BG3 Waking Mind, Consume or Purge Slack Skinned Head Mind
Given the dark themes present in Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s no wonder that you will often come across people and creatures in dire – sometimes gruesome – situations. When that happens, you will typically be presented with a choice on how to act. For example, you will come across a Slack-Skinned Head that you can interact with, putting various minds inside of it. One of these is the Waking Mind. When you speak to it, you will then be given a choice, whether to consume or purge the Waking Mind in the Slack Skinned Head in BG3. So what should you do here? We are going to go over both choices, their consequences, and see which one is the superior option.
BG3 Waking Mind, Consume or Purge Mind of Slack Skinned Head Choice
When you start talking to the Waking Mind insde of the Slack-Skinned Head, you will soon learn its backstory. Namely, that it was a Githzerai – the cousin race of the Githyanki – and a powerful monk warrior. If you pass a passive Insight check, you’ll also learn that this isn’t the whole truth – that the Githzerai lead the Mind Flayers to its monestary in return for immortality. Which the Ilithid gave her, in their own sick way. She will then propose an offer – to share some of her knowledge with you, if you use your Tadpole to purge her mind, letting her finally have peace.
But just then, you will realize that there is another option – to consume her mind instead. So which option should you select here? Well, if you purge her mind, you will gain the Githzerai Mind Barrier trait. This is a permanent buff that will provide you with an Advantage on Intelligence Saving Throws. Needless to say, this is both useful to have, as well as the obvious good choice here. On the other hand, if you consume her, you won’t get anything – except the satisfaction of consuming a powerful and tasty mind.
Also, your companions will react to this choice in their own ways. Some, like Astarion, will approve of this, while more good-aligned characters such as Shadowheart will naturally disapprove of such an obviously evil and sadistic act. You can select this option if you are playing as an evil character, but be aware that, mechanically, you’ll gain no benefit in doing so.
Should You Consume or Purge the Slack-Skinned Head Mind in Baldur’s Gate 3
Well, while role-playing is always important, the Githzerai Mind Barrier buff provides a tangible advantage, while consuming the Slack-Skinned Head Mind doesn’t really provide you with any actual reward. Our recommendation is that you purge the Slack-Skinned Head Mind, even if you are playing as evil. This option works for both noble and selfless characters, as well as evil ones. After all, being self-serving is an important aspect of being evil. In any case, whichever option you choose, there won’t be any consequences for this in the rest of the game.
