Any way to unlock illithid powers for campanions without unlocking on main?

[dancing.in.the.web]

I know you can do it if Minthara joins the party (as she has allready unlocked powers).
But is there a way to do it early and without joining Minthara or unlocking on main?

[Mike Garrison]

Early on in the game? Yes.

First time I played I was reluctant to experiment with them on my Tav, but Gale was willing to use them. Pretty sure Astarion is also willing.

[chrstnmonks]

Karlach is too only Shadowheart and Wyll struggle with it

[seeker1]

As said above, Astarion and Gale will take illithid powers without persuasion. It will require persuasion checks for all the other origins. For Lae'Zel, she will require the most difficult persuasion check of all; for reasons you might suspect.

Hirelings can't be given the powers - not without a mod. (And of course, that's a mega lore cheat, as they don't have tadpoles to begin with.)

[dancing.in.the.web]

AFAIK there is no persuasion options in dialogs if your main refuses to use this powers himself in guardian dream scene. Or I'm wrong?

[Big Moustache]

I stuffed Astarions head full of tadpoles since act 1. I not asked his permission to do so. My main never agreed to use tadpowa. I just had tadpoles in inventory and used them on him.

I doubt Astarion objects, since he is the most powerful member of the group now (in act 2).

[The Yeen Queen]

Originally posted by Mike Garrison:

Early on in the game? Yes.

First time I played I was reluctant to experiment with them on my Tav, but Gale was willing to use them. Pretty sure Astarion is also willing.

Atarion is not only willing, he gets pouty if you DON'T give any to him. Not enough to negatively impact his approval, but he does have some dialog bits where he complains about it.

[♠.brT]

Sort of.

You can use it on companions without using in your Tav, but that doesn't matter in terms of the story, the game will react as if Tav used it.

I did this in my Paladin playthrough and was really disappointed when the dream visitor said "i see that you used the tadpole".. or something like that, even though my paladin didn't use any tad pole, but i allowed Astarion to indulge on it since he was so eager for it.

Later on i did end up using the tadpoles, so i'm not sure if rejecting the tadpole in this way (where tav doesn't use it but other companions do) i'm not sure if it impacts the skill check later on when presented with the astral touched tadpole.