Larian Studios reveals more about the powers of the mindflayer known as Illithid Powers can be used in Baldur’s Gate 3. Twitch drops announced starting August 3rd.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Will Have You Wielding Mind Flayer Powers

Having your mind controlled by a parasitic creature that spells doom in Baldur’s Gate 3 might seem like an easy choice. But you might not be making that choice so lightly when you hear that they are a source of “immense power”. Yes, being mind flayed by a mysterious creature certainly will have its downsides, coming with a cost to not only your body, and mind but possibly your soul as well as the realm. But did you really need them anyway?

Illithid Powers

A recent post by Larian has unveiled a little more of what the Illithid Powers have to offer if you so choose to embrace it. This “hidden skill tree” gives you a way to command your new illithid abilities. In order to wield the powers you will need to find more of these parasites which can be discovered throughout the Forgotten Realms. Search high and low inside jars and pools of brine. Larian hints you can even discover them in the skulls of the infected. Once you find them simply gobble them up as if they’re brain food, yum!

With Great Powers Comes Great Complications

With each parasite comes a new Illithid Power to unlock, with 25 skills under the powerful mind-flayer. These are split into different themes, manipulation, health restoration, psionics and abilities that inflict damage. You can even use them to torment enemies, wearing them down over time. Make them your own puppet by controlling them, getting them to say things they normally wouldn’t. Or use the power of your mind to throw enemies like ragdolls in combat. It all sounds very evil…I’m totally in.

However, before you opt-in for a life under the parasite’s spell, there are some downsides. Side effects include companions not exactly being on board. It may even change the way they think of you. While companions can also drink the koolaid, they may not necessarily agree with your approach. The developers tease that things will get “complicated” but won’t spoil the fun by spilling the beans on this one.

While there have been some reveals through early access, BG3 has 600 spells which means there are quite a few things we haven’t seen yet.

Romance and Three’s Not a Crowd

Speaking of complicated, Larian also confirmed how NPCs romances work in the game. It is teased that in some cases characters can even be polyamorous. To clear up exactly who you can romance, there are three simple rules:

• A played Origin can romance an NPC Origin
• An NPC Origin cannot romance an NPC Origin
• Played Origins cannot romance other player Origins

Baldur’s Gate 3 Twitch Drops

To kick off the 1.0 launch of Baldur’s Gate 3, adventurers can tune in on Twitch (including our Twitch channel) to earn some in-game loot. You will need to watch for two hours to earn the full set of Camp Clothing Set. These include some snazzy Streamhopper Loafers, Channelers Trunks, Periwinkle Undergarments and Chatterbox’s Tabard. They’re all in a lovely shade of purple, which will make any character stand out from the crowd.

The campaign will begin Aug 3rd at 9:00 AM PDT ending on Aug 17th 9:00 AM PDT.

The Camp Clothing Set includes the following 4 items:

• Chatterbox’s Tabard
• Streamhopper Loafers
• Periwinkle Undergarments
• Channeler’s Trunks

Baldur’s Gate 3 Launch Times/PC Specs

If you’ve been wondering exactly what time Baldur’s Gate 3 will drop in your timezone, Larian has shared a handy map for the PC launch. There will be no pre-load and the game will take up roughly 122 GB. This game is big, and the file size definitely lives up to that expectation.

Cross-Save

While the PS5 version won’t launch until Sept 6th, cross-save compatibility will be available. Meaning you can start your adventure on PC/Steam deck and continue playing on PS5 if you wish. PC will support 4K and ultrawide monitors.

To play BG3 at 1440p at 60fps, you will need a decent CPU and GeForce 3060 or equivalent. To crank it up to 4K Larian recommends a high end GeForce 4080/4090 or AMD equivalent. Those who opt for Nvidia can take advantage of DLSS, and achieve lower requirements to make 4K work.

August 3rd

Los Angeles – 8 AM
New York/Quebec – 11 AM
Rio De Janiero – 12 PM
Dublin – 4 PM
Gent – 5 PM
Kuala Lumpur – 11 PM

August 4th

Tokyo – 12 AM
Sydney – 1 AM
Auckland – 3 AM

Excited for the launch? We are too! That’s why you better keep an eye on our Baldur’s Gate 3 content and Twitch stream. Don’t forget to venture to our wiki for all your Forgotten Realm needs. Check out our Preorder guide if you still considering whether to roll the dice.

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For more news find it here in Phantom Blade Zero Demo Set for 2024 and Path of Exile 2 Will Be A BIG Standalone Sequel.