Every companion in Baldur’s Gate 3 really shines, but few of them are as endearing as Karlach. The literal warmth of Karlach’s heart makes her a fierce Barbarian and an even fiercer friend. Ten years ago, Karlach’s boss Lord Gortash sold her to the Archdevil Zariel. From there, her story has only gotten more tragic.
All that might start to change when you step into the picture. Karlach’s sure to steal your heart. We’re here to help you win hers.
Meeting Karlach
You can meet Karlach in Act 1, near the Risen Road waypoint. She’s south of a small house where a group of paladins are recuperating after encountering her themselves. The paladins will ask for your help retrieving Karlach, but that doesn’t mean you have to do what they ask.
If you’re having trouble finding Karlach, another companion, Wyll in the Emerald Grove, may be able to help. He’s hunting Karlach because of her work for Zariel in Avernus. If Wyll helps you find Karlach, he’ll want to kill her, but you have the option to tell him no at that point. Either way, you find Karlach. Once you speak with her about your shared position as parasite hosts, she’ll agree to head to your camp.
Building affinity
Luckily for anyone lovestruck by Karlach, building affinity with this companion is pretty easy. Because of her history as an unwilling servant to an Archdevil, Karlach is committed to helping people whenever she can. If you fight the forces of evil and aid the innocent wherever you can, Karlach will start falling for you pretty quickly. That means you need to deal with the goblin threat and save the Emerald Grove in Act 1.
It might not take long for sparks to start flying between you and Karlach. At that point, heat is actually going to be the biggest obstacle in your relationship. The Infernal Engine in Karlach’s chest is so hot she can barely touch another person. By throwing water on Karlach or finding some way to temporarily cover her in ice, the two of you will be able to safely share your first kiss. If you want to take things further, you’ll need to find a way to permanently cool her down.
Dammon and the Infernal Engine
Dammon is a tiefling blacksmith, and he’s the only character in the game with the skills to work on Karlach’s Infernal Engine. In Act 1, Dammon lives in the Emerald Grove. You need to do everything in your power to protect him and the other tieflings. If Dammon dies, you’ll never be able to fully progress Karlach’s romance.
In order to fix the Infernal Engine, Dammon needs Infernal Iron. Once you bring a piece to him in Emerald Grove, he’ll get to work making the repairs. There’s a chance the tiefling moves out of the grove before you find any Infernal Iron. Should that happen, you can rendezvous with Dammon in Act 2 at the Last Light Inn. You’ll want to bring him some Infernal Iron right away, just in case Dammon gets killed in the battle that can break out at the Inn. Regardless of where Dammon starts working on the Infernal Engine, you’ll need to bring him a second piece of Infernal Iron at the Last Light Inn for him to finish the work.
Back to camp and beyond
When Dammon fixes Karlach’s Infernal Engine, she’ll finally be able to touch other people. If you’ve already built up an affinity and progressed a romance with Karlach, she’ll be eager to meet you back at camp and take you to bed. From there, the two of you can continue deepening your relationship into Act 3. The final part of Karlach’s quest involves helping her get revenge against Gortash for selling her to Zariel in the first place. Once Gortash is dead, there’s nothing left to do but see Karlach’s fate through at the end of the game.
