Baldur's Gate 3: Should You Use the Githyanki Zaith'isk Device to Remove the Tadpole?

What is the Zaith’isk in BG3?

The Zaith’isk in BG3 is a partially-organic medical device that can supposedly remove a Mind Flayer Tadpole from an infected individual. You’ll find one in the infirmary at Creche Y’llek through the Rosymorn Monastery, operated by a Githyanki doctor named Ghustil Stornugoss.

When talking to Ghustil, you can reveal that you’re infected with a Mind Flayer Tadpole, and she’ll urge you to hop into the Zaith’isk. Alternatively, you can also have Lae’zel speak to the doctor on your behalf, and Lae’zel will insist on using the device first.

Should You Let Lae’zel Use the Githyanki Zaith’isk Device in BG3?

If Lae’zel is in your party and you try to keep her from using the Zaith’isk first, she will turn hostile. If you let Lae’zel use the Zaith’isk, you’ll gain some friendly approval points with her. You can completely avoid the Zaith’isk if you don’t want to use it, but if you do and Lae’zel is in your party, you should definitely let her be the one to give it a test-run.

If Lae’zel isn’t in your party, we cautiously recommend you be the one to give the device a spin, but be sure to save beforehand in case you’re not happy with the results. The outcome can result in a severe permanent debuff.

If Lae’zel Uses the Zaith’isk in BG3

The Githyanki Zaith’isk Device won’t remove Lae’zel’s parasite. Instead, upon triggering the device, it will begin to cause immense pain. At this point, the player will need to roll the dice and pass several checks:

First Stage: You can interrupt the Zaith’isk and remove Lae’zel if you pass a DC30 Persuasion or Deception check.
Second Stage: Choose to seek answers within the Zaith’isk and pass a DC21 Wisdom check to lower the DC to persuade Lae’zel out of the device from 30 to 21.
Third Stage: You can try to persuade Lae’zel out of the Zaith’isk again, or you can try to forcibly remove her by passing a DC30 Wisdom or Arcana check. If you successfully remove Lae’zel in this way, you’ll gain the Awakened buff, which will allow you to use all Illithid powers as bonus actions.

If you failed any of the above checks, you’ll recieve a permanent debuff for each, giving you -2 to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Constitution. The only way to get rid of the debuff is to take some drastic measures at the end of Act 2, involving you consuming a special tadpole.

No matter your choice and abilities, the Zaith’isk will explode, but Lae’zel will be safe, the parasite unremoved.

Lae’zel will begin to distrust her kin and question her loyalties. When spoken to, she’ll say she needs some time to process what has happened. Though putting Lae’zel through all this trauma is tough to watch, it’s one way to help her come to terms with the deceptive identity of Vlaakith and the Githyanki.

The doctor will then rush out of the room, locking you in behind her. After a few minutes, she’ll return with some Githyanki guards and initiate a fight. You can try to initiate this fight sooner by lockpicking the door with a DC10 Sleight of Hand check, but if Lae’zel was the one inside the Zaith’isk, the fight will be unavoidable.

Baldur’s Gate 3: Can the Githyanki Zaithist Device Remove the Parasite?

Unfortunately, the parasite cannot be removed with the Zaith’ist Device. Instead of giving this chance to Lae’zel, players can decide to use the Githyanki Zaith’ist Device to try to remove the parasite for themselves. But like with Lae’zel, the device will start damaging the tadpole parasite’s host.

If you’re the one using the Zaith’ist, you’ll have to pass the same series of checks, but these checks will be lower than Lae’zel’s:

First Stage: DC12 Intelligence Saving Throw.
Second Stage: DC15 Wisdom Saving Throw.
Third Stage: DC18 Constitution or Intelligence Saving Throw.

If you succeed all three checks, you’ll be given the Awakened buff, but if not, you’ll be permanently debuffed for each failed check, same as when Lae’zel uses the Zaith’ist.

Either way, if not interrupted, the Dream Visitor will eventually yell for the procedure to stop, and the Githyanki Zaith’ist will explode.

You can then convince Ghustil to let you leave if you pass a DC15 Deception or Performance check. If you don’t pass this check, she’ll lock you in the room, and you’ll need to get ready for a fight.

About the author

Cande Maldonado

Though Cande started her journey in the video game industry as a localization specialist six years ago, she soon realized that her true calling was to annoy NPCS, smash virtual pottery, and complete every side quest available in RPGs. Throwing that useless degree out of the window, she has been writing professionally for the past three years ever since. Her passion for games dates to 2006, when she mounted a Chocobo for the first time. Under Nintendo and Square Enix's chokehold, she will willingly pour hours upon hours into reaching 100% completion in the longest roleplaying games ever made. But hey, who needs fresh air and sunlight when you can just live in Ivalice?

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