Baldur's Gate 3: Should you help the speaking brain?
Enchanting horrors in the style of Lovecraft are a central component of Baldur's Gate 3, and it comes as no surprise that one of the initial choices y...
Jennifer Jett
Aug 29, 2023
Enchanting horrors in the style of Lovecraft are a central component of Baldur's Gate 3, and it comes as no surprise that one of the initial choices you are faced with is: Should I truly aid a speaking brain? If your stomach is somewhat delicate, you may consider skipping this subplot.
In the prologue of BG3, you awaken aboard the Nautiloid, a sentient ship that is inhabited by the Lovecraft-inspired menace of the Mind Flayers. These creatures possess octopus-like features, tentacles, and protruding heads. Unfortunately, both you and Lae'zel have been infected by a repugnant tadpole parasite courtesy of a Mind Flayer, granting you unnatural and psychic abilities.
Updated on August 29, 2023 by Alexander Maksymiw: The launch of Baldur's Gate 3 has come and gone, and since then, we have immersed ourselves in Larian's fantastic epic. The launch of BG3 has addressed many burning questions that fans from the Early Access version of Baldur's Gate 3 sought to clarify, such as the ramifications of aiding the speaking brain encountered in the game's prologue.
Where To Find The Talking Brain
After chaos had erupted on the otherworldly ship and you find yourself free, you enter the next chamber only to hear a voice calling from the upper floor.
You can reach the second floor by taking the fleshy elevator upwards. Here, you will discover Myrnath, another helpless captive who has met a cruel fate.
The Mind Flayer tadpole in your head will grant you the ability to communicate telepathically with the intellect devourer trapped within Myrnath's mind. It will refer to itself as "we." Believing you to be an ally, the intellect devourer will request assistance in being removed from the body.
You have a few options here:
- You can destroy the brain on the spot.
- Free the brain from the body.
- Free the brain from the body and weaken it.
Should You Help The Talking Brain
None of the options are suitable for the faint-hearted, but there is truly no reason not to free the brain unless you are playing a specific role.
Upon liberation, the brain will transform into an intellect devourer, a grotesque creature with slender tentacular appendages protruding from its fleshy, bulbous brain. It will sprout legs and sharp claws accordingly.
The intellect devourer will explain that you must reach the helm of the ship in order to escape, thus providing you with your first objective.
If you were to ignore or destroy the brain, Lae'zel would provide you with the same objective.
The intellect devourer will join you as a temporary companion. It possesses a formidable claw attack that proves helpful in combat. Once the Nautiloid crashes, you will lose the intellect devourer as a companion and will only encounter it again in Act 2.
It is highly recommended to aid the speaking brain if you are playing on the "Tactician" difficulty (the most challenging difficulty level in the game). Although the prologue of the Nautiloid ship is brief, "we" are crucial in eliminating the goblins and Commander Zhalk if you wish to earn the achievement "Devil's Detail."
Since the speaking brain can assist you, it is advisable to lend it your aid unless you choose not to do so for role-playing reasons.
In any case, you can proceed with the story by receiving the quest from someone else if you choose not to assist the brain and receive the quest there.
Keep Your Companions Close And The Mind-Flayers Closer
On the Nautiloid, you can also encounter other intellect devourers, but they will not attack you unless you provoke them. In such a case, they will perceive you as a threat and defend themselves with their claws.
The intellect devourer has weak armor and few hit points, but its claws should not be underestimated.
With only a few hit points at level one, you can be incapacitated after just two attacks. Therefore, it is advisable to think twice before engaging these small pests.
You might be wondering why the Mind Flayers don't attack you and instead aid in your escape from the Nautiloid. In an attempt to evade the Githyanki assault, the Mind Flayer teleports the Nautiloid to Avernus (Hell).
This explains why we see Commander Zhalk fighting against a Mind Flayer in the final part of the prologue.
You can utilize the intellect devourer to eliminate the goblins in the vicinity as you rush towards the transponder.
Where To Find Us In The Illithid Colony
You can reunite with us at the end of Act 2 after battling Ketheric Thorm at the Moonrise Tower. During the fight, Ketheric Thorm will summon a colossal Illithid tentacle that strikes Nightsong from the sky, leaving a massive rift in the Moonrise Tower leading to the Illithid colony.
To find us, descend into the Illithid colony and enter the nearby mortuary where you will find Chop, a friendly but brainless bugbear, along with us in a cage. You can persuade Chop to open the cage and set us free. As a reward, you will receive the spell "Conjure Us."