Two heads, one mind (a question about 3.5 races)

[Noctis Vigil]

So I was recently asked a question as a GM, and I couldn't think of an answer off the top of my head. Thus, I posit the question here:

What playable races are there that have more than one head, but mentally only one mind? I seem to recall a race from Dragon that was two bodies with a single mind/soul/lifeforce/something, but couldn't find it myself. Does anyone know what it is/where to find it, or know of any others like it?

[Silverbit]

I think you want the Dvati from the Dragon Compendium. Aside from that, I can't think of any others.

[Aegis013]

I believe it's called Dvati? I'm not sure which Dragon Mag issue it's from. (Swordsage'd)

Alternatively there is the lernean multi-headed template from WotC website. (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20020621a)

[Bakeru]

The Dvati from the Dragon Magazine (#271) are actually a second edition race, and are just telepathic siblings.
The Dragon Compendium has a 3rd edition version of them, makes them into "one char, one mind, two bodies" and has a boxed "Try at your own risk"-warning.

[Noctis Vigil]

Specifically, I was asked from the perspective of creating a new race, which essentially was a lamia with a torso and head on both ends as far as I could tell. He wanted it to only have one mind shared between the two heads, and I couldn't find any examples of stuff like that in a quick search. Not that I'd let a player get their mitts on, anyways.

[Devils_Advocate]

Multiple-headed creatures like chimeras (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/chimera.htm) and ettins (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/ettin.htm) generally don't seem to be especially treated by the rules as having separate minds anyway. The real issue with the type of creature you described is facing, which has to be hacked into a system that excludes it by default. I'd say that this monster not only couldn't be flanked, but could full attack two different creatures per round provided that they would normally count as flanking it. Which... would probably be pretty difficult to use, most of the time? Fairly situational. The flanking immunity would be the main benefit there.

Probably an Aberration, 'cause man, that be freaky.

[Just to Browse]

Re-fluffing is easy. A character with Eyes in the Back of Your Head is pretty much indistinguishable from a double-headed creature outside of potential spellcasting shenanigans. But if your player wants spellcasting shenanigans, they should just ask for them upfront.

[Osiris]

I believe that there is a multi-headed template somewhere in the monster manual, but it doesn't really say if the creature has one mind or two. :smallsigh: Yes, it could be with two brains, but not necessarily.

BTW, why do you want to know about odd two-headed monstrosities?

[Darrin]

Dolgrim (Eberron Campaign Setting) have two brains (and only one head) but get something similar to "Superior Two Weapon Fighting (Ex)" enjoyed by ettins. LA +2.

Synads have something called a "three-fold mind" that gives them an extra swift action 1/day.

[The Viscount]

Synads are in fact the reverse, sort of. They have three minds in one head.

[Noctis Vigil]

BTW, why do you want to know about odd two-headed monstrosities?

Reason one is listed above: creation of a multiheaded race. However, the guy also mentioned the possibility of them idolizing Tiamat, which led to the question: does Tiamat have one mind, or five? I've always assumed one, but it that correct?

[Osiris]

Going back to the part about the threefold mind, do you mean, as a swift action you gain a standard action, or a full round action, or just an action to cast feather fall or something? :smallconfused:

[TuggyNE]

Going back to the part about the threefold mind, do you mean, as a swift action you gain a standard action, or a full round action, or just an action to cast feather fall or something? :smallconfused:

They get an extra swift action (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm#swiftActions) (presumably with no activation action cost). What part of that is confusing?

[Coidzor]

Reason one is listed above: creation of a multiheaded race. However, the guy also mentioned the possibility of them idolizing Tiamat, which led to the question: does Tiamat have one mind, or five? I've always assumed one, but it that correct?

Well, I think there's some room for interpreting Tiamat as an emergent consciousness at least in the fanon. I seem to recall a story circulating about the 5 heads she has being depicted as having gotten jealous of/angry at the orange/purple/yellow/brown/etc. heads and chewing them off.

[The Viscount]

Don't know about Tiamat, but Demogorgon has two separate minds and personalities (they even have names) that hate each other. Don't know how that works out. What I wonder about is how something like a hydra manages to coordinate with an Int of 2. Perhaps they have brains in their bodies like a Pierson's Puppeteer.

[Bakeru]

Don't know about Tiamat, but Demogorgon has two separate minds and personalities (they even have names) that hate each other. Don't know how that works out.As with any group of demons: Permanent infighting, unless they see something they hate even more then each other.

Yes, Demogorgon is stated to be the most powerful demon of all, but he's kept in check by the fact that he's literally his own enemy.