Best Shadowheart Build in Baldur’s Gate 3

Use our guide to the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Shadowheart builds, which includes the greatest spells, armor, and weapons, to get the most out of this dependable companion.

Looking for the best ways to enhance your party’s survival and combat prowess in Baldur’s Gate 3? Look no further than Shadowheart, your Cleric companion.

While you have the freedom to tweak her abilities, sticking with her default role is a smart move. With an array of spells at her fingertips, Shadowheart excels at healing, weakening foes, and causing status ailments. Whether you need a reliable healer or a formidable combatant, Shadowheart’s versatile skill set has you covered. Discover the optimal spell choices and the best Shadowheart Build in our guide to make the most of your journey. So, let’s get started with our Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Shadowheart Builds.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Shadowheart

Before we jump to the best Shadowheart build, let’s talk a little bit about the game. Shadowheart, a skilled half-elf cleric, might not seem the mightiest ally at first glance. But her talents shine through her initial recruitment, offering valuable support and healing to the group despite her unassuming appearance.

Here are the stats of Baldur’s Gate 3 Shadowheart:

• Strength: 12
• Dexterity: 14
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 10
• Wisdom: 16
• Charisma: 10

Shadowheart’s loadout can be best described as ‘decent’. While her Wisdom score of 16 is slightly better than average, boosting this stat would be wise. Her Dexterity and Constitution scores of 14 make her harder than most Clerics. Since Clerics pick their domain at creation, customization is limited. However, there are ways to enhance her effectiveness beyond her initial setup.

Remember, when you pick Shadowheart, her default ability points are set. But you can also change how those 27 points are distributed to tweak her stats. If you want, you can go back to the recommended stats for her class by choosing ‘Use Recommended’.

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Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Shadowheart Build

In the beginning stages, this Baldur’s Gate 3 Shadowheart build operates like a typical Cleric. Yet, as Shadowheart gains feats and more potent spells, she can transform into something distinct and highly valuable, departing from the usual path.

This means that level 1 of the Shadowheart build starts with her basic stats and spells.

Level 2: 

At Level 2, you gain two new Level 1 spells: Turn Undead and Invoke Duplicity. 

• Turn Undead makes undead foes scared and run away if they see or hear you. It’s super useful against groups of undead, giving you time to plan. 
• Invoke Duplicity creates a fake copy that tricks enemies. If you and the copy are close, attacks are better. These spells help in battles against the undead and make your team stronger.

Level 3:

At Level 3 of the Shadowheart build, you’ll get two Level 2 Spells. Your Domain also grants you new Spells: Mirror Image and Pass without Trace. 

• Mirror Image makes 3 copies of you that confuse attackers and make you harder to hit. Each copy boosts your defense. If you dodge an attack, a copy disappears. 
• Pass without Trace gives allies a +10 Stealth bonus nearby. These Spells are good. 

For Level 2 Spells, choose Hold Person to freeze human-like foes, stopping them. Attacks on them are guaranteed critical hits. Enhance Ability is also recommended. Enhance Ability spell boosts chosen skill checks. Working in battles and exploration is a big help for the group.

Level 4: 

As we move forward with the Shadowheart build, at Level 4, it’s a good idea to pick Ability Improvement as your Feat. This lets you boost your Wisdom to 18, making your Spells stronger for damage and healing. It also helps enemies struggle with resisting your abilities. Go for Aid as your new Spell, healing and boosting the health of nearby friends.

Level 5: 

At Level 5, pick Spirit Guardians and Mass Healing Word as new Level 3 Spells. Mass Healing Word heals 6 friends, like a strong Healing Word. Spirit Guardians summon protective spirits that hurt foes for 3d8 Radiant/Necrotic damage each turn and slow them down. As a Trickery Domain Cleric, you also gain Bestow Curse and Fear, powerful Level 3 debuffs that give enemies disadvantages.

CHECK OUT: Baldur’s Gate 3 Companions Guide: Locations, Abilities, and all new details

Best Spells for Baldur’s Gate 3 Shadowheart Build

As Shadowheart levels up, her spell collection grows stronger. Here are potent spells to choose to have the best Shadowheart build as she progresses, enhancing her abilities and impact on the journey.

Level 1:

• Bless: Bless is a level one spell that helps your team in a similar way to “Bane.” You can choose up to three of your allies to give them a 1d4 bonus on attack rolls or saving throws. It’s super handy when you’re close to hitting enemies or avoiding harm. Just remember to concentrate and avoid getting hit while using it. Bless and Bane both last for 10 turns.
• Command: You can make an enemy flee, come nearer, halt, lie down, or let go of their close-range weapon using verbal orders.
• Guiding Bolt: Guiding Bolt is a Level 1 spell in the Evocation magic group. It hurts enemies, causes problems like status issues, makes allies stronger, or affects surroundings.
• Inflict Wounds: Inflict Wounds, a level one spell for Clerics and Oathbreaker Paladins is impressive. By touching a target, it deals a powerful 3d10 Necrotic damage. Clerics find this essential due to its high damage potential in a single strike.
• Healing Word: Reliable healing option, beneficial for restoring health.

Level 2:

• Hold Person: Hold Person, a level two spell is handy and distinct to all spellcasting classes. It makes a creature stay put for up to 10 turns, though they can resist with a Wisdom save. Those with low Wisdom might remain stuck.
• Blindness: The spell is super handy. It helps against tough melee bosses and pesky archers bothering magic users.
• Lesser Restoration: It is a helpful spell from the Abjuration school. Spells can hurt enemies, make them sick, make characters stronger, or affect their surroundings.

Level 3:

• Spirit Guardians: Spirit Guardians belong to the Conjuration school of magic. These spells can harm foes, cause negative effects, boost allies, or affect surroundings. They offer versatile ways to fight, support, and manipulate situations in various adventures.
• Mass Healing Word: Use the Mass Healing Word to help your group keep going before a rest. Combine it with Beacon of Hope for even better results.
• Glyph of Warding: It is a magic spell from the Abjuration school. It has 7 different versions to choose from, letting players use it in various ways against enemies. This spell can deal damage, cause status problems, boost characters, or affect the environment, offering flexible options for different situations.
• Animate Dead: It lets you bring back a small or medium corpse as a skeleton or zombie to follow your commands. You can do this within 3 meters, using just one action. You don’t need to concentrate to maintain the spell.

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If you’re having trouble choosing spells, the ones mentioned are all good options to have a strong Shadowheart build in Baldur’s Gate 3. For gear, Shadowheart is best with Medium Armor and magic items to boost her spells. Though not a weapon-focused character, enchanted weapons can help. Shields matter more for her defense.

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