Permanent bonuses in Baldur’s Gate 3 are rare and coveted. Here is a complete list of every last one and how to get them!
In Baldur’s Gate 3, Permanent bonuses are Conditions that players can earn for a character when very specific requirements are met. Permanent bonuses stay with a character even if they respec to a different class, making them highly desirable traits that allow for different playstyles and unique build choices.
Permanent bonuses are hard-earned, and there are little to no indicators in the game stating that doing something will earn you a prize of this caliber. Knowing what decisions can lead to rewards as lucrative as a permanent upgrade is useful knowledge to have, particularly on Tactician difficulty.
Updated by Hamza Haq on November 10, 2023: New links have been incorporated into the content to reflect the most recent information available for Baldur’s Gate 3.
All Permanent Bonuses In Act 1
These are all the permanent buffs obtainable in Chapter 1.
|
Permanent Bonus |
Effects |
How To Get |
|---|---|---|
|
Auntie Ethel’s Hair |
+1 to Ability Score of your choice |
Defeat Auntie Ethel and bring her to below 10 HP (avoid killing her) during Save Mayrina quest. She will offer you one of her hair in exchange for sparing her life. |
|
Brand of the Absolute |
Gain additional benefits from wearing Absolute Equipment. Access to unique dialogue options. |
Talk to Priestess Gut in the Goblin Camp and accept her offer to be branded by the Mark of the Absolute. Can be repeated by multiple companions. |
|
BOOOAL’s Benediction |
Gain attack roll advantage against enemies affected by Bleeding. |
Sacrifice one of your companions to BOOOAL at the Festering Cove in the Underdark. Hirelings don’t work. Sacrificed companions cannot be revived by any means. |
|
Musical Instrument Proficiency |
Gain proficiency with musical instruments. |
Find Alfira in the Druid Grove and help her with her song. Succeed in two Charisma checks to obtain the ability. |
|
Loviatar’s Love |
Gain +2 bonus to Attack Rolls and Wisdom saving throws when your HP falls below 30%. |
Agree to undergo torture under Abdirak in the Shattered Sanctum at the Goblin Camp. |
|
Necromancy of Thay |
Learn “Speak With Dead“ |
Obtain the Necromancy of Thay from the Necromancer’s hideout in the Blighted Village. Unlock it by using the Dark Amethyst found in the Whispering Cave. Turn one page successfully to learn the ability. |
|
Paid the Price |
Gain +1 bonus to Intimidation rolls, but disadvantage on Perception checks. Can only attack Hags with disadvantage. |
Allow Auntie Ethel to try and fix your parasite problem at the Riverside Teahouse. |
|
Survival Instinct |
Gain the ability Survival Instinct. (IInfuse a character with psionic force, and if its HP reaches 0, heal it by 3d4 HP)) |
Complete Omeluum’s quest to investigate the tadpole. |
|
Volo’s Ersatz Eye |
Gain permanent See Invisibility. Changes the right eye’s color to faded white. |
Rescue Volo from the Goblins and agree to undergo the operation under his care when he offers to remove the tadpole for you. He will insert an artificial eye (Volo’s Ersatz Eye) in your head. |
|
Awakened |
Use all Illithid abilities as Bonus Actions |
Blow up Zaith’Isk in the githyanki infirmary by passing the necessary checks. The Awakened status is only obtained by the character undergoing the operation. |
|
Find Familiar: Scratch |
Summon Scratch the dog. |
Get Scratch to join your camp and play ball with him when he brings a ball. |
|
Find Familiar: Shovel |
Summon Shovel, a Quasit. |
Find the Scroll of Summon Quasit in Blighted Village in one of the coffins at the Apothecary. Learn the spell on the scroll using a Wizard to gain the spell permanently. |
Players cannot get both Volo’s Ersatz Eye and Paid the Price on the same character. Both these permanent bonuses require you to sacrifice one eye to get it and you cannot sacrifice both your natural eyes. However, you can opt to get one permanent bonus on one character and another one on a different character in your party.
All Permanent Bonuses In Act 2
These are all the permanent buffs obtainable in Chapter 2.
|
Permanent Bonus |
Effects |
How To Get |
|---|---|---|
|
Arabella’s Shadow Entangle |
Gain the ability to cast Entangle on an undead or shadow creature |
Complete the Save Arabella quest during Act 1 and tell her that her parents are dead when you meet her near the House of Healing in the Shadow-Cursed lands. |
|
Potion of Everlasting Vigour |
Gain +2 Strength |
Agree to give Araj Oblodra your blood and force Astarion to bite her afterward in Moonrise Towers. |
|
Githzerai Mind Barrier |
Gain advantage on Intelligence saving throws |
Solve the puzzle in the Mind Flayer Colony, insert the Waking Mind jar into the Mind-Archive Interface, and purge Slack-Skinned Head’s mind. |
|
Level 3 Shadow Spell Slot |
Gain a new dedicated Shadow Spell Slot on top of your existing spell slots. Once per long rest. |
Kill and Consume the Shadow Weave from any of the Thorms (Gerringothe Thorm, Malus Thorm, Thisobald Thorm) with Gale as the player character. Only obtainable by Gale. |
Even though players can technically find the Mirror of Loss at the tail end of Act 2, it is non-functional and can’t be interacted with. Players will need to progress the game to Act 3 before they’re able to use the Mirror for a permanent stat boost.
All Permanent Bonuses In Act 3
These are all the permanent buffs obtainable in Chapter 3.
|
Permanent Bonus |
Effects |
How To Get |
|---|---|---|
|
Bless |
Gain +1d4 to Attack Rolls and Saving throws (Same as spell effect) |
Construct a statue of yourself by paying Boney 5000 Gold in the Circus of the Last Days. Effect begins after the next long rest. |
|
Danse Macabre |
Summon 4 Ghouls as allies |
Obtain and read the Tharchiate Codex by solving a puzzle in Ramazith’s Tower. Succeed in the result saving throw. Then, reread the Necromancy of Thay from Act 1. |
|
Mirror of Loss |
+2 to Ability Score of your choice. |
Pray to the Mirror of Loss in the House of Grief (Religion Check). Then, either sacrifice the knowledge of The Necromancy of Thay or one of three ability scores (CHA, CON, WIS) resulting in a -2 debuff for that ability score (The debuff can be removed by using Remove Curse from the Cleric spell list). |
|
Monk’s Hideous Laughter |
Tasha’s Hideous Laughter can be cast once per long rest |
Complete “Help the Cursed Monk” quest by bringing his amulet from the Grymforge to the Open Hand Temple. Complete the quest by accepting the curse of the Monk to obtain the ability. |
|
Partial Ceremorphosis |
Unlock Tier 3 Illithid powers (And all tier 1 powers) |
Consume the Astral-Touched Tadpole from the Emporer. |
|
The Tharchiate Codex: Blessing |
Gain additional HP once per long rest |
Read The Tharchiate Codex to obtain it. Works with Danse Macabre. |
|
Unstable Blood |
Player character’s blood becomes flammable. Explodes when it comes into contact with fire |
Allow Araj Oblodra to take your blood in Moonrise Towers during Act 2. Then, allow her to take your blood again near the Blushing Mermaid during Act 3. Finally, drink the potion she gives you. |
Do Permanent Bonuses Last Forever?
Most permanent bonuses last forever but some of them can stop working if the character that has them dies and is revived. Following is a list of every permanent bonus that stops working if this happens.
- BOOOAL’s Benediction
- Loviatar’s Love
- Githzerai Mind Barrier
- Volo’s Ersatz Eye (Icon remains on character portrait but the effect stops working)
