Embrace Your Potential

Consuming tadpoles grants special abilities.

Embrace Your Potential is a quest spanning Acts One through Act Three of Baldur's Gate 3. It is first encountered by finding a Mindflayer Parasite Specimen after the Dream Visitor has appeared to the party.

Objectives

Explore the powers your parasite gives you.

• We were visited in our dreams by a mysterious figure, who told us that our illithid parasites are special and the source of great potential.
• We used the power of our parasite to exert an influence beyond our selves. How far does this power go?
• We found a special parasite like our own - we were drawn to its potential.

Harvest the parasite's memories.

• The Dream Visitor told us that the True Soul parasite can enhance us if we absorb its potential.

Find more parasites to absorb and grow your power.

• We absorbed the parasite's memories. It nourished our minds, and grew our powers.

Commune with the Astral-Touched Tadpole.

• The Emperor has given us the means to unlock the next stage of our illithid transformation, without becoming mind flayers. If we commune with the Astral-Touched Tadpole, we will evolve.

Quest Complete

• Communing with the Astral-Touched Tadpole unlocked the next stage of our illithid transformation.
• We did not commune with the Astral-Touched Tadpole, and our illithid potential remains untapped.

Walkthrough

Embrace Your Potential occurs once a Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen has been discovered. It unlocks the use of the Illithid skill tree.

The next step in the quest occurs after Help Your Protector. Now revealed as the Emperor, an illithid, he implores the party to also embrace their potentials as illithids. He grants an Astral-Touched Tadpole that turns a user into a half-illithid. The tadpole has enough power to be used on all camp members.

The player character can commune with the Astral-Touched Tadpole immediately upon receiving it from the Emperor, or try to refuse -- though if they have used any parasite specimens already, they must pass a DC 21 Wisdom check to reject it. A successful refusal still results in the player character receiving the Astral-Touched Tadpole as an inventory item.

The Astral-Touched Tadpole can be used at any time with the player character; doing so gives options to consume the tadpole, commune with it (if that has not already happened) or destroy it. Destroying the tadpole ends the quest.

While the player character can use the tadpole at will, companions must be convinced. At camp or in the party, a new dialogue option is presented:

• We've been given a rare gift. An Astral-Touched Tadpole, with the power to grant you a new, partial illithid form...

The party member must then be convinced, with skill checks and an appropriate approval rating. Some party members are easier to convince than others. The Astral-Touched Tadpole can only be used with characters already infected with a tadpole, so Halsin and Jaheira are not eligible.

In all cases, convincing the companion to use a tadpole results in a brief cutscene with choices. There is a brief window where the companion can back out of using the tadpole.

Astarion

Astarion is extremely reluctant to take the tadpole, as he recalls the pain of his vampiric transformation. However, he can be convinced.

If Astarion's personal quest has not been resolved, he can be coerced if the player is half-illithid:

• [WISDOM] Enter his mind, tempt him with the wonders of your new-found form. (DC 15)

Push further to explore Astarion's greatest fear:

• Push into his fear, prove his weakness if he does not accept the tadpole.

Then, choosing the following options will result in Astarion reluctantly taking the tadpole.

• You never want to risk that again. Even if it means becoming part illithid.
• That forgotten wretch is who you'll be again unless you become more.
• I want you to become part-illithid. To protect yourself.

If Cazador has already been defeated as part of The Pale Elf and Investigate Cazador's Palace:

• [INTIMIDATION] There are worse fates than Cazador out there. You should use the tadpole. (DC 15)

Astarion will instantly take the tadpole if he is a Vampire Ascendant. Otherwise, he will need to be further convinced by choosing either two options:

• A feeble coward is all you shall ever be, unless you become more.
• I want you to become part-illithid. To protect yourself.

If the player chooses "I'm so sorry for making you remember. Let's drop this." it won't be possible to ask Astarion in the future about the tadpole.

Gale

Gale will take the Astral-Touched Tadpole, regardless of if the player character has become half-illithid themselves.

• [PERSUASION] Don't be coy, Gale. You want this power. You know you do. (DC 18, Approval 20+)
• [PERSUASION] I offer you the chance at a truly unique power. One that no other could wield as you would, Gale. (DC 18, Approval 60+)
• [PERSUASION] You will wield this power well, and with wisdom. There aren't many I'd trust with with this. (DC 18, Approval 60+)

Wyll

Wyll can be persuaded to take the tadpole by appealing to his desire to protect the Sword Coast.

• [PERSUASION] The Sword Coast's future is at stake. We need to pursue this power. (DC 18, Approval 20+)
• [WISDOM] Call on your tadpole, connect with Wyll. Show him how potent you feel. (DC 15)

Karlach

Karlach can be persuaded to use the tadpole as it offers an advantage to facing off against the Chosen Three.

• [PERSUASION] We need every advantage we can get. Give it some thought. (DC 14)

Karlach will hesitate again, asking if ten years in Avernus wasn't enough. However, she can still be pushed to use the tadpole:

• [INTIMIDATION] I asked nicely. Do you want to know what comes after that? (DC 14)
• [PERSUASION] If we finish this, and win, we'll be free. Really free. (DC 14)

Lae'zel

Lae'zel can be convinced using her desire for power to protect the Githyanki people.

• [WISDOM] Connect with Lae'zel's mind. Let her feel the sense of power coursing through you. (DC 15)
• [PERSUASION] It's not like that, Lae'zel. Accept the Astral-Touched Tadpole's power. You'll be unstoppable. (DC 18, Approval 20+)

Shadowheart

Shadowheart can be convinced by mentioning the powers the tadpole provides:

• [PERSUASION] Trust me. We need these powers...and you're going to love what you can do with them. (DC 15, Approval 20+)

Minthara

Minthara is easily convinced to take the Astral-Touched Tadpole, as she is eager to unlock more powers of the mind. Simply offer it to her, and she accepts:

• Use it - become greater.

Minsc

Minsc can be persuaded by assuring him it will make a huge difference in defeating the Cult of the Absolute:

• [PERSUASION] Trust me. This could make all the difference in defeating the cult. (DC 18, Approval 20+)

Quest Rewards

• Unlocking Illithid Powers
• Half-Illithid form

Achievements

Expand Your Mind
Consume a parasite and unlock a new power - is it meant to wriggle the whole way down?