How do I recruit Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3?
Recruiting Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3 is a relatively straightforward process, but it requires you to follow specific steps and make certain choices early in the game. Astarion is a high elf rogue with a mysterious and somewhat sinister background, and he can be a valuable addition to your party due to his stealth and combat abilities. HereÔÇÖs a detailed guide on how to recruit him, along with tips and considerations to ensure you donÔÇÖt miss out on this companion.
To recruit Astarion, you need to encounter him during the early stages of the game, specifically in the Wilderness area after the prologue. After the Nautiloid ship crashes, you will find yourself in the Wilderness, and this is where you can meet Astarion. He is located to the southwest of the crash site, near the Overgrown Ruins. When you approach his location, you will trigger a cutscene where he pretends to need help, but it quickly becomes clear that he is trying to ambush you. This is a key moment, and your dialogue choices here will determine whether you can recruit him.
During the cutscene, Astarion will approach you with a knife, and you will have several dialogue options. The most important thing to remember is to avoid being hostile or aggressive. If you choose options that show you are willing to cooperate or that you are not a threat, Astarion will lower his weapon and agree to join your party. For example, choosing dialogue options like "IÔÇÖm not your enemy" or "WeÔÇÖre both infected, letÔÇÖs work together" will help you gain his trust. If you choose to attack him or act aggressively, he will become hostile, and you will lose the opportunity to recruit him.
Once Astarion joins your party, you can manage him like any other companion. He is a rogue, which means he excels in stealth, lockpicking, and dealing high damage with sneak attacks. You can customize his abilities and equipment to suit your playstyle, but itÔÇÖs generally a good idea to focus on his Dexterity and Stealth skills to maximize his effectiveness in combat and exploration. Astarion also has a unique ability called "Cunning Action," which allows him to Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action, making him incredibly versatile in combat.
One important tip to keep in mind is that Astarion has a personal questline that you can explore as you progress through the game. This questline delves into his backstory and his connection to the vampire lord Cazador. Completing his personal quest will not only strengthen your relationship with him but also unlock unique rewards and story outcomes. To progress his questline, you need to pay attention to his dialogue and make choices that align with his goals and desires. For example, supporting his desire for power and freedom will increase his approval of you, while opposing him or trying to control him will decrease his approval.
A common mistake players make is ignoring AstarionÔÇÖs personal quest or making choices that alienate him. If you want to maintain a good relationship with Astarion, itÔÇÖs important to engage with his story and make decisions that he approves of. Additionally, some players may accidentally trigger combat with him during the initial encounter, which can lead to him becoming hostile and unrecruitable. To avoid this, always choose dialogue options that de-escalate the situation and show that you are willing to cooperate.
In terms of advanced techniques, you can optimize AstarionÔÇÖs combat effectiveness by pairing him with other party members who can complement his abilities. For example, having a tank like LaeÔÇÖzel or Karlach draw enemy attention while Astarion sneaks around to deliver devastating sneak attacks can be a highly effective strategy. Additionally, equipping him with weapons that deal piercing damage, such as daggers or rapiers, will maximize his damage output. You can also use his "Cunning Action" ability to position him strategically in combat, allowing him to avoid damage while still contributing to the fight.
From a D&D rules perspective, AstarionÔÇÖs rogue class is based on the 5th Edition rules, which means he has access to features like Sneak Attack, which allows him to deal extra damage when he has advantage on an attack roll or when an ally is within 5 feet of the target. This makes him particularly effective in situations where you can set up flanking or use stealth to gain advantage. Additionally, his high Dexterity score makes him proficient in skills like Stealth, Sleight of Hand, and Acrobatics, which can be useful both in and out of combat.
In summary, recruiting Astarion involves encountering him in the Wilderness, choosing the right dialogue options to gain his trust, and then managing him effectively in your party. By focusing on his strengths as a rogue, engaging with his personal questline, and making choices that align with his goals, you can build a strong relationship with Astarion and unlock his full potential as a companion. Avoiding common mistakes like triggering combat during the initial encounter or ignoring his personal quest will ensure that you can fully enjoy his character and story throughout the game.
To recruit Astarion, you need to encounter him during the early stages of the game, specifically in the Wilderness area after the prologue. After the Nautiloid ship crashes, you will find yourself in the Wilderness, and this is where you can meet Astarion. He is located to the southwest of the crash site, near the Overgrown Ruins. When you approach his location, you will trigger a cutscene where he pretends to need help, but it quickly becomes clear that he is trying to ambush you. This is a key moment, and your dialogue choices here will determine whether you can recruit him.
During the cutscene, Astarion will approach you with a knife, and you will have several dialogue options. The most important thing to remember is to avoid being hostile or aggressive. If you choose options that show you are willing to cooperate or that you are not a threat, Astarion will lower his weapon and agree to join your party. For example, choosing dialogue options like "IÔÇÖm not your enemy" or "WeÔÇÖre both infected, letÔÇÖs work together" will help you gain his trust. If you choose to attack him or act aggressively, he will become hostile, and you will lose the opportunity to recruit him.
Once Astarion joins your party, you can manage him like any other companion. He is a rogue, which means he excels in stealth, lockpicking, and dealing high damage with sneak attacks. You can customize his abilities and equipment to suit your playstyle, but itÔÇÖs generally a good idea to focus on his Dexterity and Stealth skills to maximize his effectiveness in combat and exploration. Astarion also has a unique ability called "Cunning Action," which allows him to Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action, making him incredibly versatile in combat.
One important tip to keep in mind is that Astarion has a personal questline that you can explore as you progress through the game. This questline delves into his backstory and his connection to the vampire lord Cazador. Completing his personal quest will not only strengthen your relationship with him but also unlock unique rewards and story outcomes. To progress his questline, you need to pay attention to his dialogue and make choices that align with his goals and desires. For example, supporting his desire for power and freedom will increase his approval of you, while opposing him or trying to control him will decrease his approval.
A common mistake players make is ignoring AstarionÔÇÖs personal quest or making choices that alienate him. If you want to maintain a good relationship with Astarion, itÔÇÖs important to engage with his story and make decisions that he approves of. Additionally, some players may accidentally trigger combat with him during the initial encounter, which can lead to him becoming hostile and unrecruitable. To avoid this, always choose dialogue options that de-escalate the situation and show that you are willing to cooperate.
In terms of advanced techniques, you can optimize AstarionÔÇÖs combat effectiveness by pairing him with other party members who can complement his abilities. For example, having a tank like LaeÔÇÖzel or Karlach draw enemy attention while Astarion sneaks around to deliver devastating sneak attacks can be a highly effective strategy. Additionally, equipping him with weapons that deal piercing damage, such as daggers or rapiers, will maximize his damage output. You can also use his "Cunning Action" ability to position him strategically in combat, allowing him to avoid damage while still contributing to the fight.
From a D&D rules perspective, AstarionÔÇÖs rogue class is based on the 5th Edition rules, which means he has access to features like Sneak Attack, which allows him to deal extra damage when he has advantage on an attack roll or when an ally is within 5 feet of the target. This makes him particularly effective in situations where you can set up flanking or use stealth to gain advantage. Additionally, his high Dexterity score makes him proficient in skills like Stealth, Sleight of Hand, and Acrobatics, which can be useful both in and out of combat.
In summary, recruiting Astarion involves encountering him in the Wilderness, choosing the right dialogue options to gain his trust, and then managing him effectively in your party. By focusing on his strengths as a rogue, engaging with his personal questline, and making choices that align with his goals, you can build a strong relationship with Astarion and unlock his full potential as a companion. Avoiding common mistakes like triggering combat during the initial encounter or ignoring his personal quest will ensure that you can fully enjoy his character and story throughout the game.