Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Astarion romance improvements

Somebody at Larian understands our need to stare at that perfect face.

I'm slowly working my way towards the endgame on my current save, but boy do I not want to experience that ending scene again. Ascended Astarion might be the first one who makes it to the party.

Also, I did the drow thing with Astarion and Halsin today, because curiosity killed the cat and all that and, well. It's still bad.

That's great that the crossed arms are gone from both paths!
I also noticed after comparing this video with an old one that Astarion has different facial expressions when he says 'How I'm free of the parasite - free of Cazador. How I'll never be in someone's power again.' He looks more somber and melancholic, no longer smiling a bit smugly when mentioning Cazador.


I saw they added different animations for the start of the scene, as well as a shot of all participants sleeping on the floor afterwards. It sucks there's still no reactivity when Tav sees Astarion's discomfort.

Finally had time to compare them side by side and you're right! It's definitely a few steps in the right direction and a very welcome change. Still hoping they do more - I sound like a spoiled brat, don't I?

I'll edit my other post accordingly.

Yeah, you can even tell him you're looking at him to make sure he's fine, but it doesn't mean anything. And then later you see he's not fine and do nothing. With Halsin in a mix it's really kind of gross how he invites himself and disapproves if you tell him no. But I didn't know that Astarion also disapproves, just like SH. Which makes even less sense for him because he doesn't even like Halsin.

Nothing wrong with that, after all Larian spoiled us in the first place with such an amazing character. It's only natural to want improvements to make the experience even better.


I don't understand this disapproval either. You'd think he'd be happy without him getting involved. The only way I can possibly explain it is that he wants him to keep the drow twins busy so he can focus on Tav himself.

Somebody probably thought it would be funny if he disapproved. "Would be funny" doesn't always make good writing though.

I mean his perfect face is mesmerizing.

So today I saw that Gale God has his own cutscene with a partner, and Justiciar Shadow can be kissed twice and then hugged. Ascended Astarion is the only one who does not have a romantic interaction? I guess I don't understand something...

I still haven't seen anyone upload a romanced Wyll epilogue video, which would settle the matter for good. But yes, it seems it's only ascended Astarion who got shafted like this.

I noticed another thing that got changed. When Astarion ascends and talks about the delicious feeling and we can make a comment, the companions who are standing behind us now have different facial expressions. Previously, they looked sad and worried, and now they look intrigued.

He can tell Durge they will be sitting on his lap, and Larian missed an opportunity to make that happen at the party?

He really seems to like doing that. He also puts the MC on his lap during the drow twins scene when they are resting.

Ascension really makes that side of him come out more, heh.

Someone at Larian is really into BDSM lol. We have Lae'zel in Act 1, Ascended Astarion, Minthara at the goblin party, Haarlep,..

Yup, it totally does. His comment that it's good the others can see them side by side and that only a fool would try to get in their way tells me he likes to show off and treats Tav like a trophy wife. It's mind-boggling he doesn't do anything suggestive with Tav during the party to proudly prove that Tav is his (in case anyone who tried to romance them in the past still had lingering feelings).


Haha, for sure!

Naked? Yeah, it boggles the mind. Considering how important it is to him that all see them flourishing it is a bit strange he doesn't flaunt it more.

Probably thinks it's beneath him.

Also, I got to the endgame today and now before the spawn romance epilogue narrator says you're "almost entirely free." I'm pretty sure that line belongs exclusively to ascended Astarion.


That's the afterparty and nobody else is invited.

I also hope that the lack of a romantic interaction for Ascended Astarion in the epilogue is either an oversight, the result of some kind of blocker, or content to be added in the future. It does seem like an odd choice to have made deliberately. The relationship is one of complete and total power imbalance, but given Ascendant Astarion's obvious obsession with decadence in general and Tav in particular it's hard to imagine it as anything other than passionate.

I do love that Tav finally gets the option to ask if he wants anything, though. His answer to that is perfect, and feels like exactly how he would have responded if Tav could have asked prior (for example, during the conversation before being turned).

This seemed like the least interesting thing to say to him, considering I enjoyed the chat and didn't want to tell him I was going away already. That answer is perfect indeed, though! He just has to say the best thing to make you not want to leave, haha.


Now that I finally saw one vid with romanced Wyll, I made a summary of interactions with romanced companions in the epilogue party (feel free to add things if I missed something):


Honestly, why does Astarion have so little content in comparison? And Ascendant nothing at all?
This is the type of behaviour I expected from AA:



As it is right now, Tav has no option to tell Ascended Astarion 'I love you' throughout the entire game and we have zero romantic gestures in the epilogue. #JusticeforAscendedAstarion!

I agree, somehow the writers seem to have decided for us that if you choose to Ascend Astarion than your character can't possibly love him. The question of whether an Ascended Astarion can return that love is an entirely separate issue. I think it's perfectly legitimate for Tav to have fallen in love with the darker side of Astarion's character from the start, and to prefer that aspect of him. This is roleplay. Characters should be able to have any number of motives driving them, pure and otherwise.

Honestly, this is a topic I could write pages about. Astarion is just that layered.

Yes, it's clear that Tav will never be an equal in Ascended Astarion's eyes, and they will never be free from him. Neither of those things suggest to me that the relationship would be passionless. To the contrary, a lot of his comments suggest that there's a great deal of attraction.

I do love that kiss, too.

Yes, I'm just convinced they hate this version of the character. Why add two development options at all if you hate it so much. Awful...

Writers hate him and automatically assume that we should hate him too or he should be unpleasant because he's a "narcissistic asshole" and all that.

I think writers in this case do not like to write evil at all, because even in Durge preview, the introduction is "I have to get rid of dark impulses", and not "I have to figure this out" or "accept dark impulses". That is, the game automatically directs you to "fix" something. I have a lot of problems with any evil and morally questionable action in the game. The fact that evil players were deprived of content and were not given variably evil endings (for example rule with Gortash) shows.

In early access, I expected Astarion to be some kind of villain who would burn down cities for you. But they did everything completely differently and presented it as "not freedom." Although we have Minthara, she doesn't have any content at all, and I'm not interested in female characters as a love interest. So we only have one evil male companion and that's what we get. (apart from the bulling by spawn fans) Like, I don't want to fix villains and turn them into the likeness of heroes. I want my characters to be evil couples! When they burn the world down for each other. Is it really that difficult?

They were too busy putting Orin's outfit on him.



Astarion has an unfair amount of content that you only get if you play as Karlach, which in my case is never. That kiss really should be available for Tav/Durge. It's beautiful.



I imagine if the upper city had made it into the game, both versions of Astarion would've been better. And could cause some actual chaos.