Can You Become a Vampire in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)? Explained

Much like the Dungeons & Dragons source material it’s inspired by, Baldur’s Gate 3 offers players a dizzying amount of freedom. From talking to animals to communicating with the dead to biting a companion’s hand off, there’s a lot to discover in Larian Studios’ CRPG sequel. With that in mind, you may be wondering whether you can become a vampire in Baldur’s Gate 3. Well, if so, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s get started, shall we?

Can I Be a Vampire in BG3?

To cut a long story short, no — you cannot become a fully-fledged vampire in Baldur’s Gate 3. While you do meet a Rogue called Astarion — who you can actually go on to recruit to your party and even romance — he’s actually a vampire spawn, which means that while he has eternal life, and needs blood to sustain himself, he actually must drink his master’s blood before he can become a full vampire. In other words, vampire spawn do not have the same powers as fully developed vampires do.

As a result, Astarion can’t actually turn you, even though he does offer to bite you and drink your blood early in your adventure. However, what muddies the waters slightly is the fact that you can obtain a vampiric ability called Vampire Bite, so you can sort of become a vampire.

What Is Vampire Bite?

The Vampire Bite Action is a special ability that allows players to leech HP from enemies, though it won’t work if you’re hiding or you’re attacking an adversary who is unconscious. Essentially, it’s a piercing attack that deals 2d4 hit points of damage, while healing the player for the equivalent amount.

In other words, if you want to roleplay as a bloodsucking monster, this is the perfect ability for you. To obtain this parasitic ability, you’ll need to know how to unlock it.

How to Get the Vampire Bite Ability in BG3

To acquire Vampire Bite, you’ll need to let Astarion drink your blood, though it’s important to note that this does not give it to you permanently. Instead, it’s a temporary buff that resets after one day. To recharge the ability, you’ll need either a short or long rest.

Another way of obtaining Vampire Bite is by speaking to Auntie Ethel in the Sunlit Wetlands. Inside her Acrid Workshop in her home, you’ll find a potion called A Mother’s Loathing, and this will also gift you with the Bite ability.

So, there you have it. We hope this helped to shed some light on whether you can become a vampire in Baldur’s Gate 3. For more, here’s how to lift the Shadow Curse and what the best Cantrips in the game are. Alternatively, make sure to take a peek at our further coverage down below before you go.