What are the consequences of using the illithid power in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Great power often entails great risk, and indeed, this holds true for the illithid powers of Baldur’s Gate 3. While most people might be eager to evict the tadpole lodged in their cerebellum, others might embrace that potential; even some of your party members lean towards this option. But are there consequences?

There’s a variety of ways to use your illithid powers in Baldur’s Gate 3, ranging from simple dialogue options to combat powers. There’s also an implied cost to these powers, that utilizing your illithid power in Baldur’s Gate 3 may incur some penalty. And the truth is, well, it’s complicated.

There aren’t any consequences to basic illithid powers in Baldur’s Gate 3

The nice part is, your tadpole powers—which you can use right from the start and enhance using tadpoles found throughout Baldur’s Gate 3—don’t have an explicit cost. Go ahead and cram your brainstem full of them. You might get some disapproval points, but that’s nothing a few dialogue checks won’t rectify. And really, some of the brain powers are handy; I purposely avoided most of them my first playthrough, but when I got access, I saw what I was missing.

That said, some companions will notice when you use illithid powers on them in Baldur’s Gate 3. Namely, those also infected with a tadpole. Not a great way to make friends, if that’s your goal.

While the basic tadpoles aren’t too much of an issue, there is a later option which will have more tangible consequences, if you choose to engage with the tadpole’s powers.

Should you use the astral-touched tadpole?

After the opening events of Act 3 in Baldur’s Gate 3, a newly re-introduced character will give you an astral-touched tadpole. This special tadpole can open up the third tier of illithid power in Baldur’s Gate 3, as well as unlock all tier one abilities and provide the ability to Fly.

In exchange, though, you will see a visible change in your avatar. They’ll have black veins shooting across their face and take on a cosmetic appearance that some might consider less-than-ideal. As such, don’t take the tadpole if you don’t want to change your character’s appearance.

Additionally, you can persuade your companions to take on the astral-touched tadpole’s powers too. It might take some convincing, especially for those like Lae’zel, but it is an option. Either way, your use of tadpole powers does not have a tangible affect on your ending options, outside of the aforementioned cosmetic differences you might see. The choices at the end of Baldur’s Gate 3, squiddy as they are, are more concentrated within other topics.