There comes a time when Astarion gets a little thirsty.
The question is, should you let him get the blood he needs from you?
Astarion is no exception.
Astarion Overview
Astarion is ahigh elf roguewith anoblebackground.
He’s a good rogue who should be able to handle the majority of your sneaky needs.
Currently, there are two general philosophies for building Astarion, melee or ranged.
Astarion’s Thirst by Winona Nelson
Best Melee Astarion Build
This build leans heavily on thethief subclass.
Thieves are classic rogues.
This build also takes a break from Rogue and puts five levels into the fighter class.
Astarion’s Thirst by Winona Nelson
Level
Build
Rogue 2
You’ll automatically get access to Cunning Actions.
These allow you to use the Hide, Disengage, and Dash actions as a Bonus Action.
Rogue 3
Take thethief subclass.
This comes with Fast Hands and Second-Story Work.
Rogue 3 / Fighter 1
Here’s where we take ourfirst level of fighter.
This improves his action economy incredibly.
Rogue 3 / Fighter 3
This level of fighter gives Astarion his second subclass.
We go withChampionfor itsImproved Critical Hit.
Rogue 3 / Fighter 4
On our penultimate level of fighter, take theDual Wielderfeat.
Rogue 4 / Fighter 5
We’re back to rogue levels now.
Take the Ability Improvement feat andincrease Astarion’s Dexterity and Wisdom by one point each.
The extra point in Wisdom is really only for Perception checks.
Rogue 5 / Fighter 5
Astarion getsUncanny Dodgeat this level, which lets you take half-damage upon being hit.
Rogue 6 / Fighter 5
At this level, you get to improve two of Astarion’s skills.
You should be wieldingtwo Finesse weapons, such as daggers, rapiers, or shortswords.
With Action Surge in the mix, Astarion can potentially attack six times in one turn.
You may wish to forego the final level of rogue for asixth level in fighter.
These will allow him to use his Dexterity as his attack modifier, boosting his accuracy and damage.
Prior to taking the Dual Wielder feat, you must confirm that your weapons both have theLighttrait.
Give AstarionLight Armour, and give him the magic items that heavily improve hismobility or stealth.
A particularly fantastic piece that is only available to The Dark Urge campaigns isThe Deathstalker Mantle.
TheHaste HelmandDisintegrating Night Walkersare also tailor-made for a stealthy, mobile build like this one.
That said, there are ways to build around a ranged strategy using a fewrange-specific featuresand some creative thinking.
This build focuses onraw damage outputand, like the previous build, looks to increase Astarion’saction economysimultaneously.
You’ll automatically get access toCunningActions.
These allow you to use the Hide, Disengage, and Dash actions as Bonus Actions.
Take the assassin subclass here.
This will give you three new features:
Rogue 3 / Ranger 1
Take yourfirst level of rangerhere.
Rogue 3 / Ranger 2
With your second level of ranger, takeArcheryas your Fighting Style.
As for spells,Hunter’s MarkandEnsnaring Strikeare the best options.
Rogue 3 / Ranger 3
Take thegloom stalker subclasshere with your third Ranger level.
This gives Astarion more stealthy options that synergize well with his Assassin boons.
Of note is a boost to his Initiative bonus and a personal Invisibility skill.
Enhanced Leapis a good spell to take at this point, increasing Astarion’s mobility.
Rogue 3 / Ranger 4
At your fourth ranger level, you’ll be given a feat.
Use it toimprove Astarion’s Dexterity by two.
He also gainsMisty Stepautomatically and the choice of another spell.
At this point, we recommendPass Without Trace.
Rogue 3 / Ranger 6 / Cleric 1
This is where things get a little bit odd.
You’ll also get some spells to work with.
Rogue 3 / Ranger 6 / Cleric 1 / Fighter 1
Things get even more complicated!
We take a first level infighterhere, building up to Action Surge at its second rank.
PickDefenceas your Fighting Style for that tasty extra point of AC.
Best Equipment For A Ranged Astarion Build
Well, obviously, a ranged Astarion requires aranged weapon.
Give him your bestLongboworHeavy Crossbow, magic or otherwise, for the firing range and the better damage die.
It’ll also be useful to give Astarion a good melee weapon as a backup.
Stick withFinesse weaponsto ensure you’re able to deal on-par damage, such as Rapiers.
Looking to add something extra to your Rogue?
Here’s what it’s crucial that you know.
