The Emperor in Baldur’s Gate 3 presents a tempting offer to “evolve” and become more like an Illithid. But the question remains, should you accept the Emperor’s proposal?
Should You Embrace the Emperor’s Tadpole in BG3?
During the Embrace Your Potential questline, you will discover the true potential of the tadpole and eventually be faced with a choice to take it further.
After protecting the Emperor and accepting his assistance, he will offer to help you “evolve” by triggering the next stage of your tadpole’s lifecycle. Accepting this offer does not mean losing your free will or independence, though there will be some noticeable changes.
Benefits of Embracing the Emperor’s Evolution
By accepting the Emperor’s “gift” (the Astral-touched Tadpole), you will gain access to powerful Illithid perks on the outer rim. These perks include incredible abilities such as Displacer Beast Shape (even without being a druid), Fracture Psyche, expertise in Charisma, the ability to Counterspell for free, and more.
These benefits far surpass the advantages offered by previous stages. However, it’s important to note that embracing the Astral Tadpole will result in unsightly black veins appearing across your face and body. Additionally, your companions may not be pleased with your decision, although they can be convinced to embrace the next stage of their own “evolution” and gain access to the same powers.
It’s worth mentioning that choosing to take on the Astral Tadpole will not influence your ultimate ending. So, if you’re willing to sacrifice your appearance for incredible abilities, go ahead and let it feast on your brain matter. Unless, of course, you prefer to keep your face looking pristine.
Illithid Outer Rim Perks
Here are some of the Illithid perks available on the outer rim of the tadpole menu:
Powerful Illithid Abilities and How to Decide Whether to Accept the Tadpole
- Absorb Intellect: Devour your opponent’s intellect, lowering their Intelligence each turn while simultaneously healing yourself. A versatile ability that grants both healing and damage.
- Displacer Beast Shape: Transform into a displacer beast, gaining the ability to displace yourself and enemies. This form also boosts your hit points, making you more formidable in combat.
- Fracture Psyche: Invade a target’s mind and disrupt their defenses, reducing their Armor Class. A strategic move that weakens your enemy’s ability to resist your attacks.
- Illithid Expertise: Deepen your sense of self and master the arts of persuasion, deception, and intimidation. Gain expertise in these skills, greatly increasing your chances of success in social interactions.
- Psionic Dominance: Nullify lower-level spells targeting you by using your reaction. With this ability, you can effortlessly defend against weaker spells, maintaining control over the battlefield.
- Black Hole: Generate a point of intense gravity that draws in nearby enemies, potentially slowing them down. A devastating control ability that can disrupt your opponents’ movements.
- Fly: Take to the air and navigate to a target location. This ability provides you with unmatched mobility, granting an advantage in both exploration and combat.
- Mind Blast: Unleash a powerful wave of psychic energy in a cone, potentially stunning targets. This damaging ability inflicts psychic damage and immobilizes foes.
- Mind Sanctuary: Create a magical nexus that allows for seamless interchangeability between actions and bonus actions. This ability amplifies your tactical options during combat.
- Freecast: Harness the adaptability within you, removing spell slots, charges, and resource costs for your next action or spell. This ability refreshes after a Short or Long rest, enabling you to unleash your full potential.
If You Don’t Want to Evolve
If you decide not to immediately accept the tadpole, you can keep it in your inventory as a precaution. However, it’s important to note that by choosing this option, you will miss out on accessing many of the powerful abilities the tadpole can potentially provide. You also have two alternatives: opening your mind to the tadpole or consuming it.
If you’re unsure about whether to accept the tadpole, it’s understandable. You can explore the Illithid abilities listed above, focusing on the most noteworthy ones to determine if it’s worth embracing this transformation.
About the Author – Daphne Fama
Daphne Fama is a Staff Writer at Prima Games since 2022. She’s a passionate gamer who enjoys playing a wide variety of genres, particularly horror, FPS, and RPGs. Aside from gaming, Daphne is also an author and a member of the Horror Writers Association. Keep an eye out for her debut novel, set to release in 2025. Previously, Daphne worked as an attorney but found her true passion in weaving fictional tales instead of dealing with contracts and paperwork.
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