Summary
Everyone playing aD&D-based RPG needs a Rogue in the party for sneak attacks, picking locks, and disarming traps, andBaldur’s Gate 3continues the tabletop gaming tradition.Baldur’s Gate 3players who don’t want to be Rogues themselves can recruit Astarion as a Companion and get him to do the thieving, spying, and stabbing instead.
Astarion can be a great addition to the party lineup in every stage of the game, and once he’s given the most optimal weapons, he can be a DPS-dealing powerhouse. The player’s choice of subclass decides whether most of his damage will be spell-based, physical, or a combination of both.
Updated June 15, 2025 by Kristy Ambrose:Thanks to some patches and updates, fans can give their favorite Vampire Spawn even more love. The sassy vampire spawn Companion is also of the High Elf subrace, which means he can use short bows, longbows, and shortswords in addition to his usual Rogue weapons. This also gives him the Firebolt cantrip from level 1, which is handy for burning cobwebs and igniting bombs in addition to combat use.
10Needle Of The Outlaw Rogue
Waiting In The Camp Stash With The Digital Deluxe Upgrade
If the player installs the Digital Deluxe Upgrade, they will find a mysterious chest known as the Peculiar Clothing Chest waiting inside the Traveller’s Chest attheir camp. This chest contains some unique items of Common quality that are more for aesthetic purposes than actual fighting gear.
There’s a bicorn hat, a lute, a flowing red cape, and a dagger calledNeedle of the Outlaw Rogue. Those who played Larian’s 2017 titleDivinity: Original Sin 2may recognize some of these items.
This dagger is one of the best weapons Astarion can get inBaldur’s Gate 3because it has been waiting for him at camp from day one, making it an incredibly accessible piece of equipment. It’s of common quality, but almost all pieces of gear are at this point in the story arc. Astarion can also use the Needle of the Outlaw Rogue as a ranged weapon if players don’t have a decent bow or crossbow for him yet.
9Sussur Dagger
A Crafted Item From Act 1
By the time players have explored some of Act 1, they will have discovered the quest “Finish The Masterwork Weapon,” which includes the secret of the Sussur Tree Bark and the mysterious forge hidden in a cellar beneath the Blighted Village. Three different weapons can be crafted, and aside from the sickle and the greatsword, the best one for Astarion is the dagger.
It’s a light weapon, so Astarion can put it in his off-hand if he’s got a two-weapon fighting build, although this means he won’t be able to use the basic abilityPiercing Strike. On the other hand, the Silence ability works no matter what, and this is very handy to have when fighting a magic user.
8Bow Of The Banshee
Provides A Handy Passive Effect
There aren’t many Rare quality items thatBaldur’s Gate 3players can find in Act 1, and theBow of the Bansheeis one of the few available. It drops from Corsair Greymon,the Duergar traderthat the party encounters in the Grymforge.
Other than just being a really nice ranged weapon, this bow seems ideal for vampire-spawn Astarion because of the unique ability it grants: Blood-Curdling Emission. When the bow hits a target, in addition to the usual damage and the Hamstring Shot ability, it can inflict Frightened, which renders enemies immobile and improves damage and attack rolls.
7Stillmaker
Dolor’s Infamous Dagger
Adagger of Very Rare quality, Stillmaker has a bloody past that Astarion would certainly appreciate. It’s the weapon that was used in the “Open Hand Temple Murders” quest, and like most murder weapons, it can be found hidden in a cave underneath the temple.
Another nice perk with Stillmaker is that it would give Astarion the power to cast Hold Person, which sounds like something a vampire would typically do. Hold Person is a level two spell that can leave the target Incapacitated, preventing them from moving or making Actions or Reactions. Enemies hit with this spell will also have Disadvantage on attacks against them.
6Sword Of Life Stealing
Purchase From Dammon At Last Light Inn
In aD&Dgame, theSword of Life Stealingcomes in any form the Dungeon Master wishes and can appear in the form of a longsword, greatsword, or even a scimitar. InBaldur’s Gate 3, however, it’s a shortsword, and therefore one of the weapons in which Astarion has proficiency thanks to both his High Elf and Rogue background.
It’s also easy to get fairly early in the game, waiting to be purchased or pick-pocketed from Dammon at Last Light Inn. Be cautious here, however, because if Isobel the Cleric dies or is kidnapped, Dammon and the other characters taking shelter here will be turned into malicious undead monsters, and if the player has to kill Dammon they won’t have access to his inventory.
The Sword of Life Stealing is a Very Rare sword with an ability called Life Stealing Critical. When Astarion gets a critical hit with this sword, he also does extra Necrotic damage unless the target is a construct or undead. He also gets an extra 10 hit points while it’s equipped.
5Blightbringer
Purchase It At Danthelon’s Dancing Axe
A bow of rare quality, it’s unfortunate theBlightbringerisn’t available until Act 3, given that it has some handy stats for fighting certain enemies. The good news is that players don’t have to go all the way into the city to get it and only have to go as far as Danthelon’s Dancing Axe in Wyrm’s Crossing.
When Astarion lands a critical hit using this bow, Prey Decelerator gives the target the Slow condition. Blightbringer gives the bow an extra 1d4 of damage against Dwarves and Gnomes, but there are still the Gondians to save and the Zhenatrim to fight, so it’s still a worthwhile buff for Act 3.
4Bloodthirst
Orin’s Dagger Of Bhaal Worship
It’s not just because it’s the only Legendary dagger in the game; it’s got some great stats and abilities that are ideal for both Ascended and Spawn Astarion, too.Bloodthirstis attainable fairly late in Act 3 ofBaldur’s Gate 3. Players can acquire it roughly around the time they face Cazador and make that big decision regarding Astarion’s future. To get Bloodthirst, players mustconfront and defeat Orinin the Undercity Ruins, which is much easier said than done.
As long as it’s equipped, this dagger grants the ability to cast True Strike. It’s also a Bound Weapon, so it can’t be knocked out of Astarion’s hand by attacks or spells. Bloodthist also grants different abilities depending on whether it’s in Astarion’s main or offhand. Exploit Weakness is available when it’s used as a main hand weapon, and True Strike can be accessed via the other.
3Hellfire Hand Crossbow
Another Good Reason To Kill Yurgir
Being an orthon, Yurgir is mostly a ranged fighter, throwing bombs and hitting party members with bolts from his crossbow. This is the Hellfire Hand Crossbow, and whether or not players slay him or talk him into killing himself, he’ll drop this handy weapon.
This is the only Very Rarehand-crossbow in the game, and other than being of high quality, it also gives Astarion the Hellstalker ability, which allows him to inflict the Burning condition on targets while he’s hidden or invisible. Scorching Ray is a level 2 evocation spell that can do fire damage to up to three targets, and it also comes with acquiring this crossbow.
2Bow of Awareness
Steal Or Buy It From Roah Moonglow in The Shattered Sanctum
One of the many useful Uncommon-quality items that Roah Moonglow has in her inventory, the Bow Of Awareness is only available during her time in the Shattered Sanctum. She’s easy to miss, but for those who want to do some shopping, she’s in the southwestern corner of the same big, central room as Priestess Gut.
Astarion gets the usual abilities that come with every bow, like Hamstring Shot, but the real strength of this bow is Seldom Caught Unawares. This condition gives Astarion a +1 to his Initiative rolls, giving him an even better chance for a first turn in every battle.
1Trepan
Drops From The Nurses Who “Assist” Malus Thorm
Rogues can also equip a shortsword, but the drawback with this is that it normally doesn’t allow dual-wielding. Astarion would make an exception for the deceptively simple Trepan, however. This is a shortsword found in the House of Healing, and it’s perfect for when a bloodthirsty vampirewants to play doctor.
Here, players have the option to talk the nurses in the theater into killing themselves with their own weapons, and should the protagonist successfully convince them, they can loot their unique, medical-kit-themed weapons. One of them is the Trepan, a tool used in operations like lobotomies due to its ability to bore through bone. It also grants Astarion the Trephination ability, which deals extra necrotic damage to the target.
