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On top of letting you experiment with multiple class, subclass, and multiclass combinations for your main character (Tav), Baldur’s Gate 3 also lets you tinker with the skill sets of companions so you can build the cultist-slaying party of your dreams. The game reminds you all the time, through character screens, that you should be building a balanced team. The most fun way to do this is to invite companions to join you.
There are currently 10 available companions in Baldur’s Gate 3 for you to add to your party. Here are all the companions you can invite on your adventure:
- Lae’Zel (Githyanki Fighter)
- Shadowheart (High Half-Elf Cleric)
- Gale (Human Wizard)
- Astarion (High Elf Rogue)
- Wyll (Human Warlock)
- Karlach (Tiefling Barbarian)
- Halsin (Wood Elf Druid)
- Minthara (Drow Paladin)
- Minsc (Human Ranger)
- Jaheira (Half-Elf Druid)
Editor’s Note: As of recent patch notes in August 2023, you can no longer recruit both Halsin and Minthara in the same playthrough.
How to find and recruit Lae’Zel
Lae’Zel is the easiest companion to find because she finds you before you find her. After you wake up on the Nautiloid ship, simply walk outside. Lae’Zel will then appear and threaten to kill you because she believes you’ve been infected by the mind flayer parasite and are now transforming. You don’t have to do anything at this point. The connection that the parasite makes between the two of you clues her in that you aren’t a mind fayer thrall.
Lae’Zel will offer to fight alongside you. She will also give you your first quest: finding the helm and landing the Nautiloid ship. You will be separated from her after the crash, but you’ll find her outside the crash site again at X:238, Y:371 which is on the path to the Emerald Grove. You can either convince the Tieflings to leave her to you or fight them. Afterward, just shoot open the bottom of Lae’Zel’s cage to free her. Next, start a conversation to invite her to your party.
How to find and recruit Shadowheart
You will also meet Shadowheart on the Nautiloid ship while you are headed towards the helm. If you choose to free her while you’re on the ship, she can join your party right away. But if you didn’t free her, don’t worry. You’ll find her after the crash. She will be at the ravaged Beach, standing outside a pair of closed doors.
Shadowheart will be pissed that you didn’t save her, but you can easily calm her down and remind her that you two really don’t have a choice but to stick together for now. She will join your party at this point.
A note about Shadowheart and Lae’Zel: Early in the game, Lae’Zel and Shadowheart will not get along. They naturally do not trust each other because of their prejudices. During one of your early nights at camp, Shadowheart will try to kill Lae’Zel in her sleep. You can convince them both to back off. Later on, their relationship improves.
How to find and recruit Gale
Gale is the first companion you’ll meet that you can fail to recruit. You will find Gale at X:224, Y:326, or, more accurately, his arm. Gale is stuck in a portal on the Ravaged Beach, and saving him will involve either a Strength or magic-related check (this depends on your class and race). We recommend using a spellcaster or high-Strength character to start the conversation with Gale.
If you fail to free Gale from the portal, you will end up ripping his arm off. Gale’s arm can be stored in your inventory, but you won’t be able to add him to your party at this point.
If you succeed and add Gale to your party, you now have a glass canon with an expensive habit on your hands. Gale needs to eat magical items for reasons we won’t go into because it’s a spoiler. But do keep that in mind as you make your decisions.
How to find and recruit Astarion
You can find Astarion at X:170, Y:287 just southwest of the Roadside Cliffs and to the west of the Overgrown Ruins. Like Lae’Zel, he will be distrustful and aggressive. You will need to roll either a Strength or Dexterity check to avoid the attack he springs on you. After this, the parasite can do the rest of the talking. Astarion will join your party at this point if you invite him to.
How to find and recruit Wyll
To find Wyll, head to X: 246, Y: 422, and walk forward to the gate of the Emerald Grove. There will be goblins besieging the grove, and it’s up to you to help the druids and Tieflings stop them. Wyll is going to be there, fighting alongside the grove’s inhabitants. Defeat the goblins so that you can enter the grove along with the NPCs that were left outside.
The game will lead you to go talk to Zevlor and Kagha right away, but set that aside first and head to the sparring area in the center of the grove. Wyll is going to be there. Start a conversation with him to get him to join the party.
How to find and recruit Karlach
The companions aren’t all chummy with each other. Like Lae’Zel and Shadowheart, some of them have conflicting interests. If you recruit Wyll, you will be given a quest that marks Karlach’s location on the map. Karlach can be found at X:108, Y:516 in the far southeastern corner of the Risen Road.
We recommend helping Zevlor first. A good bit of the Grove quests are timed, and if you let Zevlor and the Tieflings die, Karlach will not trust you. In fact, if you get locked out of the quest, she has a line of dialogue where she says you personally killed the Tieflings. There will be no way to recruit her when this happens.
If you get Karlach to join your party, she will ask you to help her kill Anders and the Paladin’s of Tyr just north of where you found her.
How to find and recruit Halsin
Halsin is a capable druid, but if you want him to join your party, you’ll have to rescue him first. When you enter the grove, you’ll find out that Halsin is missing. You will get a quest to find Halsin at the goblin camp. This quest takes you through the Blighted Village, where you’ll battle your way through ambushing goblins. From the village, cross the bridge at X:-106, Y: 372. This will lead you to the goblin camp entrance.
Halsin is being held captive deep within the goblin camp. Once you get past the gates, turn right and enter the goblin-occupied Temple of Selune. Walk on the right-hand side, past the goblin priestess, and turn right. there should be a staircase in front of you. Climb up, turn left, walk the wooden bridge, turn left to the guarded room, and enter. Halsin can be found at X:400, Y:-28 in the prison cell on your right. Halsin is the bear.
How to find and recruit Minthara
Minthara and Halsin are on two opposing factions of the Emerald Grove quests. It takes a lot of maneuvering to get both Halsin and Minthara in your camp/party. If you don’t mind being made to choose between Minthara and Halsin, you can just ignore the grove and go to the goblin camp.
You will find Minthara at X:333, Y:46 in the goblin camp. There are three ways to side with Minthara or not antagonize her.
Option 1 for adding Minthara to your party
After crashing the Nautiloid, go to the goblin camp first and rescue Halsin. He will ask you to take down the goblin leaders. Tell him you’ll do it later and rush to the Mountain Pass to push the game into Act 2. This will lock you out of the grove and the rest of the grove-related quests.
Continue the quest to head to Moonrise Towers. Without spoiling too much of the story, here’s what you do: Take part in Minthara’s hearing and convince them to imprison her for now. You’re going to need a party member to cast Invisibility on Minthara so you can sneak her out.
You will find Minthara at Moonrise Towers at X:153, Y:-190.
Option 2 for adding Minthara to your party
Alternatively, you can sneak in and romance Minthara, but this must be done without fighting any goblins and before you rescue Halsin. This will give you a quest to raid the grove with Minthara.
Option 3 for adding Minthara to your party
Go to Minthara at the goblin camp without fighting any goblins. Start a conversation with her and tell her where the Emerald Grove is. She will give you a quest to infiltrate the grove and kill the druids. This will lead Minthara to your camp, but you’ll have to sleep with her to keep her from antagonizing you in the morning.
No matter which option you choose, you will have to save Minthara at Moonrise Towers.
How to find and recruit Jaheira
You will find Jaheira at X:45, Y:145 in the Shadow-Cursed Lands at the Last Light Inn during Act 2. There are three different ways to get to Jaheira. You can take the Underdark route to Moonrise Towers to meet the Harpers. They’ll take you to the inn with them. Alternatively, you can take the Mountain Pass route where you will meet Kar’niss. He will take you to Moonlight Towers, and from there, you can head north to Last Light Inn. You can also stick with Kar’niss and later betray him during the ambush by siding with the Harpers.
You will have to finish the entire assault on Moonlight Towers quest series. Before going to Ketheric Thorm, talk to Jaheira and ask her to fight Ketheric with you. She will now become a party member.
There are options that will lock you out of recruiting Jaheira. You must not let Isobel die at the Last Light Inn or kill her if you’re playing with Dark Urge. If Isobel dies in the fight against Ketheric, you’ll be fine. You also need to keep Shadowheart from killing the Nightsong.
How to find and recruit Minsc
You can find Minsc in the Lower City of Baldur’s Gate. Minsc is in the Counting House at X-98; Y-148. You will need to recruit Jaheira before recruiting Minsc. Recruiting Jaheira gives you the High Harper companion quest which will lead you to Minsc. Make sure that before you try talking to Minsc, you have Jaheira in the party.
Minsc will flee after you see each other, taking you on a chase through the sewers. There will be a fight followed by an interaction with the Emperor, where you will have to plead for Minsc’s safety. This is a really tough check, and the easiest way to do it is with Jaheira because she can convince the Emperor without having to roll.
You have to be very careful with Jaheira and Minsc. If you come to Minsc and Jaheira is dead from Act 2, he will not let you recruit him. If you kill Minsc, Jaheira will leave your party.
