Illithid Powers, also known as Tadpole Powers, are a type of special ability in Baldur's Gate 3. Illithid Powers are tied to the Mind Flayer tadpole implanted in the heads of the player character and Origin Companions at the beginning of the game. Some Illithid Powers are available to all classes, while others are class-specific.
How to unlock Illithid Powers in BG3
Illithid Powers were previously acquired by selecting Parasite-specific dialogue choices when interacting with another NPC infected by an Illithid tadpole. Players would have to succeed on 3 Illithid Wisdom Skill Checks when doing so, then take a Long Rest until they received a dream cutscene. After the using Illithid Persuasion enough and receiving the Dream Visitor. The Illithid powers will have its label changed to True Soul. When this happens, you can now start consuming Tadpoles and any tadpole you receive after would automatically added onto your Tadpole Power Upgrade Menu
Other Illithid Powers would have had to be obtained by completing certain quests and stories.
In the final release, Illithid Powers are a hidden skill tree used to enhance your command over your newfound illithid capabilities. Those who wish to harness the parasites' power must first find more of these parasites throughout the Forgotten Realms – some can be located inside jars and in pools of brine, others within the skulls of the infected. And then you must consume them.
After you use your Illithid powers in dialogue choices, you will meet a mysterious people in your dream. Agreeing to her/his suggestion give you the ability to absorb more Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen.
How do Illithid Powers work in Baldur's Gate 3
After obtaining an Illithid Tadpole from other infected NPCs, you can spend them to unlock an Illithid Power of your choice in the Illithid Power Menu by pressing B. This menu is set up similar to a skill tree - Illithid Powers in the outer ring of the 'tree' can only be unlocked after unlocking those adjacent to it in the inner rings. Illithid Powers with grey icons are passive skills, while those with red icons are active skills. Once in the Illithid Power menu, click and drag a tadpole from the top right corner into the skill you want to unlock. You will have a few Illithid Powers unlocked without the need of an Illithid Tadpole.
It should be noted that some Illithid Powers are class-restricted in the Early Access version of the game. On the full release of Baldur's Gate 3, this restriction will be lifted and all Illithid Powers will be usable by any class. This section will be updated once more is known about how Illithid Powers work in BG3.
Click for zoomed version of picture above
All Illithid Powers in Baldur's Gate 3
Note: Let your main character use the Zaith'Isk in the Githyanki infirmary and succeed at all three saving throws grants you Awakened permanent status. Your illithid powers will cost bonus action instead of standard action.
Quick Search of All Illithid Powers in Baldur's Gate 3:
| Power Name | Type | Description | Prerequisite |
 Favorable Beginnings |
Feature | The first Attack Roll or Ability Check you make against any target gains a bonus equal to your Proficiency bonus. | |
 Force Tunnel |
Action | Charge forward, pushing all objects and creatures in your path 4m away from you. Doesn't Provoke Opportunity Attacks.  9m  Short Rest |
|
 Concentrated Blast |
Action | 6~36 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.
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|
 Psionic Overload |
Action | 1~4 Damage Your attacks deal an additional 1~4 Psychic damage, but you take 1~4 Psychic damage every turn.
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|
 Transfuse Health |
Action | Sacrifice half your remaining hit points to heal a target for the same amount. | |
 Charm (Illithid Power) |
Reaction | Channel the dark allure of the tadpole to Charm an enemy that attacks you, preventing them from attacking you until their next turn. | |
 Luck of the Far Realms |
Reaction | When you make a successful Attack Roll against a foe, you can change that hit into a Critical Hit.
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|
 Perilous Stakes |
Action | 2~16 Healing Invest a creature with power that heals it when it attacks, but also make it Vulnerable to all damage.
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 Shield of Thralls |
Action | Conjure a volatile shield around yourself or an ally, granting the target 10 temporary hit points. Stun: 1 turn
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 Displace |
Feature | Creatures suffering Falling damage because of your actions take an additional 1~8 Psychic damage. |
|
 Cull the Weak |
Feature | 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. | |
 Psionic Backlash |
Reaction | When an enemy within 9m casts a spell, you can use your reaction to inflict ld4 Psychic damage to the caster per the spell's level. | |
 Ability Drain |
Feature | Once per turn, when you make an Attack Roll, the attack reduces that target's corresponding Ability by 1. The Ability that is reduced is the same as the one used to make the Attack Roll. For melee weapons, this is usually Strength, for ranged weapons usually Dexterity, and for spells usually your Spellcasting Ability. Per turn |
|
 Stage Fright |
Action | 2~12 Damage Your targets have Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and take 2~12 Psychic damage each time they miss.
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 Psionic Dominance |
Reaction | When an enemy within 18m 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. | |
| Actions | 1~8 Healing
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||
 Mind Sanctuary |
Actions | Sculpt a magical nexus that allows those within to take actions and bonus actions interchangeably. |
|
 Fracture Psyche |
Actions | Invade a target's mind and disrupt its defenses. The target's Armour Class is reduced by l. If the target dies while its psyche is fractured, you can cast Shatter Psyche on another target. |
|
 Black Hole |
Feature | Create a point of intense gravity that pulls in all nearby enemies and possibly Slows them. Five more black holes can be summoned after this spell's initial casting. Afterwards, you must Short Rest before casting it again. | |
 Mind Blast |
Action | 9~37 Damage Spew forth a conical wave of psychic energy and possibly Stun targets within. |
|
 Illithid Expertise |
Feature | You have deepened your sense of self, gaining Expertise in Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation Checks. | |
 Repulsor |
Action | 2~12 Damage
Push anything and anyone back 6m.
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|
 Freecast |
Feature | You have discovered a marvelous adaption within yourself. Spell slots, charges, and similar resource costs for your next action or spell are removed. Refreshes after a Short or Long rest. | |
 Displacer Beast Shape |
Action | Transform into a displacer beast that can Displace itself and enemies, and has 85 hit points. You take on the attributes of a displacer beast, but maintain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. When your displacer beast form drops to 0 hit points, you revert to your original form. |
|
 Fly |
Action | Fly to target position.
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3d6
Psychic 
3d6
Conditional
1d4
INT Save 
4d8 +5
14m
2d6 
Force
Tadpole Locations for Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3). Each parasite consumed unlocks one new Illithid Power within a skill tree of 25 powerful mind-flayer-inspired abilities, completely separate to the options you have when you level up in a traditional sense. These are divided into five branches themed around manipulation, health restoration, psionics, and abilities that can inflict immense damage and torment enemies to gradually weaken them over time. Some abilities can be used to control those around you, pushing them to say things in dialogue they would otherwise not. Others endow you with the power to push and pull enemies like ragdolls during battle.
Tadpoles locations in Baldur's Gate 3
You can collect additional Mind Flayer tadpoles to advance your Illithid Powers, here is a list of where you can find more tadpoles:
Tadpoles in Act 1
- One can be found on the dead True Soul in Forest (X139, Y444), do not resist the tadpole to acquire.
- One can be found by defeating Flind, the Gnoll Warlord (X33, Y594) (Quest Find the Missing Shipment)
- One can be found in the Druid Grove (X445, Y-17), it would be on a table in Halsin's/Nettie's Secret Research Lab next to the Dissected Drow body.
- One can be found by defeating True Soul Gut (X297, Y-12)
- One can be found by defeating Minthara
- One can be found by defeating Dror Ragzlin
- One can be found by defeating True Soul Nere
- If you side with the Absolute, you can get as many Illithid Powers as "Gift by the Absolute" as you missed by not killing the true soul bosses.
Tadpoles in Act 2
- One can be found by defeating Fist Marcus
- Three can be found at Infirmary, Creche Y'llek
- One can be found on Linsella, Moonrise Towers Kitchen
- One on a body in Oubliette (X:628, Y: -92)
- Three at the front entrance of Moonrise Towers from Disciple Z'Rell, Zealot Malik, and Adept Merim
- Two in the talking barrel on the docks of Moonrise Towers.
- One special tadpole can be acquired after you helped the Dream Visitor before reaching Baldur's gate.
Tadpoles in Act 3
- A newborn Mind Flayer can be found in the Abandoned Windmill basement at Rivington.
- One on a beach northwest of Rivington, on a barrel next to the Stone Lord thugs about to fight the Guild members. (X: -223, Y: 105, see Rivington map)
- A further two on the ship the Stone Lord thugs arrived in, in the big 'Storage' unit. (X: -211, Y: 135 see Rivington map)
- One from killing Avery Sonshal at Felogyr's Fireworks, Baldur's Gate Lower City.
- Two can be found on Enver Gortash's Parents, the Flymms (X-30, Y-116), Baldur's Gate Lower City.
- One can be found in High Security Safe n6 (near X-715, Y882) in the high-security vault of the counting-house.
- One can be found sitting on a table on the ground floor of Sorcerous Sundries (X-8, Y-91).
- One can be found on the second floor of The Lodge, Lower City. (X-207, Y-87)
- One on a table in the Sanguine Laboratory, entered from Baldur's Gate's Lower City down a hatch (X-92, Y-91)
- Six can be found on a ship protected by Steel Watchers, in front of the Foundry.
- One additional one can be found on the body of Churg Elvek, who is preaching next to this ship.
- One can be found in Iron Throne, on the table near Omeluum. (x-45, Y17)
- One can be found on a desk in the Steel Watch Foundry - Lab Level (X-1940, Y447)
- One can be acquired from Manip Edenosa in Bloomridge Park.
- One can be found in the basement of the Blushing Mermaid.
AnonymousPerilous Stakes - DO NOT SLEEP ON IT
If it lands, legit overrides immunities to any form of dmg and makes them take 2X the dmg from ALL sources for 3 turns. The hardest hitting single target debuff for bosses, especially good if you're fighting an enemy who is immune to your preferred dmg type.
Best part is, it's not technically a debuff so the enemy doesn't get to roll for a save. So damn good.
- Anonymous
In act 1, one can be given by True Soul Nere if you kill all the duegar first (don't know if im spelling that right and too lazy to look it up) and then detecting his thoughts. The option to to say that you solved his problem comes up and choosing it will have net you a free tadpole. Note that you can also kill him for the tadpole in his head
- Anonymous
Astral tadpole use is great for weak characters (low strength)
Main reason is it automatically gives the Fly ability, WITHOUT spending any tadpoles.
This helps to improve their jump distance without constantly having to have a strong character throw them or cast Fly / Leap
- Anonymous
So apparently there are not consequences for using some of these things...
Are you telling me I went through all of Act 1 taking care by not consuming them for no reason? Lmfao
- Anonymous
anyone getting random free parasites since patch 1.2? not small amounts either, I jumped from 11 to 17 near end of Act 2, just doing House of Healing and approaching the Mausoleum. crazy bug if so
- Anonymous
We should be able to kill our companions in dark urge to get their tadpoles.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Does anyone know what the save DC is based off of? I can't seem to find it anywhere.
- Anonymous
It should be mentioned, that if you pass some of the kills to join the Absolute, you still get the tadpoles. E.g., if you side with the Goblins in Act 1, you will get as many Illithid Powers as "Gift by the Absolute" as you missed by not killing the bosses (works as a mix, too - not killing any bosses gave 3 Gifts, killing Priestess Gut resulted in one looted tadpole + 2 Gifts). Same for True Soul Nere.
- Anonymous
The Act 3 entries on the list here are really vague and aren't linked to pages about their location like Act I and II.
It would be amazing if someone who knows how/where these are would clean the bottom section of the page up as finding these things can be really tedious. :)
Thanks!
- Anonymous
> Three can be found at Infirmary, Creche Y'llek
The creche is in act 1, not act 2. The Monastery is a part of act 1, evidenced by the fact you can freely travel between the grove, underdark and Monastery
- Anonymous
In act 3 You can get a jar from High security vault number 6 in act 3
- Anonymous
There's an additional power to be gained from Omeluum that I don't see in this list, presumably because it's not on the Illithid Powers screen. It's called Survival Instinct. "Infuse a creature with psionic force. If it reaches 0 hit points, it heals [3d4] instead of falling Uncoonscious."
I got it by succeeding the first check, but failing the second. Won't spoil anything else, and don't know if it is unlocked by failing the first check or succeeding both.
- Anonymous
How do you unlock Illithid powers for Shadowheart and Wyll? I can only use them on myself and Asterion currently.
- Anonymous
Make sure to get the permanent passive skill by absorbing the powers of the zaith'isk device inside the githyanki infirmary.
Awakened Passive Feature
Effect: You can use all of your Illithid Powers as a bonus action.
This will make most of the action skills, that sucked, absolutely incredible especially if your PC isn't dual wielding.
- Anonymous
But is it ok to use tadpoles on Astarion? Will he go crazy if you give some of them to him?
- Anonymous
So if I'm reading correctly.
1st layer powers = OK,
2nd layer powers = Watch it buddy.
3rd layer powers = Hope you like the taste of brains.
- Anonymous
there are two tadpoles in a wooden crate on the stone lord boat to the east of rivington in act 3.
- Anonymous
A SPOILER regarding tadpoles, and a let down for people who like me were planing to not use them. You will get nothing for remaining pure, some occasional quips in dialog that you are still refusing to use them but that's it. No achievement for it, no super special hidden gear or even a special ending for being pure. There is a danger if you go overboard but it's telegraphed and flat out told to you if you take the next step it will change you , that's when you will see/face some consequences but if you simply nope out at that point and don't go into the next step, you get to enjoy the first level tad pole powers without any cosenquences.
Basically, a pure run is more of a i suppose a "challenge" run in a sense, granted you don't need the powers, without em' if you know what you're doing to a degree you'll still be fine-ish, but you are dropping the potential of further exploring and having fun with some more cool powers and buffs for basically nothing.
- Anonymous
Interested in learning if it's an all-or-nothing decision. I initially 'succumbed' but haven't actually unlocked anything on the skill tree, yet NPCs act like I'm fully invested. Will report back if I make it to the end without using them
- Anonymous
16 tadpoles after two acts for me, part of them just random dead npc
Btw also important note: if you pass magic check for githyanki "heal" stuff, all illithid powers which consume action will be consumed bonus action.
- Anonymous
The only useful power is Luck of the Far Realms and it works extremely well with Half Orc!
- Anonymous
Is it known that there is a negative side to these so far or no
- Anonymous
For the ppl here that are wondering. There are no Class spezific power anymore. But i found out you can find them. for example: You get the power "Survival instinct" after you do the quest from the mind flayer in the underdark
- Anonymous
Not gonna lie, I'm not really tempted to use the Parasite outside of conversations because a lot of the new abilities feel kinda.... not necessary or powerful at all lmao
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Everyone looking at this page as of Aug 5th please keep in mind it is outdated. All of this information was from the Early Access and so much has changed. Most of it is untrue now. For example, there are no long class specific illithid powers. Moreover multiple are now locked behind much later parts of the game. Don't take this page at face value until it is more updated with more recent information <3
- Anonymous
I got wrong power for my class. I have abjuration wizard and I got cleric class skill. IDK why it happend...
- Anonymous
You know, for a skill tree that is supposed to be a tempting lure of power with severe consequences, almost all the skills in it are just kinda "meh".
- Anonymous
so is each parasite limited use to one person or can two people benefit from one, from the jar with one example, could both me and my friend consume/benefit from it or only one?
- Anonymous
What if you multiclass? Do you get all the class abilities that are offered?
- Anonymous
Any impact on the storyline? I'm thinking of not using this. There's probably an ending for fully rejecting these powers.
- Anonymous
So the monk its the only one that dont have a special power ?
if I dont read wiki , I will never use tadpole.
Your character said NO , your normal sense still said NO (whose sense said yes , go to eat raw meat and get parasite to your real brain)
and you get nothing for reject it , Seriously ???
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