Shovel is one of Baldur’s Gate 3’s most entertaining and useful companions: a foul-mouthed quasit familiar who provides combat support and hilarious commentary. Unlike typical familiars, Shovel has a unique personality and can be permanently added to your party if you know how. However, many sorcerer players are frustrated to find that they cannot summon Shovel despite having the appropriate scroll. This guide explains exactly how to recruit Shovel, why certain sorcerer subclasses can or cannot obtain her as a permanent familiar, and what you can do if your sorcerer build is locked out.
How to Find Shovel’s Scroll
The adventure begins in the Blighted Village, inside the apothecary’s cellar. You need to unlock a secret area by moving some boxes to reveal a lever that opens a hidden room. Inside, you will find a trapped sarcophagus containing the Scroll of Find Familiar: Quasit (Shovel). This scroll is the only way to initially summon Shovel.
Be warned: the scroll is single-use. Once you cast it, the scroll is consumed, and Shovel appears in the world. You absolutely must handle the next steps carefully to avoid losing her forever.
Summoning and Talking to Shovel the First Time
After using the scroll, Shovel will pop into existence and begin a conversation with the character who summoned her. This initial dialogue is crucial. You have a few options:
- Attack her or dismiss her rudely, which loses her permanently.
- Promise to help her find a new “coven.” This begins a short quest but does not grant you the permanent summon.
- Use a class-specific dialogue option to permanently bind her as a familiar.
The class-specific dialogue option is what you want, but not all classes get it. We will cover that in the next section.
A popular trick is to rename her. When she asks for a name, you can suggest “Basket” instead of Shovel. This triggers a funny reaction and actually opens up a second conversation path. Importantly, if you leave the conversation without making a permanent deal, you can talk to her again immediately, and the class-specific option might still appear. This gives you a second chance if you miss it the first time. Note that the Basket rename must be suggested before any other binding dialogue occurs, so plan accordingly.
Which Sorcerer Subclasses Can Permanently Learn Shovel?
This is where the sorcerer confusion starts. Wizards can simply learn the spell from the scroll by using the “Learn Spell” button (costing 50 gold). Sorcerers cannot do this. Instead, sorcerers must rely on a dialogue-based method.
When a sorcerer character talks to Shovel after she has been summoned, a special dialogue option may appear: something like “I’m a sorcerer, I can be your new coven.” Selecting this line permanently adds the “Find Familiar: Shovel” ability to that character’s action bar. This ability does not use a spell slot and can be used once per short rest.
However, this dialogue option is not available to all sorcerers. In the base game, only the Draconic Bloodline and Wild Magic subclasses trigger it. Storm Sorcery does not. The reason is a programming check: the game looks for specific subclass tags, and Storm Sorcery is simply not included. If you are playing as a Storm Sorcerer, you will never see the permanent familiar dialogue. The same applies to any modded subclass that does not explicitly add the correct tags. For example, the popular Shadow Sorcerer mod may or may not grant the dialogue option, depending on how the mod author implemented it. Many modded subclasses inherit from existing ones, so it is possible they work, but there is no guarantee.
So, to directly answer the most common questions:
- “Why can’t I summon Shovel as a Storm Sorcerer?” Because the permanent binding dialogue is locked to Draconic Bloodline and Wild Magic. Storm Sorcerers cannot get the ability without using a wizard multiclass or a companion wizard to learn the spell.
- “Can you get Shovel as a Shadow Sorcerer?” In the unmodded game, Shadow Sorcerer does not exist. If you are using a mod, it might work, but you will need to test it. If the mod properly flags the subclass as “Draconic Bloodline” or “Wild Magic” equivalent, then yes. Otherwise, no.
What to Do If Your Sorcerer Cannot Get Shovel Permanently
If you are determined to have Shovel on your sorcerer main character, there are a few workarounds:
- Use a Wizard Companion: Have a wizard character (like Gale) learn the spell from the scroll. That wizard can then summon Shovel at will, and the familiar will stick around and fight alongside your party. The spell will appear in the wizard’s spellbook as a ritual, so it does not cost a spell slot. Keep in mind that the wizard must remain in your active party; if they leave, the familiar disappears.
- Multiclass Dip: If you are willing to take at least one level of Wizard, your sorcerer can learn spells from scrolls. As long as you have a Wizard level, you can scribe the Shovel scroll and prepare the spell, even if your primary class is sorcerer. Your casting ability for the ritual might be Intelligence, but since it is a ritual, it does not matter for combat effectiveness.
- Respec with Withers: Temporarily respec your character to a Draconic Bloodline or Wild Magic sorcerer, use the scroll, trigger the permanent dialogue, and then respec back to your desired subclass. This method is risky because the permanent ability might be lost when you change subclasses. Some abilities are class-feature-bound, and Shovel’s spell may be removed. It is not recommended unless you are willing to test and potentially lose her.
- Use a Hireling: Withers can provide a wizard hireling that can learn the scroll and then summon Shovel. However, you would need to keep that hireling in the active party to have Shovel out, which takes up a party slot. It is a last resort.
The most reliable method is to let Gale (or any wizard) handle Shovel and just keep him in the party.
How Shovel Works in Combat and Exploration
Once you have Shovel permanently, she works like a regular familiar. She can be summoned once per short rest (or as a ritual from a wizard). She has her own initiative, can attack, turn invisible, and scare enemies. Her “Slice” and “Claws” attacks are decent for the early game. More importantly, her “Scare” ability can frighten low-level enemies. She also provides the unique “Shovel’s Cheeky Quasit” buff, which gives a small chance to cause a “frightened” condition on hit, though this is somewhat inconsistent.
Shovel also has excellent mobility due to her flying speed and can be used to scout ahead, trigger traps, or provide distractions. She is not just a combat tool; her personality and dialogue throughout the game make her a memorable companion. Many players keep her around purely for entertainment value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I summon Shovel as a Storm Sorcerer?
Storm Sorcerers lack the subclass tag required for the permanent binding dialogue. Only Draconic Bloodline and Wild Magic sorcerers can trigger that conversation in the base game.
Can I get Shovel as a Shadow Sorcerer?
Shadow Sorcerer is not a vanilla subclass. If you use a mod, it may work depending on how the mod assigns subclass tags. Check the mod documentation or test it yourself.
Can I learn the Shovel spell by scribing it as a non-Wizard?
No. Only Wizards (or characters with at least one Wizard level) can learn spells from scrolls. Sorcerers, Warlocks, and other classes cannot scribe.
I already talked to Shovel and didn’t get the permanent option. Can I try again?
If you haven’t resolved the conversation in a way that locks you out, you may try talking to her again with another character or using the “Basket” rename trick. But if you completed a non-binding dialogue path, you likely lost the chance on that save file.
Can I have Shovel and another familiar at the same time?
No single character can have more than one familiar. However, different party members can each summon their own familiar, so you can have Shovel and another familiar out simultaneously.
Is Shovel worth the effort?
Absolutely. Beyond combat utility, Shovel is one of the most humorous NPCs in the game, and her dialogue alone makes the effort worthwhile.
Shovel is a fantastic addition to any party, and while the sorcerer restrictions can be frustrating, there are plenty of ways to enjoy her no matter what class you play. If you are set on having your main character summon her, consider a quick wizard dip or simply use a companion wizard. With the right approach, you will have your own foul-mouthed quasit causing chaos in no time.
