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Cazador Szarr is a vampire in Baldur's Gate 3 who acts as a looming threat, specifically to Astarion, as he is his cruel and ambitious vampiric master.
| Cazador Szarr | |||||||||||||
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| Level 12 | |||||||||||||
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| Voiced by | Graham Hoadly | ||||||||||||
| Information | |||||||||||||
| Race | Vampire | ||||||||||||
| Hometown | Szarr Palace, Baldur's Gate | ||||||||||||
| Family | Amanita Szarr (niece) | ||||||||||||
| Stats | |||||||||||||
| Size | Medium | ||||||||||||
| Type | Undead | ||||||||||||
| Armour Class | 21 | ||||||||||||
| Hit points |
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| Weight | 70 kg (150 lb) | ||||||||||||
| Initiative | +9 | ||||||||||||
| Ability scores | |||||||||||||
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| Proficiency bonus | +4 | ||||||||||||
| Saving throws |
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| Resistances | |||||||||||||
| Resistant | Slashing, Piercing, Bludgeoning, Necrotic | ||||||||||||
| Non-Magical Resistances | |||||||||||||
| Immune | Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing | ||||||||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||||||
 | +1m movement, +10 temporary HP and +1d10 Necrotic damage per ritual source. | ||||||||||||
 Tactician | +10 to your next 3 saving throws. | ||||||||||||
| Features | |||||||||||||
 | +5 to Initiative and cannot be surprised. | ||||||||||||
 | +1 bonus to Spell Save DC and Spell attack rolls. | ||||||||||||
| | Regain 1d4 HP when a creature fails any saving throws against your spells. | ||||||||||||
 | Make two additional attacks after attacking with your main-hand weapon. | ||||||||||||
 | Automatically attack an enemy moving out of your reach. | ||||||||||||
 | While in sunlight, take 20 Radiant damage and have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks. | ||||||||||||
 | If not in sunlight or holy water, regains 10 HP at the start of his turn. | ||||||||||||
 Honour | Spend a legendary action to conjure a Vampiric Swarm. | ||||||||||||
History
Cazador became a Vampire Lord in the year 1276,[1] claiming the position of master vampire of Baldur's Gate from Vellioth the Martinet.[1]
Involvement
Act One
While not making an appearance within Act One or Act Two, Cazador's influence is still felt. If the player is playing as Astarion, they can encounter a dream sequence involving Cazador, where he recites four rules he enforces amongst his spawn. Astarion as a companion may also show the player the scars on his back, which is revealed to be part of an Infernal Pact. What this pact entails is unknown, but he assumes it is extremely important to Cazador.
Act Two
While still not appearing in Act Two, Astarion can decipher the meaning of the pact with the help of Raphael. His scars are part of a ritual imparted to Cazador by Mephistopheles. When performed, the recipient of the ritual becomes Vampire Ascendant, a creature that retains all the power of a Vampire, but none of the weaknesses, including their weakness to sunlight and thirst for blood.
Act Three
Once in Baldur's Gate, the party can hunt down Cazador at Cazador's Palace. He is eventually found in his Dungeon, revealing that the ritual required not just the seven Vampire Spawn he sired, but rather thousands of others. The "meals" Astarion brought Cazador were not for him to feed on, but rather prepared and turned into spawn for use in his ritual. Upon encountering Cazador, he will reclaim Astarion, and begin his attempt to use him for the ritual. Should the player free Astarion, and defeat Cazador, Astarion readies himself to take over the ritual, and absorb the power for himself - only for Cazador to reveal that if he were to continue the ritual himself, he would simply be consumed for it, as he has the marks of the pact on his back, and the ritual will still take his soul as a result, as it requires an exact amount of souls. An important choice follows.
Let Astarion finish the Ritual
Should the player allow Astarion to finish the ritual, he will connect to the player's parasite, and copy the scars on his back onto Cazador's own flesh, therefore fulfilling the requirements for the ritual, while allowing himself to remain alive. Astarion will then consume Cazador's, and all of the thousands of Vampire Spawns' essence to become Vampire Ascendant successfully.
Convince Astarion to kill Cazador and stop the Ritual
Should the player succeed on a Persuasion or Insight check, Astarion will not continue the ritual for himself, and stab Cazador to death, falling to his knees, and sobbing, finally free from Cazador's tyrannical fist. If one of the spawn are killed during the fight, Astarion will always kill Cazador.
Refuse to help Astarion.
If the player outright refuses to help Astarion without convincing him, or failing the skill checks above and still refusing to help Astarion, he will kill Cazador in the same sequence as above. But then he will destroy Cazador's Staff, leaving the Vampire Spawn to rot. After this, he will permanently leave the party, stating that he hopes they "die screaming."
Kill Cazador without Astarion in the party
The player character can stab Cazador while he is in his coffin. Mentioning this to Astarion afterwards will result in his contempt, and will permanently leave the party unless the player convinces him not to do so.
Interrupt the ritual.
If the player decides to interrupt Astarion's ascension, the player character will throw Cazador's dagger at him, killing Cazador and making the ritual impossible to complete. Astarion will then destroy Cazador's staff and attack the party, forcing the party to kill him.
Whichever choice the player decides on, Cazador ultimately dies.
Combat
Spells and abilities
(granted by Woe)
(level 5)
Enough, Wretches!
When Cazador reaches low enough health, he will use Enough, Wretches!, and switch to physical attacks.
Tactician mode
Honour mode
Allies
Tactics
- In the lead-up to the final confrontation with Cazador, the player can split-off Astarion from the party and leave him way back up the stairs. Then upon descending the stairs with the rest of the party, Cazador will believe Astarion didn't accompany the party and will be unable to reclaim him for the fight. You can then have Astarion descend the stairs and join the battle once it commences and he'll be able to participate normally.
- In fact, the narrow stairs make a fantastic choke point for crowd-controlling the mobs with spells early in the fight. Some electricity resistance for the party and there will be little Cazador can do since Call Lightning is the only ranged attack he has.
- Using Daylight and similar spells will inflict Sunlight Hypersensitivity (Condition) on Cazador, reverting his mist form and causing 20 Radiant damage at the start of his turn.
- Cazador's Ritual Sources can be interrupted by standing on the ritual circles. This will also grant whoever is standing on the circle one stack of Ritual Sources (Condition).
Notable Loot
Notes
- During the Early Access, Cazador appeared with a beard. This is no longer the case, as Elves are unable to use Facial Hair options.
Quotes
| “ | First, thou shalt not drink of the blood of thinking creatures. |
„ |
| — Cazador's four rules he enforces upon his vampire spawn, including Astarion |
Gallery
Cazador's 3d model during Early Access.
Cazador's model.
Cazador's concept art.
Cazador during the ritual.
Character art by Edward Vanderghote.
