Introduction: Vampires Own the Night — Astarion's Book of Hungers

The elf vampire spawn Astarion Ancunín charmed his way into the hearts of Forgotten Realms fans in the video game Baldur's Gate 3. In that game, Astarion is an adventuring companion and potential paramour, and players can urge him toward redemption or tyranny.

But before the events of the video game, Astarion was the victim and unwilling servant of the vampire Cazador Szarr, a worshiper of the archdevil Mephistopheles. Each night, Astarion and Cazador's other vampire spawn delivered victims their master would feed upon and kill. To cope with Szarr's torments and the horrors of his undead life, Astarion armed himself with sardonic wit, flirtation, and a dark sense of humor. Decades of nocturnal hunts taught Astarion about all facets of vampiric life: secrets he's divulged herein.

For players and Dungeon Masters alike, Astarion's Book of Hungers offers new character options and tools for those drawn to vampires, whether in Baldur's Gate or wherever you set your Dungeons & Dragons adventures. Employing these details, Astarion fans can adventure alongside their favorite vampire spawn, while all players can discover what lurks in the seediest corners of the vampire underworld.

Using This Supplement

Chapter 1 is suitable for all players' eyes, while chapters 2 and 3 are intended for Dungeon Masters only. The following is included in this supplement:

1 details the Dhampir species, plus backgrounds and feats suitable for D&D characters with an interest in or history related to vampires.

2 offers information about Cazador Szarr's vampire family, as well as stat blocks for creatures tied to vampires or Mephistopheles.

3 presents examples of adventures that involve Astarion, as well as details and a map for Rat's Run, an establishment Astarion frequented before the events of Baldur's Gate 3.

Astarion's Timeline

Below are important dates in Astarion's life and unlife, presented in Dalereckoning (DR), the Forgotten Realms' most common year measurement:

1261 DR. Astarion Ancunín is born in Baldur's Gate.

1300 DR. The vampire Cazador Szarr turns Astarion into a vampire spawn.

1492 DR. The events of Baldur's Gate 3 occur.

1501 DR. This is the date of events presented in Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn and Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn.

Hello, darlings!
Let's cut straight to the heart of the matter, shall we? Yes, this tome reveals vampiric secrets. Yes, one might use these details to kill vampires, as well as sundry creatures of the night. And yes, I, Astarion Ancunín, one afflicted with a thirst for blood, provided every detail you're about to read.
Isn't the irony delicious?
As always, I have my reasons. You see, many vampires are particularly loathsome, and any of them might pose a threat to yours truly. So when I saw a vampire hunter stride into Rat's Run, my favorite little hovel of a tavern in Baldur's Gate, I concocted a brilliant plan. I charmed her, using all the old-fashioned techniques: the honeyed voice, the cocked brow, the hip swivel. And then I smiled, and the hunter glimpsed my fangs. Oh, you should have seen her face!
Once we established that, yes, she could try to kill me with her nasty, little stake, we agreed on one thing: I'm a delight, but I'm not a real threat. And I have information that could help her bag some impressive bloodsuckers.
So I told her every word you'll read in this tome. And then another brilliant idea dawned on me. I put quill to scroll.
After all, don't my words deserve to echo in the hearts and minds of vampire hunters for generations? Gods be praised, we might finally be rid of the worst of our kind: the indiscreet, the devil worshipers, the demon harbingers, and the boring!
I've consulted with scholarly types in Baldur's Gate, and they've suggested the formatting, editorial conventions, and other such mundanities you'll read in this tome. The result is a bit dry, so I've taken the liberty of punctuating the academia with some of my more arresting insights.
Only time will tell if the existence of this tome dooms a significant number of my brethren to oblivion. Even if not, at least I'm entertained and at least you've received the gift of my wit.
You're quite welcome, darlings!
All my love,
Astarion