Should You Consume Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Are you wondering what to do with Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen's in Baldur's Gate 3?

August 15th, 2023 by Gordon Bicker
Image: Larian Studios

Baldur’s Gate 3 has plenty of choices for your character to make and these range from influential narrative decisions to even deciding what to do with the Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens (Tadpoles) you find throughout the game from certain enemies. This article will take you through if you should consume the Parasite Specimens or not in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Should you Consume the Parasite Specimens in Baldur’s Gate 3?

If you are looking to experience as many of the abilities available to you in Baldur’s Gate 3 then I would recommend that you should definitely consume/take the Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens. There are a few drawbacks to doing this though so be wary if you are wanting to keep things safe for your first story playthrough.

Related: How to Dual Wield in Baldur’s Gate 3

Without venturing into Spoiler territory, it is thought that you are safer to use the Tadpoles in the earlier stages of the game but in Act III, be sure not to consume the “Supreme Tadpole” offered to you at any point. Even in the early game, there is a negative of the general companion dislikes about the abilities/tadpoles — Astarion actually approves of the related power(s) use, though.

What Happens if You Consume the Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens?

If you do decide to consume the Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens then you will get access to a full other skill tree known as the Illithid Powers. These abilities can be extremely beneficial and they certainly are powerful, which is why players are rightly cautious of overusing them for fear of story implications. If you would like more abilities from the Illithid tree then you will need to seek out more Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens first.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 – 9 Essential Beginner Tips

I would recommend not to overuse the Illithid Powers a ton in your playthrough, especially since some companions won’t like those actions. Although you can rest assured that whichever decision you make in terms of consuming the basic specimens in Baldur’s Gate 3 is safe.

- This article was updated on August 15th, 2023

About The Author

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Gordon is a contributing writer for Attack of the Fanboy, a Games Design (BA) Honours student, and a Video Game Ambassador. He has been writing at AOTF for over a year and a half, with four years of games writing experience for outlets like Green Man Gaming. When he's not busy, he'll no doubt be experiencing games, writing poetry, playing guitar, adventuring, or happily starting a new Skyrim playthrough! As an avid Final Fantasy XIV player, he also hopes that you'll gain a warm feeling from his community stories. Gordon has reported on Fallout 4 and Destiny 2, whose favorite genres include action RPGs, MMORPG's and First Person Shooters but is always experimenting with many other types of games.

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