Baldur's Gate 3: How To Unlock Illithid Powers (2024)

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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.

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How To Unlock The Illithid Powers

Baldur's Gate 3: How To Unlock Illithid Powers (1)

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.)

Baldur's Gate 3: How To Unlock Illithid Powers (2)

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

Baldur's Gate 3: How To Unlock Illithid Powers (3)

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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