How to beat Cazador Szarr in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

Out of all the difficult boss battles in Baldur’s Gate 3, Cazador Szarr is one of the toughest. Once you make it to Act Three, enter Cazador’s palace, and unlock the Sinister Door, you have to face off against Astarion’s old master. This vampire lord has had control over Astarion for 200 years too long, so let’s dive into how you can beat Cazador Szarr in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Baldur’s Gate 3: Cazador Szarr boss fight guide

This battle is a little different than most in a few regards. Cazador traps Astarion in the ritual, and you only have a few rounds to stop it before Cazador becomes a vampire ascendant. How you can beat Cazador Szarr in Baldur’s Gate 3 is by freeing Astarion from the ritual, using AoE attacks, and casting the Daylight spell.

First off, it’s nearly impossible to defeat Cazador before the ritual completes. Although there’s no timer, it only takes a few rounds before Astarion dies, and the ritual is over. You probably don’t want this happening, so you need to free Astarion first. Read our guide on how to save Astarion from the ritual, which is easier than you think.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Once that happens, even with the other vampire spawn in the circle, Cazador cannot complete the ritual anymore. You just have to now get rid of both him and his goons. You’ll be facing off against werewolves, bats, fallen Gur hunters, and some annoying spellcasters.

Best strategies for defeating Cazador in Baldur’s Gate 3

The best thing to use against these enemies is AoE spells and attacks. For example, spells like Fireball or Ice Storm are perfect for someone like Gale. Otherwise, I would recommend definitely bringing Shadowheart. You can try using Turn Undead, which can even work against Cazador. Also, I would recommend concentrating on Spirit Guardians for Shadowheart. Anytime an enemy gets too close, they’ll get hit with serious Radiant damage.

Finally, I highly recommend casting the Daylight spell. This is because vampires cannot stand sunlight. If you cast that on yourself and stand close enough to Cazador, he’ll take Radiant damage, gain disadvantage on his rolls, and will lose his vampiric regeneration. Cazador likes to spend most rounds hiding in a cloud of mist to avoid getting hit, so if you stand next to him with Daylight, the moment he forms from mist, he’s doomed.

Or there’s always shoving him off a ledge if he’s close enough, which will immediately send him to his casket. No matter how you end the fight, once Astarion gets his hands on the nearly-dead Cazador, you can decide whether or not Astarion should ascend. We also have a guide on the consequences of that final decision.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is available on Steam.