A Baldur’s Gate 3 player has uncovered the grisly fate of a party member, should you not meet them in Act I and bring them into your camp.
Baldur’s Gate 3 does a great job of setting you up with the standard D&D four-class setup at the start of the game. After the tutorial, you quickly meet Shadowheart (Cleric), Astarion (Rogue), Gale (Wizard), and Lae’zel (Fighter), giving you access to any job roles you need for your group.
It’s possible to miss these characters, but only if you make a beeline for your objective markers and do as little exploring as possible. You can also choose not to hire them, which means missing out on powerful allies with interesting sidequests to complete.
Not hiring one of the party members in Baldur’s Gate 3 is akin to writing their death sentence, as they will perish if left to fend for themselves. One player learned this to their detriment, finding the remnants of one of the most popular characters in the game.
Astarion meets a horrible fate if you don’t recruit him in Baldur’s Gate 3
A user on the Baldur’s Gate 3 Reddit never encountered Astarion in Act I and shared their experience finding his mangled remains in Act III, where his body is listed as “Zombie Astarion.” Users in the thread explained what happened to Astarion in this situation.
“Astarion will tell you if you recruit him that Cazador is actively searching for him,” one user wrote, “He’s right, and if you don’t let him stay as a recruited companion the story implies that Cazador was able to track Astarion down and kidnap him for the ritual.
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“The zombie aspect has been interpreted by some to mean that Cazador tortured Astarion to the point of killing him as punishment, then resurrected him as a zombie to be able to complete the ritual.”
In a normal playthrough, Astarion is a vampire spawn who was freed from the influence of his master, Cazador, by the effects of the Mind Flayer tadpole. You can track Cazador down in Act III and defeat him, either completing the horrific ritual he was planning or allowing Astarion to complete it in his place.
If you never recruit Astarion, then he will eventually be tracked down and punished by Cazador, as he doesn’t have any allies to protect him.
Luckily for Astarion, it’s incredibly difficult to miss him, and his naturally charming demeanor means that most players will use him in their group. The fact that he’s a Rogue also makes him an incredibly useful party member with a natural affinity for scouting traps and opening chests.
Astarion’s story is one of the most heart-breaking in Baldur’s Gate 3, and that’s saying something, considering everything the party goes through during the story. Astarion’s tale can end on a sad note, so it’s up to the players to ensure he avoids his fate at the fangs of his former master.
