What is a mindflayers path?

[croaker]

I want to play a mind flayer in my next campaign and i have a total of 3 levels to choose. im a little hesitant to choose a spellcasting class because of low caster level till epic levels and was wondering what classes would mindflayers would shine in currently im thinking of a mindflayer assassin because of giant int bonus.

and reason im not mentioning psionic way to go is because i dont know the psionic rules much. only know that instead of spells perday they have a "powersystem" ,so i dont trust myself to make a character that wont take me reading the rulebook everyround.

but yeah thanks any suggestion is welcome.

[limejuicepowder]

mindflayer's racial abilities are really strong, especially mind blast. enchance mind blast DC, stun, kill stuff. do you really need more? what level is the rest of the party?

[Tokuhara]

I want to play a mind flayer in my next campaign and i have a total of 3 levels to choose. im a little hesitant to choose a spellcasting class because of low caster level till epic levels and was wondering what classes would mindflayers would shine in currently im thinking of a mindflayer assassin because of giant int bonus.

and reason im not mentioning psionic way to go is because i dont know the psionic rules much. only know that instead of spells perday they have a "powersystem" ,so i dont trust myself to make a character that wont take me reading the rulebook everyround.

but yeah thanks any suggestion is welcome.

If you understand a mana system in a video game, you understand psionic's power point system. You have X number of points per day and Y number of powers known. How you spend X to fuel Y is up to you (minus the limit on pp/power). Therefore, I feel that new players should start at psionics and move to spellcasting. Psionics is a simpler system, but offers less power

[hex0]

Illithid Savant

[Big Fau]

so i dont trust myself to make a character that wont take me reading the rulebook everyround.

Fortunately for you, there's only one book you need to read to understand Psionics: The Expanded Psionics Handbook.

It's quick to learn, and much more balanced than the Core casting.


That aside, don't play a Mind Flayer. The level adjustment and racial HD make you very weak by comparison.

[Tokuhara]

Fortunately for you, there's only one book you need to read to understand Psionics: The Expanded Psionics Handbook.

It's quick to learn, and much more balanced than the Core casting.


That aside, don't play a Mind Flayer. The level adjustment and racial HD make you very weak by comparison.

Believe me: I tried this, and even with Monster Class, Mind Flayer is less scary

[Metahuman1]

I like the Tome of Battle classes my self, since they progress using maneuvers even if you arn't taking levels in them after you've taken that first level.

Thus, you have room to work.

[Zagaroth]

So to expand on and possibly couple the ideas above.

In the Expanded Psionics Handbook there is a Psionic version of the mindflayer, which in turn couples well with taking levels in Psion.

In the book Savage Species, there is a prestige class called Illithid Savant which is potentially very, very powerful. If you eat the right brains and select the right abilities.

In the Book of Vile Darkness, there is a prestige class called Souleater. Negative levels with every tentacle you hit with. Very useful.

Options 2 and 3 could possibly blend well together, but you'd best be playing to high level.

[Tokuhara]

So to expand on and possibly couple the ideas above.

In the Expanded Psionics Handbook there is a Psionic version of the mindflayer, which in turn couples well with taking levels in Psion.

In the book Savage Species, there is a prestige class called Illithid Savant which is potentially very, very powerful. If you eat the right brains and select the right abilities.

In the Book of Vile Darkness, there is a prestige class called Souleater. Negative levels with every tentacle you hit with. Very useful.

Options 2 and 3 could possibly blend well together, but you'd best be playing to high level.


The trick is to take a few Souleater, then go Savant

[croaker]

Thanks for all the input guys.

my group kinda rate LA on a case by case basis so right now i have LA+8 total with hit dice

and im playing with a troll barbarian ... prime.. something

and someone who wanted to be a cat so he is being a displacer beast... i know dont ask why
so we are being considered level 11 cr each
and ive looked at the ithillid savant and i was wondering what feats and whose brains i should focus on eating?

and the soul eater looks pretty awesome i have to say but i think ill roll with the ithilid savant at least till level 5 so i can steal a special attack/ability

and thanks again for suggestions

P.S.
i dont like names of most ithilids suggested in book can someone give me a cool name to wrap up the mindflayer persona ?

[hex0]

and ive looked at the ithillid savant and i was wondering what feats and whose brains i should focus on eating?


Wizards. Steal skills from rogues.

[Tokuhara]

Wizards. Steal skills from rogues.

Wizard, Sorcerer, Bard, Psion, Wilder, caster-types in general

and call yourself The Overseer. Be mysterious

[deuxhero]

What is a mindflayers path?

Know that the tentacled ones were of flesh. They relied on the flesh and used it as tools for their will.

[croaker]

thanks for input again
I dont think that Overseer will be the name but definitely his title (if he gets one)

and im not the best one at interpreting rules so when I eat a wizard of say lvl 9 power i get to cast 1 spell he knew from 1-5th level and i get bonus spells per day based on int so would my bonus spells have to be the same spell or any that he knew?

i think something like Xenether will be his "official mindflayer name" but any one on the street will get a face name of overseer or such.

[Rhatahema]

my group kinda rate LA on a case by case basis so right now i have LA+8 total with hit dice...
so we are being considered level 11 cr each...


So, not to derail build advice, but I was just wondering...Did you mean to say that you're playing at Effective Character Level (ECL) 11? Mind flayers have 8 racial Hit Dice (HD) and a +7 level adjustment (LA), making them ECL 15 before class levels. Did your group reduce the HD and LA so they amounted to ECL 8, and if so, by how much did they change each value? Challenge Rating (CR) refers to the level of difficulty of a monster when faced by players, and usually doesn't factor into building a player character.

[croaker]

well the Dm compared a level 16 to a level one mindflayer and found that to consider them equal was kinda rediculous so he took off 2 hd and swapped on a
total of +8 counting hitdice

[Rubik]

well the Dm compared a level 16 to a level one mindflayer and found that to consider them equal was kinda rediculous so he took off 2 hd and swapped on a
total of +8 counting hitdiceOkay, I can see this. Mind flayers aren't NEARLY as good as a level 15 character. Nowhere near. Like, they're level 8 or 9 for the psionic version (in the Expanded Psionics Handbook, which is all-around better), so your DM made a good call, I think.

If you can use the psionic version, do so. Psionics is easy-peasy. If you understand spellcasting, psionics is a snap.

[croaker]

yeah i was reading the expanded psionic handbook and it doesnt sound like jibberish like it did when i first started playing.

[PirateLizard]

Be like the aliens in District 9. If you have to vocalize your name it just comes out as a garbled bunch of clacks and churrs. If you check out the Book of Aberrations it has all about their language and whatnot, maybe you can find some inspiration there.

[SleepyShadow]

Convince one of your buddies to play a Beholder Monk (http://www.speedycat.com/~digitalcougar/humor/rpg_posters/MonsterPCs.jpg), then play a Mindflayer Blackguard (http://myspace.roflposters.com/images/rofl/myspace/1208055211795.jpg.[roflposters.com].myspace.jpg) and proceed to roflstomp :smalltongue:

[Wings of Peace]

Seconding Illithid Savant! :D

[croaker]

Convince one of your buddies to play a Beholder Monk (http://www.speedycat.com/~digitalcougar/humor/rpg_posters/MonsterPCs.jpg),

WAIT.... WHAT
can that seriously happen? like with the eye's wielding weapons. if so im tempted to do it myself but yeah ithilid savant is sure thing i had to spend some money so i could start off with prereq of eating cr 9 creature brain because backstory wise im kinda young so i bought a (insert cr 9 creature here)
and ate his brain and yeah good stuff thanks for the whole monk thing you made my day

[Rubik]

Needs moar mimic, gelatinous cube, and rust monster. (www.rustyandco.com)

Also, someone suggested replacing 'monk' with 'beholder' and refluff it as Buddha eye-layzors.