In Baldur’s Gate 3, Shadowheart is one of the more challenging party members, but with the appropriate strategy, she might be your team’s most valuable asset.
Let’s be honest. In Baldur’s Gate, Shart is never the center of attention for anyone. Everybody has experienced disappointment when they really needed Sacred Flame to hit, or when Turn Undead only managed to defeat one enemy out of every five. The best thing Shadowheart does for far too many people is utilize conversational instruction.
A little more intelligence is needed for clerics than for most other professions. The abundance of spells available to late-game clerics may overwhelm you if you’re used to the elegant simplicity of Karlach and Lae’zel clicking on adversaries repeatedly.
Fortunately, there are players who have figured out how to utilize them most effectively and—most importantly—which ones you should never employ. At all.
It was suggested by a user on the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit that players stay away from utilizing Sacred Flame and Firebolt. Even though they are the only destructive cantrips that Shart has, her poor intelligence (the stats, not her personality) doesn’t work well with them.
Additionally, they made the suggestion that Shadowheart’s strengths are not strength or dexterity, which will be necessary for weapon assaults. It doesn’t always make sense for her to use a weapon when it’s her turn, even if she can handle one.
Don’t disregard the weaponry she is carrying, though. When Shadowheart is equipped with the proper shield, she can unleash powerful reactions like Shield Bash, which can add a great deal of value to fights.
Once you reach level 3, in particular, try taking Spirit Guardians. This allows Shadowheart to use more actions in subsequent turns and greatly increases her AOE potential. If you’re searching for ranged damage that also offers support, Guiding Bolt is a great substitute for the preceding cantrips.
But just quit utilizing the sacred flame, whatever you do.
