Losing a memory can be both a curse and a blessing. Baldur’s Gate 3 has made it possible to surrender your memories voluntarily using the Mirror of Loss.
You can forget your chosen memory by sacrificing the ability score of one of your stats. However, you can replace the loss with a bonus if you play your cards right.
The trade can benefit those wanting to improve their chosen stats and replace the ones not needed. Finding and using a Mirror of Loss in Baldur’s Gate 3 is an easy process explained in detail below.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Mirror of Loss location
Mirror of Loss in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be found in two distinct locations. Your first encounter with the Mirror of Loss occurs during Act 2 when you first travel to the Temple of Shar. You can reach the area by going through Underdark and completing Gauntlet of Shar to access the Chamber of Loss.
Inside the chamber, you can offer 1000 gold to unlock a stone door to access the Mirror of Loss. However, this mirror of loss isn’t functional, and you will only waste 1000 gold.
You can only actively interact with Mirror of Loss during Act 3 when you go to the House of Grief in Lower City to complete Shadowheart’s companion quest, The Daughter of Darkness. Once you defeat Mother Superior Viconia DeVir and complete everything inside the House of Shar’s cultists, go to the basement.
You will find another Chamber of Loss in the depths of House of Grief. Once you enter this chamber in Baldur’s Gate 3, you will find an active Mirror of Loss, which you can finally use.
How to use Mirror of Loss
Mirror of Loss is a complex game mechanism in Baldur’s Gate 3. It allows you to respec your stats but without a proper tutorial. If you are not careful, you will only lose your ability points and won’t gain anything in return. However, we will teach you how to trick the game into getting only benefits and not losing any ability points.
To use Mirror of Loss in Baldur’s Gate 3, you must first interact with it. You must pass an Arcana check, intelligence, to use the mirror. Make sure to select a party member with high Intelligence. Once you pass that check, you can use the Pray option by passing a Religion check at the Mirror of Loss. This is of utmost importance that you Pray at the Mirror of Loss.
Once you finish both checks, the Mirror of Loss will allow you to sacrifice your memories. It doesn’t tell you the impact, but the hint is in the dialogue option. If you sacrifice strength memory, you will lose 2 points in your strength ability (-2 penalty), and so on.
Baldur’s Gate 3 allows you to sacrifice an ability only once at the Mirror of Loss to avoid game-breaking damage. Now comes the fun part. If you successfully prayed in front of the mirror, it would give you another option to gain +2 points in the ability of your liking after the sacrifice. You can exchange Strength for Charisma if you want.
If you want to use the Mirror of Loss, consider adding Shadowheart to your party or a cleric who can use the Remove Curse spell. They can remove the debuff (-2) from your character after using Mirror of Loss, which is considered a curse on your vigor. In this way, you will only gain an ability score instead of losing anything.
Remove the Forbidden Knowledge debuff
If you managed to find Necromancy of Thay and read it to acquire Forbidden Knowledge, you can sacrifice this memory and gain a bonus +2 in any ability of your liking.
The Mirror of Loss will only give you a -2 penalty if you fail the religion check. In this case, it is important to sacrifice forbidden knowledge to gain +2 in any other ability.
Memories to Sacrifice the abilities
All the memories available to sacrifice at Mirror of Loss in Baldur’s Gate 3 are mentioned below. The deception choice doesn’t give any benefit, so there is no point in choosing that.
- -2 Strength: “Offer up memories of your strength – times when you triumphed, thanks to your raw power.”
- -2 Dexterity: “Give up memories of your youth when your heart was carefree, and your limbs were nimble.”
- -2 Constitution: “Relinquish memories of fortitude and well-being, when body and mind held fast against all challenges.”
- -2 Intelligence: “Surrender valued knowledge gleaned from books, scrolls, and tablets… words that left a mark on your mind, but no more.”
- -2 Wisdom: “Let go of some wisdom that time has bestowed upon you – old wounds, tough lessons, and fond memories alike.”
- -2 Charisma: “Give away memories of when your charm stood to you – the applause of the swayed, the smiles of the beguiled, the kisses of the seduced.”
- Deception: “You will not surrender any part of yourself. Invent a false offering to trick the mirror.”
- Forbidden Knowledge: “Part with the Forbidden Knowledge from the Thayan Tomb.”
Memories that Strengthen the abilities
On the other hand, the list of memories that you can restore from Mirror of Loss in Baldur’s Gate 3 for a +2 in the Ability Score is listed below:
- +2 Strength: “Claim memories of strength from a long-dead general who marched under the banner of a vanished kingdom.”
- +2 Dexterity: “Help yourself to the memories of a seasoned thief’s most daring exploits.”
- +2 Constitution: “Seize the memories of a barbarian, whose mind and body were tempered against hardship.”
- +2 Intelligence: “Glean the secrets of a wizard who once stalked the libraries of Candlekeep.”
- +2 Wisdom: “Turn to the wisdom of a drow. Once of Lothe, then or Shar.”
- +2 Charisma: “Warm to the guile of a bard who could charm even a dragon.”
