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How To Unlock The Illithid Powers
All Illithid Powers
Baldur's Gate 3 hosts a myriad of moral questions and choices to consider. With your mind filled with the influence of a tadpole whose purpose you know not, you'll be tempted to use its extraordinary powers to fulfill your own greedy desires. Illithid powers hold a promise of power few feats can compete with.
RELATED: Baldur's Gate 3: How To Earn The Mark Of The Absolute
But unlocking these powers might come with consequences. That's the takeaway from Baldur's Gate: our actions have consequences. But how much of a consequence is there, and will the powers offered outperform the consequences suffered? And how do you find the key to unlocking these powers' full potential?
Updated August 20, 2023 by Alexis Campbell: This guide has updated from the Early Access to the official release version. Illithid Powers and how they are gained have changed dramatically, and their new effects and the process of obtaining them have changed in this guide to reflect it.
How To Unlock The Illithid Powers
In the Early Access, the Illithid Powers were unlocked by selecting "Illithid [Wisdom]" choices during dialogue encounters.
However, this method has changed in the official release to unlock these powers by collecting the Illithid tadpoles from other infected NPCs via the item "Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen."
Collecting them does not necessarily mean that you use them, however, and does not appear to have any negative consequences.
Known carriers of Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen include:
- Edowin
- Priestess Gut
- Dror Ragzlin
- All infected recruitable companions (Shadowheart, Minthara, Astarion, etc.)
At the top right of your screen and above the minimap is a red parasite icon. Clicking this will open the skill tree for Illithid Powers.
You can unlock Illithid Powers by spending your Parasite Specimens to "evolve an area of your mind."
All Illithid Powers
Illithid Powers come in many shapes and forms. Some class-specific powers that were available in the Early Access are now openly free to purchase in the skill tree for anyone with the tadpole and prerequisites required.
Each power will require one tadpole to unlock. The furthest reaches of the brain will require the user to have consumed the Astral-Touched Tadpole.
Additionally, each companion will have their own skill tree to open and unlock. Therefore, you can unlock different chains with different companions or infest companions when you yourself may not wish to do so. Some companions will need to be Persuaded to accept being infected.
Power Name | Action Type | Requires | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Survival Instinct | Action | Completion of Omeluum Quest (Not purchased) | Infuse a creature with psionic force. If it reaches 0 hit points, it heals [3d4] instead of falling Unconscious. |
Favorable Beginnings | Passive | -- | First attack roll or ability check made against any target in combat gains a bonus equal to your Proficiency bonus. |
Charm | Reaction | Favorable Beginnings | Charm a creature that makes an attack roll against you, preventing them from attacking you until their next turn. |
Luck of the Far Realms | Passive | Favorable Beginnings | When you succeed on an attack roll, choose to make it a Critical. |
Concentrated Blast | Action | -- | Deal 3d6 Psychic damage against a foe while concentrating on a spell and then break concentration after. |
Cull The Weak | Action | Concentrated Blast | Heal a creature for 2d8 when it attacks but it becomes Vulnerable to all damage types. Lasts 3 turns. |
| | |||
Psionic Backlash | Reaction | Concentrated Blast | When an enemy casts a spell within 9m of you, use your reaction to deal 1d4 Psychic damage per spell level. |
Psionic Overload | Action | -- | Deal an extra 1d4 Psychic damage with weapon attacks in exchange for taking 1d4 Psychic damage per turn. |
Ability Drain | Passive | Psionic Overload | When you make an attack roll, reduce the target's corresponding ability by 1 (once per turn). |
Stage Fright | Action | Psionic Overload | On a failed Wisdom save, all targets within a 6m radius have Disadvantage on attack rolls. Each time they miss, they take 2d6 Psychic damage. It lasts 3 turns or until the target succeeds an attack roll. |
Transfuse Health | Action | -- | Give half of your health to heal a target for that amount. |
Perilous Stakes | Action | Transfuse Health | In exchange for making a creature Vulnerable to all damage types, the affected creature gains 2d8 HP back when succeeding on an attack roll. |
Shield of Thralls | Action | Transfuse Health | Conjure a volatile shield that gives the affected creature 10 temporary hit points. |
| | |||
Force Tunnel | Action | -- | Charge forward, pushing all objects and creatures in your (9m) path 4m away from you. Enemies cannot make Opportunity Attacks against you. |
Displace | Passive | Force Tunnel | Creatures that are dealt Falling damage due to your actions also take an additional 1d8 Psychic damage. |
Repulsor | Action | Force Tunnel | Push any and everything back 6m on a failed Strength save and deal 2d6 Force damage or half as much on a save. |
Astral-Touched Tadpole Only Feats | |||
Psionic Dominance | Reaction | Charm | When an enemy uses a spell lower or equal to your Proficiency Bonus within 18m, use your reaction to nullify the spell. |
Absorb Intellect | Action | Perilous Stakes | Lower a creature's Intelligence by 1 and heal your wounds by 1d8 for 5 turns. |
Mind Sanctuary | Action | Psionic Backlash | Create an area that allows creatures within to take actions and bonus actions as if they were the same for 3 turns. |
| | |||
Fracture Psyche | Action | Ability Drain | Reduce a target's AC by 1 on a failed Intelligence save and, if they die within 5 turns, cast Fracture Psyche on another target. |
Black Hole | Passive | Displace | Teleport to another tadpole-infected creature. |
Mind Blast | Action | Cull the Weak | Deal 4d8 Psychic damage. Stun targets within the cone of attack for 1 turn on a failed Intelligence save. |
Illithid Expertise | Passive | Luck of the Far Realms | Gain Expertise in Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation. |
Freecast | Passive | Shield of Thralls | Necessary spell slots, charges, and similar resources for one action or spell per rest is removed. |
Displacer Beast Shape | Passive | Stage Fright | Transform into a Displacer Beast with 85HP as if to Wild Shape. Once per Long Rest. |
Fly | Passive | Repulsor | Fly to a position within 18m. |
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