Astarion Approval

Resource:
https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1nRBxc-DVRdX0Rp5oGB8y0yveinKdpUpiJ7lbVv52kD8/mobilebasic?pli=1

https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/16guwu0/i_made_a_master_list_of_astarion_approvals_for/

Act 1

Druid Grove

• Tell Auntie Ethel about a Tadpole in your head in the Druid Grove.
• If you're a bard, he approves of encouraging Topaz to sing.
• Tell Alfira her lyrics are bad and then that she shouldn't be a bard
  • Also approved of the bard option to sing along with the squirrels
• Let Arka kill Sazza in the Druid Grove's Makeshift Prison - you just have to choose “do nothing” in the dialogue scene
  • *If you don’t kill Sazza here, you can get another approval from her quest line if you tell Minthara “She is too stupid to understand”
• Tell Kagha the Archdruid you enjoyed her show after she asks if you think she's a monster. (Quest: Save Arabella)
  • Not an option for drows
• *Agree to open the gate for goblin raiders.
• *Poke the bird Nettie was healing to death during the dialogue
  • You need to have Speak With Animals
• Choose to kill Kagha without trying to persuade her → “Zelvor sent me to remove you” (this choice will have heavy consequences for the druid/tiefling deal fair warning & your other companions may not be pleased)
  • Also the 'investigate Kagha' end dialogue option "You're making it very hard not to kill you"
• Make Zorru bow when Lae’zel interrogates him
• Praise Lae'zel for the interrogation of Zorru
• When Asharak asks you to say a word to the Tiefling Children, say "Bad news children, you are all going to die"
• After telling Mattis that the ring is yours, say you’re joking, then say thanks for the free ring
• After saving the child from the harpies behind the grove, tell it to stop sniveling and run away or it’ll get eaten (make sure Astarion is nearby when the fight ends as the cutscene starts automatically)

Blighted Village

• Insult then fight the goblin Guard outside the Blighted Village. → “Curious, I had almost the same exact thought about you”
  • Seems not to be a paladin or bard option[e]
  • Not an option for drow, scene goes differently
• Intimidate the Ornate Mirror in the Blighted Village into opening. (Quest: Search the Cellar)
• Deliver the final blow to Feezerk
  • You can’t kill him in combat for this to trigger. Just get him low enough health and his minions will run away prompting the dialogue.
  • You get approval if you select the option to kill him, OR if you ask for intel, and then kill him
  • You have to fight them to get this option, just attack at the start of the dialogue or you’ll only have persuasion checks after I think.
• Ask for "Compensation for Effort" in dialogue with Barcus (Deep Gnome who was tied to the windmill) in the Blighted Village. (another approval)
  • What’s in it for me → Free him → I freed you, a little compensation would be nice
• Open the door where the ogre and the bugbear are having sex. Seems to be bugged sometimes, what worked for me:
  • Ask if anyone’s in there
  • Shadowheart says to leave it (assuming other companions will do similar)
  • Open the door anyway

Risen Road

• Tyr followers vs. Karlach quest:
  • Talk to the Tyr people and agree to help them (I don't know if this is necessary for the Karlach dialogue options)
  • Don’t talk to Cyrel until after you agree to help Karlach (it triggers a fight and idk if this really plays into anything but too lazy to test it)
  • Don’t mention to Karlach you were sent by the paladins and then convince Wyll to not attack Karlach: you’re stubborn → be practical (other options may work, I’m not sure)
  • Talk to Cyrel and say you’re taking the supplies (another approval)
• * Kill the Githyanki patrol
  • No approval pop-up from persuading Lae’zel to play along, but DID gain inspiration towards ‘Silver Blades, Silver Tongue’
• Tell the Gnoll Leader Flind to feast on the other Gnolls
  • Use Illithid power → Search how she got the tadpole → She wants meat? (you also can skip the previous step and do this one)
  • After the fight, command Flind to consume herself and pass all the checks (another approval) - make sure Astarion isn’t too far away from you after the fight, the cut scene auto-starts and you won’t get credit if he isn’t near

Waukeen’s Rest

• * After purchasing Oskar, the artist, say he's your slave. (I believe this only triggers if you actually purchase him, I was broke so couldn't test it)
  • Astarion will disapprove of you buying him though
  • Astarion also disapproves if you give him money after talking to him
• Kill Rugan when given the choice by Zarys

Sunlit Wetlands

• In the two brothers + Ethel dialogue (North of the Sunlit Wetlands), ask what’s going on, then ask Ethel what she did with the lady. (Quest: Save Mayrina / Deal with Auntie Ethel) This will annoy Ethel, who will leave, and then you have a dialogue with the brothers. If you tell them “Will someone please tell me what’s going on? → then “You’re on your own, I have enough problems.” you get approval

• Let Asterion kill Gandrel to the left of Auntie Ethel's hut.

  • Not a real vampire → They can creep right up on you → kill
  • Not a real vampire → Interesting. Astarion, what do you think? → nod
  • If you don't have any of these answers as an option, saying nothing and letting Astarion answer leads to the kill.

• When entering the swamp pass the check to see it for real, then baa at the red caps when you speak to them / if you don’t pass the initial check, you get another chance to notice something is off if you talk to the sheep, and then again “baa”

• Laugh at Lorin (elf in Auntie Ethel's house) by pretending that you are the monster he sees. (Quest: Deal with Auntie Ethel)

• When bargaining with Auntie Ethel after she surrenders, give up Mayrina in exchange for power OR pass the intimidation check to get both (or probably any option that spares Auntie Ethel) (Quest: Save Mayrina / Deal with Auntie Ethel)

  • General note that this is SUPER bugged when you get the reward, so if you’re reading this before it gets fixed, when your screen glitches out just press F5 to quick save, then Alt-F4 to close, then reload the save and it should work

Goblin Camp

• When Meeting Sentinel Olak in the Goblin Camp Entrance, Pass the Deceive/Nature option then say you "can't be serious", then fling poo at the guards. (Athletics check work inconsistently while "Can't be serious" works every time)

  • Doesn't work for drow, he'll just wave you in

• Boo Volo in the Goblin Camp when he is performing

• Kiss Novice Crusher's foot in the Goblin Camp (and steal the ring). - I’d sooner spit in your face → apologize and drop to your knees → kiss his foot → steal the ring (Does not work for Drow)

• Use intimidation the 2nd time to force Novice Crusher to kiss your foot.

• After passing the first intimidation check, use Illithid wisdom to make him kiss your foot.

• After telling Novice Crusher "I'd Sooner spit in your face" and then winning the fight,

  • Force him to kiss your foot OR finish him off (which will start a battle with the whole camp)

• Use “speak to animals” to convince the owlbear cub to attack the goblins (I believe unless you also attack and protect it, it will just die)

• Agree to the Loviatar Priest Abdirak’s ritual. May get more approval if you make it through all three checks to the end

• * Talk to Priestess Gut with Wyll and Attack

• Kill Priestess Gut in the Goblin Camp.

• Telling Tracker Grikka (goblin near the roasting dwarf) you can get answers from the prisoner (Liam) - Wyll can’t be present (it worked when Wyll wasn’t there, I didn’t try otherwise)

• Telling the torturer you can torture Liam

  • Your first choice in torture should be to hit Liam in the groin
  • Dark urge option: "trimming his toenails" gets approval after.
  • "I don't try, I get results." (Maybe drow + half-drow only)

• *Tell Liam “keep trying, you’ll figure it out”

• Join Minthara for the Grove raid (It's possible without an actual opening of the Gates).

• *Tell Minthara the exact location of the grove

• *Tell Minthara Sazza is too stupid to understand (duplicate from Grove section)

• Tell the prison keeper goblin to use sharper rocks (approval) and then throw a rock at the bear yourself (another approval)

• The bear is Halsin, and throwing rocks at him may have consequences. You can get one approval & not aggro him by only picking the first option ('Use sharper rocks'), then selecting, "I'm putting a stop to this," which gives you no rapport hit.

• Decline when Halsin asks to kill Goblin leaders.

Underdark

• *Demand Boots in the dialogue with Tulla ( in the Underdark, Myconid Colony)

• When rescuing the mushroom picker Baelen, tell him that your help comes at a price.

• You also get approval for initially denying him, and then again for extorting him afterwards.

• Agree to kill the Duergar for Myconid Sovereign.

• Fight the fake god BOOOAL in the Festering Cove OR Let the Koa-Toes bow to you as the Boooal's chosen.

Picking the line about not letting him enslave them any longer to start the fight gets disapproval.

• Side with Glut against Spaw
• Refuse to help Glut → You’d turn on Spaw, who gave you shelter? → I’ll have no part of this
• Push the Duegar on boat into the water
• After killing the dwarves on the boat, find the “I have the Sergeant’s boots” → Did you keep slaves here? → I have no use for slavers. Including you. → You don’t understand—I’m gutting you here and now.
• Choosing to say nothing while Nere kills Deep Gnome Slaves - seems to be bugged sometimes but should work
• If you choose to intervene and prevent more slaves from being killed, after the fight you’ll have two options to get the duergar to let the slaves go. There’s no choice that will give Astarion approval, but you want to use Intimidation, because Persuasion will result in disapproval.

The Mountain Pass

• When talking with Inquisitor Ch’r’ai W’wargaz (not in order):

• Refuse to give the artifact to the inquisitor when bringing up the traitor (possibly just plain refusing as well, didn’t test)

• Ask the inquisitor what you get in return if you give it to him

• Ask him why he knows so much about you

• Say something silly (option 2 or 4) to Varsh Ko’kuu (the guy guarding the Gith egg). Note that his approval options will initiate combat, but you can leave him behind at the entrance and will not trigger approval/disapproval.

• Zaith'isk/Infirmary: He approves of you passing a skill check to convince Lae'zel to get out of the machine. This one is tricky and will likely require saving a lot

• Let Lae'zel go into the Zaith'isk. There is a passive perception check to realize she is going to die, and multiple high DCs to try and convince her to get out and reveal she's dying if you failed the passive.

• Astarion will approve of getting the Blood of Lethander without disarming/putting the crest in. Can deactivate the blow up by putting the crest in and not blow him/the party up.

Act 2

Shadowed Battlefield

• Winning against Oliver in Hide and Seek (2 rounds)