The Dark Justiciar - Shadowheart
"Dark Lady, help me strike true."
Shadowheart is a Trickery Domain Cleric and Gloom Stalker Ranger spreading Shar's Darkness with every strike. This build is heavy on Necrotic damage and gives Shadowheart everything she thought she wanted.
Gameplay Notes
Many of the items used in this build are discoverable in the world and completely independent of any narrative choices. Until you get the full Dark Justiciar set (and to be honest, even after, though it’s definitely better), this build is nonoptimized, gaining only small bonuses to Necrotic damage and benefits while obscured. As always, I value getting to see Shadowheart in armor that suits her and lore-accurate builds over optimization, so I think it's worth it.
However, at the end of Act 2, the build really comes online with some incredibly strong items. What were small bonuses to Necrotic damage are now worth building around, and what used to be a somewhat finnicky mechanic of trying to maintain obscurity is now dwarfed by near constant Darkness. Notably, all other party members should gain immunity to blindness as soon as possible (using the Eversight Ring, Steelwatcher Helmet, or Helldusk Helmet) in order to function.
Your top priority will be creating or maintaining Darkness. You can use this Darkness as cover to avoid taking hits or as an offensive maneuver to blind enemies and melee attack. With Darkness on the playing field, ranged attacks will be more challenging to make use of.
Stats and Leveling
Final build: Level 5 Trickery Domain Cleric, Level 7 Gloom Stalker Ranger
Shadowheart’s (default) stats: STR 13 / DEX 13 / CON 14 / INT 10 / WIS 17 / CHA 8
[STR elixirs will be helpful here - I don't like changing companion stats, but even I can admit these are decidedly not ideal numbers]
Level 1 - Cleric (Trickery Domain) Level 1
- Cantrips: Guidance, Produce Flame, Resistance
- 1st Level Spells [Command is useful throughout the entire game]
Level 2 - Cleric (Trickery Domain) Level 2
- Channel Divinity [Trickery Domain is super lame… ugh]
Level 3 - Cleric (Trickery Domain) Level 3
- 2nd Level Spells
Level 4 - Cleric (Trickery Domain) Level 4
- Feat: ASI+ STR>14, WIS>18
- Cantrips: add Thaumaturgy
Level 5 - Cleric (Trickery Domain) Level 5
- 3rd Level Spells [Spirit Guardians is great, but this build doesn’t use/abuse it much]
Level 6 - Ranger Level 1
- Favored Enemy: Sanctified Stalker
- Natural Explorer: Urban Tracker
Level 7 - Ranger Level 2
- Fighting Style: Dueling [only choose Dueling if it still works with versatile weapons + shield]
- Learn Spells: Longstrider, Enhance Leap
Level 8 - Ranger (Gloom Stalker) Level 3
- Dread Ambusher [bonus action Hide might be the best part to be honest]
- Learn Spells: Speak with Animals […at least this is a ritual spell]
Level 9 - Ranger (Gloom Stalker) Level 4
- Feat: Polearm Master [I think this is still bugged, but I think it’s fitting for the build, so whatever]
Level 10 - Ranger (Gloom Stalker) Level 5
- Extra Attack
- Learn Spells: Silence
Level 11 - Ranger (Gloom Stalker) Level 6
- Additional Favored Enemy: Mage Breaker [if the build used heavy armour, it’d be Ranger Knight]
- Additional Natural Explorer: Beast Tamer [do you think she still likes animals as a Dark Justiciar?]
Level 12 - Ranger (Gloom Stalker) Level 7
- Learn Spells: Lesser Restoration
Items
Armor -
- Dark Justiciar Mail (1 Grymforge)
- Dark Justiciar Half-Plate (Rare) (2 Gauntlet of Shar)
- Dark Justiciar Half-Plate (Very Rare) (3 Nightsong)
Melee Weapon -
- Shar's Spear of Evening (2 Nightsong)
- Justiciar's Great Shield (2 Gauntlet of Shar)
Ranged Weapon - Sharran Crossbow (1 Grymforge)
Amulet - Amulet of Restoration (1 Myconid Colony)
Helmet -
- Dark Justiciar Helm (1 Grymforge)
- Dark Justiciar Helmet (2 Gauntlet of Shar)
Ring 1 - Shadow Cloaked Ring (2 Ruined Battlefield)
Ring 2 - Ring of Twilight (2 Ruined Battlefield)
Gloves -
- Dark Justiciar Gauntlets (Uncommon) (2 Gauntlet of Shar)
- Dark Justiciar Gauntlets (Rare) (2 Nightsong)
Boots - Dark Justiciar Boots (2 Nightsong)
Cloak - Vivacious Cloak (2 Mausoleum)
Lore and Flavor
The first half of this build (before any interaction with The Nightsong) is representative of where Shadowheart begins her story. Regardless of my plans for her at the end of Act 2, this is how I usually build Shadowheart in the early game. I love the idea of her getting excited to find equipment from Dark Justiciars and wanting to use it.
The "final" form of this build does require Shadowheart's dark ending, as the strongest pieces of the Dark Justiciar set are understandably given as a reward for actually becoming a Dark Justiciar. While decidedly not the good ending, this is still a powerful story and an impressive character that everyone should experience at least once.
Other Dark Justiciars in the game have a similar combat style to this build, relying heavily on Darkness and a mix of melee attacks and spell casting.
Shadowheart's backstory feels very relevant to this build, of course, but I don't consider this a true "canonical" ending for her. I'm working on writing up something for post-Act 2 that I think fits her much better and, thankfully, works better in the meta of BG3 (so much better, in fact, that it makes me wonder if it was intentional...). A big issue I have with this build is that Trickery Domain is a really weak domain in general and given the gameplay and itemization of this build. But, if Shadowheart is a Dark Justiciar of Shar, I think she would choose an actual domain of Shar. In 5e, that's either Trickery or Death. Death would be great, but isn't an option in game - this would be a cool chance to use some of the incredible Cleric Domain mods out there!