Have you ever wondered what would happen if Baldur's Gate 3 romance options escaped into your tabletop rules? Today, we dive into Astarion's Book of Hungers, where vampires are sexy, feats are thirsty, and WotC's DLC pricing… is definitely giving "gaslight, gatekeep, vampire spawn."
The team reviews the digital-only D&D supplement Astarion's Book of Hungers, a Baldur's Gate-themed 32-page add-on focused on vampires, Dhampir characters, feats, and mini-adventures, tied to Faerûn but clearly intended as DLC-style tabletop content.
Highlights
- Dhampir species updated, but weakened from 2014 (loss of Deathless Nature, bite now unarmed strike).
- New backgrounds tied to vampire themes (Devotee, Survivor, Carouser) with strong roleplay hooks.
- Feat quality varies from flavorful to "why is this here" (looking at you, Bomber).
- Epic boons are thematically fun but situational.
- Bestiary mostly devils + vampire variants (Infernalist, Wardens).
- Two adventures, but they're basically the same fight twice set in Rat's Run Tavern.
Show Notes
In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the crew reviews Astarion's Book of Hungers, the digital-only supplement featuring the updated Dhampir species, vampire-flavored feats, new backgrounds, devil monsters, and two short adventures centered around the Rat's Run Tavern in Baldur's Gate.
The hosts analyze the design changes, compare Dhampir options between the 2014 and 2024 rules, evaluate feat quality, and critique the DLC-like release strategy. They share lore details about Astarion, his abusive sire Kassador, and how Baldur's Gate 3 influenced this supplement's tone and art direction.
Listeners get practical advice on when the rules matter, when the flavor shines, and whether this $15 digital release actually delivers value, or whether players are better off saving their money for bigger releases.
Key Takeaways
- Dhampir changes are mechanical changes; same flavor, less abusable.
- New feats range from fun to unoptimized; several needed Unearthed Arcana playtesting.
- Bestiary is small but flavorful with devil-focused lore.
- Adventures feel duplicated and minimal.
- The value proposition feels overpriced for what's delivered.
- Strong warnings that this sets an unwelcome D&D DLC precedent.
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Meet the Hosts
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Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.
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Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.
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Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.
Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
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Tyler Kamstra
Ash Ely
Randall James
Producer Dan