Illithid (Mind-Flayers)

[Fizban]

Illithid (Mind-Flayers)

Concept: The well known evil brain-sucker monster.
Beliefs:
1. Living underground is the best.
2. We are the smurtest creature, much more than men and elves and such.
3. Smurt's people brains taste better.

Instincts:
1. Try to figure out who is the smurtest enemy.
2. First paralyse, second suck his brain.
3. Flee when Midily wounded.

Traits: Squid-Head, Suckers, Leathery Skin, Tentacles (4, on the mouth), Camouflage, Tunnel-Vision.

Stats: Will G7, Perception B6, Agility B5, Speed B4, Power B4, Forte B4

Attributes: Steel G5, Health B7, Reflexes B5, Mortal Wound B10

PTGS: Superficial B3, Light B5, Midi B7, Severe B8, Traumatic B9, Mortal B10

Skills: Brawling B5, Falsehood G6, Stealthy B6, Observation B6, Intimidation G6, Persuation G5, wise (any two) B6

Psionic Abilities:
Illithids can read minds and use telepathy. In addition, they can use the spells Persuasion and Philosopher's Perch using their Will. There is no Tax for using those abilities.

Mind Blast:
Mind Blast is a psionic ability. When the Illithid activate this ability (1 action), any victim he chooses must make a steel test, and if the victim fails the test, he must stand and drool.

Extract: An Illithid can suck the brain of any of his locked victim, if he locked at least 2 dice (or 3 if the lowest victim's stat is 5 or higher). Extracting takes one actions, and sucks 1 Mental point (roll DoF: 1-2 Will, 3-4 Perception, 5-6 both). The loss is permanent. Anyone who gets to zero Will or Perception exponent is instantly dead.

[MetalBard]

Yikes... that thing is potent. I'd make that a "one of a kind" monster like the minotaur. It could be lord of its own evil brain realm.

[Mickeroo]

Yeah, that thing sounds really powerful. 2 things: First, the G7 will may be a little much, I don't know. That makes for a very powerful mind-beast.

2nd, the mind blast ability. It has no draw backs? You may want to have something like an opposed will check and if the victim fails, then make him take a steel test. Granted, with a g7 will, the victim will almost always fail, but if you are going to lower that a little anyway, they at least have a chance. ANd maybe make it take more than 1 actions, like 3 or 4.

[MetalBard]

Yeah, that thing sounds really powerful. 2 things: First, the G7 will may be a little much, I don't know. That makes for a very powerful mind-beast.

2nd, the mind blast ability. It has no draw backs? You may want to have something like an opposed will check and if the victim fails, then make him take a steel test. Granted, with a g7 will, the victim will almost always fail, but if you are going to lower that a little anyway, they at least have a chance. ANd maybe make it take more than 1 actions, like 3 or 4.

Yeah, I agree, G7 Will is a little extreme. And for the mindblast thing, I'd make it 4 actions.

It seems that this mindflayer works a little too much like its D&D counterpart. You may want to take a look at the background and setting for this monster. Is it unique? If not, you've got an unholy race of indominatable conquerors on your hands...

[RickoniX]

Yeah, that thing sounds really powerful. 2 things: First, the G7 will may be a little much, I don't know. That makes for a very powerful mind-beast.

2nd, the mind blast ability. It has no draw backs? You may want to have something like an opposed will check and if the victim fails, then make him take a steel test. Granted, with a g7 will, the victim will almost always fail, but if you are going to lower that a little anyway, they at least have a chance. ANd maybe make it take more than 1 actions, like 3 or 4.

Yeah, I agree, G7 Will is a little extreme. And for the mindblast thing, I'd make it 4 actions.

It seems that this mindflayer works a little too much like its D&D counterpart. You may want to take a look at the background and setting for this monster. Is it unique? If not, you've got an unholy race of indominatable conquerors on your hands...That's exactly the point with Illithids , just hope there are no neothelids around :twisted:

[Kublai]

This example would be good if the illithids were invading. The campaign would be about fighting off these extremely powerful aliens. It could be a lot of fun!

[Mickeroo]

True, but if you're making the enemies as powerful as they are in DND, then shouldn't the hereoes be as strong as well? Just my opinion, but I think that if there's something very powerful out there, it should at least have a good weakness that the heroes not only have to discover, but learn how to exploit. My suggestion would be: make it easy to find it's weakness, but difficult to execute. That way, they don't have to think of how to find one, which could be very difficult, but they still have to think of a way to use that knowledge, which would be generally easier.

[MetalBard]

True, but if you're making the enemies as powerful as they are in DND, then shouldn't the hereoes be as strong as well? Just my opinion, but I think that if there's something very powerful out there, it should at least have a good weakness that the heroes not only have to discover, but learn how to exploit. My suggestion would be: make it easy to find it's weakness, but difficult to execute. That way, they don't have to think of how to find one, which could be very difficult, but they still have to think of a way to use that knowledge, which would be generally easier.

That's an interesting idea, but I'm having a hard time thinking of something that could be difficult to execute. The only thing I'm coming up with is running water and vampires. Maybe someone else can come up with something better.

[Kublai]

Maybe if they eat dead people's brains, they go into a coma? How do you get an illithid to eat dead people? Make them zombies of course! Then you'll have an army of invading zombie mind-flayers to deal with! ..... :oops:

[Kublai]

Even better! The only proof against brain-eating is to wear specially-made helmets. Only dwarfs are capable of making them, but no one has seen a dwarf for ages.

[MetalBard]

Maybe if they eat dead people's brains, they go into a coma? How do you get an illithid to eat dead people? Make them zombies of course! Then you'll have an army of invading zombie mind-flayers to deal with! ..... :oops:

oy...

[Mickeroo]

I think that an important question to ask is: How are you going to work it into your campaign? From here, it would be easier to determine a good way to deal with it. Maybe the mind flayer is looking for someone that they need a live, but they don't know what he/she looks like, so it can't go sucking out everyone's brains until he finds the person he's looking for. That can buy the heroes a little time

[Fizban]

Well, Mind Flayers are strong, I didn't say they not.
I didn't hear anybody complaining about the dragons and devils and such.
So Mind Flayers are super-genius creatures that can paralyse their victims. As someone here allready said, you can use helmet to protect yourself from his tentacles.
Anyway, they usually works alone, and take thralls, not allways kill their victims, And they have no other harming attack, by the way. Just stay away of them, don't let'em come.
And maybe it will be really better if the using of mindblast will work like that:
The Illithid rolls will. to effect one victim: Ob4. for any additional victim: +1 Ob.
If you think it is still too strong, make it two actions to use.
I don't think you need any more sanction to do.

[Mickeroo]

Well, Dragons and Demons everyone knows are strong, mindflayers don't seem TOO bad to me. Besides, when I posted a monster here with a B7 will, I got called on it, so I figured a grey stat that high would need to be lowered too.

As for making Mind Blast a straight ob 4, I would change it to an opposed will test to represent how the weak minded are more suseptible to it. Maybe The mindflayer's obstacle is the victim's will test +1 or 2.