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Joined: Jul 2022
Location: Moscow, Russia
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Joined: Jul 2022
Location: Moscow, Russia
The infected folk can connect through the tadpole, right? But is it just the tadpole?

Because sometimes it seems like we can rummage through our companion's thoughts even without delving into the illithid powers.
Take Gale, for example, and the first campfire scene - we can see into his mind but there are no repercussions, the dream doesn't advance and so on.
We can also connect the same way to Shadowheart during the strange magic scene and to Laezel after talking to Zorru.
On the contrary, when we try to read Wyll's mind - its clearly an Illithid option.

What do you think, is it just some flavor thing, or will we be later punished for using that power?
I am planning to make one of my playthrough as a Tav who tries to avoid using the tadpole at all cost. I wonder if those 'Wisdom' checks should also be avoided.

Joined: Jan 2021
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I think that we are connected, through the tadpole, to anyone infected by the tadpole, and that their thoughts and desires seep into ours.

This was demonstrated at the very end of the first EA run, when you went on the boat and while it was sailing, reminisced about what you had done. Regardless of your choices, it would ALWAYS end up with a couple of lines that said that something within you wanted "blood". At the time, we assumed that this was connected to Astarion, your resident hemogoblin, but now that Dark Urge is out of the skybox, those invasive thoughts are probably coming from him.

Other examples would be whenever you were with your dream lover (sexy!tadpole). You usually get three options to their advances: lean into them, resist them, and RESIST THEM WITH FLESH-TEARING VIOLENCE. The last one was a little confusing, but now that we know about Dark Urge, who is also probably
a living avatar of Baal
it makes sense that it seeps into your conscience.

This would possibly allow a very psychically strong tadpole carrier to control others with more psychic damage, which is what the opening image of the intro video (and a lot of D&D stories) is all about: one brain controlling them all. And also where Omeluum's ring could come in REALLY handy, once the non-origin version of Dark Urge appears in the game and tries to override your will.

On a lighter note, I could also see how this could affect couple dynamics, if their tadpoles were "in tune" and they were able to read each other's minds and finish each other's sandwiches, so to speak. In a run where your PC romances Astarion, who would like to keep the tadpole, it would be devastating to "lose" your own tadpole and permanently lose that special connection.

Anyway, the permutations and possibilities are VERY exciting. I can't wait to play through them all.


Moderated by  Dom_Larian, Freddo, vometia 

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