Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Using the Tadpole...is there any disadvantage?

In EA at least? I see that you can get special powers but I guess we will have to wait for the full game to see if there are any drawbacks.

It's so convenient that I would be pretty damn surprised if it doesn't lead to some SIGNIICANT drawback when you keep taking advantage of it (i.e. using the tadpole leads you to the "bad ending").

Yes, all your companions except Astarion will hate you.

I would not be surprised to learn that BG3 is going to herald a Psionics official release (assuming they finally settled on the subclass approach). I don't worry too much about using the psychic options that are just marked "Wisdom" but I am not touching anything marked with the tag "Illithid". I'm wondering if it is going to be analogous to overuse of Bhaal powers in the earlier games. If I remember right, that also caused bad stuff to happen.

Well I hope so too. Otherwise it would be poor game design.

I would assume and hope the same thing, I just think the amount of gameplay in the current version doesn't get you to that point yet, so I suppose we won't know unless Larian tells us in a V/BLOG or until we hit official launch.

Right now using the tadpole after a certain point incurs heavy camp approval penalties, that I've seen. The first drawback might end up in losing one of the companions as you will have to deal with a confrontation.

Oh no! ...anyway...

Faerнаn Health Ministry Warns: Using Tadpoles May Be Harmful to Your Health

My guess is that at some point in the story having abused the tadpole or getting the brand will railroad choice in favor of the Absolute (or whomever control the Absolute).

You will be mind-controlled, less or more. Might get a will save.

Maybe wearing a hag's mask all the time might counter it... lol.

Oh and Astarion doesn't appear to feel super well despite being the only one who approve. The tadpole also grows, so it might be unremovable if you use it too much.

In BG1 nothing bad happened, but in BG2 everytime you used the slayer, your reputation would drop by 2 points, which in turn, if you overused it, could possibly cause a bad ending. Solar's reaction to you after Amelyssan is dead is tied to your reputation and not your decisions made in the game, which is... a poor game design, but that game was made 20 years ago so welp, it can be forgiven for such oversights.

But so far, in the EA, it doesn't really matter if you use your tadpole or not, mind you, in both my runs I did make it a point to never use it, I did reload earlier saves to see all the dreams though.

How do the dreams trigger btw? I've been pretty much resting at any excuse trying to get more camp events to happen.

You use the illithid options given in dialogues in game (you can use one of 'em when you meet Wyll, then one when you talk about his eye). Mind you, you can use them a limited amount of times. I believe it's 1/per long rest in the beginning, later you can use 2/long rest.

The dreams also advance if you use the special powers, use it enough times in dialogue the option changes to.

Ooh, never had that happen to me before. Good to know.

Been kinda pondering doing some super evil run, but I dunno. I worry my heart would break watching the alternate choices/consequences.

The tag description is even more interesting.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,

Just some wild thought ...

That would be really a contrived and disappointing plot twist. I’m pretty sure that won’t happen, as it really makes no sense why the Absolute would assist you in destroying her own army and killing off her own lieutenants, and would require a completely separate story when playing as Shadowheart.

Anyway, can somebody tell me what all of the tadpole powers are?

Funnily enough I read at least a couple of times a very similar speculation...
Except about Gale.