Baldur's Gate 3 lets you build relationships with most of the people traveling alongside you, and a handful of characters outside the party offer one-night encounters too. Of the ten companions you can recruit, eight can be romanced through full story arcs. The rest of the love interests are short, optional scenes that you can stumble into during the journey across Faerûn.
Full companion romances and their requirements
Most companion romances build through camp conversations and dialogue choices that raise or lower approval. Talk to your companions after major story beats, pick options that match their values, and a romantic path opens once approval is high enough. Two of the eight, Halsin and Minthara, carry extra story conditions before they become available at all.
| Companion | Class / role | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Shadowheart | Cleric | Standard approval through dialogue and camp scenes |
| Gale | Wizard | Standard approval through dialogue and camp scenes |
| Astarion | Rogue (vampire spawn) | Standard approval; arc deepens after Cazador is defeated |
| Wyll | Human Warlock | Help with his pact and Mizora; scene can trigger even without flirting |
| Lae'zel | Githyanki Fighter | Standard approval; her affection has added obstacles to clear |
| Karlach | Tiefling Barbarian | Show kindness; help the weak and stay honest |
| Halsin | Wood Elf Druid | Side with the Grove; romance starts in Act 3 |
| Minthara | Drow Paladin | Keep her alive in Act 1; romance starts in Act 2 |
Wyll's path has one quirk worth knowing. The romance scene can fire even if you never flirted with him, so some players end up committed to the Blade of Frontiers by accident. A later update made his Act 3 romance scene unskippable to stop people from locking themselves out of his ending, and the epilogue gained an extra romance option for anyone in a relationship with him.
How to romance Halsin (side with the Grove)
Halsin was not part of the original romance plans, and he only becomes available near the end of Act 2 once the Shadow Curse is lifted. The full payoff arrives in Act 3. Getting there means protecting nature and avoiding needless bloodshed across the early game.
Step 1: Side with the Grove in Act 1 and save the Tieflings. Keep making choices that spare innocents and respect life, since cruelty and pointless violence lower his approval.
Step 2: Win the hide-and-seek game with Oliver, then interact with Art Cullagh to begin his quest and tell Halsin what you learned. If Art dies, Speak with Dead can still pull the information you need.
Step 3: Travel to the House of Healing, defeat Malus Thorm, and take the Battered Lute. Play it next to the Flaming Fist to wake the spirit and reveal Thaniel's location.
Step 4: Defend Halsin from waves of enemies while he frees Thaniel from the portal. Afterward, talk to Oliver and beat him in battle to reunite him with Thaniel, which heals one half of the Shadow Curse. The other half lifts once Ketheric Thorm falls.
With those steps done and his approval high, Halsin approaches you for an intimate evening in Act 3. He supports a polyamorous relationship with some of the Origin characters, though not every romanceable companion accepts that arrangement.
How to romance Minthara (keep her alive)
Minthara is the most conditional romance in the game. You first meet her at the Goblin Camp, and many players kill her there while defending the Grove. To romance her, she has to survive that encounter.
Step 1: Decide how to keep her alive. The evil route is to side with her and raid the Grove, which unlocks an early saucy moment but locks out three other companions. The non-evil route is to knock her out with non-lethal attacks, then clear the rest of the goblins and save the refugees at the Grove.
Step 2: Rescue her at Moonrise Towers in Act 2. Head to the prison holding the Tieflings and Gnomes, find the room where two guards are torturing her, and use ability checks to intervene. Then either fight your way out through the docks or throw an invisibility potion at her and walk out.
Step 3: Continue into Act 3, where her romance officially begins. Her arc has the least content of any companion, but the story beats around her still land.
One-time encounters across the campaign
Beyond the eight companion arcs, several characters offer a single scene with no ongoing relationship. These range from a mind flayer's proposition to paid encounters at Sharess' Caress. Some carry consequences for your active romance, and others pass without any fallout.
| Encounter | Where / when | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| The Emperor | Dream sequence, end of Act 2 into Act 3 | Complete the Visit the Emperor's Old Hideout quest and trigger a long rest; companions forget it happened |
| Mizora | Act 3 | Requires Wyll as a companion and saving Mizora in Act 2; reactions vary, and Karlach can get upset |
| Haarlep | House of Hope, Raphael's boudoir | Accept the deal to get the Orphic hammer key; the incubus then borrows your likeness later |
| Naoise Nallinto | Sharess' Caress, mid Act 3 | Wood Elf Courtesan; the scene plays out entirely in your head with no negative fallout |
| Sorn Orlith & Nym | Sharess' Caress | Drow Twins; 500 gold for one or 1,000 for both, with no strings attached |
The Emperor's scene comes after you side with him against the Githyanki and learn his true identity. To reach his old hideout, clear the rats in the Elfsong Tavern kitchen basement, pass the perception checks for hidden buttons, and you may also fight Githyanki soldiers depending on earlier choices. The hideout holds the Cerebral Citadel Armour, Cerebral Citadel Gloves, and the Sword of the Emperor.
Haarlep's encounter has the most weight attached. Turning the incubus down starts a fight against it and a swarm of imps, while accepting requires several rolls to avoid being overpowered and can create awkward moments later. The Drow Twins can fold Shadowheart into the scene depending on your romance status, and Astarion or Halsin may join in too, but Lae'zel in particular will not be pleased.
The Dark Urge's unique Act 2 romance scene
Playing as the Dark Urge unlocks a romance moment no other origin can reach. Late in Act 2, your butler Sceleritas Fel pushes you to kill the Cleric at Last Light Inn. Refusing that task and sparing the inn sets up the scene.
When the blood the Urges demand is not spilled, Sceleritas warns that you will murder your partner in your sleep. You can either give in and kill them, or leave it to fate through saving throws. If your beloved survives, they tie you up to keep everyone safe and stay with you through the night, offering comfort until you regain control. The exact lines change with your chosen partner, but the core is the same across every version. The scene does not trigger if you are romancing the Emperor or Halsin, since those arcs are not far enough along at that point.
How to tell a romance is on track
You will know a companion path is working when the camp conversation shifts into clear flirtation and an invitation follows a major story beat. Full romances confirm themselves with a dedicated scene, and several extend into the Act 3 epilogue. For the conditional romances, the signs are concrete. Halsin only approaches you in Act 3 after the Shadow Curse is fully lifted, and Minthara's arc opens once she is alive and rescued going into Act 3.
The most common reasons a romance never starts are low approval, killing the character early, or making choices that conflict with their values. Minthara and Halsin fail most often because their Act 1 and Act 2 requirements were missed, and Mizora's scene simply will not appear without Wyll in the party and saved from her grasp in Act 2.