Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Astarion and vampire spawns

[spoiler][/spoiler]i think astarion becoming a true vampire should be able to turn you into his spawn without needing to romance. it makes since for him wanting to start with the strongest he knows.

I agree, as his best friend, I figured my Character be the first, also not turning the Durge would be pretty dumb on Astairon part, he would have his own walking personal WMD, spoilers territory ahead

OP you need to put your post between the Spoiler tags in order for it to work.

I mean, more choices are always good.
That said, you spent the whole game listening to Astarion going on that spawns have no freedom at all and you want to become that? You would be totally dependent on a guy on a total power trip. Ascended Astarion is just the worst.

And for non repending Durge:

Well, you can let Volo put an ice pick in your eye, you can let Araj turn your blood explosive, etc. If someone wants to be a vampire spawn because they're convinced they'll be able to talk Astarion into turning them into a full vamp later, or just didn't think this through because powah, they should be able to do it.

It could also be an option for a Durge who

No, sorry, what you are writing in your spoiler tags doesn't make sense at all lore wise -
ANd I'm not talking how unhealthy a relationship (romance or friendship) with Astarion would be for anyone else, since you can't disobey him. Let's face it: the chances of him making you a vampire (promise or not) is slim at best. Ascended Astarion is a different person - vampires in DnD are always evil. Astarion the spawn has room to grow, Astarion the vampire ... not so much.

But as Isaid: I'm not against it - more options are always good. I just laid down my personal thoughts on the matter. So all is good.

Astarion vampiring Durge would be the stupidest thing Astarion ever did. Durge is deranged and makes Astarion appear sane in comparison. Astarion is CE. Durge is CEx2.
The moment Durge feels such a Dark Urge he'll rip Astarion's head off and shit into the hole, as that's what the Voices In His Head told him to do.
And it was FUN!
Woot!Woot!


Vampires are LE for a reason, you know. Astarion is too chaotic - or stupid, take your pick - to be made into a full Vampire. Cazador simply found him wanting. Astarion as full Vampire would be a threat to Vampiric society.

Yeah, having more options is the point, even if some of them don't work. Just like trying to remove the tadpole.

Romanced ascended Astarion can turn you into a spawn even after you choose Bhaal, so Larian already decided that Bhaal can't do anything about it or doesn't care. And it doesn't matter in the end, though that might just be because the endings are so rushed. Otherwise Astarion would at least try to do something before you go on a killing spree, even if unsuccessfully.

And of course it's an unhealthy relationship. No way he turns anyone into a full vampire. But in a game where you can turn into a squid and kill yourself, or lose your mind to murderous urges, it would be just another tragic ending.

I agree, that the endings are rushed. There was supposed to be a very graphic ending for a Durge, that first embraced their legacy and then renounce it in the last decision, if you know, what I mean. It was already voiced ( I have posted it a while ago in the Durge thread). A similar ending would be fitting for a Durge going spawn and maybe punishment for Astarion to make a statement.
Generally more exalted endings would be nice.

How does this interact with Astarion turning you into a spawn anyway. Is there even acknowledgement of this? Clearly he should explode on the spot.

True! As much as I love Astarion, this is so damn true and made me chuckle irl!

Umm, the excuse for that is you have to be unwilling to spill your blood, that's when it becomes explosive, so y'know, as long as you consent to be drained, or more funnily, get that explosive blood perk AFTER becoming a spawn, all is gucci? Somehow?

Clearly Larian hasn't thought it through. Among so many damn things.

Every fantasy (and most SF) world falls apart if you look to closely at the details ...

I'm not too keen on this option but it has more to do with story reasons than utility:

The only reason Astarion even offers the spawn transformation (in my opinion, it's open to interpretation) is because he has a great deal of love for Tav and doesn't want her/him to have the option of leaving him.
His fear of abandonment is big thing with his character and he just made a real romantic connection with a person for the first time in 200 years. So making it so they have no choice but to be with him forever makes sense for Ascended Astarion.
It isn't for tactical gain or strategy. It's purely emotional.

When he speaks of next steps for him and his new powers, his plan is to turn a bunch of idiot stooges that don't have a thought in their pretty heads into spawn so there's no threat of them doing to him what he did to Cazador. In that sense, unromanced spawn Tav (especially Durge version) would be his biggest threat and mistake.

Generally though, I'm all for people to have more choice so if this ever gets implemented, I won't be upset or anything. His motivations for the romance won't change; no harm done.

I just personally don't think it fits the character all that well.

This. I think the most realistic option for non-romanced PCs to become a spawn would be some sort of deal with Cazador. I’m sure he’d be open to it since he already has tons of living servants who only work for the possibility of future immortality, and he’d be fresh outta spawns after the ritual. Naturally, he’d promise that you’d be free and under no obligation to serve him afterwords (if you wanna take him at his word).

Astarion will live forever. He just wants his love with him. And as soon as he turns Tav, he says he gave you a drop of his blood. So you're not a spawn for long, you're a true vampire.

If he doesn't have high enough approval of Tav, then he doesn't trust Tav enough to turn them, and if he doesn't love Tav then he probably doesn't want them around for eternity. I think it makes sense.

You’re not a true vampire. You’re a spawn. He can feed you blood all he wants, but he’d have to willingly let you bite him for you to become a true vampire.

That’s also why you can’t break up with him in the epilogue even if you try. A true vampire would be able to leave him at that point because they’re not bound by compulsions.