Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Thoughts on the villains?

Ceremorphosis lasts, at most, 7 days. Unless the game resolves its entire plot in the span of a couple days, that can't be the whole purpose of the adventure.

This would also lead to interesting gameplay, if a real day-night cycle is implemented (if you lollygag for 7 days it's game over)

I wouldn't be surprised if you somehow resolve this issue in act 1 - prologue and the game is about something else. That being said, I'm sure I don't want to know what else... no spoilerinos!

Speculation? Someone said the Dead Three are gonna play a part.

There you go. Baldur's Gate 3. The 3 stands for the dead three. Name fits.

I can see the PCs going to a small-time healer in Act 1 who will give them some kind of potion or serum which will delay the ceremorphosis for a 'plot protected timeframe' so that it's not a real ticking bomb but a pure plot device.

At the same time, I can expect the ceremorphosis on your character to develop and progress as you reach certain milestones within the game.

i think either ts basicalyl only the tutorial, or more likeley, youlle nd up beeing that renegade illithid thing from the lore, where ceramorphosis doesnt work and the illithid retains the consciousness of the host

Some way to control it?

Maybe. I also thought about what Sordak said - your chosen character may end up becoming the Mind Flayer from the Illithid prophecies, where he retains his persona, memories and alignment and is destined to destroy the Illithid empire.

Huh? Which phrophecies are you talking about?

From Wikipedia:
"When an Illithid undergoes ceremorphosis, it can occasionally take on some elements of the absorbed host creature's former mind, such as mannerisms. This typically manifests as a minor personality feature, such as a nervous habit or reaction (e.g., nail-biting or tapping one's foot), although the process that determines the type and number of traits so inherited appears to be stochastic. Some adult Illithids have even been known to hum a tune that its host knew in life. Usually, when a mind flayer inherits a trait like this, it keeps it a closely guarded secret, because, were its peers to learn of it, the Illithid in question would most likely be killed. This is due to an Illithid legend of a being called the "Adversary". The legend holds that, eventually, an Illithid larva that undergoes ceremorphosis will take on the host's personality and memory in its entirety. This Adversary would, mind and soul, still be the host, but with all the inherent abilities of an Illithid."

Cool stuff - if this is a possibility I'll certainly need to have an "evil" playthrough

I thought that plot had been resolved in 2e?

Besides, there are 6 origin stories and the party allows only 4. What will happen to the other two?

(shrugs) They'll probably not be used in that specific playthrough?

The same thing that happened in D:OS 2 - no matter how much you want to murder them, they keep coming back to annoy you, until your final moment of triumph. GOD I hated that Windigo hag in my first playthrough, I remember killing her over and over as well as eating her soul yet she kept on coming back. So much about "consigning her to oblivion"...

Or they'd be encountered as full mind flayers

Duuuude ….

https://media.giphy.com/media/xHMIDAy1qkzNS/giphy.gif

What a stupid n00b. It's not like Larian wouldn't do so.

There you go. Cults, illithids, the dead three, and more. This might have more references to the BG Saga, especially with the inclusion of the dead three than most people realize. Especially that last bit, not just Baldur's Gate but THROUGH and BEYOND FR.

So, "Baldur's Gate: Absolution" would be the best title then.

To be fair, the spelling mistakes make this picture look fake.