How to Save Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3

Shadowheart is one of the earliest companion characters you can get in Baldur's Gate 3. However, she is also very easy to miss or even outright kill off if you don't know what you're doing. Thankfully, saving her isn't all that difficult if you do, and any character regardless of race or class can pull it off. Here's how to save Shadowheart in BG3.

Rescue the Illithid's Captive Quest Guide (BG3)

When you begin Baldur's Gate 3, after creating your main character you'll find yourself aboard a crashed mind flayer ship. Due to the crash, you're free to roam the ship, on which you'll encounter many dead and a few surviving NPCs, none of which are responsive (save for two). One of these two is Shadowheart, who is trapped in her test tube, frantically begging for assistance. She is unable to open it from the inside, so when she sees you, she does everything she can to get your attention.

Mind flayer tubes are incredibly durable, and no amount of magic or steel can shatter one this early in the game. Attempting to pry it open is also a futile endeavor, and when you ask Shadowheart about it, she insists there's a way to set her free. You need a type of key, and this key is found in the room east of Shadowheart (X:61 Y:359).

Related: What are Wares in Baldur’s Gate 3?

You'll know you're in the right place if you see a singular mindflayer tube in the center of a room. The man inside is alive but unresponsive; behind him is the key you're searching for. Conveniently, you're given the opportunity to test it out.

When attempting to free the man from his shackles, the key instead turns him into a freshly born mind flayer in the blink of an eye. This is where the game attempts to scare you, implying if you use the key on Shadowheart's tube, she will be met with the same fate. However, this is not the case, because Shadowheart's tube is fundamentally different from the other tubes, and with the proper skill check, you learn this through in-game narration. If you didn't though, rest easy knowing it is safe to use the key on Shadowheart's tube. Doing so will free her, thus saving her in the process.

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