Illithid powers - question about consequences

[Prorok]

No story spoilers please, but I'm wondering if there's a certain amount of points I can spend on illithid powers without consequences. I don't want change to mind flayer, but I haven't spent any points yet and in act 2 I already have 10 of them. I wonder if e.g. there will be different ending if I will be totaly clean from these powers or there is a hard limit to lost Lae'zel?

The consequences depend on the amount of powers gained (i.e. points spent) or more on the frequency of using the powers themselves?

Bonus question - what does unlocking Tier 2 power depend on? Whether it's a matter of the moment in the main storyline or the points you just spent.

[Léon Scarlet]

No consequence (wich is annoying considering i did a full run without)

So use them as you want

[カミナ]

i didnt use any the entire game and there is no reward for doing so. I didn't even pick illithid options.

Obnoxious

[Morgian]

The only thing with something of a consequence is the astral larva, which is needed to open the outermost ring. If you eat it first, it will also unlock all 5 inner powers. The others are a free ride.

[SoloQ]

The game is way more fun when you embrace the illithid powers.

Originally posted by Léon Scarlet:

No consequence (wich is annoying considering i did a full run without)

So use them as you want

He tells you the entire game he's protecting you from changing.

[カミナ]

Originally posted by SoloQ:

The game is way more fun when you embrace the illithid powers.

Originally posted by Léon Scarlet:

No consequence (wich is annoying considering i did a full run without)

So use them as you want

He tells you the entire game he's protecting you from changing.

like youre just supposed to believe him? The narrator literally says one time when you use powers "you feel like youve lost something you'll never get back".

[yuzhonglu]

You get uglified, but otherwise no consequences.

[wei270]

there is a point where you are starting to get different worm that is when there are consquence so it is very obvious

[Dre G Writer]

Originally posted by SoloQ:

The game is way more fun when you embrace the illithid powers.

Originally posted by Léon Scarlet:

No consequence (wich is annoying considering i did a full run without)

So use them as you want

He tells you the entire game he's protecting you from changing.

I thought this dude was lying the whole time. So thats not the case???

[Vorg444]

yeah im really pissed off at this the devs themselves said there would be consequences for using the mind flayer powers but nope none at all..... I thought maybe if you used them all game you would get a bad ending or something, but no nothing! So i pretty much had a weaker character all game because maybe id get an achievement or a better ending but noooooo. So don't make my mistake and embrace the tentacle powers.

[Léon Scarlet]

Originally posted by Vorg444:

yeah im really pissed off at this the devs themselves said there would be consequences for using the mind flayer powers but nope none at all..... I thought maybe if you used them all game you would get a bad ending or something, but no nothing! So i pretty much had a weaker character all game because maybe id get an achievement or a better ending but noooooo. So don't make my mistake and embrace the tentacle powers.

an achievement would have been really great for real but hey, the game is good at least, its just sad that the game is trolling you

[Rex is back, baby!]

There's a VISUAL consequence, ala Star War's Dark Side corruption. You get some HEAVY black tentacly eyeliner around your eyes and look a bit insomniac.

I HATE the narration of "something lost forever" ... but then nothing comes of it.

[Khryst]

Originally posted by Rex:

I HATE the narration of "something lost forever" ... but then nothing comes of it.

That is the problem right there. Everytime you use the Illithid power the narrator speaks up like something happened, and you'd think there would be but nope nothing, nada, zip, zero ,zilch. So embrace your inner tentacles and enjoy.

[Kyutaru]

Originally posted by kblaze13:

Originally posted by Rex:

I HATE the narration of "something lost forever" ... but then nothing comes of it.

That is the problem right there. Everytime you use the Illithid power the narrator speaks up like something happened, and you'd think there would be but nope nothing, nada, zip, zero ,zilch. So embrace your inner tentacles and enjoy.

That makes you wonder if the whole consequences part was cut along with other parts of Act 3. I firmly think they had a Light side Dark side system planned and then scrapped it. The transformation ending is too conveniently made into a binary "eat it or don't" choice that is independent of all previous actions. Then again, maybe they didn't want to go full KOTOR and force people into an ending they didn't want just because they used the powers you said were available to them.

[Rex is back, baby!]

Originally posted by Kyutaru:

Originally posted by kblaze13:

That is the problem right there. Everytime you use the Illithid power the narrator speaks up like something happened, and you'd think there would be but nope nothing, nada, zip, zero ,zilch. So embrace your inner tentacles and enjoy.

That makes you wonder if the whole consequences part was cut along with other parts of Act 3. I firmly think they had a Light side Dark side system planned and then scrapped it. The transformation ending is too conveniently made into a binary "eat it or don't" choice that is independent of all previous actions. Then again, maybe they didn't want to go full KOTOR and force people into an ending they didn't want just because they used the powers you said were available to them.

I have noticed this about the game.
Larian has designed BG3 to be as consequence-free as possible.
There's always an "Out" incase your role play/decisions backs you into a corner.
Oaths can be forgiven. Withers whole thing makes him almost as OP as the Wish spell.

I understand why this exists, a DM's tether to new players to fish them out of quicksand, and narratively, let's be honest, how many of us would role back a save/savescum to avoid consequences/bad ends?

[pr1mus]

Originally posted by SoloQ:

He tells you the entire game he's protecting you from changing.

of course the literal mind flayer is telling you what you want to hear, they're manipulative and evil AF and you can even make him go mask off if you argue with him.

and then he gives you a "special" tadpole that turns you half illithid on the spot anyway, lol, zero consistency.