Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Armor For Shadowheart

Key Takeaways

• Shadowheart in BG3 offers versatility as a Cleric with savage DPS potential.
• Armor choices like Luminous Armor and Dark Justiciar Half-Plate enhance her abilities.
• Accessories like Glowing Shield and Adamantine Shield provide additional defensive capabilities.

Shadowheart is one of the most popular Companion characters in Baldur’s Gate 3, and that’s not only because she has one of the best storylines. She’s a Cleric, one of BG3’s most versatile classes, and although begins as a healer with the Trickster subclass her spellbook also has some savage DPS potential.

There are a variety of roles and builds that she can take as a member of your party, even as a defender if her subclass changes. Clerics are limited to light or medium armor in Baldur’s Gate 3, but players can use Feats or multi-class builds to give Shadowheart even more options, making this a big category with a lot of different choices.

Updated November 7, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: More than a year after its official release, Baldur’s Gate 3 is still a popular game among those who love story-rich games, RPGs, strategy-based games, or all of the above. The steady stream of awards continued into 2024 along with excited talk about the studio’s future projects. Although Larian Studios won’t be adding any more content, small patches and maintenance will continue, so players can continue to enjoy one of history’s best games into infinity.

10 Luminous Armor

In A Locked, Opulent Chest In The Selunite Outpost

• 15 AC + Dexterity modifier
• Grants the Radiating Shockwave ability

Clerics and Paladins are the classes known for their Radiant damage, and the former has access to several spells to choose from that do either Necrotic or Radiant damage. Regardless of her chosen Domain, Shadowheart always has Guiding Light and Spirit Guardians, and the Luminous Armor makes spells like these even better.

It’s stashed in an opulent chest in the Selunite Outpost in the Underdark, so it’s easy to find provided you can pick a lock. Thanks to Radiating Shockwave, every time Shadowheart deals Radiant damage, she causes a Radiant Shockwave like the spell of the same name. This condition also takes -1 from an enemy’s attack rolls and casts Radiating Orb in an area that covers a 10ft radius.

9 Elegant Studded Leather

Locked In High-Security Vault 9 Of The Counting House

• 14 AC + Dexterity modifier
• Grants the Ambusher ability
• Grants the Shield condition

The Elegant Studded Leather has decent stats for Light Armor and is of an impressive Very Rare quality. For those times when Shadowheart wants to stay out of combat and heal, it’s one of the best choices. Its one major drawback is that it’s a reward for a quest in the Baldur’s Gate Counting House, which happens later in Act 3.

The Ambusher ability gives Shadowheart a +2 bonus to Initiative, which can be crucial to getting an advantage in battle and organizing the fight. The Shield is a level one Abjuration spell that gives the caster immunity from Magic Missile, and a +5 increase to their armor class.

8 Armour of the Sporekeeper

Sold By Mystic Carrion

• 13 AC + Dexterity modifier
• Grants abilities Malefic Funghi and Spore Sacks

It’s quite clear that this armor is designed specifically for a Druid of the Sporekeeper Conclave. However, should the player decide to build Shadowheart with a focus on Necrotic damage, this would be the ideal armor for her. Every time she deals Necrotic damage with a spell, like Harm or Vampiric Touch, the ability Malefic Funghi gives her +1 to all damage and another +1 bonus to her spell save DC.

Spore Sacks, meanwhile, allows the wearer to use the ability to spread different kinds of spores that can harm enemies and benefit allies. This is an ability that only Sporekeeper Druids have, and they get it when they choose their Circle. Multiclassing Shadowheart into a few Druid levels just to give her this ability would give her a deadly DPS or healing build, but even without this feature, it’s still a nice chest piece.

7 Dark Justiciar Half-Plate

Reward From Shar For Slaying The Nightsong

• 17 AC + Dexterity modifier
• Advantage on Constitution saving throws
• Cast Shar’s Aegis once per day
• Passive abilities: Shar’s Umbrae and Shar’s Protection

The death of the Nightsong has interesting consequences for both the storyline of the game and its immediate environment, along with Shadowheart’s personality. If the player chooses this route, it solidifies her connection to the dark goddess Shar, who gives her the Dark Justicar Half-Plate as a reward for her loyalty.

This is armor of Very Rare quality, and even though it includes “plate” in its name, it’s classified as Medium armor, so a Cleric can use it. It comes with several handy spells and abilities related to Shar, as well as typical Cleric spells like Shield of Faith, which works with Shar’s Protection to create an AoE field of Necrotic damage around the wearer.

6 Glowing Shield

In A Locked Chest In The Goblin Camp

• +2 AC
• Grants the Loving Protection ability

Clerics can use shields, and sometimes it’s helpful for Shadowheart to have one to boost her AC. She can wield weapons like spears and clubs as one-handed weapons, so if players don’t mind her doing a bit less damage, it’s a decent trade-off.

The Glowing Shieldis hidden in a locked chest behind the Goblin Camp, so it’s not hard to obtain, but it is challenging to find. In addition to the AC boost, it also grants the ability Loving Protection, which allows the user to heal themselves once they drop below half of their health.

5 Dark Justiciar Mail

Looted From A Skeleton In Grymforge

• 13 AC + Dexterity modifier
• Grants the ability Nightsinger’s Reply

It’s an obvious choice for a Cleric of Shar, and easy to loot from one of two long-dead Dark Justiciars in Grymforge. One is by the dock, the other is by the Ancient Forge Waypoint. The Dark Justicar Mail is of an Uncommon quality and gives Shadowheart the passive ability, Nightsinger’s Reply.

Shadowheart has several abilities and spells that do Necrotic damage, and this unique skill gives her one more. Nightsinger’s Reply automatically does 1d4 Necrotic damage to any enemy that hits her while she’s Obscured.

4 Elven Chain

Purchase From Exxvikyap At The Rivington General Store

• 14 AC + Dexterity modifier
• Grants the passives Elven Chain and Elven Ability

Not every class can enjoy the protection of chain mail, but thanks to the passive skill Elven Chain, anyone who puts on this armor is automatically proficient with it. That also makes it ideal for other squishy classes like spellcasters, Druids, or Rogues.

Meanwhile, Elven Ability gives the character two advantages in battle by adding a +2 to their Initiative bonus and giving them Advantage on Dexterity saving throws. One more great thing about this armor is that it’s easy to find from a vendor. Players don’t need to go to the trouble of unlocking a chest or killing a boss.

The Elven Chainis found in the inventory of the Rivington General Store, and its price depends on how much proprietor Exxvikyap likes you. She’s fond of her boss, the blacksmith Angleiron, who works upstairs on the roof. So, try not to kill him when he blames the party for Orin attacking him and taking his shape.

3 The Jolty Vest

Purchase Or Steal From Zhentarim Trader Brem

• +14 AC plus Dex modifier
• Grants Countershock and Superior Material

This Rare piece of Medium armor is available fairly early in the game, provided the player explores the Wilderness and finishes the “Find The Missing Shipment” quest. This quest leads the player to the Zhentarim hideout, where a trader named Brem is hawking his wares. This is also where the “Save The Artist” quest starts and where one of the entrances to the Underdark can be found, so it’s worth a visit.

One of the items in his inventory is The Jolty Vest. It’s ideal for any Cleric, but especially for one of the Tempest subclass. which specializes in Lightning damage. Superior Material gives the wearer +1 against Slashing damage, which is nice for a melee-fighting Cleric. Finally, Countershock has the potential to make an attacker Shocked if they fail a saving throw, but only if the wearer already has the Lightning Charges condition.

2 Armor Of Landfall

Purchase In Sorcerer’s Sundries

• 13 AC + Dexterity modifier
• Advantage on Constitution saving throws
• Grants the abilities High Spellcasting and Green Bed Regeneration
• Level 3 Transmutation spell, Plant Growth

This is a Druid’s armor judging solely by the design, but there’s nothing about the Armor of Landfall that another class couldn’t use. Many of its properties are useful to a Cleric who focuses on healing and ranged damage. It can be found in Sorcerer’s Sundries, but exactly who has it depends on how many survivors made it to the city from Act 1.

High Spellcasting gives Shadowheart a +1 to her spell-saving throws, and any kind of plant growth or vines will heal her thanks to Green Bed Generation. Plant Growth is a level 3 Transmutation spell that several classes can learn, and it gives her the ability to make pesky weeds and plants appear in a 60ft area to slow down enemies.

1 Adamantine Shield

Crafted Using The Adamantine Forge

• +2 AC
• The wearer is immune to Critical Hits
• Grants the abilities Adamantine Shieldand Shield Bash

The Adamantine Shield is one of the best of its kind in the whole game. It’s available in Act 1, provided you can find the secret Adamantine Forge and the instructions on how to use it. There’s also the question of defeating Grym, the Guardian of the Forge, but this shield is so great that the effort is worth it.

No matter what role she’s in, as a healer, DPS, or even a defender, Shadowheart can use this handy shield to avoid any critical hits thanks to the ability of Adamantine Shield. The Shield Bash skill gives her a chance to knock an enemy Prone using a reaction.