If Any Baldur’s Gate 3 Character Deserves to Be a Camp Follower, It's This Act 3 NPC

Baldur’s Gate 3 excels with its diverse cast of characters. Vibrant, lively, and authentic, many well-crafted personalities are featured within Larian’s flagship game. Throughout its Acts, the game gradually introduces a range of companions and NPCs that add color to Faerun. And to the luck of every player, certain choices allow players to enjoy NPCs’ company even further. Some of Baldur’s Gate 3’s NPCs join the camp at different points during the journey. It solidifies the makeshift refuge as a revolving door for allies to summon in the final battle. While NPCs might not always be highly useful and some have dialogue that loops after a short while, they offer just enough motivation for players to feel confident in their ability to defeat (or become) The Absolute.

Even late into Act 3, players still have the chance to recruit camp followers in Baldur’s Gate 3. Newcomers like Yenna or familiar faces such as the temptress Mizora help the camp evolve into a growing community. However, despite the redeemed Dukes and the street orphan, there’s one NPC from Act 3 who never joins the camp. Introduced in Act 1 through a memory, she was established as important long before players met her. Yet, when they finally encounter this gentle tiefling, she vanishes during a long rest. A character that seemed like perfect low-hanging fruit was, unfortunately, left to rot.

Nocturne: The NPC That Got Away in Baldur’s Gate 3’s Act 3

After the player gives Shadowheart the noblestalk, one strong memory stands out among the many jumbled ones in her mind. She recalls being bullied by other initiates at the Sharran cloister over her name. However, a tiefling initiate comforted her. Shadowheart doesn’t remember much about this tiefling, just their old name, purple hair, short horns, and that she considered them a friend.

The Reunion

In Act 3, after clearing the Sharran cloister in Baldur’s Gate, players meet a tiefling named Nocturne. Matching the physical description Shadowheart provided, she appears as a new woman to both the player and Shadowheart. She recalls the same incident her old friend experienced and is glad to see her again.

This tender moment between once-forgotten friends stands out as one of Act 3’s most touching scenes, exemplifying Baldur’s Gate 3’s subtle triumphs amid its at times consuming sorrow. Instead of dwelling on it, the game chooses to let it pass. Nocturne disappears after the party’s next long rest. This character only rears her head in a heartfelt letter sent to the player at the Epilogue party.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s Nocturne Could Have Been a Perfect Camp Follower

Nocturne and Shadowheart evidently share a spark. It’s also clear that Shadowheart has a lot to learn. Even more obvious is that Nocturne has her own journey of self-discovery to share. However, Baldur’s Gate 3 treats this as subtext rather than main context. Nocturne may not join the player’s camp, but her absence leaves a mark.

Loyal Above All

Different NPCs in Baldur’s Gate 3 react to player choices in unique ways. With such drastically different paths toward evil or goodness, this alignment makes perfect sense. But while not everyone will agree with any particular choice, Nocturne is different. She isn’t judgmental, she’s steadfast. As a True Neutral, she remains unwaveringly loyal to Shadowheart, whether the cleric embraces Shar or rejects her. That kind of loyalty could have translated seamlessly into a camp recruit, shaping dialogue and dynamics depending on Shadowheart’s path:

If Shadowheart turns to Shar, Nocturne becomes her most trusted confidante, according to an Epilogue party letter.
If Shadowheart rejects Shar, Nocturne writes to Shadowheart about her bravery and longs to follow a similar path.
In both outcomes, her presence reinforces Shadowheart’s growth rather than undermining it.

Underused, But Unforgettable

Every camp recruitable in Baldur’s Gate 3 comes with a hook: Dame Aylin and Isobel as star-crossed lovers, Withers as an eternal mystery. Nocturne’s story deserved the same chance. Even in its most basic premise, the act of standing up for her friend, and in doing so learning to stand up for herself, was worthy of exploration. As an explicitly trans character, her presence could have added not just representation, but a story of quiet resilience to balance the game’s grand epics.

Baldur's Gate 3 - Shadowheart and Her Mother

The absence of Nocturne as a companion feels especially sharp because she represents something rare: an NPC who could have tied directly into a companion’s arc without being a spectre that haunts it, like Duke Ravengard to Wyll, or Gortash to Karlach. Her friendship with Shadowheart could have created ripple effects across the camp, challenging others’ assumptions about loyalty, identity, and memory. Instead, she is a reminder of what Baldur’s Gate 3 almost dared to do.

shadowheart baldurs gate 3 artefact — Shadowhearts holds on to the artefact in Baldur’s Gate 3.

A Well of Knowledge

Nocturne could have offered more than just loyalty. Having grown up with Shadowheart, she had the potential to serve as a living record of memories and closure. While Shadowheart’s story emphasizes her future possibilities, past memories could help guide her toward what lies ahead. Whatever Shadowheart ending the player unlocks, Nocturne could have shed light on what got her to that point, even if subconsciously.

She could have reminded Shadowheart of her forgotten childhood, offered her parents clarity, or even lightened the mood with embarrassing childhood stories. If a player romanced Shadowheart, this would have been a powerful way to humanize her—showing that even a cleric torn between divine forces was once just a girl with a best friend.