Even if combat is constantly the solution, there are several conflicts in Baldur’s Gate 3 that can be solved with Charisma. The Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion skills are all part of the Charisma ability, and with enough points invested into it, players can get themselves out of potential battles simply by talking. Of course, the conversation that players lead can be a complete lie. Instead, it can be a way of shaking down the member at the receiving end of the talk or, perhaps, their character is good at smooth talking.

This article contains a few spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3.

The ability is one of the most important ones for certain builds, like those of Sorcerers in Baldur’s Gate 3. Additionally, Bards and Rogues may have an affinity with the stat, as performing and deceiving are right up their alleys. Regardless of the specific approach that is chosen, Charisma is a great way of getting through large chunks of the game. In fact, there are several conflicts and even massive boss battles that can be avoided altogether simply by talking. Act 2 is, probably, where the Charisma ability shines the most, as it can spare players from hard boss fights.

Related: You're Probably Making Baldur's Gate 3 Harder Than It Has To Be

10 Kagha & The Druids

One of the very first moments in which players can put their Charisma to work is when they first encounter Kagha, the acting Archdruid of the Emerald Grove in Baldur’s Gate 3. The cruel elf is first seen threatening the young tiefling Arabella for stealing an idol of Silvanus – Kagha summons her snake to scare the girl and will even see the child killed. Nevertheless, players can stop this madness from happening either by engaging in battle with Kagha and the rest of the druids or simply talking.

At this point, they can use a Persuasion check to help see that Arabella is released without harm and returned to her parents, all while avoiding a massive battle at the Emerald Grove. Depending on their character’s race, class, or subclass, a few different Charisma options may open up in addition to the standard answer. An Oath of the Ancients Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3 may be able to cite how killing Arabella goes against the laws of nature, for instance.

9 The Gnolls

Like Kagha’s encounter in Act 1, facing a group of bloodthirsty gnolls happens in the early stages of the game. While the solution to this problem may seem like combat, it is actually possible to use Charisma and team up with the creatures. This will happen when the party is approached by the gnolls’ leader, Flind. Bards in Baldur’s Gate 3, for instance, can use a Performance check to avoid conflict.

By using Illithid powers, players can avoid the battle altogether and fight alongside the gnolls against the Zhentarim. Another Charisma option that does not avoid the fight, but gives players an advantage is telling Flind a joke with a bard. If successful, Flind will be stunned with the Mirth-Wracked condition, making them unable to take any actions, bonus actions, or reactions until they are damaged. This is a great use of Charisma.

8 Goblins At Their Camp

When first approaching the Goblin Camp in Baldur’s Gate 3, players will be questioned by the guards about their presence there. While using Illithid Powers is a viable option to get past the security at the gates, Charisma can also be used. Upon approaching the location, players will be questioned, and they can either use Intimidation or Deception Checks to go through the conversation.

In doing so, players are given free access to the area, where they will be able to wander around in attempts to save Halsin or side with Minthara. Prior to that, in fact, players can get through a checkpoint with goblins in the Blighted Village. Upon entering the area, they may be questioned, and using Charisma is also a way of avoiding a fight with the creatures in the area.

7 Githyanki Patrol At The Bridge

In the later stages of Act 1, players will start to move toward the Githyanki Crèche, but to do so, they will need to go through a group of Githyanki soldiers and the Inquisitor in Baldur’s Gate 3, who have destroyed a nearby bridge and killed off some guards. If Lae’zel is in the group, she can do the speaking and a fight can easily be avoided.

If she is not playing that role, then a conflict seems almost unavoidable. Nevertheless, it is completely possible to talk to the Inquisitor and convince him through a Persuasion check that the player will help him find what he is looking for. This is a high-stakes roll, but Charisma can save the player from a troublesome fight with the Githyanki patrol.

6 Malus Thorm

The most significant usage of Charisma to avoid fights certainly comes with the Thorm family and, perhaps the most notable one of them all is the doctor Malus Thorm. Players can beat Malus Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3 without battling him, and it all comes down to swaying him to either kill himself for Shar or have his nurses stab him to death.

The entire sequence is quite vicious and, fairly, sickening, but using Charisma here is a great idea. It avoids conflict, which then allows the player to save resources, as their party will not sustain damage. Depending on how the dialogue is led, the entire room can be cleaned, as the nurses can kill each other and Malus eliminates himself, all due to the power of the player’s Charisma.

5 Thisobald Thorm

Thisobald Thorm’s encounter in Baldur’s Gate 3 can also be avoided altogether with Charisma. Unlike Malus, however, players will also have to rely on either Dexterity or Constitution, to feign drinking or to withstand his drinks, respectively. Although the conversation sequence has some high checks in store, it is possible to go through it without fighting with the keeper of The Waning Moon.

If players succeed in their checks, including the multiple Charisma ones that see them telling stories to Thisobald, they will eventually be able to make him drink enough to finally burst and die. This, in turn, also makes players avoid conflict with all the undead patrons at the bar, as they would side with Thisobald if aggression were the chosen course of action.

4 Gerringothe Thorm

The last member of the Thorm family in Reithwin Town is Gerringothe Thorm, an accursed tollmaster hungry for gold. Gerringothe in Baldur’s Gate 3, like the rest of her family members, can be defeated simply by using Charisma. Instead of picking a fight with her and all the skull-like Visages inside the Tollhouse, players can approach her and slowly convince her that her time is up.

If they successfully do so by passing the Charisma checks, Gerringothe will die off in disappointment with the end of her value for Ketheric. Seeing how much HP she has and how powerful she can be, in addition to the several Visages in the area, it is a smart move to avoid the conflict with the mini-boss, especially if she can be beaten with a few Charisma-fueled lines.

3 Yurgir

The Orthon Yurgir in Shar’s Gauntlet is a necessary kill if players want to progress further into Astarion’s companion quests in Baldur’s Gate 3 and learn more about the vampire. However, violence is not the only option. Yurgir can be swayed into having his contract broken instead of killed off, and if that is done, the entire fight against him and his minions can be avoided, simply because of the player’s Charisma.

This actually has two parts because, if Yurgir is killed, he returns to Raphael’s House of Hope in the Hells. Even if he was on the receiving end of the player’s fury back in Shar’s Gauntlet, he can be persuaded to become an ally against Raphael, exemplifying just how far Charisma can get players.

2 Ketheric Thorm

While Charisma plays an important part in exterminating most of the Thorm family in Reithwin Town, the ability can once again prove useful against the head of the family, Ketheric. Beating Ketheric Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3 does require some instances of open conflict, but it is possible to avoid a large portion of the fight through the usage of Charisma.

The first part of the fight, at the top of the Moonrise Towers, is unavoidable, but the second part of the battle against Ketheric deep in the Mind-Flayer Colony can be skipped. By talking to Ketheric, players can convince him that he has time to repent for his sins through a Charisma check, which sees him jump into a pit and be resurrected as Apostle of Myrkul. This, essentially, sees players skip an entire phase of the battle, avoiding a lot of HP loss and consumption of Spell Slots, for instance.

1 Arfur’s Bodyguard

Immediately upon arriving in Act 3, players can encounter a small conflict between some squatters who have settled into the house of a man named Arfur. While the resolution of this is mostly up to the player, getting in the way may provoke the ire of Arfur’s mercenary, who says that her job was stolen.

Like most other things in the game, this can be resolved by fighting her and her allies, but it is also possible to talk to avoid the battle. Players can persuade her and even intimidate her, and this will get her group moving away without picking a fight. It is a clever use of Charisma in the early stages of Act 3 of Baldur’s Gate 3, where time and resources are of the essence.