I’ve spent dozens of hours with Baldur’s Gate 3 and I want to walk you through Zethino’s Love Test at the Circus of the Last Days — the part that forces you to prove you actually know your companion. I’ll be blunt: if you rush dialogue, this won’t work the way you expect.
🌿 Who Zethino Is and Where to Find Her
Zethino is a dryad who runs the Love Test in the circus at Rivington, just outside Baldur’s Gate. She’s easy to spot: a tent with bright colors and a faint, otherworldly glow. Bring the companion you want to test — you pay 100 gold to start, then she pulls you into a pocket dimension full of floating flowers and soft light for the three questions.
đź’• How the Test Works and Why It Matters
The test asks three questions about your companion’s feelings, fears, or favorite things. Each answer shows whether you’ve been paying attention to that character’s story. I’ve noticed the game rewards real knowledge: correct answers give strong approval, which can unlock romances or companion quests. The Mood Ring you get if you ace it changes color with approval and mood — it’s more than window dressing.
| Reward | Effect |
|---|---|
| Companion Approval | +5 to +10 approval points |
| Mood Ring | Reflects emotional state |
| Achievement Credit | Counts toward relationship milestones |
Quick tip: don’t switch companions once the dialogue starts (you can’t). Also, this doesn’t always work the same across saves — depends on your choices and timing.
🎠Answers That Actually Work (Short Guide)
Each companion’s questions reflect their personal arc. Below I list the typical right choices — but there are exceptions depending on your playthrough and story beats.
- Shadowheart — Fear: being let down by those she trusts. Desire: to be valued for who she is. Peace: night orchids.
- Gale — Pride: command of the Weave or magical prowess. Wants: forgiveness, to be seen as more than mistakes. Favorite study: Netherese magic or “The Art of the Night.”
- Lae’zel — Strength: loyalty and discipline. Fear: failing her people. Goal: rising to a knight of Vlaakith (dragon riding stuff).
Surprisingly, a wrong answer often stings more if you’ve spent time building rapport. Why? Because the game expects your time to matter; it’s a test of empathy as much as trivia.
🗡️ What Happens If You Fail
If you fail, your companion shows disappointment and you lose that approval opportunity. There’s no in-game redo for the same companion — you’ll need to reload a save or try again on a new run. That’s intentional: it makes the choice weighty. To recover: focus on companion quests, camp interactions, and dialogue to rebuild approval. I’ve used gifts and personal quests to patch things up (they usually work).
“If you skipped important conversations, don’t be surprised when you flub the answers.” — my own advice
By the way, you can take the test with other companions later. Each companion can only do it once.
Practical Tips and One Weird Insight
Play slowly. Read companion notes. Save before the test (yes, obvious but people forget). Watch this: some players think the test is purely cosmetic — I disagree; it affects romance and quest access. Counterintuitive insight: answering from your character’s POV sometimes helps if your character truly knows the companion better than you do as a player.
// Example quick save reminder
save_quick(); // seriously, save before you pay 100 gold
There are exceptions and edge cases (patches change behavior — as of 2025-11-25 some interactions shifted). Honestly, the test rewards attention and patience. And between us, it’s one of the most intimate, oddly human mechanics in the game.
Final honest note: some people call it a gimmick. I think it’s subtle and valuable, but yes — it can feel punitive if you treat companions like menu options. If you want approval without the risk, focus on personal quests instead; they’re more reliable.
