Baldur's Gate 3 is all about worms in power. An Illithid parasite is inside of you and all of your companions' brains. These worms are also inside other characters, controlling them and making them think there is some higher being called the Absolute.
These Absolute cultists are clearly bad apples. They murder and massacre for the glory of their god. But you were always different, you have full control of yourself and are not turning into a Mindflayer. But what if you use your powers a little too much?
What Happens If You Use Illithid Wisdom Too Much?
The more that you use Illithid Wisdom, the more chance you will have at seeing your Guardian or Dream Visitor when you Long Rest. Illithid Wisdom is a very strong tool that allows you to sway conversations without effort.
Most dialogue skill checks are luck of the draw, but this isn't the case with Ilithid Wisdom.
Using Illithid Wisom is a guaranteed success each time.You can only use Illithid Wisdom a few times each day before you must Long Rest to replenish.
You will not turn into a Mindflayer if you continuously use Illithid Wisdom. But you will start having scenes when you Long Rest, where you feel queasy and weird.
Will You Turn Into A Mindflayer Using Illithid Powers?
The more that you use your Illithid Wisdom and embrace your newfound abilities by consuming other NPC's Mindflayer Specimens, the more you will gain new powers.
You can find and loot Mindflayer Specimens, which will act as ability points that can be put into Illithid Powers. These are very powerful abilities that you can use in battle once a day.
The only time you will turn into a Mindflayer is by specifically choosing that option in the storyline.
Don't choose to become one and don't succumb to another parasitic character's commands, and you should be fine.
If you obey a Mindflayer or allow someone with an Illithid tadpole to control your mind, you may face death or worse, ceremorphosis.
Should You Use Your Illithid Powers?
The answer is yes. They will be very useful advantages against your enemies, especially when your enemies do not have any Illithid nature.
You're stuck with these strange powers, you might as well use them for your own agenda. They won't kill you or turn you into a Mindflayer, but will help you kill treacherous foes and survive the odds against you.
Besides, your Guardian encourages you to use them. Your Guardian wants you to embrace your powers in order to reach the end of your story.