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Astarion

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Overview Approval Banter Romance

Astarion Ancunín is an origin character and recruitable companion with the Charlatan background. He is a high elf and a Rogue first appearing during Act One.

A vampire spawn previously under the control of Cazador Szarr Cazador Szarr until being abducted by the nautiloid, Astarion is set on getting revenge on Cazador and becoming free no matter what. He can be first found west of the Nautiloid Wreck during Act One, where he can be recruited into the party as well as romanced by characters of any gender.


Portrait Astarion.png
“
And to think I was ready to decorate the ground with your innards. Apologies.
„
— Astarion, apologising after a misunderstanding

Overview

Background

Astarion prowled the night as a vampire spawn for two centuries in Baldur's Gate, enslaved by a sadistic vampire lord named Cazador Szarr until he was snatched away by the mind flayers on the Nautiloid and tadpoled. Now he can walk in the sunlight, wade through water, enter homes uninvited, and resist his master's compulsions. Astarion now has a chance at a new life where he can make his own choices, and possibly gain the true freedom and safety he so desperately seeks.

Starting Class

Astarion starts as a Rogue. Upon reaching level three, he will default to the Arcane Trickster subclass.

Special Features

Companion Quest

Main article: The Pale Elf

Astarion's companion quest is called The Pale Elf The Pale Elf. His story unravels as he explores his newfound freedom and how he can keep it, as well as coming to terms with the abuse inflicted on him, and the harm he has inflicted on others.

Recruitment

Recruitable in Act One.

Astarion can be found standing on a road west of the crashed Nautiloid in the Wilderness. When found, a scene will play where he asks for help defeating an Intellect Devourer. Afterwards, he can be asked to join the party.

Approval

Main article: Astarion/approval
Astarion Approves

Astarion approves of displays of power and cruelty, and appreciates snarkiness and mocking. He is inspired when the player gains access to areas or information by deceiving others. The player does not have to be "evil" to gain his approval, however — he approves when the player makes choices that support independence and autonomy, are understanding toward his past, and when the player helps certain characters in need.

Astarion disapproves of displays of weakness and does not like acts of kindness or charity that offer no reward. He also disapproves when the player tries to restrict him or deny him his autonomy.

Romance

See main article: Astarion/Romance

Astarion can be romanced by characters of any gender. His romance deals heavily with his personal character growth, his relationship with intimacy, his discovery of what he wants in life, and the reclaiming of his autonomy. Astarion's romance also has different outcomes depending on the choices made at the end of his companion quest.

Description

Appearance

Astarion is a high elf vampire spawn that appears to be in his late 30s despite being multiple centuries old. He is approximately 5'11" tall and has a medium build and sharp facial features. He has pallid skin with dark circles and bags under his crimson eyes, as well as smile lines around his mouth and a faint beauty mark on his right cheek. He also has jaw-length, curly silver hair styled with pomade and curls around his long pointed ears. He has a bite-mark scar on the right side of his neck from when his old master Cazador Szarr Cazador Szarr turned him into a vampire, and a myriad of scars carved by Cazador covering most of his back. When it comes to clothes, Astarion's choice in attire is usually on the fancier side, wearing an elaborate doublet, leather chaps and embroidered leather shoes when you recruit him. He takes meticulous care to embroider and repair the clothing that he owns, keeping it in good condition as best he can. Astarion is also very mindful of his hygiene and physical appearance overall, especially regarding his hair, nails, skin, and clothing.

Personality

Astarion's personality at the start is very much influenced by his background as a high elf magistrate and his time spent as a vampire spawn slave. Astarion is charming, eloquent, cunning, witty, sarcastic, and practical. But, having felt abandoned by the world and its heroes, Astarion is also very bitter, cynical, self-centered, manipulative, distrustful, prejudiced, and vengeful. His top priorities are his own autonomy, his own safety, and his revenge on Cazador, though he also prioritizes the party’s safety as a whole. He is largely apathetic toward the feelings of others and has little interest in helping them for no reward, as he feels that if he didn't get help, nobody else should. He also holds prejudices against the Gur people and small races such as gnomes.

Astarion at the beginning of the game is very fear-motivated and has a low self-worth, despite his confident and arrogant persona. He will attempt to manipulate others with sex to get them on his side so that he has protection from Cazador, as he believes sex is all he is good for and it is one of few ways he knows how to form relationships with other people. He is also willing to do almost anything to gain power or advantage so that he can secure his own safety and avoid being under Cazador's control again, even if it means harming others or doing something he finds personally distasteful. Although, he has reservations about sacrificing his bodily autonomy even if it means he can gain an advantageous power.

However, as the story progresses, Astarion can develop and change his personality depending on how he is guided during his questline. If Astarion's fears, beliefs, and unhealthy behaviors are contested, he will begin to deconstruct his cynical worldview, learning to stand up for himself, show empathy toward others, reconcile with those he has hurt in the past, form genuine bonds with people he trusts, and start to heal from his trauma. But, if Astarion is led down a path where his behaviors, fears, and beliefs are validated and encouraged, he will instead become a fearful, power-hungry, and abusive man who continues to repress his trauma.

Gameplay

Astarion's default class is rogue. His default high elf cantrip is Fire Bolt Fire Bolt, but if selected as an origin, the player can choose any high elf cantrip they wish. As a vampire spawn he has access to a unique Vampire Bite Vampire Bite, however this action does not appear as a companion until after the party finds out about his vampirism. If played as an origin, the ability becomes available after waking up from the Nautiloid crash.

Proficiencies

Equipment proficiencies

Save proficiencies

Skill proficiencies

Unlockable bonuses

The following bonuses and actions are unlockable through certain decisions in Astarion's companion quest:

  • Vampire Ascendant Vampire Ascendant

    • History

    Pre-Vampirism

    Astarion was a young magistrate in Baldur's Gate, until one day he was assaulted and almost killed by a gang of Gur because of a ruling he had handed down. The vampire lord, Cazador Szarr Cazador Szarr, who had taken interest in him, approached Astarion while he was dying and turned him into one of his slaves – a vampire spawn.

    Life as Cazador's Spawn

    After being turned, Astarion and his vampire spawn "siblings" lived at the Szarr Palace in the Upper City. And being vampire spawn, Astarion and his "siblings" were completely subservient to Cazador, bound to him through the bond of creator and creation. Cazador could use this power to completely control Astarion and the others, and he imposed three main commands onto his spawn. 1. "Thou must not drink from thinking creatures, 2. "Thou must never leave my side, unless commanded," and 3. "Thou must obey me in all things." Astarion and the other spawn could not physically refuse these commands. Cazador would then use this power and these "rules" to physically and emotionally abuse and torture Astarion for centuries, and any form of attempted resistance or escape was met with harsh punishment. For example, Astarion was once sealed away in a coffin, starving, for over a year because he had tried to disobey one of Cazador's commands. Also, the abuse inflicted onto Astarion and the other spawn was brutal and frequent. They were physically tortured and had "poetry" carved into their backs by Cazador, they were frequently emotionally abused as Cazador would play mind games on them, they would be fed dead rats and bugs, they would be commanded to physically torture themselves and the other spawn, they would be starved for long periods of time, and also be forced to venture out into the Lower City to seduce people and engage in sexual activity with them so that they could lure them back to Szarr Palace to later be fed on by Cazador.

    However, while out in a city tavern seducing a young noble to bring back to Cazador, Astarion was abducted by the rogue Nautiloid and was tadpoled alongside other victims.

    Story Involvement

    The Pale Elf

    See main article: The Pale Elf
    The Pale Elf is Astarion's personal quest. It is added to the journal upon recruiting him, and it spans all three acts of the game.

    Act One

    Act Two

    Act Three

    Endings

    Zombie Astarion

    If the party fails to free him in time and/or Cazador successfully ascends instead, Astarion will be transformed into a zombie with red skin, exposed bones, and all of his defining physical traits gone. Carrying Zombie Astarion back to camp and casting Revivify Revivify on him turns him into a camp follower with the same tent and idle animations as his living self; however, he cannot be talked to or re-recruited, and he will not appear at the Reunion Party.

    Life as a spawn vigilante

    If the party stopped the ritual peacefully by persuading him to be better than Cazador or euthanizing a different spawn during the battle, Astarion's sunlight vulnerability spontaneously returns to him a few minutes after defeating the Netherbrain, ending the hope that his immunity from the tadpole might be permanent. After quickly saying goodbye he is forced to run away and find shade, but the narrator or another companion reassures the player character that he will be safe. Back to a normal vampire spawn, Astarion continues adventuring on his own as a nighttime assassin, but a heroic one who only kills "the right people" that deserve it. Instead of grieving over his inability to be in the sun, he develops a renewed sense of self, accepting the dark as a part of him and being driven by his newfound inspiration of hope rather than fear. If he is romanced, the player character can join him in these adventures.

    If an origin Karlach Karlach romanced Astarion, he instead offers to join her in Avernus. If a spawn origin Astarion romanced Karlach, however, he cannot convince her to go to Avernus because he's forced to run away from the sunlight before her ending cutscene, and she dies while Astarion adventures alone.

    Life as a vampire overlord

    If the party failed to stop the ritual or allowed him to complete it, Astarion takes over the Szarr Palace as his own and becomes an ascended vampire lord, rising in status and power in Baldur's Gate. When spoken to at the Reunion Party, Astarion brags about his rising status as the city's "puppet-master" and generally looks down upon the player character. He can be challenged on his new behavior and compared to Cazador, but Astarion brushes off these callouts.

    If romanced and turned into a vampire spawn, Astarion asks the player character to talk with the other companions at the Reunion Party, gather information, and share it with him later while he stays behind and drinks wine. He is surprised to hear that the others are somehow succeeding in life without his supervision, but he is uninterested to engage in conversation with them himself. If romanced as a mind flayer, the player character is simply an ally to Astarion, as they can't be turned into a spawn, but his Reunion Party dialogue remains the same as if they were one. If an origin Karlach romanced Astarion, she is unable to be turned into a vampire spawn because of her engine running hot, so he breaks up with her during their next Long Rest.

    However, there are a few ways for Astarion to end up as a vampire lord without being evil. Like all other player characters, an ascended origin Astarion has the option to go to Avernus with Karlach in any relationship status, abandoning the vampire lord's life completely to fight demons by her side instead. Additionally, if an origin Karlach romancing Astarion does not rest between fighting Cazador and the Netherbrain (thus skipping the breakup scene entirely), he instead demands to bring her to Avernus himself.

    Quest Rewards

    If Cazador is defeated:

    If Cazador is defeated and Astarion does not complete the Rite of Profane Ascension:

    If Cazador is defeated and Astarion completes the Rite of Profane Ascension:

    Interactions & Scenes

    In-Party Interactions & Scenes

    As a companion while out traveling, Astarion has unique dialogue interactions available during and after certain events. Whenever one is available, he will have a floating [ ! ] icon above him.

    Act One

    Act Two

    Act Three

    Camp Interactions & Scenes

    As a companion, Astarion has unique dialogue interactions and cutscenes available at camp. Whenever one is available, he will have a floating [ ! ] icon above him.

    Act One

    Act Two

    Act Three

    NPC Interactions

    Either as an origin, or in the party as a companion, Astarion has unique interactions and special dialogue with the following characters, listed by the act they are first encountered in:

    Act One

    Act Two

    Act Three

    Loot

    Astarion can be killed and looted upon meeting, and he will drop the same loot as starting equipment.

    Achievements

    A-Just a Nibble.jpg

    Just a Nibble
    Let Astarion bite you - ouch.


    Gallery

    • Base model.

      Base model.

    • Camp model.

      Camp model.

    • Underwear model.

      Underwear model.

    • Ascended Model.

      Ascended Model.

    • Early Access model.

      Early Access model.

    • Appearance in the character creator.

      Appearance in the character creator.

    • Portrait by Edward Vanderghote.

      Portrait by Edward Vanderghote.

    • Promotional art.

      Promotional art.

    • Appearance pre-release.

      Appearance pre-release.

    • During Early Access.

      During Early Access.

    Notes

    • Can be spoken to with Speak with Dead.
    • If playing as a Gale origin, Astarion will describe Gale’s blood as tasting like bile and the option for the spawn to drink the player’s will not appear. Interestingly, Astarion can still bite a Gale origin during his first romance scene.
    • The inscription on Astarion's gravestone reads "Astarion Ancunín: 229 - 268 DR 468 DR -", as per the game's devnotes.
    • Astarion was 39 years old when Cazador turned him.
    • BG3 Senior writer Stephen Rooney is the creator & main writer of Astarion.
    • Astarion's background changed throughout Early Access and the released physical character sheets: originally, his background was listed as "Noble", then it was listed as "Trickster Hedonist" in the Character Creation screen during the Release Showcase Panel, and then "Courtesan" on the physical character sheet, with "Charlatan" accompanying the game's official release.

    External links

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