Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion Romance and Approval Guide all Acts

In the role-playing hit Baldur's Gate 3, romances play an important role for many players. That's why we'll tell you how to involve the vampire rogue Astarion in a romance and win him over, in our guide.

What it's all about: Astarion is one of your many companions in Baldur's Gate 3, whom you can recruit early in the game. However, the charming, headstrong, and mischievous vampire with white hair is challenging to romance. Cracking him is where many players fail.

How easy or difficult it will be for you to end up with Astarion depends, of course, on what kind of character and what kind of attitude you travel Faerûn with. Also, essential is how you behave towards him during the romance. In Baldur's Gate 3, romances, like the story, extend over several acts, so you can do many things wrong even after you land.

But we're here to help, so the following guide will tell you how to start a romance with Astarion and stay on cloud nine with him for a long time.

How to Start a Romance with Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3

Astarion is capable of love in Baldur's Gate 3 and even though Astarion counts as a bad guy, he has his reasons for it and also possesses good sides. Astarion can't be turned entirely to the good, but your decisions will determine whether he goes down an even darker path or he does good as well. And yes, even as a 100% good character, you can romance Astarion, but it will be harder to get his approval.

So, if you recruited Astarion at the beginning of the first act right after the nautiloid crash, you should always have him with you to score points with him with your actions and decisions. Apart from crucial moments, which we'll discuss later, you'll get Astarion's approval or disapproval through the following deeds:

How to Gain Astarions Affection

• Astarion enjoys making fun of others, especially when it's cruel.
• He especially enjoys it when others suffer.
• Astarion likes good deeds if they are funny enough for his taste (such as rescuing hostages and then letting them die).
• Astarion values personal loyalty because of his circumstances. He receives approval through several events that confirm this principle. As a result, it is possible to give him high approval without being evil.
• He is primarily concerned with his personal survival, self-interest, and assured freedom from Cazador.
• The tadpole has nullified his negative vampiric effects, which is why, for example, he can walk around in daylight without harm. And Cazador's mind control has also been destroyed. Therefore, he is very attached to the tadpole. He favors dialogues that promote its use.
• Let him bite you regularly.
• Astarion likes it when you team up with evil creatures like goblins and devils.
• Demonstrate your power to other creatures.

How to Gain Astarions Disapproval

• If you worry about the weak, Astarion sees that as weakness.
• If you show restraint towards various situations.
• If you judge him and his condition.
• He hates to play as a hero and therefore disapproves when you do heroic deeds.
  • To avoid disapproval, Astarion should either stay in camp or be just far enough away from the dialogue when performing heroic deeds.
• Astarion won't like it if you kick the squirrel in Act 1. However, his affection will not change.

Though it's not clear how much approval you need, the following steps will steer you towards a successful romance with Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3:

• It's advisable to attain a high approval rating before certain quests, like the one to rescue the Druid Halsin. This might require around 10 - 20 hours of gameplay in a normal playthrough.
• Engage in dialogue choices and quests that build your rapport with Astarion, especially in Act 1. Your actions in these interactive elements significantly influence the approval rating.
• Astarion, like all characters in the game, has his own likes and dislikes. Adhering to his preferences helps in earning his approval and advancing the romance.
• Complete Astarion’s companion quest line in Act 3 and choose an ending as part of the romance progression.

Remember, you can monitor your current approval rating with Astarion on the character sheet within the game – Open the inventory menu (Tab) when Astarion is part of your group.

Should you let Astarion Bite you?

Yes! After a while, you will get a nightly visit from Astarion, as he tries to drink your blood. In this scene, he reveals himself as a vampire, and you should let him bite you. But don't let him drain you too much, or it won't end well. From now on, you can regularly give Astarion permission to feast on you. The fact that he, as a vampire, has to drink blood occasionally, you should not hold against him. Show advocacy and understanding in conversation.

In all possible dialogues you have with Astarion from now on, you should respond to his interests and ask him about his past. If it's about the tadpole, tell him you're also a fan of the tadpole's powers you gain from it.

The BG3 Astarion Romance Guide Act 1

Your romance with Astarion can start even before the quest “Save the Refugees”. That is, shortly after you recruit Astarion. However, it would be best if you spent enough time getting to know him within your conversations and gain his trust. At the beginning, these are mainly the following dialogue options:

• Accept Astarion's apology when you first meet him.
• After you've persuaded the Tieflings to release Lae'zel, betray the Tieflings.
• Ask Lae'zel to say “please” before you release her from the cage.
• Join Lae'zel against the Tieflings once you've persuaded them to free her.
• Decide to attack Gimblebuck and the gang near the ruins.
• Convince Kagha to oppose the Shadow Druids.
• Barge in on the bugbear and ogre in the abandoned barn north of the Blighted Village.
• Asking Barcus Wroot for compensation after untying him from the windmill at the Blighted Village.

If you have received appropriate approval from Astarion, he will address you as Darling and tell you that he must be thinking about you. This is a good sign for the start of your romance. As long as you accept him in subsequent dialogues, the romance will continue to build from this point.

After you have saved the Tieflings and turned against the Goblins, the Druids will have a celebration in your camp. Talk to Astarion here and choose the following dialog options:

• Really? Saving lives is awful?
• True, the goblins would have thrown a wilder party.
• And what’s your idea of 'a little fun'?
• All right, let’s do it. I’ll see you later.

If you prefer to go down an evil path and save the goblin camp and go against the druid grove, however, Astarion will also approve it. Here, the options and the results are similar.

Astarion has now offered you to meet him at night for a rendezvous. From this point on, you will almost automatically get to the first intimate sex scene when you confirm his desire. Afterward, he will tell you more about himself.

The next morning, you wake up next to Astarion and notice the scars on his back. Choose the following dialog options here:

• Interesting scars. Where'd you get them?
• Why did he write it in Infernal?

Thereafter, the next day will start.

The BG3 Astarion Romance Guide Act 2

In the second act, increase Astarion's approval in the following core moments as follows:

• At the Last Light Inn:
  • Refuse the wine offered by Jaheira.
  • Shuffle the lance board in favor of Mol.
  • Choose “I say we follow the winged freak” when Marcus invites Isobel to meet Ketheric.
  • Tell His Majesty the Cat, “My intentions are pure. I just wanted to admire you up close.”
• Ruined Battlefield:
  • Run away when the harpers are attacked by shadows.
  • Deceive Gerringothe Thorm.
  • During “Punish the Wicked” convince He Who Was to stab himself.
  • During “Seek Protection from the Shadow Curse” Pass the deception check against Kar'niss.
  • During “Seek Protection from the Shadow Curse” convince Kar'niss to leave without the lantern.
  • Once you receive the moon lantern, refuse to release the pixie Dolly Dolly Dolly.
  • Release Dolly Dolly Dolly from the Moonlantern.
  • Everytime you successfully mime drinking against Thisobald Thorm.
  • Everytime you successfully recall a story against Thisobald Thorm.

In further dialogues with Astarion, behave as before. Agree with evil deeds in principle and annoy your fellow human beings. Let Astarion continue to drink your blood and thus build up the romance more.

If you meet Raphael in Act 2, you should have Astarion with you. He will offer you a deal to translate Astarion's scars. Agree to the deal, and Astarion will want to talk to you in the camp. Then choose the following dialog options here:

• About your undying love for me?
  • Optional: Are you alright?
• So do I. More than anything.
  • Optional: So the nights we spent together didn't mean anything?
• I care about you. Deeply
• You are worth a great deal to me, no matter what you're going through.

In the end, decide to hug Astarion:

After you finish the little side quest, you can end Raphael's deal and get a more detailed insight about Astarions scars on his back. Those scars are used in a dark ritual to elevate his master Cazador.

The BG3 Astarion Romance Guide Act 3

In the third act, of course, your relationship with Astarion continues and drifts more into drama. When you arrive at the master of love Zethino, he asks you a few questions. Be sure to answer them as follows:

• Question 1: “When he is up to his elbows in blood”.
• Question 2: “Me” or “Revenge”.
• Question 3: “Actually, he is afraid of almost everything” or “Break a nail”.

Furthermore, you can make fun of the accent of the NPC Saer Grotpoll's Rivingtonian, which also pleases Astarion. If you get to the point of asking Astarion for more intimacy and he refuses out of spite, try to make him jealous by saying that you will then become intimate with the Orlith twins.

Later in Astarion's Quest, you will encounter Cazador and have the opportunity to stop or complete the vampire ritual.

Stop the Ritual

If you stop the ritual, Astarion will not become a vampire lord, but you'll save thousands of vampire spawn. Thereafter, go to your camp and start a long rest. Astarion will want to talk to you. He will tell you that he is disappointed and will have to get used to the shadows again. Here, the first 2 answers you choose are up to you. After that, Astarion asks you to follow him.

Astarion will take you to a graveyard and open up to you a bit. Your answer doesn't matter here for now until the point where he tells you that he wants to enjoy life again with everything it has to offer. Choose one of the following dialogue options here:

• Leads to sex: Oh? Do you want a little fun?
• Leads to sex: I thought you'd never ask.
• Doesn't lead to sex: Let's just... stay here? Together?

While the first two options lead to a romance scene, in the third option, Astarion is grateful that you stayed with him.

Complete the Ritual

If Astarion is to become the Vampire Lord, you allow him to complete the ritual. To do this, you agree to connect to his mind so that he can see the runes through your eyes, which he then carves into Cazador's back. Once the ritual is finished, you must defeat the Gur when leaving the palace and then go to your camp.

Once you start a Long Rest, Astarion will seek you out. Here the first answer doesn't matter, then choose the following:

• I want to be a vampire, like you.
  • Optional: I want you. I want your body.
• Yes, that's all I want.
• Please, yes.

This leads to an intimate sex scene with Astarion. Once the scene is over, you have to kneel down. After that, you can choose what you want. If you let Astarion become a vampire lord, he is protected from the sun even without the Tadpole, and you can become a vampire yourself if you let Astarion bite you.

If you let him turn you into a vampire, it doesn't change your further development within the story. However, you will get the vampire bite ability you already know from Astarion.

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