What is the current tadpole meta?

[Exarch_Alpha]

Use all of them on one or two characters or spread them around? The elite choices are good so I always focus on one character first then think of the rest.

[Raz]

Don't really think there is a meta on the tadpole powers because most of the "meta" is regarding solo play as once character rather than including the companions or hirelings. It also depends on if you're on Honour Mode or not.

On Honour Mode, its usually Luck of the Far Realm, Thrall Shield, and Cull the Weak. If trying to make the best use of Cull the Weak, whomever has that would need to eat more Wurms since it gets stronger based on the number of tadpoles used.

Non-Honour mode; Perilous Stakes is a high grab for multiple characters in case the initial cast fails. This makes it so that whomever is buffed with it (you can buff enemies with it) becomes vulnerable to all damage types in the game. Was nerfed on Honour mode to only be applied to allies.

[Mike Garrison]

Do whatever fits your build for this run. I've done both, but lately I've ended up concentrating them all on one character (at first) in order to maximize the "cull the weak" shenanigans.

[Metallicus]

I usually use the Tadpoles on my main character and Lae’zel. That is what works for me.

[Yakubian Demon Magick]

whoever has sex with me first gets the other tadpoles

[seeker1]

The only character who asks for the tadpoles once you start using them is Astarion. So I usually comply. Gale will use them without persuasion. The others all need to be persuaded, and usually I don't bother. Lae'zel is the hardest to persuade, for obvious reasons. "I will not be ghaik!" Minthara is the only companion who start out already when found with 4 tadpoles and 4 illithid powers. And the only one who will use the Astral Tadpole without persuasion - Gale and Astarion will still need to be persuaded.

So -- how many tadpoles are in the entire vanilla game? There is no official count at the Wiki AFAIK but the best guess seems to be around 59.
https://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/404075/how-many-tadpoles-are-available-to-consume

It takes 25 to fill out all powers of Tier 1 and Tier 2, So there's enough tadpoles to "fully evolve" 3 party members - and have a little left over to spare.

Now here comes another question as to whether you want to use mods or not. Like me, you probably feel there are many illithid powers that are not worth it, but the "skill tree" system of illithid powers (this happens in many CRPGs with skill trees) forces you to often take powers you don't want in order to unlock the powers you do. The truth is, I personally don't want all 25 powers. There's more like 12 or so I really like. But you can't just "spend" just 12 tadpoles to get them because they are often "locked" behind others.

.... unless you use a mod to enable this, of which there is one, to let you pick any illithid power you want without unlocking others as prerequisites first. Now some might call this cheating. I leave it to your discretion what you want to call it. Some might argue this is how the system SHOULD work.

... I only point out with that mod, when you only take the powers you want for Tav, or any of the other companions, then you can "spend" a lot fewer than 25 tadpoles, and even without cheating in additional tadpoles (of course there are mods for that), you possibly can unlock them on more party members.

[FunkyMonkey]

I've never really used any. They have always felt like a tacked on mini-game to me, I don't care for them in the least.

[Mike Garrison]

Publicado originalmente por seeker1:

So -- how many tadpoles are in the entire vanilla game?

It depends on the paths you take in the game. Like ... if you kill Minthara you get a tadpole. But if you recruit her and then let her use the Astral tadpole, you get several "refunded" tadpoles.

[seeker1]

Yeah, that's why that thing I posted suggested is the count is either 59 or 83 depending on if you include the "refunds".

Minsc has a tadpole and can get the tadpole powers. Minthara as I said already had 4. But normally Halsin and Jaheira cannot, as they never had an original tadpole. So of course you can't normally give them to those two or hirelings either. ... but ... yeah, there are mods for that, too.

There are cheat mods to get the "Tier 3" (full illithid) powers prior to the endgame. Things like Nebulous Black Hole, Strengthened Force Tunnel, and Potent Concentrated Blast. They should not be possible without full ceremorphosis and only in the endgame. But anyway, if you want to mess with them early, and I did ... that's the way.

Fun fact: there were pre-release EA illithid powers that got removed prior to release. Each of these were supposed to be class specific.

https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Illithid_powers#List_of_illithid_powers

In some cases, some of these got transferred ... like Reflective Shell is on some shields.
Survival Instinct became the "gift" you can get from Omeluum.
Some of these ended up being used anyway ... Stage Fright, Fracture Psyche, Force Tunnel, Repulsor ended up being part of the release powers system.

But these never became part of the game:
Endless Rage (barbarian) - the good news, your rage can't end early; the bad news is you take psychic damage each turn.
Aberrant Shape (druid) - yes, a druid could wildshape into an intellect devourer
Psionic Pull (fighter) - could telekinetically pull an opponent closer to you (there are other ways to this power; Psi Warriors can do it)
Inkblot - rogues could use this to create a cloud of magical darkness
Horrific Visage (sorcerer)- could terrify your enemies
Supernatural Attraction (warlock) - teleport to another party member

In all honestly, I'd love something like Endless Rage where you don't have to worry about barbarian rage wearing off early just because you were too far away to hit something or take damage. But like many illithid powers, it had a downside/drawback, you took psychic 1d4 damage each turn it was active.

... you might be wondering ... is there is a mod to restore these powers ... why yes, yes there is, although you can't choose them through the normal game interface. You have to drink a potion to get them.
https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/9356

[Exarch_Alpha]

Thank you for the answers, guess I´ll focus on Astarion and Minthara.

[Fitness Lauch]

I'd recommend taking most of the powers on the character which you plan to get the awakened buff with (lets you cast all illithid abilities as bonus action, including the two overpowered ones as black hole and mind sanctuary). Usually Gale gets them because wizard doesn't have a proper bonus action and also has high spell save dc.

[seeker1]

Getting Awakened is quite nice, it lets you use Mind Blast as a bonus action, which I think is one of the best things you can do with it.

(spoiler:
you get it from sitting in the Zaith'isk ... well, whoever does it, you, Lae'zel, Gale, or the man in the moon... and not getting your intellect slurped) ... (or ... mods ... )

Interestingly ... if you get Tier 3 (full) Mind Blast, it's the same as Tier 2 Mind Blast, except now it has no cooldown (whereas Tier 2 Mind Blast does) and can basically be used per turn. However, even if you are Awakened, Tier 3 Mind Blast is STILL a full action, not a bonus action. This is also true of Tier 3 powers like Nebulous Black Hole (it's like the Tier 2 black hole, but does damage while sucking everybody into its vortex.)

I often focus on giving Astarion the powers as I never make him an Arcane Trickster as basically it's crap, but then since he has no spells, he can benefit from the powers more than casters like Gale, Minthara, or (possibly) you. The Force Rush power is really good for him, he can toss other people out of his way as he rushes toward his intended murder victim. I did once try giving him psionic powers with Mind Weaver Void Reaver, but ehhh, it's not really a very good rogue/assassin spec. Astarion is the only one among the companions who will pester you about sharing tadpoles with him also.

[Astral Projection]

Psionic Backlash on multiple characters is great.

Also Ability Drain, Favorable Beginnings, and Luck of The Far Realms

[Chaosolous]

The current meta is turning people into Mindflayers.

Oh like, mechanically in the game?

Whatever you think is fun.

[seeker1]

Publicado originalmente por Astral Projection:

Psionic Backlash on multiple characters is great.

Also Ability Drain, Favorable Beginnings, and Luck of The Far Realms

When dealing with a huge number of caster enemies, having several party members with Counterspell and others with Psionic Backlash and even moreso Psionic Dominance (which like Counterspell can also negate the spell) ... can be real game changers.

Favorable Beginnings and Luck of the FR definitely help Astarion up his assassination potential.

[Popsicles]

Game is easy enough without them. I don't use them unless I'm gonna RP it.