Baldur’s Gate 3 Not all of the available character options – including whether it is possible to become a vampire – are clear from the start. The degree of freedom provided in making a Baldur’s Gate 3 Custom character is unprecedented in the video game space, rivaled only by a tabletop Dungeons & Dragons Play with a very patient DM. However, the choices do not end with character creation. The character a player ends up with can be completely different from what they started with, depending on the opportunities they take throughout the game.
[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3.]
There is a vampire-like character in it Baldur’s Gate 3 – The high elf rogue Asterion. Astrion is an interesting, multifaceted character, so it is tempting to follow him on his dark path. However, is it actually possible to become a vampire in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a more complicated question.
Is it possible to become a vampire in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Ascended Asterion is the only way to play as a vampire
It is possible to turn Astrion into a vampire, but not the main player character – At least, not completely. Fairly early in the game’s campaign, Astarion will scare the player-controlled character during a long rest with a bite on the neck, but as it turns out, he is only a vampire spawn, not a full-fledged vampire.
This is effectively the Baldur’s Gate 3 Equivalent to a troll: He is controlled by a master vampire, and may be able to become one if he drinks the master’s blood. As a non-vampire myself, Asterion does not have the ability to turn people completelyOr, but that all changes in one very specific way in the game.
while “The pale eleven“Search, upon killing his former master, Cazador Szarr, Asterion will be given the choice to finally advance to full vampire status. However, in order to do so, Asterion must complete the same ritual that made him a troll, but this time to his master.
After helping Astarion see the symbols on his own back, he violently carves the special letters into Cazador, completing the ritual and Finally ascending into a full vampire. This, in turn, destroys everyone in the vampire coven, including Cazador himself, as Astrion absorbs their power.
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Cazador is a powerful vampire known from previous entries in Baldur’s GateSo once the ritual is complete, Astarion becomes an equivalent master vampire with a more powerful bite and the ability to turn into mist. He also becomes more romantically possessive, and, If the player character asks him nicely, will also turn them into a vampire spawn.
On another long rest, the help Asterion will give the player-controlled character the chance to become a vampire spawn by drinking a drop of his blood. While this will give them access to the basic vampiric bite ability, they will be much weaker than Astarion.
There may be specific prerequisites for Astarion to offer the player character a chance to become a vampire spawn, as romancing and having a good relationship with him helps secure the option’s availability.
How to turn Astrion into a vampire in Baldur’s Gate 3
Completing Astarion’s personal quest
The easiest way to play as a vampire is to use an origin hero Baldur’s Gate 3 And pick up Astrion, and follow his quest line to its natural end. There are a number of ways to progress”The pale eleven.“Astrion could either agree to a deal with Raphael to learn the meaning of the symbols etched into his back early on, or run into some of his fellow trolls at Freygo’s flophouse in Rivington. This will advance his quest, directing the party to enter Szarr Palace.
After fighting or schmoozing their way past the guards, the party must explore Szarr Palace for two items: a Kozakuran dictionary to read Cazador’s sails, and a signet ring to open its doors. Once they have collected both, they can descend to the site of the ritual. The party must kill Cazador in order to allow Astrion to advance; This is by no means an easy fight, but at level 12 in Baldur’s Gate 3It’s certainly doable.
Szarr Palace is also the location of Victoria, a Baldur’s Gate 3 Secret that can be used to eliminate some of the toughest bosses in the game – Cazador included – without even touching them.
Finally, Asterion is faced with the choice to advance or leave. The choice is up to the player, however Ascension is the only way to become a full vampire.
Asterion’s only bloodsucking ability is Vampiric Bite. It takes the form of a piercing attack, which deals 2d4 damage to its target, and heals Astrion for 2d4 HP. This bite has been upgraded to ascended biteWith 6d6 damage and healing, on Astrion ascending into full-fledged vampire status. He also gets Cazador’s Mist ability. It is the closest players can get to becoming a master vampire.
Other ways to (sort of) become a vampire in Baldur’s Gate 3
Recruiting Astrion and stealing Ethel’s potion
If the player is okay with not becoming a vampire themselves but still wants one in their party, The next best thing is to recruit Astarion as a companion. He can be found after the introductory sequence of Baldur’s Gate 3 When the Nautiloid airship crashes on a beach. Players just need to wander west from the landing site, where Astrion will call to them from a line of trees.
Approach him, and he will hold the player character at knifepoint. however, Fighting back can result in Astarion being unavailable for recruitmentOr even worse, die outright. Players will have to resist the urge to beat Astarion until their respective brain-implanted illithid tadpoles allow them to communicate telepathically.
Astarion will then join the team, and, during one of their first few nights at camp together, will treat the player character to a rude awakening by trying to suck their blood while they sleep. Allowing him to continue risks the player character dyingBut don’t worry – there are two opportunities to stop Astreon before he goes too far. Even if the player character dies, they can be immediately revived by a party member.
Once Astarion is sated, he will gain the Vampiric Bite power as described above. Allowing him to drink the player character’s blood gives them some semblance of vampiric power when he’s in the partyAnd this improves if he goes up later.
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It is also possible to get a similar power early in the Baldur’s Gate 3 CampaignAlthough only temporarily. In the Druid Grove, the party can seek out a character called Auntie Ethel, an aging healer who claims to have a cure for their brain parasites. They meet her in the Sunlit Wetlands, where she is in crisis. She is accused by two brothers, Johl and Demir, of kidnapping their sister, Mayrina.
Players can take both sides of the argument, but once they decide it, Auntie Ethel will return to her tea house. Players can follow her there to find a captive Mayrina. The ensuing interaction can play out in any number of ways, but almost always ends in a confrontation with Ethel. Once it’s resolved, players can search her apartment to Find the potion of a mother’s loathing. This is one of many potions scattered throughout her home – none of their effects are explained, so drinking one of them is a gamble.
A mother’s loathing is one of the more useful ones, though, Give whoever drinks it access to the bite action until their next long rest. This functions much the same as the vampiric bite move in Baldur’s Gate 3But does not include the healing component. Still, players can drink it to get a taste of vampire life.
Should you let Asterion bite you in Baldur’s Gate 3 and should Asterion help?
Pros & Cons of Vampire Asterion
Yes, players should choose to let Astrion bite their characters in Baldur’s Gate 3. The inevitable result is that Astarion gains an exceptionally powerful move, and his storyline progresses. To bite or not to bite may seem like more of an impactful decision than it actually is. There is indeed the risk of death, but the risk is small, and the player character can still be revived if Astrion accidentally kills them.
The benefits of letting Astarion bite the player character greatly outweigh the risks, So there is no reason not to let him go ahead with it. This also allows the player to continue through “The pale eleven“Seeking line to eventually make Astarion a master vampire, far more powerful than he was in his original troll form. Allowing him to advance is somewhat of a different question. Besides his new powers, the only major thing that changes about Asterion is that He becomes more arrogant and ambitious than ever before, but this is almost nothing new for his character.
however, Letting Asterion ascend kills all the other vampire spawn, including the abducted Gur children. The Gur, a nomadic band of hunters, send the party to Szarr Palace to rescue their children, so they won’t be totally happy with the outcome. This also results in a more evil Asarion, whose increased hunger and lust for power can lead to a bad outcome. This may even result in one of BG3s new evil endings, added in patch 7, triggered, potentially causing one of the worst possible conclusions to the game. Ascending Astrion is best avoided, except in evil playthroughs.
Some mods let you turn anyone into a vampire in Baldur’s Gate 3
Use BG3’s new Mod Manager to become a vampire
Ascended Astrion is all well and good, but players looking to turn other characters into vampires will need to look elsewhere. This is where mods come in: There are a wealth of Baldur’s Gate 3 Mods that allow players to turn their characters into vampires.
Become a Vampire, uploaded to Nexus Mods by Josephis probably The easiest and most feature-complete way to turn any companion into a vampire. This mod adds three different potions to the game – one that turns the consumer into a vampire, one that turns them into a vampire spawn like Astrion, and one that turns them into a vampire ascendant. This gives them the bite attack, but also a series of other abilities and effects based on how vampires play in Dungeons & Dragons.
This or any equivalent mod downloaded through the new in-game Baldur’s Gate 3 Mod manager will work just as well. Besides the ease of installing them directly from the game window, the main benefit of installing mods is that They will eventually be available on consoles as wellAllowing players to become vampires no matter what platform they are on. However, as with all mods, they come with their drawbacks: they may cause bugs in some parts of the game, and if they actually change the player character’s race, they may lose some race-specific dialogue options.
Although the player’s custom character cannot fully become a vampire in vanilla Baldur’s Gate 3It is still possible to experience just a bit of vampire gameplay by letting Asterion drink their blood and later advance. Mods also open up the options for playable vampirism, even if they should be used sparingly. With the Vampiric Bite ability, Astarion becomes a much more powerful party member, so it’s more than worth the risk. However, players should be careful who else they let Astrion bite as they travel through the Forgotten Realms Baldur’s Gate 3.
Source: Joseph/Nexus mods