Baldur’s Gate 3 is a massive game. It’s dense. It’s full of systems that overlap in ways that make your head spin, but few things stress players out more than the love lives of their digital companions. You’re in Act 3. You’ve survived the Shadow-Cursed Lands. You’ve probably killed a god or two. Then, you hit the Circus of the Last Days in Rivington and meet Zethino. She offers the mapping of the heart BG3 players often stumble into without realizing it’s basically a high-stakes relationship exam. If you mess up, your partner gets annoyed. If you nail it, you get a nice approval boost and a moment of genuine connection in a city that’s currently falling apart around your ears.
Honestly, it’s one of the best moments in the game for character depth. It isn't just a mini-game. It’s a test of how much you’ve actually been paying attention to the person you’re supposedly "dating" while you were busy looting every crate in the Blighted Village.
What Zethino is actually looking for
Zethino is a dryad. She’s flashy, she’s colorful, and she claims she can see into your soul. When you approach her at the circus, she’ll ask for 100 gold to perform the ritual. It’s a small price to pay for what is essentially a series of "How well do you know me?" questions. Most people think it’s just a random flavor event. It’s not. It’s a mechanical check on your companion's approval rating and your own knowledge of their backstory.
She teleports you and your chosen partner to a pocket dimension. It’s pretty. There are petals everywhere. But the pressure is real. You get three questions. Each question has a "correct" answer based on the companion’s personality, history, and secret fears. If you get them right, Zethino praises your bond. If you get them wrong, she calls you out for being a bad partner. It’s awkward. It’s great writing.
The mapping of the heart BG3 sequence varies wildly depending on who you bring. Bringing Astarion feels completely different from bringing Karlach or Gale. You have to pivot your mindset. Astarion wants you to understand his desire for freedom and his cynical edge. Karlach wants you to see her heart—the literal and metaphorical one. If you’re trying to max out your relationship before the final push against the Absolute, you cannot afford to sleep on this interaction.
Navigating the answers for different companions
Let’s get into the weeds. You can’t just guess your way through this. Well, you can, but you’ll probably look like an idiot in front of a dryad.
Astarion: The mask and the man
Astarion is tricky. He’s spent 200 years lying to everyone, including himself. If you bring him to the mapping of the heart, you need to show him that you see past the flirtatious vampire spawn persona.
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When she asks what he finds most enticing, don't pick the shallow stuff. He likes his freedom. He likes the idea of never being a slave again. One of the questions asks what he fears most. If you’ve spent any time talking to him at camp, you know it isn't just death. It’s Casador. It’s being a puppet. You have to pick the answer that acknowledges his agency. He hates feeling like he’s being "managed."
Shadowheart: Secrets and Shar
Shadowheart is a fan favorite, but she’s a literal wall of secrets for the first half of the game. By the time you reach the circus, she’s likely had a major character shift depending on your choices at the Nightsong. This affects how you answer.
Generally, she values her privacy but appreciates when you remember the small things—like her love of night orchids or her inability to swim. Zethino will ask about her greatest achievement or her deepest shame. If she’s still a Sharran, the answers lean toward her devotion. If she’s turned toward Selûne, the answers are about her newfound freedom and her memories.
Gale: The wizard’s ego vs. his heart
Gale is a romantic at heart, but he’s also incredibly self-important. It’s a weird mix. To pass the mapping of the heart BG3 test with him, you have to balance his ambition with his genuine need for human connection. He wants to be seen as more than just a ticking magical nuke.
He loves it when you acknowledge his brilliance without making it the only thing about him. If the question is about his biggest flaw, it’s usually his arrogance or his obsession with the Weave. Being honest with Gale actually works better than coddling him. He knows he’s a lot to handle.
Why the mapping of the heart BG3 matters for your ending
You might think, "It’s just 100 gold and some dialogue, who cares?"
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Larian Studios doesn't do "just dialogue." These moments build the foundation for the game's various endings. The approval you gain here can be the tipping point for a companion staying with you or leaving when things get tough in the final act. Plus, it’s a rare moment of peace. The world is literally ending. There’s an Elder Brain under the city. Taking five minutes to talk about your feelings with a barbarian who has an infernal engine for a heart is what makes this game feel human.
It’s also about the "Dryad’s Blessing." While it’s not a permanent stat buff that breaks the game, the psychological reward of seeing your partner's approval bar slide to the right is worth it.
The "Hidden" outcomes
There is an hilarious outcome if you try to do this with a companion you aren't actually romancing. Zethino will see right through you. She’ll mock the "lukewarm" nature of your bond. It’s a great way to see how the game tracks your internal flags for romance. If you think you’re dating Lae'zel but Zethino says otherwise, you’ve probably missed a crucial camp scene somewhere back in Act 2.
Also, if you’re playing as a Dark Urge, the mapping of the heart takes on a much darker tone. Your "deepest desire" isn't exactly puppies and rainbows. The game acknowledges your bloodlust, and your companion’s reaction to that in the context of a "love test" is incredibly telling about their loyalty to your flawed, murderous self.
Step-by-step: How to guarantee a perfect score
If you’re a perfectionist and you don't want to save-scum (though no judgment if you do), here is how you handle the ritual.
- Long Rest before the Circus. Make sure you’ve exhausted all current dialogue with your partner. Sometimes a "New" exclamation mark over their head contains the exact info Zethino is about to quiz you on.
- Bring the Gold. 100 gold is nothing by Act 3, but you'd be surprised how many people spend it all on gear at the front gate and then can't afford the dryad.
- Pay attention to the specific wording. Larian likes to throw in red herrings. One answer might sound right but use a word the companion would hate. For example, Karlach loves being called "strong," but she hates being called a "weapon."
- Watch their face. The animations in BG3 are top-tier. When Zethino asks a question, your companion will often react physically before you even pick an answer. A flinch or a smirk can tell you everything you need to know.
The mechanical reality of the scene
From a technical standpoint, the mapping of the heart BG3 event is a series of conditional checks. The game looks at your Romance_Level variable and cross-references it with your chosen dialogue ID. It’s one of the few places where the game's invisible "approval" numbers are put front and center in a narrative way.
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Expert players often use this scene to "fix" a relationship that’s on the rocks. If you’ve made some choices that annoyed your partner in the Lower City—like maybe helping a certain devil or being a bit too ruthless with the local guards—Zethino is your chance to make amends. It’s a reset button for your romantic standing.
Interestingly, some companions are harder to read than others. Wyll, for all his "Blade of Frontiers" posturing, is actually quite straightforward. He wants to be a hero, but he also wants to be loved. Karlach is similar; she just wants to live. Minthara? Good luck. If you’ve managed to recruit her and romance her, her mapping of the heart is a masterclass in pragmatism and hidden vulnerability. You have to think like a Drow to pass that one.
Don't skip the rest of the circus
While you’re there for the heart mapping, don't miss the other stuff. The circus is a goldmine for Act 3. Talk to Akabi the djinni (and maybe get teleported to a jungle if you're feeling spicy). Deal with Lucretious and her missing clown parts. The mapping of the heart is the emotional core of the area, but the circus as a whole serves as a necessary breather before the heavy political intrigue of Gortash and Orin takes over the narrative.
Many players rush through Rivington because they want to get to the "real" city. Big mistake. Rivington is where a lot of the character work happens. If you skip Zethino, you're skipping one of the few times the game forces you to stop and reflect on the journey you've taken with your party. From the crash of the Nautiloid to the gates of Baldur's Gate, you've been through a lot. Use this scene to acknowledge that.
Actionable insights for your playthrough
To get the most out of this encounter, you should follow these specific steps during your next session:
- Swap your party leader: Ensure you are controlling your custom character (or Origin character) when talking to Zethino, and have your primary romance interest in the party.
- Identify the "Truth": If you are unsure of an answer, choose the one that reflects the companion's growth rather than their past. For example, Shadowheart's answers change if she has rejected Shar; picking an old Sharran answer will result in a failure.
- Monitor Approval: Check your companion's character sheet before and after. A successful mapping usually nets a +10 to +15 approval boost, which can push you into the "Exceptional" category.
- Save-Scum if necessary: If you are playing on Honor Mode, be extremely careful. While a failure here won't end your run, it can lead to a "Cold" status in the relationship that is hard to recover from without specific later-game triggers.
- Use the Dryad’s Wisdom: Listen to Zethino’s final summary. She often gives a hint about the companion’s internal state that you haven’t seen in regular camp dialogue. It’s "meta-lore" that helps you roleplay better in the final hours of the game.
The mapping of the heart BG3 isn't just a gimmick. It’s a litmus test for your empathy as a player. It challenges you to stop thinking about stats and start thinking about the person standing next to you in the turn-based queue. Whether you're trying to woo a brooding vampire or a literal god-tier wizard, take the time to learn their heart. It makes the final battle that much more meaningful when you know exactly who you're fighting for.
Now, go find Zethino. Pay the 100 gold. And for the love of the Gods, don't tell Astarion his best quality is his hair—he knows that already, and he wants you to do better.