Mind Flayer
by Eyal FlemingerHere is my adaptation of mind flayers. It's written with the psionics handbook in mind; if you don't use psionics IYC, replace them with the following powers (at will, once per round, at 7th level): 1. mind blast - 60' cone, 5' at the base and 20' wide at its end; all within the area must save vs. spell or be stunned for 1d10+2 rounds.
2. Charm monster
3. ESP
4. Levitate
5. Travel (self only)
6. All saves against these powers are at -4
Mind Flayer
Armour Class 5
Hit Dice 8+4*****(M)
Move 120'(40')
Attacks 4 tentacles
Damage see below
No. Appearing 1-4 (1-4)
Save As M9
Morale 9
Treasure Type A (S, T, V)
Intelligence 17
Alignment Chaotic
XP Value 3,925
Type: Monster (Very Rare)
Mind flayers stand about 6 feet tall, with hideous mauve skin which glistens with slime. The head resembles an octopus, with white eyes (no pupils are evident) and four tentacles where a mouth should be. They have three fingers and a thumb on each hand; their fingers have a reddish cast. Mind flayers have infravision to 120'. They can communicate via telepathy; they have no spoken language. Their name for their kind is illithid. They are originally from the Dimension of Nightmare, but have formed colonies on the Prime Plane. A mind flayer uses its four tentacles in combat. if a tentacle hits, it will reach the victim's brain in 1-4 rounds, drawing it forth and killing the victim. The flayer then devours the brain. They also have a variety of psionic powers:
Level Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defence Score PSPs 7 4/15/14
MT/M-, TS, Mb, +1 =Int 1d100+250
Type: attack, mind control, travel
Psychokinesis: Detonate, Control Body*, Levitation*
Psychometabolism: Body Equilibrium* (only)
Psychoportation: Probability Travel*, Teleport*, Astral Projection*
Telepathy: Domination*, Awe, ESP*, Post-Hypnotic Suggestion*
* - always have this power
In combat, a mind flayer will seek to capture prisoners. These will become slaves and an emergency food supply. Mind flayers live in large underground communities of 200 to 2,000 illithids, plus at least two slaves each. The slave's minds have been stripped of any independent thinking ability, so they obey without question. Mind flayers hate sunlight and avoid it whenever possible. The centre of each community is the elder-brain, a pool of briny brain fluid which contains the brains of a community's dead illithids. Due to their powerful mental abilities, their brains remain alive after the bodies have been destroyed, and the telepathic unions of these dead brains rules the community. The elder-brain has a range of 2 to 5 miles, depending on the size and age of the community. The elder-brain cannot attack, but it can warn mind flayers of the presence of thinking creatures, so a mind flayer in its radius cannot be surprised by intelligent creatures. The telepathic range of the elder-brain defines the borders of the community, though it will often send raiding parties further. Mind flayers are extremely arrogant, viewing all other species as cattle to be preyed on.
They prefer to eat the brains of intelligent creatures. Illithids are sexless, living the first 10 years of life like tadpoles.
Terrain: any subterranean