Baldur’s Gate 3is based on the world and rules ofDungeons and Dragons, and its characters are informed by the lore derived from its sourcebooks. This is no different for its companions, who are very much a part of the world and systems of the Sword Coast. SinceBaldur’s Gate 3’s launch, many players have tried playingDungeons and Dragonsfor the first time.
Fans of Astarion who want to play a character similar to him, with similar struggles, motivations, or a similar villain, may instinctively think to make their character a vampire spawn. A better option would be to look atVan Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, a sourcebook that includes several new options for character creation, villains, and a new setting that aligns perfectly with Astarion’s struggles. The dhampir lineage, introduced inVan Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, is closer aligned to Astarion than the monster vampire spawn, and would be better for a player character.
Creating a Vampire Spawn Player Character in Dungeons and Dragons
Vampire spawn already exist inDungeons and Dragons, but they appear as monsters, and running them as player characters would require some homebrew creativity. Fans of Astarion looking to playDungeons and Dragonsand who want to make a similar character should instead look to theVan Richten’s Guide to Ravenloftsourcebook, which gives players the option to create a vampire spawn as a player character, albeit with a different name.Van Richten’s Guide toRavenloftis a horror-themed sourcebookthat includes several new lineages. Lineages differ from race in that a character can have a lineage on top of their base race. The lineages introduced in Ravenloft include:
Astarion fans looking to create a character inDungeons and Dragonsclose to him could consider the dhampir. Dhampirs aren’t like vampire spawn in that they aren’t monsters, and they have some key differences mechanically, but they do align closer to Astarion thanD&D’s vampire spawn. Like vampire spawn, dhampir are created by vampire lords, have a hunger for fluid like blood, and have powerful additional abilities. Overindulging in their choice of fluid can lead to them becoming feral, leading to them seeing their allies as prey.
Dhampirs have the following additional traits:
Vampiric Bite rolls damage with the dhampir’s Constitution modifier rather than their Strength modifier, and attacking a creature that isn’t Undead or a Construct results in regaining Hit Points, much like Astarion’s own Vampiric Bite attack.
Creating a Horror-Themed Campaign in Dungeons and Dragons
Aside from the potential of a dhampir character,Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloftalso includes characters and monsters that align thematically with Astarion’s story.Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloftoutlines the Domains of Dread that comprise Ravenloft as a setting, a campaign, and other details such asrunning a horror-themed campaign. Each of the Domains of Dread is ruled by a Darklord in the flavor of theCurse of Strahd. As it’s a horror-themed sourcebook, it gives both a campaign for DMs to run that’s deeply thematically and narratively appropriate for Astarion fans, but it also gives readers the tools to create their own campaign.
With thetools thatVan Richten’s Guide to Ravenloftprovides, any campaign created doesn’t need to be set within Ravenloft. Players could create an entirely new setting, or set their campaign within Baldur’s Gate if they want to recreate Astarion’s experience. One of the best parts aboutDungeons and Dragonsis creating the adventure and the story is only limited by the player’s imagination, andVanRichten’s Guide to Ravenloftis one sourcebook that gives players the tools to do that.
Dungeons and Dragons
Created by Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop game in which players craft their own worlds and band together to take on adventures through mysterious realms outlined in companion materials. One of the best role-playing games ever made, it has been adapted into a variety of video games and other media.
