Baldur’s Gate 3 Astarion is one of the first allies you meet in the RPG, and he’s already one of the most beloved. He’s pale, he’s mysterious, and he’s witty – all enticing qualities. If you’re planning on having Astarion as part of your permanent party, read on for all the key details about this character.
Looking for more on the different Baldur’s Gate 3 companions? We can help you with all your Baldur’s Gate 3 romances – or maybe just picking Baldur’s Gate 3 races and Baldur’s Gate 3 classes if you still need some help. Plus, we have a Baldur’s Gate 3 review for anyone still curious about whether to buy the game. For now though, let’s learn more about this particular DnD Rogue.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Astarion stats
Astarion is a High DnD Elf with the Noble DnD background. He hails from Baldur’s Gate, which will impact his dialogue options during play.
Here are Astarion’s starting stats in Baldur’s Gate 3:
| Strength | 8 |
| Dexterity | 17 |
| Constitution | 14 |
| Intelligence | 13 |
| Wisdom | 13 |
| Charisma | 10 |
Astarion starts out with the following DnD skill proficiencies:
- Acrobatics
- Sleight of Hand
- Stealth
- Perception
- Deception
- Performance
- Persuasion
Astarion also has Expertise in Sleight of Hand and Stealth. His starting equipment includes padded DnD armor, leather boots, a dagger, and a shortbow.
How to recruit Astarion
You’ll meet Astarion not long after the Nautiloid ship crashes. Take the west path after moving away from the ship, and head towards a section of wreckage from the ship.
Astarion is found beyond this section, around a corner and up the hill. All you need to do to recruit Astarion is speak to him.
Astarion personal quest
Reader beware – this section contains spoilers.
Astarion’s personal quest, ‘The Pale Elf’ begins when you recruit him to join you on your adventure. At the start, it will progress without much effort on your part – though it helps if you get to know him a little better.
Before long, you’ll learn that Astarion is a vampire – either from a direct confession or by catching him trying to drink your blood. A higher power that seems to protect you all is apparently keeping his pesky sunlight problem at bay so Astarion can help you solve the Mind Flayer issue.
He’ll eventually explain to you he’s a vampire spawn enslaved to the Szarr family. He couldn’t refuse their orders, and he suspects this may still be true. If you romance Astarion, you’ll notice a carving in his back, which he says his master Cazador Szarr gave him.
To progress Astarion’s personal quest, you’ll need to head to the Sunlit Wetlands. There, you’ll meet a monster hunter called Gandrel who has been tasked with killing Astarion. If you want to progress, you’ll need to stop that happening.
Astarion approval
Astarion is snarky and selfish, so getting his approval will require similar behavior. He likes to see you tease others and make them suffer. Demonstrate you care most about your own personal survival and you’ll win him over – though this does mean he’s not keen on the kind of heroism that completes side quests.
Astarion is also very interested in keeping the Mind Flayer tadpole in his head. Dabble in your Mind Flayer powers and reassure him you’re all for holding onto it to keep him sweet.
How Astarion gains inspiration
Astarion is a Charlatan, so he’s often inspired by feats of persuasion, deception, and all-round manipulation. As a Rogue, he’s also keen on stealing and trickery. Basically, any plot-related event where you can avoid direct combat, annoy somebody, or take something is your time to shine.
Baldur’s Gate Astarion builds
We personally recommend choosing the Assassin subclass for an Astarion build. This gives him the three following features:
- Assassinate: Initiative – You have advantage on attack rolls against creatures that haven’t taken a turn yet
- Assassinate: Ambush – Any successful attack against a surprised creature is a critical hit.
- Assassin’s Alacrity – Your action and bonus action are restored at the start of combat.
This subclass is designed to let you send Astarion sneaking ahead as a scout. Keep his Dexterity as high as possible and give him a solid shortbow, and he can easily Stealth his way into position and surprise an enemy. You get to deal some decent damage before combat has begun.
Then, when your high Dex helps you roll well for initiative, you’ll be taking your turn before most of your enemies – giving you an easy advantage for Sneak Attacks on your first proper turn. Keep him well-stocked with consumable poisons to coat his arrows with too – you can apply it with a bonus action to add poison damage to your attacks.
While Dex should be your main priority when you get ability score boosts, you can’t keep maxing it out forever. If you’re buffing another stat, we recommend focusing on one that complements your party composition.
If you’ve not got Wyll tagging along, Astarion can boost his Charisma and become the party Face for Persuasion and Deception checks. Don’t fancy keeping Gale around? Boost Astarion’s Intelligence. Failing that, just buff Consitution – the Rogue isn’t a beefy class, so some extra help keeping Astarion alive never goes amiss.
For more on BG3, here’s our guide to Shadowheart too. And, since you’re spending so much time in the world of D&D, now is the perfect time to learn how to play Dungeons and Dragons.