The Illithid Powers system in Baldur's Gate 3 allows players to bestow unique abilities upon characters that are willing to consume tadpoles. While many of these abilities are relatively lackluster, there are some that can prove to be quite useful. However, some players may be hesitant to use even the most-powerful of the Illithid Powers in Baldur's Gate 3, and this guide is here to address whether that hesitance is founded or not.
Baldur's Gate 3: Should You Use Illithid Powers?
It is first important to establish that there are no significant consequences associated with consuming tadpoles and using Illithid Powers. Indeed, while some companions may disapprove of these actions, pursing them will not prevent friendship or even romance. Furthermore, using Illithid Powers will not limit the content to which players have access, nor will it determine the Baldur's Gate 3 ending that they can receive.
As such, fans should absolutely feel free to use tadpoles and Illithid Powers in Baldur's Gate 3 as much as they want. In fact, it is recommended that players do exactly that, and the Favourable Beginnings and Luck of the Far Realms abilities are great places to start.
That said, it is definitely not requisite that fans use Illithid Powers, and they can ignore the system entirely if they feel as though it is not in alignment with their roleplaying goals. Indeed, while these abilities can serve as nice bonuses, Baldur's Gate 3 players should not feel compelled to adjust the plans that they have for their characters in order to unlock them.
To note, the Illithid Powers system does expand over the course of Baldur's Gate 3, and players will need to make a specific choice if they want to unlock the Tier 3 abilities. That choice will not be fully detailed here, in an attempt to minimize spoilers, though it is worth mentioning that there are some consequences associated with making it. While those consequences will matter little to many players, fans that are focused on roleplaying may want to learn more about them when they reach that point in the game.
In summary, the developer's intent does seem to be for Illithid Powers to function as one of the game's fundamental progression systems, and ignoring it completely is not ideal. However, players can definitely beat Baldur's Gate 3 without these abilities, and that is sure to be welcome news to those fans that simply cannot stomach the thought of their characters consuming more tadpoles.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available on PC and PS5.
