Astral Tadpole; how does it work exactly? SPOILERS

[White Rider]

EDIT:

There's a lot of confusion surrounding the Astral tadpole and what it gives you, and whether there is a difference in what it gives you if it is the first tadpole you use before any normal ones.

Thanks to @TheLuckyAce for testing this. Guy happened to have a save file near there to do some testing.


It definitely seems like there isn't a benefit to waiting.

1.It unlocks the tier 3 powers,
2.It gives Fly regardless of whether you use it before any other tadpoles or if you've used normal ones.
3.It refunds you for any tier 1 powers you've activated and gives you any tier one powers you didn't already have.

Originally posted by TheLuckyAce:

Tadpoles used with 23 in inventory
0 - 23 skillpoints, unlocked T1 complete + fly
1 - 23 skillpoints, unlocked T1 complete + fly
2
3
4
5 - 23 skillpoints, unlocked T1 complete + fly
6 - 22 skillpoints, unlocked T1 complete + chosen T2 + Fly

I've just updated the wiki pages for the astral tadpole and the illithid powers to clarify our findings as the information that was on the wiki was incorrect.

[PocketYoda]

I assume its some what like an Astral Gerbil.. Go for the eye's Tadpole

[Clive Hawkins]

I know it gives you Fly for free.
I know it gives you +5 worms to spend for free.
I cannot confirm that it gives you Tier 1's for free.

However, I found enough tadpoles throughout the game to max out my entire Tadpole tree with 10 tadpoles left over for other characters. (Without getting Tier 1's for free.)

[=DeadShot=]

There are 3 circles. If you accept the Astral tadpole it makes you half ilithid for you and a party member(members) you accept the gift(if you don't eat it it might possible to convince multiple people to become half ilithids).
The ilithid powers had 3 circles(The inner, middle and outer ones). And becoming half ilithid unlocks all the outer circle powers and gives all inner circle ilithid powers for free without spending a tadpole.
The same thing when you become a full ilithid. There all the powers become yours.
Be warned you need to convince party members to use the tadpoles and only when you transform into full ilithid it locks you into certain endings.

[=DeadShot=]

Originally posted by Clive Hawkins:

I know it gives you Fly for free.
I know it gives you +5 worms to spend for free.
I cannot confirm that it gives you Tier 1's for free.

However, I found enough tadpoles throughout the game to max out my entire Tadpole tree with 10 tadpoles left over for other characters. (Without getting Tier 1's for free.)

How do you get 5 worms for free? I found only it gives 1 tadpole for free as well. Alongside the free Tier 1 ilithid powers.

[Mizu]

Originally posted by =DeadShot=:

Originally posted by Clive Hawkins:

I know it gives you Fly for free.
I know it gives you +5 worms to spend for free.
I cannot confirm that it gives you Tier 1's for free.

However, I found enough tadpoles throughout the game to max out my entire Tadpole tree with 10 tadpoles left over for other characters. (Without getting Tier 1's for free.)

How do you get 5 worms for free? I found only it gives 1 tadpole for free as well. Alongside the free Tier 1 ilithid powers.

Would I be correct in guessing you only had one power unlocked? Because my theory is that rather then giving you 'free tadpoles' it is actually refunding you tadpoles spent on the powers that are unlocked by default after eating it so that people don't feel like they wasted their tadpoles.

[=DeadShot=]

Originally posted by dcalebh:

Originally posted by =DeadShot=:

How do you get 5 worms for free? I found only it gives 1 tadpole for free as well. Alongside the free Tier 1 ilithid powers.

Would I be correct in guessing you only had one power unlocked? Because my theory is that rather then giving you 'free tadpoles' it is actually refunding you tadpoles spent on the powers that are unlocked by default after eating it so that people don't feel like they wasted their tadpoles.

I had 2 tadpoles unlocked.

[Mizu]

Hmm, damn, that bodes ill for my theory unless one of those wasn't one of the powers you get by default.

[White Rider]

Originally posted by Clive Hawkins:

I know it gives you Fly for free.
I know it gives you +5 worms to spend for free.
I cannot confirm that it gives you Tier 1's for free.

However, I found enough tadpoles throughout the game to max out my entire Tadpole tree with 10 tadpoles left over for other characters. (Without getting Tier 1's for free.)

Ok, so Fly for free and +5 points confirmed. Can anyone confirm whether the first tier powers are unlocked for free too?

Getting fly for free is still kinda nice on it's own, but that makes only really worth 6 points total. Not sure it's worth waiting for.


I'm doing a run with my gf and I figured I'd try and find out so I know what would be the best way to maximise how many powers we can both potentially get.

[=DeadShot=]

Originally posted by dcalebh:

Hmm, damn, that bodes ill for my theory unless one of those wasn't one of the powers you get by default.

I think I know. It refund your tadpoles consumed but only for tier 1 powers. If you have unlocked tier 2 powers you don't get refunded.

[=DeadShot=]

Originally posted by White Rider:

Originally posted by Clive Hawkins:

I know it gives you Fly for free.
I know it gives you +5 worms to spend for free.
I cannot confirm that it gives you Tier 1's for free.

However, I found enough tadpoles throughout the game to max out my entire Tadpole tree with 10 tadpoles left over for other characters. (Without getting Tier 1's for free.)

Ok, so Fly for free and +5 points confirmed. Can anyone confirm whether the first tier powers are unlocked for free too?

Getting fly for free is still kinda nice on it's own, but that makes only really worth 6 points total. Not sure it's worth waiting for.


I'm doing a run with my gf and I figured I'd try and find out so I know what would be the best way to maximise how many powers we can both potentially get.

Also good to know you get fly for free.
I think I know. It refund your tadpoles consumed but only for tier 1 powers. If you have unlocked tier 2 powers you don't get refunded.

[White Rider]

The plot thickens...

Ok, so Fly for free confirmed, but the points might vary based on what you've already used?
This one tadpole is quickly becoming one of the most confusing things in the game lol

[cfehunter]

It also unlocks the final ring of abilities on the tadpole ability screen. Some of them are ridiculous.

[White Rider]

Originally posted by cfehunter:

It also unlocks the final ring of abilities on the tadpole ability screen. Some of them are ridiculous.

yeah we know it unlocks the last tier. The confusion mainly seems to revolve around what exactly it gives you other than that, and if there's really a benefit to waiting until you get it to start eating worms or whether you may as well use worms right away

[=DeadShot=]

Originally posted by White Rider:

The plot thickens...

Ok, so Fly for free confirmed, but the points might vary based on what you've already used?
This one tadpole is quickly becoming one of the most confusing things in the game lol

So far astral tadpole
1. Unlocks Tier 3 ilithid powers
2. Gives TIer 1 ilithid powers for free
3. Gives Fly for free
4. Refunds any Tier 1 ilithid power you have unlocked for the character you use it before using the astral tadpole
5. You can use that astral tadpole on yourself and probably all party members if you pass the checks and you use open your mind to it(outside Jaehera and Halsin that are not infected)
6. You become half ilithid
7. Doesn't lock out of any ending
In total it is perfectly made by the Emperor to slippery slope your companion and you into becoming ilithids.

EDiT
and ilithid persuasion the middle of the brain power you unlock as you did in early access through dialog on all party members.

[White Rider]

Originally posted by =DeadShot=:

Originally posted by White Rider:

The plot thickens...

Ok, so Fly for free confirmed, but the points might vary based on what you've already used?
This one tadpole is quickly becoming one of the most confusing things in the game lol

So far astral tadpole
1. Unlocks Tier 3 ilithid powers
2. Gives TIer 1 ilithid powers for free
3. Gives Fly for free
4. Refunds any Tier 1 ilithid power you have unlocked for the character you use it before using the astral tadpole
5. You can use that astral tadpole on yourself and probably all party members if you pass the checks and you use open your mind to it(outside Jaehera and Halsin that are not infected)
6. You become half ilithid
7. Doesn't lock out of any ending
In total it is perfectly made by the Emperor to slippery slope your companion and you into becoming ilithids.

If this is accurate, the main benefit of waiting and using the astral tadpole before using any others is it unlocks fly for free.

The other things like point refunds only matters if you've used other tadpoles before.

I'm not sure it's worth waiting if that is the case. At worst you'd be wasting 1 tadpole on unlocking Fly yourself if you used other tadpoles before.


Anyone else got any info?

If anyone has a save at that part of the game to test things it would really help