always welcome.
Gale can be found in the Roadside Cliffs area, stuck within a magical portal. Help him out of there to trigger events that result in his agreement to join your team.
It won’t take long before you realize that Gale is no ordinary wizard. His story is very peculiar, and he can be an expensive team member to keep around.
Halsin
Class: Druid
Species: Wood Elf
Background: None
Halsin is a powerful druid leader dedicated to justice and nature. He possesses healing and nature-based magic.
You’ll rescue Halsin from the Worg Pens at the Goblin Camp by completing quests and overcoming goblin leaders. After these accomplishments, he’ll be ready to join forces with you.
However, he will only join your party once you help him get rid of the shadow curse.
Halsin holds the title of First-Druid of Emerald Grove, and rescuing him constitutes one of the numerous actions you can take to save the Tiefling Refugees in that region.
Jaheira
Class: Fighter/Druid
Species: Half-Elf
Jaheira, a multiclass companion skilled in both fighting and druidic magic, adds versatility to your party. She is a returning character from both Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2.
You’ll find her at the Last Light Inn in the Shadow Cursed Lands area during Act 2.
To recruit Jaheira fully, proceed through Act 2, and she will naturally become a part of your camp as the story unfolds.
This is the first and only original multiclass companion character in Baldur’s Gate 3. She is probably that way to show you that you can do that to other characters as well, in case you haven’t at this point.
Karlach
Class: Barbarian
Species: Zariel Tiefling
Background: Outlander
Skills: Athletics, Perception, Survival, Intimidation
Karlach is an ever-burning, vengeance-seeking barbarian who craves friendship and justice. Her skills revolve around dealing and withstanding damage.
Depending on the kind of Rage you choose for her, Karlach can also serve as a very sturdy tank for your party.
To recruit Karlach, you must first find her. Just follow the marks on the map to complete the quest related to her and Wyll, and you will meet her at some point.
Wyll will be very tempted to end Karlach’s life since he thinks she’s a devil, but you need to convince him to spare her in order to send her to your camp.
If you intend to keep Karlach in your party, you might as well learn where to find Infernal Iron to advance her storyline.
Lae’Zel
Class: Fighter
Species: Githyanki
Background: Soldier
Skills: Athletics, Acrobatics, Survival, Intimidation
Your Fighter companion, a Githyanki woman called Lae’Zel, is a pragmatic warrior with a short temper and overwhelming bluntness. As a Fighter, she is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
Her proficiency in melee combat makes her a valuable damage dealer, especially past level 5. Encounter Lae’Zel on board the Nautiloid initially, and later, find her captured by Tieflings northeast of the Roadside Cliffs waypoint.
Decide how to deal with the situation to secure her loyalty.
Lae’Zel has a neverending hatred for the Ilithid, and if you want to keep her approval, you must act accordingly.
Minthara
Class: Paladin
Species: Drow
Skills: Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Persuasion, Religion
Minthara, a mysterious and potentially malevolent paladin, adds a unique dynamic to your party.
Your alignment and choices during the Goblin attack storyline impact her availability.
Encountering Minthara in the Shattered Sanctum within the Goblin Camp triggers a series of decisions determining whether she becomes an ally or an enemy.
This character has the potential to cause harm to others. It could lead to various issues if your mindset doesn’t align with hers.
Think twice before deciding to keep her around.
Minsc
Class: Ranger
Species: Human
Minsc, a returning character cherished by Baldur’s Gate fans, contributes his ranger skills to the team.
His entrance takes place during Act 3 and is linked to a quest involving Jaheira.
Through interactions with bankers in the Lower City of Baldur’s Gate and navigating the Sewers, you’ll eventually uncover Minsc’s location.
You’ll acquire this iconic companion by following his quest and ensuring his survival.
Shadowheart
Class: Cleric of the Trickery Domain
Species: High Half-Elf
Background: Acolyte
Skills: History, Religion, Insight, Medicine
Shadowheart’s talents lie in spellcasting, focusing on illusion and manipulation magic. She excels as a ranged support character but can handle her own with a mace, too.
Locate Shadowheart in the Nautiloid, trapped in a pod. You don’t need to save her, but if you do, she will already have a good impression of your character.
Make choices that free her, and subsequently, interact with her when she appears near the Ravaged Beach crash site or other areas based on your earlier decisions
Wyll
Class: Warlock
Species: Human
Background: Folk Hero
Skills: Arcana, History, Intimidation, Persuasion
Wyll, known as “The Blade of the Frontier,” is a warlock with ties to demons, adeptly balancing swordsmanship and eldritch magic.
Encountering Wyll in the Druid’s Grove north of the Roadside Cliffs initiates a questline. Help him with his predicament to recruit him. Your actions will determine his willingness to join your party.
Although Wyll is not a Paladin, he very much behaves like one. This character has a heart of gold, and his sole purpose is to help others.
Even when being Ruthless, The Blade of Frontier only worries about the well-being of the less fortunate.
