Post by Zeda on Apr 2, 2018 13:40:07 GMT -6
Illithid
The illithid, or mind flayer, is an evil and feared creature of the Underground; its powers are formidable and it feeds on the brains of any creature it encounters. Using magical powers, it enslaves or destroys its foes, which include such powerful creatures as kuo-toa.
Mind Flayers stand about 6 feet tall and have hideous mauve skin that glistens with slime. The head resembles an octopus, with white eyes (no pupils are evident) and four tentacles around its mouth, a round, many-toothed orifice like that of a lamprey. The creature has three reddish fingers and a thumb on each hand.
Illithids have infravision. They can communicate with any creatures via innate telepathy; they have no spoken language, although they often accompany their thoughts with hissing, and the eager lashing of their tentacles. Mind flayers dress in flowing robes, often with high, stiff collars, adorned with symbols of death and despair.
Combat:
A mind flayer’s preferred method of attack is the mind blast, projected in a cone 60 feet long, 5 feet wide at the mind flayer, and 20 feet wide at the opposite end. The illithid tries to grab one or two stunned victims and escape with them.
The illithid keeps some victims as slaves and feeds on the brains of the others. When devouring the brain of a stunned victim, it inserts its tentacles into the victim’s skull and draws out its brain, killing the victim in one round. A mind flayer can also use its tentacles in combat; it does so only when surprised or when attacking a single, unarmed victim. A tentacle does no damage while holding, and can be removed with great strength. Once all four tentacles have attached to the victim, the mind flayer has found a path to the brain and kills the victim in one minute. A mind flayer can also cast charms, use ESP, levitate, astral project and control thoughts of other. If an encounter is going against a mind flayer, it will immediately flee, seeking to save itself regardless of its treasure or its fellows.
Habitat/Society:
Mind flayers hate sunlight and avoid it when possible. They live in underground cities of 200 to 2,000 illithids, plus at least two slaves per illithid. All the slaves are under the effects of a charm, and obey their illithid masters without question.
The center of a community is its elder brain, a pool of briny fluid that contains the brains of the city’s dead mind flayers. Due to the mental powers of illithids, the elder brain is still sentient, and the telepathic union of its brains rules the community. The elder brain has a telepathic range of 2 to 5 miles, depending on its age and size. It does not attack, but telepathically warns the mind flayers of the presence of thinking creatures, so a mind flayer within its telepathic radius can be surprised only by non-intelligent creatures. The range of the elder brain determines the territory claimed and defended by the community, though raiding parties are sent far beyond this limit.
Mind flayers have no family structure. Their social activities include eating, communicating with the elder brain, and debating on the best tactics to conquer the Underground. For amusement, they inflict pain on their captives and force slaves to fight in gladiatorial games.
Mind flayers are arrogant, viewing all other species only as cattle to be fed upon. They prefer to eat the brains of thinking creatures.
Ecology:
Mind flayers live about 125 years. They are warm-blooded amphibians, and spend the first 10 years of life as tadpoles, swimming in the elder-brain pool until they either die (which most do) or grow into adult illithids. Illithids have no gender; each can produce one tadpole twice in its life.
Mind flayer ichor is a highly effective ingredient in potions.
Mind Flayers stand about 6 feet tall and have hideous mauve skin that glistens with slime. The head resembles an octopus, with white eyes (no pupils are evident) and four tentacles around its mouth, a round, many-toothed orifice like that of a lamprey. The creature has three reddish fingers and a thumb on each hand.
Illithids have infravision. They can communicate with any creatures via innate telepathy; they have no spoken language, although they often accompany their thoughts with hissing, and the eager lashing of their tentacles. Mind flayers dress in flowing robes, often with high, stiff collars, adorned with symbols of death and despair.
Combat:
A mind flayer’s preferred method of attack is the mind blast, projected in a cone 60 feet long, 5 feet wide at the mind flayer, and 20 feet wide at the opposite end. The illithid tries to grab one or two stunned victims and escape with them.
The illithid keeps some victims as slaves and feeds on the brains of the others. When devouring the brain of a stunned victim, it inserts its tentacles into the victim’s skull and draws out its brain, killing the victim in one round. A mind flayer can also use its tentacles in combat; it does so only when surprised or when attacking a single, unarmed victim. A tentacle does no damage while holding, and can be removed with great strength. Once all four tentacles have attached to the victim, the mind flayer has found a path to the brain and kills the victim in one minute. A mind flayer can also cast charms, use ESP, levitate, astral project and control thoughts of other. If an encounter is going against a mind flayer, it will immediately flee, seeking to save itself regardless of its treasure or its fellows.
Habitat/Society:
Mind flayers hate sunlight and avoid it when possible. They live in underground cities of 200 to 2,000 illithids, plus at least two slaves per illithid. All the slaves are under the effects of a charm, and obey their illithid masters without question.
The center of a community is its elder brain, a pool of briny fluid that contains the brains of the city’s dead mind flayers. Due to the mental powers of illithids, the elder brain is still sentient, and the telepathic union of its brains rules the community. The elder brain has a telepathic range of 2 to 5 miles, depending on its age and size. It does not attack, but telepathically warns the mind flayers of the presence of thinking creatures, so a mind flayer within its telepathic radius can be surprised only by non-intelligent creatures. The range of the elder brain determines the territory claimed and defended by the community, though raiding parties are sent far beyond this limit.
Mind flayers have no family structure. Their social activities include eating, communicating with the elder brain, and debating on the best tactics to conquer the Underground. For amusement, they inflict pain on their captives and force slaves to fight in gladiatorial games.
Mind flayers are arrogant, viewing all other species only as cattle to be fed upon. They prefer to eat the brains of thinking creatures.
Ecology:
Mind flayers live about 125 years. They are warm-blooded amphibians, and spend the first 10 years of life as tadpoles, swimming in the elder-brain pool until they either die (which most do) or grow into adult illithids. Illithids have no gender; each can produce one tadpole twice in its life.
Mind flayer ichor is a highly effective ingredient in potions.
HOMEWORK
Are Illithids worth conserving and protecting? Given their nature, would they be good candidates for alternative guards for Azkaban? If you encounter an Illithid, what should you do?