Where to Find Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens and Should You Consume Them

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a fantastic RPG that has taken the gaming scene by storm with the incredible content it offers and its compelling gameplay, based on Dungeons & Dragons. The game offers the player a lot of freedom with the paths they want to take, including a wide range of customization, from appearances, to class, to subclass, and much more, increasing the replayability of the game.

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On their journey, the player might find Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens. While their use might not be obvious at first, the player will come to understand how they can access overpowered abilities thanks to them.

Updated on January 17, 2024, by Rei Penber: Players might have missed many parasites while playing Baldur’s Gate 3 since finding them isn’t as easy a task as it appears on the surface. For this reason, this guide exists to make sure you get your hands on every specimen that you can find in the game.

What Are Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens And Should The Player Consume Them

Mind flayer parasite specimen baldur's gate 3

The Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens are rare items found across the Baldur’s Gate 3 world. They’re parasites inside of jars.

The player can start finding them early on, however, they will only be able to make use of them after meeting their guardian in a dream. Once that is done, consuming those parasites is an option with the unlocking of the Illithid Powers tree. The more the player finds and consumes these parasites, the more points they will gain to spend and unlock more Illithid abilities, which are quite powerful.

While consuming these parasites will grant the player powerful abilities and will make the use of Illithid Wisdom more effective, it could also have some drawbacks. The first one is their party members disapproving of this and the other is a higher chance of turning into a Mind Flayer. Turning into a Mind Flayer can be very problematic as it alienates the player, but can be avoided even when making use of the Illithid Powers.

Overall, consuming the parasites can serve the player a lot as it makes them more powerful and helps them avoid difficult combats. However, it is by no means necessary and the game can be beaten without.

Where To Find Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens – Mind Flayer Parasite Locations

The player will be able to use the Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens after meeting their Guardian in a dream when resting in the camp.

The specimens will be obtained by killing NPCs infected with the Mind Flayer Parasite, and then by looting their dead bodies, the player will be able to get a parasite. The player will also find scattered specimens across the world in jars. The players will know when they’re close to a specimen when the Guardian tells them so telepathically.

The Specimen from The Guardian

The player will, at some point in their playthrough, meet their guardian, which is the second character they designed at the start of the game. After their dream and talk with the guardian, the player will receive one Mind Flayer parasite from them. This parasite should be found in the player’s camp and there’s a chance this will be the player’s very first parasite.

Act 1

Parasite Specimen #1: in Emerald Grove, head to the Enclave Library and look for a jar on a desk. It belongs to Nettie and the player will have to steal it while she isn’t looking, or wait until she won’t be present in the room anymore.
Parasite Specimen #2: In the Forest, it can be obtained from Edowin. The man is almost dead and when he passes, the player just has to take it off his corpse.
Parasite Specimen #3: West North of the Risen Road waypoint, it will be carried by Flind.
Parasite Specimen #4: In the Shattered Sanctum, it will be carried by Minthara.
Parasite Specimen #5: In the Shattered Sanctum, it will be carried by Ragzlin.
Parasite Specimen #6: In the Shattered Sanctum, it is carried by True Soul Priestess Gut.
Parasite Specimen #7: When the player reaches the Crèche Y’llek, deep in the Rosymorn Monastery, the player will find three Parasite Specimen inside the doctor’s office. It’s next to the Zaith’isk and the player will have to steal it from Ghustil Stornugoss.
Parasite Specimen #8: After freeing True Soul Nere from under the rubble in Grymforge, the player can kill him to obtain a parasite.

Act 2

Parasite Specimen #9: In the Last Light Inn, the player will have to fight Flaming Fist Marcus to protect Isobel. If they succeed in killing him before he kidnaps Isobel, the player will obtain his mind parasite.
Parasite Specimen #10: At the entrance of the Moonrise towers. The player needs to eliminate two individuals – Zealot Malik and Adept Merim.
Parasite Specimen #11: Deeper in the Moonrise Towers, the player will run into Disciple Z’rell and Linsella. The player should get two parasites from them.
Parasite Specimen #12: Southeast of the Moonrise Towers waypoint, the player will find 5 parasites, 3 dead and 2 alive that they can take.
Parasite Specimen #13: Inside the Mind Flyer Colony, next to Mizora.
Parasite Specimen #14: Inside the Mind Flyer Colony, on a corpse in the oubliette.

Act 3

Parasite Specimen #15: Inside the lower city, the player should head inside the Flymm’s house. There, the player should loot Enver Gortash’s parents for 2 Mind Flayer parasites.
Parasite Specimen #16: At Felogyr’s Fireworks, taken from Avery Sonshal.
Parasite Specimen #17: In the Counting House, inside the high-security vault no. 6.
Parasite Specimen #18: At the beach with the ship from Moonrise Towers, the player will find 2 in a storage container.
Parasite Specimen #19: Heading Northwest of Rivington, the player will head past the Stone Lord Thugs and find a parasite on a barrel on the beach.
Parasite Specimen #20: At the Abandoned Windmill in Rivington, in the Windmill basement.
Parasite Specimen #21: In the Blushing Mermaid Cellar.
Parasite Specimen #22: Inside the Iron Throne, on the work table in the southwest area.
Parasite Specimen #23: Inside the Steel Watch Foundry Lab, inside a desk.
Parasite Specimen #24: In the Lower city, will drop after killing Churg Elvek.
Parasite Specimen #25: A bit north of the Grey Harbour Docks waypoint, the player will find 6 specimens in a chest.
Parasite Specimen #26: In the lodge in the lower city. On the second floor on a desk.
Parasite Specimen #27: On Manip Edenosa’s corpse, not far from Bloomridge Park.
Parasite Specimen #28: On a desk in the poison floor room inside of Sanguine Laboratory.
Parasite Specimen #29: On a desk in the Sorcerous Sundries