How to Find (& Beat) Cazador

Cazador, a powerful vampire lord, can be tricky to find in Baldur’s Gate 3 if you want to beat him before a ritual causes this creature of the night to ascend. Up until Act 3, you may have heard Astarion talk about his former master and his desire to take Cazador’s place in this dark ceremony. While you have the choice to aid your companion in his goals, there are other quests that may lead you to the vampire anyway.

The quest “Investigate Cazador’s Palace” in Baldur’s Gate 3 begins your party’s search for the vampire, after meeting a tribe of Gur people and their leader Ulma. Cazador has been killing their people in preparation for his ritual, and stealing children. Investigate a smaller ceremony to the north to find two servants of Cazador still bound to him at Fraygo’s Flophouse, who are discussing a party about to take place at the vampire’s Palace.

How to Find Cazador’s Palace

Once you speak to the two thralls in Baldur’s Gate 3 from the Flophouse, you’ll discover that Cazador’s Palace lies in the Lower City, an area you can only access in Act 3. Near the Waypoint into this part of the city, you will find the Szarr Palace South Tower, which is closest to the vampire’s domain. According to the earlier servants, the dungeon under this palace is where the Black Mass will take place for Cazador’s rise to power.

Whether you decided to romance Astarion or not in Baldur’s Gate 3, he’ll explain how Seven Sigils are needed to complete the Black Mass either way. This companion is very open about his desire to achieve Cazador’s ascension for himself, mainly by sacrificing over 7,000 vampire spawn. Eventually, you’ll have many choices related to Astarion and the marked vampires in the Palace that could lead to different outcomes.

How to Solve the Sinister Door Puzzle

Inside the Palace, the only way to Cazador is blocked by a Sinister Door, which requires the Szarr Family Ring and Kozakuran Dictionary to open. On the first floor, you can find the Dictionary in a necrotic room within the Mahogany Wardrobe close to a body emitting dark magic. The Ring happens to be on the NPC Godey in Baldur’s Gate 3 who is a skeleton within the Palace, but he may not give up the heirloom without some convincing.

Those who have a custom character in Baldur’s Gate 3 with high enough Perception will be able to spot Godey in the Palace. This NPC may be found in the kennels on the first floor, so don’t worry about him leaving the area as you explore. You have the choice to use a high Charisma score to Persuade Godey in handing over the ring, convincing him that Astarion plans to be one of the marked vampires for the ritual.

Cazador’s Dungeon

Going through the Sinister Door leads to a small fight with werewolves and other dangerous animals before an elevator takes your party into Cazador’s Dungeon. As you enter, a chamber to your left may be opened with the Family Ring, revealing the skull of Cazador’s ancient master Velioth. The scroll here in Baldur’s Gate 3 tells you more about the Black Mass ritual, and just how large the sacrifice is going to be.

Investigating a door before a huge abyss in the dungeon demands a DC30 check to unlock it, showing a path away into the sewers. Although this path takes you away from the dungeon, you may find the Pelorsun Blade in the sewers, a +1 magic weapon that deals Radiant damage. This blade has advantage on rolls against undead, making it a great tool for the boss fight against Cazador in Baldur’s Gate 3.

How to Beat Cazador

Reaching the main ritual chamber takes you and your party on a platform over a chasm to fight Cazador along with his summoned minions. The vampire lord is an extremely tough opponent, having werewolves and bats at his side throughout the fight in Baldur’s Gate 3. Your party must defeat Cazador before he completes the ritual in four to five turns, otherwise, Astarion will die, and the vampire will become even stronger.

What makes this boss battle so difficult is how Cazador can deal more necrotic damage and have greater Hit Points by continuously feeding on the trapped vampire spawn around the arena. The necrotic runes on these thralls may be broken if you attack and kill the trapped servants, but you might not be able to get this done before the Black Mass finishes in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Cazdor’s major weakness is his Hyperlight Sensitivity, which makes him take 20 radiant damage at the start of his turns if he is in Sunlight. Casting the Daylight spell in a place the vampire can’t avoid it not only breaks his connection to the thralls, but also gives him disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks in Baldur’s Gate 3. The Paladin and Cleric classes gain access to radiant magic that would be incredibly potent during the battle.

Make sure to slow Cazador’s movement and use certain spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 like Thunderwave to knock the minions into the chasm below the arena. Keep attacking the vampire lord to eventually reduce his HP to 0, where he will retreat to his coffin.

Should You Let Astarion Replace Cazador in the Ritual?

Taking down Cazador will direct your party to his coffin, where you and Astarion have the opportunity to kill the vampire for good in Baldur’s Gate 3. Astarion wants to take Cazador’s place, and letting him do so kills all 7,000 vampire spawn trapped in the area. Although Astarion gains a new ability that gives him the passive feature Vampire Ascendant, many of your other companions will not approve of the choice to slaughter thousands.

You could simply decide not to help Astarion, and let him kill Cazador without taking his place as an ascended vampire. However, this choice will greatly harm your relationship with Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3, and he will leave your party permanently. The best option is to convince Astarion to not ascend, using a DC 20 Insight check to tell he is scared and lusting after this dangerous power.

Two different Persuasion options at DC 15 from this point give you a chance to change Astarion’s mind, though he will still stab Cazador plenty of times to kill the vampire. This intimate moment then directs to another choice surrounding the release of the vampire spawn, or killing them outright. Whatever decisions you make at this point after you find and beat Cazador in Baldur’s Gate 3, you will gain more of Astarion’s affection.