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Discover how companion approval works in Baldur’s Gate 3, how to check it, manage it, and what it affects.
Companion approval is a subtle but important mechanic in Baldur’s Gate 3 that influences your party members’ dialogues, persuasion DC, and unlocks quests. Companions let you know when they like or don’t like something you’ve done or said in the form of a floating notification in the top left corner of the screen during dialogue.
If a character’s approval is high enough, they will speak to you favorably, begin their side story questline, and maybe even become romanceable. Alternatively, having very low approval with a character will result in their departure from the party.
Checking Companion Approval Rating in Baldur’s Gate 3
A companion’s approval of the player character is visible on a bar at the bottom of their character sheet. The bar will have a red to green gradient from left to right. A circle with the character’s icon will be placed on the bar, indicating their approval. The further it is to the right, the more they approve. To get a numerical representation of a companion’s approval:
- Open their character sheet by pressing the inventory button and clicking on their character icon. This shows the character summary on the left with the approval bar at the bottom.
- There are three tabs on the top of the page: Summary, Skills, and Detailed View.
- Click the third tab, “Detailed View.”
- Scroll down to find the character’s approval just above the final section of Tags.
- The approval rating will range between -50 and 100.
What Do Different Approval Levels Mean?
Next to the numerical approval rating, what the rating entails will be written in brackets.
| Approval Rate | Status | Description |
| -50 – -40 | Very Bad | Relationship is in danger. Character is likely to leave party if they disagree with another decision |
| -39 – -20 | Low | Relationship is bad. Character may leave party if approval gets worse. |
| -19 – 20 | Neutral | Relationship is neutral. Character has no strong feelings towards avatar. |
| 21 – 40 | Medium | Relationship is fair. Character’s trust in avatar is variable. |
| 41 – 60 | High | Relationship is good. Character approves of avatar. |
| 61 – 80 | Very High | Relationship is very good. Character is happy with and easily convinced by avatar. |
| 81 – 100 | Exceptional | Relationship is exceptional. Character is thrilled with and very easily convinced by avatar. |
Each companion has a different approval threshold that needs to be reached to unlock deeper conversations, personal quests, and romance options. In short, to experience the most from each character, it is best to keep a high approval rating. Here are some guidelines for doing so.
Tips for Managing Approval
- Know Your Companions: Each character values different traits. For example, Shadowheart favors efficiency and discretion, while Lae’zel respects strength and decisive action.
- Save Often: If you’re unsure how a choice will affect approval, create a save beforehand to test outcomes.
- Split the Party When Needed: You can leave a companion behind temporarily and switch them for someone else if you plan to make a choice they would disapprove of.
- Talk to Companions Before Long Rest: Conversations at camp are ideal moments to boost approval by showing empathy or supporting personal goals.
Not all instances of approval or disapproval are the same. A character’s approval can increase by as much as 20 points by completing their personal quest in a manner that they like. This is also true of disapproval when you act against something important to them.
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