Whether Astarion should become a Vampire Ascendant is one of the most important decisions players need to make to complete his storyline. Astarion has suffered for many years from the Cazador's tyranny, so he wants revenge above all. At the same time, after the ritual is interrupted, there is an option to let Astarion become Vampire Ascendant in Baldur’s Gate 3 or stop him.
On the one hand, he will gain enormous power that he could never dream of. But on the other hand, this will lead to the death of many innocent spawns. This guide will help players understand all the pros and cons of each decision in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Option 1: Astarion Becomes a Vampire Ascendant
When Astarion pulls Cazador out of the coffin, he will find out why the runes on his back were carved. Every vampire with these scars will die during the ritual. Astarion will want to become a Vampire Ascendant to take revenge on his greatest enemy and gain immense power at the same time. He will ask the protagonist to use the parasite to see the runes on his back and carve them into Cazador. If players agree, a ritual will begin during which 7,000 spawns, including Cazador, will die.
Astarion will gain the following abilities after ascension:
- +1d10 Necrotic Damage to unarmed and weapon Attack rolls.
- Ascendant Bite: Melee attack that deals 6d6 Healing and 6d6 Necrotic Damage. Humanoid targets become Bloodless and Astarion gets a Happy status effect.
- Misty Escape: Astarion turns into a gaseous form and becomes almost invulnerable. He cannot take any actions in this form.
In the final battle, Astarion will be a very useful ally and will make the party much stronger. However, the darker side of his nature will wake up. He will become a megalomaniac, demand approval, and overall become a little unbearable. This is a small price to pay for such abilities, so if players don't care about the lives of 7,000 vampires, then it's definitely worth letting Astarion become a Vampire Ascendant.
Option 2: Astarion Doesn’t Become a Vampire Ascendant
If players do not want to let the ritual happen, they should be cautious here. If fans agree to help and then interrupt the ritual, Astarion will get angry, kill Cazador, and leave the party. Instead, if the player wishes to keep Astarion from going through with it, the protagonist must tell him that the ritual will kill many people and that Astarion will not be proud of what he has done.
Of course, Astarion will still kill Cazador, but he will be glad that he didn't become a Vampire Ascendant. He will remain the same haughty, humorous, and funny vampire that players love. As for the spawn, they can be released, killed, or simply left in cages. Also, if the ritual does not take place, the other companions will appreciate it.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on PC and PS5, with an Xbox Series X version also in development.