Larian made sure that your actions would have consequences in Baldur’s Gate 3, and some of them are permanent.

Whether they are good or bad, it depends on what you’ve decide to do, and it also depends on Larian’s writers sense of humor when coming up with their quests.

In this guide, we will explore all the permanent buffs and bonuses in Baldur’s Gate 3, what they do, and how to get them.

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Act 1

Scratch

  • Buff Type: Familiar. Scratch will often show up with a random item, and you can eventually summon him to explore and find hidden items.
  • Location: Blighted Village
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Head to the Blighted Village.
    2. Approach Scratch, a dog, and interact with him.
    3. You may use Animal Speaking, but it’s not necessary.
    4. Convince Scratch to join your camp.
    5. Take a long rest at your camp to find Scratch as your permanent companion.

Forbidden Knowledge

  • Buff Type: Saving Throws and Skill Checks bonus. Forbidden Knowledge provides a +1 bonus to Wisdom saving throws and ability checks. Quasit can be summoned as a companion.
  • Location: Blighted Village
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Enter the Apothecary building in Blighted Village.
    2. Open the hatch, move crates, and pull the lever to reveal Quasit.
    3. Use the scroll to summon Quasit, who will become your companion.
    4. Head to a mirror and answer the questions correctly to obtain Forbidden Knowledge.

Paid the Price

  • Buff Type: +1 Skill Check Bonus. You gain a +1 bonus to Intimidation checks but have disadvantage on Perception checks and attack rolls against hags.
  • Location: Riverside Tea House
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Visit the Riverside Tea House.
    2. Let Auntie Ethel take out one of your eyes (a permanent sacrifice).
    3. You will receive the Paid the Price buff.

Auntie Ethel’s Hair

  • Buff Type: +1 Stat Increase. You can choose a +1 stat increase, and you gain a summonable zombie companion.
  • Location: Riverside Tea House
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Enter Auntie Ethel’s house.
    2. Defeat Auntie Ethel and save Marina.
    3. Obtain Auntie Ethel’s hair.
    4. Speak to Marina and choose both rewards.

Absolute’s Brand & Tadpole

  • Buff Type: You gain the Absolute’s Brand, allowing you to interact with specific items.
  • Location: Goblin Camp
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Talk to True Soul Gut in the Goblin Camp.
    2. Hold out your hand and receive Absolute’s Brand.

See Invisibility

  • Buff Type: You gain the ability to see invisible creatures with the See Invisibility buff. It will also change the appearance of one of your eyes.
  • Location: Goblin Camp
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Talk to Volo in the Goblin Camp.
    2. Persuade or pay Gribble to release Volo.
    3. Let Volo perform experiments on you.

Survival Instinct

  • Buff Type: You gain the Survival Instinct, allowing you to use a bonus action instead of an action.
  • Location: Myconid Colony, Underdark
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Talk to Blurg in the Myconid Colony.
    2. Agree to help him find special mushrooms.
    3. Retrieve the mushrooms in the Arcane Tower.
    4. Return to Blurg and undergo the procedure.

Blue Al’s Benediction

  • Buff Type: Advantage on Attack Rolls Against Bleeding Targets
  • Location: Cragged Rock in the Underdark
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Travel to the Underdark and reach Cragged Rock.
    2. Speak to the githyanki crash survivor.
    3. Choose a companion to sacrifice and defeat them.
    4. After the sacrifice, you’ll receive the buff.

Awakened Illithid Powers

  • Buff Type: Bonus Action instead of an Action
  • Location: Mountain Pass Infirmary
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Speak to the injured githyanki crash survivor in the Mountain Pass Infirmary.
    2. Choose a character to undergo the procedure.
  • Benefits: The character you choose gains awakened illithid powers, allowing them to use a bonus action instead of an action.

Act 2

Arabella’s Shadow Entangle

  • Buff Type: Gain the ability to cast Entangle on an undead or shadow creature
  • Location: Shadow-Cursed Lands
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Complete the Save Arabella quest during Act 1.
    2. Tell Arabella that her parents are dead when you meet her near the House of Healing in the Shadow-Cursed lands.

Awakened

  • Buff Type: Use all Illithid abilities as Bonus Actions
  • Location: Githyanki Infirmary
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Blow up Zaith’Isk in the githyanki infirmary by passing the necessary checks.

Potion of Everlasting Vigour

  • Buff Type: Gain +2 Strength
  • Location: Moonrise Towers
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Agree to give Araj Oblodra your blood.
    2. Force Astarion to bite her afterward in Moonrise Towers.

Githzerai Mind Barrier

  • Buff Type: Gain advantage on Intelligence saving throws
  • Location: Mind Flayer Colony
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Solve the puzzle in the Mind Flayer Colony.
    2. Insert the Waking Mind jar into the Mind-Archive Interface and purge Slack-Skinned Head’s mind.

Act 3

Danse Macabre

  • Buff Type: Summon 4 Ghouls as allies
  • Location: Ramazith’s Tower
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Obtain and read the Tharchiate Codex by solving a puzzle in Ramazith’s Tower.
    2. Succeed in the result saving throw.
    3. Reread the Necromancy of Thay from Act 1.

Mirror of Loss

  • Buff Type: +2 to Ability Score of your choice.
  • Location: House of Grief
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Pray to the Mirror of Loss in the House of Grief (Religion Check).
    2. Either sacrifice the knowledge of The Necromancy of Thay or one of three ability scores (CHA, CON, WIS) resulting in a -2 debuff for that ability score (The debuff can be removed by using Remove Curse from the Cleric spell list).

Monk’s Hideous Laughter

  • Buff Type: Tasha’s Hideous Laughter can be cast once per long rest
  • Location: Open Hand Temple
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Complete “Help the Cursed Monk” quest by bringing his amulet from the Grymforge to the Open Hand Temple.
    2. Complete the quest by accepting the curse of the Monk to obtain the ability.

Partial Ceremorphosis

  • Buff Type: Unlock Tier 3 Illithid powers (And all tier 1 powers)
  • Location: Emporer
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Consume the Astral-Touched Tadpole from the Emporer.

The Tharchiate Codex: Blessing

  • Buff Type: Gain additional HP once per long rest
  • Location: Ramazith’s Tower
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Read The Tharchiate Codex to obtain it.
    2. Works with Danse Macabre.

Unstable Blood

  • Buff Type: Player character’s blood becomes flammable. Explodes when it comes into contact with fire
  • Location: Moonrise Towers
  • How to Obtain:
    1. Allow Araj Oblodra to take your blood in Moonrise Towers during Act 2.
    2. Allow her to take your blood again near the Blushing Mermaid during Act 3.
    3. Finally, drink the potion she gives you.

Best Bonuses and Ones to Avoid

  • Best Bonuses:
    1. Scratch (Act 1): Familiar that helps you find hidden items.
    2. Forbidden Knowledge (Act 1): +1 bonus to Wisdom saving throws and ability checks.
    3. Awakened Illithid Powers (Act 1): Bonus action instead of an action.
    4. Blue Al’s Benediction (Act 1): Advantage on attack rolls against bleeding targets.
    5. Potion of Everlasting Vigor (Act 2): Gain +2 Strength.
    6. Githzerai Mind Barrier (Act 2): Gain advantage on Intelligence saving throws.
    7. Danse Macabre (Act 3): Summon 4 Ghouls as allies.
    8. Mirror of Loss (Act 3): +2 to an Ability Score of your choice.
  • Ones to Avoid:
    1. Paid the Price (Act 1): Disadvantage on Perception checks and attack rolls against hags.
    2. Unstable Blood (Act 3): Player character’s blood becomes flammable, causing explosions when exposed to fire.

Please note that some buffs may come with role-playing consequences or sacrifices, so choose wisely based on your character’s build and story choices.

Keep an eye out for these permanent buffs as they can greatly impact your gameplay in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Choose your permanent buffs wisely to maximize your advantage and minimize any negative consequences.

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