Astarion was born to be a theatre kid, of course. But, tragically, he’s been forced into the shadows, thanks to being a 
Rogue (and a vampire). But, thanks to some newly-added subclasses in Patch 8, Astarion can now live his best life — acting as the face of the party, launching into combat with bombast and flair, and still managing to slink away or sneak past enemies when the need arises.
By combining the Rogue‘s 
Swashbuckler subclass with the 
Bard‘s 
College of Swords subclass, we can be true to Astarion‘s character while leaning into his flamboyant personality. In this guide, we will walk you through the build that will let Astarion become a true dive, whether you are playing him as an origin character or a companion. And, because this build still starts with Astarion as a Rogue, you won’t even need to respec!
Build
This build is focused on making Astarion (or a player character) into a very bombastic, fast, and sweet-talking Rogue/Bard, while still maintaining some stealthiness so that Astarion can sneak around when required. To accomplish this, we will be focusing on 
Charisma and 
Dexterity. The Charisma will be used for Bard abilities (both spells and inspiration), and for out-of-combat sweet-talking, and the Dexterity will enable Astarion to be devastating in combat. This turns him into a bit of a dual-wielding glass-cannon, but thankfully the Swashbuckler subclass and several spells and items gives him great options to run in, get some hits in, and then retreat without damage.
Because Rogues and Bards are also “skill monkeys”, this also means that Astarion is excellent at the front of the party when approaching dialogues/cutscenes. With all the skills and expertise he obtains, he will be able to sneak or break into anywhere, and might just be able to talk his way out of trouble if he gets caught. The only thing this build lacks is tankiness and utility spells, which you can make up for with your companions.
Character Build Links
See this build at various levels (4, 8, and 12, roughly corresponding with how the build should look by the end of each Act) in our Baldur’s Gate 3 Build Planner below:
Character Creation
- Origin Character/Companion: Astarion
- Starting Class: Rogue
- Background:
Charlatan - Subclass: Swashbuckler (At Level 3)
- Abilities:
- Skill Proficiencies:
- Skill Expertise
- Starting Cantrip
Astarion‘s Charaction Creation or respec should really set him up in order to move quickly and survive combat, while still making sure he has the stats to be a good Bard later. This means that 
Intelligence and 
Wisdom take a hit (we love a dumb vampire), but that Dexterity, Charisma, and even 
Constitution are really strong. We also give him a few points in 
Strength so that he can lug a wide assortment of gear and be the one to pick up most items, and just because it fits.
For skills, we want to make sure that Astarion has the standard Rogue skills — 
Stealth and 
Sleight of Hand — so that he can perform those actions well. Beyond that, however, we want to really lean into his ability to act as a party face, so we want him to have the “common” dialogue skills: 
Persuasion, 
Deception, and 
Intimidation. We will also be picking up 
Performance, just so we have it for when he becomes a Bard later .We are going to make sure Astarion is ready to do Rogue stuff first and foremost, so we will give him 
Expertise in Stealth and Sleight of Hand.
Lastly, as a 
High Elf, Astarion does get a free Cantrip. If we are selecting this, rather than just leaving it default, than we should give him 
True Strike, which is just a generally fantastic cantrip that can ensure Astarion can go into most combats with a free Advantage, assuming you’ve positioned yourself correct (which is, like, what this whole build is about).
Multiclass & Subclass Choices
When we reach Rogue level 3, we will be selecting the Swashbuckler subclass. This subclass is filled with new abilities that let Astarion move fast, deal damage, and get out of trouble, changing his mode of play from the usual “hide in the shadows” gameplay into a much more front-facing party member. Astarion won’t really be front-lining with this subclass, but he will weave around the battlefield, picking off strategic targets with more direct combat than usual.
After level 5, we will multiclass Astarion into a Bard, so that he can live his theatrical life. Here, we will be able to take advantage of his great Charisma to cast fantastic spells that only give him more mobility and control options. In order to keep him strong in melee and with weapons, we will be selecting the College of Swords as a subclass at Level 7, letting him scale through the combat-coded bard school while keeping true to his character.
Level Map for Feats & Abilities
Level 1
If we are creating Astarion as an origin character or are respecing him, then at first level we will be making is to give Astarion True Strike as his free racial Cantrip. This gives him an edge in combat, helping him keep up with damage and accuracy with more melee-centric classes. Also note that, even though our Astarion will be more bombastic than most, we will still be getting great use out of his Sneak Attacks, which will become very powerful with the cunning actions next level.
Level 2
At this level, we get Astarion’s Cunning Actions. Unlike usually, we will use this most often to Dash into combat or Disengage enemies on the same turn we’ve attacked them in melee. This will allow Astarion to get hits into without being susceptible to attacks of opportunity or regular strikes. Meanwhile, we will use Hide whenever Astarion starts a turn somewhere dark or obscured (which will be simpler with his Bard spells later) in order to get Sneak Attacks.
- Class: Cunning Action (Dash), Cunning Action (Disengage), Cunning Action (Hide)
Level 3
At this level, we will be selecting Swashbuckler. Immediately, this sets Astarion up for massive success: due to Fancy Footwork, enemies he damages can no longer make Attacks of Opportunity against him, meaning he can sweep in, deal damage, and then use a Cunning Action or other movement tech to get far enough away that his foe can’t retaliate. In addition, Rakish Audacity gives Astarion the insane damage potential of always being able to trigger his Sneak Attack damage, even against enemies he doesn’t have advantage against, letting him become a real glass cannon.
- Subclass: Swashbuckler
- Class: Fancy Footwork
- Class: Rakish Audacity
Level 4
We really want the Rogue’s level 4 feat, so will delay switching to Bard yet so that we can get it. When we do, we will be taking an unconventional feat: 
Actor. This is one of the most underrated feats in general, but it is especially useful here. The +1 Charisma will get your Charisma up to 18 without having to use Auntie Ethel’s Hair (or anything similar), while the Deception and Performance expertise will allow us to really start putting that Charisma to use in dialogues, letting Astarion lead the way there.
In addition, we also get access to the Swashbuckler‘s Dirty Tricks. Vicious Mockery here allows us to skip getting that cantrip as a Bard later, Flick o’ the Wrist lets us get some free advantages and possibly disarms on targets (often letting Astarion stay in melee instead of needing to run away), and Sand Toss is just really funny (and makes it really hard for enemies to hit the Dexterity monster that you will become).
- Feat: Actor
- Class: Dirty Trick (Flick o’ The Wrist), Dirty Trick (Sand Toss), Dirty Trick (Vicious Mockery)
Level 5: Multiclass Into Bard
At level 5, Astarion is finally going to realize his true calling: the stage! From this level on, Astarion is going to be a Bard. We will be selecting the Intimidation skill, both in order to maximize Charisma skills and so that he can lean into his aggressive persona, and for spells we are going to make sure to pick up 
Blade Ward, 
Heroism, and Tasha’s Hideous Laughter for some combat options, and 
Charm Person, 
Friends, and 
Disguise Self in order to really sell his new role in dialogues. We don’t need 
Vicious Mockery here, since Astarion will already have it from his Swashbuckler subclass.
We also get access to Bardic Inspiration, allowing Astarion’s magnificent deeds to inspire his allies whenever he has a spare bonus action (which will be often, since he won’t usually need to spend it to use Cunning Action (Disengage)).
Level 6
This level is a fairly dull one. 
Jack of All Trades is nice to have for those dialogues and other skill checks that Astarion will be doing all the time, and Song of Rest is always useful, but aside from that our only choice is to select a new spell. In this case, we select 
Bane if we want to keep enemies from hitting our party, or 
Dissonant Whispers if we want to make it easier for Astarion to hit them.
Level 7
Now, we cement Astarion’s place as a hit-and-run expert by selecting the College of Swords for his Bard subclass. This subclass leans further into the Swashbuckler‘s intensity and melee focus, and gives Astarion the ability to use two weapons in order to deal the most damage (and conditions) possible at once. He will be getting Expertise in Intimidation and Persuasion so that he can really talk his way out of anything, and 
Hold Person so that he can get free crits in against those who won’t see reason.
Level 8
Now is the time to round out the build. Astarion should almost always be using a melee weapon in each hand, and so getting more AC and opening up more weapon options for that with 
Dual Wielder is a no-brainer. For spells, we are getting the Light Cantrip (this can be changed out, especially if you are already finished with Act 2) and the spell 
Detect Thoughts.
- Feat: Dual Wielder
- Spells & Cantrips:
Level 9
Now is the time to give Astarion a bit of utility. 
Font of Inspiration and 
Improved Bardic Inspiration already do this by simply making that part of his kit better, but we will be continuing the trend of this level by also teaching him 
Enhance Ability, letting him buff himself and others as the moment requires.
Level 10
Bestow Curse is a fine spell, just to keep ensuring Astarion can keep his targets weak. But the real highlight here is the College of Swords‘ Extra Attack. With two shortswords and an 
extra attack, you are going to be able to deal huge damage, inflict devastating effects, and still clear out, making it impossible for enemies to keep up as you take them out and keep them off of your allies.
Level 11
At this level, you should know how Astarion feels at this point, as well as what niches are being covered by other party members. You only get one spell at this level, and so you should select either 
Confusion or 
Dimension Door. Confusion is great if you don’t have any issue with mobility and want to be able to befuddle and throw off groups of enemies, whereas Dimension Door gives you and your allies improved positioning and can be great if you want greater mobility for your tactics.
Level 12
To cap this build off, we are going to be getting an 
Ability Improvement, which we will use to either bring up Astarion’s Dexterity or Charisma, depending on if you are using him as a front-line fighter or back-line spellcaster more (this does mean that this is the rare build that doesn’t necessarily bring an ability score up to a 20 base). As well, we will also be taking 
Greater Invisibility, just to make sure Astarion always has an option to escape or set up for sneak attacks (or to avoid conflict entirely).
Equipment
The following equipment is presented by Act acquirable first and slot second, with the actual items in that slot being given in no particular order. An ideal build will try to acquire as much of the gear as possible, and to swap between the gear as different situations merit.
In general, we recommend strong, one-handed weapons that inflict status conditions or otherwise inconvenience foes. We also give Astarion a lot of utility items, which he can swap between as the moment demands, so that he can be prepared for any situation. Finally, we always prioritize items that buff Dexterity and Charisma, since those are our two key abilities.
- Act 1:
- Melee Weapon: Knife of the Undermountain King, Shortsword of First Blood, Ritual Axe, Adamantine Scimitar, Speedy Reply, Sussur Sickle
- Ranged Weapon: Bow of Awareness, Harold
- Helm: Cap of Curing, Mask of the Shapeshifter, The Shadespell Circlet, Shadow of Menzoberranzan
- Cloak: The Deathstalker Mantle (Requires Dark Urge Player)
- Armour: The Graceful Cloth, Spidersilk Armour, Adamantine Scale Mail, Hedge Wanderer Armour
- Gloves: Gloves of Dexterity, Gloves of Power, Gloves of Thievery
- Boots: Disintegrating Night Walkers, Swiresy Shoes
- Amulet: The Amulet of Lost Voices, The Spectator Eyes, Uncovered Mysteries
- Rings: Caustic Band, Fetish of Callarduran Smoothhands, Smuggler’s Ring
- Act 2:
- Melee Weapon: Render of Mind and Body, Sword of Clutching Umbra, Justiciar’s Scimitar, Sword of Life Stealing, Assassin’s Shortsword
- Ranged Weapon: Hellfire Hand Crossbow
- Helm: Covert Cowl
- Cloak: Cloak of Cunning Brume
- Armour: Potent Robe, Penumbral Armour, Dark Justiciar Half-Plate
- Gloves: Gloves of the Balanced Hands, Swordmaster Gloves
- Boots: Boots of Brilliance, Acrobat Shoes
- Amulet: Spellcrux Amulet
- Rings: Killer’s Sweetheart, Shifting Corpus Ring, Ring of Geniality
- Act 3:
- Melee Weapon: Bloodthirst, Belm, Rhapsody, Gleamdance Dagger, Crimson Mischief
- Ranged Weapon: Hellrider Longbow, Vicious Shortbow
- Helm: Birthright, Gibus of the Worshipful Servant, Jannath’s Hat
- Cloak: Shade-Slayer Cloak
- Armour: Elegant Studded Leather, Armour of Agility
- Gloves: Bhaalist Gloves, Quickspell Gloves
- Boots: Slinging Shoes, Boots of Persistence
- Amulet: Fey Semblance Amulet
- Rings: Orphic Ring
