This Baldur's Gate 3 Mod Makes A Controversial Change For Ascended Astarion Lovers

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The choice to help Astarion become the Vampire Ascendent in is a controversial one that divides fans of the vampire companion. Once ascending, Astarion’s character becomes more sinister and controlling than he was before the ritual, and the pre-programmed facial expressions in-game make that clear. Players can continue to romance him after he’s ascended, though Tav’s facial expressions will unveil the sudden shift in their power dynamic.

But for those who enjoy Astarion’s personality shift (or are playing a particularly evil Dark Urge character), there’s now a mod that will let you change Tav’s facial expression post-ascension. The mod, created by NexusMods user FluffySpider, alters the facial expressions so Tav no longer looks scared while kissing Astarion after he ascends.

According to the mod’s description, FluffySpider swapped all “scared, sad, and pained” expressions with “happy” — which also means that Tav may look happy in other particularly stressful or disturbing situations. It makes the mod a particularly great addition to any Dark Urge playthrough, but may result in some odd cutscenes for those looking to only change the facial expressions in the Act 3 scene.

Neil Newbon discusses playing companion Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3, helping direct his fellow actors, and the game's incredible possibilities.

Though the main objective for Tav and their companions is to safely remove the tadpole from their minds,Astarion quickly makes it clear that while he’d love to be rid of the tadpole, he’d love his freedom from Cazador more. The tadpole has already removed many of the restrictions being a vampire spawn places on him (like the sensitivity to sunlight), but seeking revenge on his former master clearly becomes Astarion’s priority.

Before confronting Cazador in Baldur’s Gate, the vampire makes it clear to the player he wants to take his master’s place in the Black Mass Ritual, sacrificing 7,000 vampires and six other spawns to become ascended himself. Though