Gale Companion Guide: Romance, Builds, and Approval

Gale is a companion and a playable Origin character in Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3). Check out our guide to learn more about Gale, including his location and how to recruit him, his related companion quest, romance and approval options, and best builds!

Gale Profile and Background

Gale's Companion Info

Gale Overview
Class	Wizard
Background	Sage
Race	Human

Gale's Ability Scores

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8	13	15	17	10	12

Being a Wizard from Waterdeep, Gale's primary ability score will be Intelligence. Put points into this ability as you progress through the game to make his spells more effective in combat.

Ability Scores Guide

Gale's Skill Proficiencies

• Arcana (Intelligence)
• History (Intelligence)
• Investigation (Intelligence)
• Insight (Wisdom)
• Persuasion (Charisma)

Gale's Equipment Proficiencies

• Armor - Light Armor, Shields
• Simple Weapons - Daggers, Light Crossbows, Quarterstaffs, Spears
• Martial Weapons - Glaives, Halberds, Pikes

Who is Gale?

Gale was once a gifted mage from Waterdeep that held close relations with Mystra, the goddess of magic. However, after his attempt to earn Mystra's favor goes awry, he becomes cursed with a magical affliction that threatens to destroy large swaths of Faerun if left unchecked.

At the start of Baldur's Gate 3, Gale must contend with his deteriorating condition as well as the looming threat of ceremorphosis. He will need to find a cure for the tadpole before more lives are endangered by the strange Netherese magic trapped in his body.

How to Recruit Gale

Help Him Escape the Unstable Sigil Circle

Gale can be found trapped inside an unstable Ancient Sigil Circle (X: 223, Y: 326) to the north of the Nautiloid Crash Site in Act 1. To recruit him, players will need to pass a DC7 Strength Check to pull him out and tell him to join their party.

Wilderness Map and Points of Interest

Gale's Companion Quest

Heads up!	Spoilers ahead for majority of BG3's main story beats. Proceed at your own risk, adventurer. You have been warned!

The Wizard of Waterdeep Walkthrough

Gale's companion quest, The Wizard of Waterdeep, revolves around preventing him from blowing up due to his magical condition. Learn more about his relationship with Mystra to influence Gale's ending scene after you beat the Absolute.

1. Treat Gale's Condition
2. Resurrect Gale When He Dies
3. Speak to Elminster at Camp
4. Learn About Balthazar's Experiments
5. Confront the Absolute
6. Go to Sorcerous Sundries
7. Steal the Annals of Karsus

Treat Gale's Condition by Giving Him Magical Items

During your adventures in Act 1, Gale will inform you that he has a deadly condition that you will need to treat in order prevent a disaster from occurring. While he isn't forthcoming with the details of the disaster, he will say that he needs to consume Magical Items in order to stabilize his condition.

Whenever Gale starts looking sick, speak to him and give him a magical item to consume. Do note that any magical item you give to Gale will be permanently lost. Make sure to only give him magical items that you have no use for.

When the time comes to give Gale a magical item, you will be shown a list of potential items that he can consume. This makes it easier for players to identify which items in their inventories are considered magical and fit for consumption.

What Happens if You Don't Give Gale Magical Items?

If you avoid giving Gale magical items when he asks for them, he will start suffering from a condition called Arcane Hunger. When the condition is active, Gale gets Disadvantage for all of his Constitution Saving Throws.

Leaves Your Party Permanently if You Violate His Privacy

If you start questioning the truth of Gale's condition, you will unlock the option to use the Mind Flayer tadpole and probe his mind for more info. However, if you keep probing and confront him about what you saw, he will get angry.

When this happens, you will need to pass a Persuasion or Insight check to keep him in your party. If you fail either option and he leaves, a message will display saying that your companion has permanently left your party.

Avoid Giving Gale Magical Items by Not Speaking to Him

One easy way to avoid sacrificing magical items to Gale is to avoid speaking to him for the entirety of Act 1. This allows you to reach the Elminster interaction before the start of Act 2 that stabilizes Gale's condition, eliminating his need to consume magic items entirely.

That said, the requirement does max out at 3 magic items. This is a relatively cheap price to pay especially if you're playing to experience the different interactions with Gale in your party.

Resurrect Gale When He Dies

If at some point during Act 1 Gale dies and fails all of his death saving throws, you will be visited by an astral projection of Gale. During the conversation with it, you will be charged to resurrect the fallen wizard by following the steps outlined below:

1. Pull the Purple Thread in a counterclockwise fashion.
2. Play the Flute found inside the pouch. Choose the notes that spell out DEAD to continue.
3. Answer K'ha'ssji'trach'ash when Gale's Memphit asks for its name.
4. Use the Scroll of True Resurrection to revive Gale.

However, in lieu of following the complicated process detailed above, you can also opt to simply revive him by using a Revivify Scroll, a Revivify Spell, or even the Withers method of spending 200 Gold.

What Happens if You Don't Resurrect Gale?

Simply put, leaving Gale dead will end your game after you take 3 Long Rests. As you start your 3rd Long Rest, a cutscene will play showing Gale exploding and killing everyone in Act 1. From the Game Over screen, you will be able to load an earlier save or retreat to the main menu to contemplate your actions.

Speak to Elminster About Gale's Condition

Once players start making their way to Moonrise Towers at the end of Act 1 (by taking either the Underdark or the Mountain Path), they will encounter a wizard named Elminster Aumar along the way. He will ask to be taken back to your camp in order to relay Mystra's message to Gale.

During the conversation, Elminster will stabilize Gale's condition, turning him into a living bomb that can end the Absolute should Gale be brought along to face it during Act 2. With the orb stabilized, players will no longer need to worry about Gale dying and blowing up.

What Happens if You Use the Netherese Orb Blast in Combat?

After Elminster stabilizes Gale's Netherese Orb, he will unlock a new class action called the Netherese Orb Blast. If players use this during combat, the game will end. From the Game Over screen, you will once again be able to load an earlier save or retreat back to the main menu.

Learn About Balthazar's Experiments in Moonrise Towers

During Act 2, players will be tasked to infiltrate Moonrise Towers in order to learn more about the cult of the Absolute. If you manage to weasel your way in, you can unlock a unique Gale interaction by discovering Balthazar's Secret Room at the second floor of the tower.

Interacting with the Ritual Circle inside the secret room will have Gale reveal that he can create a Moonlantern using the dead pixies and the circle. However, it will not be magic that Mystra approves of. You will now have two options: create a new lantern or erase the Ritual Circle. Pick either to complete this leg of Gale's quest.

How to Infiltrate Moonrise Towers

Should You Create a New Moonlantern or Erase the Ritual Circle?

If you chose to create a new Moonlantern using the dead pixie, then you will receive a new lantern called the Shadow Lantern. Unlike the Moonlantern you find in Balthazar's room, the Shadow Lantern allows you to conjure a Shadow Wraith that can help you during combat.

However, if you chose to erase the Ritual Circle, Mystra will bless Gale. By refusing to practice Balthazar's heretical magic, Gale will get a permanent buff called Mystra's Benevolence which grants him Advantage when performing Constitution Saving Throws.

Confront the Absolute Underneath Moonrise Towers

The next objective in Gale's companion quest will be to confront the Absolute beneath Moonrise Towers. Once you reach the point where you come face to face with the Absolute, players will be able to tell Gale to either explode or hold off on following Mystra's orders. It is recommended that players prevent Gale from exploding if they want to continue playing Baldur's Gate 3.

Note: Leaving Gale behind in Camp will not fail his companion quest. In fact, it simply advances the next objective to Act 3, allowing you to skip having to decide Gale's fate, prematurely.

What Happens if You Let Gale Destroy the Absolute?

If you allow Gale to destroy the Absolute by using the Netherese Orb explosion, the game will end. However, unlike the other Game Over screens, this is a legitimate ending for Baldur's Gate 3. A cutscene will play after the explosion followed by the game's credits.

Go to Sorcerous Sundries in Baldur's Gate

If you've managed to prevent Gale's death until this point, then you can now work towards the next step in his companion quest. During Act 3, find a way to enter Baldur's Gate before making your way to Sorcerous Sundries.

Inside, look for Tolma the Tome-Monger and ask her about their limited collection. The goal is to find out about the existence of a legendary book called the Annals of Karsus.

Steal the Annals of Karsus from the Sorcerous Vault

After obtaining the knowledge of where it is being kept, the next step is to steal the Annals of Karsus from Lorroakan's Sorcerous Vault. Obtain it from within the Karsus Vault and give it to Gale to progress his companion quest.

How to Get the Annals of Karsus

Gale's companion quest walkthrough is a work in progress. Stay tuned as we update this section with more info, soon!

Gale Romance and Approval Guide

Increase Gale's Approval by Being Kind and Pragmatic

Above all else, Gale favors a kind and diplomatic approach when dealing with your problems. Pick dialogue options that resolve issues in a kind or diplomatic way to earn approval from Gale.

Outside of that, Gale also heavily favors a pragmatic approach to things. If the forbidden knowledge you hold in your hand will somehow help your party in the long-run, Gale will approve if you decide to use it. One example of this is handing over the Necromancy of Thay to a power-hungry Astarion.

Actions that Give Approval

Gale tends to favor actions that lean towards being kind and helpful to others. Additionally, any dialogue option that entails being pragmatic with the knowledge you acquire will be met with approval.

Act 1 Approval Options

All Approval Options by Act
Act 1	Act 2

• Approves if you intimidate the Tieflings that captured Lae'zel.
• Approves if you ask Lae'zel to join your party.
• Approves if you help Alfira with her song in the Druid Grove.
• Approves if you save Arabella from Kagha.
• Approves if you recruit Wyll.
• Approves if you manage to convince the Owlbear to leave you alone.
• Approves if you let the Owlbear Cub live.
• Approves if you manage to dupe the goblins in the Blighted Village that you're a True Soul.
• Approves if you say you owe nothing to Barcus Wroot, the Deep Gnome tied to the windmill.
• Approves if you say you're happy to help with his condition (consuming magical artifacts).
• Approves each time you give him a Magical Artifact to consume (for a total of 3 times).
• Approves if you vow to rescue the Grand Duke when speaking to Counsellor Florrick in Waukeen's Rest.
• Approves if you agree to buy Oskar Fevras at the Zhentarim Hideout.
• Approves if you tell Wyll that Karlach is not a devil.
• Approves if you tell Dror Ragzlin that you'll go to Minthara and tell her you're joining her hunt.
• Approves if you say you're there to help the Myconids when first meeting them at the entrance to the Myconid Colony.
• Approves if you cure Thulla (the poisoned Ironhand Gnome) in the Myconid Colony.
• Approves if you tell Sovereign Spaw that the Duergar have been taken care of.
• Approves if you tell Sovereign Spaw about Glut's betrayal.
• Approves if you choose the "Go on, you're among friends" dialogue option when he tries to tell you he's a living bomb.
• Approves if you persuade Lae'zel to drop her knife when you first start exhibiting symptoms of ceremorphosis (before your first Guardian dream sequence).
• Approves if you say you'll find Wulbren provided Barcus Wroot goes back to your camp.
• Approves if you offer to bring Mayrina home to her brothers.
• Approves if you tell Mayrina that Ethel killed her brothers.
• Approves if you manage to persuade Sa'varsh Kethk to stop the duel to the death at the Githyanki Creche.
• Approves if you convince Lae'zel to abort the operation during the first Persuasion check while she's on the zaith'isk.
• Approves if you feed the Owlbear Cub after it finds you in camp.

Act 2 Approval Options

All Approval Options by Act
Act 1	Act 2

• Approves if you manage to teach Mol to pressure Raphael's Cyric piece during lanceboard.
• Approves if you tell Raphael to stay away from Mol.
• Approves if you tell Isobel that Marcus is trying to kidnap her.
• Approves if you Persuade Gerringoth Thorm to die.
• Approves if you tell Arabella you'll find her parents in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
• Approves if you tell Arabella to wait in your camp.
• Approves if you manage to convince Malus Thorm to be the test subject of the sisters in the House of Healing.
• Approves if you play a tune for Art Cullagh using his lute.
• Approves if you have drinks with Thisobald Thorm.
• Approves if you pass the Charisma checks with Thisobald Thorm.
• Approves if you manage to persuade Balthazar into giving you the bell for his Flesh Golem.
• Approves if you give the Necromancy of Thay to Astarion.
• Approves if you help out Halsin during the Thaniel questline.
• Approves if you play hide-and-seek with Oliver.
• Approves if you manage to convince Oliver to help Thaniel.
• Approves if you purge the Waking Mind inside the Necrotic Laboratory of the Mind Flayer colony.

Actions that Give Disapproval

• Disapproves if you doubt that his condition is real (when he tells you he has to consume magical items).
• Disapproves if tell him that you used the tadpole to learn more about his condition.
• Disapproves if you tell Torturer Spike you're taking over the torture.
• Disapproves if you defend the Absolute Cult caravan and attack the Harpers.

This list is currently being updated! Stay tuned as we furnish both lists with more entries as we progress through the game.

Best Builds for Gale

Notice from Game8	This section is currently under construction. Check back later for more info on the best builds for Gale in Baldur's Gate 3.

Baldur's Gate 3 Related Guides

List of Origin Characters

List of All Origin Characters

Character Guide
Romance Guide
Astarion			Dark Urge			Gale			Lae'zel
Karlach				Shadowheart				Wyll

List of All Non-Origin Characters

Character Guide
Halsin	Minthara
Jaheira	Minsc