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View Full Version : What would an Illithid lich look like?



YossarianLives
2015-07-18, 01:09 AM
I'll be including one in my campaign at some point and am stumped as Illithids probably don't have bones.

There is probably no right answer to this but I though it would be an interesting topic of discussion.

Draken
2015-07-18, 01:16 AM
I'll be including one in my campaign at some point and am stumped as Illithids probably don't have bones.

There is probably no right answer to this but I though it would be an interesting topic of discussion.

Illithids proper do have bones, as they are more or less built into the chassis of a human or elf, mostly with a modified skull.

Alhoons have mostly been shown to be more on the wight-like side of undead appearance, however. They keep the skin over the bones and at least enough muscle to keep the tentacles.

YossarianLives
2015-07-18, 01:17 AM
Illithids proper do have bones, as they are more or less built into the chassis of a human or elf, mostly with a modified skull.

Alhoons have mostly been shown to be more on the wight-like side of undead appearance, however. They keep the skin over the bones and at least enough muscle to keep the tentacles.
I had no idea Alhoons were even a thing that existed. That's terrifying.

Mr Beer
2015-07-18, 02:09 AM
I think of liches as dried-out zombies or unwrapped mummies if you prefer. For my Illithid Lich, I would want the face tentacles intact, so choice one would be dried, leathery things gently moving around it's elongated skull.

The other choice would be to change the whole look to actively rotting and slimy, basically with the full gross-out putrescence thing happening, and the eyes glowing with bacterial luminescence. The face tentacles would be dead, cold and stinking like a barrel load of rotting fish, yet imbued with eldritch strength.

Belkarseviltwin
2015-07-18, 06:12 AM
It might also look something like a Jenny Haniver (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Haniver) (kind of creepy photo).

Dusk Eclipse
2015-07-18, 10:53 AM
Here is an image of an Alhoon, from Lords of Madness IIRC.
http://www.johnmsteele.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/AD&D/Settings/SpellJammer/Others/WldWldWst/Illithids/Lysixx.jpg

NRSASD
2015-07-18, 12:02 PM
According to this source, Illithids don't take to the lich process well, and try to avoid the dessication that follows. You could try to pull a fast one on your players and describe it as looking like a diseased Illithid, with a sickly pallor and dry, flaking skin. Anyways, here's a 2nd edition source on Alhoons. http://www.lomion.de/cmm/alhoon.php

Endarire
2015-07-20, 01:09 AM
NR: That Alhoon picture looks like a gansta rap illithid!

hamishspence
2015-07-20, 12:50 PM
Another fairly good 3rd ed era Alhoon pic - this time from Monsters of Faerun:

http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/mof_gallery/MonFaePG89.jpg

Jaredino
2015-07-20, 03:39 PM
Alhoons are cool, but they don't look much creepier than normal Illithid, and the creep factor is a pretty big deal.
Maybe have the skin of the Illithid become almost transparent, allowing the brain to be seen. Maybe describe the flesh as a throbbing mass, with decaying tentacles that have glow faintly with dark magics. Have the beak exposed, like an octopus.

Draken
2015-07-20, 05:36 PM
Alhoons are cool, but they don't look much creepier than normal Illithid, and the creep factor is a pretty big deal.
Maybe have the skin of the Illithid become almost transparent, allowing the brain to be seen. Maybe describe the flesh as a throbbing mass, with decaying tentacles that have glow faintly with dark magics. Have the beak exposed, like an octopus.

Lamprey mouth, actually.

hamishspence
2015-07-20, 05:57 PM
Some illithids have beaks, some toothed maws.

RedMage125
2015-07-22, 07:53 PM
Some illithids have beaks, some toothed maws.

Well, only going back to 2e, they've been described as having the lamprey-like mouth. And that's 2e-5e.

Mr Beer
2015-07-22, 07:56 PM
The 'toothy anus' look is certainly creepier than a beak.

hamishspence
2015-07-24, 02:30 AM
Well, only going back to 2e, they've been described as having the lamprey-like mouth. And that's 2e-5e.

I vaguely recall at least one beaked illithid in a 2e Monster manual - and one in the 3e DMG (Darkvision section).