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There’s a lot to do in the final act ofBaldur’s Gate 3, but tucked away neatly in the upper center area of the Lower City is something Astarion could never forget – the mansion of Cazador Szarr. Cazador was Astarion’s master while he was nothing more than a Vampire’s thrall. Now free of the typical afflictions that plague Vampire Spawn thanks to the Tadpole, Astarion seeks revenge.
But Cazador has greater ambitions than remaining a mere puppetmaster for the rest of his days, in fact, he seeks toAscend by sacrificing thousands of his spawnat once. Whether players decide to simply kill him or usurp the ritual, the strategies to beat Cazador inBaldur’s Gate 3remain the same.
Keep Astarion Far Away Until The Fight Begins
One of the most useful tips for taking on Cazador, and indeedmany bosses inBaldur’s Gate 3, is to go in with as many party members as possible. If Astarion is in the party, he will be removed and placed in the ritual circle like the other Vampire Spawn, unable to participate in combat until freed. But, there’s another way.
Separate Astarion from the rest of the part, and keep him far away from combat – like at the entrance to the sub-area at the top of the stairs – so he isn’t automatically brought into the dialogue with Cazador. Once combat begins, just select Astarion and move him to the ritual area, where he will join combat without being the victim of Cazador’s telekinesis. This prevents Cazador from buffing himself from the start of the ritual, and lets all four members of the party take part in the fight from the start.
Itmight feel like cheating, but players who struggle to defeat the Vampire Lord may find it incredibly useful to have the fourth party member there from the beginning of the encounter. Alternatively, players can make one of their other party members invisible right before the dialogue begins, then walk over to where Cazador will eventually place Astarion as part of the cutscene.
Then, when the Cazador fight begins, that character can simply free Astarion outright and bring him into combat. If Astarion isn’t a part of your party, he will never show up, and all four companions should be available from the start of combat.
Use Radiant Spells, Like Daylight And Moonbeam
As a Vampire Lord, Cazador has few weaknesses, but one particular damage type is so ridiculously effective against him that it might just break the fight.Radiant Damage is most typically associated with Clericand Druid spells, like Daylight and Moonbeam, though there are lots of other sources of this damage type.
When Daylight: Enchant Item is cast directly on Cazador, it will keep damaging the Vampire Lord throughout the entire fight and keep him from going into Mist Form.The Druid’s Moonbeamis much more focused, but it can be moved and deals direct damage rather than only damage to Vampires.
One way to cheese this fight is to begin Dialogue, then use another party member to cast Daylight on him mid-conversation. Cazador won’t start attacking, but he will still take damage, which slowly ticks down until reaching 0. The rest of the final Cazador cutscenes with Astarion should then unlock after he re-appears inside of his coffin in the middle of the room.
Deal With Minions & Sacrificial Circles, But Keep Cazador CC’ed
There are two factors that make the Cazador fight much more difficult: an array of enemies at his side, and Vampire Spawn in Sacrificial Circles in the middle of being sacrificed.
The Spawn each contributes to Cazador’s strength, if the ritual begins, but the buff can be cut short. If a party member stands inside one of these circles (even summons like Planar Ally and Elementals), it will essentially be de-activated, and Cazador will be made weaker.
Beforetrying to cut Cazador off from his Spawn, though, it’s crucial to kill his allies. There are bats, Werewolves, and other enemies that join the fight from the start, but they can be relatively easy to defeat with the right spells. Have a Cleric use Radiant-type Spirit Guardians near the bats to take them out nearly instantly, and either push the Werewolf off the edge or focus it down at the same time as the bats.
While taking down his minions and cutting off his access to the Vampire Spawn, Cazador should remain CC’ed. Daylight and other sources of Radiant damage will prevent him from being too mobile and tricksy, but he is still incredibly powerful without access to Mist Form.
Consider bringing a Scroll of Otto’s Irresistible Dance to the fight (or prepare the Spell), which keeps Cazador from taking any actions for up to 10 turns. In general, Level 6 spells (and Level 12 characters) are recommended for this fight.
Try Simply Shoving Cazador Off The Edge
Perhaps the easiest strategy to defeat Cazador is to simply shove him into the abyss around the central platform. Normally, shoving an enemy into a Chasm would prevent the party from looting that character. However, because Cazador is a Vampire, just killing him isn’t enough to destroy him, and he will re-appear inside the Coffin in the middle of the room after being downed,no matter how players manage to defeat him.
Some methods to Push enemies include spells likeThunderwave, theSmokepowder Arrowand theArrow of Roaring Thunder,Eldritch Blastwith certain Eldritch Invocations, and of course the Shove Action (available to all classes). Illithids also have a number of pushing and pulling abilities available to them, and any Void Bulbs players picked up on the Nautiloid can be incredibly useful here. Use these to quickly deal with Cazador, take the next turn or two to kill his minions, andwatch Astarion’s final momentswith his once-master play out.
Baldur’s Gate 3is available for PC and PlayStation 5. A version for Xbox Series X|S is currently in development.
