Illithid Powers are hidden skills in Baldur’s Gate 3 that can be unlocked by allowing a Mind Flayer or Tadpole parasite to infect your character’s brain. This can be done by finding them inside brine, infected skulls from dead True Souls, and jars and consuming them.
But do the Illithid Powers come with any consequences? If you’re on the fence about using them, it’s a good idea to see what they all are before deciding.
All Illithid Powers in Baldur’s Gate 3
| Illithid Power | Effect |
| Aberrant Shape | Transforms you into an Intellect Devourer that deals Physical Damage. |
| Ability Drain | Reduces the effectiveness of a target’s ability by one once per turn for every Attack Roll. |
| Charm | Stops an enemy from attacking you for one turn. |
| Concentrated Blast | Blasts an enemy while you’re concentrating on casting another spell. |
| Endless Rage | Deals extra damage during Rage, but causes you to receive more damage. |
| Favorable Beginnings | The first Attack Roll or Ability Check against a target is boosted to match your Proficiency. |
| Force Tunnel | Makes your character dash forward, pushing all targets and objects away in the process. |
| Fracture Psyche | Lower a target’s armor by one. |
| Freecast | Makes your next spell cost nothing to perform. |
| Horrific Visage | Earns back two Sorcery Points and deals a small portion of damage to an enemy target for three turns until it wears off. |
| Inkblot | Creates a cloud that Obscures and Blinds all enemies within it. They will not be able to shoot ranged attacks in or out of the cloud. |
| Luck of the Far Realms | Gives you the option of turning a successful Attack Roll into a Critical Hit. |
| Perilous Stakes | Makes a target more vulnerable to all types of damage for three turns, but allows it to heal itself after each attack. |
| Psionic Pull | Pulls a target or object toward you. |
| Reflective Shell | Creates a protective shell that reflects projectiles back to the enemies who shot them. |
| Repulsor | Knocks back all enemies and objects and deals damage in the process. |
| Shield of Thralls | Places a shield around yourself or a teammate for one turn that boosts its health by 10. |
| Stage Fright | Gives a target a Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and causes them to take a small portion of Physical Damage whenever one fails. The curse is lifted when they roll a successful one. |
| Supernatural Attraction | Teleports to another creature infected by the Mind Flayer or Tadpole parasite. |
| Survival Instinct | Makes a target heal a portion of health instead of dying when its health hits zero. |
What are the consequences of using Illithid Powers in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Though they are relatively minor, there are some consequences to using the Illithid Powers in your playthrough. Thus far, the only repercussions uncovered have been:
- Negative relationship modifiers with all companions except for Astarion for using Illithid Powers.
- Cosmetic changes to your character in the form of black veins, though these will only appear when you’ve turned into a partial illithid.
However, the Hidden Trophy, “Ceremorphosis,” turning into an Illithid, in the achievements list could also be a tell on potential story ramifications from using the tadpoles. Considering the depth of the game and the track record of Larian Studios, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Should you use Illithid Powers in Baldur’s Gate 3?
I think Illithid Powers are worth using in Baldur’s Gate 3. All of them are useful, even if they might weird out some of your companions (they’ll let you know about it via the dialogue). I have been using Illithid Powers on my character, and it’s been a blast. Force Tunnel, Psionic Pull, and Repulsor are loads of fun, while Charm and Freecast have already come in clutch in battles.
Some players might prefer using them on a second or third playthrough like they’re doing for the Dark Urge Origin, and that’s fine. Having a character affected by these ominous things isn’t for everyone. But at some point, in some other playthrough, you should use them.
Suppose you’re a severe roleplayer worried about aligning yourself with malevolent entities like Mind Flayers or the unethical nature of using Illithid Powers to gain an unfair advantage. In that case, you don’t have to use them if you don’t want to. It all comes down to personal preference. The same goes for classes and difficulty too.
You can beat BG3 without using the Illithid powers, but it will be slightly more challenging and less fun.
Spoilers beware: What follows are beats in the Baldur’s Gate 3 story that involve tadpoles and Illithid Powers.
Considering the depth of the game, it’s likely that more information will come to light on exactly how the heavy use of Illithid Powers might change these moments. In the event more consequences become known, we will update this guide.
Illithid Power and tadpole-related events in the Baldur’s Gate 3 story
Half Mind Flayer Transformation
The Astral-Touched Tadpole, gifted by your Guardian, will grant you further access to the Illithid Power Tree Skills. This will happen after you have made considerable progress through the main storyline.
The Supreme Tadpole: Full Mind Flayer Transformation
Upon the end of the main storyline, you’ll be given a choice by your Guardian to consume a Supreme Tadpole. Doing so will transform you fully into a Mind Flayer. This sounds like an immediate no, but it will also give you full access to the Illithid Power Tree Skills, meaning you’ll be granted upgrades with effects and damage boosts.
Full Mind Flayer Story Ending
Choosing to engulf the Supreme Tadpole and turning into a full Mind Flayer will have your character destroy the Netherbrain and the many swarms of Illithids. As a result of your sacrifice, you will free your companions from the influence of the Illithid tadpoles, though you begin to embrace your Mind Flayer tendencies fully. Entirely separated from your previous self, will you now look to manipulate your companions?
So, there you have it. You know everything you need to know about the consequences of using Illithid powers in BG3.
