Shadowheart is the daughter of darkness in Baldur’s Gate 3, whose sole purpose in life is to become a devout follower of Shar. For this purpose, she needs someone to guide her to the Shadowsong and finally deliver her to Mother Superior in Baldur’s Gate.
Being a cleric, Shadowheart has complete mastery over spells that require Wisdom to cast properly. She is also a great healer and support character, making her absolutely necessary to keep the whole team alive.
For this purpose, we will help you craft the best Shadowheart build for patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3. Instead of focusing solely on support via cleric class, we will be multiclassing it with Wizard. This will make Shadowheart deadlier than the rest of the team.
How to Recruit Shadowheart in BG3
Shadowheart is a vital character to Baldur’s Gate 3 main questline. The Daughter of Darkness can be found in a Mindflayer Pod aboard Nautiloid, where you can free her to join you as a companion.
Once the Nautiloid crashes, you will find her on the beach. You can talk to her, and she will start following you. However, if you don’t free Shadowheart aboard the ship, you will find her near the entrance of Overgrown Ruins.
This place is just north of the site of the crash. Talk to her and she will join your team. If you still miss her, she will be sitting on a bench near the Oxen in the Druid Grove.
This interaction is almost impossible to miss. However, if you still miss it somehow, she will be sitting near the entrance of Mountain Pass. She will remain there until you talk to her and ask her to join your team.
Level 1 Selections for Shadowheart Build
Once Shadowheart is recruited, you will gain access to the character menu. As Shadowheart is an origin character, you can’t change her race. However, you can select her class and subclass.
Race: Half-Elf
Sub-Race: High Half-Elf
Class: Cleric
Subclass: Tempest Domain
Background: Acolyte
Spells: Thunderwave (deals 2d8 Thunder damage to all enemies), Fog Cloud (blinds the enemies within it).
Subclass Feature: Wrath of the Storm (as a reaction, strikes back at the enemy, dealing 2-16 Thunder or Lightning damage).
Cantrips: Toll of the Dead (deals 1d12 necrotic damage), Sacred Flame (deals 1d8 radiant damage), Bursting Sinew (deals 1d10 piercing damage), Booming Blade (deals 1d8 Thunder damage).
Ability Points: Strength 10, Dexterity 15+1, Constitution 8, Intelligence 14+2, Wisdom 14, Charisma 10.
With the stats mentioned above, you will gain the following proficiencies.
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons, Morningstar, Spears, Pikes, Halberds, Glaives.
Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, and Shields.
Skills: History, Religion, Insight, Medicine.
Level 2 Selections for Shadowheart Build
Upon reaching level 2, your HP passively increases from 7 to 11. This is also the spot where you get the following subclass action.
Destructive Wrath: Upon rolling Thunder or Lightning damage, you can use your Channel divinity to deal maximum possible damage.
You also get to prepare 4 level 1 spells. We recommend the following ones.
Create or Destroy Water: You can either summon rain or destroy a water body.
Healing Word: Heals a creature by 1d4 + 2.
Command: Command a creature to flee, move closer, freeze, drop down to the floor, or drop its weapon.
Sanctuary: You and your ally can’t be damaged until you attack an enemy.
Level 3 Selections for Shadowheart Build
At this level, Shadowheart’s HP increases to 15 from 11. You also get a couple of spells as a reward.
Shatter: Deals 3d8 Thunder damage to the enemies. Foes made of inorganic material like stones have a disadvantage on their saving throws and still take half the damage upon success.
Gust of Wind: Pushes back all enemies 5m and makes them off balance.
A new spell slot unlocks, which allows us to prepare a fifth spell.
Hold Person: Holds a humanoid enemy in place. They can’t move, act, or react. Any attack on them within 3m is always a critical hit.
Level 4 Selections for Shadowheart Build
At level 4, your HP increases to 19 from 15. At this point, you also gain a Feat slot.
Cantrip: Guidance (you or the ally you target gains a 1d4 bonus to ability checks).
A new spell slot is unlocked that allows you to prepare one more spell.
Spiritual Weapon: Summons a spectral weapon that deals 1d8 + 2 force damage to the enemies.
As you get your first feat slot, we recommend using it to improve your ability.
Feat: Ability Improvement (invest both points in Intelligence stat)
Level 5 Selections for Shadowheart Build
Once Shadowheart reaches level 5, her HP increases from 19 to 23 passively. You also get two more spells.
Sleet Storm: Calls forth a storm that disrupts the concentration of spellcasters, douses fire, and creates an ice surface.
Call Lightning: Deals 3d10 Lightning damage to enemies. Within the next 10 turns, you can call lightning again without using a spell slot. Enemies will still take half damage even when rolling a successful saving Throw.
At this point, you also get a class feature called Destroy Undead. This allows you to deal 4-24 radiant damage to the undead upon turning them.
You will now gain access to level 3 spells in addition to one more spell slot. We recommend preparing the following spell.
Spirit Guardians: Summon your spirit guardians that either deal 3-24 radiant damage or 3-24 necrotic damage to the nearby enemies at the start of every turn. They also halve the enemy’s movement speed, and enemies still take half the damage even on a successful saving throw.
Replace the Sanctuary spell with Mass Healing Word, which heals nearby allies for 1d4 + 2.
Level 6 Selections for Shadowheart Build
As soon as you reach level 6, your HP increases to 27 from 23. You also get a subclass feature called Thunderbolt Strike.
Thunderbolt Strike: Upon dealing Thunder or Lightning damage to a small or large creature, you can also pull them up by 3m.
You also gain a new spell slot that allows you to prepare your eighth spell, which we recommend to be Sanctuary again.
Level 7 Selections for Shadowheart Build
Upon reaching level 7, you will now have 31 HP instead of 27. At this point, we recommend stopping leveling up the Cleric and multiclass your build with a wizard instead.
This will allow you to add three cantrips. Our recommendations are.
Booming Blade: Strike with your weapon to deal 1d8 thunder damage. This spell requires proficiency with the weapon and can be cast even when you are silenced.
Bone Chill: Deals 2d8 necrotic damage and stops the enemies from healing themselves until your next turn. Undead enemies also get a disadvantage on their Attack Rolls.
Ray of Frost: Deals 2d8 cold damage and reduces the target’s speed by 3m.
You can also prepare 6 spells at this point for the wizard build. Our recommendations are.
Mage Armor: increases armor class to 13 + Dexterity modifier.
Magic Missile: Deals 3d4 + 3 force damage to the enemies.
Find Familiar: Summons a fey that takes the shape of a familiar of your choosing.
Chromatic Orb: Deals 3d8 thunder damage to the enemies.
Longstrider: Increases the movement speed of a creature by 3m.
Shield: raises your Armor Class by 5 when you are about to be hit. You also become immune to Magic Missile.
Level 8 Selections for Shadowheart Build
Upon reaching level 8, your HP increases to 33. We recommend upgrading the Wizard class, as it will give you access to the subclass section now.
Subclass: Bladesinging. This will give us access to the Bladesong action.
Bladesong: You gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class, and your movement speed increases by 3m. You also gain a bonus in Acrobatics and a +2 bonus to the Constitution Saving Throws.
You get two more spells at this point. We recommend taking the following two.
Ice Knife: Deals 1d10 piercing + 2d6 cold damage to the enemies.
False Life: You gain 7 temporary HP.
You can also select a Bladesinger Weapon at this point. It depends on personal preference, but we still recommend taking Rapiers.
Level 9 Selections for Shadowheart Build
Upon reaching level 9, your HP will increase to 36 from 33. At this point, you will have 6 levels in the Cleric Class and 3 levels in the Wizard Class.
This will unlock two more spell slots for you. We recommend choosing the following ones.
Scorching Ray: Deals 6d6 fire damage to the enemies.
Misty Step: Allows you to teleport to a location you can see.
Remove Chromatic Orb and False Life and replace them with the two new level 2 spells we have selected above.
Level 10 Selections for Shadowheart Build
As you reach level 10, your HP will increase to 39 from 36. You will be a level 4 wizard at this point, which will unlock a new feat slot in addition to a Cantrip and some more spells.
Cantrip: Shocking Grasp (deals 2d8 lightning damage to enemies. It has advantage against metal enemies)
For the two new spells, go with the following.
Mirror Image: Create 3 duplicates of yourself that distract the attackers. Each duplicate increases your Armor Class by 3.
Shadow Blade: Deals 2-16 psychic damage to the enemies. We also recommend putting this spell in your prepared spells slot.
For the feat, once again, go with the Ability Improvement and invest both ability points in the Intelligence stat. This will increase it to a maximum of 20.
Level 11 Selections for Shadowheart Build
At level 11, your HP increases to 42 from 39. You can also prepare two more spells, and our recommendations are.
Lightning Bolt: Deals 8d6 lightning damage to all the enemies in the line of eruption.
Fireball: Deals 8d6 fire damage to the enemies and explodes on impact, hurting everyone in the vicinity.
Make sure to prepare both of these spells to turn the tide in your favor completely during combat scenarios.
Level 12 Selections for Shadowheart Build
Upon reaching level 12, you will have 45 HP increased from the previous 42. You will gain a bonus subclass feature called Extra Attack.
Extra Attack: Allows you to make an extra attack after making an unarmed attack or an attack with a weapon. It doesn’t stack with the Extra Attack from other classes.
You also get to choose two more spells at this point. We recommend the following ones.
Haste: This spell grants you an action, makes you faster, and also gives you +2 to your Armor Class.
Counterspell: Allows you to stop the enemies from casting a spell.
This is it for the Shadowheart’s build in Baldur’s Gate 3 regarding the level upgrades. However, we still have to choose a proper armor, accessories, and weapon for the Daughter of Darkness.
Best Armor and Accessories for Shadowheart Build
Rings: Ring of Arcane Energy (upon dealing damage with a cantrip, you gain Arcane Synergy for the next 2 turns), Killer’s Sweetheart (upon killing a creature, your next attack roll is always a critical hit. Can only be used once per long rest).
Head: Hood of the Weave. You gain a +2 bonus to Spell Save DC and Spell attack Rolls.
Cloak: Cloak of Protection. Grants you a +1 bonus towards Armor Class and Saving Throws.
Armor: Vest of Soul Rejuvenation. Increases your Armor Class by 2. Upon a successful saving throw against a spell, you gain 1d4 health. It also allows you to use a reaction to make an unarmed strike against the enemy that misses its attack.
Gloves: Bracers of Defense. You gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class if you are not wielding a shield.
Boots: Boots of Stormy Clamour. Allows you to inflict the Reverberation Condition on an enemy for 2 turns upon inflicting any other condition upon them.
Best Weapon for Shadowheart Build
For the best Shadowheart build in Baldur’s Gate 3, we will be using Infernal Rapier to increase our spell attacks. However, we recommend a different approach here.
Hold any staff in your main hand, use an infernal battery, and then upcast Shadow Blade. With this Shadow Blade, you can deal up to 35 Psychic damage to enemies.
Use it with Resonance Stone so that enemies take even further psychic damage. We are talking upward of 50 damage per hit, which is absolutely devastating.
