14 November 2025

Everything Astarion’s Book of Hungers Reveals About Baldur’s Gate 3’s Astarion

By newsgame

Dungeons and Dragons’ newest supplementary text, Astarion’s Book of Hungers, is packed to the brim with exciting content targeted towards fans of Baldur’s Gate 3’s beloved vampire spawn. In addition to information about playing a Dhampir, vampire hunter, or even Vampire Devotee (perfect for Astarion romancers!) there is plenty of lore, focused primarily around Astarion’s life and habits prior to the events of Baldur’s Gate 3. Keen-eyed Astarion fans who thoroughly peruse the Book of Hungers can learn a great deal of fun new facts about their favorite vampire spawn.

Astarion’s Birth And Death Dates Are Clarified

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Since the release of Baldur’s Gate 3, fans have been confused about when exactly the vampire spawn lived and died. Astarion’s gravestone reads “229 DR – 268 DR,” but the events of Baldur’s Gate 3 take place in 1492 DR (Dale Reckoning), while Astarion claims to be just over 200 years old. Astarion’s Book of Hungers clarifies that the vampire spawn was born in 1261 DR and killed and turned into a vampire in 1300 DR, making him 231 years old during Baldur’s Gate 3. The gravestone’s dates were possibly meant to be rendered using a different timekeeping system, such as the North Reckoning favored in Waterdeep.

Astarion Once Befriended A Vampire Hunter

The introduction to the book comes in the form of a letter from Astarion to the reader. In it, the vampire spawn rogue describes an encounter with a vampire hunter in the Rat’s Run tavern. After “cocking his brow” and “swiveling his hip” — tactics any Baldur’s Gate 3 player who has ever romanced Astarion will recognize — he convinced her to spare him in exchange for information about vampires and how to hunt them down.

In-universe, Astarion’s Book of Hungers apparently consists of the information he shared with this vampire hunter. In his introductory letter, Astarion acknowledges that this information could be used against him by monster hunters such as the Gur, but feels that it is ultimately worth it, stating:

“Gods be praised, we might finally be rid of the worst of our kind: the indiscreet, the devil worshippers, the demon harbingers, and the boring!”

Szarr Family Dynamics Explained

Astarion is one of seven vampire spawn considered to be the “children” of powerful vampire Cazador Szarr. Players can meet all six of Astarion’s “siblings” in Baldur’s Gate 3, although little information is known about them besides a few facts gleaned by reading documents in Cazador’s manor. The Book of Hungers doesn’t share much, but it does reveal a few key things:

Astarion was the second of the seven to be spawned.
The tiefling Aurelia was the first, the human Pale Petras the third, the elf Violet the fourth, and the human Leon the most recent. The gnome Yousen and elf Dalyria are fifth and sixth, but their places in the order are not confirmed.
Violet always hated Astarion and was jealous of him, and tried to kill him multiple times. However, she knew Cazador would punish her, so she hired assassins and devils to do her bidding.

Astarion’s Book of Hungers also reveals some new information about Astarion’s villainous sire, Cazador Szarr. In Baldur’s Gate 3, Cazador plans to sacrifice seven thousand vampire spawn to the devil Mephistopheles in order to become a powerful Vampire Ascendant.

The Book of Hungers clarifies that Cazador is not the only vampire to have sold his soul to Mephistopheles, and is considered a Vampire Infernalist due to his connection with the devil. Vampire Infernalists can control animals and shadows, turn into an Imp or Mist form, Frighten opponents and attack using Hellfire. Fortunately, when fought as a boss in Baldur’s Gate 3, Cazador displays only a few of these abilities — but players who wish to face him in tabletop form will have quite the challenge awaiting them.

Astarion Frequented The Rat’s Run Tavern

Players who earn Astarion’s approval in Baldur’s Gate 3 can learn that he was forced to seduce victims and bring them to Cazador for two hundred years. Book of Hungers reveals that one of his favorite hunting grounds was the Rat’s Run, a seedy tavern near Gray Harbor in Baldur’s Gate. A haven for lawbreakers of all kinds, the Rat’s Run is the kind of place where a drunk patorn could easily go missing — a fact Astarion took advantage of.

According to the book, Astarion was a well-known fixture at the tavern, and even made some friends there, such as Roka Glimmerbeak, a kenku working for Guildmaster Nine-Fingers Keene. Violet attempts to kill him by sending assassins to the Rat’s Run, and Cazador has also sent his various servants to the tavern to punish his wayward spawn when he thinks that Astarion is trying to escape his control. Players can use the information in Astarion’s Book of Hungers to set Dungeons and Dragons adventures in the Rat’s Run, in which characters protect Astarion from the machinations of his “sister” or sire.

Other Fun Facts For Astarion Fanatics

Dungeons and Dragons' Upcoming Astarion BG3 Guidebook is a Controversy Waiting to Happen

In addition to the major new lore about this popular Baldur’s Gate 3 companion, there are a few other fun facts about Astarion that can be gleaned from his book. These include:

Astarion apparently owns the Wondrous Item “Manual of Gainful Exercise,” as he will give it to players who aid him during one of the book’s adventures.
Astarion once attempted to seduce a Speaker Devil, a four-armed, giant-tongued fiend. (Although, he might be joking about that one, or perhaps trying to impress the reader.)
Astarion sometimes plays fetch with various creatures and undead who serve Cazador, such as his tough-skinned, ultra-durable Vampire Wardens

This tome of all things vampiric is absolutely perfect for fans of Astarion. In addition to new facts and lore about him, it includes the “Vampire Devotee” background and “Love Bites” and “Vampire’s Plaything” feats which seem tailor-made for lovers of the roguish spawn. Currently, Astarion’s Book of Hungers can be obtained as part of the Forgotten Realms Ultimate Bundle alongside Heroes of Faerun and Adventures of Faerun, although rumors have indicated that Wizards of the Coast may plan to publish it separately in the future — perhaps even in physical form.