Shadowheart may not be everyone’s favorite companion in Baldur’s Gate 3, but she earns her place in any balanced party—especially if you want to keep Origin characters within their default class roles. As a Trickery Domain Cleric, Shadowheart brings a lot to the battlefield: crowd control, healing, buffs, and survivability. While her spell list is already powerful on its own, selecting the right feats can take her combat utility to the next level.
Whether you’re using her as a front-line buffer or a tactical support specialist, here are the best feats to give Shadowheart the edge in battle.
🎯 1. Ability Score Improvement (ASI)
Recommended Level: 4
Why It’s Great:
No surprise here—the Ability Score Improvement is a top-tier pick for most characters, and Shadowheart is no exception. As a Cleric, the majority of her spells and abilities scale with Wisdom, making it essential to pump this stat whenever possible. Increasing her Wisdom modifier boosts her spell save DC, healing potential, and ability accuracy. If you’re optimizing her early, this is usually the go-to first feat.
You can increase Wisdom directly by +2 or split it (+1 Wisdom, +1 Constitution) if survivability is an issue early on. Either way, ASI forms the foundation of a strong Shadowheart build.
⚡ 2. War Caster Recommended Level: 8 or 12
Why It’s Great:
Clerics are often at the mercy of their Concentration spells. Spirit Guardians in particular is one of the strongest Cleric spells in the game and keeping it active can be the difference between victory and a TPK.
War Caster provides advantage on Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration, and allows you to use Shocking Grasp as a Reaction instead of a regular Opportunity Attack. If you frequently cast spells like Hold Person, Bless, or Shield of Faith, War Caster ensures they stay active during chaotic fights.
Also, the ability to zap an enemy as a Reaction is a great thematic touch—Shadowheart isn’t just a healer, she’s a reactive combatant who punishes overextensions.
🛡️ 3. Sentinel
Recommended Playstyle: Melee support Cleric
If you find yourself using Shadowheart’s mace more often, Sentinel is a fantastic second or third feat choice. This feat lets her perform Reaction attacks when enemies hit your allies in melee—fitting for a protector role.
Even better, when she lands an Opportunity Attack, that enemy’s movement is reduced to zero for the rest of its turn. That’s powerful crowd control in the right setup, especially when you’re trying to keep enemies off your squishier party members. Sentinel is more situational than ASI or War Caster, but in a melee-heavy team, it’s a solid defensive pick.
🔮 4. Spell Sniper
Recommended for: Ranged caster builds
If you want to lean into Shadowheart as a ranged spellcaster rather than a frontline hybrid, Spell Sniper opens up exciting options. This feat:
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Reduces the critical hit threshold by 1 on spell attacks.
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Ignores half and three-quarters cover, helping with enemy positioning.
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Gives an additional cantrip from an extended list (e.g., Ray of Frost, Thorn Whip, Eldritch Grasp).
It’s best taken later in the game once Shadowheart’s Wisdom is already maxed out and you’re looking to diversify her toolkit.
👣 5. Mobile (Honorable Mention)
If you want Shadowheart to be an agile battlefield controller, Mobile is a surprisingly useful choice. It provides:
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+3m movement speed
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No penalties from difficult terrain when Dashing
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No Opportunity Attacks when she lands a melee attack before moving away
This is particularly effective when she’s maintaining Spirit Guardians, which is most damaging when Shadowheart stays in proximity to multiple enemies. Mobile lets her reposition mid-combat without getting smacked in the face—and lets her reach injured allies faster.
⏱️ 6. Alert (Honorable Mention)
+5 to Initiative might not sound flashy, but in practice, Alert can completely shift the tempo of battle. Going first in combat means Shadowheart can:
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Drop Silence or Hold Person on high-priority targets
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Use Bless before allies take their first turns
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Get Spirit Guardians active before enemies can swarm her
It also makes her immune to being Surprised, which means your key support won’t be left out during ambushes or surprise encounters.
🧙 Final Thoughts
Shadowheart’s versatility is one of her greatest strengths. Whether you’re keeping her close to the frontlines with Spirit Guardians active, or using her to tactically control the flow of battle from range, the right feats make all the difference. Here’s a quick feat priority checklist:
Best Overall:
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Ability Score Improvement (Wisdom +2)
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War Caster
Conditional Picks:
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Sentinel (for melee-focused builds)
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Spell Sniper (for ranged builds)
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Mobile (for maneuverability)
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Alert (for early turn advantage)
No matter how you choose to build her, one thing’s for sure: Shadowheart is far more than just a sidekick cleric. With the right feats, she can become the spiritual and tactical backbone of your Baldur’s Gate 3 party.
