In Baldur’s Gate 3, Astarion can be forced to bite the Drow, Araj Oblodra. This action will reward players with a very unique and useful potion at the cost of Astarion’s disapproval. This guide will help you choose.
Who is Araj Oblodra in Baldur’s Gate 3
Araj Oblodra is an alchemist Drow that players will first encounter inside Moonrise Tower at the beginning of Act Two and again later on toward the end of Act Three. While you are never forced to speak with her for any quest, she is difficult to miss as she is a Vendor.
Upon first meeting Araj, she will explain that she has been seeking True Soul blood for new recipes and can give you a powerful potion brewed from your blood if you lend her a vial. She only needs a drop of blood for the potion—the rest of the vial is hers to keep as payment.
There is no reason not to take this offer as there are no adverse side effects, and you will indeed be granted a potion with benefits depending on your character’s Race.
My potion was the Elixir of Dragonborn Prowess: Fire and was based off of my Gold Dragonborn race.
Afterward, if you have Astarion in your party Araj will give you the chance to earn a second potion. This one is absolutely game-changing—maybe the single best consumable in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Should you accept Araj’s offer to Astarion?
You should force Astarion to drink Araj’s blood because the potion that Araj offers, Potion of Everlasting Vigor, gives +2 to Strength permanently and does not cap at 20 like most methods of increasing an Ability Score. This means if you wait until you already have 20 Strength, you can drink the potion to permanently achieve 22 Strength with a +6 Modifier. In short, you’d be an absolute menace.
If you have Astarion in your party when meeting Araj, she will notice that he is a vampire. If Astarion is not there, she will inquire about meeting him. This will prompt her to explain how she has always wanted a vampire to bite her. Astarion will refuse this and it is you who will either save him from having to bit Araj or force him into doing so.
To receive the offer, you must make sure you speak with Araj before progressing through the Moonrise Tower questline, or else the offer will disappear forever.
Players have the option to accept Astarion’s refusal outright, immediately command him to do it, or talk it out with him a little bit. We learn that Astarion believes there is “something wrong” with Araj’s blood. He tells the player that he can’t explain what exactly, but he can smell it from where he stands. Astarion will continue by saying he doesn’t believe drinking her blood will kill him, but it would certainly not be healthy for him.
What happens if you force Astarion to drink Araj’s blood in BG3?
Astarion will disapprove of your choice and upon drinking Araj’s blood, will vomit and call her ‘full of corruption’. Interestingly, we never learn what is actually wrong with Araj’s blood or the actual effect it has on Astarion’s body.
However, you gain the Potion of Everlasting Vigor which is too good to pass up if you are looking for your Strength to be permanently increased for the rest of your playthrough. Alternately, some might not hold up a potion so high and want to maintain their relationship with Astarion. Read on to learn what happens if yo do not force Astarion to drink Araj’s blood.
What happens if you do not force Astarion to drink Araj’s blood in BG3?
Astarion will approve and thank you kindly. He turns down Araj and appreciates that you did not force him around as his previous slave-owner, Cazador did. This does nothing in the story but elevate your relationship with Astarion and make a curious Drow disappointed.
If you are trying to stay with Astarion as a friend or more, than forcing him to do something he does not want to is a bad way to go.
Can you still romance Astarion after forcing him to drink Araj’s blood in BG3?
Yes, you can preserve your relationship with Astarion as long as you’re careful and meticulous. The next time you return to camp after the encounter with Araj, Astarion will bring up his discomfort at being exploited. You’ll need to be very careful what you say, but, if handled properly, you can still romance Astarion in the future (or save your relationship with him if you already have).
There are a couple of different ways this dialogue will play out depending on how far along your relationship with Astarion is. The way to know for certain that you’ve preserved the relationship is if the conversation ends in a hug. If it doesn’t, reload and try again—or else accept that you’ve spoiled things with Astarion.
Truly, the only reason to refuse Araj’s deal (and actually, the reason why we did) is because it just feels awful. Astarion’s backstory places an obvious emphasis on his trauma with regard to being forced to act on another’s will, and this encounter is exactly that. If you’re heavily into the RP element of Baldur’s Gate 3 and you’re trying to RP as, you know, not the literal worst person ever, then forcing Astarion to drink Araj’s blood is something you should pass up on.
In Act Three, you will run into Araj again in Lower City and she will be experimenting with your blood vial which will cause an explosion. She will ask Astarion directly if he would drink her blood, and he will refuse, stating that he is done bowing to the whims of others.
