Illithid cannibalism

[Raishoiken]

So say an illithid savant who has one use of Acquire Class Feature left (already took two other class features). If they were to consume the brain of another savant who has yet to take any class features, would the former be able to take more features? For example:
Acquire class feature 1: fighter Bonus feats
2: sneak attack
3: acquire class features b:
1b: wizard casting
2b: cleric casting
Etc... Or
Would they just lose the ones they already took or would nothing actually happen? I was pretty sure there was something somewhere about acquiring the same class feature twice but i don't remember where that is

[Curmudgeon]

There's usually no gain from having the same class feature twice. If you've got proficiency with all martial weapons, and you've got proficiency with all martial weapons a second time, you've still just got proficiency with all martial weapons; there's no improvement. A very few class features give you something extra. Example:
If a rogue already has uncanny dodge from a different class she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

[Crake]

I feel like you also might be misreading the ability. It's not that the illithid savant gains 1/2/3 class features over all, but rather 1/2/3 class features per brain. If you want more class features, just go out and eat more brains, or find a way to force a resurrection, this includes paying people to eat their brains then resurrect them, possibly by means of something like eating an efreeti's brain and getting the ability to grant 3 wishes. 1 is used to resurrect the victim, the other two can be used to pay for the priviledge. Bonus points if you find a level 20 healer and get their true resurrection ability to make it a lossless system.

[atemu1234]

I feel like you also might be misreading the ability. It's not that the illithid savant gains 1/2/3 class features over all, but rather 1/2/3 class features per brain. If you want more class features, just go out and eat more brains, or find a way to force a resurrection, this includes paying people to eat their brains then resurrect them, possibly by means of something like eating an efreeti's brain and getting the ability to grant 3 wishes. 1 is used to resurrect the victim, the other two can be used to pay for the priviledge. Bonus points if you find a level 20 healer and get their true resurrection ability to make it a lossless system.

A level twenty illithid healer.

...Huh.

[Ellowryn]

A level twenty illithid healer.

...Huh.

Don't worry, all i ask for healing you is a little nibble off the top before i fix you up to perfect health.... :smallwink:

[atemu1234]

Don't worry, all i ask for healing you is a little nibble off the top before i fix you up to perfect health.... :smallwink:

But healers have to be good-aligned, don't they...?

[ZamielVanWeber]

But healers have to be good-aligned, don't they...?

Tinhg is you aren't a healer; you just have some of their class features.

[atemu1234]

Tinhg is you aren't a healer; you just have some of their class features.

I wonder what brain tastes like...

[The Great Wyrm]

I hope illithids are immune to prions.

[Flickerdart]

I wonder what brain tastes like...
Tasty enough, apparently (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_(food)).


I hope illithids are immune to prions.
I would think that aberrations have a distinct enough anatomy from flesh and blood things, but on the other hand they aren't even immune to diseases.

[Cirrylius]

So say an illithid savant who has one use of Acquire Class Feature left (already took two other class features). If they were to consume the brain of another savant who has yet to take any class features, would the former be able to take more features?

I don't know about the crunch, but the idea of a cannibal illithid reaching the conclusion that the best road to power is eating his kin, becoming a paragon savant, going mad with distilled Illithid power, and resolving to challenge Ilsensine in a War of Nom is a horrifying and wonderful thought.

[Raishoiken]

I feel like you also might be misreading the ability. It's not that the illithid savant gains 1/2/3 class features over all, but rather 1/2/3 class features per brain. If you want more class features, just go out and eat more brains, or find a way to force a resurrection, this includes paying people to eat their brains then resurrect them...

As Much As I'd like this to be true, I'm failing to see where it would indicate the latter rather than the former, i may just need some spelling out, and resurrection is something I've thought of: cleric brain, raise dead and repeat

[thethird]

Tasty enough, apparently (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_(food)).

To me it's always been pretty bland.

[torrasque666]

As Much As I'd like this to be true, I'm failing to see where it would indicate the latter rather than the former, i may just need some spelling out, and resurrection is something I've thought of: cleric brain, raise dead and repeat
There's no limiting language language as to how many brains they can eat, only what they gain per brain. It always references "a​ consumed brain"

[Raishoiken]

There's no limiting language language as to how many brains they can eat, only what they gain per brain. It always references "a​ consumed brain"

>_> this feels so dirty


edit:
I guess what's got me held up on this is the "a consumed brain" part. Whether it means one per brain or one from one (a) brain.. Perhaps a separate thread for the question...

[DrMotives]

I hope illithids are immune to prions.

Prions are only a mammalian thing, no form of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (prion disease) has ever been found in non-mammals. Illithid are amphibians according to Skip Williams, so they're safe.

[Crake]

>_> this feels so dirty


edit:
I guess what's got me held up on this is the "a consumed brain" part. Whether it means one per brain or one from one (a) brain.. Perhaps a separate thread for the question...

Honestly, re-reading it, it does seem like it could be read either way. Additionally, looking at the official sample illithid savants out there, the one in savage species and the one in the epic illithid savant online article, they actually seem to stick to your interpretation. In addition, the class description describes them bringing along thralls of various classes for use when necessary, seeming to imply that they can only have a limited number of abilities at any time, otherwise they would have just consumed all the brains and moved on.

Curse you, making me question everything I thought I knew about the class.

[Raishoiken]

Honestly, re-reading it, it does seem like it could be read either way. Additionally, looking at the official sample illithid savants out there, the one in savage species and the one in the epic illithid savant online article, they actually seem to stick to your interpretation. In addition, the class description describes them bringing along thralls of various classes for use when necessary, seeming to imply that they can only have a limited number of abilities at any time, otherwise they would have just consumed all the brains and moved on.

Curse you, making me question everything I thought I knew about the class.

lol trust me, i was excited at the thought of being able to just pac man brains for all teh powerz, but for now i guess the question reverts back to whether or not you can hack more uses by using your last acquire ability to steal that of another savant. also i was sooooo excited when i found the epic savant progression, it meant an official one rather than me having to ad hoc one