The woman trapped in the Mind Flayer Pod is one of the first puzzles you find in the tutorial area of Baldur’s Gate 3. She’s locked inside one of the birthing pods, which means she has clearly been infected by the parasite that mutates hosts into Mind Flayers. These terrifying otherworldly foes are a sure death sentence for many adventurers, and the things they do are horrifying and incalculably evil.
Once you make it through the introductory cutscenes and begin to explore, you quickly encounter various horrifying sights. The woman trapped in the Mind Flayer Pod is one of them, and it has a point. It’s more than just a horrifying tease, it also introduces the puzzle-like mechanic that will be core to overcoming challenges in Baldur’s Gate 3.
You can interact with the pod to check it out, and it will prompt you to explore the room around you. The console near the center has a series of buttons on it. Pressing these will have various effects, including releasing the hostile thralls in the room with the pod. There’s a pretty nasty encounter there with a mage that casts Acid Arrows, so be on the lookout if you trigger the Thralls.
There’s also a locked reliquary to the side. The next room has a dead body in it, after fighting the Intellect Devourer, which contains the key to that.
The survivor trapped inside the pod is Shadowheart. She is a companion in Baldur’s Gate 3 so you don’t have to worry about failing to save her. It’s not even possible to pass the check anyway since you have no knowledge of the magic that seals the pod. So even if you can’t save her, it’s good to build that rapport, if that’s the kind of character you’re going for.
We have plenty of other guides for this game. The combat is pretty complex in Baldur’s Gate 3. Learn how combat works to get through some of the finer details. It might also help to learn how to fast travel, or maybe you want to see how short and long rests work in the game. Anyway, on to the main guide. We also have a simple guide that explains how to prepare spells as well.