Some spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 cause panic even before they are cast. Because then a companion runs for her life.
There are many abilities and spells in Baldur’s Gate. Most of them have some utility in combat or during dialogues. However, there is also one spell that is so effective that a party member flees from it permanently – and this even before you have spoken the spell. The reason for this is rooted in the story of this companion.
Plans for Baldur’s Gate 4 are already underway, but not everyone is pleased:
What kind of spell is that? In the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit, Sad_Yam6884 shares his discovery:
The spell in question is “Create Water”. This is an ability that is mostly rather unspectacular and has little effect in most battles. It creates an area of water that extinguishes fire, soaks characters, and thereby gives them a temporary weakness to electrical attacks.
However, while most characters do not react at all to the effect selection of spells, Shadowheart behaves differently. If you want to use “Create Water” outside of combat and merely hover over Shadowheart with the targeting selection, she immediately runs away to avoid being hit.
Why does Shadowheart flee from the spell? The reason is not that Shadowheart is worried about her make-up or is generally critical of the concept of showering. Instead, it has to do with a trait of Shadowheart that is only revealed late in the game through dialogues: She cannot swim. Therefore, her fear of water is so great that she avoids even the possibility of being hit by a large amount of water.
This also explains why the final test of Shar and the transition into her shadow realm is a pool full of water, in which one must practically drown. A final test that likely affects no one as hard as Shadowheart.
In any case, it is quite fascinating how many little details the developers have woven into Baldur’s Gate 3. It will probably take several more years until all the hidden details have truly been discovered – but that is precisely one of the reasons why Baldur’s Gate 3 is still extremely popular today.
