There are minor details that are relatively easy to miss in Baldur’s Gate 3, and important assets that could hurt you in the future if you don’t go out of your way to find. When you first start the game and exit the chamber where you were captured by the Mindflayers, you have an opportunity to add an intellect devourer as a familiar. When we attempted this action, our character was a Ranger.

You can find the devourer at the start of the game, off to the left side of the map. You first hear its voice asking you to free it. Only the voice is heard. To reach the intellect devourer, go into the room where the three dead imps are and find the Neutral Apparatus. Interact with it, and you will go up to the second level of the room. In the back of the platform is a dead body named Myrnath sitting in a chair. Speak to Myrnath, and the brain hanging out of the body’s head will speak with you.

The brain, likely Myrnath, asks you to release it before its captors return. Through the dialogue tree, you have a few options available to you. Ultimately, the brain will ask you to remove it from the body. You have three important options:

  • [Investigation] – Inspect the exposed brain[Strength] – Break the Skull[Dexterity] – Gently prise the brain from the skull.

Before going with the strength or dexterity checks, you can choose the investigation roll to inspect the brain. Successfully doing so gives you the chance to learn about a swelling in the brain you speaking to, and you could now apply a medicine check to remove the brain, being careful with the swelling. However, going with strength or dexterity, and succeeding the roll, does remove the brain safely.

Upon removing the brain, you notice there is a way to cripple the creature. You can perform a dexterity check to mutilate the brain, making it more subservient should it become a threat in the future. If you do not successfully complete the roll, you have to fight the intellect devourer. If you make the roll, the creature will not know you did this, and will become your companion, and will assist you in reaching the helm.