Baldur’s Gate 3 Best Illithid Powers: Tier List

In the shadowy depths of Baldur’s Gate 3, players encounter a tantalizing yet treacherous path: the Illithid Powers. These unique abilities, born from the parasitic Mind Flayer tadpoles embedded in your character’s mind, offer a potent blend of psychic might and strategic advantage. Unlocking these powers is no simple feat; it requires navigating a complex skill tree and making pivotal choices that can alter the course of your journey. As you delve deeper into this hidden class, you’ll discover how to harness these formidable abilities to manipulate foes, enhance your combat prowess, and ultimately shape your destiny in a world rife with danger and intrigue.

What are Illithid Powers?

Illithid Powers, also known as Tadpole Powers, are unique abilities in Baldur’s Gate 3 that players can unlock by consuming Mind Flayer tadpoles. These powers are tied to the parasitic tadpole implanted in the characters at the game’s start, granting a range of psychic abilities that enhance gameplay. Players can access these powers through a skill tree-like menu, where they can choose from various abilities that include both active and passive skills. While some powers are available to all classes, others may have specific requirements or benefits tailored to different character types. As players progress, they can evolve their Illithid Powers, opening up strategic possibilities for combat and dialogue manipulation, making them a crucial aspect of character development in the game.

After their abduction by the Mind Flayers / Illithid in the prologue, the protagonist is implanted with a tadpole – a parasite serving as the main plotline of the game. It can grant you special, hidden abilities, unlocked relatively early on. The first strange ability you’ll spot is Illithid persuasion. During some conversations you can convince the other person or even command them using an Illithid option. This is their most basic power. Note: you don’t need to unlock these powers and you can even miss them entirely. It’s worth knowing how to use them though, as Illithid Powers can significantly tip the scales in combat. After unlocking Illithid Powers, a special Illithid tab will appear in the character sheet, accessed with the ‘B’ key. You can gain skill points by consuming other found tadpoles.

Initially, only your protagonist can use Illithid Powers – you must convince your party members first to have them use them through a Persuasion check. Their opinions and thoughts differ – for example, Astarion is very easy to convince, while Karlach is very difficult to convince. You can’t convince Halsin and Jaheira, as they don’t have tadpoles.

How to unlock Illithid Powers?

To unlock Illithid Powers in Baldur’s Gate 3, players must collect Mind Flayer Tadpoles from infected NPCs, known as “True Souls,” throughout the game. Each tadpole allows you to evolve your mind and access a unique skill tree dedicated to these powers. Initially, players can unlock one of several available abilities by spending their collected Parasite Specimens in the Illithid Power menu, which can be accessed by pressing the designated button on the screen. As players progress, they can acquire additional powers by gathering more tadpoles and fulfilling specific requirements tied to each ability, allowing for a customizable and strategic approach to gameplay.

Illithid Powers are unlocked over time – by long resting and sleeping. Eventually, you’ll have a dream during which your Guardian will encourage you to harness the tadpole’s power. From this point on, you can access the skill tree and spend Illithid points. You gain them by consuming Illithid tadpoles. The easiest way to acquire them is by killing bosses – for example, there are three tadpole hosts in the Goblin Camp, those being Priestess Gut, Dror Ragzlin and the drow Minthara. After killing each one, you can loot their tadpoles off their bodies and consume them.

Green arrow – Edowin’s location. Orange arrow: entrance to the Druid Grove.

The first and easiest way to earn Illithid points is to encounter Edowin, Brynna and Andrick near the Druid Grove (point 20 on the map or click here to go to our interactive Baldur’s Gate 3 map). You’ll meet them near the Owlbear’s cave. Edowin was wounded and is dying – you can take the first tadpole off his corpse. Note: you can’t use it right away – you must rest a few times to progress the storyline and meet the Guardian.

Which Illithid Powers to choose?

Choosing the right Illithid Powers in Baldur’s Gate 3 can significantly impact your gameplay experience. Players can unlock a variety of these unique abilities by acquiring Illithid Tadpoles, which allow for powerful psychic actions. When selecting powers, consider their utility in combat versus the potential disapproval from companions, as some characters may react negatively to frequent use of these abilities. For instance, while powers like Favorable Beginnings can provide a crucial advantage in early encounters, others may lead to moral dilemmas depending on your character’s alignment and the narrative choices you wish to pursue. Balancing the benefits of these powers with their consequences is key to optimizing your strategy in the game.

There are many Illithid Powers in BG3, unlocked gradually – starting with the weaker Tier 1, then progressing to the stronger Tier 2. Below we’ve described some Illithid Powers and given some tips on which ones to choose.

Here are some particularly useful combat skills: Favourable Beginnings and Luck of the Far Realms. They increase your hit and crit chances. If you want to increase your combat potential, try Repulsor – this skill deals damage and knocks enemies backwards (e.g. into a chasm). Psionic Backlash is a great Reaction, letting you attack enemy spellcasters even outside of your turn. Force Tunnel could be a good choice for fighters and other melee classes, as it works similarly to a charge – deals damage, pushes back and doesn’t trigger opportunity attacks. Try to avoid Illithid powers that come with negative effects – for example, Psionic Overload deals damage both to the enemy and you.

Tier 1 Powers:

1. Psionic Overload – deals 1-4 damage to you and the enemy.
2. Favourable Beginnings – passive skill. You get a bonus to your first attack roll or skill check. This will make hitting targets much easier, making it very useful in combat.
3. Force Tunnel – works like a Fighter’s charge ability. You rush forward, pushing back enemies.
4. Concentrated Blast – an attack dealing 3d6 Psionic damage, but you need to maintain a concentration spell (e.g. an active shield spell). If your target’s also concentrating, the blast will heal you.
5. Transfuse Health – sacrifice half your HP to heal the target by the same amount. Could be clutch in difficult battles.

Tier 2 Powers:

1. Ability Drain – passive skill. Once per turn, when you attack, you reduce a target’s ability score by 1. The reduced ability depends on the kind of attack. Melee attacks reduce strength, ragned attacks reduce dexterity, spells reduce intelligence, charisma and wisdom.
2. Luck of the Far Realms – passive skill. You can change a regular attack into a guaranteed critical hit. Very useful in combat.
3. Charm – passive skill. Just like a similarly-named spell, it prevents enemies from attacking you.
4. Displace – passive skill. Enemies take additional 1-8 fall damage when you cause them to fall.
5. Repulsor – deals 2d6 damage and repels enemies. A good, recommended offensive skill.
6. Cull the Weak – if you bring an enemy down to less HP than you have Illithid Powers unlocked, the enemy dies instantly. Also deals 1-4 damage to nearby enemies. Useful against groups of weaker foes.
7. Psionic Backlash – passive skill. If an enemy within 9 meters of you casts a spell, you can use your Reaction to attack them, dealing 1d4 damage per spell level. Very useful, given how many enemy spellcasters there are in BG3.
8. Shield of Thralls – create a shield granting 10 temporary HP. The shield can daze nearby enemies when destroyed.
9. Perilous Stakes – the receiver of the spell (.e.g. a party member or a companion) will heal with each attack, but is at the same time Vulnerable to every damage type.
10. Stage Fright – inflicts an enemy with disadvantage on attack rolls and deals 2-12 damage each time they miss. Useful in combat.

Illithid Powers consequences

Illithid Powers in Baldur’s Gate 3 come with a range of consequences that can significantly affect gameplay and character relationships. While these powers provide unique abilities beneficial in combat, their use can lead to negative relationship modifiers with certain companions, particularly those who harbor strong aversions to Mind Flayers, such as Lae’zel. Over-reliance on these powers may also lock players into one of the game’s less favorable endings, where the character risks losing their humanity and memories by fully transforming into a Mind Flayer. Additionally, cosmetic changes, like the appearance of black veins, serve as a visual reminder of the character’s descent into Illithid influence. Thus, while Illithid Powers offer powerful advantages, players must weigh these benefits against potential long-term consequences for their character and story progression.

Baldur’s Gate 3 repeatedly warns you against using Illithid Powers – it’s a part of the story and should be treated as such. Using them affects certain story events later on and your relations with other party members. Nothing will happen to the player character themselves. The choice is of a moral nature – are you willing to give in to the temptation and harness the parasite’s power instead of removing it?

The question “Should I use Illithid Powers?” is a dilemma you need to answer for yourself. They are definitely very useful – these additional skills help immensely in combat, sometimes turning the tide of battle in your favour. There is a hidden achievement in the game called “Ceremorphosis” which reflects how important the choice to either delve deeper into the Mind Flayers’ ways or stay away from such ungodly powers is during the campaign. Surely, using Illithid Powers will have an effect over which ending you’ll receive, but let’s stress that using these skills is a moral choice and the decision is completely yours.

How do you unlock the first Illithid Power in Baldur’s Gate 3

To unlock the first Illithid Power in Baldur’s Gate 3, you need to follow these steps:

1. Obtain a Mind Flayer Tadpole: Your journey begins by finding your first Mind Flayer tadpole, which can be acquired early in the game. You can typically find one by defeating certain enemies, such as the goblin leaders in the initial areas of the game.
2. Consume the Tadpole: After acquiring a tadpole, you must consume it. This action will trigger a cutscene that introduces you to the Illithid Powers skill tree.
3. Engage in Conversations: To further unlock Illithid Powers, use Illithid Wisdom dialogue options during specific conversations at least twice. This will deepen your connection to the powers and allow you to access them more fully.
4. Long Rest: After interacting with the tadpole and using Illithid Wisdom, take a long rest at your camp. During this rest, you will be visited by an NPC called Dreamlover, who will grant you access to your first Illithid Power.

Once these steps are completed, you’ll have your first Illithid Power unlocked and ready for use in your adventures!

What are the specific conversations where you need to use Illithid Wisdom

To unlock Illithid Wisdom in Baldur’s Gate 3, you need to engage in specific conversations throughout the game. Here are the key instances where you can use Illithid Wisdom:

1. Nautiloid: Save Shadowheart
   During the prologue, while trying to save Shadowheart, you can use Illithid Wisdom when interacting with the control panel next to her pod after obtaining a key from a nearby corpse.
2. Wilderness: Brynna Encounter
   After reaching the Wilderness/Druid Grove, you’ll encounter Brynna and her companion examining a dead novice of the Absolute. You can use Illithid Wisdom here to avoid conflict or persuade them to assist you against an Owlbear.
3. Druid Grove: Wyll
   Inside the Druid Grove, after meeting your Warlock companion Wyll, you can use Illithid Wisdom during your conversation with him.
4. Camp: Lae’zel’s Attack
   After using Illithid Wisdom twice, you can return to your camp where a cutscene occurs involving Lae’zel attempting to attack you. You have the option to respond with Illithid Wisdom during this interaction.

These conversations are crucial for progressing your Illithid powers and enhancing your character’s abilities throughout the game.