Baldur’s Gate 3 will keep you on the edge of your seat right from the very beginning. During the Prologue sequence, you join hands with a few Githyanki followers (Lae’zel) to escape the Nautiloid Ship. Most of the sequence is pretty straightforward, but you can still find a few valuable items if you take a small detour. In this regard, freeing Shadowheart is probably the most beneficial maneuver that goes a long way.
As you know, BG3 is a team-oriented game. So, you should have a healer, an attacker, and a defensive member in your party. Shadowheart is the first potential crew member that you can free from the Mind Flayer Parasite. However, most players can’t figure out the whole concept on their own. Therefore, this article explains all the different ways to free Shadowheart in BG3.
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How to Free Shadowheart?
You will find Shadowheart trapped inside a pod right after your first encounter. Speaking with her triggers a small dialogue; after that, Lae’zel suggests leaving her be. However, you can still free her to unlock an important crew member for your party.
After speaking with Shadowheart, exit the room and enter the door in the eastern corner (the door right next to the control panel). You will encounter an Intellect Devourer roaming in the corridor, but you don’t have to fight him unless you want some extra XP.
Next, ignore the second control pod and go upstairs. Search all the corpses to find an Eldritch Rune, a Golden Key, and 2x Healing Potions. You can use the Golden Key to unlock a chest in the same room, which gives you a few extra items.
After acquiring the Eldritch Rune, return to Shadowheart’s Pod and interact with the control panel. Using the Rune on the console will prompt a dice roll. Finally, choose the Illithid Power (Will the pod open) to free Shadowheart from the Mind Flayer pod and recruit her as your companion.
Alternative Ways to Free Shadowheart:
Freeing Shadowheart using the Illithid Power will have certain consequences in your story progression. So, if you like to play it safe, you can rely on alternative ways to free Shadowheart. However, depending on your character, you must start your game with specific classes and choose the right option.
Arcane Method:
If you start the game as Warlock or Wizard, you can access and interact with the console without an Eldritch Rune. After touching the console, choose the Arcane-related option to initialize a dice roll. Finally, use the above instructions to free Shadowheart without the Rune.
Strength Method:
Similarly, you can do almost everything with Brute Force in BG3. However, for this method, you must start the game as either a Barbarian or any other Strength-based class. Next, interact with the console and choose the Strength option to initiate the Dice Roll. Finally, use the “Don’t give up. Tear this thing open” option to break open the pod and free Shdowheart.
What happens after you free Shadowheart?
Once you open the Mind Flayer Pod and free Shadowheart, you will get the option to recruit her to your party. She will temporarily join your crew and stay with you until the escape from Nautiloid Ship is completed.
Furthermore, having extra crew members will make it easy to defeat Commander Zhalk. You can also get special rewards like the Ever Burn Blade. So, having Shadowheart as your companion is pretty rewarding if you manage to do everything right.
Once the Prologue sequence is complete, you can find her passed out on the beach, ready to recruit for a second time. Fortunately, after the second recruitment, she will stay by your side even through the Shadow Curse Lands to reach Moonrise Towers.
What if you fail to free or recruit Shadowheart?
Freeing Shadowheart from the Mind Flayer Pod is an optional objective of the Prologue sequence. Moreover, the dice roll is a bit challenging, especially for new players.
So, there is a huge chance that you will fail to free her on your first attempt. Fortunately, you can save your progress before initializing the dice roll to increase your odds.
Still, if you fail to free or recruit Shadowheart in the Prologue sequence, it doesn’t have any grave consequences. You can always find her at the Ancient Door, near the Dank Crypt. Speak with her there to recruit her for the rest of the game.
Secondly, you must visit the Ancient Door anyways because Shadowheart will leave your side after defeating Commander Zhalk. So, recruiting her for the second time is compulsory for almost all players.
Conclusion:
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a team-based game in which you must tend to your companions. Moreover, you must choose the best crew members to cover your flaws in the adventures. In this regard, Shadowheart is the first and probably an important companion for the Prologue sequence. Therefore, this article explains how to free Shadowheart with or without the Eldritch Rune.
