I dont want to become a mind flayer. What do I have to do?

[JabroniCorleone]

Hi,
Im at the beginning of act 3 now. Im in the space area (dont know the name) and a mindflayer is there and the giths too. The prince is haning arount in the middle of the area and chills mid air. I sided with the mindflayer to defeat the gith. The mindflayer asks me to envolve. The problem is. I have at this point 16 Tadpoles and never used one of them. So decission should be clear. Dont accept to envolve. But I also heard I could use the tadpoles to increase my power but I was planning to play another playthrough after my first one and go the badboy way. In that playthrougt I wanted to use the oppotunity. Or is this a stupid decission? Shoul I unlock powers now? WHEN is the point of no return? WHEN do I become a mindflayer? When I accept to envolve at the beginning at act 3 where I am right now?

[Aeriar]

No, at the beginning of Act 3 you don't become full mindflyer. You can become partial mindflyer - ugly black veins, ugly eyes, ugly teeth, but still you. This would unlock more mindflyer powers. But you don't need to do that at all. I did one playthrough totally without using the tadpole powers. The decision to become full mindflyer is only at the very end of the game.

[JabroniCorleone]

Alright I see. But when I accept the envolve from the mindflayer and I dont put any Tadpoles in the skilltree do I will get black teeth, black veins and so on too? Or only when I use the tadpoles in the skilltree?

[Fluffykeith]

Originally posted by JabroniCorleone:

Alright I see. But when I accept the envolve from the mindflayer and I dont put any Tadpoles in the skilltree do I will get black teeth, black veins and so on too? Or only when I use the tadpoles in the skilltree?

If you accept the special tadpole and use it, it unlocks all the powers and you physically change to the “half mindflayer”

[JabroniCorleone]

Mhm....maybe I refuse it and go bad in another playthrough?

[Aeriar]

Originally posted by JabroniCorleone:

Mhm....maybe I refuse it and go bad in another playthrough?

Sure, why not. If you are on balanced and lower, you can finish without it just fine. Not sure about tactician, but maybe there too.

[JabroniCorleone]

Yes. Im on balanced :-) I think I will refuse now and stay a good guy :-)

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by JabroniCorleone:

I dont want to become a mind flayer. What do I have to do?
Hi,
Im at the beginning of act 3 now. Im in the space area (dont know the name) and a mindflayer is there and the giths too. The prince is haning arount in the middle of the area and chills mid air. I sided with the mindflayer to defeat the gith. The mindflayer asks me to envolve. The problem is. I have at this point 16 Tadpoles and never used one of them. So decission should be clear. Dont accept to envolve. But I also heard I could use the tadpoles to increase my power but I was planning to play another playthrough after my first one and go the badboy way. In that playthrougt I wanted to use the oppotunity. Or is this a stupid decission? Shoul I unlock powers now? WHEN is the point of no return? WHEN do I become a mindflayer? When I accept to envolve at the beginning at act 3 where I am right now?

You passed. Other at that point have to make checks to resist.

[seeker1]

Spoilers.


You MIGHT have to become a full mindflayer at the end of the game. Depends on choices made. You or someone else. Or maybe not. Again, more spoilers.

However, consuming the Astral Tadpole unlocks the Tier 2 powers and makes you Half Illithid, but is not full ceremorphosis. You get some nasty visual effects that appear on your Tav but there are many mods to cancel that. Other than some remarks by companions, it's relatively consequence free. I'm not engaging the "should it be that way" question, just pointing out it is.

Once I started reading guides about how all this works, after my first playthrough, I always go for all the Tier 1 & Tier 2 powers as there honestly is no real downside.

P.S. there is even a way to get "Tier 3" powers prior to the endgame, but it requires a mod.

[Kal]

I gladly accept the upgrade, you can fly without a spell. That alone in battle is worth it

[JabroniCorleone]

Mhm...... so maybe I should get tier 1 and 2 then.... At this point when I accept the envolve thing is it tier 2 or is it already tier 3?
But it is possible to get through the game on balanced without the powers?

[NeloDante]

The only negative thing coming from accepting the special worm at the start of act 3 is entirely cosmetic and some flavour text. Meanwhile as a positive allows you to fly which doesn't require bonus action and unlocks the actual good stuff from illithid powers like a massive AoE Stun.

[JabroniCorleone]

Sorry, we both answered at the same time. Please see my post below yours :-)
And when I accept to envolve to I change right away or only when I begin to put Tadpoles in the skill tree?

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by JabroniCorleone:

Mhm...... so maybe I should get tier 1 and 2 then.... At this point when I accept the envolve thing is it tier 2 or is it already tier 3?
But it is possible to get through the game on balanced without the powers?

Yep. Done.

[Aeriar]

I guess for me not using the powers at all was more of a roleplay reason. So feel free to do what you want, I just wanted to offer the information that you don't need the powers to beat the game, so you can decide however you like.

[seeker1]

Originally posted by JabroniCorleone:

Mhm...... so maybe I should get tier 1 and 2 then.... At this point when I accept the envolve thing is it tier 2 or is it already tier 3?

Once you accept the Astral Tadpole, visual effect is triggered. Easily fixable with visual mods, just noting that. Then you can start unlocking the Tier 2 powers. "Tier 2" if you open the powers skilltree is the outer ring outside the inner ring.

"Tier 3" is a way I and some folks refer to the powers a full mindlfayer - PC or NPC - trying to avoid spoilers here - can get in the endgame. Normally, no unmodded playthrough makes this possible prior to endgame. But Ring of the Ultralithid/Illithid Imperatus ... exists.