rferries
2017-10-09, 02:41 AM
Here's an alternate take on the (in)famous Elder Brains, making them somewhat Kraken-like, and a PC-worthy mind flayer race (with psionic affinity and brain-eating that has been relegated to flavour rather than combat utility).
https://i.imgur.com/xrH1UBH.jpg
ELDER MINDCOLOSSAL ABERRATION (Aquatic, Psionic)
Hit Dice: 20d8+200 (290 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: Swim 5 ft. (1 square)
Armor Class: 22 (-8 size, +20 natural), touch 2, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+41
Attack: Tentacle +17 melee (2d8+10)
Full Attack: 8 tentacles +17 melee (2d8+10)
Space/Reach: 30 ft./20 ft. (80 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks: Constrict 2d8+10, improved grab, psionics
Special Qualities: Collective consciousness, darkvision 60 ft., hive mind, telepathy
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +6, Will +22
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 10, Con 30, Int 30, Wis 30, Cha 30
Skills: Autohypnosis +35, Concentration +33, Diplomacy +35, Intimidate +33, Knowledge (any eight) +33, Knowledge (psionics) +35, Psicraft +35 (+37 power stones), Sense Motive +33, Swim +18, Use Psionic Device +33 (+35 power stones)
Feats: Boost Construct, Extend Power, Improved Initiative, MindsightLOM (https://dndtools.net/feats/lords-of-madness--72/mindsight--1960/), Overchannel, Psionic Meditation, Quicken Power
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or community (1 plus 10-100 mind flayers)
Challenge Rating: 20
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Always lawful (usually evil)
Advancement: 21-48 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: -
LOMLords of Madness
The mind flayers lead your party to a great chamber sculpted from pure marble, adorned with graceful columns and alien statuary. Dappled light flows over the walls and ceiling, reflected from a tremendous pool of gleaming, phosphorescent ichor that dominates the place. Within the radiant waters you glimpse many writhing tentacles around a gigantic, skull-like cephalopod. A voice speaks telepathically in your mind - overpowering, all-consuming, far more forceful than any of the illithid guides'...
*WE ARE THE-MANY-WHO-ARE-ONE. STATE YOUR PROPOSITION*
An elder mind is the heart, leader, and deity of a mind flayer community. Mind flayers grow from tadpoles generated by the elder mind, and after their deaths their spirits join its collective consciousness - the illithid equivalent of the afterlife. The elder mind conducts negotiations too important (or with creatures too powerful) for the mind flayers to handle themselves, and serves as a repository of knowledge for questing adventurers. Although elder minds and illithids are not necessarily evil, their inscrutable plots are often amoral at the very least.
An elder mind resembles a colossal octopus, with tentacles reaching 80 feet in length and a malevolent, quasi-skeletal visage. It speaks Common, Undercommon, and at least ten other languages, but generally communicates telepathically.
Combat
An elder brain is aware of almost all creatures within range of its telepathy, via its Mindsight feat. Creatures that wish to ambush it must therefore either have protection from telepathy or access to teleportation.
Elder minds believe in preparation. Once combat begins, they follow a strict regimen when manifesting powers to protect themselves (an example of such a regimen is given below for the sample elder mind). It is assumed for this regimen that the elder mind was caught by surprise, otherwise it can manifest its powers at its leisure without need for temporal acceleration or quickened powers.
Powers denoted with * have been enhanced with the Overchannel feat.
Before Combat: astral seed, inertial armour (23 pp*), personal mind blank (13 pp), psionic overland flight (11 pp)
Round
Power
Quickened/Swift-/Immediate-Action Power
1
true metabolism (15 pp)
Extended temporal acceleration (21 pp*, 6 rounds)
2
thicken skin (22 pp*)
power resistance (9 pp*)
3
force screen (21 pp*)
psionic true seeing (15 pp)
4
defensive precognition (22 pp*)
psionic freedom of movement (13 pp)
5
animal affinity (23 pp*)
schism (15 pp)
6
biofeedback (21 pp*)
energy adaptation (11 pp)
7
vigour (23 pp*)
Extended mental barrier (23 pp*)
Total power points expended: 254
Total Overchannel damage: 21d8 - 70 (true metabolism) = average 24 damage
An elder mind that has completed this regimen has the following statistics:
Hit Dice: 20d8+240 (421 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: Swim 5 ft. (1 square), fly 40 feet (average)
Armor Class: 64 (-8 size, +2 Dex, +8 insight, +15 armour, +28 natural, +9 shield), touch 12 (36 vs. incorporeal touch), flat-footed 54
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+43
Attack: Tentacle +19 melee (2d8+12)
Full Attack: 8 tentacles +19 melee (2d8+12)
Space/Reach: 30 ft./20 ft. (80 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks: Constrict 2d8+10, improved grab, psionics
Special Qualities: Collective consciousness, damage reduction 8/-, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 10, freedom of movement, hive mind, mind blank, power resistance 35, resistance to acid 30, cold 30, electricity 30, fire 30, and sonic 30, schism, telepathy, true seeing
Saves: Fort +26, Ref +16, Will +32
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 14, Con 34, Int 30, Wis 34, Cha 34
Skills: Autohypnosis +37, Concentration +35, Diplomacy +37, Intimidate +35, Knowledge (any four) +33, Knowledge (psionics) +35, Psicraft +35 (+37 power stones), Sense Motive +35, Swim +20, Use Psionic Device +35 (+37 power stones)
Psionics: 189 pp, save DCs: 22 + power level.
Once it returns to the normal timeframe, it lashes out with Quickened offensive psionic powers (especially energy wave, psionic dominate, psionic disintegrate, and ultrablast) and its tentacles. The schism mind replenishes the mental barrier after 10 rounds and otherwise manifests Boosted, Overchanneled astral constructs (favouring those with the constrict, extreme deflection, natural invisibility, power resistance, and rend special abilities). The elder mind uses fate of one and reality revision as appropriate (even resorting to psionic greater teleport to flee with its entire mind flayer community if necessary).
An opponent can attack an elder mind’s tentacles with a sunder attempt as if they were weapons. An elder mind’s tentacles have 40 hit points each. If an elder mind is currently grappling a target with the tentacle that is being attacked, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. Severing one of an elder mind’s tentacles deals 20 points of damage to the creature. The creature regrows severed limbs in 1d10+10 days (or sooner, via true metabolism).
Collective Consciousness (Ex)
An elder mind's consciousness is an amalgamation of the knowledge and spirits of all mind flayers from its community, both living and dead. It may make any skill check untrained and is immune to any effect that specifically targets a single soul (soul bind, trap the soul, a devourer's trap essence attack, etc.). Whenever it uses a teleportation or temporal (e.g. suspend life, time hop) effect on itself, it may choose to include any number of unattended objects and willing mind flayers within 50 miles in that effect.
Constrict (Ex)
An elder mind deals automatic tentacle damage with a successful grapple check.
Hive Mind (Ex)
All mind flayers within 50 miles of their elder mind are in constant communication. If one (either a mind flayer or the elder mind) is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No mind flayer or elder mind in a group is considered flanked unless all of them are.
Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, the elder mind must hit with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
Psionics (Ex)
An elder mind manifests powers as a 20th-level psion (power points/day: 443, powers known: 36, save DC: 20 + power level). To manifest a power, an elder mind must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the power’s level. An elder mind's bonus power points per day are determined by its Wisdom score, and the save DCs of its powers are determined by its Charisma score. It draws its powers known from the psion list and all psionic disciplines, generally preferring clairsentience and telepathy powers.
1st: astral construct, defensive precognition, force screen, inertial armour, thicken skin, vigour
2nd: animal affinity, biofeedback, concussion blast, energy push
3rd: dispel psionics, mental barrier, telekinetic force, telekinetic thrust
4th: energy adaptation, psionic dominate, psionic freedom of movement, schism, telekinetic maneuver
5th: power resistance, psionic plane shift, psionic true seeing
6th: psionic disintegrate, psionic overland flight, temporal acceleration
7th: energy wave, fate of one, personal mind blank, ultrablast
8th: astral seed, hypercognition, psionic greater teleport, true metabolism ,
9th: metafaculty, psychic chirurgery, reality revision
Telepathy (Su)
An elder mind can communicate telepathically with any intelligent creature within 50 miles whose presence it is aware of.
Skills
An elder mind receives skills as though it were a fey creature. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
https://i.imgur.com/viEuOL7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5vaGBA9.jpg
Mind Flayers
The alien race known as illithids are often as ambitious and uncaring as they are brilliant. Fleeing the destruction of their vast empire in another plane (or in the distant future, according to some rumours), they have come here to rebuild. The vast majority of their kind adhere to their rigid communal hierarchy and follow the commands of the elder minds, but there are some who take up adventuring out of curiosity, lust for power, or even benevolence.
Although it is true that mind flayers relish the taste of brain matter, they are quite capable of living off of standard fare.
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom. Mind flayers have forceful personalities and genius-level intellects.
Size: Mind flayers are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Type: Mind flayers are aberrations with the psionic subtype.
Speed: Mind flayers have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision (Ex): A mind flayer has darkvision out to 60 feet.
Hive Mind (Ex): All mind flayers within 50 miles of their elder mind are in constant communication. If one (either a mind flayer or the elder mind) is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No mind flayer or elder mind in a group is considered flanked unless all of them are.
Limited Telepathy (Su): Mind flayers can mentally communicate with any creatures within 30 feet with whom they share a language. Conversing telepathically with multiple creatures simultaneously is just as difficult as listening to multiple people speaking.
Psionics (Ex): A mind flayer manifests powers as a 3rd-level psion. To manifest a power, a mind flayer must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the power’s level. A mind flayer's bonus power points per day are determined by its Wisdom score, and the save DCs of its powers are determined by its Charisma score. It draws its powers known from the psion list and all psionic disciplines, generally preferring clairsentience and telepathy powers.
Racial Hit Dice: A mind flayer begins with three levels of aberration, which provides 3d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +1, and Will +3.
Racial Skills: A mind flayer’s aberration levels give it skill points equal to 6 × (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Autohypnosis, Concentration, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Psicraft, Sense Motive, and Use Psionic Device.
Racial Feats: A mind flayer’s aberration levels give it two feats.
Languages: Mind flayers begin play speaking Common and Undercommon. Mind flayers with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Aquan, Celestial, Draconic, Elven, Infernal, and Sylvan.
Favoured Class: Psion.
Level Adjustment: +1
Mind Flayer Feats
Telepathy
Your mental prowess allows you to speak without words.
Prerequisites
Psionic subtype or limited telepathy special quality, character level 6th.
Benefits
You gain telepathy out to close range (25 feet + 5 feet per two character levels).
Special
A character may gain this feat multiple times. Each time, it increases the range of the telepathy one step: medium (100 feet + 10 feet per character level), long (400 feet + 40 feet per character level), 1 mile, +1 mile thereafter.
https://i.imgur.com/xrH1UBH.jpg
ELDER MINDCOLOSSAL ABERRATION (Aquatic, Psionic)
Hit Dice: 20d8+200 (290 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: Swim 5 ft. (1 square)
Armor Class: 22 (-8 size, +20 natural), touch 2, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+41
Attack: Tentacle +17 melee (2d8+10)
Full Attack: 8 tentacles +17 melee (2d8+10)
Space/Reach: 30 ft./20 ft. (80 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks: Constrict 2d8+10, improved grab, psionics
Special Qualities: Collective consciousness, darkvision 60 ft., hive mind, telepathy
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +6, Will +22
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 10, Con 30, Int 30, Wis 30, Cha 30
Skills: Autohypnosis +35, Concentration +33, Diplomacy +35, Intimidate +33, Knowledge (any eight) +33, Knowledge (psionics) +35, Psicraft +35 (+37 power stones), Sense Motive +33, Swim +18, Use Psionic Device +33 (+35 power stones)
Feats: Boost Construct, Extend Power, Improved Initiative, MindsightLOM (https://dndtools.net/feats/lords-of-madness--72/mindsight--1960/), Overchannel, Psionic Meditation, Quicken Power
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or community (1 plus 10-100 mind flayers)
Challenge Rating: 20
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Always lawful (usually evil)
Advancement: 21-48 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: -
LOMLords of Madness
The mind flayers lead your party to a great chamber sculpted from pure marble, adorned with graceful columns and alien statuary. Dappled light flows over the walls and ceiling, reflected from a tremendous pool of gleaming, phosphorescent ichor that dominates the place. Within the radiant waters you glimpse many writhing tentacles around a gigantic, skull-like cephalopod. A voice speaks telepathically in your mind - overpowering, all-consuming, far more forceful than any of the illithid guides'...
*WE ARE THE-MANY-WHO-ARE-ONE. STATE YOUR PROPOSITION*
An elder mind is the heart, leader, and deity of a mind flayer community. Mind flayers grow from tadpoles generated by the elder mind, and after their deaths their spirits join its collective consciousness - the illithid equivalent of the afterlife. The elder mind conducts negotiations too important (or with creatures too powerful) for the mind flayers to handle themselves, and serves as a repository of knowledge for questing adventurers. Although elder minds and illithids are not necessarily evil, their inscrutable plots are often amoral at the very least.
An elder mind resembles a colossal octopus, with tentacles reaching 80 feet in length and a malevolent, quasi-skeletal visage. It speaks Common, Undercommon, and at least ten other languages, but generally communicates telepathically.
Combat
An elder brain is aware of almost all creatures within range of its telepathy, via its Mindsight feat. Creatures that wish to ambush it must therefore either have protection from telepathy or access to teleportation.
Elder minds believe in preparation. Once combat begins, they follow a strict regimen when manifesting powers to protect themselves (an example of such a regimen is given below for the sample elder mind). It is assumed for this regimen that the elder mind was caught by surprise, otherwise it can manifest its powers at its leisure without need for temporal acceleration or quickened powers.
Powers denoted with * have been enhanced with the Overchannel feat.
Before Combat: astral seed, inertial armour (23 pp*), personal mind blank (13 pp), psionic overland flight (11 pp)
Round
Power
Quickened/Swift-/Immediate-Action Power
1
true metabolism (15 pp)
Extended temporal acceleration (21 pp*, 6 rounds)
2
thicken skin (22 pp*)
power resistance (9 pp*)
3
force screen (21 pp*)
psionic true seeing (15 pp)
4
defensive precognition (22 pp*)
psionic freedom of movement (13 pp)
5
animal affinity (23 pp*)
schism (15 pp)
6
biofeedback (21 pp*)
energy adaptation (11 pp)
7
vigour (23 pp*)
Extended mental barrier (23 pp*)
Total power points expended: 254
Total Overchannel damage: 21d8 - 70 (true metabolism) = average 24 damage
An elder mind that has completed this regimen has the following statistics:
Hit Dice: 20d8+240 (421 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: Swim 5 ft. (1 square), fly 40 feet (average)
Armor Class: 64 (-8 size, +2 Dex, +8 insight, +15 armour, +28 natural, +9 shield), touch 12 (36 vs. incorporeal touch), flat-footed 54
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+43
Attack: Tentacle +19 melee (2d8+12)
Full Attack: 8 tentacles +19 melee (2d8+12)
Space/Reach: 30 ft./20 ft. (80 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks: Constrict 2d8+10, improved grab, psionics
Special Qualities: Collective consciousness, damage reduction 8/-, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 10, freedom of movement, hive mind, mind blank, power resistance 35, resistance to acid 30, cold 30, electricity 30, fire 30, and sonic 30, schism, telepathy, true seeing
Saves: Fort +26, Ref +16, Will +32
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 14, Con 34, Int 30, Wis 34, Cha 34
Skills: Autohypnosis +37, Concentration +35, Diplomacy +37, Intimidate +35, Knowledge (any four) +33, Knowledge (psionics) +35, Psicraft +35 (+37 power stones), Sense Motive +35, Swim +20, Use Psionic Device +35 (+37 power stones)
Psionics: 189 pp, save DCs: 22 + power level.
Once it returns to the normal timeframe, it lashes out with Quickened offensive psionic powers (especially energy wave, psionic dominate, psionic disintegrate, and ultrablast) and its tentacles. The schism mind replenishes the mental barrier after 10 rounds and otherwise manifests Boosted, Overchanneled astral constructs (favouring those with the constrict, extreme deflection, natural invisibility, power resistance, and rend special abilities). The elder mind uses fate of one and reality revision as appropriate (even resorting to psionic greater teleport to flee with its entire mind flayer community if necessary).
An opponent can attack an elder mind’s tentacles with a sunder attempt as if they were weapons. An elder mind’s tentacles have 40 hit points each. If an elder mind is currently grappling a target with the tentacle that is being attacked, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. Severing one of an elder mind’s tentacles deals 20 points of damage to the creature. The creature regrows severed limbs in 1d10+10 days (or sooner, via true metabolism).
Collective Consciousness (Ex)
An elder mind's consciousness is an amalgamation of the knowledge and spirits of all mind flayers from its community, both living and dead. It may make any skill check untrained and is immune to any effect that specifically targets a single soul (soul bind, trap the soul, a devourer's trap essence attack, etc.). Whenever it uses a teleportation or temporal (e.g. suspend life, time hop) effect on itself, it may choose to include any number of unattended objects and willing mind flayers within 50 miles in that effect.
Constrict (Ex)
An elder mind deals automatic tentacle damage with a successful grapple check.
Hive Mind (Ex)
All mind flayers within 50 miles of their elder mind are in constant communication. If one (either a mind flayer or the elder mind) is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No mind flayer or elder mind in a group is considered flanked unless all of them are.
Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, the elder mind must hit with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
Psionics (Ex)
An elder mind manifests powers as a 20th-level psion (power points/day: 443, powers known: 36, save DC: 20 + power level). To manifest a power, an elder mind must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the power’s level. An elder mind's bonus power points per day are determined by its Wisdom score, and the save DCs of its powers are determined by its Charisma score. It draws its powers known from the psion list and all psionic disciplines, generally preferring clairsentience and telepathy powers.
1st: astral construct, defensive precognition, force screen, inertial armour, thicken skin, vigour
2nd: animal affinity, biofeedback, concussion blast, energy push
3rd: dispel psionics, mental barrier, telekinetic force, telekinetic thrust
4th: energy adaptation, psionic dominate, psionic freedom of movement, schism, telekinetic maneuver
5th: power resistance, psionic plane shift, psionic true seeing
6th: psionic disintegrate, psionic overland flight, temporal acceleration
7th: energy wave, fate of one, personal mind blank, ultrablast
8th: astral seed, hypercognition, psionic greater teleport, true metabolism ,
9th: metafaculty, psychic chirurgery, reality revision
Telepathy (Su)
An elder mind can communicate telepathically with any intelligent creature within 50 miles whose presence it is aware of.
Skills
An elder mind receives skills as though it were a fey creature. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
https://i.imgur.com/viEuOL7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5vaGBA9.jpg
Mind Flayers
The alien race known as illithids are often as ambitious and uncaring as they are brilliant. Fleeing the destruction of their vast empire in another plane (or in the distant future, according to some rumours), they have come here to rebuild. The vast majority of their kind adhere to their rigid communal hierarchy and follow the commands of the elder minds, but there are some who take up adventuring out of curiosity, lust for power, or even benevolence.
Although it is true that mind flayers relish the taste of brain matter, they are quite capable of living off of standard fare.
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom. Mind flayers have forceful personalities and genius-level intellects.
Size: Mind flayers are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Type: Mind flayers are aberrations with the psionic subtype.
Speed: Mind flayers have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision (Ex): A mind flayer has darkvision out to 60 feet.
Hive Mind (Ex): All mind flayers within 50 miles of their elder mind are in constant communication. If one (either a mind flayer or the elder mind) is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No mind flayer or elder mind in a group is considered flanked unless all of them are.
Limited Telepathy (Su): Mind flayers can mentally communicate with any creatures within 30 feet with whom they share a language. Conversing telepathically with multiple creatures simultaneously is just as difficult as listening to multiple people speaking.
Psionics (Ex): A mind flayer manifests powers as a 3rd-level psion. To manifest a power, a mind flayer must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the power’s level. A mind flayer's bonus power points per day are determined by its Wisdom score, and the save DCs of its powers are determined by its Charisma score. It draws its powers known from the psion list and all psionic disciplines, generally preferring clairsentience and telepathy powers.
Racial Hit Dice: A mind flayer begins with three levels of aberration, which provides 3d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +1, and Will +3.
Racial Skills: A mind flayer’s aberration levels give it skill points equal to 6 × (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Autohypnosis, Concentration, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Psicraft, Sense Motive, and Use Psionic Device.
Racial Feats: A mind flayer’s aberration levels give it two feats.
Languages: Mind flayers begin play speaking Common and Undercommon. Mind flayers with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Aquan, Celestial, Draconic, Elven, Infernal, and Sylvan.
Favoured Class: Psion.
Level Adjustment: +1
Mind Flayer Feats
Telepathy
Your mental prowess allows you to speak without words.
Prerequisites
Psionic subtype or limited telepathy special quality, character level 6th.
Benefits
You gain telepathy out to close range (25 feet + 5 feet per two character levels).
Special
A character may gain this feat multiple times. Each time, it increases the range of the telepathy one step: medium (100 feet + 10 feet per character level), long (400 feet + 40 feet per character level), 1 mile, +1 mile thereafter.