I’ve played Baldur’s Gate 3 enough to know where the companions hide, what they want, and how they’ll fit into your party. I’ll tell you where to find them in Act 1, how recruitment can break or open later options, and what approval and romance really demand (honestly — patience matters). This is practical advice from someone who’s replayed the game a lot; by the way, I prefer stories over pure min-maxing, but I’ll give both angles.
Quick question: do you want every companion or a party that actually works? The answer changes how you approach early choices. There are exceptions and windows that close fast, so move deliberately.
🎠Act 1: Where to Find Origin Companions
The first act drops most Origin companions into the opening zones. Some appear automatically, some need persuasion, and a few must be rescued. Below is a tight table you can skim before you explore (I’ve marked requirements and coordinates you’ll actually use).
| Companion | Location | Coords | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadowheart | Nautiloid / Beach | X:175 Y:265 | Automatic encounter |
| Astarion | Ravaged Beach | X:190 Y:280 | Dialogue or combat |
| Gale | Roadside Waypoint | X:225 Y:325 | Pull him from portal |
| Wyll | Druid Grove | X:200 Y:415 | Help defend grove |
| Lae’zel | North of Roadside | X:240 Y:370 | Free from tieflings |
| Karlach | Risen Road | X:110 Y:505 | Complete “Hunt the Devil” |
Short tip: explore before key quest steps. Some companions vanish after certain choices. You’ve been warned.
⚔️ Non-Origin Companions: Halsin, Jaheira, Minsc
Halsin shows up tied to the Grove storyline. Rescue him early and follow the chain; his full return often completes by Act 2. Jaheira comes in Act 2 at Last Light Inn (keep her alive; that’s non-negotiable if you want later outcomes). Minsc’s availability ties to Jaheira surviving — yes, it’s old-school continuity and it matters if you care about legacy characters.
- Save Halsin (Act 1) → complete grove arc
- Meet Jaheira (Act 2) → keep her alive at Moonrise
- Find Minsc (Act 3) → often requires Jaheira present
There are exceptions and glitches people exploit (I won’t list them all — depends on your niche), but that’s the normal path.
đź“Š Approval and Romance: The Real Mechanics
The game tracks approval with a number that goes up or down based on actions and dialogue. Why? Because developers want choices to matter; that’s why approval gates some scenes and romances. Maintain high approval to unlock intimate moments and major story beats. Shadowheart’s romance is slow and requires repeated positive interactions; Lae’zel responds to bold, direct choices.
Approval levels (rough ranges):
- Very Low: -40 to -20
- Low: -19 to -1
- Neutral: 0 to 19
- Medium: 20 to 39
- High: 40 to 59
- Very High: 60+
Honestly, romance isn’t just a checklist. It’s about timing, tone, and the right choices at key moments. This doesn’t always work if you rush or go for shock value.
🗺️ Timeline & Missables
Missable companions are the part that frustrates new players. If you side with the goblins and raid the grove, you’ll lose Wyll, Karlach, and Halsin. Defend the grove and Minthara’s normal recruit path disappears. Jaheira can die in Act 2 combat. Minsc needs Jaheira alive — that chain is fragile.
Missable checklist (keep this near your map):
- Wyll — lost if grove is raided
- Karlach — lost if killed or grove raided
- Halsin — lost if not rescued before Act 2
- Minthara — lost if you defend the grove
- Jaheira — can die in combat (Act 2)
- Minsc — usually requires Jaheira alive
Watch this: recruit Karlach before the Mountain Pass or you might lock her out. I’ve seen players miss her because they rushed the main quest on the wrong day (yes, small timing matters!).
🎲 Building a Working Party
Different teams excel for different reasons. A balanced setup gives safety. A caster spam party can steamroll, and martial parties can be brutally consistent. Why pick one over another? Because enemy types and your playstyle demand it — and because some companions bring unique skills beyond combat (stealth, lockpicking, social checks).
“Pick characters who cover skills you can’t do — that’s more valuable than min-maxing single-target DPS.” — practical advice
Recommended templates (simple):
- Balanced: Tank (Lae’zel or Karlach), Healer (Shadowheart), Caster (Gale), Utility (Astarion or you)
- Magic-heavy: Gale, Shadowheart, Wyll, PC as hybrid
{
"party_example": ["Lae'zel","Shadowheart","Gale","Astarion"]
}One counterintuitive insight: an under-leveled rogue with good positioning often changes outcomes more than a higher-level caster in some fights. Sounds odd, but controlling the battlefield and hitting key targets early shifts how encounters play out — like knocking the first domino in a long line.
⚡ Special Conditions, Controversy, and Caveats
Controversial opinion: the approval system feels punishing at times and rewards a narrow style of play — some people love that, some don’t. I’ve noticed certain companions are easier to cheese into approval with dialogue exploits; that’s debatable and frankly annoying to purists!
There are exceptions: exploits and mods can change everything (depends on your platform and ethics). Also, patches in 2025 adjusted minor fixes to companion scripts (as of 14 June 2025 most major issues were stable). Verify your current patch before relying on sequence-specific tips.
Oddly enough, choosing companions for story beats often makes combat easier, because their personal quests open tools you wouldn’t otherwise have. It’s like hiring specialists on a film set — they bring gear you didn’t think you needed.
Between us: don’t stress every choice. You can replay. But if you care about certain NPCs, save often and keep multiple quicksaves. That habit saved me more than once.
Final notes (short)
Explore, rescue, and watch timelines. Be ready to make tough choices; they change who you travel with. If you want help building a party for a specific playstyle, tell me which classes you like and I’ll sketch one fast. Seriously — ask me.
— A player who’s replayed BG3 many times (and who still cries at some companion scenes).
