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Permanent bonuses are special conditions, character enhancements, or other abilities, which will generally remain permanently after obtaining them. Some permanent bonuses will, however, be removed if the character dies.
There are many different permanent character enhancements or bonuses that can be obtained throughout Baldur's Gate 3. See below for details on these bonuses and how they can be obtained.
 | Spoiler warning: The following content contains unhidden spoilers. Read at your own risk. |
Act One
The following permanent character bonuses can be obtained in Act One of the game.
Auntie Ethel's Hair
Gain +1 to an ability score of choice. Can be raised above 20.
How to unlock
Defeat Auntie Ethel during Save Mayrina and take her deal to spare her life.
Awakened
You can use all of your illithid powers as a bonus action.
How to unlock
Make the Zaith'isk in the infirmary of Crèche Y'llek explode and succeed at all three saving throws. The saves are significantly easier if you are in the device rather than Lae'zel. The person that gets the buff is always the player character.
Failing any of the saving throws for the Zaith'isk inflicts permanent, stacking penalties to the ability scores of the character inside it: each failure will, respectively, give -2 to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Constitution. Partial ceremorphosis will remove the ability debuff.
BOOOAL's Blessing
Gain advantage on attack rolls against Bleeding targets.
How to unlock
Sacrifice a companion to BOOOAL in The Festering Cove (hirelings cannot be sacrificed). The effect will stop working if all Kuo-toa in the Cove are killed.
This buff is granted to all present party members, and is permanently lost upon death.
Brand of the Absolute
Allows the benefits from Absolute equipment and unlocks unique dialogue options when speaking to followers of the Absolute.
How to unlock
Agree to let a character be branded by Gut in the Goblin Camp.
Multiple characters can receive the brand after the first character has been branded by Gut by controlling them and speaking to Warlock Greez.
Find Familiar: Scratch
Gain the ability to summon Scratch as a familiar while outside of camp. While summoned, Scratch will be able to uncover buried treasure.
How to unlock
Leave Scratch with your scent so he joins your camp, then later when he offers you a ball, throw it to play fetch with him. Having Scratch's Ball in your inventory allows you to use Find Familiar: Scratch.
Find Familiar: Cheeky Quasit
Summon Shovel (or Basket, or Fork), the Cheeky Quasit.
How to unlock
Find the unique Scroll of Summon Quasit in one of the coffins of the hidden area in the Apothecary's Cellar beneath the Blighted Village. Wizards can scribe this spell, or other classes can permanently acquire her through the correct dialogue options.
Instrument proficiency
You know how to play a variety of musical instruments and are able to entertain a crowd with them.
How to unlock
Pass one of two Charisma (Performance) checks while helping Alfira with her song in the Emerald Grove.
Bards have this automatically and this provides no additional benefit to them.
Loviatar's Love
When you have 30% Hit Points or less, you gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and Wisdom saving throws.
How to unlock
Submit to Abdirak and put on a good performance for him in the Shattered Sanctum.
Effect is permanently lost if the character dies and is revived.
Necromancy of Thay
Gain the passive feature Forbidden Knowledge, which grants a +1 to Wisdom saving throws and ability checks. You can also cast Speak with Dead once per long rest.
How to unlock
Turn all three pages while reading Necromancy of Thay, a book found in a hidden area in the Apothecary's Cellar beneath the Blighted Village.
Turning only 1 page will grant only Speak with Dead. The reader does not need to succeed on the saving throws associated with turning the pages.
Paid the Price
You have a +1 bonus to Intimidation checks, but disadvantage on Perception checks. Additionally, you have disadvantage when attacking Hags. Changes the chosen eye's appearance.
How to unlock
Accept Auntie Ethel's deal to remove the parasite at the Riverside Teahouse.
Survival Instinct
Gain the additional illithid power Survival Instinct, which allows the user to infuse a creature with psionic force, healing them if they reach 0 hit points.
How to unlock
Complete the quest Help Omeluum investigate the parasite with Omeluum in the Underdark.
This is an unique illithid power not obtainable through regular illithid power progression.
Volo's Ersatz Eye
Grants a permanent See Invisibility effect. Changes the right eye's appearance. The right eye's colour is changed to "Blue 3". This cannot be reversed using the Magic Mirror.
How to unlock
Rescue Volo from the Goblin Camp. When speaking to him in the campsite afterwards, tell him about your Tadpole infection and agree to his experimental surgery.
Act Two
The following permanent character bonuses can be obtained in Act Two of the game's story.
Arabella's Shadow Entangle
Entangle an Undead or shadow creature until long rest.
How to unlock
Tell Arabella about her parents' fate during the quest Find Arabella's Parents.
Bardic inspiration
Gain a charge of Bardic Inspiration that is stronger than usual (1d12). Usable once per long rest, and does not consume Bardic Inspiration charges.
This bonus does not strengthen existing Bardic Inspiration uses (if any); they will remain at the appropriate strength for the character's Bard level.
How to unlock
Available only to bards. At the end of Act 2, offer to play alongside Alfira to cheer up the children in Moonrise Towers, then use the Perform action when next to her. Alfira will grant this bonus when talking to her after playing alongside her. You may need to pass the Performance check when using Perform.
Githzerai Mind Barrier
Gain advantage on Intelligence saving throws.
How to unlock
Insert the Waking Mind (found at X: 750 Y: -139 after the brain connect puzzle in the Mind Flayer Colony) into the nearby Mind-Archive Interface. Speak to the Slack-Skinned Head, and agree to purge or consume its mind.
Effect is permanently lost if the character dies and is revived (as of Hotfix #6).
Level 3 Shadow Spell Slot
Gale gains an additional level three spell slot, separate from normal spell slots. Recharges per long rest.
How to unlock
Only available to Gale while playing his origin, and not as a companion.
Consume the Shadow Weave from the corpse of Gerringothe Thorm, Malus Thorm or Thisobald Thorm after slaying them in combat. Cleansing the Shadow Weave grants Mystra's Blessing until Long rest instead.
Defeating Malus or Thisobald via dialogue won't grant the option of consuming or cleansing the Shadow Weave (Bug as of Hotfix #16)
Potion of Everlasting Vigour
Gain +2 Strength. Can be used to raise Strength above 20, and will remain after respecing character.
How to unlock
Convince Astarion to bite Araj Oblodra in Moonrise Towers.
Slayer Form
Gain the ability to transform into the Slayer once per long rest.
How to unlock
Only available while playing the Dark Urge Origin.
Spoiler warning! This section reveals interactions with The Dark Urge.
Refusing to become Bhaal's Chosen will result in the permanent loss of the Slayer Form.
Summon Us
Allows you to summon Us, an intellect devourer, as a familiar.
How to unlock
Prevent Us from dying on the Nautiloid during the Prologue, then free it from its cage in the Mind Flayer Colony towards the end of Act Two.
Act Three
The following permanent character bonuses can be obtained in Act Three of the game's story.
Danse Macabre
Create 4 ghouls that fight alongside you. Comes with a curse that lowers Constitution by 5, but can be removed with the Remove Curse spell while keeping Danse Macabre
How to unlock
Read The Tharchiate Codex (found at the end of the Vault puzzle in Ramazith's Tower), then read the last page of the Necromancy of Thay (from Act 1) and pass a DC 20 Wisdom Saving Throw.
Monk's Hideous Laughter
Gain casting of Tasha's Hideous Laughter per long rest.
How to unlock
Carry the Sentient Amulet from Grymforge to a casket under the Open Hand Temple in Wyrm's Crossing, completing Help the Cursed Monk. Must choose to accept the curse yourself.
Possible wisdom loss if you fail Constitution/Wisdom saves. The sentient amulet seems to lose all of its abilities after the quest completion.
Mirror of Loss
Gain +2 to an ability score of your choice (and optionally +1 to Charisma).
How to unlock
Successfully offer a prayer (
DC 25 Religion check) to the Mirror of Loss in the House of Grief, then sacrifice one or more of your ability scores. You may receive the option to choose a permanent +2 bonus to any ability, and/or a +1 bonus to CHA. If you do not succeed on the DC 25 Religion check, the +2 buff is not available as a random reward. You can alternatively sacrifice your knowledge of the Necromancy of Thay to receive a guaranteed +2 of your choice, even without offering a prayer.
For each ability you sacrifice, you'll receive the Stolen Vigour curse, giving -2 to that Ability. This can be cured via Remove Curse, or (as of v4.1.1.4251417) performing a long rest. Either method of removing the curse allows you to retain the stat buff(s) you may have received.
Buffs granted by the Mirror can raise the affected ability score up to 24.
As of v4.1.1.4811634, the bonuses from the Necromancy of Thay are properly lost when you sacrifice its knowledge.
You will receive the Patriar's Memory (+1 CHA) if the Narrator tells you the following after sacrificing an ability score: "Disappointment floods your mind. You were sure to succeed Stelmane, but Lord Enver Gortash has stolen your support. All that charming and cajoling in the parlous of the Upper City, Wasted." You can continue to reload until you receive this specific memory, though be aware that this outcome becomes significantly less likely to occur for characters who have completed the DC 25 Religion check, due to the mechanics of how the various outcomes are chosen (described in detail on the Mirror of Loss page).
Partial ceremorphosis
Gain access to tier 3 illithid powers, and automatically unlock all tier 1 illithid powers and the tier 3 illithid power Fly. This will cause a cosmetic change in the character.
How to unlock
Consume the Astral-Touched Tadpole offered by the Emperor.
Slayer Knowledge
Grants advantage against Slayer abilities.
How to unlock
Rescue Volo while he is tied up to explosives near the Steel Watch Foundry. Talk to him after the fight that ensues, and he will return to your camp.
Back at the camp, talk to him again and he will explain that he was targeted by the Lord of Murder Bhaal and his Chosen. You can then ask him about the Slayer and he will offer you a guidebook written by the wizard Irenicus. Read this book and you will gain a passive feature that gives you and your party an edge against any of Bhaal's Chosen.
Sweet Stone Features
Gain a +1d4 Slashing bonus to attack rolls and saving throws.
How to unlock
Pay Boney in the Circus of the Last Days 5000 gold for Stoney to construct a statue of yourself or a companion. The effect goes to whoever is depicted. Stony can only construct a statue for a single character. The effect begins once you long rest.
This effect will be overwritten if the character is affected by Bless or is healed by a character wearing The Whispering Promise. Once the Bless effect expires, they will not regain Sweet Stone Features until completing another long rest.
The Tharchiate Codex: Blessing
After a long rest, gain 20 temporary hit points. Remains active if The Tharchiate Codex is also used to obtain Danse Macabre.
How to unlock
Read The Tharchiate Codex (found at the end of the Vault puzzle in Ramazith's Tower).
Unstable Blood
Gain the passive Unstable Blood. Your blood is now highly flammable; if you bleed and create a blood surface, it will explode on contact with fire.
How to unlock
Give your blood to Araj Oblodra in Moonrise Towers in Act 2, then meet her again east of The Blushing Mermaid in Act 3 and help her again. She will give you a potion that grants this feature once drunk.
Tip: Give to a tiefling or red, gold or brass dragonborn, or equip an item that grants Fire resistance to minimise the damage you yourself take from the explosions.
Vampire Ascendant
Astarion gains class actions Ascendant Bite and Misty Escape, as well as an extra Necrotic damage to weapon and unarmed attacks.
How to unlock
Only available to Astarion (companion or origin).
Defeat Cazador without killing any of his spawn whilst having Astarion in your party. Afterward, allow Astarion to complete the ascension ritual.