Baldur’s Gate 3 has a whole plot that involves you being infected with a Mind Flayer Parasite, which is often known as a tadpole, but things are not as bad as they seem.
It appears that these tainted specimens that are affected by Netherese magic are also a boon as they provide you with certain powers, which include being able to control others.
Aside from your psychic abilities, you gain several different abilities that can be unlocked as you absorb more power, which comes from other tadpoles.
How To Unlock Illithid Powers?
While you obtain your Illithid Powers as you progress through the game, certain steps may be taken to precisely unlock them as soon as possible.
Your Illithid Powers will be unlocked after a Dream Cutscene that happens when you do a Long Rest but before this happens, you will need to use your Illithid Wisdom option in dialogues.
Using Illithid Wisdom becomes available when talking to certain characters in the game, allowing you to pierce their minds and force them to follow your will.
During the cutscene, you will speak to your Dream Guardian, who convinces you to embrace the potential that these tadpoles may provide you with.
How To Unlock More Illithid Powers?
Once you have unlocked your Illithid Powers, you will be able to enhance your abilities further when you obtain Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens.
After obtaining a Mind Flayer Specimen, you will be able to select certain abilities that become available as you progress through the story.
Each ability that you unlock will require a Mind Flayer Specimen (Tadpole) and there are choices of active or passive Illithid Powers to choose from.
List of All Illithid Powers
You will already have unlocked the Illithid Persuasion ability, which allows you to force cultists of the Absolute to obey you. (The rest of the Illithid Abilities are unlocked with Tadpoles)
Tier 1 Illithid Powers
- Psionic Overload (Active) – Your attacks deal an additional 1~4 Psychic damage but you take the same amount of damage every turn. (10 Turns)
- Favorable Beginnings (Passive) – The first Attack Roll/Ability Check you make against any target gains a bonus equal to your Proficiency Bonus.
- Force Tunnel (Active) – Causes you to charge forward and push objects/creatures in your path 4 meters away from you.
- Concentrated Blast (Action) – While concentrating on another spell, casting this will deal 3d6 Psychic damage and will heal you for the same amount if your target is concentrating.
- Transfuse Health (Action) – Sacrifice half of your current hit points to heal a target for the same amount.
Tier 2 Illithid Powers
- Stage Fright (Active) – Causes targets to have a Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and take 2~12 Psychic Damage whenever they miss. (3 Turns)
- Ability Drain (Passive) – Reduces target ability by 1 once per turn when you make an attack roll.
- Luck of the Far Realms (Passive) – Gain the option to change your successful Attack Roll into a Critical Hit once per Long Rest.
- Charm (Passive) – Allows you to Charm an enemy that attacks you, which prevents them from attacking you until their next turn.
- Displace (Passive) – Creatures that suffer Falling Damage that you cause will take an additional 1~8 damage.
- Repulsor (Action) – Push anything and anyone near you back 6 meters.
- Cull The Weak (Passive) – If an enemy’s hit points drop lower than the amount of evolved Illithid Powers that you have, it will instantly die and cause nearby targets to take 1~4 Psychic Damage.
- Psionic Backlash (Passive) – Enemies within 9 meters that cast a spell will allow you to react, dealing 1d4 Psychotic Damage to the caster.
- Shield of Thralls (Action) – Creates a volatile shield around yourself or an ally, which grants 10 temporary hit points.
- Perilous Stakes (Action) – Invests a creature with power that heals it when it attacks but this also makes it vulnerable to all types of damage.
Verdict
During the earlier parts of the game, you will find that using your Illithid Wisdom can be a large help when it comes to forcing conversations to go your way.
As you explore the different acts of the game, you will encounter several Mind Flayer Parasites that may be looted from containers, and enemies and obtained in other ways.
Unlocking different Illithid Powers can give your character an advantage in battle, especially with the different effects and Psychic Damage that you may deal with.