Best Armor For Astarion In Baldur’s Gate 3

Key Takeaways

• Astarion’s armor choices in BG3 are limited to regular clothing and light armor like other Rogues.
• There are various chest pieces in the game designed for Rogues that are easy to acquire and offer unique benefits.
• Players can find armor such as Spidersilk Armor, Viconia’s Priestess Robe, and Shadeclinger Armor, each offering distinct advantages for Astarion.

Astarion started out as a humble vampire spawn by the side of the road at the beginning of Baldur’s Gate 3 and evolved into one of the most popular video game characters of 2023. The thieving class of BG3 is limited to regular clothing and light armor, but there are still plenty of choices in the game that are great for Rogues and specifically ideal for Astarion.

Unless players respec Astarion into another class or give him certain Feats that enable him otherwise, his choices for armor are limited to regular clothing and the Light variety like any other D&D-based Rogue. There are several chest pieces in BG3 that base their AC on Dexterity or have some kind of connection to the vampire aesthetic in general, and most of them are easy to acquire.

Updated November 14, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: Sven Vicke has already made it clear that Larian won’t be releasing any DLC or sequels, but updates and patches are still ongoing. So, Astarion continues to be one of the most loved characters in one of the world’s most popular video games. Several of the awards Larian Studios collected also belong to Neil Newbon, who brought the sassy vampire spawn to life. For those who like to broaden Astarion’s wardrobe, there are also several clothing mods available to provide him with stunning new looks.

10 Spidersilk Armour

Loot From Minthara’s Body Or Recruit Her

• Stats: 12 AC + Dexterity modifier, +1 to Stealth checks, Advantage on Constitution rolls

This Rare piece of light armor is available early in Baldur’s Gate 3, depending on whether or not and when players decide to recruit Minthara. If the player takes her side, and she becomes one of their Companions, or if players kill her to protect the Grove, then Astarion can get the Spidersilk Armour in Act 1.

There are a few pieces of Drow armor in the game, and they have similar stats for Stealth checks and designs that mix layers of leather and cloth. It’s nice enough that Astarion can wear it into Act 2 when a few vendors appear that sell better gear.

9 Cloth Of Authority

Defeat Gortash And Take His Clothes

• Stats: 10 AC + 1 + Dexterity modifier, grants the abilities of Dauntless and Authority

The Chosen of the Dead Three all have good fashion sense, and considering how perfect the Cloth of Authority is for Astarion, it’s too bad it’s not available earlier. This chest piece drops from Enver Gortash, so it’s not possible to equip it until Act 3.

This is simple clothing, so it won’t give Astarion a lot of protection by itself, but the extra abilities fit a vampire and Rogue perfectly. The Dauntless skill means that Astarion will be immune to emotional conditions like Frightened, and Authority gives him an Advantage on Intimidation and Insight checks.

8 Bhaalist Armor

Sold By Echo Of Abazigal In The Murder Tribunal

• Stats: 14 AC + Dexterity modifier, grants the wearer the abilities Aura of Murder and Ambusher

There are a few different ways the confrontation in the Murder Tribunal can play out depending on the main character’s choices. Should the player decide to become an Unholy Assassin of Bhaal instead of fighting Sarevok, they’ll have access to a Dragonborn trader named Abazigal, and he sells this armor. It can only be bought from The Echo of Abazigal, and it won’t drop from his corpse if the player decides to fight and kill the Tribunal instead. It’s a perfect armor piece for a Rogue build that attacks from the shadows with lethal force and deadly precision. This is one of the reasons it’s only available to Unholy Assassins who have proved their worth before the Murder Tribunal.

The Bhaalist Armour is nice for Astarion because it enhances his existing Rogue powers with a +2 to Initiative thanks to Ambusher and bases its armor class on Dexterity, which is his highest ability score. Players should make sure that the Pale Elf is also armed with a bow, sword, or dagger to get the most out of the Aura of Murder ability, which gives all enemies within a seven-foot radius the Vulnerable condition to piercing damage.

7 Viconia’s Priestess Robe

Looted From Viconia DeVir’s Corpse

• Stats: 10 AC + Dexterity modifier, bonus to Stealth checks, grants the abilities of Shar’s Umbrae and Sharran Veil

Baldur’s Gate 3 players mustn’t think that clothing is only for Mages, Bards, or other spellcasting classes; they should remember that Shar is the kind of goddess that a Rogue appreciates. Virtually anything with her name attached to it has some kind of Stealth bonus, and Viconia’s Priestess Robe is no exception with Shar’s Umbrae. This works when the wearer is obscured to give them a bonus on Stealth checks.

Sharran Veil is designed for Clerics, but as long as the player can find a way to give Astarion the power to cast Shield of Faith, he can take advantage of this ability as well. It gives the caster a +2 to all saving throws, which is a pretty nice bonus and worth the trouble of giving the vampire spawn a level 2 Abjuration spell.

6 Mutilated Carapace

Looted From Orin

• Stats: 10 AC +1 + Dexterity modifier, grants the abilities of Formless Slaughter and Faceless Masquerade

The design of the Mutilated Carapace makes it hard to resist, even for those playing a character who can wear more than light armor, but a Rogue should take it. The daring bit of wearing almost nothing grants some handy abilities and buffs to characters who use disguise or shapeshifting, two skills that are part of the Rogue playbook and that Orin was an expert in before her crushing defeat.

Put it on Astarion, and he gets Formless Slaughter, a +1 to attack and damage rolls while disguised. Faceless Masquerade is another passive ability that gives him an Advantage on Deception and Persuasion checks.

5 The Elven Chain

In The Inventory Of The Rivington General Store

• Stats: 14 AC + Dexterity modifier, gives the wearer the abilities of Elven Chain and Elven Ability

Elven Chain is easy to find considering that it has some great stats. It’s sold by Exxvikyap at the Rivington General store, and its cost depends on the protagonist’s Charisma, but it’s worth some extra gold to pick this armor up for a Baldur’s Gate 3 fan’s favorite Rogue.

This is Medium Armor, but thanks to the Elven Chain ability, anyone who equips it is automatically proficient in it. To make the Elven Chain even better for a Rogue, there’s Elven Ability, which gives Astarion a +2 to Initiative rolls and Advantage on Dexterity saving throws.

4 Obsidian Laced Robe

Purchase From Quartermaster Talli

• Stats: Resistance to Fire damage and the Flaming Revenge ability

Talli is the Quartermaster of the Harpers, and players can find her standing near the Last Light Inn waypoint with the Obsidian Laced Robe in her inventory. Players can also use a Persuasion roll to talk her into giving up a free pack of supplies the first time they speak with her.

It’s a fine robe for a fire-based caster build, but the benefits it grants are mostly defensive, so Astarion can use them, too. Resistance to fire damage is great for anyone, and Flaming Revenge does 1d4 fire damage to an enemy when Astarion wins a saving roll against their spell. No matter what build Astarion has, taking less damage is always a good thing.

3 Shadeclinger Armour

Buy Or Steal It From Quartermaster Talli At Last Light Inn

• Stats: Rare quality, 12 AC + Dexterity, +1 bonus to Stealth, and the Shadeclinger ability

One of the best things about the Shadeclinger Armour is how early Astarion can get it, and it’s even of a Rare quality. Most of the best pieces for him don’t appear until Act 3, and this one is available at the beginning of Act 2, provided that the protagonist has decided to visit Last Light Inn as an ally of the Harpers at least once.

Quartermaster Talli has this handy piece in her inventory, and it’s possible to steal it from her, but it won’t drop from her corpse should the Harpers turn on the protagonist for some reason. The Shadeclinger ability that gives this armor its name gives Astarion Advantage on saving throws if he’s obscured at the time.

2 The Graceful Cloth

Sold by Lady Esther In The Mountain Pass

• Stats: 10 AC + Dexterity modifier, the abilities of Cat’s Grace and Nimble As A Cat

At first glance, this is the type of thing that a Monk would equip, but the +2 to Dexterity thanks to Cat’s Grace is also useful for a Rogue. The +1 to Dexterity saving throws and an increased jumping distance are also handy, but the best thing about this armor is the Sleight of Hand advantage.

If Astarion is consistently a part of the player’s adventuring party, he’s probably the one picking locks and disarming traps, and this armor makes him even better at it. The Graceful Cloth gives him Advantage on Sleight of Hand checks, so unless he rolls a critical fail, wearing this armor makes it impossible to fail.

1 Elegant Studded Leather

Locked Counting House Vault #9

• Stats: 14 AC + Dexterity modifier, grants the ability to cast Shield and the Ambusher bonus.

The Elegant Studded Leather is a Very Rare piece of light armor that players can get for completing the Return Rakath’s Gold quest, which involves catching the elusive Zhentarim trader Roah Moonglow and stealing it back. Shield is a simple level 1 spell that’s useful for almost every character, and the Ambusher ability gives Astarion a +2 bonus to Initiative rolls.

It’s not just the stats that make this ideal for Astarion; it’s also how snappy and formal it looks. This is one of the more interesting pieces of armor to experiment with when it comes to different types of dye, too, so the sassy vampire sure to have fun with this one.