This article is part of a directory: Baldur's Gate 3: Complete Guide And Walkthrough
Table of contents

Quick Links

While playing Baldur's Gate 3, you will soon realize that anytime you face a cultist of the Absolute and kill them, they will drop their tadpoles. At first, you may not know what to do with these guys at all; however, it will soon be clear.

RELATED: Baldur’s Gate 3: Where To Use Strange Flower KeyIf you want to unlock these powers, you need to be willing to embrace the Mind Flayers and their Illithid ways. If you do so, you can gain access to a whole host of new powers that can change the way you play the game. Here's a guide to those powers.

What Are Illithid Powers?

A screenshot of a Mindflayer from Baldur's Gate 3

At the beginning of the game, you wake up on a Mind Flayer's ship after being implanted with one of their tadpoles. These are then used to control you so that the Absolute can keep power over you. However, you are different. Instead of turning you into a Mind Flayer, these tadpoles can help you. The Illithid Powers are tied directly to your tadpole and its place in the Mind Flayer world. There are some powers that can only be used by certain classes, while others can be used by anyone.

How Do You Unlock Illithid Powers?

Baldur's Gate 3 - Powers  Via Tadpole

Once you meet with your Guardian, you will begin to learn more and more about the world you have just been dropped into. Once you kill your first NPC with a tadpole, you will be able to collect their tadpole. However, if you take it out, the dialogue will tell you that the Guardian will tell you when it is time. You just need to continue playing until he mentions that obtaining more tadpoles could help you. After that, you can take any tadpoles you have out of your inventory and use them. These will then open up this special tree of powers.

RELATED: Baldur’s Gate 3: How To Free True Soul Nere

All Illithid Powers

Baldur's Gate 3 - Illithid Powers  -1

Here's a list of all Illithid Powers.

Illithid Power

Description

Ability Drain

Once per turn, when you make an Attack Roll, the attack reduces that target's corresponding Ability by 1.

Absorb Intellect

Gobble up a foe's intellect, lowering their Intelligence by 1 per turn and healing your wounds for 5 turns.

Black Hole

Create a point of intense gravity that pulls in all nearby enemies and possibly Slows them.

Charm

Channel the dark allure of the tadpole to Charm an enemy that attacks you, preventing them from attacking you until their next turn.

Concentrated Blast

You must be concentrating on another spell to cast this. If the target was concentrating, you heal as much as the damage that was dealt to it.

Cull the Weak

When you bring a creature down to fewer hit points than your number of evolved Illithid Powers, it dies and all nearby creatures take 1~4 Psychic damage.

Displace

Creatures suffering Falling damage because of your actions take an additional 1~8 Psychic damage.

Displacer Beast Shape

Transform into a displacer beast that can Displace itself and enemies, and had 85 hit points.

Favourable Beginnings

The first Attack Roll or Ability Check you make against any target gains a bonus equal to your Proficiency Bonus.

Fly

Fly to a target position.

Force Tunnel

Charge forward, pushing all objects and creatures in your path 4 m away from you.

Fracture Psyche

Invade a target's mind and disrupt its defences. The target's Armour Class is reduced by 1.

Freecast

You have discovered a marvelous adaptability within yourself. Spell slots, charges, and similar resource costs for your next action or spell are removed.

Illithid Expertise

You have deepened your sense of self, gaining Expertise in Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation Checks.

Luck of the Far Realms

When you make a successful Attack Roll against a foe, you can change that hit into a Critical Hit.

Mind Blast

Spew forth a conical wave of psychic energy and possibly Stun targets within.

Mind Sanctuary

Sculpt a magical nexus that allows those within to take actions and bonus actions interchangeably.

Perilous Stakes

Invest a creature with power that heals it when it attacks, but also makes it Vulnerable to all damage.

Psionic Backlash

When an enemy within 9 m casts a spell, you can use your reaction to inflict 1d4 Psychic damage to the caster per the spell's level.

Psionic Dominance

When an enemy within 18 m targets you with a spell of a Level that is lower than or equal to your Proficiency Bonus, you can use your reaction to nullify the spell.

Psionic Overload

Your attacks deal an additional 1~4 Psychic damage, but you take 1~4 Psychic damage every turn.

Repulsor

Push anything and anyone back 6 m.

Shield of Thralls

Conjure a volatile shield around yourself or an ally, granting the target 10 temporary hit points.

Stage Fright

Your targets have Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and take 2~12 Psychic damage each time they miss.

Transfuse Health

Sacrifice half your remaining hit points to heal a target for the same amount.

NEXT: Baldur's Gate 3: How To Solve The Riddle Of The Night