Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Astarion Build [Melee & Ranged]

In this guide, we will explore the abilities of a special high elf and dive into the possible best build for Astarion, the tricks master. I will focus on a Pure Rogue class build, Melee, and ranged playstyles, bringing out hidden monsters in Astarion.

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Key Takeaways

• Pure Rogue Build:
  • Tailored for versatile utility and heightened perception.
  • Prioritizes Dexterity to maximize overall effectiveness.
  • Recommended for players seeking a well-rounded and adaptable character.
• Melee Build – Thief Subclass:
  • Optimal for engaging enemies in close combat.
  • The thief subclass enhances Astarion’s melee prowess.
  • Notable skills include Fast Hands, Second Story Work, and Supreme Sneak.
  • Feats such as Dual Wielder and Lucky are essential for maximizing damage output and survivability.
• Ranged Build – Assassin Subclass:
  • Tailored for precision strikes and ranged combat.
  • The assassin subclass provides critical hit advantages and ambush capabilities.
  • Essential skills include Assassinate Initiative, Assassinate: Ambush, and Assassin’s Alacrity.
  • Feats like Sharpshooter and Lucky are crucial for increased damage and strategic advantages.
  • Players can choose between Skilled, Weapon Master, or Dexterity increase for added flexibility in this build.

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Build Overview

In this table, I provide an overview of the subclass, skills, weapons, and armor for both builds for Astarion:

Playstyle	Recommended Subclass	Weapons	Armor	Skills	Feats
Melee	Thief	Shortswords Rapiers	Light Armor	Perception Acrobatics	Dual-Wielder Ability Improvement: Dexterity Lucky Ability Improvement: Dexterity
Ranged	Assasin	Shortbows Longbows Heavy-Crossbow	Light Armor	Acrobatics Deception Sleight of Hand Perception	Sharpshooter Ability Improvement: Dexterity Skilled Lucky
Either	Thief	As per your playstyle	Light Armor	Perception Acrobatics	Ability Improvement: Dexterity Resilient: Wisdom Lucky Ability Improvement: Dexterity

Build Overview Table.

As a High Elf, Astarion has the following features

• Darkvision
• Fey Ancestry
• Keen Senses
• Proficiency in Longsword, Shortsword, Longbow, and Shortbow

Ability Score

Astorian is racially a High elf and belongs to the Rogue class; below is an overview of the recommended Ability Point distribution.

Stats	Points
Strength	8
Dexterity	17
Constitution	14
Intelligence	10
Wisdom	14
Charisma	12

Astarion Stats Table.

I consider Astarion an integral part of your party, and your campaign is incomplete without a Rogue. Astarion is usually built as a melee or ranged character; this guide will focus on the best build for Astarion and the respective subclasses, skills, and items that should be used for both playstyles.

Our buil is a Pure Rogue class. Usually, Astarion serves as an excellent perception in your party, and this build will maximize his utility in that role.

Level	Class to level	Subclasses,Feats and Skills to choose
Level 2	Rogue	Astarion will gain cunning actions providing him with a bonus action which can be used to perform Dash, Disengage or Hide action.
Level 3	Rogue	At this level you get to choose a subclass. Select the Thief subclass if you are playing as a melee Select the Assasin subclass if you are playing as ranged
Level 4	Rogue	Here we get to choose a feat here: For a melee build Improve his Ability Score and increase his Dexterity and Intelligence or choose the Duel Wielder feat For a ranged build: Choose the Sharpshooter feat
Level 5	Rogue	At this level you will gain the Uncanny Dodge feature which will reduce the damage of the incoming attack by 50% improving Astarion's survivability
Level 6	Rogue	At this level you get to add a bonus to skills for these we recommend Deception and Perception, however Deception can be replaced with Acrobatics.
Level 7	Rogue	At this level you gain access to the Evasion feature which allows Astarion to dodge certain skills increasing Astarions survivability
Level 8	Rogue	At this level we get access to another feat, if you have opted perviously for the Sharpshooter feat or Dual Wielder, you can opt to increase the Ability score of Dexterity by 2, In case you have previously chosen to imrpove your Ability score choose Sharshooter for a ranged build or Dual Wielder for a Melee build
Level 9	Rogue	At this level Astarion will gain the Supreme Sneak feature as a result of choosing the thief subclass. In case of having chosen Assasin you will gain Infiltration expertiese
Level 10	Rogue	For Melee build Improve Ability score and maximize your Dexterity For Ranged build Pick the Skilled feat and improve Acrobatics and Sleight of Hand skills Another option for ranged is to go with the Resilient feat and choose Resilient: Wisdom
Level 11	Rogue	At this level you gain the Reliable Talent feature
Level 12	Rogue	Pick the Lucky feat regardless of your build

Astarion Build Progression Table.

Recommended Subclass For Melee Build

At level 3, the player can choose from three subclasses: Thief, Arcane Trickster, and Assasin. Astarion benefits the most from the Thief subclass, which is recommended for him for a melee build. 

Subclass	Features and Action provided	Benefits
Thief	Fast Hands Second Story Work Supreme Sneak	Ability to pick locks Disarm traps Move stealthily Gain multiple bonus actions in combat

Thief Subclass Stats.

• Fast Hands: This will allow Astarion to perform a bonus action, such as an additional offhand attack.
• Second Story Work: Reduces fall damage by half, which can be crucial while exploring.
• Supreme Sneak: This action will make you invisible.

Astarion can significantly benefit from these as the additional action provided by Fast Hands can be used to attack or perform a stealth action such as hiding. Similarly, you can jump from higher areas while taking minimum damage while exploring the map.

This may seem insignificant, but let me tell you, this comes in handy if you are creative in exploring areas.

Last but not least, Supreme Sneak is a beneficial action, and Astarion can perform a stealth attack and then use Supreme Sneak to become invisible, hence avoiding damage.

Skills For Melee Build

Skill	Ability Attribute
Perception	Wisdom
Deception	Charisma
Acrobatics	Dexterity
Sleight of hand	Dexterity
Stealth	Dexterity

Skills Table.
 
Astarion, being a rogue, has proficiency in many skills, including Stealth, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Perception, Deception, Performance, and Persuasion. These skills set the Rogue apart from other classes for me because sometimes, all you need is someone to pickpocket to avoid combat.

The skills that improve with Dexterity are Sleight of Hand, Acrobatics, and Stealth. Increasing your Dexterity will enhance your proficiency in these skills if chosen.

Another set of most beneficial skills is Perception and Deception, which scale with Wisdom and Charisma, respectively.

• Perception is a must-have for Asation as it increases awareness of your environment, allowing you to locate traps and secrets effectively, perfectly fitting Astarion.
• Similarly, Acrobatics grants you stability while falling and prevents slipping on surfaces, while Stealth enables you to move past enemies undetected or sneak up opponents to attack 
• Sleight of Hand affects your thieving skills, including picking locks, doors, and other similar actions. 
• Deception is helpful for dialogues; you can avoid Deception altogether if you do not care about excelling in them.

Best Feats

Level	Feat
Level 4	Dual Wielder
Level 8	Improve Ability Score: Dexterity (+2)
Level 10	Improve Ability Score: Dexterity (+2)
Level 12	Lucky

Astarion Feats Table. 

• The Dual Wielder feat is a must, as it will allow you to wield two weapons, enabling you to maximize your damage output. This is especially useful when you are multiclassing with the Fighter class. 
• Improving the Ability score of Dexterity twice to a maximum of 20 is crucial for damage output, as Astarion’s proficiency lies in weapons that scale best with Dexterity. 
• Lucky Feat will allow you to reroll enemy attacks and gain an advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.

Best Weapons & Armor

Slot	Item	Item Skill/Benefit
Head	Haste Helm	Smooth Start: At the start of combat, the wearer gains Momentum for 3 turns. Dexterity Saving Throws +1
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	Night Walker: Prevents from becoming Enwebbed, Entangled, or Ensnared and slipping on grease or ice Misty Step: This spell allows you to teleport to an empty location that is visible
Chest	Faded Drow Studded Leather Armor / Drow Studded Leather Armor	NA/+1 Stealth
Weapon 1	Rapier	Flourish: Feint an attack to throw enemy off-guard Piercing Strike: Chance to Inflict gaping wounds Weakening Strike: Weak attack with a possibility to inflict weak grip
Off-hand weapon	Rapier/Shortsowrd +1	Flourish Piercing Strike Weakening Strike

Weapons and Armor Picks
In my opinion, a melee build does not make sense without good weapon choices. Since Astarion’s Ability score is centered around Dexterity, he must be wielding two Finesse weapons. Finesse’s weapons will enable Astarion to utilize Dexterity as his attack modifier, improving Astarion’s damage and accuracy.

Astarion must have a good weapon equipped in his offhand, as it significantly affects his damage output due to the bonus action available.
It is best to equip Astarion with light armor due to his proficiency in light armor and magic items that improve mobility and Stealth.

Recommended Subclass For Ranged Build

The best subclass for a ranged build for Astarion is the Assasin subclass. Even though I would consider Rogue masters of close-range combat, some people may prefer to be at a safe distance when fighting. This subclass provides the following three features to Astarion.

Subclass	Features and Action provided	Benefits
Assasin	Assassinate: Initiative Assassinate: Ambush Assassin's Alacrity Infiltration Expertiese	Advantage against enemies who haven't moved Guaranteed critical hits against surprised enemies Restores action and bonus action at the start of turn Can change your appearance

Assassin Stats table.

• Assassinate Initiative gives you an Advantage against enemies who haven’t moved yet on the first turn of combat.
• Assassinate: Ambush guarantees critical hits against surprised enemies.
• Assassin’s Alacrity: immediately restores your action and bonus action at the start of combat., making Astarion the perfect ambusher.

Recommended Skills

Skill	Ability attribute
Acrobatics	Dexterity
Sleight of Hand	Dexterity
Perception	Wisdom
Stealth	Dexterity

Skills Table for Ranged Build.
You may notice that the best skills for Astarion for both ranged and melee builds are almost the same. This is because of his nature as a Rogue class character.

Rogue characters benefit most from Dexterity-based skills. Perception is the only Wisdom-based skill; however, it has enormous utility, and Astarion can significantly benefit from it.

Recommended Feats

Level	Feat
Level 4	Sharpshooter
Level 8	Ability Score Improvement: Dexterity
Level 10	Skilled/Weapon Master/Ability Score Improvement: Dexterity
Level 12	Lucky

Feats Table for Ranged Build. 
Sharpshooter is a must for your ranged build as it removes the high-ground penalty, meaning that attacking from a lower ground will not reduce your attack roll.

Attacking with a ranged weapon in which you have proficiency will increase your damage by +10, albeit at the cost of reducing your attack roll by -5. Trust me, you need this, as not all battlefields are equal.

Choosing Ability Score Improvement to increase Dexterity is also necessary for increasing your damage output, mainly if you use a short bow or longbow.

Since Astarion is proficient in both longbows and short bows, this would result in a direct increase in damage. Choosing the Lucky feat is also crucial as it allows one to reroll enemy attacks and gain an advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.

Lastly, there is a choice for you to choose between Skilled, Weapon Master, or Increase Dexterity and maximize it by selecting the Ability score improvement feat. You can choose the Weapon Master to gain proficiency in heavy crossbows, granting you the Piercing Strike skill for that weapon. 

If you choose the Skilled feat, you can gain additional proficiency in the skills of your choice and can further improve Astarion’s performance by a considerable difference.

Best Weapons & Armor

Slot	Item	Item Skill/Benefit
Head	Shadow of Menzoberranzan	Shrouded in Shadow: Become Invisible for 2 turns
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers or Acrobat shoes	Night Walker: Prevents from becoming Enwebbed, Entangled, or Ensnared and slipping on grease or ice Misty Step: This spell allows you to teleport to an empty location that is visible / Acrobatics +1 Advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws Checks.
Chest	Torment Drinker Armor or Penumbral Armor or Drow Studded leather armor	Bolstering Critical: The wearer gains +15 temporary hitpoints when scoring a critical hit or killing a hostile creature / Stealthier: The wearer gains +3 bonus to stealth checks while obscured / +1 to Stealth
Weapon 1	The Joltshooter	Electric Blood: When the wielder deals damage using this weapon, they gain 2 Lightning Charges
Off-hand weapon	Short-sword +1	Flourish: Feint an attack to throw enemy off-guard Piercing Strike: Chance to Inflict gaping wounds
Gloves	Gloves of Archery	Provides Proficiency in short bow and longbow while also increasing ranged weapon damage by 2

Weapons and Armor Table for Ranged build.

Equipping Astarion with your best-ranged weapon for a ranged build is best. I would recommend you get yourself a decent Longbow or a Heavy crossbow.

As for armor, it is best to equip Astarion with light armor since Astarion has proficiency in light armor and will benefit the most from that. 

Choosing armor and gear items that provide mobility and Stealth is also optimal, as they perfectly suit his playstyle. Speaking of weapons, players can also consider greatswords if they want to stick with the melee-focused build. 

What Would I Recommend?

Rogues are a must-have for most parties. I had Astarion as the Rogue in my party, and his Skills helped me avoid death quite a few times.

Regarding the best Astarion build, I would consider the Melee to bring out the best in this class. I think this build takes full advantage of the close-range skills of this class.

The subclass Thief will help you use Astarion’s skill to get items without triggering combat. 

Read More builds:

• Baldur’s Gate 3 Best Armor.
• Baldurs Gate 3 Best Bard Subclass.
• Baldurs Gate 3 Best Spells.