Baldur's Gate 3 is the first new entry in the series in almost twenty years, and its focus is shifting away from the Bhaalspawn Saga to a story about Mind Flayers invading the Forgotten Realms.
Mind Flayers are some of the most iconic and powerful villains in the Dungeons & Dragons franchise. Baldur's Gate 2 players have already tangled with Mind Flayers during the Underdark section of the game, and the fact that they have a starring role in the latest entry is a frightening thought. There are a lot of people who have been introduced to the tabletop version of Dungeons & Dragons over the past few years, but they might be lucky enough to have never fought a Mind Flayer. Those poor fools have no idea what they're getting into in Baldur's Gate 3, which is why TheGamer has created a helpful guide to the Mind Flayers and the best options for fighting them in Baldur's Gate 3.
The Mind Flayers
Mind Flayers (also known as Illithids) are humanoid monsters with a squid-like head. They possess incredible psionic abilities that act in the same way as powerful arcane spells, many of which allow them to influence the minds of other creatures. Mind Flayers do not give birth in the same manner as other humanoid creatures. Mind Flayers reproduce by infecting other humanoids with worms, which subjects them to a painful transformation into another Mind Flayer. The main food source for Mind Flayers is brains, and many adventuring parties have ended up as lunch for a group of hungry Illithids.
In most Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, Mind Flayers reside in the Underdark, where they enslave races like the duergar and turn them into soldiers or workers. The Mind Flayers serve a creature known as an Elder Brain, which is a giant brain in a tub. The Elder Brain is one of the most feared monsters in Dungeons & Dragons, thanks to its wide range of powerful psionic abilities. There are also Mind Flayers who reside on the Astral Plane, as it's a realm where mental prowess has an outside influence, and their psionic abilities are amplified.
One interesting aspect of Mind Flayers is that they are trademarked by the owners of Dungeons & Dragons. The vast majority of creatures in Dungeons & Dragons belong in the public domain, such as goblins and dragons, but a handful of monsters were created specifically for the game. Monsters like Beholders and the Slaad are part of the Dungeons & Dragons brand, as are the Mind Flayers, but some video game developers have got away with using similar designs for boss enemies.
If You See A Mind Flayer, Run!
There are few monsters more feared by Dungeons & Dragons players than Mind Flayers. They're up there with ancient dragons, beholders, and rust monsters with things that players will avoid at all costs.
The reason Mind Flayers are so feared is because of their Mind Blast ability. In Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, a single Mind Blast could leave a character stunned for 3d4 rounds. This was an incredibly deadly ability, especially when facing a group of Mind Flayers, and players were terrified of running into a "save or die" situation from a Mind Blast. The Mind Flayer can then attempt to extract the brain from a stunned foe, an act that takes 1d4 rounds and results in instant death if completed. If the entire party fails one save against the Mind Blast, then it's game over.
In the current edition of Dungeons & Dragons, the Mind Blast isn't quite as scary as it was in the old days, but it's still a very nasty move. Nowadays, the Mind Blast stuns a player for one minute on a failed save, but the affected player gets to make a new save at the end of each of their turns. It also takes a lot longer for the Mind Flayer to extract the brain from an enemy, so its Mind Blast/tentacle combo isn't as deadly as before. The Mind Flayer is still a potent foe, however, as it can cast Dominate Monster and Plane Shift once per day, both of which have the potential to screw over a party.
The Role Of Mind Flayers In Baldur's Gate 3
The first two games in the Baldur's Gate series followed the story of the Bhaalspawn, who were the children of the deceased god of murder. Baldur's Gate 3 is going in a new direction, as the main villains are Mind Flayers.
The initial trailer for Baldur's Gate 3 gave us a hint of the overall plot of the game. Mind Flayers from the Astral Plane are invading the Forgotten Realms. They are using their massive nautiloid ships (originally from the Spelljammer setting) to attack major cities and infect the citizens with worms that transform them into different kinds of Illithids. The main character almost succumbs to this same fate, but an attack from the Githyanki (a race that dwells on the Astral Plane) allows them to break free. The main character must team up with five other infected individuals and discover a way to remove the Illithid worm from their body, otherwise, they will all turn into Mind Flayers.
It's unclear whether there is someone pulling the strings behind the Mind Flayer invasion of Faerun, as it's possible that Bhaal might be the villain of the game. If Mind Flayers are going to be a recurring foe, then certain builds will be better for the player to use for their main character. The Mind Blast attack requires an Intelligence saving throw to beat, so people who play as high elves, humans, half-elves, gnomes, and tieflings can gain a bonus in that stat. The wizard class is focused around the Intelligence stat, but druids and rogues also have a proficiency bonus for Intelligence saves, so all three would be ideal choices for facing a Mind Flayer. The best class for facing Mind Flayers is Divination wizards, as their 2nd level Portent ability allows them to pre-roll a save at the start of the day and keep it to one side. This ability could mean the difference between life and death, and Divination wizards might finally get their due as useful party members in a Dungeons & Dragons video game.
Baldur's Gate 3 will enter Early Access on October 6, 2020.
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