Illithid (Mind Flayer)
Aberration · Crown of Domination
T4d10Major
Brain-eating humanoids from the Underdark, mind flayers dominate with tentacles and psionics, harvesting intellect for their elder brain colonies.
Tier 4 · Role Major · Pool Vigor 8 / Vitality 8 · AC 12 · ATK +6 · Save DC 17 · Dmg d10
| Stat | Score | Mod | Die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | 8 | -1 | -d3 |
| Mind | 22 | +6 | d12 |
| Sense | 20 | +5 | d10 |
| Heart | 18 | +4 | d8 |
| Cunning | 20 | +5 | d10 |
| Fate | 18 | +4 | d8 |
Passives
Spellcasting (elder-brain psionics)
Its harvested intellect speaks mind-to-mind with any creature within 120 ft and turns aside magic aimed at it (advantage on saves against spells).
Maneuvers
Grasping Tentacles
A creature it hits with its tentacles is also grabbed. Grabbed creatures make Mind saves at disadvantage.
Extract Brain
A creature it has grabbed makes a Body save (DC 17): on a failure takes 4 damage, on a success takes 1 Vigor damage. A creature slain this way has its brain devoured.
Mental Command
It speaks straight to the animal part of a creature's brain within 30 ft. Mind save (DC 17) or the target obeys one simple command (drop, flee, kneel, or strike an ally) on its next turn.
Declarations
Declared in the enemy tactical window and resolved at the start of its next turn. Any Vitality it loses first forces the disruption roll: on a 1 the telegraph is lost.
Mind Blast
A wave of psychic force in a 60 ft cone. Each creature caught makes a Mind save (DC 17): on a failure takes 4 damage and is stunned 1 round, on a success takes 1 Vigor damage.
Tactics
GM tactics
Opens with Mind Blast to stun multiple targets. Grapples the most intelligent-looking victim for brain extraction. Uses Mental Command on martial threats to turn them against their allies. Retreats if outnumbered, preferring ambushes.
Running it
Rules
- Shield of Tier + Heart mod over a Vitality pool of 2 x Tier. Full Vigor at combat start; at the start of its turn it rolls 4 exploding d4s and regains 1 Vigor per 4. Dead at 0 Vigor and 0 Vitality.
- A hit rolls d10. A crit rolls two: 2d10.
- Crits on a natural 15+ (Cunning 20).
- Two or three attacks in a normal turn: multiattack is the threat scaler, and one swing a round makes it a mook.
- Any Vitality lost while a telegraph is pending forces its disruption roll; on a 1 the telegraph is lost.
- Checks morale at one-third Vitality: Heart save against the party leader's presence, or GM judgment.
- NPCs never take wounds.