Originally Posted by jsiu.dev
Responding to OP:

- The fear of losing oneself or changing to mindflayer is always there, all the way to the final battle. (This is toned down a lot compare with early access. It become a none stop temptation. Some like it, some hate it.)
- Characters using illithid power or not, are not changed due to Orpheus power, which he inherited from his mother. We only know this at the beginning of act 3.
- Shielding is not equal to solving. Tadpole still in the head.
- Doesn't matter which path, good or evil, characters are forced to face the Netherbrain because of the above. Walk away from the Baldur's Gate city is not an option.(Basically the todpole is the plot device to force characters to fight the final battle).
- Characters safety (or any consequence using illithid power) is only certain after winning the final battle.
All tadpols are destroyed with the Netherbrain. And we only know this option after we win. Before that it was just a "wishful thinking".

Orpheus, or his mother's (Gith), power is the only way to keep one from losing to self. That power allow Gith to rebel and almost wipe out the ancient illithid empire. It was mentioned a few times in the game. (It is official 'lore' of the D&D world.) So it is not as simple as "strong mind".

So yes, it seems silly to not use illithid power, if and only if, we look back at the whole BG3 event. However, to the characters, they don't have a crystal ball gazing into future beforehand.
My main issue is that it's barely (if at all) integrated with the characters' individual plotlines. The tadpole and the companions' personal quests exist in isolation from one another. You could remove either and the other part will not be affected, safe for perhaps Lae'zel's storyline (to an extent).

Orpheus' role in the plot is handled very clumsily as well. If he's the one holding back the influence and the characters are perfectly fine with the Netherbrain being unshackled and him being out of the Prism, then what's stopping us from killing the Emperor early and simply remaining within the Prism's power's range? The Act 2-3 interlude makes the character transform instantly as soon as the Emperor dies, while "betraying" him at the end of Act 3 allows to go ahead and use the Hammer first. Orpheus' honour guard must have had some plans as to how to liberate him, for them to invade the Prism without the Orphic Hammer - it being yet another plot device which exists solely as an added complication. And if Orpheus blocks out the illithid influence, why would we have powers and telepathy in the first place?

As for the "strong mind", it's not the resistance to illithid influence, but retaining the memories and the personality upon transformation is what's an issue. An illithid kills its host upon completing ceremorphosis. Orpheus simply changing into one with no explanation given (one would assume he actually becomes a mind flayer rather than simply assumes a form of one if it's irreversible and it specifcally requires an actual mind flayer to counter the brain, for whatever reason (it amounts to focusing on a spell, which you'd imagine a powerful enough spellcaster with an intelligence/wisdom to match would have been able to do regardless)) is another moment that is hardly making much sense.

Last edited by Brainer; 01/01/24 11:14 AM.