In Baldur’s Gate 3, players have almost unlimited freedom to customize their character builds. Whether they’re exploring a tougher, more rewarding experience or just choosing unconventional options for fun, players can control how their party shapes up throughout the game. And as Baldur’s Gate 3 enters its second year, now is the perfect opportunity to embrace the creative possibilities of min-maxxing and multi-classing.
Larian Studios recently celebrated the second anniversary of the game with a post highlighting Baldur’s Gate 3’s rarest achievements across various categories. These achievements range from earning 100 gold for playing music to avoiding traps, giving players who unlock them serious bragging rights.
Interestingly, some achievements are not as rare as they seem. Larian also shared data on the most respecced characters in the game, with the leading character surpassing the next by several million campaigns. Respeccing characters in Baldur’s Gate 3 is fairly common, but the fact that so many players committed to the change is evidence that a percentage of the fan base believes this character experiences a disconnect from their default build. Most importantly, those changing their build might unintentionally be mirroring the character’s narrative.
Baldur's Gate 3 Players Are Seeking a 'Refreshing Change of Pace' By Killing Off Popular Companion Early
Baldur's Gate 3 players online discover that killing one popular companion early offers a 'refreshing change of pace.'
Shadowheart is the Most Respecced Character in Baldur’s Gate 3
Shadowheart is Baldur’s Gate 3’s most respecced origin character, with many players choosing to deviate from her default build. Her class was altered in an astonishing 4,890,005 campaigns. By contrast, Wyll, the second most respecced character, was only changed in 1,417,506 campaigns. So, with a difference of over 3 million, there’s a clear disconnect between the Shadowheart in players’ tadpoled minds and the character presented during level-up menus.
Why Shadowheart Might Be The Go-To For a Different Build
Early in Baldur’s Gate 3, players can alter stats, class, and abilities for any party member via Withers. Whether they regret choosing the Spellsniper feat on their Goliath Barbarian or want a fresh playstyle after Act 2, there are many reasons to tweak what is handed by default. Some players even change their companions’ builds to improve synergy within their core party for combat. Shadowheart is the perfect victim of this experimentation because of her combat shortcomings.
Shadowheart is a pretty popular companion for a variety of reasons. She’s witty, her brooding invites exploration, and she’s at a moral crossroads that defines her character. However, she’s also a notoriously bad aim during combat. She might even struggle to land some of BG3’s most basic spells and cantrips, like Firebolt or Sacred Flame. Respeccing her to make the camp cleric more efficient on the battlefield becomes almost a necessity as soon as build tweaks are available.
Making Shadowheart Better In Combat in Baldur’s Gate 3
As a gifted healer, Shadowheart has a non-negotiable place in many players’ parties. But when battle is heating up, players may want to ensure that the cleric can defend herself by addressing her issues with accuracy.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s spell hit chance depends on the probability of different outcomes based on a dice roll. Attack Rolls that Shadowheart can use are usually pulling on her Wisdom, Dexterity, or Constitution—stats she may lack if left unattended. By pooling points into enhancing her ability scores, players can start chipping away at her inaccuracy. However, this is best paired by changing her subclass entirely or picking her feats carefully. Combining these strategies will eventually lead to a respecced Shadowheart, but perhaps one that is most effective in battle.
Baldur's Gate 3's Shadowheart Has Unique Dialogue for Low Approval Romance
A Baldur's Gate 3 player accidentally stumbles on some rare Shadowheart dialogue, which only triggers if she is romanced with low approval.
Changing Shadowheart’s Origin Build May Be More Poetic than Most Players May Realize
With over 4.8 million respecs across campaigns, Shadowheart holds the title of Baldur’s Gate 3’s most reworked companion. Some of that comes down to spell accuracy, subclass preference, or making the best party composition in Baldur’s Gate 3. But for many players, tweaking her build feels like more than just strategy. It feels like proper character development.
More than any other origin character, Shadowheart feels built for change. From the moment she steps out of her pod, everything about her is shrouded in secrecy, doubt, and internal conflict. Even during the early stages of Shadowheart’s romance, a player can sense some hesitation that’s almost pre-woven into her DNA. Players pick up on that immediately, and it’s no surprise they often take her back to the drawing board, sometimes as soon as possible.
Her Story Practically Begs for a Respec
Shadowheart is a character in constant flux. Caught between her loyalty to Shar and the call of Selune, she spends most of the game questioning everything she’s ever known. This doubt is aggravated by the fact that she barely remembers her past. Caught between Baldur’s Gate 3’s gods, she carries religious trauma that she’s unwilling to question at first. She’s secretive, defensive, and deeply conditioned, but she’s also capable of radical change after she trusts Tav/Durge. That internal conflict maps perfectly onto the idea of a respec.
Players are not only fixing her unimpressive hostile spell casting, but also guiding her toward her true potential. This might involve switching from the Trickery Domain subclass to the Death Domain cleric subclass or reallocating her Wisdom stat to improve her combat effectiveness. Every adjustment represents a move away from her original instructions and a move toward her own chosen path. That kind of mechanical storytelling isn’t just satisfying, it’s poetic.
Baldur's Gate 3
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.
THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCE
Choose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.
A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPIC
Forged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian's next-generation RPG engine.
- Genre(s)
- RPG
