If you keep talking to Astarino in every room of Cazador's castle and be supportive, but don't push him in one direction or another, he himself will start being very doubtful and indecisive of whether he wants to ascend at the cost of his siblings or not. If you push him for a "moral" choice, though, he'll just get contradictory and say "I deserve Ascension, you hear me? Stop preaching". Dude just hates being told what to do.
Another youtuber was kind enough to do an Astarion Approvals only run. She used that mod that lets you see all the approvals on choices. Astarion loves killing villains, straight up just goes for their throats rather than go for the smart option. It was hilarious how many fights his approval choices got the party into, especially the goblin camp Mr. "We shouldn't kill all of them, that'll take hours". Silly vampire. He made only like 3 evil decisions the entire run from when you meet him to the conclusion of his quest. The first one was evil but also such a blip in the grand scheme of things I can't even remember what it was. The 2nd he approved of Laezel killing Voss when he shows up trying to convince her to turn from Vlaakith, apparently he thought it was safer to stay on the lich queen's good side. The 3rd was approving of killing the Nightsong. At the time though Nightsong hadn't told the party she could kill Ketheric without her death being necessary, so that one is kinda on her for not sharing. Oh! I remember what the 1st one was. Not stopping Nere from killing the Gnomes by staying silent, and no not because of racism. But when it comes time for him to make his decision about ascension, the approval was +1. Meanwhile, you convincing him not to ascend was -1 but +3 approval. Ladies and gentlemen, this vampire boi does not want ascension. The mods have spoken.
@@meganparrish807 how interesting, i wasn't using mods "just a feeling" and we feel-ed our happy marry way into ascension as the most natural conclusion of Evil Durge x Ascended Astarion relationship. We reveled in each others viciousness and it was beautiful and i shall treasure that forever 🤣 but now it's time to play "good girl" and save his pale ass from making the same mistake (and my ass from bending over for bhaal) 😅
@@amistiel I kinda imagine the approvals values would change depending on how you influence him. Where the other characters will leave after enough evil decisions, Astarion is very ride or die on a lot of stuff. So I can see his approval for ascension going up if you've been evil enough but kept your approval with him high. Unless the values don’t change, which is possible.
@@meganparrish807 honestly, he was on 100% with 100 points all Act 2 and 3 in that play-through. He didn't like when I told truths about him in circus, but quickly recovered after that. The rest of the time it was 100. I was indeed kind of disappointed he didn't say much during Harleep scene as it was unfolding, but now I honestly cannot recall if perhaps I left him outside of that room to avoid extra trauma :D he DID have something to say after, however, that although he's almighty and untouchable "his precious treasure consort got violated" and he was sad about that 🥰
I never understood why becoming a true vampire wasn’t an option. Like Cazadors body is right there babe, no need to stay a spawn forever. There is a happy middle ground lol
Also Astarion still wouldn't be able to walk in the sun he'd just be a little more powerful (and also probably lose his humanity bc vampires have twisted views on morality). Staying a spawn and killing Cazador still gets the job done. No master, no compulsion
@@destinygalearies7382 but the hunger is forever there, well choose your poison situation )) i'm going to finally NOT ascend Astarion in my romance run with redemption dark urge - i need to see what all the hype of spawn is about 😅😍
@@amistielnot consent, but needing to be unalive/“alive”, meaning they have to be conscious; a part of this material plane if you will😅 can’t be ded ded
It is MUCH better imo. I know AA gets all the crazy “hot” scenes people lose their minds over but spawn Astarion in the epilogue is genuinely happy without becoming just another Cazador. I didn’t romance him that time around, but it was clear he had truly begun to heal from his trauma and learned to adjust to living in the shadows again.
I noticed there was a brief cut in the video, what were the dialogue options after he says "Cazador was more than just a slaver"? I don't think I've ever gotten this version of his past before. thanks for posting it! :)
Full dialogue options about his history (after he killed Gur in the swamp and then at night you let him bite you, but not romancing him): Starry: ..Cazador was more than just a slaver. Tav: You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. Starry: ....I became his spawn and he became my tormentor. Tav: Tormentor? What did he do? Starry: ...Hard to say which was worse. Tav: You're free now. Enjoy that freedom. Starry: ...watch out for anything lurking in the shadows. Tav: I'll watch your back, don't worry. Starry: What more could I ask. Now, is that all? Tav: Tell me about your history. Starry: ... They won't ever control me again. Tav: How does someone become a vampire, exactly? Starry: ...Once you've done that, you're free and a true vampire. Tav: You'd have to drink Cazador's blood to be free? Starry: ... I wouldn't be a true vampire, but I'd be free of him.
I never heard the one at 1.30 before - where he says he is fine never being a true vampire as long as he's free :) may be it's just me, but first time on my 7th playthrough only 🤔😅
@@HastursQueen Honestly, not sure myself - I let him drink me, but not romancing him, not targeting his approval otherwise and I let him feed on enemies (also went and let Astarion kill Gur before finding out he's a vampire)
@@HastursQueen here it is: Astarion: In theory, the next step is to drink their blood. Once you’ve done that, you’re free and a true vampire. Tav: You’d have to drink Cazador’s blood to be free? (then he responds like in the video) :)
If you keep talking to Astarino in every room of Cazador's castle and be supportive, but don't push him in one direction or another, he himself will start being very doubtful and indecisive of whether he wants to ascend at the cost of his siblings or not. If you push him for a "moral" choice, though, he'll just get contradictory and say "I deserve Ascension, you hear me? Stop preaching". Dude just hates being told what to do.
Lol, cool to know, will check it out when I'm there again, since this time I'm not letting him ascend 😁
Another youtuber was kind enough to do an Astarion Approvals only run. She used that mod that lets you see all the approvals on choices.
Astarion loves killing villains, straight up just goes for their throats rather than go for the smart option. It was hilarious how many fights his approval choices got the party into, especially the goblin camp Mr. "We shouldn't kill all of them, that'll take hours". Silly vampire.
He made only like 3 evil decisions the entire run from when you meet him to the conclusion of his quest. The first one was evil but also such a blip in the grand scheme of things I can't even remember what it was. The 2nd he approved of Laezel killing Voss when he shows up trying to convince her to turn from Vlaakith, apparently he thought it was safer to stay on the lich queen's good side.
The 3rd was approving of killing the Nightsong. At the time though Nightsong hadn't told the party she could kill Ketheric without her death being necessary, so that one is kinda on her for not sharing.
Oh! I remember what the 1st one was. Not stopping Nere from killing the Gnomes by staying silent, and no not because of racism.
But when it comes time for him to make his decision about ascension, the approval was +1.
Meanwhile, you convincing him not to ascend was -1 but +3 approval.
Ladies and gentlemen, this vampire boi does not want ascension. The mods have spoken.
@@meganparrish807 how interesting, i wasn't using mods "just a feeling" and we feel-ed our happy marry way into ascension as the most natural conclusion of Evil Durge x Ascended Astarion relationship. We reveled in each others viciousness and it was beautiful and i shall treasure that forever 🤣 but now it's time to play "good girl" and save his pale ass from making the same mistake (and my ass from bending over for bhaal) 😅
@@amistiel
I kinda imagine the approvals values would change depending on how you influence him. Where the other characters will leave after enough evil decisions, Astarion is very ride or die on a lot of stuff.
So I can see his approval for ascension going up if you've been evil enough but kept your approval with him high. Unless the values don’t change, which is possible.
@@meganparrish807 honestly, he was on 100% with 100 points all Act 2 and 3 in that play-through. He didn't like when I told truths about him in circus, but quickly recovered after that. The rest of the time it was 100. I was indeed kind of disappointed he didn't say much during Harleep scene as it was unfolding, but now I honestly cannot recall if perhaps I left him outside of that room to avoid extra trauma :D he DID have something to say after, however, that although he's almighty and untouchable "his precious treasure consort got violated" and he was sad about that 🥰
Timestamp for one of Neil's best lines 1:07
I never understood why becoming a true vampire wasn’t an option. Like Cazadors body is right there babe, no need to stay a spawn forever. There is a happy middle ground lol
I think true vampire needs to allow you to drink their blood = aka willingly (can't consent when you're dead) 😂
Also Astarion still wouldn't be able to walk in the sun he'd just be a little more powerful (and also probably lose his humanity bc vampires have twisted views on morality). Staying a spawn and killing Cazador still gets the job done. No master, no compulsion
@@destinygalearies7382 but the hunger is forever there, well choose your poison situation )) i'm going to finally NOT ascend Astarion in my romance run with redemption dark urge - i need to see what all the hype of spawn is about 😅😍
@@amistielnot consent, but needing to be unalive/“alive”, meaning they have to be conscious; a part of this material plane if you will😅 can’t be ded ded
It is MUCH better imo. I know AA gets all the crazy “hot” scenes people lose their minds over but spawn Astarion in the epilogue is genuinely happy without becoming just another Cazador. I didn’t romance him that time around, but it was clear he had truly begun to heal from his trauma and learned to adjust to living in the shadows again.
I noticed there was a brief cut in the video, what were the dialogue options after he says "Cazador was more than just a slaver"? I don't think I've ever gotten this version of his past before. thanks for posting it! :)
Full dialogue options about his history (after he killed Gur in the swamp and then at night you let him bite you, but not romancing him):
Starry: ..Cazador was more than just a slaver.
Tav: You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to.
Starry: ....I became his spawn and he became my tormentor.
Tav: Tormentor? What did he do?
Starry: ...Hard to say which was worse.
Tav: You're free now. Enjoy that freedom.
Starry: ...watch out for anything lurking in the shadows.
Tav: I'll watch your back, don't worry.
Starry: What more could I ask. Now, is that all?
Tav: Tell me about your history.
Starry: ... They won't ever control me again.
Tav: How does someone become a vampire, exactly?
Starry: ...Once you've done that, you're free and a true vampire.
Tav: You'd have to drink Cazador's blood to be free?
Starry: ... I wouldn't be a true vampire, but I'd be free of him.
Nothing was new?? He's said all that before?
I never heard the one at 1.30 before - where he says he is fine never being a true vampire as long as he's free :) may be it's just me, but first time on my 7th playthrough only 🤔😅
@@amistielI have also never heard that, what was the trigger?
@@HastursQueen Honestly, not sure myself - I let him drink me, but not romancing him, not targeting his approval otherwise and I let him feed on enemies (also went and let Astarion kill Gur before finding out he's a vampire)
@@amistiel what have your tav said, before that response came? I'really curious 🤔
@@HastursQueen here it is: Astarion: In theory, the next step is to drink their blood. Once you’ve done that, you’re free and a true vampire.
Tav: You’d have to drink Cazador’s blood to be free?
(then he responds like in the video) :)