How to Speak with Animals in Baldur’s Gate 3

Why speak common when you can chirp and bark?

Have you ever looked at an animal and thought, ‘what are they thinking?’ There are probably so many secrets hidden in all those furry heads that you’ll never know about. Unless, of course, you know how to speak with animals. Here’s how to speak with animals in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Recommended Videos

How to Speak with Animals in Baldur’s Gate 3

There are plenty of animals in Baldur’s Gate 3, from an Ox who just really wants to be left alone, to a dog who doesn’t want to leave the side of its slain master. Interacting with these animals normally will lead you down the road of pantomiming, persuasion, perception, and intimidation. But it’d be so much easier if you could just exchange a few words and clear up the air.

Here are all the ways to speak to animals in Baldur’s Gate 3:

  • Beast Speech Invocation
  • Speak with Animals Spell
  • Oath of the Ancients Subclass
  • Wildheart Subclass
  • Racial Trait
  • Potion Of Animal Speaking
Screenshots by Prima Games

Beast Speech is an Eldritch Invocation that’s only obtainable by Warlocks. You can get it as early as level 2.

Speak with Animals is a Level 1 spell that is immediately obtainable by Druids and Bards upon character creation. But Rangers will have to wait until Level 2 for it to become available to them.

Oath of the Ancients is a subclass for Paladins. Once you’ve reached Level 3, Speak with Animals will become a possible spell choice.

Similarly, Wildheart is a subclass of Barbarian. And like Paladins, Barbarians will have to have this subclass and wait until Level 3 for Speak with Animals to unlock.

Other creatures are far more blessed. Forest Gnomes will have the ability to Speak with Animals immediately upon creations as their default spell, which can’t be swapped out.

If you’re not running any of these classes or races, never fear. There’s still an option! Potion of Animal Speaking is available to anyone, but finding it can be difficult. That’s because it’s sold randomly in vendor stores. Fortunately, there’s one person who always stocks this potion: Volvo!

Volo can be found first in the Druid town, near the Sacred Pools. Speak to him once, and he’ll then go off to find the goblin camp. You’ll need to rescue him from the aforementioned goblins, and Volo will then join your camp as a merchant.

Related: How to Complete Owlbear Cave and Open the Gilded Selune Chest in Baldur’s Gate 3

If you haven’t progressed that far yet, you can grab a Potion of Animal Speaking almost immediately from the Gnarled Tea House at the coordinates X: -72, Y:269. This is very south of the Blighted Village, almost directly East from the fallen Mindflayer Ship.

And with your newfound ability to speak to animals, you’ll find that recruiting certain companions becomes much easier. May I suggest the adorable dog Scratch?


Prima Games is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy

About the Author

Daphne Fama

A Staff Writer at Prima Games since 2022, Daphne Fama spends an inordinate amount playing games of all stripes but has a soft spot for horror, FPS, and RPGs. When she’s not gaming, she’s an author and member of the Horror Writers Association with a debut novel coming out in 2025. In a previous life, she was an attorney but found she preferred fiction to contracts and forms