Baldur’s Gate 3: A Complete Guide to Recruiting Every Companion and Follower

The heart and soul of any Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough is the rich and diverse cast of characters you gather on your journey. From the complex, fully playable Origin companions with their own deep personal stories to a host of other allies, temporary followers, and even lovable camp pets, the friends (and foes) you make along the way are what make each adventure unique. With over 25 potential characters to recruit, it can be easy to miss someone on your travels.

This guide is your ultimate, comprehensive resource for finding and recruiting every possible companion and follower in the game. We have organized all the characters by their role in your party—from the core Origin team to the late-game additions and special followers—to ensure you can build your perfect adventuring party and don’t miss a single story on your quest to save Baldur’s Gate.

The Core Companions (Origin Characters)

These six characters form the core of your potential party. They can all be recruited early in Act One, shortly after the prologue. Each of them can also be chosen as your player character for a unique playthrough experience.

Astarion, the Pale Elf

• Recruitment: Astarion can be found on a cliff path west of the crashed Nautiloid in the Wilderness (approx. X: 170, Y: 288). He will call out for help, leading to a tense first encounter. Afterwards, he can be invited to join your party.
• Role & Class: Astarion is a Rogue with incredibly high Dexterity, making him the perfect character for handling locks, disarming traps, and dealing precise damage with daggers or bows. He defaults to the Arcane Trickster subclass, adding a splash of illusion and enchantment magic to his roguish skillset.
• Personal Quest: Astarion’s quest, “The Pale Elf,” sees him grappling with his newfound freedom from a dark, abusive past. His story is a compelling journey of self-discovery, where he must decide what he is willing to do to stay free and come to terms with his vampiric nature.

Gale, the Wizard of Waterdeep

• Recruitment: Gale is found trapped in a malfunctioning waypoint sigil at the Roadside Cliffs, just north of the Nautiloid crash site (approx. X: 224, Y: 326). Simply interact with the sigil and help pull him out, and the charismatic wizard will offer to join you.
• Role & Class: Gale is a powerful Wizard, a master of the arcane arts. He defaults to the Evocation School subclass, which allows him to sculpt his destructive area-of-effect spells to avoid hitting allies—a crucial skill for any party. He is a versatile spellcaster, capable of dealing massive damage or providing essential utility.
• Personal Quest: Gale’s quest, “The Wizard of Waterdeep,” revolves around a dangerous magical artifact embedded in his chest. He is on a desperate mission to control this volatile power, a consequence of his own unbridled ambition and his complicated relationship with the goddess of magic, Mystra.

Karlach, Fury of Avernus

• Recruitment: Karlach can be found south of the Risen Road, near a stream under the broken bridge (approx. X: 110, Y: 504). She is a tiefling being hunted by so-called “paladins.” Side with her and agree to help, and this powerhouse warrior will join your cause.
• Role & Class: Karlach is a Barbarian with a heart of gold and an infernal engine where her heart should be. She excels at dealing massive melee damage and is incredibly durable. She defaults to the Berserker subclass, allowing her to use her bonus action to make an additional attack while raging.
• Personal Quest: Karlach’s quest, “Our Fiery Friend,” is a race against time to fix her infernal engine, which burns too hot for the mortal plane. It’s a story about a soldier escaping a brutal war in the Hells, desperate to experience the life and freedom she was denied.

Lae’zel, the Githyanki Warrior

• Recruitment: After encountering her on the Nautiloid, you will find Lae’zel captured in a wooden cage by a pair of tieflings, just north of the Roadside Cliffs waypoint (approx. X: 242, Y: 370). Free her, either through persuasion or combat, and the fierce warrior can be invited to your party.
• Role & Class: Lae’zel is a quintessential Fighter, a master of all forms of martial combat. She is a highly disciplined warrior, and her default subclass is the Battle Master, which gives her access to special maneuvers that can control the battlefield, disarm foes, or rally her allies.
• Personal Quest: Lae’zel’s quest, “The Githyanki Warrior,” is a journey of faith and duty. She is on a mission to find a githyanki crèche to be “purified” of the mind flayer tadpole. Her story explores her zealous devotion to her queen and her people, and forces her to question where her true loyalties lie.

Shadowheart, Daughter of Darkness

• Recruitment: You first meet Shadowheart on the Nautiloid. If you free her from her pod, you will find her unconscious on the Ravaged Beach after the crash. If not, you will find her trying to get through a large door just north of the beach. In either case, you can speak with her and invite her to join.
• Role & Class: Shadowheart is a Cleric of the goddess Shar and a versatile support character. Her default subclass is the Trickery Domain, which gives her access to illusion magic and the ability to grant allies advantage on Stealth checks. She is an excellent healer, buffer, and party support.
• Personal Quest: Shadowheart’s quest, “Daughter of Darkness,” is a journey into her own shrouded past. Plagued by memory loss but bound by a divine mission, her story sees her uncover the secrets of her faith, her relationship with the goddess Shar, and the mysterious artifact she carries.

Wyll, the Blade of Frontiers

• Recruitment: Wyll can be found in the Druid Grove after you help defend it from a goblin attack. He will be inside The Hollow, training tiefling children. Speak with him there, and the famed hero will agree to join your party.
• Role & Class: Wyll is a Warlock, a charismatic spellcaster who draws his power from a pact with a powerful fiend. He defaults to The Fiend subclass, giving him access to destructive fire magic. With a proficiency in rapiers, he is a flexible combatant who can fight effectively with both spells and a blade.
• Personal Quest: Wyll’s quest, “The Blade of Frontiers,” explores what it means to be a hero when bound by a dark pact. His story forces him to confront his fiendish patron, hunt a dangerous devil, and reckon with the large shadow cast by his famous father, Duke Ravengard.

The Non-Origin Companions

These four characters can be recruited as full party members later in the game. Their recruitment is often tied to major story decisions.

• Halsin: The First Druid of the Emerald Grove. You can rescue him from the Goblin Camp in Act One. He will join your camp as a follower but only becomes a fully playable Druid (Circle of the Moon) in Act Two after you progress the quest to lift the shadow curse.
• Jaheira: A legendary Harper and a returning character from the original Baldur’s Gate games. You meet her at the Last Light Inn in Act Two. She can join you as a full companion near the end of the Act. She is a powerful Druid (Circle of the Land).
• Minsc: Another beloved returning character, the mad Rashemaar and his miniature giant space hamster, Boo. Minsc can only be recruited in Act Three, and only if you have recruited Jaheira. You must follow her personal quest, and when you finally fight Minsc, you must knock him out with a non-lethal attack.
• Minthara: A drow paladin and a leader of the goblin army. Traditionally, she can only be recruited by siding with her and raiding the Druid Grove (an evil path). However, a more complex method allows a “good” playthrough to recruit her: you must knock her out during the goblin camp fight instead of killing her. If done correctly, you can rescue her from Moonrise Towers in Act Two and she will join your party as an Oath of Vengeance Paladin.

Other Allies and Followers

Beyond the full companions, you can recruit a host of other characters who will follow you, live at your camp, or can be summoned to aid you in battle.

• Fan-Favorite Followers:
  • Scratch: The best boy in the game. You can find him guarding his dead master in the forest west of the Blighted Village. Show him your scent, and he will appear at your camp after the next long rest.
  • Owlbear Cub: After dealing with the mother owlbear in her cave, you will find the cub at the Goblin Camp. You can win it from the goblins or convince them to give it to you. It will eventually find its way to your camp.
  • Us: An Intellect Devourer you can free from a body on the Nautiloid. If you free it, it will join you temporarily. You can find and free it again late in Act Two to gain the ability to summon it as a familiar.
• Key Story Allies: Many other characters can join you temporarily or be summoned for the final battle via the “Gather Your Allies” ability, including the aasimar Dame Aylin, the githyanki prince Orpheus, the devilish Hope, and the mind flayer Omeluum. Your choices throughout the game will determine which of these powerful figures will stand with you at the end.

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