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Gathering a group of friends and exploring the world of the Forgotten Realms is a classic activity, both in Dungeons & Dragons and in the Baldur’s Gate series. In Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios made a real effort to create engaging and interesting characters to join your party and fight alongside you.
Shadowheart is one of these characters. She’s a mysterious woman full of secrets—so much so that if you can get on her good side, she’ll start sharing more about herself and her past. As a cleric, she’s incredibly useful in battles.
Updated September 11, 2025: We’ve added more details and suggestions for building her, especially focusing on gear that boosts her effectiveness.
Shadowheart Overview
Shadowheart is a high half-elf cleric belonging to the trickery domain. You can meet her on the nautiloid similar to Lae’zel. She’s trapped in a Mindflayer pod, and if you solve a simple puzzle to free her, she’ll trust you more when you reunite on land.
Stats:
| Strength | Dexterity | Constitution | Intelligence | Wisdom | Charisma |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 17 | 10 |
Her stats are pretty balanced. A Wisdom of 17 is just above average, but it’s worth boosting. Her decent Dexterity and Constitution help her survive better than many other clerics.
When choosing her domain during character creation, her options are limited unless you reclass her through Withers. However, certain build adjustments can make her more effective from the start.
Best Trickery Cleric Build for Shadowheart
For those who want to keep her as a trickery domain cleric—staying true to her backstory and character—this is the recommended setup. Initially, she plays like any other cleric. Once you start gaining feats and better spells, she becomes a flexible support character with top-tier spells and solid stats for her role.
Note: To optimize this build, plan to visit Withers and reassign her ability scores. Aim for a 10/14/15/10/17/8 spread—adding a +1 bonus to Constitution and +2 to Wisdom, which requires talking to Withers and spending 100 gold.
Leveling Path and Key Features:
| Level | Builds & Abilities |
|---|---|
| 2 | Gains Turn Undead and Invoke Duplicity. Turn Undead is handy to scare off undead enemies, though it can be frustrating when you want the fight to end. Invoke Duplicity summons an illusory clone to distract foes, useful with tactical positioning. |
| 3 | Unlocks second-level spell slots. Consider spells like Aid, Hold Person, Silence, and Spiritual Weapon. These are versatile and powerful options. |
| 4 | Boost Wisdom and Constitution to 16 and 18 for better rolls. Learn a new cantrip; Thaumaturgy is excellent for social interactions. |
| 5 | Unlocks third-level spells, including mass healing, animate dead, revivify, and spirit guardians. Also, gain access to spells like Bane, Bless, and various damage spells. |
| 6 | Adds a level 3 spell slot and an extra Channel Divinity charge. |
| 7 | Obtain access to fourth-level spells like Guardian of Faith and Death Ward. |
| 8 | Maxes out Wisdom to 20 and gains Divine Strike: Poison, boosting her melee damage potential. |
| 9 | Unlocks fifth-level spells, including flame strike and mass cure wounds, enhancing her damage and healing capabilities. |
| 10 | Gains another cantrip and the ability to invoke Divine Intervention, a powerful one-time force of divine power. |
| 11 | Gains level 6 spells such as Heal and Harm, plus the ability to create undead. |
| 12 | Final level; acquire War Caster feat for better concentration saves. |
Role and Equipment
As a cleric, Shadowheart’s toolkit is highly flexible. Spells like Spirit Guardians and Spirit Weapon are excellent for controlling the battlefield, while ranged healing can save allies in emergencies.
While her weapons are generally handled by dedicated fighters or melee specialists, she can make good use of magical weapons suited to her style, such as The Blood of Lathander or Cazador’s Woe staff. The Phalar Aluve longsword is another decent option if it doesn’t have another owner.
For armor, Luminous Armor stands out. It reduces enemy attack rolls when she deals Radiant damage, especially with spells like Spirit Guardians or Sacred Flame. If she’s more of a front-line fighter, heavier armor like Adamantine Scale Mail can help increase her resilience.
Tip: Consider equipment like Selûne’s Spear of Night or Shar’s Spear of Evening for thematic mid-game options. The Amulet of the Devout is a valuable accessory, providing extra Channel Divinity charges—crucial for top clerics.
Strengths and Playstyle
Shadowheart is a high-output damage dealer and a control expert thanks to her expansive spell list. Her ability to lock down enemies with Hold Person or Dominate Person is especially useful paired with a strong melee partner. She excels against undead foes—Turn Undead is especially powerful once she’s level 5, and her radiant damage sources stack up quickly.
Her spell choices like Mirror Image and Pass Without Trace not only boost her survivability but also enhance stealth and escape strategies. Heavy armor and certain gear can make her more defensive if you prefer her to be on the front line, and she can still contribute significantly to your party’s success with her versatile spells and abilities.
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