Karlach Romance Guide - Baldur's Gate III Guide - IGN (2024)

Looking to romance Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3? Our comprehensive Karlach Sex and Romance Guide has you covered with a detailed list of all Karlach's approvals and disapprovals, as well as how to get all Karlach romance encounters throughout Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3 in BG3.

Looking for something in particular regarding Karlach?

• Karlach Romance Guide
• Karlach Approval and Disapproval Guide
  • Karlach Approval List
  • Karlach Disapproval List
• How to Romance Karlach in Act 1
• How to Romance Karlach in Act 2
• How to Romance Karlach in Act 3

Karlach Romance Guide

Before you can get a chance with Karlach for a romance scene, you’ll need to make some progress in Baldur’s Gate 3. Also, it’s extremely important to try and make your decisions with her approval in mind.

There are many times throughout the story and moments back at the campsite with Karlach that can influence her opinion of you. If you have a negative relationship with her, she won’t have any interest in you when it matters.

Karlach Approval and Disapproval Guide

Approval in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the most important aspect of romancing a character. No matter which character you may be aiming to romance, making sure their approval of you is high should always be step one.

Karlach, like all companions, has a distinct personality and things she approves of and, inversely, things she dislikes; so long as you can maintain a consistent personality that can appeal to Karlach's traits, gaining approval with her should be simple.

Karlach is a more morally good character than evil and is arguably one of the easier companions to gain approval with if you're aiming for choices that lean towards heroism, and becomes harder if you're leaning towards villainy. However, she also loves to fight, so choosing options that result in violence is also a good way to gain favor with her, so long as you're doling out punishment on those who deserve it.

With that said, here's a list of things Karlach approves and disapproves of.

Karlach Approval List

Below is a list of all known acts that Karlach approves of in BG3:

• General acts of heroism
• Kindness towards children
• Compassion towards Tieflings
• Violent-oriented solutions, as long as they're not mindless or villainous
• Standing up against bullying of the weak

Karlach Disapproval List

Below is a list of all known acts that Karlach disapproves of in BG3:

• Being cruel and unnecessary
• Being a coward
• Siding with the goblins
• Anti-Tiefling Sentiment

So long as you confront evil and never choose options to run away (diplomacy is okay), you should get along with Karlach just fine.

How to Romance Karlach in Act 1

After completing Rescuing the Druid Halsin and completing the Side Quest, Save the Refugees. Once you complete these quests and take a long rest, there will be a celebration with the refugees at your campsite. Find Karlach and talk to her to start a conversation about the events up to now. Follow the decisions below to romance her.

When you talk to Karlach, this option will appear for you:

• "I think I've drummed up the courage to tell you how much I like you"

And Karlach will respond positively, which will result in her visiting you after you rest at your bedroll.

Afterward, Karlach will appear and sit beside you, and you'll have a small talk about her internal heat due to her Infernal Engine. Any option here is okay, just as long as they're not dismissive or rude. You'll be given the option to share a kiss with her, but eventually, you pull away, and she's worried that she hurt you.

Afterward, you can pick an alternative night option, but none of them will work, and she'll leave you for the night.

Although it's not the most romantic, these do all lead to the romance route with Karlach. Alternatively, if you choose not to kiss, you can skip straight to one of the other alternative options but be taken down the same route.

There's an intermission before your romance with Karlach can progress into Act 2, which requires cooling her down. To progress, we've written up a guide on How to Cool Off Karlach and as well as How to Find Infernal Iron, which is also related to doing so.

How to Romance Karlach in Act 2

Sometime after cooling off Karlach, you'll get a prompt from her in camp during one of your long rests. We got our prompt after our battle with Ketheric Thorm, so it could happen before that as well, possibly.

Approach her, and she'll ask you if she can see you later after everyone's asleep. Any of the first three options here are okay; just make sure you don't pick any options where you're asking her to back off completely or telling her that you're not ready or you want to break things off. After you accept her invitation, sleep at your bedroll to pass the time along.

When Karlach approaches you, you can choose any of the options for the first prompt to move things along positively. Then select the following options:

• "Let's take things slowly" or "Believe me, I can handle myself. And you."
• "Go on" or "What did you have in mind?"
• "I'm yours, Karlach" or "Ah-ah, you first"
• "I thought you'd never ask"

This will lead to a sex scene with Karlach. Alternatively, if you're unsure about your relationship with Karlach or are unready to go all the way, you can also select:

• "I like you, Karlach, but I don't think I want to sleep together with you."

This will lead you down another path that is much more subdued. Afterward, select:

• "I want to be close to you, but I'm not ready to go all the way"
• "That sounds perfect"

This scene is perfectly fine as well with continuing your romance with Karlach, even if it's not as direct.

The next morning speak to Karlach. Choose any of the options for the first and second prompts, and then choose any of the following options:

• "Of course, I do. Never doubt it" or "I much more than 'like' you"
• "If our record is anything to go by, there are plenty of disasters in our future. But we'll face them together"
• "I adore you too" or "I... love you"

This will help keep the romance with Karlach strong going into Act 3.

How to Romance Karlach in Act 3

Once you get to the Lower City in Baldur's Gate, if your approval is high enough with Karlach, you'll get the option to speak to her in camp, like normal. She'll invite you out to a date in the city. Choose to accept and head to your date spot. When you sit down with Karlach, select the following options:

• "Thank you - so do you" or "Don't I know it"

Pick any of the following food options and any of the following beverage options and then Karlach will ask you about your adventuring life. Pick any of the options for the next two prompts. This might lead you around a bit, but you'll end up in the same spot. Ask Karlach any question about herself and then respond with any of the prompts. You can pick any of the prompts following this, up until the question where Karlach asks you to come upstairs. Pick the following option:

• "After you"

This will lead to another sex scene with Karlach where you two will spend the night together at the inn. You'll come back to camp when you're done with it still being night, so you can choose to continue doing anything at camp if you need.

Alternatively you can select the following option:

• "I'll happily head upstairs with you, but I want to make sure I'm clear about not wanting to sleep together"

This will lead to a more subdued scene where you two will share a bed and a kiss but after that, things will fade to black and you'll be back in camp.

Once you're done, you can speak to Karlach about your future plans together in somewhat of a bittersweet scene where she accepts how her future might not be long. But with that done, you've completed all the available romance scenes with Karlach.