Astarion is one of the origin characters in Baldur's Gate 3, and his Pale Elf quest comes full circle when you face Cazador Szarr—one of the trickiest bosses in the game. Naturally, you need to know how to defeat this boss and save Astarion in the process. Here's how to beat Cazador in BG3.
Where to Find Cazador Szarr in BG3
Cazador Szarr is located in the dungeon of the Szarr Palace in Baldur's Gate 3. To reach this location, enter through the Szarr Palace South Tower located above the Lower City Central Wall Waypoint. (Check the map image above to see the precise location of this entrance.) After entering the Szarr Palace, you'll come across the Sinister Door that is closed shut by an Arcane Lock. The access to Cazador's Dungeon is behind this Sinister Door.
How to Unlock the Sinister Door at Szarr Palace in BG3
To unlock the Sinister Door, you'll need two items: the Szarr Family Ring and the Kozakuran Dictionary. These two items are hidden inside the Szarr Palace; you must recover them by entering different rooms.
Go down the stairs and enter the closed room where you'll find Godey the skeleton, who will be delighted to see Astarion returning home. You can deceive Godey into thinking Cazador hired you to fetch Astarion, at which point he'll hand over the Szarr Family Ring. Alternately, you can simply kill Godey to get the ring.
For the Kozakuran Dictionary, enter the room with Victoria's body. You'll be stung with necrotic damage as soon as you enter this room, so iuf you have an Elixir of Necrotic Resistance, use it beforehand. Once inside the room, open the closet on the left-side of the bed (as shown in the image above). This is where you'll find the Kozakuran Dictionary. Pick up the book and read it to figure out the method to unlock the Sinister Door.
After obtaining both items, return to the Sinister Door and place the ring inside the door to unlock it. Behind the doors you'll encounter a few wolves, bats, and other enemies. Dispatch them quickly, then search for the Dais Elevator (X: -1303, Y: 986) that leads directly to Cazador's Dungeon (see image above). Use this elevator to descend into the depths of the palace.
How to Defeat Cazador in BG3
As you enter Cazador's Dungeon, a cutscene ensues where the Vampire Lord speaks to Astarion. You can stay silent during the dialogues and let Astarion speak to his former master.
Astarion will inevitably attack Cazador and get captured for the ascendant ritual. This is where it gets tricky, as you must save Astarion before Cazador can consume him. If Cazador consumes Astarion, your companion will be permanently removed from the party. I recommend defeating Cazador within the first two turns to save Astarion. It's best to pre-buff your party members before starting this boss fight.
Another trick I figured out while fighting Cazador is the Vampire Lord is weak against sunlight. If you have a powerful Cleric like Shadowheart in your party, use the Daylight spell to enchant an item with the light of the sun, allowing you to move close to Cazador and deal constant damage to him. (I used Shadowheart to cast Daylight on Lae'zel's weapon, and then moved Lae'zel close to Cazador. It's best to keep one party member close to Cazador to deal damage, while the rest of your squad deals with the vampire's minions.)
How to Save Astarion from Cazador in BG3
To save Astarion from being consumed, defeat Cazador quickly to force the Vampire Lord to get inside the Sarcophagus. I failed at this the first time around and Astarion got killed in the process. The ideal method to quickly defeat Cazador is to use Daylight in combination with spells like Eldritch Blast, Guiding Bolt, and Sunbeam.
Eldritch Blast can target Cazador even in his Mist Form, whereas Sunbeam and Guiding Bolt can deal massive damage to the Vampire Lord. I also recommend having a mage with Counterspell on your squad to stop Cazador's magic attacks. Defeating Cazador quickly will save Astarion's life, and the Vampire Lord will hide inside the Sarcophagus to renew his strength.
Open the Sarcophagus to bring out Cazador. At this point, Astarion decides to take his revenge on the Vampire Lord by becoming an Ascendant Vampire himself. However, for this he will need your help, and you can choose whether or not to give it to him.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 Astarion Build Guide – Best Stats and Subclass
Should you let Astarion Ascend in BG3?
After defeating Cazadork, you'll be faced with a difficult choice: do you let Astarion ascend to Vampire Lord status or not? There are a few dialogue options you'll encounter at this juncture. I recommend allowing Astarion to ascend to Vampire Lord status, as it strengthens him with a few bonuses and skills:
- Ascendant Bite: Suck the blood from a living creature to heal yourself (12-72 Healing and +6d6 Necotic Damage)
- Misty Escape: Transform into a tiny mist cloud. It can't fall and fits through small openings. It's very hard to damage.
There's a chance Astarion will leave your party depending on the choices you make, so here's how you can avoid it. (Check the dialogue options in the image above to see which ones to select.) You can convince him to stop the ritual by selecting the "If I help you complete the ritual, it will kill all these people" dialogue option. While this won't grant him the ascendant powers, it will save 7,000 souls.
Alternatively, if you want Astarion to ascend, select the "All right, what do you need?" dialogue choice. Astarion will ask you to enter his mind through the tadpole's connection so he can scar Cazador. Select the "Enter Astarion's mind so he can proceed with the ritual option" dialogue option to sacrifice Cazador and begin the ritual.
Remember, stopping Astarion in between the ritual will force him to turn against your party, and you'll have to fight and kill him. (Check the dialogue options in the image above.) Nothing will come of killing him (you'll simply loot his gear and move on), so I recommend selecting "Let the ritual continue option" to allow Astarion to ascend to Vampire Lord.
Whether or not you let Astarion ascend is completely up to you, but after he ascends, his behavior will change. Astarion won't have a shred of modesty in him anymore, and his plan will be to rule over the land by creating more spawns. Essentially, you are replacing a tyrant with another, but if you are looking to get a few extra abilities for the charming rogue, then go ahead with the ritual process.
To find more on Baldur's Gate 3, check out Should you Take Raphael’s Deal in BG3? Choices and Outcomes on Pro Game Guides.
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How to Beat Cazador in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)
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