Baldur's Gate 3: Shadowheart's secret scoring system

Shadowheart's enigmatic loyalty to Shar has a little secret: a points system that tracks your influence on her from behind the scenes - shaping not only her faith, but her entire destiny.

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Du dachtest, du hilfst Shadowheart bloß durch ihre göttliche Emo-Phase? Falsch gedacht. Baldur’s Gate 3 führt Buch – und zwar wörtlich. Hinter mondbeschienenen Selbstzweifeln, kryptischen Lagergesprächen und therapeutischen Pilzen verbirgt sich ein subtiler Zähler, der bestimmt, ob Shadowheart sich von Shar lossagt oder ihr treu bleibt – mit tiefgreifenden Konsequenzen.

Shadowhearts Schattenkonto: Die Nightsong-Punkte

YouTuber SlimX has once again dug deep into the code and revealed: Shadowheart has a hidden system - the so-called Nightsong-Punkte. If you collect four out of a possible six points, she begins to seriously doubt Shar, her mission and herself. This can lead to new dialogue, memories and even an alternative outcome to one of the game's most emotional moments.

But as with Gale, there is no straight path to the goal. The Nightsong points are embedded in an opaque web of hidden triggers, secret states, random dice rolls and a nightmare with a wolf that has more influence than it initially seems. Welcome to Layer Hell.

Wolf visions, fungal therapy and aching hands

A key to Shadowheart's development is her dream sequence - a surreal flashback with a wolf, a pendant and lots of religious symbolism. But to see it at all, you need a sufficient number of so-called Wolf dream points. Yes, you read that right: hidden points that unlock other hidden points, which in turn influence story decisions. Baldur’s Gate 3 ist ein Puzzle aus Code und Schicksal.

Another influencing factor is the Flare-System: Shadowheart's cursed hand reacts noticeably when it does something that goes against Shar's will. If this happens four times, it triggers a deeply buried memory - along with another point for your shadow account. But beware: some of these flares are buggy, difficult to trigger outside of dialogue or can block the entire chain if you hit them in the wrong order.

Of course, a mushroom is also a must - a special memory mushroom can unlock an additional scene if you give it to her. And if you remain attentive in the second act, further possibilities open up: Give her a specific flower, let her interact in a Shar temple or observe her reactions in the camp. With four points and a high approval rating, you may be able to prevent her from killing the Nightsong.

The final: Decision in the shadows

The decisive moment comes at the showdown with the night song. Whether Shadowheart spares or kills her depends on two factors:

• Your Nightsong score (at least 4)
• Your approval rating with Shadowheart (three levels: under 20, 20-40, over 40)
  
  

If you have four points and over 40 approval, she automatically spares Nachtlied - unless you tell her not to. But beware: if you are in the 20-40 zone, even the perfect score can fail. A known bug means that Shadowheart is forced to reach for the blade at this threshold - regardless of previous decisions.

The (unofficial) solution? Throw the spear on the ground before the scene begins. No weapon, no murder. The scene then proceeds as if she had chosen mercy - a workaround that avoids the bug and saves you the good route.

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A dance on thin ice - with a bug risk

Shadowheart's loyalty arc is one of the most complex - and at the same time most fragile - systems in the game. It is based on invisible mechanics, hidden flags, finely tuned values and sometimes simply luck. Thanks to SlimX, we now have a compass in the dark. But be warned: the game always counts - and who knows, maybe Shadowheart's approval rating is dropping right now because you're reading this article.

 (Bildquelle: Larian Studios)