How to open the Mind Flayer Pod in Baldur’s Gate 3

One of the first decisions you’ll make is whether or not to free Shadowheart from the Baldur’s Gate 3 Mind Flayer Pod. Even if you your character has Arcane knowledge on the device, the game doesn’t actually direct you on how to get her out of the grotesque machine. You can still recruit Shadowheart later, even if you don’t get the pod open, but it helps to be on her good side. Here’s how to open the Mind Flayer Pod in Baldur’s Gate 3.

How to get Shadowheart out of the Baldur’s Gate 3 Mind Flayer Pod

To remove the half-elf out of the Mind Flayer Pod, you’ll need to look around the room. Don’t worry about the buttons in the center of the area. Instead, find the counter on the right-hand side of the pod, shown in the picture above. Click on it.

Now, you can investigate exactly what it is. If you’re a mage, you can perform an Arcana intelligence check. With a difficulty class of 10, you should be able to roll high enough with the dice. If you’re successful, you’ll learn more about the device. Once that’s figured out, you can release Shadowheart out of the Mind Flayer Pod. She’ll be very grateful that you saved her rather than run past.

If your Arcane roll doesn’t go so well, there’s also a Strength check you can use, or an item in an adjoining room which can help free Shadowheart. Just follow the patrolling brain to see where it leads.

Tips for figuring out interactable objects in Baldur’s Gate 3

When you interact with objects in Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s always worth being cautious. They may be dangerous to your party. There may also be traps around chests and sarcophaguses, stopping you in your tracks.

As you examine an area, make sure to look at the room at every angle. Turn the screen left and right, and zoom in whenever you need. Don’t rush, and you should be fine…possibly. You never know what will happen in the world of Dungeons & Dragons.