Your companions are the heart of the game. If you manage their approval correctly and speak to them frequently at Camp, you can romance almost any of them. However, most romances must be initiated in Act 1 (specifically during the Tiefling/Goblin party).
Every dialogue choice you make in the open world affects the companions currently in your active party. If you know you are about to do something "evil" (like demanding money for saving someone), consider sending a good-aligned companion like Wyll or Karlach back to camp first so you don't lose approval.
Polyamory: The game allows you to flirt with multiple people in Act 1. However, at the beginning of Act 2, you will be forced to commit to a single partner. Halsin and Minthara are the exceptions, as they are open to polyamory depending on who your primary partner is.
2. Shadowheart (Daughter of Darkness)
How to Recruit: Free her from the pod on the Nautiloid (Prologue), or wake her up on the beach. If you leave her, she can be found banging on the door of the Dank Crypt.
👍 How to gain approval:
She respects privacy and manipulation. She likes when you use deception/persuasion instead of violence, when you show kindness to animals (especially Scratch the dog), and when you agree with her worship of Shar.
❤️ Romance Triggers:
- Act 1: At the camp party, invite her to share a drink. You will go to a cliffside to drink wine. Pass a persuasion/insight check to kiss her.
- Act 2: Crucial Turning Point. In the Gauntlet of Shar, do NOT force her to spare the Nightsong. If your approval is high, trust her to make her own choice. She will throw the spear away.
- Act 3: If she abandoned Shar, she will invite you for a skinny-dipping swim in the Lower City. If she embraced Shar, her romance takes a much darker, cult-focused path.
3. Astarion (The Pale Elf)
How to Recruit: Found on the dirt path just past the crashed Nautiloid in the starting area.
👍 How to gain approval:
He thrives on chaos, selfishness, and mocking people. He likes when you ask for money in exchange for helping NPCs, when you make cruel jokes, and when you support his vampiric nature.
❤️ Romance Triggers:
- Act 1: During a long rest, you will wake up to him trying to bite you. Allow him to drink your blood (but stop him before he kills you). At the party, offer your neck to him again in the woods.
- Act 2: Defeat the Orthon in the Gauntlet of Shar to learn about his scars from Raphael. Hug him after the confession scene at camp.
- Act 3: Crucial Turning Point. After defeating Cazador, you must persuade him NOT to complete the Ascension ritual if you want the "good" romance ending. If he ascends, he becomes domineering and treats you as a pet.
4. Karlach (Our Fiery Friend)
How to Recruit: Found wounded near the river at the end of The Risen Road (south of the Tollhouse). You must side with her against Wyll and the "Paladins of Tyr".
👍 How to gain approval:
She is a pure hero. She likes when you stand up to bullies, protect children/tieflings, and show enthusiasm for adventure.
❤️ Romance Triggers:
- Act 1: You cannot physically touch her because her infernal engine runs too hot. Tell her you want to touch her anyway. Bring Infernal Iron to Dammon in the Druid Grove to get her first engine upgrade.
- Act 2: Find Dammon at the Last Light Inn. Give him a second piece of Infernal Iron. This cools her down enough that she can finally touch people. You will trigger her main romance scene at camp that night.
- Act 3: She will invite you on a date in the Lower City. Ending Note: To save her life at the end of the game, you (or Wyll) must volunteer to go to Avernus with her, or she must become a Mind Flayer.
5. Lae'zel (Githyanki Warrior)
How to Recruit: Free her from the wooden cage hanging near the Cathedral Ruins in Limgrave.
👍 How to gain approval:
She respects strength, ruthlessness, and Githyanki customs. Always let her speak when interacting with other Githyanki, and never show weakness or mercy to enemies.
❤️ Romance Triggers:
- Act 1: She is very straightforward. If your approval is high enough, she will simply come to you at camp and demand to sleep with you. Agree to it.
- Act 2: She will challenge you to a 1-on-1 duel at camp at night to prove your worth. Whether you win or lose, it shifts the romance from purely physical to emotional.
- Act 3: You will watch the sunrise with her in the Lower City. Her ending depends entirely on whether she remains loyal to Vlaakith or rebels to free Orpheus.
6. Gale & Wyll Overview
Gale of Waterdeep
Found stuck inside a purple rune portal on the beach. Warning: You MUST feed him 3 magical items in Act 1 when he asks, or he will permanently leave the party.
His romance begins by channeling the "Weave" together at camp in Act 1. In Act 2, you will create a magical illusion of Waterdeep together under the stars. In Act 3, discourage him from taking the Crown of Karsus to ensure a happy ending.
Wyll (The Blade of Frontiers)
Found training Tiefling children in the Druid Grove. His romance is very traditional and slow-burn.
In Act 2, he will ask you to dance with him at camp. You can kiss him here. In Act 3, you must decide whether he breaks his pact with Mizora (sacrificing his father) or condemns his soul forever. A romantic proposal happens near the endgame.
7. Halsin & Minthara
The Act 1 Choice: Traditionally, these two are mutually exclusive. Saving the Grove recruits Halsin, while raiding it recruits Minthara.
Patch 5 Update: You can now recruit Minthara on a "good" playthrough by knocking her out using non-lethal attacks in the Goblin Camp instead of killing her. She will appear later at Moonrise Towers.
🐻 Halsin Romance:
Complete his Act 2 quest (lift the Shadow Curse by defending the portal). In Act 3, he will propose an open relationship. He is totally fine with polyamory, allowing you to date him and Shadowheart/Astarion simultaneously.
🕷️ Minthara Romance:
If you raid the Grove for her, you get an exclusive romance scene at the goblin party. After rescuing her from Moonrise, she becomes extremely possessive and fiercely loyal. She demands exclusivity.
8. Jaheira & Minsc (Legacy Characters)
Jaheira (High Harper)
Found at Last Light Inn in Act 2. To recruit her: You must keep Isobel alive to prevent the inn from falling. During the assault on Moonrise Towers, ask her to join your party as a controllable companion instead of an NPC ally. She cannot be romanced.
Minsc & Boo
Found in the Counting House Vaults, and later the Sewers in Act 3. To recruit him: You MUST have Jaheira alive and in your active party. Defeat him in the sewers using Non-Lethal attacks, and persuade the Emperor to protect his mind. He cannot be romanced.
9. Camp Pets
Scratch (The Good Boy)
Found guarding his dead master's body in the forest north of the Blighted Village (Act 1). Approach him calmly, let him smell your scent, and tell him to follow you when he's ready.
Utility: If you play fetch with him at camp, you will eventually receive a "Find Familiar: Scratch" summon. He can be summoned in combat to Help downed allies from across the map!
The Owlbear Cub
First encountered in the Owlbear Cave. Kill the mother but spare the cub. Later, you will find the cub captured at the Goblin Camp. Play the "chicken chasing" game or persuade the goblins to let him go.
Utility: After several camp events where he gains your trust (and makes friends with Scratch), he will stay permanently. In Act 3, he becomes an armored summonable ally for the final battle.
10. Withers' Hirelings
What are they? For 100 gold, Withers can resurrect soulless husks of past heroes to join your party. They act exactly like custom characters and can be fully respecced into any class.
💡 Pro-Tip: The "Camp Buffer" Exploit
You do not need to take hirelings into battle to benefit from them. Hire a Cleric (like Brinna Brightsong), level her up, and cast "Until Long Rest" buffs on your active party members (like Warding Bond, Aid, Death Ward, Longstrider). Then, dismiss her from your active party and leave her at camp. You keep all the buffs permanently, and you don't waste any spell slots on your main characters!
💬 Community Strategies & Discussion
Did you find a hidden chest? Struggling with a boss? Share your tips and questions with other mercenaries below!