3.5 Half-Illithid Illithid?

[gurgleflep]

This is probably the most idiotic question I've ever asked, but I'll ask it anyway.... Is it possible to add the half-illithid template to a normal illithid? The tadpole gets put in the ear, eats the brain and replaces it, but I don't even know if they have ear holes! Could/would it cause some form of odd cannibalism in the monstrosity that is possibly created?

The reason behind me asking this is this:
I was planning an illithid based cave system and city when out of nowhere one of the people who will be playing in the campaign being planned (was meant to start ages ago, but everybody's got jobs) asked "Yo, could a mind flayer gain the half-illithid template? It makes sense but it doesn't that it can... would he get four more tentacles or have his tentacles double in length?" To which we all laughed and joked about it.

TL;DR: Can the half-illithid template be added onto a regular illithid and what will happen if it can?

[Gazzien]

This is probably the most idiotic question I've ever asked, but I'll ask it anyway.... Is it possible to add the half-illithid template to a normal illithid? The tadpole gets put in the ear, eats the brain and replaces it, but I don't even know if they have ear holes! Could/would it cause some form of odd cannibalism in the monstrosity that is possibly created?

The reason behind me asking this is this:
I was planning an illithid based cave system and city when out of nowhere one of the people who will be playing in the campaign being planned (was meant to start ages ago, but everybody's got jobs) asked "Yo, could a mind flayer gain the half-illithid template? It makes sense but it doesn't that it can... would he get four more tentacles or have his tentacles double in length?" To which we all laughed and joked about it.

TL;DR: Can the half-illithid template be added onto a regular illithid and what will happen if it can?

RAI (in my opinion), no... because the process for creating illithid and half-illithids is the same (tadpole through the ear), but an illithid arises instead of a half-illithid depending on the race of the originating creature.

Right? AFB, so I'm not sure...

EDIT: RAW, no idea.

[gurgleflep]

RAI (in my opinion), no... because the process for creating illithid and half-illithids is the same (tadpole through the ear), but an illithid arises instead of a half-illithid depending on the race of the originating creature.

Right? AFB, so I'm not sure...

EDIT: RAW, no idea.

A regular illithid occurs when the tadpole is placed into a human and does it's thing and a half-illithid is any other race it can be applied to.

Also, what's AFB?

[Gazzien]

A regular illithid occurs when the tadpole is placed into a human and does it's thing and a half-illithid is any other race it can be applied to.

Also, what's AFB?

Away From Books~

[Psyren]

No it can't. Half-Illithid can only be added to humanoids, and Illithids are aberrations.

[Gazzien]

No it can't. Half-Illithid can only be added to humanoids, and Illithids are aberrations.

Quick! How do we convert Aberration to Humanoid?

Effigy -> Incarnate Construct is all I can think of...

Half-Illithid Incarrnate Construct Effigy Illithid!

[gurgleflep]

Quick! How do we convert Aberration to Humanoid?

Effigy -> Incarnate Construct is all I can think of...

Half-Illithid Incarrnate Construct Effigy Illithid!

What book is effigy located in?

[Gazzien]

What book is effigy located in?

Effigy is... CArc? I'm AFB, can't check right now...

It should show up in the Master Template List.

[gurgleflep]

It should show up in the Master Template List.

Okay, thank you :smallbiggrin:

[ShurikVch]

From Underdark, pg. 90

“Half-illithid” is an inherited template that can be added to any corporeal creature that is not a construct (referred to hereafter as the base creature). Illithid is definitely a corporeal creature, and usually an aberration, i. e. not a construct.
Illithid/Half-Illithid no worse than Dragon/Half-Dragon, Troll/Half-Troll or Ogre/Half-Ogre.
If you want to know, how such creature came into being, let's say: "A Wizard Did It (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AWizardDidIt)!"

[Rhynn]

I don't see why you couldn't use a half-illithid illithid to represent an illithid that is illithidier than the average illithid. An uber-illithid subspecies.

Illithid.

[Gazzien]

I don't see why you couldn't use a half-illithid illithid to represent an illithid that is illithidier than the average illithid. An uber-illithid subspecies.

Illithid.
Erm... it doesn't add extra face-tentacles, though... it's CR +3 for a couple SLA's :/ so you'd be slightly more magic-y than the normal illithid.

-sadness- Oh well.

[Psyren]

From Underdark, pg. 90

I was going off the Fiend Folio version, which specifies humanoids. The crunch is similar, though the fluff is very different. The FF version has LA while the Un version does not.


I don't see why you couldn't use a half-illithid illithid to represent an illithid that is illithidier than the average illithid. An uber-illithid subspecies.

Illithid.

Uber-illithids already exist - look up "Ulitharids" in LoM.

[137beth]

Erm... it doesn't add extra face-tentacles, though... it's CR +3 for a couple SLA's :/ so you'd be slightly more magic-y than the normal illithid.

-sadness- Oh well.

Yea, if you are going to use it, you should probably lower the CR adjustment.

Anyways, I'm still more interested in a half red half white half blue half green half black half brass half bronze half copper half gold half silver dragon applied to...something. Also note that it would get to use breath weapon 10 times per day (unless the base creature was a dragon, in which case it would be even more.)

[Gazzien]

Yea, if you are going to use it, you should probably lower the CR adjustment.

Anyways, I'm still more interested in a half red half white half blue half green half black half brass half bronze half copper half gold half silver dragon applied to...something. Also note that it would get to use breath weapon 10 times per day (unless the base creature was a dragon, in which case it would be even more.)
Apply it to an Ulitharid. Heh heh heh.

"I AM THE DRAGON-EATER"
"I WILL EAT THE DRAGONS THAT MADE ME"

Edit: make sure it's an illithid savant for more fun ^__^

[Rhynn]

Uber-illithids already exist - look up "Ulitharids" in LoM.

That means you can't make a different kind modelled by half-illithid illithids? :smallconfused:

[Psyren]

That means you can't make a different kind modelled by half-illithid illithids? :smallconfused:

You can make whatever you want. I was just pointing out that there's an existing creature for that concept.

[Gazzien]

You can make whatever you want. I was just pointing out that there's an existing creature for that concept.

Hey, Psyren, quick question - any idea what the lowest ECL Mind Flayer (true mind flayer, not Thoon Thrall) is? Or the most 'playable' one as a player character?

[Psyren]

Hey, Psyren, quick question - any idea what the lowest ECL Mind Flayer (true mind flayer, not Thoon Thrall) is? Or the most 'playable' one as a player character?

They have a savage progression in Savage Species, so the lowest playable ECL for a mind flayer would be 1.

For more on that sort of thing, Urpriest's monster guide is your best bet.

[ksbsnowowl]

Use the version of the half illithid template from Underdark; as already stated, that one isn't restricted to humanoids. The sample creature is even a half illithid beholder.

Half illithid great wyrm green dragon... Cthulhu... CR 27 creature with SR 48...

By the way, Underdark is the more recent book by 6 months.

[Gazzien]

They have a savage progression in Savage Species, so the lowest playable ECL for a mind flayer would be 1.

For more on that sort of thing, Urpriest's monster guide is your best bet.

Ah, thanks. I've read his guide, but I can't find my MM1 and I was wondering if I was missing something xnx

[Rhynn]

By the way, Underdark is the more recent book by 6 months.

The Fiend Folio is 3.0, isn't it? Or is it the one that was almost-but-not-quite 3.5 because it came out before the 3.5 rules? I know MM2 and FF are the ones that had monster conversion notes published for them. Underdark is 3.5.

[Psyren]

By the way, Underdark is the more recent book by 6 months.

Underdark is also FR-specific though. And technically, only the Fiend Folio version is actually playable since it's the one with LA.

FF was updated to 3.5 but no changes were made to its Half-Illithid in the update.

[Rhynn]

And technically, only the Fiend Folio version is actually playable since it's the one with LA.

Oops. Yeah, that would make a big difference. I don't think the setting-specificity is as much of an issue, generally, but LA — can't really be overcome.

[ksbsnowowl]

Fiend Folio was published in the transition phase. It has 3.0 DR, but 3.5 everything else (skills, feats, etc).

Although the Underdark version doesn't have a listed LA, it would be good to note, so far as I recall (I was comparing them about a month ago), there is NO difference between the two templates, aside from what it can be applied to, and the lack of a listed LA for the FR version.

[gurgleflep]

If you want to know, how such creature came into being, let's say: "A Wizard Did It (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AWizardDidIt)!"

Oh sure, blame the wizards!
I blame them for everything.


Yea, if you are going to use it, you should probably lower the CR adjustment.

Anyways, I'm still more interested in a half red half white half blue half green half black half brass half bronze half copper half gold half silver dragon applied to...something. Also note that it would get to use breath weapon 10 times per day (unless the base creature was a dragon, in which case it would be even more.)

Make it and call it a purple dragon? A collaboration of all dragon types into one uber-dragon,