Playing as the origin characters has never been quite as popular as creating a new Tav or a Dark Urge character in Baldur’s Gate 3, but there are definitely some narrative upsides to doing so.
Playing as the origin characters saves you spending a couple of hours in the character creation screen, but it also means you have a bespoke story to uncover as you journey through the game. For Astarion, it revolves around his relationship with Cazador and the rest of his spawn, reaching a pinnacle in Act 3.
Astarion has become the mascot of Baldur’s Gate 3 in all but name, being by far the most popular companion in the game, and the most recognisable face as well.
And while many players might prefer to play as someone else so they can see his story unfold externally (or so they can romance him for the fifth time), there are definitely some upsides from exploring the story from his perspective.
Larian Studios’ attention to detail is on full display here, because it turns out that if Astarion is kidnapped by spawn in Act 3, you can play through his escape from Cazador’s dungeon from his point of view, including an encounter with Godey the skeleton.
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One player detailed how this meant there were new options at the Cazador boss fight, because Astarion gets the chance to resist rather than getting sucked into the ritual.
“It’s such a badass scene and a huge departure from the average playthrough where Astarion always loses his cool and gets sucked into the ritual circle.
“At least as an Origin, he has so much strength, presence of mind, and sheer force of will. And how many players get to see it? I’m impressed. Larian really thought of everything.”
