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Baldur’s Gate 3 is changing the way people play D&D for the better
(www.polygon.com)
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this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2023
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Baldur's Gate 3
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Baldur’s Gate 3 is a story-rich, party-based RPG set in the universe of Dungeons & Dragons, where your choices shape a tale of fellowship and betrayal, survival and sacrifice, and the lure of absolute power. (Website)
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So, no one's going to discuss the Astarion-shaped elephant in the room, I take it? In this era of conscientious consent, we're just going to gloss over the serial rapist allegory because he's part vampire — it's, what, just his nature? It's genuinely disappointing that this seems to get downplayed rather than sparking discourse, all due respect. 🤷🏼♂️
This is the weirdest take I've seen on Astarion...
He's not part vampire, he is a vampire. He is definitionally an evil, undead monster.
But also, he's not a rapist. He never rapes anyone in the game, and he never tries to rape anyone in the game. When he flirts with you, if you turn him down he backs down immediately and accepts that no means no. Hell, when he tries to bite you if you say no he backs down immediately and accepts that no means no too.
You're also given plenty of chances to kick him out of your party and to even attack him, precisely because he is an evil undead monster. For Astarion to hang around, you have to explicitly allow him to do so.
Call him a monster, call him evil, but comparing him with a rapist is just so far out there and makes no sense at all.
I agree with most of what you said, and would also not call him a rapist, and don't think he should get quite a pass on the whole "backs down if you say no when you catch him" part.
He's not stupid and evil, so when his attempted prey wakes up he doesn't force the issue. He did still try to, somnophiliac-like, literally prey on an unconsenting unconscious person which is bad. He can be forgiven due to circumstance and dialogue, but that's a choice that I wouldn't say that a player would be wrong in making as compared to kicking him out.