Baldur’s Gate 3: 9 Best Weapons For Astarion

Key Takeaways

• The Needle of the Outlaw Rogue is a common quality dagger perfect for Astarion, easily accessible in the player’s camp stash.
• The Bow of the Banshee, a rare quality bow, is ideal for Astarion with its ability to Frighten and its Hamstring Shot bonus.
• Bloodthirst, a legendary dagger that belongs to Orin, boasts great stats and abilities for both Ascended and Spawn Astarion, available in Act 3.

The Rogue is one of the most versatile classes in Dungeons & Dragons, giving players all kinds of customization options and role-playing choices. Everyone playing a D&D-based RPG needs a Rogue in the party for sneak attacks, picking locks, and disarming traps, and Baldur’s Gate 3 continues the tabletop gaming tradition.

Baldur’s Gate 3 players 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, especially once he’s given the most optimal weapons.

Updated September 5, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: The pile of awards Baldur’s Gate 3 has amassed now officially includes a Hugo Award for writing, winning in the category for Best Game or Interactive Work. That means even more credit to the story of Astarion, which was one of the most popular and beloved among fans. Now, thanks to some patches and updates, fans can give their favorite Vampire Spawn even more love. All the following weapons are great for Rogues in general, but there’s something about each of them that makes them perfect for the Pale Elf.

The sassy vampire spawn Companion is also of the High Elf subrace, which means he can use shortbows and longbows 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.

9 Needle Of The Outlaw Rogue

Waiting In The Camp Stash With The Digital Deluxe Upgrade

• Stats: 1d4 + Strength or Dexterity modifier, piercing damage

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 at their 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 called Needle of the Outlaw Rogue. Those who played Larian’s 2017 title Divinity: Original Sin 2 may recognize some of these items.

This dagger is one of the best weapons Astarion can get in Baldur’s Gate 3 because 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.

8 Sussur Dagger

A Crafted Item From Act 1

• Stats: 1d4 + 1 Dexterity modifier, Silences the target on hit, and Piercing Strike (main hand)

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 ability of Piercing Strike). On the other hand, the Silence ability works no matter what, and this is very handy to have when fighting a magic user.

7 Bow Of The Banshee

Provides A Handy Passive Effect

• Stats: 1d6 + Dexterity modifier, piercing damage, offers the Blood-Curdling Emission ability, which possibly inflicts the Frightened condition.

There aren’t many Rare quality items that Baldur’s Gate 3 players can find in Act 1, and the Bow of the Banshee is one of the few available. It drops from Corsair Greymon, the Duergar trader that 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.

6 Stillmaker

Dolor’s Infamous Dagger

• Stats: 1d4 + Strength or Dexterity modifier, piercing damage, ability to cast Hold Person

A dagger 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, 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.

5 Blightbringer

Purchase It At Danthelon’s Dancing Axe

• Stats: 1d6 + 1 + Dexterity, piercing damage, the abilities of Blightbringer and Prey Decelerator

A bow of rare quality, it’s unfortunate the Blightbringer isn’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.

4 Bloodthirst

Orin’s Dagger Of Bhaal Worship

• Stats: 1d4 + Strength or Dexterity modifier, piercing damage, +1 to AC, roll needed for a Critical Hit is reduced by 1

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. Bloodthirst is attainable fairly late in Act 3 of Baldur’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 must confront and defeat Orin in 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.

3 Hellfire Hand Crossbow

Another Good Reason To Kill Yurgir

• Stats: 1d6 + Dexterity modifier, piercing damage, provides the Hellstalker ability and the Scorching Ray spell

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 Rare hand-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.

2 Bow of Awareness

Steal Or Buy It From Roah Moonglow in The Shattered Sanctum

• Stats: 1d6 + 1 Dexterity modifier, piercing damage, the Seldom Caught Unawares condition

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.

1 Trepan

Drops From The Nurses Who “Assist” Malus Thorm

• Stats: 1d6 + 1 + Strength or Dexterity modifier, piercing damage, provides the Trephination ability

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 vampire wants 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.