Permanent Bonuses
There are many different permanent character enhancements or bonuses that can be obtained throughout Baldur's Gate 3. See below for details on these bonuses and how they can be obtained.
See also: Illithid Powers, another form of permanent bonuses that can be obtained.
Spoiler warning: The following content may contain story spoilers. Read at your own risk.
Spoiler warning: The following content may contain story spoilers. Read at your own risk.Chapter One
- The following permanent character bonuses can be obtained in Chapter One of the game's story.
| Name | Effect | How to Obtain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOOOAL's Benediction | Gain  Advantage on Attack Rolls against Bleeding targets. |
Sacrifice a companion to BOOOAL in The Festering Cove. | Effect stops working if all Kua-Toa are killed. [Needs Verification] This buff is given to all present party members, and is also removed upon death. |
| Paid the Price | You have a +1 bonus to Intimidation checks, but  Disadvantage on Perception checks. Additionally, you have Disadvantage when attacking Hags. Changes the chosen eye's appearance. |
Accept Auntie Ethel's deal to remove the parasite at the Riverside Teahouse. | |
| Auntie Ethel's Hair | Gain +1 to an Ability Score of choice. | Defeat Auntie Ethel during Save Mayrina and take her deal to spare her life. | Can be raised above 20 |
| Volo's Ersatz Eye | Grants a permanent See Invisibility See Invisibility effect. Changes the right eye's appearance. | Rescue Volo from the Goblin Camp. When speaking to him in the Campsite afterwards, tell him about your Tadpole infection and agree to his experimental surgery. | Effect is lost if the character dies and is revived. |
| Brand of the Absolute | Allows the benefits from Absolute Equipment. | Agree to let a character be branded by Gut in the Goblin Camp. | Multiple characters can receive the brand. |
| Instrument Proficiency | You know how to play a variety of musical instruments and are able to entertain a crowd with them. | Pass two Charisma checks while helping Alfira with her song in the Druid Grove. | |
| Loviatar's Love | When you have 30% Hit Points or less, you gain a +2 bonus to Attack Rolls and Wisdom saving throws. | Submit to Abdirak and put on a good performance for him in the Shattered Sanctum. | Effect is lost if the character dies and is revived. |
| Survival Instinct | Gain the additional Illithid Power  Survival Instinct. |
Help Omeluum investigate the parasite. | Any class can receive this additional power. |
| Necromancy of Thay | Gain the  Forbidden Knowledge passive feature and Speak with Dead Speak with Dead spell once per long rest. |
Turn all three pages while reading Necromancy of Thay, a book found in a hidden area in the Apothecary's Cellar beneath the Blighted Village. Turning only 1 page will grant only Speak with Dead. The reader does not need to succeed on the Saving Throws associated with turning the pages. | |
| Find Familiar: Scratch | Summon the best boy. Scratch's keen nose can discover many things hidden around the world. | Leave Scratch with your scent so he joins your camp, then later when he offers you a ball, throw it to play fetch with him. | |
| Find Familiar: Shovel | Summon Shovel, the Cheeky Quasit. Pact of the Chain unnecessary. | Find the unique scroll of find familiar in one of the coffins of the hidden area in the Apothecary's Cellar beneath the Blighted Village. Instead of using the scroll, have Gale (or any wizard) learn the spell to gain a permanent Quasit familiar. |
Chapter Two
- The following permanent character bonuses can be obtained in Chapter Two of the game's story.
| Name | Effect | How to Obtain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potion of Everlasting Vigour | Gain +2 Strength | Convince Astarion to bite Araj Oblodra in Moonrise Towers | Can be raised above 20 |
| Awakened | You can use all of your Illithid Powers as a Bonus Action | Make the Zaith'Isk in the githyanki infirmary explode and succeed at all three saving throws. The saves are significantly easier if you are in the device rather than Lae'zel. The person that gets the buff is always the player character. | Failing any of the saving throws for the Zaith'isk inflicts permanent, stacking penalties to your Ability Scores:
|
| Arabella's Shadow Entangle | Entangle an undead or shadow creature | Tell Arabella about her parents' fate after Save Arabella | |
| Githzerai Mind Barrier | Advantage on Intelligence Saving Throws |
Insert the Waking Mind (found at X:750, Y:-139 after the brain connect puzzle in the Illithid Colony) into the nearby Mind-Archive Interface, speak to the Slack-Skinned Head, and agree to purge its mind | Effect is lost if the character dies and is revived. |
Chapter Three
- The following permanent character bonuses can be obtained in Chapter Three of the game's story.
| Name | Effect | How to Obtain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partial Ceremorphosis | Gain access to tier 3 Illithid Powers, and automatically unlock all tier 1 Illithid Powers and the Fly tier 3 Illithid Power | Consume the Astral-Touched Tadpole offered by the Emperor | |
| Monk's Hideous Laughter | Gain casting of Tasha's Hideous Laughter per long rest | Carry the Sentient Amulet from Grymforge to a casket under the Open Hand Temple in Wyrm's Crossing, completing Help the Cursed Monk. Must choose to accept the curse yourself. | Possible wisdom loss if you fail Constitution/Wisdom saves. The sentient amulet seems to lose all of its abilities after the quest completion. |
| The Tharchiate Codex: Blessing | Once per long rest, gain temporary hit points | Read The Tharchiate Codex (found at the end of the Vault puzzle in Ramazith's Tower) | Remains active if The Tharchiate Codex is also used to obtain Danse Macabre |
| Danse Macabre | Create 6 ghouls that fight alongside you | Read The Tharchiate Codex (found at the end of the Vault puzzle in Ramazith's Tower), then read the last page of the Necromancy of Thay (from Act 1) and pass a 20 Wisdom Saving Throw | Comes with a curse that lowers Constitution by 5, but can be removed with the Remove Curse spell while keeping Danse Macabre |
| Mirror of Loss | Gain +2 to an Ability Score of your choice (and optionally +1 to Charisma) | Offer a prayer (DC 25 Religion Check) to the Mirror of Loss in the House of Grief, then sacrifice one of the following: Constitution, Wisdom, Charisma, or your knowledge of the Necromancy of Thay. You'll receive the option to choose a +2 bonus to any ability.
If you sacrificed an ability, you'll receive the Stolen Vigour curse (-2 to that Ability). This can be cured via Remove Curse Remove Curse. Occasionally, when sacrificing an ability to the mirror, you may receive the Patriar's Memory buff (+1 CHA). If this happens, interact with the mirror again, sacrifice your knowledge of Necromancy of Thay, and choose an ability to receive a +2 bonus. After both interactions, the mirror is sated. Cast Remove Curse Remove Curse and you are left with +1 to Charisma and +2 to an ability of your choice. (See notes!) |
Can be raised above 20 (up to 24)
If no prayer is offered prior to sacrificing memories, no bonus is received. As of Hotfix #4, all bonuses from the Necromancy of Thay are retained when you sacrifice its knowledge, along with the Ability Score increase - this is likely a bug. As of Hotfix #4, it is unclear whether the Patriar's Memory buff is a bug, as it doesn't trigger every time. This may require several save-and-load attempts to attain. It is also unclear whether there is a way to gain a +1 bonus to ability scores other than Charisma - possibly a class-specific Arcana check? [Needs Verification] |
| Unstable Blood | Your blood is now highly flammable and will explode on contact with fire | Give your blood to Araj Oblodra in Moonrise Towers in Act 2, then meet her again east of The Blushing Mermaid in Act 3 and help her again. She will give you a potion that grants this feature once drunk. |
