I see Astarion's appeal: Paladins of Tyr
I got one shotted by the paladins of tyr because of the sword guy. I was going to say screw it, I'll pickpocket the sorcerer,take all her gold and never go back there, but i kept failing the checks. So then I'm like, let me try again but this time, I'll sneak attack the guy using Astarion and try to take him down before his turn arrives. And it worked! I used every advantage and bonus action I can get until I got him down before he one shotted anyone.
I gotta say, I love playing dirty. There are no rules, just making it work. Astarion's advantage is massive whenever I'm able to successfully hide. I'm still getting used to his mechanics though, they've been the hardest but they're so rewarding.