Baldur's Gate 3: Every Permanent Bonus In The Game And How To Get Them

In the sprawling world of Baldur's Gate 3, you're sure to find yourself presented with a plethora of buffs to enhance your journey. While many of these advantages fade after a brief rest, a select handful will accompany you all the way throughout the game, from one challenge to the next.

Baldur's Gate 3: 6 Tips For Charisma-Based Characters

Perform, persuade, cast spells, and talk your way out of any situation with Charisma.

Whether it's the ability to explode your blood, or use certain actions as bonus actions, these enhancements are essential for any adventurer looking to save the world from the Absolute. This comprehensive guide will teach you exactly how to acquire every lasting bonus the game has to offer.

Updated on April 11, 2024, by Eva Csaki: Baldur's Gate 3 continues to surprise and delight gamers in the years since its Early Access unveiling. With a storyline that is plot-rich and expansive, it is no surprise that secret abilities and new bonuses are still being discovered. To ensure that you are kept up to date on all recently discovered bonuses, we have given our guide a once over and added six new permanent bonuses that you can obtain in the game, as well as how and where to find them.

Every Permanent Buff In Baldur's Gate 3: Act One

Each buff will be explained in greater detail under the table.

Buff Name

Effect

Location

How To Get

Instrument Proficiency

Allows you to perform with musical instruments.

Emerald Grove

Help Alfira, the Tiefling Bard, finish her song.

Find Familiar; Scratch

Allows you to summon Scratch, the dog.

Wilderness

Invite Scratch to your camp.

Brand of the Absolute

Allows you to use items associated with the Absolute.

Shattered Sanctum

Let Priestess Gut brand you.

Loviatar's Love

Grants you a +2 bonus to Attack Rolls and Saving Throws when under 30 percent health.

Shattered Sanctum

Submit to Abdirak's beating and react accordingly.

Paid the Price

Grants you a +1 to intimidation checks, but imposes Disadvantage on Perception checks.

Riverside Teahouse

Allow Auntie Ethel to take your eye.

Auntie Ethel's Hair

Gives you a +1 to any Ability Score of your choice.

Riverside Teahouse

Weaken Auntie Ethel and then spare her.

Volo's Ersatz Eye

Allows you to see invisible creatures.

Campsite

Rescue Volo, then let him attempt to extract the Parasite.

Necromancy of Thay

Allows you to cast Speak with Dead, a second-level Necromancy spell.

Blighted Village

Read the Necromancy of Thay book.

Forbidden Knowledge

Grants you a +1 to Wisdom Saving Throws and Ability Checks.

Blighted Village

Read the Necromancy of Thay book and succeed on a series of checks.

Find Familiar: Shovel

Allows you to summon Shovel, a quasit.

Blighted Village

Use the 'Summon Quasit' scroll found in the Necromancer's cellar.

BOOOAL's Benediction

Grants you Advantage on Attack Rolls against bleeding targets.

Festering Cove

Allow the Kuo-toa to sacrifice one of your companions to BOOAL.

Survival Instinct

Grants you the 'Survival Instinct' Illithid power, which lets you prevent an ally from going into a downed state and heal them instead.

Myconid Colony

Help Omeluum try to extract your Parasite, and pass three Skill Checks.

Awakened Illithid Powers

Allows you to use your Illithid powers with a Bonus Action, instead of an Action.

Crèche Y'llek

Use the Githyanki Zaith'isk and pass three Skill Checks.

Instrument Proficiency

Alfira the Tiefling Bard can be found in the Druid Grove in a small alcove north of where the druids are conducting their ritual. You'll need to speak to and help her finish writing her song lyrics. Afterward, you'll gain proficiency in musical instruments.

Though not the most flashy of buffs, there are more uses for musical instruments in Baldur's Gate 3 than just jamming out with them at camp!

Find Familiar: Scratch

You can find Scratch in the woods to the northeast of the Blighted Village. You'll need to pass a Perception or Animal Handling check to convince him to sniff you and follow you to camp after ascertaining that his previous master is dead.

Note that yelling at the dead master, or trying to pickpocket the body before calming Scratch down, will cause Scratch to become hostile and attack.

After a Long Rest, you'll find Scratch at your camp, where he'll be a permanent fixture.

Being able to speak with animals, either via the Bard, Druid, and Ranger spell list, or the Warlock invocation, will help you understand the situation to better help Scratch!

Brand of the Absolute

Priestess Gut can befound in the Goblin Camp. You'll find her branding Goblins in the middle of the main hall of the Shattered Sanctum. Speaking to her will give you the choice to receive a brand yourself.

Obtaining the Brand of the Absolute will give you the ability to fully use the following items:

• Gloves of Power
• Absolute's Warboard
• Faithbreaker
• Ring of Absolute Force
• Vision of the Absolute

Loviatar's Love

Abdirak, a devout worshipper of Loviatar, can be found in the Goblin Camp. You'll find him in a room within the Shattered Sanctum, to the left of where Liam and Spike can be found. Speak to him, and accept his offer to flagellate you.

During this encounter, you'll need to pass a series of three rolls (your choice of Intimidation, Performance, or Constitution), after which you'll receive this buff.

Loviatar's Love gives you a whopping +2 to Attack Rolls and Saving Throws when you're under 30 percent health—a significant increase within the bounded accuracy system of Baldur's Gate 3. Putting this on a frontliner, such as a Fighter or Barbarian who will be taking the hits in combat regularly, can be incredibly powerful.

To ensure that you receive Loviatar's Love, be sure to loudly exaggerate your suffering and pain when Abdirak beats you. You can challenge him to do better or cry out in an exaggerated performance. Abdirak worships pain, so showing him you like and can take pain is the way to earn his blessing.

Paid the Price

Auntie Ethel is a hag that can be found in theSunlit Wetlands (or Putrid Bog, if you pass the Arcana check to detect the illusion of magic), near the Riverside Teahouse waypoint (X:-10, Y:252).

You may encounter her beforehand in the Emerald Grove, or near the Blighted Village, where she is seemingly being harassed by two men. Regardless of what you do during these encounters, you'll be able to find her in her Teahouse, where she'll offer to rid you of your Tadpole in exchange for one of your eyes.

Accepting her offer will replace one of your eyes with a glowing, whitish-green eye. Mechanically, this gives you a +1 on Intimidation checks but gives you Disadvantage on Perception checks.

This is a pretty hefty trade-off, as Perception checks are commonplace throughout the game — but a +1 to Intimidation isn't bad for the party's social face. Consider it carefully before agreeing!

Accepting Auntie Ethel's offer will inflict a permanent cosmetic change on your character!

Auntie Ethel's Hair

After locating Auntie Ethel as detailed in the previous section, you'll be able tofight her in her teahouse or lair. If you come out on top in this tough fight, you can opt to leave her at low health (10HP) without killing her, and she'll offer you a deal in which you can spare her life in exchange for her hair.

Using her hair will give you a +1 in any Ability Score of your choice.

Volo's Ersatz Eye

Volo can be found in the Goblin Camp, locked in a cage to the left of where you can find Abdirak (as mentioned in the Loviatar's Love section of this article).

You can save him from his plight by killing his new Goblin owner or tricking her into giving you the key. Whatever you do, you can invite him to your camp afterward. While he's at your camp, you can explain your Mindflayer Parasite situation to him. After a Long Rest, he will claim to have a cure for you.

Letting Volo try to remove the Parasite will inflict a permanent cosmetic change on your character!

If you go along with it, he'll engage in some questionable surgical practices, but end up replacing your eye with a magical eye that allows you to see invisible creatures.

BOOOAL's Benediction

The Festering Cove can be found to the east of the Arcane Tower, and is where you'll be able to engage with some Kuo-toan cultists trying to worship 'BOOOAL', their conceived god of murder.

You'll have several choices here, including sacrificing one of your companions to 'BOOOAL' to gain this boon for the whole party.

Your sacrificed companion cannot be revived by any means and will be permanently dead for the game. You cannot sacrifice a Hireling for the buff.

This buff will grant you Advantage on Attack Rolls against bleeding targets. Of course, the price to receive it is extremely hefty. That said, if you've held a grudge against Astarion all this time for trying to stab you when you first met, this is a pretty solid buff — especially when you have several party members who can inflict bleeding,

Survival Instinct

Omeluum is a Mindflayer who can be found in the Myconid Colony (X:99, Y:-101) within the Underdark, right by the Ebonlake Grotto. Speak to Blurg, the Hobgoblin merchant in the colony, to summon Omeluum.

You can explain your Mindflayer Parasite situation to him, after which he'll send you on a quest to gather ingredients. Complete this quest, drink his potion, and pass several Ability Checks to receive this buff.

Survival Instinct allows you to infuse an ally with Survivability, allowing them to heal for 3d4 Hit Points instead of going into a downed state when they reach 0 Hit Points.

Awakened Illithid Powers

This is a permanent status effect that you can obtain by getting into the Githyanki Zaith'isk at Crèche Y'llek. Endure the treatment until the end and pass some increasingly difficult Saving Throws (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Constitution).

Though Lae'zel will want to undergo the Zaith'isk treatment first, the buff willonly apply to the character who does so.

Awakened will allow you to use any Illithid power as a Bonus Action instead of an Action. Bonus Actions are an underused resource for the vast majority of classes, making this a great buff for players who plan on cultivating their Illithid powers.

Failing any of the Saving Throws will impose a -2 to the ability involved in the check — potentially costing you 2 points each in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Constitution.

This is a massive penalty, and we'd recommend saving before you attempt this check — or consider it carefully before going through with it.

Every Permanent Buff In Baldur's Gate 3: Act Two

Buff Name

Effect

Location

How To Get

Potion of Everlasting Vigor

Grants you a +2 modifier to Strength score.

Moonrise Towers

Force Astarion to drink Araj Oblodra's blood.

Mystra's Benevolence

Grants Gale Advantage on checks to maintain Concentration on spells. (Gale Only)

Moonrise Towers

Destroy the ritual circle in Balthazar's Laboratory.

Arabella's Shadow Entanglement

Allows you to cast Entangle on Undead creatures.

House of Healing

Investigate and inform Arabella about her parents' fate.

Conjure: Us

Allows you to summonUs, an Intellect Devourer.

Necrotic Laboratory

Prevent Us from dying on the Nautiloid, then free it from its cage.

Githzerai Mind Barrier

Grants you Advantage on Intelligence Saving Throws.

Necrotic Laboratory

Complete the brain puzzle in the Necrotic Laboratory, and insert the Waking Mind into the Mind-Archive interface.

Bardic Inspiration

Earn a 1d12 Bardic Inspiration Charge to use once per Long Rest without consuming regular Bardic Inspiration Charges.

Moonrise Towers

Must be a Bard. Talk to Alfira in Moonrise Towers when she wants to play music for the Tiefling Children.

Slayer Form

Allows you to transform into the Slayer once every Long Rest.

Shadow-Cursed Lands

Can only be earned when playing as the Dark Urge. Either kill your lover, Isobel, or the companion who approves of you the most. Part of The Urge quest.

OR

Become Bhaal's Chosen in Act Three.

Gale's Level 3 Shadow Spell Slot

Gale gains an extra Level 3 Shadow Spell Slot that functions separately from regular Spell Slot Spells.

Reithwin Town

Can only be earned when playing as Gale's Origin. Earned after killing Malus, Gerringothe, or Thisobald Thorm and consuming the Weave from their corpses.

Potion of Everlasting Vigor

Araj Oblodra is a Drow who can be found in Moonrise Towers.

You'll be able to give her some of your blood, and — if you have Astarion with you—force him to drink some of her blood in exchange for a potion that will increase your Strength score permanently by +2.

Doing so will permanently hurt your relationship with Astarion. So, if you're trying to romance the vampire rogue, you may want to avoid doing this.

Mystra's Benevolence

Solving Balthazar's bookshelf puzzle in his chambers will give you access to a private laboratory, where you can choose to either make a Shadowlantern with dark magic or destroy the site so that it can no longer be used to produce Moonlanterns for the Cult of the Absolute.

The consequences of each choice are explained in more detail in our guide about Balthazar's laboratory.

Letting Gale destroy the ritual circle will grant him Mystra's Benevolence, which grants him Advantage on Concentration checks. This is a great boon for the relatively-fragile wizard class to have.

This boon is only obtainable by Gale, and only if you let Gale destroy the ritual circle.

Arabella's Shadow Entanglement

Arabella can be found during Act Two in front of the Thorm Mausoleum, looking for her parents. You'll be able to find her parents in the House of Healing, though they'll unfortunately already be dead by the time you arrive.

Informing Arabella about the fate of her parents will grant you her Shadow Entanglement ability, which lets you cast Entangle on the Undead and shadow-based creatures of the Shadow-Cursed lands.

Conjure: Us

Us is an Intellect Devourer that you can meet at the very start of the game, aboard the Nautiloid ship. If you helped it and kept it alive during the tutorial of Act One, you'll be able to find Us again, in the Mindflayer Colony under Moonrise Towers.

Freeing Us here will make it a loyal ally you can summon once per rest to aid you in battle.

Githzerai Mind Barrier

To obtain this buff, you'll need to solve the brain puzzle in the Necrotic Library, within the Mindflayer Colony under Moonrise Towers. After this, you'll need to place the Waking Head you find into the Mind-Archive interface, and accept the Slack-Skinned Head's offer.

This buff will grant you Advantage on Intelligence Saving Throws — an admittedly uncommonly-used, but still useful, boon to have.

Bardic Inspiration

You can gain a permanent charge of Bardic Inspiration to use once per Long Rest without using your existing Bardic Inspiration slots. This Bardic Inspiration Charge is punchier than a regular charge and will allow you to cast 1d12 damage.

To unlock this extra charge, speak with Alfira the Tiefling Bard at the end of Act Two. You can find Alfira in Moonrise Towers, offering to improve morale among the Tiefling children by singing to them.

If you are playing as a Bard, speaking to Alfira after she reveals her wishes will grant you the bonus. While fun, you do not have to play the song with Alfira to earn the Bardic Inspiration Charge.

Slayer Form

If you are playing as the Dark Urge Origin, you can unlock a Slayer Form during Act Two. The Slayer is a large monstrous form unique to Bhaalspawn. This form has the following stats:

Size

Large

Type

Monstrosity

Armor Class (AC)

16

Hit Points (HP)

98 HP

HP bumps up to 153 after you pass level 10.

Movement Speed

14 m or 45 ft

Weight

200kg or 800lbs

Initiative Bonus

+2

The Slayer Form's Ability Scores are as follows:

Ability Score

Strength (STR)

Dexterity (DEX)

Constitution (CON)

Intelligence (INT)

Wisdom (WIS)

Charisma (CHA)

Base

20

14

17

10

10

8

Bonus

+5

+2

+3

+0

+0

-1

Saving Throws

+7

+2

+5

-1

The Slayer form also has a Proficiency Bonus of +2.

To unlock the Slayer Form as the Dark Urge, you need to choose to kill Isobel, your romanced companion, or the companion with whom you have the highest affinity during 'The Urge' quest.

You will also be able to transform into the Slayer Form if you have chosen to become Bhaal's Chosen in Act Three. However, choosing not to become Bhaal's Chosen during Act Three will mean losing the Slayer Form forever.

Gale's Level Three Shadow Spell Slot

If you are playing Gale's Origin, you can unlock an extra Level Three Spell Slot alongside your regular Spell Slots to be used once per Long Rest. This Spell Slot will not deplete one of your regular Level Three Spell Slots.

To unlock this ability, you need to absorb the Weave from the corpse of one of either Malus Thorm, Gerringothe Thorm, or Thisobald Thorm after defeating them.

You will not gain the spell slot if you choose to cleanse the Weave rather than absorb it.

Every Permanent Buff In Baldur's Gate 3: Act Three

Buff Name

Effect

Location

How To Get

Partial Ceremorphosis

Unlocks Tier Three and automatically completes Tier One of the Illithid Power Skill Tree.

Campsite

Eat, or open your mind to, the Astral Tadpole.

Unstable Blood

Makes your blood flammable and explosive.

Blushing Mermaid

Drink Araj Oblodra's potion after meeting her at the Blushing Mermaid.

Monk's Curse

Lets you cast Tasha's Hideous Laughter at will.

Open Hand Temple

Complete the 'Help the Cursed Monk' questline.

Vampire Ascendant

Grants Astarion the ability to use Misty Escape (turn into a gaseous form) and Ascendant Bite (6d6 Necrotic Damage + 6d6 Healing), as well as a bonus of 1d10 on all weapon and unarmed Attack Rolls. (Astarion Only)

Cazador's Dungeon

Kill Cazador and allow Astarion to go through with the ascension ritual.

Mirror of Loss

Grants you a +2 bonus to an ability of your choice.

House of Grief

Interact with the Mirror of Loss and pass the Skill Checks in the House of Grief.

Tharchiate Vigor

Grants you 20 Temporary Hit Points per Long Rest.

Ramazith's Tower

Obtain and read the Tharchiate Codex.

Danse Macabre

Allows you to cast Danse Macabre, a Fifth-Level Necromancy Spell that summons six ghouls to fight alongside you.

Ramazith's Tower

Obtain and read the Tharchiate Codex, then read the Necromancy of Thay book again.

Anointed in Splendour

Gain a +2 bonus to all Saving Throws.

Stormshore Taberncale

Offer gold to one of the deities in Stormshore Tabernacle until you can ask for a blessing.

OR

Ask for Mystra's forgiveness as Gale.

Slayer Knowledge

Gain Advantage against Bhaalspawn. Applies to the entire party.

Steel Watch Foundry

Ask Volo about the Slayer and read the guidebook he offers you.

Sweet Stone Features

Grants you a 1d4 Slashing damage bonus to all Attack Rolls and Saving Throws.

Circus of the Last Days

Buy a Stone Statue of yourself or your companion from Boney. The bonus goes to whoever was sculpted.

Partial Ceremorphosis

At the start of Act Three, your campsite will be attacked by Githyanki warriors, and the Absolute will begin to take over your mind. You'll need to escape into the Astral Plane, after which you'll need to save your Dream Guardian from being killed by more Githyanki.

After all of this, your Dream Guardian will offer you a way to undergo Partial Ceremorphosis, which will greatly enhance your Illithid powers but inflict a mass of black veins across your face.

Consuming the Astral Tadpole will inflict a permanent cosmetic change on your character!

Undergoing Partial Ceremorphosis on any party member will

• Automatically give you every Illithid skill in the first tier of the Illithid Powers skill tree.
• Refund every Mindflayer Parasite Specimen you've invested in the first tier of Illithid Powers.
• Unlock the third tier of the Illithid Powers skill tree.
• Give you access to the 'Fly' action.

Players who don't mind consuming the Mindflayer Parasite Specimens and utilizing Illithid Powers will definitely want to weigh the cosmetic changes against this list of powerful new boons that Partial Ceremorphosis will give you.

You'll also be able to convince your party members to undergo Partial Ceremorphosis with a variety of social checks. The requirements and consequences of doing so are detailed in our guide about the Astral Tadpole.

Unstable Blood

Araj Oblodra, a Drow whom you can meet in Moonrise Towers during Act Two, can be found again in the city of Baldur's Gate during Act Three — this time at the Blushing Mermaid tavern.

If you gave her your blood the first time (though you don't have to have forced Astarion to bite her), she'll be happy to work with you again to give you another potion.

This one will turn your blood explosive and flammable when it comes in contact with fire.

Monk's Curse

The Sentient Amulet is an item you can obtain in Grymforge, during Act One. You can complete its Help the Cursed Monk questline in the city of Baldur's Gate, bytraveling to the crypt under the Open Hand Temple and bringing the Amulet to a specific coffin.

You'll need to pass a series of checks — risking two points of Wisdom — to obtain the ability to cast Tasha's Hideous Laughter, a First Level Enchantment spell, at will.

That said, the Sentient Amulet offers several great effects for the Monk class, making this a potentially poor trade-off if you have a Monk in your party.

Vampire Ascendant

Astarion is a companion whom you can recruit at the start of the game during Act One. Following his personal storyline, The Pale Elf, will eventually lead you to the Szarr Palace in the Lower City of Baldur's Gate, where you'll help him prevent his former master, Cazador, from ascending into a Vampire Ascendant and gaining incredible power.

After defeating Cazador, you'll have the option to let Astarion ascend in Cazador's place, resulting in Astarion becoming the Vampire Ascendant instead at the cost of thousands of lives.

Ascending will grant Astarion the ability to use Misty Escape to turn into a gaseous form, and use an Ascendant Bite (6d6 Necrotic Damage + 6d6 Healing). He'll also receive a bonus of 1d10 on all weapon and unarmed Attack Rolls.

Though an incredible buff to Astarion, be warned that his personality will become permanently changed; Astarion will become more arrogant and disagreeable, treating all other creatures with disrespect.

If you are romancing Astarion, he will also become uncomfortably possessive.

Mirror of Loss

The Mirror of Loss can be found in the House of Grief, during Shadowheart's personal story. More information about locating and using the mirror can be found in our detailed guide on how to use the Mirror of Loss.

When operated correctly, the Mirror of Loss will grant you a +2 and -2 in two separate Ability Scores. However, the penalty can be removed with Remove Curse, leaving you with just a +2 buff.

Tharchiate Vigor

The Tharchiate Codex can be found in the Sorcerous Vault within Ramazith's Tower. After a series of puzzles, you'll be able to obtain this book from the Elminster Vault within the tower.

Initially, upon reading the book, you'll be cursed by a status effect called Tharchiate Withering. Use Remove Curse on yourself to turn it into a buff called Tharchiate Vigor, which will instead give you a boon of 20 Temporary Hit Points each time you Long Rest.

Danse Macabre

After obtaining the Tharchiate Codex as detailed above, you can revisit the Necromancy of Thay book you could obtain from the Blighted Village during Act One (detailed in an earlier section of this guide).

You'll now be able to fully read the Necromancy of Thay, granting yourself a powerful Fifth-Level Necromancy spell, Danse Macabre, which will give you the ability to summon ghouls to fight for you.

Anointed In Splendour

The Anointed In Splendour bonus gives your character a +2 bonus to all Saving Throws.

To unlock this bonus, head to Stormshore Tabernacle and offer gold to any one of the deities until you have earned the right to request a blessing. There is no flat fee to earn this blessing, and you will not know the exact amount you need to pay until the blessing has been offered to you.

The cost of a blessing levels alongside your character, and is affected by the difficulty level you have chosen for your game.

The other way to unlock this bonus is available only to Gale. If Gale asks Mystra for forgiveness at Stormshore Tabernacle, she will forgive him and Gale will earn the Anointed in Splendour bonus for the rest of the game.

Slayer Knowledge

Another bonus only available to the Dark Urge Origin, Slayer's knowledge gives your character Advantage against Slayer Abilities targeted at you. This gives you Advantage over all of Bhaal's Chosen.

To unlock this bonus, you must choose to rescue and untie Volo at the Steel Watch Foundry. After speaking to him and ultimately sending him to your camp, you can speak to him again and ask him about the Slayer.

Read Volo's guidebook, and you will earn the Slayer Knowledge bonus for your entire party.

Sweet Stone Features

Unlockable in the Circus of the Last Days, Sweet Stone features gives you a 1d4 Slashing Damage bonus to all Attack Rolls and Saving Throws. This bonus applies once every Long Rest.

Talk to Boney the Mephit in the tent at the back left of the circus. You need to pay him 5000 gold to sculpt a statue of either you or one of your party members. Whoever Boney Sculpts will earn the Slashing Damage Bonus.

Only one character in your party can obtain this bonus. The bonus will also wear off if your character has been Blessed by the Bless Spell or was healed by a character wearing The Whispering Promise. Long Resting will replenish the bonus.

Baldur's Gate 3: Class Tier List

Wondering how the various classes and subclasses of Baldur's Gate 3 stack up? We've got you covered.