Here are the best Illithid powers in Baldur's Gate 3. From the beginning of the game, you'll be infected with a mind flayer parasite. While the parasite in your head itself doesn't offer much in the way of value to you, should you choose to consume another one of the parasites, you'll be open to a whole new world of power.
When you consume a parasite in Baldur's Gate 3, you will gain access to the Illithid powers menu. This menu allows you to unlock brand new abilities and buffs in exchange for letting the mind flayer parasite dig deeper into your brain. Players can choose whether or not to give into the appeal of the Illithid Powers depending on their role-playing preferences.
For more guides like this, check out our Baldur's Gate 3 race tier list and class tier list. We've also got the best Baldur's Gate 3 builds for each class you can take a look at, alongside the best weapons!
What are the best Illithid powers in Baldur's Gate 3?
As far as we can tell, there are 25 total powers that you can unlock through the Illithid powers menu. You have immediate access to five of the powers, and the rest of them become unlocked depending on which route you take within the menu. Each time you unlock a new ability, a couple more will become available to unlock.
We will be going over the best ones to unlock within the first few levels of the Illithid powers menu. The final unlocks are strong as well, but it will take most players the entire game to reach those abilities. As such, we'll be stating which Illithid powers you should unlock during the early part of the game.
click to enlargeBest Illithid powers in Baldur's Gate 3
- Favourable Beginnings - The first Attack Roll or Ability Check you make against any target gains a bonus equal to your Proficiency Bonus.
- Charm - Charm an enemy that attacks you, preventing them from attacking you until their next turn.
- Concentrated Blast - (6-36 damage) 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.
- Luck of the Fear Realms - When you make a successful Attack Roll against a foe, you can change that hit into a Critical Hit.
- Stage Fright - Your targets have Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and take 2-12 Psychic damage each time they miss (for three turns).
- Force Tunnel - Charge forward, pushing all objects and creatures in your path 4m away from you.
And there you have it, our picks for the best early Illithid powers to unlock in Baldur's Gate 3! We must warn you, though, that continuing to consume and use Illithid powers might lead to some changes in your character's story down the line. Yes, choices matter in Baldur's Gate 3.
For more on the game, check out how to level up fast in Baldur's Gate 3, as well as if you can play solo, and how to change character appearance.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Guides and Baldur's Gate page.