Baldur's Gate 3: Karlach Romance Guide (All Acts) (2024)

Alex Ney

Find Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3

Karlach, unlike some companions like Shadowheart, cannot be easily approached and recruited in the game world. It's easiest to speak with Karlach during two specific quests. Otherwise, a successful persuasion roll is necessary to gain her full attention, which can also fail.

To recruit Karlach more easily, choose one of these options:

• In Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3, recruit the warlock Wyll. He tells you he's hunting a devil (Karlach), starting a related side quest leading to her.
• In Act 1, go to the Toll House. There you'll find Tyr's Paladins, who also mention hunting a devil. Karlach's exact position will then be marked on the map.

Karlach is in the wilderness, southeast of the Stiegstraße (directly south of the Toll House), as shown in the screenshot below.

To recruit Karlach, agree to help her fight the Paladins of Tyr. Despite what the paladins say, Karlach is neither a devil nor the monster described.

Romancing Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3

To successfully romance Karlach, understand her nature. Despite her tough barbarian demeanor, she has a "good heart." Every romance in Baldur's Gate 3 depends on the targeted character's approval, won through actions and words matching their personal stance. As a dark-natured rogue, winning the heart of a contrary character like Karlach is challenging.

Although Karlach is righteous and endorses heroic or "good" deeds, some decisions she favors may conflict with other group members' views, particularly Lae'zel and Shadowheart.

Gain Karlach's approval through:

• Heroism, i.e., heroic actions.
• "Good deeds." Karlach appreciates non-violent conflict resolution and thoughtful dialogue.
• Openness and expressed love for life, as Karlach escaped the Hells.
• Sincerity and openness in emotional matters, including your developing romance.

Gain Karlach's disapproval by:

• Supporting goblins.
• Behaving rudely or repulsively.
• Acting cowardly.
• Spreading negativity.
• How to Gain Additional Approval from Karlach.

How to Get Additional Consent

Treat Karlach like a real-life partner: engage with her interests. Opportunities in dialogues with Karlach to learn more about her lead to points in later conversations.

If you mess up a response, remember that Baldur’s Gate 3 has quick save and load functions (F5 to save, F8 to load). Mistakes during intimate moments with Karlach are more forgivable than in "sober" situations.

Romance with Karlach in Act 1

Karlach is among the easier characters to bond with. She is not overly complex, secretive, or mysterious. Karlach is marked by the fact that anyone touching her burns, as her body temperature is like a furnace. This adds a dramatic element to the relationship, making the romance with the Tiefling barbarian worth playing.

Start a Romance with Karlach

In the full version of Baldur’s Gate 3, unlike in the Early Access, you can begin a romance with Karlach before the "Save the Refugees" quest. Romance options appear in dialogues during rests and travels.

To advance the romance with Karlach, pursue her personal quest. Find Infernal Iron and bring it to the Tiefling Dammon. You can then speak with Karlach in the camp and suggest a solution to her "fire problem." Use a spell, action, or object that produces ice or water on Karlach.

Cool me Down, Please

To initiate this, you need to find Infernal Iron and bring it to the Tiefling Dammon. After that, you can talk to Karlach at the camp and suggest that you might have a solution to her "fire problem." Use a spell, action, or an item that generates ice or water on Karlach. This could be as simple as using a water barrel or similar item.

Afterward, cleverly test the result with a kiss. Keep in mind that at this point, the romance between you and Karlach hasn't officially begun. However, this "test" might impact potential romances with other companions, so be cautious with your kisses!

To officially start a relationship with Karlach, express a desire to spend more time with her. In the dialogue, it's important to indicate that you're willing to endure any pain or burns when it comes to touching Karlach.

Then, go to your bedroll and interact with it. You have the option to go to bed alone or think about Karlach. Choosing the latter, you spend a moment with her in your sleeping area. Although issues arise, reaffirm your decision to start a relationship with her to solidify things.

Successful Responses in Act 1

Here are some examples of successful responses with Karlach:

• "I want to talk about the Infernal Machine."
• "You've received your second upgrade. How does that feel?"
• "I've never been so excited about anything in my life."
• "Yes, of course. Nothing would make me happier."

Once you've brought Dammon enough Infernal items, he can eventually cause Karlach to touch others relatively safely. After that, all you have to do is rest in the camp to trigger the next intimate moment with Karlach, in which things "get down to business" quite properly.

Be mindful in your conversation with Dammon about Karlach's important condition update. Generally, you can be as open and honest in Act 2 as at the beginning of the relationship without fearing negative consequences.

Successful Responses in Act 2

• "Let's take things slowly." Or: "Believe me, I can take care of myself. And you."
• "What did you have in mind?"
• "I belong to you, Karlach."
• "I thought you'd never ask."

If you wish to delay the upcoming intimate scene, you can choose a different path:

• "I like you, Karlach, but I don’t think I want to sleep with you."
• "I want to be close to you, but I’m not ready to go all the way."
• "That sounds perfect."

Romance with Karlach in Act 3

Once you arrive in the Undercity of Baldur’s Gate, you can speak with Karlach again in the camp, given her approval is high enough. Your conversation will end with a date in the city, which you should accept. During the date, respond to Karlach's questions kindly and courteously.

After choosing a dish and a drink, Karlach will ask about your life as an adventurer. Any response option here is fine. Then, ask Karlach any question about herself. Continue this way until Karlach invites you upstairs. Depending on your choices in Act 2, this may lead to another intimate scene.

After returning to the camp, another conversation follows with no significant consequences. This scene concludes the romance, at least regarding available romantic scenes in the game.

Successful Responses in Act 3

1. "Thank you, you too."
2. "After you." (Intimate scene) Or: "I’d like to go upstairs with you, but I want to say that I don’t want to sleep with you."

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After graduating from high school, I initially wanted to study instrumental music. However, eventually I pursued a career as a video game journalist, which I started at the prestigious Ehapa-Verlag publisher, among others. Today, I share my extensive video game expertise with Guided. I benefit from over 40 years of experience with PC and console games, as well as my work in game development for the indie studio Knights of Bytes. I understand how video games work, and I also know how to convey my knowledge in an understandable manner.

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