Baldur’s Gate 3: Illithid Powers explained
Larian StudiosIn Baldur’s Gate 3, if your end goal is to be as powerful as possible, you’ll want to invest in Illithid Powers. These are unique abilities that completely change how you play the game and make it easy. So, here’s all you need to know about Illithid Powers in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has a vast selection of spells, skills, and abilities, all taken from DnD. One of the more unique aspect of the game, however, is the Illithid Powers that are available to all characters irrespective of their class or build.
These are the unique abilities granted to you by the Mind Flayer Tadpoles. Using them won’t turn you into a Mind Flayer, but your companions will disapprove of it. Here’s what you should know about Illithid Powers in Baldur’s Gate 3 and how to unlock them.
Baldur’s Gate 3: What are Illithid Powers?
Illithid Powers are a type of special abilities in Baldur’s Gate 3 that are tied to the Mind Flayer Tadpoles that have infested a character. While these parasites are used to control people, however, the main character can channel their powers instead of turning into a Mind Flayer.
There are some Illithid Powers specific to certain classes and races, although there are others that can be used by any character.
Larian StudiosKeep in mind that unlocking these powers may come with a price, which we won’t mention as not to spoil the game.
Baldur’s Gate 3: How to unlock Illithid Powers
Players can unlock Illithid Powers once they kill their first NPC with a tadpole, which can be collected. If you’ve already met your Guardian, they’ll tell you more about them and how to channel the tadpoles’ power.
After that, you can take any tadpoles you have out of your inventory and use them to increase your Illithid Powers Tier. Here are the Illithid Powers found so far:
| Illithid Power | Description | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Ability Drain | Once per turn, when you make an Attack Roll, the attack reduces that target’s corresponding Ability by 1. | Tier 2 |
| Absorb Intellect | Absorb up an enemy’s intellect, lowering their Intelligence by 1 per turn and healing your wounds for 5 turns. | Tier 3 |
| Aberrant Shape | Shapeshift into an Intellect Devourer that can deal psychic damage. | Only Druid class |
| Black Hole | Create a point of intense gravity that pulls in all nearby enemies and possibly Slows them. | Tier 3 |
| Charm | Channel the dark allure of the tadpole to Charm an enemy that attacks you, preventing them from attacking you until their next turn. | Tier 2 |
| 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. | Tier 1 |
| 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 to 4 Psychic damage. | Tier 2 |
| Displace | Your enemies have a Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and take 2 to12 Psychic damage each time they miss. | Tier 2 |
| Displacer Beast Shape | Transform into a displacer beast that can Displace itself and enemies, and had 85 hit points. | Tier 3 |
| Endless Rage | Deal +1d4 damage with each attack while Rage is active; receive +1d4 damage each turn; prevents Rage from prematurely ending since you’re guaranteed to take damage. | Only Barbarian Class |
| Favorable Beginnings | The first Attack Roll or Ability Check you make against any target gains a bonus equal to your Proficiency Bonus. | Tier 1 |
| Fly | Fly to a target position. | Tier 3 |
| Force Tunnel | Invest a creature with power that heals it when it attacks, but also makes it vulnerable to all damage. | Only Ranger Class |
| Fracture Psyche | Invade a target’s mind and disrupt its defences. The target’s Armour Class is reduced by 1. | Only Paladin Class |
| Freecast | You have discovered a marvelous adaptability within yourself. Spell slots, charges, and similar resource costs for your next action or spell are removed. | Tier 3 |
| Horrific Visage | Deal +1d4 damage for three turns to terrify a creature; gain +2 Sorcery Points. | Only Sorcerer Class |
| Inkbloth | Create a cloud of magical darkness and immediately activate Hide. | Only Rogue Class |
| Illithid Expertise | You have deepened your sense of self, gaining Expertise in Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation Checks. | Tier 3 |
| Luck of the Far Realms | When you make a successful Attack Roll against a foe, you can change that hit into a Critical Hit. | Tier 2 |
| Mind Blast | Fire an energy beam in a cone, deal 6 to 34 psychic damage, and even stun the targets. | Tier 3 |
| Mind Sanctuary | Sculpt a magical nexus that allows those within to take actions and bonus actions interchangeably. | Tier 3 |
| Perilous Stakes | Invest a creature with power that heals it when it attacks, but also makes it Vulnerable to all damage. | Tier 2 |
| 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. | Tier 2 |
| Psionic Dominance | If a spell within 18 meters targets you and it has a lower or equal level to your proficiency, you can use a reaction to completely nullify the spell. | Tier 3 |
| Psionic Pull | Pull one creature or object toward you. | Only Fighter Class |
| Psionic Overload | Your attacks deal an additional 1 to 4 Psychic damage, but you take 1 to 4 Psychic damage every turn. | Tier 1 |
| Reflective Shell | Reflects all projectiles that target you for two turns. | Only Wizard Class |
| Repulsor | Push anything back 6 meters. | Tier 2 |
| Shield of Thralls | Conjure a shield around yourself or an ally, granting the target 10 temporary hit points. | Tier 2 |
| Supernatural Attraction | Teleport to another infected creature. | Only Warlock Class |
| Survival Instinct | Heals for +3d4 HP if an ally reaches zero HP, preventing them from becoming unconscious. | Only Cleric Class |
| Stage Fright | Your enemies have a Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and take 2 to 12 Psychic damage each time they miss. | Tier 2 (Only Bard Class) |
| Transfuse Health | Sacrifice half your remaining hit points to heal a target for the same amount. | Tier 1 |
In the meantime, we recommend you check out our other Baldur’s Gate 3 guides and articles:
Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin build: Race, subclass, background, more | Baldur’s Gate 3 Feats list | Who are the Githyanki in Baldur’s Gate 3? | Can you multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3? | What is proficiency in Baldur’s Gate 3 | How to add fire to weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3 | How to solve Baldur’s Gate 3 moon door puzzle