The Ultimate Guide to Unleashing Unprecedented Illithid Powers in Baldur's Gate 3

Players of Baldur’s Gate 3 not only face the challenge of fighting off a Mindflayer invasion, but also the need to prevent themselves from becoming transformed into an Illithid parasite. The fate of Faerun hangs in the balance and their own survival is at stake, making Baldur’s Gate 3 a highly delicate situation for players. However, they soon discover that their Illithid parasite grants them unique abilities.

As players progress through their Baldur’s Gate journey, they gradually gain access to the arsenal of psionic abilities possessed by a Mindflayer, thanks to their time spent with the parasite. This allows them to tap into these powers without the immediate threat of transformation. But which Illithid Powers should players focus on acquiring before their infection takes full control?

10 Mind Sanctuary

When playing Baldur’s Gate 3, players will notice that effective combat requires careful management of their character's resources. Some moves in the game not only consume specific resources like Spell Slots and Charges, but they also depend on Actions, Bonus Actions, and Reactions. The weight of a move determines how much a character can accomplish in each turn. Fortunately, with the Illithid Power called Mind Sanctuary, players can create a magical nexus that enables the interchangeability of Actions and Bonus Actions. This capability significantly reduces the cost of using heavier moves that typically require Actions, allowing players to unleash more powerful abilities with just a fraction of the resources.

9 Displacer Beast Shape

Players who fail to remove the Illithid parasite in their Baldur's Gate 3 playthrough face the terrifying possibility of becoming a Mindflayer. However, until that happens, they can utilize various psychic abilities in combat, including the ability to transform into a monstrous Displacer Beast using Displacer Beast Shape.

Once transformed, players remain in the Displacer Beast Shape until they take a Long Rest or until their form runs out of its 85 Hit Points. Despite the transformation, players retain their INT, WIS, and CHA scores, making this form particularly advantageous for spellcasters. In addition to providing a more alien alternative to the Wild Shape ability, Displacer Beast Shape grants players 85 Temporary Hit Points while assuming this alternative form.

8 Fracture Psyche

Armor Class remains a crucial element of gameplay in Baldur's Gate 3, as players can only damage opponents if their Attack Roll surpasses the enemy's AC. Any effect that enhances an Attack Roll or grants Advantage can increase the likelihood of successfully damaging opponents. Fracture Psyche, on the other hand, assists players by imposing a -1 AC penalty on the enemy.

This debuff lasts for five turns, providing the caster and their allies with ample time to eliminate the targeted enemy, whether they utilize spells or reliable Versatile Weapons. If successful, the caster can then employ Fracture Psyche on another target. As Fracture Psyche can be used once per Short Rest, it is advisable for players to defeat enemies while the effect is active.

7 Shield Of Thralls

In Baldur's Gate 3, having a high Armor Class is crucial for the survival of characters. However, players also need a considerable amount of Hit Points to ensure their character's longevity. Fortunately, there are spells and abilities that provide Temporary HP, which acts as a protective barrier against attacks until it is depleted. Among these, Shield of Thralls is the most efficient.

Shield of Thralls grants the caster or their ally 10 Temporary HP. What sets this ability apart is that, once the 10 Temp HP is depleted, it triggers a blast that can Stun enemies if they fail an INT Save. The appeal of Shield of Thralls lies in its requirement for an INT Save, as most creatures, except spellcasters, tend to have low intelligence. Therefore, it is advisable to cast Shield of Thralls with a character who has a high enough intelligence, ensuring that the Stun after-effect is nearly guaranteed.

6 Stage Fright

Debuffs that impose Disadvantage on attacks play a significant role in Baldur's Gate 3 combat. They force attackers to roll two dice and take the lower result, resulting in a high chance of missing. Among the Illithid Abilities, Stage Fright acts as such a debuff. Unlike other variations, Stage Fright lasts for 3 turns and can end early if the target successfully lands an attack.

However, Stage Fright is a formidable weapon due to its additional technical components. It has a range of 18 meters and inflicts 2d6 Psychic Damage on foes who miss their attacks. If the attacks continue to miss throughout the three turns, the total Psychic Damage inflicted accumulates to 6d6 spread across the duration.

5 Psionic Dominance

Counterspell, despite being a powerful 3rd-Level Abjuration spell, remains a crucial tool for spellcasters. It can effectively cancel out a spell of the same level or lower as a Reaction, making it invaluable. Since most impactful spells are above 2nd-Level, Counterspell has the potential to disrupt an enemy mage's magical abilities.

For players who find Counterspell's high cost challenging, they may consider acquiring Psionic Dominance as an Illithid Power. With this ability, when a spellcaster within 18 meters targets them with a spell that is equal to or lower than their Proficiency Bonus, they can instantly neutralize the spell using their Reaction. While it may not be as effective against multiple spellcasters, Psionic Dominance can prove to be a valuable advantage by providing a free Counterspell to players.

4 Psionic Backlash

Spellcasters can pose a significant challenge in the D&D game, particularly due to their low health combined with a wide range of potent spells. To counter this threat, the Mage Slayer Feat was introduced, allowing players to use their Reaction to attack a spellcasting mage in close combat. Psionic Backlash now provides a similar ability at a distance.

With Psionic Backlash, players can use their Reaction to deal 1d4 Psychic Damage to any opponent casting a spell within a 9-meter radius. Moreover, the damage inflicted increases by an additional 1d4 for each Spell Level, effectively serving as a penalty for utilizing powerful spells in the form of a Bonus Attack.

3 Cull The Weak

Cull The Weak is an upgraded version of Concentrated Blast in the Illithid Power skill set. When the user brings down an opponent to fewer Hit Points than their existing Evolved Illithid Powers, this ability instantly kills the enemy. In addition, it also releases an attack that inflicts 1d4 Psychic Damage on nearby creatures.

Despite its activation at a low threshold, Cull The Weak can be a valuable asset in a game that follows D&D 5e mechanics. Unlike other RPGs, enemies with only 1 Hit Point remaining can still fight back. By utilizing this insta-kill ability against foes with low health, players can avoid wasting another attack due to the possibility of missing their target.

2 Concentrated Blast

Spellcasters, such as Wizards in Baldur's Gate 3 gameplay, often find themselves in a precarious position when it comes to Concentration spells. Breaking Concentration immediately ends the spell, making it important for players to be aware of potential attacks that could disrupt their concentration. Additionally, some players may want to switch to a different Concentration spell. In these situations, Concentrated Blast is a useful tool for punishing attacking foes.

Concentrated Blast can only be used while maintaining Concentration. It inflicts 3d6 Psychic Damage on a target and also heals the player for the damage dealt when attacking a foe who is concentrating on a spell. However, using this Illithid Power ends the player's current Concentrated spell. Nevertheless, it serves as a powerful "transition" to a new spell, adding more significance to Concentration breaks in the action economy.

1 Freecast

While more of a feature rather than an active Illithid power, Freecast remains one of the most efficient abilities in Baldur's Gate 3 gameplay due to its inherent effect. When activated, Freecast eliminates all resource costs for the player's next action, whether it be an attack, ability, or spell. Additionally, Freecast can be used again after a short or long rest, allowing players to benefit from it at least twice before resting for the day.

Freecast can prove to be an invaluable resource for preserving spell slots and building towards efficient combos. Theoretically, by using Freecast as a Fighter, one can make Action Surge a cost-free action. Instead of expending an action to cast Action Surge and gain an extra action on the next turn, Freecast provides players with two free actions to utilize.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is available now on PC and is slated for a September 6th release for PlayStation 5.