Baldur's Gate 3 - How To Romance The Emperor

Baldur's Gate 3 is filled with many romantic escapades. One of these happens to involve someone who you might not trust initially, though this person seems to be on your side. Our guide discusses the Baldur's Gate 3 Emperor romance, and what it entails. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.

How to Romance the Emperor in Baldur's Gate 3

The Baldur's Gate 3 Emperor romance happens in a dream sequence during the third act, just as you're progressing further in the Lower City. While we're uncertain about dialogue choices that are required prior to this point, we did include some of the key choices that we made in our playthrough.

Emperor Interactions

Here's what we did during the campaign:

• The Emperor initially appears to you as the Dreamlover/Guardian. We always chose friendly responses when prompted.
• At the start of Act 3, it's revealed that your Dreamlover is actually an Illithid Mind Flayer known as the Emperor. Make sure you side with it in the Astral Plane battle. Choosing to kill it would be a terrible idea, as that leads to a game over.
• It'll ask if you want to "evolve" so you can learn high-tier Illithid Powers. We accepted this offer.
• A few long rests later, the Emperor will confide in you that it misses its old partner, Duke Stelmane. It also opens up a bit more. Pick friendly/positive responses, such as saying that it doesn't sound like a Mind Flayer at all. Choose to hold its hand when prompted.
• Once you reach the Lower City, it'll tell you about a hideout as part of a side quest. We did obtain the treasure in the lair, though we're not sure if that had any bearing.

Moreover, as far as we can tell, the Baldur's Gate 3 Emperor romance did not affect our relationship with a chosen companion--i.e. in our campaign it was Shadowheart and we were already "locked in" with high approval. We can't say the same for other teammates that you romance, or your approval standing with them.

Love Scene: Titillating Tentacles

You'll have the Baldur's Gate 3 Emperor romance love scene opportunity in another dream sequence during the third act. When prompted, respond with:

• "I could have done with more coddling."
• "True."

The two of you will float in mid-air. You can then take its tentacle in your hand, and kiss it. Keep doing it since the fella loves your masterstroke. The screen will fade to black, and your character will wake up naked. Suddenly, three random companions show up via a portal. It seems the sensual squidface got a bit distracted, causing your teammates to get a sneak peek. They look disgusted as well.

Again, as far as we can tell, this did not affect our character's current standing with their lover. In fact, no one on our team ever talked about this incident again (thank goodness).

What Happens if You Reject the Emperor's Advances

Two replies will let you reject the Emperor's flirting moves:

• "I think you misread the signs - I'm fine with what we have now" - This causes the Emperor to clam up and focus on the task at hand.
• "Absolutely not, you freak" - This makes the Emperor angry. However, he also gives you a glimpse into his past, namely how he had mind controlled Duke Selmane. He admits that such a predicament would have happened to you, had he not decided to play nice. And, yes, he also says that you're nothing but his puppet.

That does it for the Emperor romance in Baldur's Gate 3. We'll let you know if there are long-term consequences, such as getting Illithid Warts.