Key takeaways
- Cazador’s Dungeon is part of Szarr Palace, not a district of the Lower City or an independent Undercity zone.
- The normal entrance is the elevator in the Palace Ballroom, and access requires the Szarr Family Ring to open the first crypt gate.
- A second route leads to the Lower City Sewers, but the sewer-side door is initially locked and must be opened from inside the dungeon.
- The prison holds both vampire spawn, including Sebastian, and the kidnapped Gur children, including Chessa.
- During the Cazador fight, Astarion can be trapped as a ritual source If he is not freed within three rounds, Cazador completes his transformation and Astarion dies permanently.
- The major ending choice is whether Astarion completes the Rite of Profane Ascension, rejects it, or is forced into a hostile break with the party.
About this guide
Spoiler warning: This guide covers Act Three, Astarion’s personal quest, Cazador Szarr’s boss encounter, the vampire spawn prisoners, and the possible outcomes of the Rite of Profane Ascension.
Overview
Cazador’s Dungeon is the subterranean complex beneath Szarr Palace in Act Three of Baldur’s Gate 3. It is not a separate open-world region in the same sense as the Lower City or the Undercity. Instead, it is a self-contained dungeon belonging to Szarr Palace, with its own entrance route, waypoint, prison, private chambers, ritual hall and connection to the Lower City Sewers.
The dungeon is the conclusion of Astarion’s personal quest, either The Pale Elf or Call of the Blood, and is also the final major location in Investigate Cazador’s Palace. Its central conflict is not simply the defeat of Cazador Szarr. The party must also decide what happens to Astarion, the imprisoned vampire spawn, the Gur children and the thousands of souls bound to Cazador’s ritual.
The dungeon’s structure is compact but layered. The apparent main route runs from the palace elevator through a long gallery, private chambers and prison cells to the Grand Chamber. The lower parts of the map include a hidden route to the Pelorsun Blade, a sewer exit and the remnants of an older underground complex known as the Tourmaline Depths. The ancient ruins are part of the dungeon’s background and lore, not a separate playable region.
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Route from Szarr Palace
The intended route begins in Szarr Palace.
The party must normally obtain the Szarr Family Ring in the palace before the dungeon’s main crypt gates can be opened. The ring does not need to be equipped. It is used as a progression item when interacting with the magical doors. The palace also contains the Key to Cazador’s Dungeon, found among the palace’s treasure and storage areas, but this should not be confused with the Szarr Family Ring. The ring is the crucial item for opening the dungeon’s crypt gates.
Route from Szarr Palace: steps
- 01Enter the Palace Ballroom.
- 02Travel to the south-western part of the ballroom.
- 03Enter the Office Hall.
- 04Activate the dais, which functions as an elevator.
- 05Descend into Cazador’s Dungeon.
Route from the Lower City Sewers
The dungeon also connects to the Lower City Sewers through the Gloomy Ascent.
This entrance is not initially usable from the sewer side. The party must first explore the dungeon and unlock the relevant door from within. Once opened, it provides a useful alternative exit and allows the party to move between the dungeon and the sewer network.
The sewer entrance is therefore a progression-dependent connection, not an immediately available shortcut.
Waypoint and resting restrictions
A waypoint becomes available near the initial elevator landing. Before the dungeon sequence is resolved, it is primarily useful for returning to the entrance area rather than freely teleporting around the city.
Fast travel and returning to camp are restricted while the relevant Astarion and Cazador quest state remains unresolved. The Gloomy Ascent can eventually be used to leave the area and regain access to ordinary resting and travel options.
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Main Gallery
The Main Gallery is a long, ornate corridor reached from the palace elevator. Gilded doors line both sides, while the principal route continues towards the prison and Grand Chamber.
The first major obstacle is the Crypt Gate at the far end of the gallery. This gate is sealed by Entombing Clot magic and is opened with the Szarr Family Ring.
A second magical gate lies across a narrow bridge over a chasm. It leads towards Cazador’s private room. This side route is easy to overlook because the main path appears to continue directly towards the prison.
Cazador’s Room
Cazador’s Room is a private study concealed behind the western crypt gate. It contains personal objects, written material and the skull of Cazador’s former master, Vellioth.
The room is primarily an exploration and lore area. It does not contain a separate boss encounter, but several objects reveal information about Cazador’s history and the power structure surrounding him.
At the centre of the chamber is Vellioth’s skull. Interacting with it can trigger up to three Wisdom checks. Successes reveal more of the relationship between Vellioth and Cazador, but the important reward is available regardless of the number of successful checks: the Black Mass Scroll.
The contents and wording of some books and diary entries can vary according to Astarion’s quest progression and whether he has completed the ritual.
Prison Cells
The prison lies behind the main crypt gate. It contains four magically sealed cells, divided between Cazador’s vampire-spawn victims and the kidnapped Gur children.
The cells are not ordinary lockable rooms. Their magical doors cannot normally be opened with the Szarr Family Ring or by lockpicking. Their fate is determined later by the outcome of the Cazador sequence and the choices made after the boss fight.
Vampire-spawn cell
The right-hand cell contains starving vampire spawn. Approaching it normally triggers a conversation with Sebastian, one of the prisoners. A passive Perception check can reveal that the captives are vampire spawn and, if the party has progressed far enough in Astarion’s story, that their scars resemble Astarion’s.
Sebastian’s reaction changes significantly if Astarion is present. He recognises Astarion as the person who brought him to Cazador. With Astarion in the party, offering help can require a Persuasion check. Failure may cause Sebastian to curse Astarion with Curse of the Sired.
The prisoners explain that the key to the cells is Cazador’s staff, which becomes available only after Cazador is defeated.
Gur children’s cell
The left-hand cell contains five kidnapped Gur children. Chessa, identified as Gandrel’s daughter, is the principal named child who can be spoken to.
The conversation changes depending on whether the party has visited the Gur Camp in Rivington and promised Ulma that the children will be found. This makes the dungeon’s prison section a continuation of the Gur storyline rather than an isolated encounter.
Named residents and captives in the Prison Cells
Vampire-spawn prisoners
Gur prisoners
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The Grand Chamber is the northernmost and most important part of the dungeon. It is the ritual hall where Cazador plans to perform the Rite of Profane Ascension.
The central platform is shaped like a seven-pointed star and projects over a large chasm. A stairway descends from the prison entrance towards the ritual platform. The Gloomy Ascent and sewer connection are located beyond the chamber.
The room also contains side areas and environmental hazards:
The dungeon’s main boss fight takes place here.
Named people associated with the Grand Chamber
Cazador and ritual victims
Combat allies and enemies
The six named spawn are Cazador’s ritual siblings. They are not simply ordinary enemies placed in the room. Each is linked to a ritual source that empowers Cazador during the encounter.
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Named people associated with the Grand Chamber
Cazador Szarr
Cazador is the master vampire who sired Astarion and intends to use his spawn in the Rite of Profane Ascension. He is the dungeon’s owner, prison keeper and final boss.
His plan involves sacrificing the seven principal spawn, including Astarion, and consuming the power of thousands of vampire spawn bound to the ritual. The Grand Chamber is therefore both a boss arena and the endpoint of Cazador’s long-term plot.
Astarion
Astarion’s presence changes much of the dungeon’s dialogue and the final encounter. He can:
Taking Astarion into the dungeon is strongly recommended if the player wants to experience the complete version of his personal quest.
Sebastian
Sebastian is one of Astarion’s former victims and one of the named vampire spawn imprisoned by Cazador. He is particularly important because his dialogue forces Astarion to confront the human cost of the people he once lured to Cazador.
Chessa and the Gur children
Chessa is among the Gur children taken by Cazador. Her presence connects the dungeon to Ulma’s request in Rivington.
Ulma and the Gur hunters
Ulma does not initially reside in the dungeon. She is associated with the Gur Camp in Rivington and arrives near the palace elevator after the Cazador sequence, provided the relevant earlier conditions have been met.
The Gur outcome can add support to Gather Your Allies.
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Before the fight
If Astarion is in the active party, the confrontation normally ends with Cazador trapping him in a ritual circle. Astarion receives the Sacrificial Lamb state and cannot act until freed.
A party member, summon or familiar must use the Help action on Astarion. Freeing him should be treated as an immediate priority.
If Astarion remains trapped for three turns, Cazador completes the ritual at the start of the fourth turn. This kills Astarion permanently and transforms Cazador into the Vampire Ascendant. Astarion cannot be revived after this death.
Ritual sources
The sources provide Cazador with movement speed, temporary hit points and additional necrotic damage. Three sources also provide special benefits:
A character can stand on a ritual circle to interfere with the corresponding source. This reduces Cazador’s access to the source’s benefit, though characters occupying the circles must remain aware of the wider battlefield.
Cazador is empowered by seven ritual sources
Ritual sources
| Ritual source | Additional effect |
|---|---|
| Astarion | Cazador gains an additional bonus action |
| Violet | Cazador gains +5 AC |
| Yousen | Cazador heals for 3d8 hit points each turn |
Enemy forces
The hunters and werewolves can make the centre of the chamber dangerous, while Cazador’s mobility and ritual bonuses make delaying him particularly costly.
Practical combat advice
The combat-specific details, including the three-turn ritual timer and Cazador’s ritual-source bonuses, are documented in the encounter breakdown.
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Practical combat advice: steps
- 01Prepare before approaching the ritual platform. Use appropriate buffs, resistance effects and healing.
- 02Position a character near Astarion’s ritual circle. A summon can be useful because it can use Help without consuming the main party’s actions.
- 03Free Astarion immediately. Do not treat the surrounding enemies as a higher priority.
- 04Consider occupying ritual circles. Removing Cazador’s bonuses makes the fight substantially safer.
- 05Use area control carefully. Persistent effects such as Spirit Guardians, Wall of Fire and Moonbeam are useful against the clustered minions.
- 06Use the stairs as a choke point if needed. This makes the enemy approach more manageable, but it leaves Cazador connected to more ritual sources and can make rescuing Astarion harder.
- 07Loot Cazador after the fight. He retreats into his coffin when reduced to zero hit points, so interact with the coffin to complete the kill and obtain his important rewards.
Fixed and named rewards
The Pelorsun Blade is found in a dirt mound near the lower ruins. The mound leads to a trapped rosewood casket, so inspect and disarm the trap before opening it. The blade grants advantage on attack rolls against undead, making it especially appropriate for the dungeon’s vampire encounters.
Rhapsody is carried by Cazador. Its Scarlet Remittance feature grants cumulative bonuses to attack rolls, damage and spell save DC as the wielder kills hostile living creatures, up to a maximum of +3.
Fixed and named rewards
| Item | How to obtain | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pelorsun Blade | Dig up the trapped rosewood casket in the lower eastern chamber | Rapier with strong anti-undead utility |
| Rhapsody | Looted from Cazador | Gains bonuses as its wielder kills hostile living creatures |
| Woe | Obtained from Cazador depending on the ritual outcome | May be destroyed or unavailable in some Astarion outcomes |
| High Security Vault No. 3 Key | Quest and boss-related reward | Used for a high-security vault |
| Szarr Family Ring | Obtained during the palace sequence | Opens the dungeon’s magical crypt gates |
| Black Mass Scroll | Found in Cazador’s Room | Explains aspects of the ascension ritual |
| Scroll of Names | Cazador’s Room | Lore document |
| Power Structure of Baldur’s Gate | Cazador’s desk | Lore document |
| Cazador’s personal diary | Cazador’s Room | Dialogue and lore vary by progression |
Random and environmental loot
These containers should be treated as variable loot rather than guaranteed named rewards.
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Astarion completes the ritual
If the party assists Astarion, he completes the Rite of Profane Ascension. Cazador, the six participating spawn and the thousands of bound souls are sacrificed.
The Gur oppose him, and the party receives the relevant servants-of-the-night option for Gather Your Allies rather than Ulma’s support.
Astarion rejects the ritual
Astarion can be persuaded to abandon the ritual. He kills Cazador but remains a vampire spawn.
Afterwards, he must decide what to do with the imprisoned spawn and the ritual’s wider victims:
Releasing the spawn allows them to flee towards the Underdark. Certain background-dependent inspiration effects can also result from this choice.
If the relevant conditions are met, Ulma and the Gur recognise that Astarion has rejected Cazador’s path and can offer assistance.
The ritual is broken during combat
Killing one or more of the sacrificial spawn can prevent the ritual from being completed. In this case, Astarion defaults to killing Cazador without completing the Rite and normally remains with the party.
This is a major combat-side progression state. It is not equivalent to persuading Astarion after the battle, although the game can treat the resulting Gur relationship similarly.
The party refuses to help Astarion
Refusing to help Astarion, or failing to persuade him and then rejecting his request, can cause him to leave the party permanently. He destroys or abandons the ritual’s remaining means of control rather than accepting the party’s decision.
The ritual is interrupted after beginning
If Astarion begins the ascension and the party interrupts it, he becomes hostile. The party must then defeat him as well as dealing with the consequences of Cazador’s death.
This is one of the most dangerous outcomes because it turns a companion resolution into an additional combat encounter.
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For a thorough but efficient visit, use this order:
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Documents in the dungeon identify the older subterranean region as the Tourmaline Depths. Donnella “The Architect” Szarr reopened the area and brought it under the Szarr family’s control.
The notes suggest that the complex may have been created by exiles from the dwarven kingdom of Bhaerynden, or may have been an outpost or facility built over a mine. This establishes that the dungeon predates Cazador’s occupation and was not originally designed as a vampire prison.
Cazador’s use of the area therefore overlays a much older underground site with a newer layer of aristocratic vampire architecture, prison infrastructure and ritual construction. The chasms, ruined lower sections and older stonework belong to this earlier history, while the gilded gates, cells and ritual platform represent Szarr control of the site.
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Before leaving Cazador’s Dungeon, check that you have:
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The ritual is interrupted after beginning: steps
- 01Enter from the palace elevator.
- 02Activate the dungeon waypoint.
- 03Open the main crypt gate with the Szarr Family Ring.
- 04Explore the Main Gallery and the side rooms before entering the Grand Chamber.
- 05Visit Cazador’s Room and inspect Vellioth’s skull.
- 06Collect the Black Mass Scroll, Scroll of Names and other documents.
- 07Speak to Sebastian and inspect the vampire-spawn cell.
- 08Speak to Chessa and the Gur children if the dialogue is available.
- 09Open the sewer-side route from within the dungeon.
- 10Search the lower eastern chamber for the dirt mound.
- 11Disarm the trapped casket and collect the Pelorsun Blade.
- 12Prepare the party before entering the Grand Chamber.
- 13Defeat Cazador while managing Astarion’s ritual circle.
- 14Resolve Astarion’s ascension choice.
- 15Speak with Ulma near the elevator.
- 16Check the dungeon again for remaining documents and containers before leaving.
Is Cazador’s Dungeon part of Szarr Palace?
Yes. It is the subterranean portion of Szarr Palace, although the game treats it as a distinct location with its own waypoint and map area.
Can I enter through the sewers immediately?
No. The sewer-side entrance through the Gloomy Ascent is initially locked. It must be opened from inside the dungeon.
Do I need Astarion in the party?
No, but his presence changes the dialogue, boss sequence and available outcomes. If he is absent, the encounter can proceed differently, and the ritual does not necessarily begin in the same way.
Can I save the prisoners before killing Cazador?
The prisoners cannot normally be freed by lockpicking or by using the Szarr Family Ring. Their fate is resolved after Cazador’s defeat.
What happens if Astarion dies during the ritual?
If Cazador completes the ritual while Astarion is trapped, Astarion dies permanently and cannot be revived.
What is the best route through the dungeon?
Explore Cazador’s Room and the cells first, then search the lower ruins for the Pelorsun Blade, and only then enter the Grand Chamber. This lets the party collect the lore and prepare for the timed ritual encounter.
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Sources
- Cazador's Dungeon - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- The Pale Elf - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- Investigate Cazador's Palace - bg3.wiki — old.bg3.wiki
- Fighting Cazador - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- Rhapsody - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki