A Brainstealer Dragon appears!

[atemu1234]

I've decided to make use of a few old copies of Dragon Magazine (and by old I mean a half decade at most. Old is relative) and took a monster from it, the Brainstealer dragon. I'm thinking of either making it a boss in a mindflayer city-based adventure or maybe just having it be an enemy in the underdark. Any suggestions? Roleplaying wise, I mean.

[(Un)Inspired]

I know this advice is really unspecific but I would make the Dragon an unexpected ally as opposed to an enemy. It's easy to fit a monster in as an enemy to by smashed and it's even more easy when the dragon is one that specifically steals brains. If you make is a necessary ally or even a tense friend then your party will be be thrown off balance and will love you for it.

[HunterOfJello]

If it ultimately captures them, then have it refuse to eat their brains because it suspects that their stupidity may rub off on him.

[Jeff the Green]

If it ultimately captures them, then have it refuse to eat their brains because it suspects that their stupidity may rub off on him.

That's an interesting concept: an illithid enclave that's set up an array of devious, yet non-lethal, traps in the entrance to its lair. The reward for getting through is being eaten, since you've proved your intellect. Those captured are turned into thrills.

[atemu1234]

I like the "ally" idea. The thing is, they're lawful evil, which sets it up perfectly to be an informant or the devil you know kind of thing. Makes a simple but difficult problem: It's evil, but it's got gold, and it's working against something far worse. It'd be interesting to see my PCs react to that.

[(Un)Inspired]

I like the way you think

[atemu1234]

Same goes for you. Maybe I'll take a name for it from the Drow names found in Drow of the Underdark. Otherwise, his name will probably Bran'ranon'ok'til, or as my party will probably take to calling him, brainy.

[Flickerdart]

That's an interesting concept: an illithid enclave that's set up an array of devious, yet non-lethal, traps in the entrance to its lair. The reward for getting through is being eaten, since you've proved your intellect.
There was an old sci-fi story about something like this - a mysterious complex presents gradually more complex puzzles to visitors, luring them deeper inside. The protagonists believe there is a great prize in the centre and augment their intellects through various biomechanical ways until they are smart enough for the structure to devour and gain sustenance.



Those captured are turned into thrills.
:smalleek:

[atemu1234]

I may actually use that idea too. I've designed a few epic level campaigns, one of which involves a Paragon Ulitharid Illithid Savant 56 who essentially runs the Mindflayer underdark in my campaigns. Brainy would make an interesting opponent to him, trying to gain control from the Paragon. Granted, the paragon Ulitharid is something like CR 80, while Brainy probably won't be nearly is powerful. Still, Brainy is a dragon, and there's only one paragon, so it's likely that the paragon would still think twice about killing him, especially with the popular support that brainy has.

[MadGreenSon]

That's an interesting concept: an illithid enclave that's set up an array of devious, yet non-lethal, traps in the entrance to its lair. The reward for getting through is being eaten, since you've proved your intellect.

There was an old sci-fi story about something like this - a mysterious complex presents gradually more complex puzzles to visitors, luring them deeper inside. The protagonists believe there is a great prize in the centre and augment their intellects through various biomechanical ways until they are smart enough for the structure to devour and gain sustenance.


Those captured are turned into thrills.

:smalleek:
:smalleek: gotta agree there, my mind went to a very bad place.

Great idea otherwise though! I might steal it myself.

[atemu1234]

An update: The dragon is named Quasinebossk, using rules given in Dragon Magazine for Illithid naming. He's a Mature Adult Brainstealer Dragon, and his lair is full of mooks with fun beings newly installed with mind blast relays. He has a couple mind flayer servants, and I, as DM, decided that Quasinebossk can make Voidmind creatures. It makes sense. His stats are normal for a Brainstealer dragon, and has 28 skill ranks in Bluff, Gather Information, Survival, Listen, Search, Spot, and Diplomacy, and 14 ranks in Concentration and Intimidate. His feats are Track, Improved Natural Attack (Tentacle), Endurance, Diehard, Run, Improved Initiative, Blind-Fight, Scribe Scroll, and Craft Wondrous Item. In other words, he's fun for a DM, less so for a player. Also, he likes overworld tea. Don't ask why. And when he uses his telepathy to communicate, he sounds like he has a british accent. Anything else?

[atemu1234]

Also, I think maybe later the Ulitharid will make Brainy into a Voidminded creature against his will when Brainy becomes too big an annoyance. It'd fit the character profile.