Baldur's Gate 3 kicks off with players' characters being ensnared by a Mindflayer and taken aboard an Illithid Nautiloid - a grotesque flying vessel made of tentacles. This results in the characters being infected with Illithid Tadpoles, sinister creatures that initiate the terrifying process called 'Ceremorphosis' by dwelling behind the victim's eye.
In Baldur's Gate 3, the quest to rid oneself of these Tadpoles drives the narrative forward. However, the promise of gaining potent psychic abilities as the Tadpoles mature and transform the characters into Mindflayers offers a twisted silver lining. This mechanic stands as an alternative progression system decoupled from the characters' traditional level advancement.
Updated on March 15th, 2024, by Thomas Hawkins: The Full Release of Baldur's Gate 3 witnessed significant revisions to the Illithid Power system. While some abilities were retired and new ones introduced, the most notable change was the dissociation of Illithid Powers from character classes. Players now acquire Illithid Powers through Tadpoles obtained from other infected individuals and by exploring the game world, enabling them to spend these Tadpoles on powers that suit their character's prerequisites.
Unveiling Tier 1 & 2 Powers
These powers become accessible as soon as players can utilize Illithid Tadpoles, requiring a sufficient number of tadpoles to unlock desired abilities. Tier 1 powers revolve around Illithid Persuasion at the core of the menu, while Tier 2 powers are attainable by first unlocking their corresponding Tier 1 power.
Understanding Illithid Persuasion
The inaugural Illithid Power, Illithid Persuasion, grants infected characters the ability to influence individuals marked by the Mark of the Absolute or those with their Tadpole. By passing a Wisdom check once per long rest, characters can unveil unique dialogue choices and manipulate minds.
Exploring Psionic Overload (Tier 1)
Psionic Overload, a revamped version of the Early-Access power 'Endless Rage' for Barbarians, infuses users with 'Overloaded with Synaptic Power' status for 10 turns, boosting attacks with 1d4 Psychic damage while inflicting the same damage on themselves each turn. This power enhances Barbarians' damage output and synergizes well with spellcasters, especially Warlocks.
One drawback is the concentration checks required each turn, posing a risk of losing concentration on spells like Haste.
Embracing Favourable Beginnings (Tier 1)
Provided free on the first attack roll or ability check against a new target, Favourable Beginnings bestows a bonus equal to the user's proficiency bonus on the initial attack or check. This boon, applicable once per target, proves invaluable in encounters and negotiations.
Mastering Force Tunnel (Tier 1)
Formerly a Ranger ability in Early Access, Force Tunnel empowers characters to dash up to 9m/30ft in a straight line without triggering attacks of opportunity. This skill aids in repositioning, escaping encirclement, and displacing adversaries, requiring an action and usable once per short rest.
Utilizing Concentrated Blast (Tier 1)
Concentrated Blast emerges as a potent direct-damage ability, permitting characters to deal 3d6 Psychic damage to a target within 9m/30ft, while healing the user for the same amount if the target concentrates on a spell. This power, usable once per turn, demands careful spell management due to its mechanics.
Players can optimize this ability by leveraging cantrips that require concentration, such as Minor Illusion with an Illusion Wizard.
Deploying Transfuse Health (Tier 1)
Transfuse Health acts as a straightforward emergency healing power, enabling users to sacrifice half their current hit points as a bonus action to heal a target within 9m/30ft for an equivalent amount. While offering a lifeline to fallen comrades, this ability carries inherent risks.
Unlocking Stage Fright (Tier 2, Requires Psionic Overload)
Stage Fright, initially a Bard power in Early Access, inflicts the debuff of the same name on all enemies within a 6m/20ft radius, imposing a penalty on attack rolls and dealing psychic damage on failed attacks. This power synergizes well with tanky characters and proves effective in diverting enemy focus.
Activating Ability Drain (Tier 2, Requires Psionic Overload)
Ability Drain, a passive power, triggers when the character successfully makes an attack roll, diminishing one of the target's ability scores by 1. This power poses a significant threat in prolonged battles, gradually weakening formidable foes and disrupting their combat prowess.
Embracing Luck of the Far Realms (Tier 2, Requires Favourable Beginnings)
Luck of the Far Realms empowers characters to convert a successful attack roll into a critical hit once per long rest, offering a substantial boost in burst damage. This power particularly shines on classes like Rogues and Paladins known for their spike damage potential.
Employing Charm (Tier 2, Requires Favourable Beginnings)
Charm, an activated power, allows characters to charm attackers as a reaction, deterring further assaults for a turn upon a failed Wisdom saving throw. Despite enemies having an advantage on this saving throw, Charm remains a strategic tool to shield vulnerable party members under duress.
Mastering Displace (Tier 2, Requires Force Tunnel)
Designed for strength-oriented characters, Displace enhances falling damage caused by the character by 1d8 psychic damage. This utility power complements strength-focused builds and synergizes well with certain class abilities, offering tactical advantages in combat scenarios.
Employing Repulsor (Tier 2, Requires Force Tunnel)
Repulsor, a returning power from Early Access, enables characters to create a pulse that repels enemies within 6m/30ft, inflicting force damage and pushing foes away. This power proves instrumental in creating space when surrounded and can be devastating near ledges or cliffs.
Triggering Psionic Backlash (Tier 2, Requires Concentrated Blast)
Psionic Backlash, a reactive power, triggers upon an enemy casting a spell within 9m/30ft, dealing psychic damage and potentially disrupting their concentration. This power serves as a deterrent against enemy spellcasters, offering a strategic advantage in spell-heavy encounters.
Activating Cull the Weak (Tier 2, Requires Concentrated Blast)
Cull the Weak, a passive power, triggers when an enemy's health drops below a certain threshold, instantly eliminating the target and dealing psychic damage to nearby foes. This power proves invaluable in finishing off adversaries swiftly, escalating in potency with more invested Illithid Powers.
Shield of Thralls (Tier 2, Requires Transfuse Health)
Shield of Thralls empowers characters to grant temporary hit points and a stunning blast effect to themselves or an ally within 9m/30ft. This defensive power proves essential for frontline combatants and can turn the tide in intense battles, offering both survivability and crowd control.
Mastering Perilous Stakes (Tier 2, Requires Transfuse Health)
Perilous Stakes, a formidable ability, applies a condition to a target, rendering them vulnerable to all damage types while healing them upon attacking. This power, more effective against enemies, presents a strategic option to swiftly dispatch foes before they can capitalize on healing effects.
Enemies can resist this effect through an intelligence saving throw, with this power disabled on enemies in Honor Mode.
Revealing Special Illithid Powers
These unique powers, unattainable through the Illithid Power menu, are unlocked by specific in-game actions, delving into spoilers beyond Act 1.
Unlocking Survival Instinct
Survival Instinct enables characters to bestow a unique condition on a target, granting them accelerated healing instead of falling unconscious for a limited duration. This power, previously exclusive to Clerics, now becomes accessible through specific quests in the Underdark during Act 1 or Act 2.
Discovering Awakened
Awakened, a passive power, empowers characters to utilize any Illithid Power as a bonus action, enhancing the versatility and impact of these powers. To acquire Awakened, players must successfully interact with Zaith'isk during Act 1, overcoming challenging ability checks.
Unveiling Tier 3 Powers/Elite Powers
Accessing Elite Powers necessitates leveraging an item at the conclusion of Act 2, with further details delving into spoilers.
At the culmination of Act 2, players encounter the Astral Tadpole, a pivotal item enabling the unlocking of Tier 3 Powers. Interacting with this item grants powerful abilities, enriching gameplay mechanics and strategic options.
Unlocking Elite Powers involves a progression path through connecting powers within the Illithid Power menu, either Tier 2 Powers or adjacent Elite Powers.
Embracing Fly
Upon engaging with the Astral Tadpole, characters gain the ability to fly at their movement speed, revolutionizing mobility and tactics during exploration and combat encounters.
Mastering Mind Blast
Mind Blast, a signature power of Mindflayers, unleashes a devastating mental assault in a cone, inflicting substantial psychic damage and stunning targets. This potent ability proves invaluable in crowd control and group engagements, offering a formidable advantage in battles.
Accessible for a single tadpole cost in Act 3, Mind Blast stands out as a potent choice for characters seeking impactful area-of-effect damage.
Activating Fracture Psyche (Requires Ability Drain or Illithid Expertise)
Fracture Psyche, a targeted power, reduces a creature's Armor Class upon a failed saving throw, making them more susceptible to attacks. While not the most potent Elite Power, it offers tactical advantages in combat scenarios.
Utilizing Illithid Expertise (Requires Luck of the Far Realms or Fracture Psyche)
Illithid Expertise, a passive ability, augments characters with expertise in Persuasion and Deception skills, granting proficiency if not already possessed. This power proves invaluable in dialogue interactions throughout Act 3, enhancing social encounters and negotiations.
Triggering Psionic Dominance (Requires Charm or Black Hole)
Psionic Dominance, an impactful reactive power, dispels enemy spells within a specific level threshold, offering a reliable defense against enemy spellcasters. This power provides a strategic edge in countering enemy magical abilities, especially in spell-dependent encounters.
Using Black Hole (Requires Displace or Psionic Dominance)
Black Hole, a pinnacle crowd control ability, creates a gravitational vortex that pulls in nearby enemies, inflicting the Slow condition. This power hampers enemy mobility and combat effectiveness, offering significant battlefield control potential.
Following its activation, characters can utilize Black Hole five more times before necessitating a long rest, making it a pivotal tool in strategic engagements.
Employing Mind Sanctuary (Requires Psionic Backlash or Freecast)
Mind Sanctuary, a versatile power, establishes a safe zone within a defined radius, granting creatures inside the sanctuary the ability to interchange actions and bonus actions. This power facilitates complex combat strategies and synergies, particularly beneficial for spellcasters in executing intricate spell combinations.
Activating Freecast (Requires Shield of Thralls or Mind Sanctuary)
Freecast, a boon for spellcasters, enables characters to bypass resource costs of their next action or bonus action. This toggled passive ability, usable once per long rest, empowers spellcasters by eliminating resource constraints, enhancing their spellcasting capabilities significantly.
Activating Absorb Intellect (Requires Stage Fright or Displacer Beast Shape)
Absorb Intellect empowers characters to drain a target's intelligence, progressively weakening them while providing sustenance to the user. This power offers a strategic advantage in prolonged engagements, gradually tipping the scales in favor of the user.
Mastering Displacer Beast Shape (Requires Stage Fright or Absorb Intellect)
Displacer Beast Shape mirrors the Druid's Wildshape ability, transforming characters into a formidable Displacer Beast form with unique abilities. This transformation amplifies combat prowess, offering a diverse skill set for characters to leverage in engagements.
- Tentacle Whip: Strikes dealing combined Bludgeoning and Piercing damage.
- Illusory Copy: Generates a mirage to assail nearby foes.
- Displace: Teleports self and a target, inflicting psychic damage.
- Improved Extra Attack: Enables additional attacks per turn.
- Evasion: Mitigates damage from successful saving throws.