Ah, our favorite charming pale elf, Astarion is one of the main companions in the game and you can control him once he is in your party or if you start the game with him. And that’s right, you guessed it, he's a vampire cursed with eternal existence, a thirst for blood, a charming appearance, and a quicksilver tongue that can get him out of any situation. 

His story is mysterious, it will keep you intrigued and has many twists. Astarion has some pros and cons. The pros are that he deals a high amount of damage, has great outside combat utility such as lockpicking, pickpocketing, and has a fleshed out story. The cons are that he's quite squishy in battle and lacks in the spells department unless you choose the “Arcane Trickster Subclass.” 

When it comes to how to build our favorite vampire, he's a rogue at heart, which means he starts as that class. But you can multiclass him in many ways, or you can simply build him as a full rogue. In this article, I'll be going over the possible builds for Astarion and explaining them in detail. So with that, let's get into it!

5. The Assassin

Murder is fun!

There isn't much versatility when it comes to this build, the leveling up is straightforward. This build is entirely focused on stealth and killing enemies on the first turn. To start this build off you are going with the “Rogue” class and choosing the “Assassin” subclass. The build gives you more advantages when attacking unaware enemies or enemies that are surprised by an ambush. 

The assassin is a great damage dealer and its descent at skill checks for non-combat. One great thing about this build overall is that it grants a guaranteed critical hit when ambushing enemies. There's a special trick to do with this build, and that's to sneak behind the enemies, attack them, and as soon as the battle commences, Astarion will be able to attack them again. The assassin excels at the start of combat during the first turn after that, they fall off a bit. 

It's important to stock up your assassin with potions of speed or teleportation scrolls, scrolls of misty step to capitalize on that power. The build is fun, especially on lower difficulties and enemies who don’t have a lot of HP, as you can just one-shot them on the first turn, and you’ll never get bored of teleporting or running around the map, slaughtering everyone who stands in your way. 

Why The Assassin Is Great:

• Excels at killing enemies at the start of the round.
• Deals bonus damage when attacking from stealth.
• Can easily ambush enemies.
• Guaranteed critical hit when ambushing enemies or when attacking enemies from stealth.

All Build Details:

Race:

• High Elf

Stats Distribution:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 16
• Constitution: 16
• Intelligence: 10
• Wisdom: 14
• Charisma: 10

Level Up Order:

• Level 1 - Rogue Class
• Level 2 - Bonus Action: Hide, Dash and Disengage 
• Level 3 - Assassin Subclass
• Level 4 - Ability Improvement: Dexterity
• Level 5 - Passive: Uncanny Dodge
• Level 6 - Expertise: Acrobatics and Intimidation
• Level 7 - Passive: Evasion
• Level 8 - Feat: Resilient
• Level 9 - Infiltration Expertise
• Level 10 - Feat: Alert
• Level 11 - Passive: Reliable Talent
• Level 12 - Feat: Savage Attacker

Equipment:

• Weapon Melee: Bloodthrist
• Shield/Off Hand: Crimson Mischief
• Weapon Ranged: Hellfire Hand Crossbow
• Armor: Elegant Studded Leather
• Helmet: Shadow of Menzoberranzan
• Cape: Shade Slayer Cloak
• Gloves: Legacy of the Masters
• Boots: Helldusk Boots
• Amulet: Amulet of Misty Step or Surgeons Subjugation Amulet
• Ring 1: Killer's Sweetheart
• Ring 2: Smuggler's Ring
• Instrument: /

4. Arcane Trickster

Me? Using a spell? How delightful!

This is a more versatile build for Astarion, mainly because he can cast spells. This build also focuses only on the Rogue class, but you have to pick the “Arcane Trickster” subclass. Keep in mind that this subclass does not give you many spells, just a few because you're still a rogue, not a sorcerer. 

The magic and spells that you do get are useful for dealing high damage at later levels, improving your overall stealth skills, and being able to debuff or stun enemies. Enemies also have a disadvantage in saving throws against this build, so it makes casting debuffs or stuns much easier, and it's harder for enemies to resist your spell effects. And when you're hiding, your spells will deal more damage.

Additionally, the build is also strong at dealing damage from melee and ranged attacks. It's quite versatile in battle and can be quite supportive to your team. Overall, this build can be quite fun if you’re looking for a more supportive Astarion in battle rather than a full on damage dealer. Of course, it will still deal damage, but not as much as with other builds, but it’s still a great and fun one!

Why Arcane Trickster Is Great:

• A quite versatile build when it comes to battle.
• Being able to cast spells as a rogue.
• Spells deal more damage when you're hiding or in stealth.
• Apply debuffs or stuns on enemies while in battle, which comes in useful as a supportive role for your whole party.

All Build Details:

Race:

• High Elf

Stats Distribution:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 16
• Constitution: 14 
• Intelligence: 16
• Wisdom: 10
• Charisma: 10

Level Up Order:

• Level 1 - Rogue Class
• Level 2 - Bonus Actions: Hide, Dash and Disengage
• Level 3 - Arcane Trickster Subclass, Sneak Attack.
• Level 4 - Ability Improvement: Dexterity
• Level 5 - Passive: Uncanny Dodge
• Level 6 - Expertise: Acrobatics and Intimidation
• Level 7 - Passive: Evasion
• Level 8 - Feat: Resilient, Spell: Hold Person
• Level 9 - Magical Ambush
• Level 10 - Cantrip: Bone Chill
• Level 11 - Passive: Resilient Talent
• Level 12 - Feat: Savage Attacker

Equipment:

• Weapon Melee: Bloodthirst
• Shield/Off Hand: Crimson Mischief
• Weapon Ranged: Hellfire Hand Crossbow
• Armor: Bhaalist Armour
• Helmet: Shadow of Menzoberranzan
• Cape: Shade Slayed Cloak
• Gloves: Legacy of the Masters
• Boots: Helldusk Boots
• Amulet: Fey Semblance Amulet
• Ring 1: Ring of Regeneration
• Ring 2: Killer's Sweetheart
• Instrument: /

3. Master Thief

Oh you mean this shiny thing that’s in my hand? Yeah, I found it, it can’t be yours.

This build solely focuses on the rogue class and the “Thief” subclass. The reason is that with the “Thief” subclass, you'll have 2 bonus action points per turn, which you can use to cast dash twice in a row, covering a great distance on the map, or use it for something else like hiding multiple times, attacking with the bow, and so on. 

You’ll also gain resistance to falling damage with this build. Additionally, when you reach level 9, you'll be able to become invisible for 10 turns, and you'll be able to reset the ability with a short rest. It makes stealth so much easier. It's also a versatile build for melee or ranged attacks. Astarion, with this build, will be an expert in both.

Also, it will deal bonus damage from sneak attacks, and the build is amazing at stealing items. There is a lot of fun to be had with this build, especially when you consider the fact that it’s about sneaking around and being unseen. The build can come in clutch when you want to ambush enemies or simply surprise them to gain an advantage in a fight.

Why Master Thief Is Great:

• Astarion can deal extra damage with the sneak attack ability.
• Being able to go invisible with a spell makes sneaking around much easier. The ability also resets each short rest.
• Amazing at pickpocketing and lockpicking.
• Deals amazing damage with melee and ranged attacks.
• Astarion can move a lot around the map due to having two action points per turn.

All Build Details:

Race:

• High Elf

Stats Distribution:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 16
• Constitution: 16 
• Intelligence: 10
• Wisdom: 14
• Charisma: 10

Level Up Order:

• Level 1 - Rogue Start
• Level 2 - Bonus Actions: Hide, Dash and Disengage
• Level 3 - Thief Subclass: Extra Action
• Level 4 - Dual Wielder
• Level 5 - Sneak Bonus Damage
• Level 6 - Expertise: Acrobatics and Intimidation
• Level 7 - Evasion
• Level 8 - Ability Improvement: Dexterity
• Level 9 - Supreme Sneak
• Level 10 - Ability Improvement: Charisma
• Level 11 - Reliable Talent
• Level 12- Feat: Lucky

Equipment:

• Weapon Melee: Bloodthirst
• Shield/Offhand: Crimson Mischief
• Weapon Ranged: Hellfire Hand Crossbow
• Armor: Elegant Studded Leather
• Helmet: Mask of Soul Perception
• Cape: Shade Slayer Cloak
• Gloves: Legacy of the Masters
• Boots: Helldusk Boots
• Amulet: Amulet of Misty Step
• Ring 1: Ring of Regeneration
• Ring 2: Killer's Sweetheart
• Instrument: /

2. Fighter Assassin

I dare you to come at me!

This build for Astarion will focus on dealing damage from afar with bows and in close range with huge swords while also utilizing the maximum from invisibility and stealth for survivability. You will want to go 4 points into the rogue class and 8 points into the fighter class. While playing with this build, you'll want to sneak around and sneak attack as many enemies as possible because it deals additional damage. 

The main subclass for the rogue is “Thief,” as it gives you two bonus action points to use. Once you switch to the “Fighter” class, you'll also gain “Second Wind,” which will replenish some of your HP once per short rest. You'll also gain “Action Surge,” which will give you an additional turn. 

When it comes to picking the fighter subclass, you'll want to go with the “Battle Master,” which is a great help for crowd control, damage, and you'll unlock superiority die, which gives you different ways to attack your enemies, such as riposte, trip, disarm, etc. This build is a killing machine and versatile when it comes to using weapons and armor. 

Astarion is too squishy? Put on heavy armor. You can use any weapon imaginable, from dual wielding, sword and a shield or a huge greatsword. The build allows Astarion to attack multiple times. A ton of battle maneuvers to aid you in a fight and gain an advantage, and easily activate sneak attack for even more damage. 

Why Fighter Assassin Is Great:

• Astarion can wear heavy or medium armor, which helps him a lot as he is generally squishy and the armors give him additional protection.
• Astarion can attack 2-3 times per turn due to “Action Surge,” which gives him an additional action during a turn.
• He can use different battle maneuvers because of the “Battle Master” subclass from the “Fighter” class.
• When Astarion uses a battle maneuver, he can cast “Sneak Attack” to deal bonus damage because certain battle maneuvers will put enemies at a disadvantage.

All Build Details:

Race: 

• High Elf

Stats Distribution:

• Strength: 16
• Dexterity: 16
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 8
• Wisdom: 10
• Charisma: 10

Level Up Order:

• Level 1 - Rogue Class Base Stats
• Level 2 - Cunning Action: Hide, Dash, Disengage
• Level 3 - Rogue Subclass: Thief
• Level 4 - Rogue: Feat: Sharpshooter
• Level 5 - Fighter Class
• Level 6 - Fighter: Action Surge
• Level 7 - Fighter Subclass: Battle Master
• Level 8 - Fighter: Feat: Great Weapons Master
• Level 9 - Fighter: Extra Attack
• Level 10 - Fighter: Ability Improvement: Strength
• Level 11 - Fighter: Battle Maneuver: Precision Attack.
• Level 12 - Fighter: Feat: Alert.

Equipment:

• Weapon Melee: Blood of Lathander
• Shield/Off Hand: Viconia’s Walking Fortress
• Weapon Ranged: Hellfire Hand Crossbow and Ne’er Misser
• Armor: Helldusk Armor
• Helmet: Helm of Balduran
• Cape: Cloak of Protection
• Gloves: Helldusk Gloves
• Boots: Helldusk Boots
• Amulet: Surgeon’s Subjugation Amulet
• Ring 1: Killer’s Sweetheart 
• Ring 2: Ring of Regeneration
• Instrument: /

1. Stealth Archer

Say that to my face again, I dare you!

Now, let's multiclass our vampire into a Ranger. The way that this build works is that you spend 4 points in the rogue class and 8 points in the ranger class. With this build, you get an extra attack during a turn, can wear heavy or medium armor if you want, and you're able to pick a fighting style. 

For the subclasses, go with the “Thief” subclass for the rogue and the “Gloom Stalker” subclass for the ranger. With those two combinations, you'll have yourself two bonus action points from the “Thief” and be able to attack 2 times because of the “Gloom Stalker.” 

With these combinations, you'll have someone who's deadly in close and long range combat and has a ton of utilities outside of combat, such as lockpicking, pickpocketing, stealing, sneaking, etc. And you'll be proficient in multiple skills because of the rogue class that Astarion starts with. 

Additionally, once you do achieve one point in the ranger class, Astarion will be able to wear medium armor and will be proficient with it, which increases his protection and survivability. The build in general is fun to toy around with and experiment with. There are tons of paths you can take, and if you don’t like something, you can always respec.

Why Stealth Archer Is Great:

• Excels in long ranged combat and melee combat.
• This build allows Astarion to attack two times per turn and has two bonus action points.
• Great at sneaking around and surprising or ambushing enemies.
• Astarion can wear medium or heavy armor with the build without disadvantages.
• Deals a ton of damage and can one-shot enemies if you land a critical strike.

All Build Details:

Race:

• High Elf

Stats Distribution:

• Strength: 10
• Dexterity: 16
• Constitution: 16
• Intelligence: 8
• Wisdom: 14
• Charisma: 10

Level Up Order:

• Level 1 - Rogue Class Base Stats
• Level 2 - Rogue: Cunning Action: Hide, Dash, and Disengage
• Level 3 - Rogue Subclass: Thief
• Level 4 - Rogue: Feat: Sharpshooter
• Level 5 - Ranger Class
• Level 6 - Ranger: Fighting Style: Archery, Spells: Hunters Mark, Ensnaring Strike.
• Level 7 - Ranger Subclass: Gloom Stalker
• Level 8 - Ranger: Ability Improvement: Dexterity, Feat: Medium Armor Master
• Level 9 - Ranger: Spells: Spiked Growth, Pass Without Trace, Misty Step.
• Level 10 - Ranger Passive Abilities: Ranger Knight and Natural Explorer: Wasteland Wanderer Fire
• Level 11 - Ranger: Spell: Silence
• Level 12 - Ranger: Ability Improvement: Dexterity

Equipment:

• Weapon Melee: Bloodthirst
• Shield/Off Hand: Rhapsody
• Weapon Ranged: Gontr Mael
• Armor: Elegant Studded Leather or Helldusk Armor
• Helmet: Circlet of Hunting
• Cape: Shade Slayer Cloak
• Gloves: Helldusk Gloves
• Boots: Helldusk Boots
• Amulet: Amulet of Greater Health
• Ring 1: Killer’s Sweetheart
• Ring 2: Shifting Corpus Ring
• Instrument: /

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