Investigate Cazador's Palace

Investigate Cazador's Palace is a quest in Act Three of Baldur's Gate 3. It can be started by speaking with in Rivington or the vampire spawn at Fraygo's Flophouse.
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==Objectives==
== Walkthrough ==
=== Finding the Palace ===
==== Finding the Spawn ====
Two of spawns, and , can be found chatting about the Black Mass in Fraygo's Flophouse on the upper floor at . immediately threatens them for information, but can be persuaded to hold back. Unfortunately, the spawns know little, beyond that preparations for the Black Mass are well underway. It is also clear that the spawns believe, that they too will become ascended if the ritual is successful.
==== The Gur Camp ====
There is a Gur Camp in Rivington at led by . Ulma tells the party that Cazador has done immense damage to her tribe and even stolen their children. She wishes to have them back, or at least revenge taken if the children are already dead. If Astarion is in the party, he can be told that it is the least he can do to get vengeance for the Gur, which he agrees to. Ulma states that the Gur have tried and failed to infiltrate the Szarr Palace but that a spawn could do it.
=== Potential Abduction ===
Several of Astarion's fellow vampire spawns attempt to kidnap him after the party has entered the Lower City and long rested. Failing to stop them before Astarion has only 1 HP left, results in Astarion being kidnapped and sent to Cazador's palace. Once there, he is tortured by , who uses magic to force Astarion to obey Cazador. This starts a saving throw, but even if it is failed, the tadpole within Astarion emits a psionic wave that disrupts the spell. Godey becomes hostile after failing to collar Astarion and must be defeated. The party can regroup with Astarion in the kennels.
=== Cazador's Palace ===
Although being in the Upper City, the Szarr Palace only can be accessed from the Lower City by climbing stairs in the Central Watch Tower at the Lower City Central Wall Waypoint at .
The party must walk north on the wall and can then enter the Szare Palace South Tower door. If is in the party, he mentions, that the party can sneak inside through it.
Three guards are at the top of the ladder in the South Tower. They can be persuaded to let the party continue with or checks, with Astarion or characters getting Advantage on the check. Alternatively, casting on the guards cancels the charm effect and causes them to leave the area.
If Astarion is in the party, choosing him to start the dialogue with the charmed guards will result in them reacting to the party peacefully. They are astonished seeing the spawn outside the palace on the cusp of the ceremony beginning, and hurry him to participate.
If spoken to, several Giant Rats in this room warn the party, that many others have entered, but were later found dead from the "large hairy fangy ones".
The stairs lead to the door to the empty Upper Tower and the Szarr Palace ramparts. Upon approaching, the door will unlock on its own, which Astarion (if present) calls suspicious. The party can enter the palace proper through the Szarr Palace door. 
In the palace fast travelling and resting is not possible.
The party must unlock the door to the ballroom to proceed further. To enter the ballroom it is necassary to obtain the and a passphrase in the .
==== The Signet Ring ====
 can be persuaded or deceived into revealing that Godey has the signet ring that can unlock the door. Godey is in the kennels in the lower floor. Godey is waiting in ambush , but a perception check reveals him and he can be called out. If Astarion is in the party, Godey asks what he has brought him:
* 
* 
Astarion insists that they need to get into the ballroom. Godey states that he was told not to open the ballroom no matter what.
* (if Astarion knows the ritual's purpose)
* 
* 
* 
Succeeding the checks makes Godey relinquish the ring. Otherwise, he becomes hostile and the key has to be looted from his body.
==== The Passphrase ====
A note upstairs on the Chamberlain's desk at suggests that one of the spawns has misplaced the dictionary used to decipher the passphrases. 
The , which is brimming with deadly necrotic magic, can be found on the lower floor in the guest room at . Here, the the cursed corpse of afflicts ( per turn) upon anyone entering, Casting on Victoria's body will end her and make the room safe. It is also possible to use an to mitigate the damage. Alternatively, the party can use or to bypass the hazard entirely. 
The dictionary is in a mahogany wardrobe to the west of the bed. Reading the book gives the phrase to enter the ballroom.
==== In the ballroom ====
Once in the ballroom, a number of werewolves notice the party. They state that no one is meant to enter while the ritual is occurring, and become hostile. After defeating them, the party must move to the door to the southwest to find an elevator down to Cazador's dungeon.
===Cazador's Dungeon===
After descending the elevator, a hallway to the west connects to Cazador's chambers. It contains the skull of Cazador's former master, Vellioth, and by interacting with the skull and passing three DC 15 Wisdom checks, the party can gain more information about him. They also receive the , whether the checks are passed or not.
To the north, there are several people in cages, all turned into vampire spawns, who call out to the party. If Astarion is in the party, one man recognizes him. It turns out that this is , the first victim Astarion brought back to Cazador. Sebastian can be persuaded or deceived into revealing, that only with the cages can be unlocked. The cell across the way can also be interacted with - it contains several Gur children, who were captured and turned into vampire spawns. If they are told that Ulma sent the party, they also share that the staff is the key to opening the cells.
==== A Special Weapon ====
Within Cazador's dungeon, a lower level can be reached using , , or to jump down the hallway to the northwest of the elevator. Alternatively, a button below the western room can be activated with a range weapon, causing a massive chandelier to begin travelling up and down: this can be used an an ersatz elevator to travel to and from the lower level. 
On the lower level, the can be found in a room to the east, in a buried and trapped rosewood casket at . This weapon deals radiant damage, which is highly effective against Cazador. Additionally, there is a locked (DC 30) crypt gate here connecting to the Lower City Sewers - Gloomy Ascent. The dungeon cannot be reached from the sewers until the gate has been unlocked from this side.
===Confronting Cazador===
 is in the ritual chamber north of the prisoners' cells. 
If is in the active party, he concludes the dialogue by attacking Cazador in a rage, only to be trapped in a ritual circle (). Cazador then attacks, along with several bats, werewolves, and fallen Gur hunters. Astarion can be rescued from imprisonment via the action, allowing him to rejoin the fight -- in which case Cazador and Astarion engage in additional repartee during the battle. If Astarion is not released in three turns, the ritual succeeds, and Cazador becomes a Vampire Ascendant. 
If Astarion is not in the party, then Cazador can be persuaded to allow the party to leave so they can bring Astarion back, or they can start the fight with him without Astarion. If Astarion was never recruited, or if he was killed (such as staking him in camp), then he takes part in the ritual as a zombie.
If Astarion is in the party, but kept well back out of sight (e.g. up at the top of the stairs), then the fight begins without Astarion. However, if Astarion attempts to join the fight later and Cazador is still alive, the battle will be interrupted by the cut scene in which Cazador traps Astarion in the ritual.
This fight can be very challenging. Cazador is a high-level spellcaster and gains power from the ritual victims, inflicting high necrotic damage to nearby party members. However, his profound weakness is , which can easily be caused by cast prior to the battle and then reapplying it in new locations as he tries to escape from the sun's rays. Protecting the party's Daylight caster with can help keep the situation from getting out of control. On lower difficulty levels he can also be pushed off the platform to his death; unlike most enemies, he will then return to his coffin, where he can be looted or otherwise interacted with. 
=== Outcomes ===
Once Cazador is defeated, he returns to his coffin in an attempt to enter a healing sleep. Interacting with the coffin has Astarion pry Cazador out of it. Astarion attempts to use the ritual for himself, and requests the party for assistance. The party can agree, attempt to persuade Astarion to stop the ritual, or refuse to help. If Astarion was not recruited or died, the only option is whether to kill or release the prisoners.
====Ending 1: Astarion completes the Rite of Profane Ascension====
If agreeing to assist Astarion, he completes the Rite of Profane Ascension by carving the runes into Cazador's back and sacrificing the six spawns and seven thousand souls. Astarion becomes a Vampire Ascendant, gains new powers and arguably warps his personality. When and the Gur arrive, they find him responsible for the deaths of their children and only one can come out alive - Astarion or the Gur - although this encounter can theoretically be avoided by sneaking out through the lower level of the dungeon.
====Ending 2: Astarion is persuaded not to complete the Rite of Profane Ascension====
If Astarion is persuaded not to use the ritual, he kills Cazador without performing the Rite of Profane Ascension, then he remains a vampire spawn for the rest of his days.
Astarion has the choice to kill the seven thousand victims, release them, or leave them in the cells. If the prisoners are freed, the other spawns lead them to live in the Underdark. Astarion sees killing the victims as mercy, as they never learned how to control their hunger. If he decides to leave them, Astarion breaks Cazador's staff and says that he is done with this place and done with all of them. Breaking the staff renders it unavailable as a quest reward. Regardless of the choice, the Gur do not attack Astarion and see him as having redeemed himself. If any other vampire spawn was killed during the Cazador fight, the ritual cannot be completed and Astarion kills Cazador without attempting to perform the ritual, and moves onto the choice regarding the imprisoned spawns. The dialogue with the Gur and the other companions proceeds as if Astarion chose to give up on the ritual himself.
====Ending 3: Astarion is refused or cannot be persuaded to stop the rite====
If the party fails to persuade Astarion or refuses to help him with the ritual, he will leave the party permanently after deciding to keep the spawns locked up, stating that he is done with Cazador, this place, and the party. 
====Ending 4: Rite of Profane Ascension is started but interrupted ====
If Astarion was allowed to start the ritual, the party can interrupt him by killing Cazador while the ritual is in progress, doing so stops Astarion's ascension and causes him to become hostile, attacking the party.
==Quest Rewards==
If Cazador is defeated:
* as loot from Cazador
* as loot or automatic reward
If Cazador is defeated and Astarion does not complete the Rite of Profane Ascension:
*Aid of Ulma and the Gur for 
If Cazador is defeated and Astarion completes the Rite of Profane Ascension:
*Aid of Astarion's servants of the night for .
*Astarion gains the passive feature Vampire Ascendant which grants the actions and , and an additional damage to weapon and unarmed attacks.
* Underneath the stairs leading down to Cazador's coffin, is a small nook with a pair of scrolls racks, a pressure plate trap and a scroll which shows the line of Master Vampires in Baldur's Gate going back 880 years.
==Notes==
*As of Patch 1, there is a glitch where the vampire spawn will not take Astarion if he isn't in the party. The spawn will keep attacking him even though he's downed, making the only way to end the fight defeating the vampires.
Category:Quests