Baldur's Gate Main Villain

[Lycra Suit]

Obviously that squidface in the cinematic is the main villain but since regular, 4 tentacled, Illithids have as much personality as a dead fish and one dimensional evil villains aren't cool anymore can we assume that this guy is the Illithid prophecy's 'adversary' (a humanoid who somehow managed to stay in control while turning into an Illithid).
His demeanor even gives off subtle clues of a distinct temperament. His inconsistent pace through the ritual, ceremonious mannerism and especially when he pauses for a moment to contemplate one of his dead/unconscious kin with a brief hint of deference (or some other kind of emotion).

Other supporting evidence:
- He rides an extremely rare form of Illithid vessel that the average Elder Brain would give his left frontal lobe for.
- He's completely on his own, aside from that other corpse, which is highly unusual for an Illithid.
- He basks in the sun without discomfort. It even looks like he spends most of his time in that sunlit room.
- His tadpoles don't actually turn people into Illithids but you can hear him telepathically promising the playable character 'whatever he desires'.

What else did you all conjecture so far?

 

[Prehistorik]

Applying pseudo-Freudian analysis, plot should be about the one who fights his/her animal destructive urges, to become a wholesome persona.
Especially relatable to the potential target audience of 15 year olds, who have troubles growing up. A children fable in the computer game form.

Illithids represent the Id, a mute, unconscious that dwells hidden underground and confronts at some point in life the conscious.
Humans (the Ego) as the most relatable and understanded race, or even other humanoid races (with emphasis on a specific complex, like narcissism in elves) are easily accepted by the conscious and associated with as a player's true self.
Tadpoles objectify conflict between the Ego and the Id, where one must either grow up and learn to control his/her childish urges or 'fail in life'.
Naturally with the help from the divine (the Super-ego) one succeeds and is celebrated as an integral part of the society (Realms).

It is expected from the game to allow the choice of joining illithids at the end.
This would further enhance the significance of the struggle in the potential player, or let grognards, who otherwise can not relate to the plot, channel their frustration.

 

[Serious_Business]

So I guess "General RPG Discussion" should really be renamed to "Balders Gate III Discussion", huh

Applying pseudo-Freudian analysis

Yeah you're trying. Dubious how the object of Freudian analysis, which would be the psyche, can be projected unto a cultural product ; as if this product would, in the story that it tells, represent something the psychoanalytic concepts, which I suppose are meant to be considered to be universal, "human". And so one find one self's struggle in a narrative, because as individuals we are supposed to be a narrative ; this is a way to generate aesthetics, aesthetics of the self. The self must conquer nature to "grow up", to become a self ; this action (universal action) is represented in the narrative, in the game ; the player conquers nature (the oceanic cthulhu monsters) by playing the game, which in fact doesn't mean anything real - and thus the lack of meaning is meant to be meaningful to a "potential target audience of 15 years olds", who have not truly conquered their inner natures but can only do it through the medium of representation. When is it that they will "succeed in life", you tell me ; by having a well-paid job perhaps, or by being disgusted with their own selves, which would allow them to - in true schopenhaurian fashion, because I don't believe that Freud was anything else than schopenhaurian - to essentially dissolve into the very nature that they were supposed to conquer in the first place. Something like that, right

 

[Ontopoly]

The real villain is Larian and wotc.

 

[Lonely Vazdru]

So I guess "General RPG Discussion" should really be renamed to "Balders Gate III Discussion", huh

Damn right.

 

[Incendax]

Tadpoles eat your brain in under 5 hours, so yeah something else is going on.

It normally takes mind flayers 20 years to learn skills after their transformation, so either this is the adversary or the mind flayers are trying to retain the skills of the heros to get them into the fight ASAP.

 

[sser]

assume this guy

Triggered.

 

[Tytus]

Tadpoles eat your brain in under 5 hours, so yeah something else is going on.

It normally takes mind flayers 20 years to learn skills after their transformation, so either this is the adversary or the mind flayers are trying to retain the skills of the heros to get them into the fight ASAP.

They eat your brain with the speed of one INT per hour if I remember correctly. So a character has max 20 hours to save themselves which I never entirely understood. If the tadpole ate half of my brain because I lost let's say 8 INT in 8 hours how am I still alive with half a brain? Or maybe I shouldn't be that surprised by it. In the end I am posting on the Codex.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Jimmious]

I actually don't think that the Illithid is the main villain.
The feeling I get from the trailer is that the Illithids are kinda fucked and running from something. There is one dead on the floor and there are signs of combat inside the nautiloid.
I believe the tadpole move is a desperation move for some reason and the main adversary is not yet revealed

 

[a Goat]

Minsc is behind all of this.

 

[Roguey]

I actually don't think that the Illithid is the main villain.
The feeling I get from the trailer is that the Illithids are kinda fucked and running from something. There is one dead on the floor and there are signs of combat inside the nautiloid.
I believe the tadpole move is a desperation move for some reason and the main adversary is not yet revealed

Even the press release already spoiled that whatever plot this is is ultimately Bane's, Myrkul's and Bhaal's.

 

[Monkeysattva]

I actually don't think that the Illithid is the main villain.
The feeling I get from the trailer is that the Illithids are kinda fucked and running from something. There is one dead on the floor and there are signs of combat inside the nautiloid.
I believe the tadpole move is a desperation move for some reason and the main adversary is not yet revealed

I thought that too. He's probably the main characters potential ally.

And remember sjw logic: anything that wants to eat your brain and turn you into one of itself HAS TO BE GOOD.

 

[RNGsus]

Obviously that squidface in the cinematic is the main villain but since regular, 4 tentacled, Illithids have as much personality as a dead fish and one dimensional evil villains aren't cool anymore

They should be.

 

[Beastro]

The real main villian was the friends we made along the way.

 

[samuraigaiden]

If the squid monster is like a zombie apocalypse, the real enemy emerges from the deconstruction of social order.

 

[Ontopoly]

If the squid monster is like a zombie apocalypse, the real enemy emerges from the deconstruction of social order.

Are you trying to say that we are the real monsters? That's deep.

 

[Terenty]

plot should be about the one who fights his/her animal destructive urges, to become a wholesome persona.

I'm smelling kink shaming here, reported

 

[zaper]

I thought the main villain was Swen Vincke

 

[a Goat]

I thought the main villain was Swen Vincke

The main villains were the friends we made along the way.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

- so, dude, what's the coolest chad in d&d?
- i like these tentacle hentai guys.
- say no more fam, we have our villain.
- but they don-
- i said say no more.

 

[Verylittlefishes]

Actually the only BG3 thing I don't have questions about is the plot and Illithids. This could be good. I loved squids in the Underdark back then.

But everything else...

 

[Tytus]

I loved squids in the Underdark back then.

It ain't your grandma's Underdark anymore. kiddo.
It got fucked over and retconned to no end during 4e.

 

[Verylittlefishes]

I loved squids in the Underdark back then.

It ain't your grandma's Underdark anymore. kiddo.
It got fucked over and retconned to no end during 4e.

shut the fuck uuup

 

[Falksi]

Tentacles without tentacle rape is pretty pointless.