My DM is letting me play an Illithid!

[G.Cube]

So one of my friends is going to run a small no-storyline, mini evil campaign that when can play whenever I want a break from DMing and when players just feel like creating chaos.... and she gave me the green light to play an Illithid.

I am so overly-stoked for this, so I come to you oh creative and knowledgeable Playgrounders, what should I do with this awesome opportunity!? Illithid Savant perhaps? Gimme your greatest and most hilarious ideas!

Character creation guidelines:

Starting at level eight
All books allowed
30,000gp to start with.

[Rubik]

I had an idea that consisted of a ghost character with the Illithid Heritage and Illithid Grapple feats to give him tentacles. Every time he'd possess something with his Malevolence ability, his victim would explode into tentacles, ready to eat face.

[TrueJordan]

You should ask her if you could play as a gelatinous cube or at least G. cube/Illithid.
Barring that, Illithad Savant looks like it could be stupid. Do that.

[Zanos]

How's your DM handling the 8 RHD and the +7 LA?

[Fouredged Sword]

Yeah, what level are you playing at and how are you dealing with the LA? On one hand, you can do a lot of cool stuff with Illithid. On the other hand a Elan Psion level 15 is better than an illithid and can chase one down and true mind switch with it for all your brain eating needs, or just get a supernatural POA into one.

[G.Cube]

How's your DM handling the 8 RHD and the +7 LA?

Since we're starting at level eight I'm assuming free, I shot her a text asking just to be sure, no reply yet.


Yeah, what level are you playing at and how are you dealing with the LA? On one hand, you can do a lot of cool stuff with Illithid. On the other hand a Elan Psion level 15 is better than an illithid and can chase one down and true mind switch with it for all your brain eating needs, or just get a supernatural POA into one.

Ironically, this was my exact race and class pick, it'll be my first Psionic character, so thanks for the heads up about true mind switch!

[Inevitability]

Hm... Find a couple of other mind flayers and spawn some voidmind creatures? A dozen of disposable minions that can be manifested through can be very useful.

[Fouredged Sword]

If you are dropping the LA, it is a GREAT race. You are a powerful caster that is somewhere in the T1-2 range depending on optimisation. Psions are great at mixing it up in melee, and you can instakill any brained creature if you play a grappling build.

I would go for the following feats

Expanded Knowledge (expansion)
Willing Deformity (take a flaw)
Deformity (tall) - 1st level feat
Improved Grapple
Psycrystal affinity (take a flaw)

Share pain with your psicrystal and share vigor with it for tons of damage soak. Wade into combat as a huge creature, pulling targets into a grapple with your extra long reach and eat them.