Baldur's Gate 3 Origin Characters: The Complete Karlach Guide (2024)

The Wrath of Avernus – find out what fuels Karlach's quest for revenge in her character origins guide for Baldur's Gate 3

Karlach

Roaming the world of Baldur's Gate 3 is Karlach, a Tiefling barbarian who now hunts for the man who quite literally sold her to hell. If you want to know Karlach's attributes, want to have her in your party or are just curious on how to woo her with your equally devilish charms, read our full Karlach Baldur's Gate 3 origin character guide below. Light spoilers ahead!

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Who is Karlach?

Karlach Cliffgate is a Tiefling barbarian who recently escaped the hellscape of Avernus after a decade of servitude to the archdevil Zariel. At the same time, a broken infernal machine that lies within her threatens to burn her out entirely unless Karlach finds a way to fix it. And other than the pleasures that her new-found freedom provides, the Wrath of Avernus also pursues the man who took it all away in the first place.

Karlach sports typical barbarian armaments with an infernal touch, choosing to go with tattered leather armor graced with a heavy Greataxe. One of her Tiefling ram horns is broken, adding to her rough and tumble look. Furthermore, her involvement in the war between devils and demons earned her the moniker “Devilsbane”. But despite the way she looks, Karlach escaped from literal hell with a heart of gold and a fierce sense of loyalty for her companions, resulting in almost half of the fanbase wanting to pursue the horned adventurer,

After she escapes on the same Nautiloid where you start your adventure, Zariel places a target on Karlach's back as punishment for desertion, vowing to dole out the ultimate punishment through her agents on the Material Plane. Now nowhere is safe for the vengeful Tiefling — not even her own body.

Karlach Starting Ability Stats

• Strength: 17
• Dexterity: 13
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 11
• Wisdom: 12
• Charisma: 8

Where is Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3?

You'll meet Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3 along The High Road, wounded and actively being pursued by her two-faced hunters. Completing her “Hunt the Devil” questline awards a certain magic weapon and tons of XP!

Ten character origins in total have been confirmed for the game's full version, as well as more than 12 followers that accompany each class. Additionally, the last update we got from the developers unveiled special Mindflayer powers, voice actor reveals and more! To know everything about the previous developer blog and the most important news about the game so far, we've outlined all of the important bits here!

Karlach's Companion Quest

Karlach's companion quest “Hellion's Heart” is centered on fixing the malfunctioning infernal engine that serves as her heart.

To advance the Tiefling barbarian's questline, you'll need to find Infernal Iron, a special item that is needed to repair the machine inside of Karlach. This alloy can be found in many areas scattered throughout the game's first and second acts.

Where to Find Infernal Iron

• Blighted Village Blacksmith's Forge – find a ladder on the right-hand side and open the locked chest
• Goblin Camp Dror Ragzlin's Treasure Room – Get the key off of Dror and climb the stairs to find the locked treasury
• Grymforge – Find Kith and pass the Perception dicerolls
• Reithwin Town – Enter the Mason's Guild area, Infernal Iron should be laying around
• Gauntlet of Shar – When you travel to Reithwin Town, enter the treasure room within the mausoleum

You'll be able to start your search after speaking to Dammon, an infernal mechanic who you'll find in the Druid's Grove during Act 1. After bringing Karlach to the smith, he'll task you with finding Infernal Iron, which can be found inside a barn at Blighted Village. Returning with the material leads to Dammon getting rid of Karlach's overheating problem, and further fixes can be made once you reunite with the infernal mechanic at Baldur's Gate.

Every origin character has their own unique questline which the player can follow to further deepen their bonds with certain heroes. Most of these events happen out of your campsite, but according to recent play-testers, some companion quests can be triggered in special areas in the world.

How to Romance Karlach

Karlach Approval Guide

Companions in Baldur's Gate 3 pay close attention to your choices in-game, so how you behave affects your romance progression with your chosen paramour. Karlach stands out because of her fierce loyalty and fiery personality (no pun intended). In line with this, any good-aligned choice that seeks to resolve conflict will put you in her good graces. On the other hand, taking the route of unwarranted violence will turn her off.

Earn Karlach's approval by doing the following:

• Confront bullies and criminals
• Be accepting of her Tiefling nature
• Demonstrate your combat prowess
• Succeed in trials of physical strength

Avoid these actions to gain Karlach's favor quickly:

• Being timid or indecisive
• Discriminating against Tieflings and other marginalized races
• Unjustly manipulative actions
• Disregarding her side during party decisions

Karlach Romance Guide – Act 1

You'll get your first opportunity to romance Karlach when you meet her near the Risen Road during the “Save the Refugees” questline. Deepen your bond by only choosing the most direct and honest dialogue options. Karlach values straightforward responses, so don't be afraid to show your resolve when you tell her you like her.

All in all, its fairly easy to gain Karlach's favor. After rescuing the druid Halsin and saving the grove, you'll get your first chance to romance the charismatic hellion during the night of celebration. From there, focus on finding Infernal Iron to fix the infernal engine inside her chest with Dammon to further her narrative. This task will stretch all the way to Act 2, this passionate Companion's worth every step.

Karlach is just one of many origin characters in Baldur's Gate 3 who weave their own threads in the grand plot of the massive open-world game. There's been tons of anticipation surrounding Larian Games' latest title, and the presence of multiple interconnected storylines involving heroic (and equally troubled) adventurers is just one of the many things to get excited for.

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