Volo the blustering bard will offer to help with your parasite problem in Baldur’s Gate 3. But is his makeshift ocular surgery really worth the risks?

Summary

• Letting Volo perform the surgery in Baldur's Gate 3 results in companion disapproval, but it gives the player a prosthesis called Volo's Ersatz Eye.
• The Ersatz Eye grants the effects of the see invisibility spell, but also comes with a temporary debuff.
• Volo's surgery doesn't affect Illithid powers, but may lock the party out of certain side quests. If he's turned down, he'll simply leave without protest.

There are many purported cures for the tadpole parasites that plague the party in Baldur's Gate 3, and one of those is the bard Volo's experimental surgery. Players are liable to first meet Volo in the Emerald Grove, where he's interviewing a druid in Wild Shape about the recent goblin-tiefling conflicts. He twists their words to craft an exaggerated account of their recent battle, before disappearing from the grove. As it turns out, Volo's been kidnapped by goblins and forced to perform odes to their leader Dror Ragzlin. The party needs to rescue him if they want to see more of the blustering bard.

Once Volo has been freed from his goblin clutches, he'll start to appear back at camp. If Tav lets him examine them, he'll learn of their mind flayer parasite and offer to do a little research on getting rid of it. After a few long rests, Volo pipes up again: he's found a way to get rid of the parasite, and, armed with a needle, he's ready to perform the requisite surgery right away. All but the strongest-stomached players may have long since balked at the idea, but letting Volo undertake the treatment procedure can result in some interesting consequences.

What Happens If You Let Volo Take Your Eye In Baldur's Gate 3?

First, if Tav says yes to Volo's procedure, every single Baldur's Gate 3 companion will disapprove. Talking to Wyll after the procedure does result in a cute little piece of unique dialogue in which he welcomes Tav to the one-eye club, but that doesn't do much to recoup any affinity they've lost with him. But by the time all the disapproval popups fade away from the screen, Volo has already set to work with his needle. There are a series of dialogue choices that follow; Tav can attempt to stop Volo midway through the surgery, and if they do so, will get up from the operating table without any consequences.

But if Volo is allowed to proceed, he'll attempt to extract the parasite with the needle before moving onto a more "robust" instrument - an icepick. The scene mercifully cuts away before anything too gory happens, but Tav can curse, shout, or mumble through the procedure until Volo holds his icepick aloft, triumphant. Except what's on the end of it isn't a parasite at all. It's Tav's right eye.

Now, how Tav chooses to respond here doesn't much matter, but most of the choices involve appropriate measures of panic and rage. The would-be surgeon cowers, and by way of apology, gives Tav a lovely little prosthesis called Volo's Ersatz Eye. This is equipped automatically, and has two permanent effects. The first is cosmetic; the false eye will always glow blue, regardless of the player's eye color choices during Baldur's Gate 3 character creation. The second effect is permanent application of the see invisibility spell. This affords the player chances to reveal hidden objects and enemies to the rest of the party.

There's also a debuff associated with Volo's surgery, but it's temporary, and can be dispelled with a long rest or simply by waiting a few moments in camp. The unintentional evisceration leaves Tav with two stacks of the Bleeding Eye effect, which imposes disadvantage on all Perception checks. In guilt (or perhaps fear of retaliation), Volo flees the camp, never to be seen again. Tav is still infected with the parasite, but is free to pursue other methods of treatment. However, letting Volo take their eye precludes them from accepting Auntie Ethel's help later in Baldur's Gate 3.

What Happens If You Turn Volo Down In Baldur's Gate 3?

Just as the entire party disapproves when Tav decides to undergo Volo's surgery, they all approve of their turning him down. They miss out on this version of the see invisibility effect, which can still be applied by casting the spell of the same name, using a scroll, or equipping certain powerful magic items in Baldur's Gate 3. Volo leaves camp after the fact either way, and Tav may still try alternative remedies for their parasite, including Auntie Ethel's offer.

You Should Let Volo Try His Surgery In Baldur's Gate 3

Ultimately, Tav is better off letting Volo take their eye. The disgust and disapproval from all involved companions is pretty negligible, and can easily be recouped later by working on their personal quests. It may seem counterintuitive, but the Ersatz Eye Volo provides in exchange actually does Tav far more good than their organic right eye ever could. The see invisibility effect doesn't work 100% of the time - enemies still need to fail a roll in order to be revealed - but when it does, it's a major boon.

Many of the toughest enemies in the game are the ones who turn invisible to defend themselves. Attacking an invisible enemy is almost impossible. Even if the party finds out where they are, targeting them is difficult, and they have disadvantage on the ensuing attack roll. Volo's Ersatz Eye gives them the opportunity to dispel this advantage completely, which can make some of the most difficult challenges, like killing Yurgir in Baldur's Gate 3, far easier.

Moreover, the party really isn't missing out on anything by locking themselves out of Auntie Ethel's treatment. If they allow her to take one of their eyes instead, they'll receive a permanent debuff, with a -1 penalty to all Perception rolls and disadvantage on attack rolls against hags throughout the entire game. There's really only one hag to be had, and there is a +1 bonus to Intimidation in the mix, but Auntie Ethel's help just isn't worth the trouble. In fact, Volo's eye gives the party a significant advantage against Auntie Ethel, who relies heavily on trickery and invisibility to defend herself in pitched battle.

Finally, it's worth noting that none of the player's Illithid powers, if they have any, are affected by the decision over whether to let Volo perform surgery. After all, he doesn't even wind up removing the tadpole in the end; Tav's situation remains pretty much the same as it always has been, except with a shiny new eye. While the decision is ultimately up to the player, there's really no reason to turn down Volo's treatment. Its few negative consequences are only temporary, while its positive effects follow the player for the remainder of their time with Baldur's Gate 3.