ASTARION'S BOOK OF HUNGERS - Vampires, Feats, and Baldur's Gate Treats!

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. Join the RPGBOT Patreon If you enjoy episodes like this, join the RPGBOT Patreon , where you can: Listen to RPGBOT.Podcast recording sessions live Get ad-free RPGBOT.net content Listen to ad-free episodes of the podcast And be part of every critical fail, hot take, and vampire thirst moment (purely for research purposes, of course). Join the RPGBOT Patreon and support deep-dive TTRPG analysis with zero commercials interrupting your build planning. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. 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. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale ( affiliate link ) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati