Being forcibly impregnated with a brain-eating, body-disfiguring parasite doesn’t seem like the best of times in Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s so bad that every character you meet (and likely their Nan) will tell you just how bad it is, and how close you are to suddenly vomiting tentacles. Stressful doesn’t quite do the situation justice.
Here’s the thing though, what if the parasite in your dome was actually a pretty chill bloke? What if losing some of your frontal lobe isn’t all that bad, and the little dude is trying to help you? Embrace your inner Mind Flayer and you never know what might happen. Let’s look at some funky Illithid powers and await our inevitable transformation into a cosmic horror born of nightmares.
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How To Unlock Illithid Powers In Baldur’s Gate 3
Whilst you start Baldur’s Gate 3 with a little brain worm wriggling in your noggin, you can’t do much with it. It’s a ticking time bomb that will inevitably spell your doom (according to the plot). Once you’ve played a little bit and encountered your first cluster of True Souls and Tadpolers, things start to get a bit funky.
The game will start to pressure you into accepting more power, absorbing more tadpoles into your cranium to glean more power and understanding. You can always fight against it, but where’s the fun in that? Embrace your parasite and cool things are bound to happen.
You will require one tadpole per power learned, and powers do not carry over to other party members. If you want multiple people to learn the same power, you are going to have to spend multiple tadpoles. This is a limited resource, so consider who gets what power carefully. Not only that, these tadpoles can’t be refunded.
Who Can Learn Illithid Powers In Baldur’s Gate 3?
Just about everyone can learn Illithid Powers in Baldur’s Gate 3 – at least at first. Anyone who has had a run-in with Mind Flayers is fair game when it comes to expanding their parasitic powers. This includes:
- Asterion
- Lae’Zel
- Shadowheart
- Gale
- Wyl
- Karlach
However, not every companion you meet will have met your fate onboard the flying tentacle barge. These people can’t learn any Illithid Powers due to them lacking the requisite brain parasite.
All Tier One Illithid Powers In Baldur’s Gate 3
- Concentrated Blast – Deal 6-36 Damage. You must be Concentrating on another spell to use this. If your target is Concentrating, heal HP equal to the damage dealt.
- Favourable Blessings – The first Attack Roll or Ability Check made against any target gains a bonus equal to your Proficiency Bonus.
- Force Tunnel – Charge forward and push all objects and creatures in your path 4m away.
- Psionic Overload – Deal an additional 1D4 damage, but also take 1D4 damage every turn for 10 turns.
- Transfuse Health – Sacrifice half your remaining HP to heal a target within 9m the same amount.
All Tier Two Illithid Powers In Baldur’s Gate 3
- Ability Drain – One per turn, after you attack, reduce your target’s corresponding Ability Score by 1.
- Charm – When an enemy attacks you you may react and Charm them, preventing them from attacking you further this turn.
- Cull The Weak – When a creature’s HP is reduced below your number of Illithid Powers, they instantly die and all nearby creatures take 1D4 damage.
- Displace – Creatures suffering Falling damage take an additional 1D8 damage.
- Luck of the Far Realms – When you make a successful Attack Roll, you may turn your Hit into a Crit.
- Perilous Stakes – Make a creature vulnerable to all attacks, but also allow it to heal 2D8 with every attack it makes.
- Psionic Backlash – When a creature in range casts a spell, react to inflict 1D4 damage per spell level.
- Shield of Thralls – Grant an ally 10 Temporary Hit Points. If the shield is broken, nearby foes may be stunned.
- Stage Fright – Targets have a disadvantage on Attack Rolls and take 2D6 damage each time they miss.
That’s all we have for Baldur’s Gate 3 for now. Be sure to check out our other guides and lists for more Baldur’s Gate content.
