Starting with the grove's defenses, youll spot your first major chance for betrayal when meeting Minthara who signals right before launching her attack on the tieflings and druids. Position yourself near the front gate during the initial dialogue since that's where the goblin reinforcements come in, and you'll want clear sight lines for commanding them. Worth noting that Wyll and Karlach immediately catch on to what you're planning, they'll break off from your party the moment you side with the raiders.

The real turning point comes at Moonrise Towers when Ketheric makes his pitch during that tense standoff. You'll see him gathering dark energy for about 3 seconds before unleashing mind control effects, so that's your window to either resist or embrace it. Stay near the central platform since the cutscene triggers can be finicky, and you don't want to miss dialogue options. Your former companions will initiate combat sequences in a specific order: Shadowheart first, then whoever's closest to the throne room.

The pattern continues but gets more restrictive as you progress, with each betrayal cutting off questlines and companion interactions. Timing your allegiance switch is crucial since some gear upgrades like Dammon's special items become permanently locked. Maybe interesting - keeping Gale or Astarion around is actually possible if you maintain high approval before major betrayals, just watch their reaction meters during key decisions.