Am I the only one who dumped Astarion the minute he

[northernwater]

... asked for my blood. I booted him from the game. Gone. Until he showed up in Cazador's final moments

[Space Dog]

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

Vampire Mind Flayers do exist within table top, though. The parasite needs to be planted in a vampire for it to work, however.

I think it's the other way around. A vampiric tadpole kills and transforms a living host. And that makes more sense.

As a DM I would avoid making things too complicated though.

[General Malaise]

Originally posted by northernwater:

Originally posted by General Malaise:

If you kill him, you're missing out on a great thief.

Get him the armour with Cats Grance, the ring that give +2 Dex and Sleight of Hand, and anything else you can. Steal anything.

Really there's little point looting and bothering carrying the weight in later levels. Just steal money and anything you want.

The hireling is better because she is an urchin.

OK. But when you can steal the most expensive thing in the game in one try - why bother?

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by Space Dog:

I think it's the other way around. A vampiric tadpole kills and transforms a living host. And that makes more sense.

As a DM I would avoid making things too complicated though.

How the hell are you gonna turn a tadpole into a vampire?

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Vampiric_mind_flayer

[Space Dog]

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

Originally posted by Space Dog:

I think it's the other way around. A vampiric tadpole kills and transforms a living host. And that makes more sense.

As a DM I would avoid making things too complicated though.

How the hell are you gonna turn a tadpole into a vampire?

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Vampiric_mind_flayer

Your link confirms it. "....illithid tadpole infected with vampirism entered a humanoid"

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by Space Dog:

Your link confirms it. "....illithid tadpole infected with vampirism entered a humanoid"

I had previously found another link where it said the tadpole had to be implanted into a vampire, so the information regarding them has conflicting sources. :-(

[SoundsOfNight]

Nah, I roll with that kinky ****.

And he's the funniest char in the game with absolutely the best revenge moment.

[Mr-Yellow]

I tried killing Gale, they then killed my single save game for me.

Next play through I'm not engaging with any of them at all. Don't care how long it takes to get through the first few fights or how much cheese is involved.

[Arthur Morrigan]

Originally posted by Space Dog:

Originally posted by Ladybird:

Mistaking lore for character writing, while ignoring the actual character writing.

There's no mistake here. Larian bent the lore in order to force a nonsensical vampire character for a companion, and ignored it in other places where it was inconvenient for them.

Larian's flaw is the lack of discipline to do things properly. They over-extend and throw in everything and the kitchen sink to see what sticks. This is the weakest and most haphazardly put together vampire story I've ever seen. Many people don't care because Astarion is cute.

Doesn't discount what I said at all.

People don't care because Astarion is a well written, well performed character. Which, you know, is more important than following "the lore" to a T.

Originally posted by Space Dog:

Yeah maybe it's me being too narrow-minded in a game with netherese magic and whatever, but I can't get over how or why a biological, living parasite would attach itself to a dead host. Much less transform it and bring it back to life. I need an explanation even if it's as feeble as "it's magic!". But nothing is provided.

Astarion would have been a solid character if he was just a sadistic, hedonistic elf with a tragic background as a "daylight slave" to Cazador. That would have also prevented that you can see red eyes and fangs the second you meet him, but aren't allowed to confront him about it. That makes the "reveal" scene very cringe. With the dodgy vampire storyline and him attacking Tav in their sleep, I just have to stake him every time and pretend the character didn't exist.

Really on that Cinemasins grindset.

[hermit0wl]

Originally posted by Revenant:

Originally posted by hermit0wl:

Actually, what they mean is "I found his personal story emotionally moving", or sometimes "I relate to him as a survivor of abuse"

"As a survivor of abuse, I relate to a character whose ultimate goal is to become the exact same kind of abuser".

"I found it emotionally moving that this sociopathic vampire wants to become an even more powerful sociopathic vampire".

Yeaaaah... I did his fans the honor of assuming they were sane, and liked him for the snarky dialogue.

Ascending is his bad ending

[Super Cosmic Space Magnet]

Astarion got The London Special from me.

I love the "Magnificent Bastard" trope, but the person needs to be funny/clever for it to work. Astarion is just an inept loser who is also inexplicably smug. I think Daeran from Wrath of the Righteous has spoiled me, he sets the gold standard for people who are insufferable but you love seeing on screen.

[Space Dog]

Originally posted by Ladybird:

People don't care because Astarion is a well written, well performed character. Which, you know, is more important than following "the lore" to a T.

You can only break the lore so much, and completely omit things like night scenes, before things fall apart for a vampire story. Astarion would have been a well written and well performed character, a better character overall, without the fangs so loosely stapled on. Larian seem very ambitious as a developer, but with this they flopped.

But you're right, most people don't care. They would still be more impressed if the vampire story had more atmosphere and meat on it's bones. I would've cut Cazador from the game entirely. The whole vampire ascendant plot is irrelevant to the actual story.

[Revenant]

Originally posted by Super Cosmic Space Magnet:

Astarion is just an inept loser who is also inexplicably smug

My "favorite" experience with Astarion was that he continuously whines (and loses respect for you) if you try to trick the devil you are killing FOR HIM into getting rid of its minions before the fight starts.

Oh, I'm sorry, Astarion. You're right. Let's do this fight the dumbest way possible because you've got all the subtlety of a hippopotamus in a hot tub.

[Rusalka]

I kept him around because he's funny, at least to me. I get that his flirty, sarcastic, naughty humor could be a bit too raunchy for some people, especially those who roleplay their tav as themselves (never got the appeal of that, but I keep seeing posts like "Astarion is hitting on ME, and thinks I'M gay"), plus he's a pretty evil guy and wouldn't fit well in a lawful good sort of run. His skill set is really powerful even early game, and I use him as a thief/stealth sniper/trap disarmer a lot.

[Scorpiova]

I have tried so many times to give him a chance. Yet, every time I stake him through the heart ...

[Rusalka]

Originally posted by Space Dog:

I wish there was another Rogue companion.

With Astarion, they took one the best horror aspects of the game, vampires, and turned them into some kind of a teen goth cartoon act. They wanted a vampire companion so badly they just ignored everything that actually makes, a vampire, vampire and threw in a lazy "because tadpole" explanation for everything.

I don't think they did ignore everything that makes a vampire a vampire. In media, vampires are often depicted as predatory, dangerous sexual beings who lure in prey and kill them. Most of the complaints I read about Astarion are about how he sexualizes the tav or exsanguinates them, both of which seem pretty damn on brand for vampires.

If they wanted to subvert vampire tropes, they'd turn him into something like Regis from Witcher. They didn't do that - they played the vampire tropes very straight.