Baldur's Gate 3 BEST Tadpole Illithid Powers TIER LIST

Ranking the BEST Tadpole Illithid Powers in Baldur's Gate 3 on a Tier list!
Some of these are extremely powerful and can really make your builds go to the next level, and some of these illithid abilities are just not that great. If you take the astral tadpole you do get some of these refunded which is really nice allowing you to chose other options. Some of these feel pretty essential after using them for a while, such as fly and cull the weak.
Some players also don't enjoy using these powers, so I try to discuss them and talk about each of their abilities so that if you haven't used them before, you'll at least be aware. Let me know your thoughts!
Leave a comment with what Tier List you would like to see next in baldur's gate 3!
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @jasondunna
Thank you for watching 🙏
Subscribe if you enjoyed, please :)
Follow me on Instagram: @jasondunna
Join the Discord for Stream Notifications: / discord

[@MulderHiggins]

I swear, if Cull the Weak is not S Tier I'm gonna---

[@JasonDunna]

@@MulderHiggins easily one of the best abilities in the game! It + spirit guardians is hilarious. Run around and everyone explodes

[@kingofgrim4761]

@@JasonDunnaspirit guardians is so busted 😭 my favorite was mixing it with reverb gloves, momentum boots, and phalar aluve. Being able to hit everyone on the battlefield and stacking reverberations/prone on pretty much every enemy is crazy busted lmfao

[@MulderHiggins]

@@JasonDunna DUDE I NEVER TRIED THAT! i'm trying that RIGHT now

[@CrumbsLamond]

I have yet to be able to make good use of cull the weak tbh I don't use the ilithid powers too much but it just never was relevant for me

[@kingofgrim4761]

@@CrumbsLamond it simply makes it so That you have to deal less damage on each and every enemy to kill them. By late game it’s probably 15-20 hp left that’ll instantly get culled. You can use this with almost anyone, but probably the best uses are Magic Missile and similar multi hitting attacks/spells.

[@lordjosephcharlton9704]

Does transfuse health not work with globe of invulnerability ? If it does, i think that it could be one of the best powers lol Ability drain is really good for triggering some effects on certain gear like the boots of stormy clamour for example and activating reverberation since the ability drain is a condition applied! Some of these powers that deal damage are also amplified a lot if you have the resonance stone as it makes nearby creatures vuln to psychic!

[@JasonDunna]

I will try globe of invulnerability with it and see! I can't find a definite answer online Thats a great point about ability drain I was going to mention, easy condition for multiple builds! Psychic damage is one of the best in the game for that reason! Thanks for the awesome comment

[@Chronal-Rend]

Yes globe of invulnerability will prevent you from losing health while still transfusing health to your target. It's an insanely good combo

[@JasonDunna]

@@Chronal-Rend and considering anyone can cast it globe of invulnerability with a scroll it’s busted then. If you do it that way it’s S tier

[@Chronal-Rend]

@@JasonDunna as well as to note that you said that concentrated blast was only for spellcasters, since anyone can concentrate on a spell based on scrolls ideally the ability is for anybody

[@JasonDunna]

@@Chronal-Rend Thats a good point you're right on that! I think I would rather have the martial class attack vs use concentrated blast because of the set up but that's totally a possibility !

[@bedgrindset]

Mind blast at least a tier, good aoe attack

[@JasonDunna]

Oh yeah it’s an unreal AoE! If it was more than once per long rest it would be better but I understand that limitation

[@VikingZeroReviews]

Imagine how rough BG3 was before JD started making these epic guides

[@JasonDunna]

Oh man thank you for that! I am a wizard studying away

[@benjammin5252]

Seeing one player use black hole, to bring all the resonating ki opponents to him, was so awesome.

[@JasonDunna]

@@benjammin5252 yooo that’s genius. The open hand monk is seriously so powerful

[@phoibos585]

Psionic backlash actually deals 1d4 damage, then multiplied by the spell level that triggered it. So in the late game it can put up some serious numbers! Combined with cull the weak, this ability fairly often outright kills enemy spellcasters which is an insanely powerful use of a reaction. As an extreme example, if an enemy casts a lvl 6 spell at 49 hp, you have a 25% chance to delete them instantly, if you have all illithid powers unlocked. Also, I think force tunnel is highly underrated, especially when upgraded to use as a bonus action. It's an AOE shove that always succeeds! It's a dash that ignores difficult terrain! It's a disengage that can be upgraded to use as a bonus action! It's all those things at once! Once I realized it's usually a better shove than shove, a better disengage than disengage, and a better dash than dash, I started using it a LOT more often.

[@MulderHiggins]

I always have at least 1person in my party that takes the ilithid tadpole. Sometimes it's me, sometimes it's shadowheart, sometimes it's Astarion etc etc, but we always need SOMEONE to have fly!

[@JasonDunna]

@@MulderHiggins If you’re on PC you can mod the illithid appearance away and have everyone flying around 🦅🦅🦅🦅 It’s fun in act 3 going rooftop to rooftop

[@MulderHiggins]

@@JasonDunna oh, i have that mod already! One of the firsts i got! (besides more options for hair and a mod where u can hug your companions)

[@elizabeth3280]

Because Withers is a thing and I can turn any party member into anything, I make all 4 of the useable characters partial illithid. The benefits are worth the look lol. If someone refuses they end up hanging out at camp the rest of the game

[@12fa1]

which ones would you recommend for rogue?

[@JasonDunna]

Ability drain is the best!! Lowers dex to lower armor class. Also black hole is really good

[@TheRealEasyA]

Displacer Beast shape is a LOT of fun when you can get a whole bunch of copies up. I wasn't sure if there was a limit, so during the Gortash fight I got up around 6 or 7 copies up at once. I was teleporting everyone everywhere and it was so chaotic (Plus, the Displacer Beast is just cool af). The frames even started to drop in places.

[@iwanmanders34]

Force tunnel on a cleric with spirit guardians often gives me the movement needed to stick on a target.

[@JasonDunna]

Now that’s a solid idea I didn’t think of

[@AntonyMBenedict]

Psionic backlash is 1d4 Psychic damage PER SPELL LEVEL. So higher level spells take more damage. Multiple party members can do Psionic backlash against a single target. The only drawback is that this is competing with Counter spell and Psionic dominance for the reaction.

[@marcduhamel-guitar1985]

This is my 6th run. First evil run. First run with illithid powers. I'm going to watch this very attentively...😈

[@JasonDunna]

@@marcduhamel-guitar1985 oh wow! I went hog wild with them almost every play through! Make sure you get the ability from the Githyanki crèche to use them as bonus actions and you’ll be laughing

[@marcduhamel-guitar1985]

@@JasonDunna yeah, played the redeemed Durge twice- wanted to be evil the second time, but I turned Kagha remorseful- I thought she was always a *bleep*, and that touched my character. Lol. This time, raiding the grove for the first time. Not sure if the companions will survive. The illithid powers will balance things out if I go down that route hahaha

[@conorhayes9040]

I use comcintrated blast when i have guidance and friends up

[@JasonDunna]

Not a bad idea!!

[@falsetitle6940]

I could see concentrated blast being an excellent bonus action on a character with guidance since they can then just use it at will without losing any resources. Also I absolutely destroyed Raphael on tactician difficulty by sitting my sorcerer and wizard in the globe of invulnerability and constantly healing my barbarian and ranger with transfuse health while they just wailed on him.

[@JasonDunna]

Globe of invulnerability healing against Raphael is genius. I never even thought of that

[@felepaopinions997]

Agree with most of these although I’m surprised by mind blast being so low

[@JasonDunna]

As a bonus action it’s great, but once per long rest kinda sucks. But it could go A tier

[@jameshealan2881]

Z'Rell loves to use Black Hole at exactly the worst possible moment during the Moonrise fight and I hate it with all my barbarian being

[@JasonDunna]

@@jameshealan2881 hahahah I know right it always throws my groove off

[@konferansjer]

if you have a warlock in your party, counterspell

[@JBrandonMercer123]

Some of these pronunciations are wild. "Perlious" Stakes and Fracture "Psych" right in a row!

[@JasonDunna]

@@JBrandonMercer123 partially dyslexic so I am awful at times at that hahaha. I can know the word and still say it wrong in the middle of the video

[@snakeman830]

Few things that might adjust your ratings. 1. Psionic Overload applies on any damage you deal, not just weapon attacks. This makes it fantastic for AoE or pulsing damage spells. It also applies to all damaging illithid powers. 2. Stage Fright is an AoE spell roughly the size of Fireball. It's not single target and ignores annoying Sanctuary. 3. Psionic Backlash is 1d4 damage per spell level, not just 1d4. 4. Displace interestingly applies a condition to a surprising number of things you do. Boots of Stormy Clamor say hi. 5. Shield of Thralls will stun any nearby enemies when it expires. They get a saving throw, but it's still an incredible condition to apply on melee range. 6. Fly also doesn't cost a tadpole! You get it for free when you unlock its tier.

[@JasonDunna]

Those are great points, I’ll have to use the illithid powers more and maybe revisit this idea in the future. They really do buff your character!

[@marcnolan2409]

I often use force tunnel as like an extra dash movement plus it's good for forcing your way through a bunch of weaker enemies

[@JasonDunna]

Oh yeah that’s not a bad idea for it!

[@sephikong8323]

Ah Illithid Tadpoles, or how I like to call them : Cull the Weak buffs

[@JasonDunna]

Hahahaha yup. Cull the weak buffs for real

[@neonbreon100]

I went all in with the illithid powers when i found out about the displacer beast transformation. Easy S for me.

[@JasonDunna]

The extra 85 health and the teleports are so useful!! On a caster you can have an easy panic button and teleport away with it, but it also is pretty strong to attack with

[@neonbreon100]

@@JasonDunna yes

[@Savaris96]

Stage Fright becomes REALLY funny if you are a spellcaster with a Spell DC of like 23 or 24 (It literally uses your spellcasting Modifiers of the LAST class you added, so a Cleric/Wizard uses INT, while a Wizard/Cleric uses WIS), unless they get a 20, most enemies cant even save against it, same with Mind Blast, Black Hole and Charm. In general, it feels like most Illithid powers are only worth it if you can Bonus action them and have nothing better to do with it, so spellcasters are a more or less natural fit

[@travishartzler9155]

Act 3 is my least favorite, but everyone having the ability to fly mitigates that somewhat.

[@JasonDunna]

Really! Why is act 3 your least favourite?

[@travishartzler9155]

@@JasonDunna Too many side quests that offer nothing useful in return. Experience maxxed characters don't need, interesting items but nothing "best-in-slot", gold when you already have enough, and not related to defeating the brain.

[@paulakurzawinska8654]

Psionic Overload won't break your concentration if it doesn't deal damage though, and it's easy to negate all damage if you have the right feat and heavy armour. Even without the feat AND no proficiency with heavy armour, you can have someone cast warding bond on you, and you wear Helldusk Armour, you should negate all damage too. Imo B tier at least.

[@JasonDunna]

Yeah with heavy armor and a bunch of set up it can definitely be better! I’m not saying it’s terrible but on a tier list I try to keep it somewhat balanced for the average player

[@Idcidancecool]

Use true strike then use concentrated blast as a bonus

[@JasonDunna]

I guess there’s an option

[@OldManMoko]

Psionic Overload is broken on a specific type of build, mainly a multi attack build like a twin hand crossbow bard or a monk.

[@JasonDunna]

twin hand crossbow bard would get 4-16 extra damage which is pretty nice you're right. The bard usually has crowd control spells up so you risk losing concentration on those but for a monk its a great choice

[@mayapilkey3577]

Displace stacks with force tunnel

[@JasonDunna]

Oh that’s good to know

[@RuBiCaNT5X]

Mind Blast is much better than B-tier. AoE and ability to stun plus damage. I would put it A or S.

[@JasonDunna]

Yeah I tried it out again and I think A tier is better. Wish it was more than once per long rest though

[@RuBiCaNT5X]

@@JasonDunna Agreed!

[@RuBiCaNT5X]

I usually have all my main party members have both black hole and mind blast, and specifically mind blast because it requires long rest.

[@JasonDunna]

Black hole is serious so freaking good

[@cannyvalley8522]

Displacer kitty is kinda cute :3

[@JasonDunna]

I agree hahaha big kitty with tails

[@ghouler3]

god video 🤗

[@JasonDunna]

Hey thanks so much!!

[@ghouler3]

@@JasonDunna Dude, are you going to build the fire cleric that I told you about based on elementals and all fire?

[@JasonDunna]

@@ghouler3 yes bro dropping tonight! I think you’ll like it

[@ghouler3]

@@JasonDunna thank you very much you are the best😇

[@MMORPGFreaky]

Mind blast in b tier Come on 😂

[@JasonDunna]

Yeah I could’ve put it a bit higher it’s just one of the ones I didn’t use as much unless I could use it as a bonus action! Once per long rest also kinda whomps but it could go A tier

[@shakeypudding6563]

Charm absolutely sucks

[@JasonDunna]

It’s useful like 10% of the time so yea kinda sucks hahaha. It’s good one Gale to keep him alive or another squishy class but that’s it

[@somaisumemulador8274]

Psionic overload is perfect in monks

[@JasonDunna]

I didn’t even think about flurry of blows but that would make it pretty strong

[@clarencewalters338]

This was actually my first build in BG3, I was an Open Hand Monk Barbarian with the gear that grants extra bonus action at low health. So I was getting approx 30 physical damage per attack, 2 flurry of blows a turn, the psionic overload damage, the damage from the kushigo boots, AND doubled damage from those because I carried the resonant stone which makes all people(including me) in it's radius vulnerable to psychic damage. Because I was so high in initiative, opponents basically never got a turn, and when they did it wasn't substantial.

[@somaisumemulador8274]

@@clarencewalters338 My first build was rogue monk of the path of the open hand with tavern brawler, With the strength potion, kagha necklace, acid damage ring, Concentration ring, the illithid power, Damon's fire glove, the weapon that Aunt Ethel sells, and Damon's rod bow to give concentration, then using meditation I had 110 blow damage and 3

[@somaisumemulador8274]

@@clarencewalters338 -bônus actions