The Netherbrain is the driving force in the conflict of Baldur’s Gate 3, but it doesn’t seem to be quite as smart as the lore would have us believe.
The Netherbrain is the source of basically every problem in Baldur’s Gate 3. Sure, without it the Dead Three would still be running around trying to take over the Sword Coast, and the Githyanki would probably still be ruled by a fascist dictator, but these problems would be a lot simpler if you and half the country didn’t have a tadpole wriggling around in your skull.
As an Elder Brain empowered even further by the crown of Karsus, the Netherbrain should, by all rights, be able to conquer the world. The game spends two whole acts describing how powerful Elder Brains are; it’s only via the powers of Orpheus and the goodwill of the Emperor that you can survive its call.
Additionally, anyone who plays enough of Gale’s quest, or listens to Raphael’s deal in Act 3, will know just how powerful the crown of Karsus is. After all, it’s enough to make Gale into a god. Surely an Elder Brain with that kind of power would be unstoppable.
However, this is an area where Baldur’s Gate’s lore and the need for good gameplay clash. It wouldn’t be very satisfying if the Netherbrain one-shot your entire party at the beginning of the boss fight, even though it technically should be able to.
Some players on the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit highlighted this, saying that the Netherbrain was stupid compared to a lore-accurate version.
One player summarised: “The supreme intellect of a Nether Brain is nothing compared to a story’s need for the plot to get to the end.”