Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Patch 6 Destroyed Player Agency with Astarion

Of course, give me some time, I'll get it done)

Yeah, sure, she could... I could break something for her myself, I've got a body 3 and I'm a warrior too. Yeah, you can't even complain to Astarion himself about those kisses, or I guess it would be something like that...

Astarion during kissing time:


Astarion when he asked what happened and Tav told him what he was doing:



Nightmare, your poor husband - he spent the entire third act sleeping anywhere, not even once getting a proper night's rest...

I know, no wonder he's always saying his back hurts.

Wow, so sad to find out Ascended Astarion epilogue doesn't even allow Tav to give him a hug!

Why do they shortchange Astarion fans, I just don't get it, he has to be one of the most popular characters, his voice actor has won multiple awards for his performance, and yet there is clearly a bias against players that choose to romance Astarion.

I want to play Baldur's Gate for the romance first, second is the game play, third is the story telling and problem solving.

It feels like a moralistic judgement which is just so weird, as it is OK for players to kill everyone they come across if they want to but want romance from Astarion - no, no, no, we will give you as little as possible and break your heart just for kicks. That will be your reward for playing our game and thinking you can romance a Vampire.

I am being a little harsh possibly, but clearly everyone who plays this game enjoys the story emersion the game is designed to invest you in, and the decisions you make.

I personally don't enjoy lots of violence or killing (even though it is just a game) you face some tough stuff in this game and the romance is a salve, a little joy amongst the horror. I especially felt this way when I first played the game. Now that I have played Acts 1 and 2 multiple times, I am more immune to it, I can enjoy being a little bad and am comtemplating a Dark Urge run. Being new to gaming I'm learning.

My point is that when you invest in a romance you want the feeling of completion, of not just beating the big boss but having someone at the end to share the future with you. Or alternatively the freedom to go your own way. I just don't understand the companions not insisting Astarion give Spawn Tav her freedom IF she wants it.

But more than anything, in the epilogue, we should be able to hug our chosen companion, kiss our chosen companion and be able to tell them that we love them. All choices we should have, having achieved not only completion of the game but also having achieved our companions approval and commitment.

Your role play and head cannon will determine the character's futures outside the game but in the game, there should at least be the ability to achieve relationship closure IF the game player choses companion commitment.

With Astarion, his Tav, can't kiss him, can't tell him they love him and if they Ascend him, they can't even give him a hug. This just leaves me feeling sad. All I ask is that us Astarion lovers get our fair share of romance content and the ability to love the vampire as we see fit, be that ascended or spawn, please leave the moral judgement out of it. If it is OK to kill everyone, how about making it OK to love the vampire and be loved by the vampire in return!

I have seen that if you play Astarion and he choses to ascend, he can reassure Jaheria that he won't be a big bad, he can romance other characters, without treating them with contempt as their romance is determined by who he romances, not what he has become. So how is this fair to those who choose to romance Ascended Astarion, basically to play ascended astarion as you would want him to be, you have to play his character which means that you miss out on all the amazing voice acting from Neil, which is one of the major reasons I love Astarion so much.

Anyway I live in hope because I love this game so much, I really have been spoiled by it as it is the second game I have every played, which means I have basically started at the top of the game field, leaving me with very high expectations of any other game out there.

Please Larian, show more love for Astarion fans and give us options for those of us that want the Vampire Bride romance, why put a vampire in the game, knowing it is one of the most popular romance tropes and then not deliver the goods is cruel. The vampire bride exists in D&D lore, so it should be possible to deliver on what the fans want and I know I'm not in the minority, you only have to see all the fan creations on you-tube etc... to know that we love our vampire and want the romance mixed with a little danger

While we wait for Larian to hopefully fix a consensual relationship suddenly becoming nonconsensual I can at least tell you all SOMEONE HAD MADE A MOD TO FIX THE EXPRESSIONS.

It's been officially published to Nexus. Be aware that it does replace some default animations. But, quite honestly, playing Durge or an evil character, I think it makes more sense to look a little pleased when you're supposed to feel fear.

Just wanted to give people a little update since I know noncon is triggering and some of you have been unable to play <3

Nice, there is also a new mod called HUGS that allows you to hug NPCs using SH's and Halsin's animations. I haven't tested it myself but I guess AAmancers are finally able to hug Astarion in the epilogue.

Ugh that's great news and also a bummer because I play on PS5. Not sure if my laptop can handle it. Is there a video?

Another PS5 player here. I am really happy the mods are there but since the Patch 6 kisses are inconsistent with Astarion's behaviour elsewhere, I'm hoping for a fix from Larian that will solve the issue for console players as well.

When games are on both PC and Console you spend the same money (or more money if you want multiplayer) but often end up feeling short-changed and like a second class citizen. It's infuriating when game companies rely on modders to solve issues for them and leave their console customers out in the cold. Hopefully, Larian is better than that.

@Starry I pmed you a clip and the link! Just want to be careful given the hate AA fans can get, didn't want to share the creators personal user for the video.



Agree tenfold.
I'm on console. Mods don't fix the issue for many players. Nor the inconsistency of the fear facial expressions for the story.

Totally understandable. Thank you!

ETA: And wow, now that I've seen it, what a difference. It's not perfect. I'd personally prefer a more smirking expression, but it's a big step up.

I know, here are PS5 players, but since I just saw this today on Nexus and remembered the AA fans getting upset about the kissing animation here, I thought, I'll leave it for the pc players.
And remember - there is supposed to be a mod tool coming with next patch that will allow mods for consoles, if I understand correctly.

Happy facial expressions for Ascended Astarion kisses

I would still prefer that Larian fix it themselves, if they would just listen to the people who play this route itself and not the people who do not. Thank you for the modding community and their fixes!

Not everyone can enjoy the mods, so please Larian. Hear our request! Thanks!

As I said, I think they want to implement mod support for consoles.

I don't say, that you shouldn't have hope, but I as a Wyll and Karlach fan am not sure, if they ever will implement that Wyll can make his own decision in act three and more options for Karlach (for example going with her and asking your love interest, if you don't romance her, to come along) - granted, the kissing animations seems to be more a priority thing than poor Wylls story, but they seem to want to wrap up patching the game and move on. So we might all have to rely on modder, who are doing a great job (playing the artificer mod atm and am in tears of joy) - you for the kissing animation and I hopefully for Wyll finally making his own decision.

Definitely an approvement! Also I think it's weird apparently the expression only affects certain body types which just makes the "it's to hammer in a point" thing evem more silly.

If it was a narrative choice why would AA not abuse gnomes and larger body types? Lol only one body type needs to be taught a lesson!! What are you trying to say Larian?! (/s obviously theyre not trying to do that).

Thank you so much for your support, all your posts, starryophonic! I found it very interesting and inspiring to read your game and experiences.


I've already written to you personally. Yes, we are indeed not alone. It's really sad that the game takes away the ability to play the story at the will of an ally and lover - when there are so many answers for that line of play. Like right after the ritual:I'm not afraid of you - which Astarion really likes. He likes daring Tav along with him, putting enemies to the sword - it's all in the game. You're Magnificent.
But suddenly someone in the animation department on February 14 decided: “well, no way”, making kisses. Making what strange contradictions and confusions.

Like the answers in the epilogue where Tav calls “my love”. For the disgruntled Tav, there is a breakup. The ally and lover line has more content in the game.


Thanks for taking the time to be supportive!
The vampire bride fantasy is interesting, this one has a rich lore. Since there isn't a lot of in-game information about vampires DnD creates a lot of opportunity for play and theory.

Basically we had a line of playing a free-willed for everything, ally and lover Tav, a Consort Vampire, judging by the variation in responses still has a lot of content in the game.
Speaking of your next suggestion some blanket. The game was in Early Access with 2020, but no one thought of a blanket in Act 1. My Tav sleeps on the cold ground. It looks well cheap, you immediately think of game conventions. He knocked Tav out? Still, Astarion, the man doesn't like bugs at all. A blanket is a necessity. (but I'll really swap the blanket for happy faces in the kiss and kisses for Astarion in the epilogue)

We'll see what happens next.
Thank you all again for your support!

Downloaded both the kiss mod and the hug mod, so that I can endorse and support the modders who tried to help players. I'm really grateful to them.
Given that so far Larian have ignored us we may be forced to use mods for

1) something that should be an integral part of the game (hugs) and/or

2) allowing players to make their own decisions without some twerp moralising from the gallery at us - and not be scared of someone we have supported and helped throughout the game and are now romanced with (kiss)

and that's really sad.

Bethesda level of sad really, waiting for modders to fix things. Really thought Larian were better than this.

It is wonderful to see the amazing people who actually romance Astarion stand up for the changes they would like to suggest & give feedback on.

1. Hugs & Kisses that are consensual with our favorite character. To keep with all role playing of the game.

2. One dialogue branch change as stated in the request for our Tav in the Astarion dialogue changes thread.

Larian, this is the way it should be. For the players who role play the game and keep with logical sense of all romances. Everyone DESERVES to have fun and play a good game. It is something we have been asking for and we would like to see happen.

Even though I do appreciate the amazing modding community and what they do, I do believe that Larian can follow this same logic. It is a fantasy game, with all kinds of different head canons. No one is going to change my mind on which character I love the most. I am positive that there are thousands of people out here that would like the same thing. We may be a smaller number of the player base, we are all old enough to know that this character is not real, that there are no vampires running around Earth. No morals or lessons for a fantasy game. Just please, give us the dark romance that does not require someone trying to show us lessons or morals. That is not a big ask. It is a game, we do know it is not real, yet we would like to be happy in our pretend world without any changes that would cause harm to the living human playing the game behind the keyboard.

That is truly what Larian should be doing, they gave Astarion to the world. Let us all have fun in the game that they created. We are requesting it from Larian themselves. We are giving our feedback to Larian themselves as well.

Thank you! Let us play the game again, along with everyone else. The responsibility is yours, Larian.

Thank you for the mod link! I play on PS5 so I have to wait to get the game on PC or wait till they allow mods on PS5 but to know there is something out there is great.

I do hope that Larian respects the overwhelming outcry from fans and changes these TAV expressions to that of pleasure not fear and humiliation like they are now. AND give us at least one gentle kiss from Ascended Astarion would be nice too, his dialogue suggests he loves TAV, she is his vampire consort, which contradicts the kisses.

Is it my imagination or was this changed, I remember Astarion saying "My Consort" and now he says "My Favourite" implying that you are not his "Vampire Bride" anymore? Was that changed as well as the kisses?

It is only if you Ascend him and don't become spawn and break up with him OR read his thoughts before he changes TAV to spawn, that you find out he has / would have contempt for TAV if they choose to become spawn. So...IF you as the player choose not to role play your TAV that way (don't read his mind prior to bite OR don't break up with him before becoming spawn) then you should be free to Ascend Astarion and have your own head cannon and not feel abused for ascending him.

Of course I would also like some additional kiss animations for Spawn Astarion, I do feel he is also shortchanged in comparrison to Gale.

I want to enjoy Astarion as spawn and ascended and experience different play throughs, what I don't want is my TAV to be in an abusive relationship which is what the new kisses imply and I just feel that is cruel to the player who has invested a tonne of play through into their relationship.

There are valid motivations for Astarion to remain Spawn just as there are valid motivations for Astarion to Ascend. TAV is not the bad guy, even if playing Durge in this choice, the choice is Astarion's so why then is it OK to foul their relationship and negate TAV's love for him and the power that has. This late change from Larian is not consistent with Astarion's dialogue or other character's oucomes and I think this is part of the reason that the Patch 6 update upsets me as much as it does, it just seems ill advised and cruel to Astarion fans.

I live in hope for Patch 7 or Patch 8 fixing these late changes and to make Astarion's romance on par with other characters e.g. Gale in content

I agree @HoneyAngel! 1000% The only thing is I want more than just one gentle kiss, I want a million...LOL. I know that is too many, but changing Tav's facial expressions to enjoyment would go a long way and get rid of the ick that is there for only a few of the body types, not all of them, just a few. It is very odd. Prefer all body types and all the faces to be happy and fulfilled with the romance of choice.

This thread is already close to becoming a hot topic, like the Improvements thread, so clearly many people are interested in getting the romance fixed and making sense. Thanks to everyone still fighting for Astarion and his fans and it's also nice to see new people pitching in!


This.

Honestly, now that the new super evil endings are coming the moralising for AAmancers makes even less sense. If you'll be able to enslave everyone, do public power displays, walk between piles of gory looking corpses then you should also be able to enjoy the only male dark romance in the game.