How do you undevour someone's intellect?

[Sparky McDibben]

Hey Playground,

How do you remove an intellect devourer from someone and keep them themselves? Common sense says you can't restore someone who's had their BRAIN EATEN. But Waterdeep: Dragon Heist has a whole subplot around Meloon Wardragon.

Thoughts?

[OvisCaedo]

Well, Wish would probably do it! Not really an option at all though, is it? Maybe some DMs would let Regenerate pull it off, though as written it only applies to "limbs". But that's also quite a high level spell, too, so chances of that being on the table are also probably nil.

[Temperjoke]

Technically, isn't a person dead if an Intellect Devourer has eaten their brain? So, wouldn't some sort of resurrection work? Aside from using Wish to restore the brain, which is called out in the MM as being able to force the Intellect Devourer out.

[Rafaelfras]

If the host body drops to 0 hit points, the intellect devourer must leave it. A protection from evil and good spell cast on the body drives the intellect devourer out. The intellect devourer is also forced out if the target regains its devoured brain by means of a wish. By spending 5 feet of its movement, the intellect devourer can voluntarily leave the body, teleporting to the nearest unoccupied space within 5 feet of it. The body then dies, unless its brain is restored within 1 round.

So the host dies after 1 round. Easyest way i see it is bringing the target back to life. But you need to use ressurrection, because raise dead will not do it. And as a DM i would allow regeneration to restore the brain since it is the same spell level of ressurrection.

[Blood of Gaea]

Stab them to death and then cast reincarnate, or resurrection.

[Dalebert]

Technically Regenerate says "body members" which could be interpreted more broadly than just limbs. But that's not the problem. The problem is someone is definitely dead when their brain is gone and Regenerate doesn't bring people back to life. Takes Resurrection which says it restores any missing parts.

I remember a discussion at our table where the DM was reading it takes a Wish but I believe the Wish is to force the ID out AND restore the person. If you get the ID out otherwise, then you just have a dead body with no brain which Resurrection can handle. In fact, it's a good idea once you have access to a level 13 cleric, to chop something off and have the cleric cast Regenerate on you. Put the part in a safe place and maybe cast Gentle Repose on it... or not. It doesn't really matter. A skeletal finger is technically enough. Then if you ever get completely destroyed by swallowing or lava or some such, you have a part you can cast Resurection on. Now technically Disintegrate says it requires a True Res or WIsh to come back but it seems to me that's based on the assumption that you don't have a body part somewhere outside the power of the Disintegrate spell. That's just my call. I can see some DMs interpreting it more strictly.

[OvisCaedo]

Ah, good point, for some reason I just assumed someone could survive not having a brain in dnd as a vegetable. Even beyond the basic logic, it sounds like the intellect devourer ability even says they drop dead without it!

as an aside, I misread your example of something that would destroy a body as "swallowing lava or some such" and felt very alarmed by the decision making of these hypothetical characters.

[Zuras]

This ridiculous solution has no guarantee of working, but it’s the best I have:

Knock the target unconscious and drive out the Intellect Devourer.

Kill the Intellect Devourer before it eats your brain.

Have the Barbarian take the top of the target’s head off with their Greataxe.

Place a sheet of butcher paper over the empty skull of the target, and paint a brain in the empty space using Nolzur’s Marvelous Pigments.

Replace the top of the target’s skull.

Cast revivify.

Hope your DM is merciful, or at least has a sense of humor.

[Kyutaru]

If the host body drops to 0 hit points, the intellect devourer must leave it. A protection from evil and good spell cast on the body drives the intellect devourer out. The intellect devourer is also forced out if the target regains its devoured brain by means of a wish. By spending 5 feet of its movement, the intellect devourer can voluntarily leave the body, teleporting to the nearest unoccupied space within 5 feet of it. The body then dies, unless its brain is restored within 1 round.

According to this, the body is still alive with the intellect devourer inside. But the soul is gone so the person is clearly dead. Which makes me wonder... can you cast Resurrection on a piece of them you cut off and then have two of the same person, one a host controlled by a parasite and the other the restored soul in a newly forged body?

This seems like The 6th Day is a potential subplot.

[Aprender]

I agree with the above solutions, but a more elegant answer is to drive out the ID (or don't) and then have they character go into being a politician as a career.

Animate dead is my favorite spell to bring back PCs. I love having your 10th level ranger join my skeleton archery corp. He brings his own fancy armor and weapons!

[Dalebert]

Place a sheet of butcher paper over the empty skull of the target, and paint a brain in the empty space using Nolzur’s Marvelous Pigments.


Is a brain worth less than 25gp?


According to this, the body is still alive with the intellect devourer inside. But the soul is gone so the person is clearly dead. Which makes me wonder... can you cast Resurrection on a piece of them you cut off and then have two of the same person, one a host controlled by a parasite and the other the restored soul in a newly forged body?

This seems like The 6th Day is a potential subplot.

I don't see why not. They're now two different people that look alike.

[Chronos]

Resurrection used to only require a small portion of the body, a finger or whatever. But now it just says "a dead creature". It does say that it restores missing body parts, but it's a bit of a stretch to say that a severed finger is "a dead creature that's missing 99.9% of its parts" or whatever.

And even back in 3rd edition when a finger was enough, it still didn't do any good to cut off a body part in advance, because the part had to have been part of the body at the time of death (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/resurrection.htm).

[Segev]

Get the slain creature back as a ghost and possess its old body with ID inside!

[Kyutaru]

And even back in 3rd edition when a finger was enough, it still didn't do any good to cut off a body part in advance, because the part had to have been part of the body at the time of death (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/resurrection.htm).
Who said cutting off the part in advance? You have an intellect devourer keeping the corpse warm.

[Chronos]

Dalebert said it, in post #6.

[Potato_Priest]

Get the slain creature back as a ghost and possess its old body with ID inside!

That’s hilarious!

[Randomthom]

You really should have put a big SPOLIER ALERT on the OP regarding WDH. Thanks... can't unread that now.

[ProsecutorGodot]

You really should have put a big SPOLIER ALERT on the OP regarding WDH. Thanks... can't unread that now.

I agree, it was pretty poor form, but:
It's difficult to avoid this plot point unless you completely ignore Meloon and/or Vajra Safahr. Those taking part in the Spring storyline are almost assuredly going to realize this and it doesn't actually help you confront him much knowing this ahead of time.

We were very lucky to have had good relations with the Harpers, Lords Alliance and Force Grey so by the time we were nearing the end of the campaign we were able to have people more suited for taking down Meloon. Had my character known that a Protection from Good and Evil spell was all it would have taken to expel the ID from his body beforehand it would have been much easier, but that didn't come up in the research my character had done in preparation.

[Dalebert]

It does say that it restores missing body parts, but it's a bit of a stretch to say that a severed finger is "a dead creature that's missing 99.9% of its parts" or whatever.

It doesn't list a % limit of body parts replaceable


And even back in 3rd edition when a finger was enough, it still didn't do any good to cut off a body part in advance, because the part had to have been part of the body at the time of death (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/resurrection.htm).

There are many things you could do in previous editions that you can't do now. There are also many things you can do now that you couldn't do in previous editions. For instance, immorality using clones is now trivial. In any case, that's not a limit in this edition..

[Vogie]

I agree, it was pretty poor form, but:
It's difficult to avoid this plot point unless you completely ignore Meloon and/or Vajra Safahr. Those taking part in the Spring storyline are almost assuredly going to realize this and it doesn't actually help you confront him much knowing this ahead of time.

We were very lucky to have had good relations with the Harpers, Lords Alliance and Force Grey so by the time we were nearing the end of the campaign we were able to have people more suited for taking down Meloon. Had my character known that a Protection from Good and Evil spell was all it would have taken to expel the ID from his body beforehand it would have been much easier, but that didn't come up in the research my character had done in preparation.

It's a tangential optional plotline, but so it goes...

The Blackstaff has the resources to resurrect Meloon. All you'd have to do to remove the ID is protection from good & evil on him, which will eject the ID and kill him. At which point, bring his dead body to the Blackstaff, explain the issue, and they'll take care of it. The party will probably only have access to revivify, which won't regrow his brain. Your DM may also give you other means to do so, like using the Greater Restoration Boon that you may get from the demiDruid who runs the Emerald Enclave

[Monster Manuel]

It doesn't list a % limit of body parts replaceable

No, but the part that will give you headaches is the line "restores any missing body parts". You have to touch a dead creature, and the spell will restore it to life, even if it's been hacked to pieces. The interconnectedness of those pieces is irrelevant, and any that are "missing" will be restored. The problem is, in the case of the pre-chopped finger and the Intellect Devourer puppet, the pieces aren't missing. They're right there, walking around with an ID inside the skull. It all hinges on how you interpret the term "missing".

The way I make this work is that you have to burn the body with the intellect devourer inside first (or dispose of it in some other way). Now, that mummified finger you had your cleric friend keep on ice really is the only remaining part of the deceased creature. Proceed with the resurrection.

In cases where there is otherwise no body (lava pool or eaten by a grue or whatever), it's a non-issue. But in cases like this, in order to use this trick where you can resurrect a tiny part of the character, that tiny part has to be legitimately all that's left.

If I wanted to be a jerk about it, I could argue that the inverse is true as well. If you do the fingerbone on ice trick, you can't use Resurrection AT ALL, since the body (meaning "all not-missing parts") of the dead creature are not present. There's a piece of it in a safe deposit box back in Waterdeep. The flip side of this is that if you behead a body AND KEEP THE HEAD, it will prevent them from being able to Resurrect. I don't usually play it that way, though (I don't think it's RAI), but it is fun to include in a grittier type of game.

[Spo]

Heist Waterdeep spoiler a head:

Just last week TWO of our party got killed because of one ID in the alley encounter after getting the stone. My monk was one of them :smallfrown:.

Right now we have both PC's on ice at one of the faction houses until the party can get the funds to rez them. We both had to roll up new characters last session because of that stupid ID. There is a YouTube video on some of the nastiest low lvl monsters there are and ID is on that list. I agree with that list.

[GreyBlack]

I mean.... brain death is a thing...

I guess it would depend on the DM. If the DM rules that the autonomic nervous system is still intact and that only the higher brain functions were devoured, I would allow that Regenerate be allowed to regrow the brain, albeit the brain without all of the same nerve endings. The character would likely forget everything they knew previously, including class levels and language, but they'd be allowed to relearn it over time.

If I ruled that the autonomic nervous system was dead, then the character is dead and can only be brought back by means such as Resurrection. Raise Dead wouldn't function because it doesn't restore lost body parts, and the autonomic nervous system is a pretty important function to need restored.

[ProsecutorGodot]

I mean.... brain death is a thing...

I guess it would depend on the DM. If the DM rules that the autonomic nervous system is still intact and that only the higher brain functions were devoured, I would allow that Regenerate be allowed to regrow the brain, albeit the brain without all of the same nerve endings. The character would likely forget everything they knew previously, including class levels and language, but they'd be allowed to relearn it over time.

If I ruled that the autonomic nervous system was dead, then the character is dead and can only be brought back by means such as Resurrection. Raise Dead wouldn't function because it doesn't restore lost body parts, and the autonomic nervous system is a pretty important function to need restored.

That's a very scientific take on a situation where we're discussing the intricacies of teleporting psychic brain eaters and the magic spells it takes to restore a magically devoured brain.

I suppose you'd also rule that True Resurrection to revive someone without a corpse doesn't actually resurrect the target, but a near catatonic body double with none of the memories or skills of the original?

[CNagy]

I mean.... brain death is a thing...

I guess it would depend on the DM. If the DM rules that the autonomic nervous system is still intact and that only the higher brain functions were devoured, I would allow that Regenerate be allowed to regrow the brain, albeit the brain without all of the same nerve endings.

The victim dies within 6 seconds of the ID leaving the body, so I assume some pretty basic Life=Yes functions have been thoroughly destroyed.

[Dalebert]

There is a YouTube video on some of the nastiest low lvl monsters there are and ID is on that list. I agree with that list.

I almost made a new thread on how mind flayers and IDs are disproportionately strong for CR based on how 5e is designed to encourage int-dumping in most characters. If you do the math, a good chunk of your party can expect to stay stun-locked through an entire mind flayer encounter. It's just not fun. At all.

[RulesJD]

Pure theorycrafting:

Assuming that the character doesn't actually 'die' when their brain is 'consumed' by the ID but the ID is still in the person...there are a few options besides Reincarnate/Resurrection/Wish.

1. Get a cubic inch of the character's flesh and grow a Clone. Then, have someone cast Regenerate on the character. Chop off the Clone's head. In one round with readied actions, chop off the characters head and attach the Clone's head to the stump. It should instantly knit back together (depending on your definition of 'limb'. The character will die and then instantly transfer to the 'Clone' which should be the newly reattached head.

-----------1A. Just make a Clone and then kill the character. Same difference, but not nearly as cool.

2. Someone casts Protection from Good/Evil on the character, then someone immediately True Polymorphs the character into something that is nearly identical to the old character.

[Rafaelfras]

According to this, the body is still alive with the intellect devourer inside. But the soul is gone so the person is clearly dead. Which makes me wonder... can you cast Resurrection on a piece of them you cut off and then have two of the same person, one a host controlled by a parasite and the other the restored soul in a newly forged body?

This seems like The 6th Day is a potential subplot.

There is nothing abou the soul of the victim. The body is explicit said to be alive, and the entry says that will remain alive for 6 seconds after the ID leaves. Within that time frame its brain can be restored, if dont THEN it dies. Wish can do that, restoring the brain, driving the ID out and restoring the host without him ever being dead.
So in my interpretation you cant cast ressurrection before driving out the ID, causing the death of its host. And since both regenerate and ressurrection are 7th level spells, I see no problem letting regenerate restore the victim before it dies.
If a DM has a problem with that, you wait 6 seconds, the victim dies and then you use ressurrection to bring him back.

[Dalebert]

If a DM has a problem with that, you wait 6 seconds, the victim dies and then you use ressurrection to bring him back.

This. Why are people overcomplicating it? It's not that hard to drive the I D out.

[Rafaelfras]

This. Why are people overcomplicating it? It's not that hard to drive the I D out.

Right? Hit it, until it dies :smallcool:

[Temperjoke]

I almost made a new thread on how mind flayers and IDs are disproportionately strong for CR based on how 5e is designed to encourage int-dumping in most characters. If you do the math, a good chunk of your party can expect to stay stun-locked through an entire mind flayer encounter. It's just not fun. At all.

I think we've had a thread like that on the board before, honestly.

[Dalebert]

Right? Hit it, until it dies :smallcool:

Exactly. I don't really even grasp the motivation for this thread. It's spelled out for you. Beat it out of them. Kill it fast. It's super squishy (as long as you have magic weapons). Get them a rez.

[RulesJD]

This. Why are people overcomplicating it? It's not that hard to drive the I D out.

Because some campaigns have big restrictions on coming back from the dead?

I feel like there's something you could do with Magic Jar, I'm just not sure exactly what.

[Pharaon]

I think this thread should have been called "How to unthief someone's body?" since that is the actual ability that has been discussed, but I am curious about the devour intellect ability.

The intellect devourer targets one creature it can see within 10 feet of it that has a brain. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw against this magic or take 11 (2d10) psychic damage. Also on a failure, roll 3d6: If the total equals or exceeds the target's Intelligence score, that score is reduced to 0. The target is stunned until it regains at least one point of Intelligence.

How does a target regain "at least one point of Intelligence"? For magic, all I can think of is greater restoration (a fifth level spell) or a headband of intellect (just never take it off or enter an anti-magic field). Anything I'm missing? Seems like if you don't get that point of Intelligence back, you're as good as dead.

[Phhase]

Well, strictly speaking, the body itself is still alive, if brainless, while being puppeted by another entity. Removing that entity (which is serving the brain's functions) will naturally kill the body in short order. However, I imagine the way to fix this would be:

1. Remove the ID.
2. Cast gentle repose so that the pretty-much-dead body is held in that state of not-quite-deadness and regenerate has the proper time to act.
3. Regenerate the brain.

If that works, great. If not, then you can still use raise dead since the body is whole again.

[Maelynn]

According to the dictionary, a 'body part' is any part of the body, be it an extremity (limb) or an organ. The brain is an organ, so to me it'd be perfectly possible for a spell like Resurrection to restore the person's brain as part of the spell.

Another reason why I believe this is what the spell intended, is that Regenerate specifically mentions 'body members (fingers, legs, tails, and so on)' as opposed to 'body parts'. This, and especially the bit between parentheses, implies that the rules make a distinction regarding organs. So Regenerate can't regrow a brain, and Resurrection can.

[Segev]

According to the dictionary, a 'body part' is any part of the body, be it an extremity (limb) or an organ. The brain is an organ, so to me it'd be perfectly possible for a spell like Resurrection to restore the person's brain as part of the spell.

Another reason why I believe this is what the spell intended, is that Regenerate specifically mentions 'body members (fingers, legs, tails, and so on)' as opposed to 'body parts'. This, and especially the bit between parentheses, implies that the rules make a distinction regarding organs. So Regenerate can't regrow a brain, and Resurrection can.

That said, removing the ID and then casting revivify should probably work.

[Brookshw]

Is a brain worth less than 25gp?


Well, yes. Unless there's a new pricing available somewhere in this edition, the price for a Humanoid Brain if 4 CP per the 3e Book of Vile Darkness. In contrast, a Yugoloth's brain is 5 GP. So brains aren't exactly big ticket commodities.

[ProsecutorGodot]

That said, removing the ID and then casting revivify should probably work.

Revivify doesn't restore missing body parts, and the corpse is distinctly lacking a brain after the ID devours it. No brain, no life.


According to the dictionary, a 'body part' is any part of the body, be it an extremity (limb) or an organ. The brain is an organ, so to me it'd be perfectly possible for a spell like Resurrection to restore the person's brain as part of the spell.

Another reason why I believe this is what the spell intended, is that Regenerate specifically mentions 'body members (fingers, legs, tails, and so on)' as opposed to 'body parts'. This, and especially the bit between parentheses, implies that the rules make a distinction regarding organs. So Regenerate can't regrow a brain, and Resurrection can.
While I'm not sure this is intended to be broken apart in this way, I do have one issue with using regenerate on a dead target regardless.

The spell is described as working through the creatures own natural healing ability, could it even work properly on a dead target? I can see an argument being made that you couldn't even cast it on the corpse.

[Maelynn]

While I'm not sure this is intended to be broken apart in this way, I do have one issue with using regenerate on a dead target regardless.

I would imagine so. I never suggested to use Regenerate on a dead target, I merely mentioned it to distinguish between body parts and body members.

Personally, I'd just kill off the Devourer and Resurrect its victim.

[ProsecutorGodot]

I would imagine so. I never suggested to use Regenerate on a dead target, I merely mentioned it to distinguish between body parts and body members.

Personally, I'd just kill off the Devourer and Resurrect its victim.
You wouldn't be able to cast regenerate before they're killed through the ID's 1 minute brain restoration timer anyway. They're both 7th level spells, Regenerate is a hail mary for those who don't have the diamonds necessary for Resurrection.

[Maelynn]

You wouldn't be able to cast regenerate before they're killed through the ID's 1 minute brain restoration timer anyway. They're both 7th level spells, Regenerate is a hail mary for those who don't have the diamonds necessary for Resurrection.

I should hope that by that level, a PC has been able to pad their wallet enough to carry around 1000 gp in diamonds.

And if the gold is an issue, then just use Protection from Evil and Good and use the round immediately after it to have a party member cast Regenerate. Should be feasible in 1 round.

Not sure what you mean with 1 minute brain restoration timer. :smallconfused:

[ProsecutorGodot]

I should hope that by that level, a PC has been able to pad their wallet enough to carry around 1000 gp in diamonds.

And if the gold is an issue, then just use Protection from Evil and Good and use the round immediately after it to have a party member cast Regenerate. Should be feasible in 1 round.

Not sure what you mean with 1 minute brain restoration timer. :smallconfused:

When an ID is removed, the creature dies within 1 minute if their brain isn't restored. Regenerate has a casting time of 1 minute. Regenerate also doesn't restore the body part for 2 minutes after the spell is cast unless you have the detached limb held to the stump. The brain has been psychically devoured by the ID and even if you did somehow have it I'd be mighty concerned if you could manage to hold someone brain to it's unattached stem.

The only way to drive an ID out without ending up with a corpse in 1 minute is with Wish. Resurrection is the most efficient way to restore them to life afterwards but Regenerate (assuming it can restore brains) will allow Raise Dead to be used instead of Resurrection.

The benefits are small in doing this. Raise Dead is cheaper and open to more spell lists. It would allow a Bard who doesn't have access to Resurrection to also bring back someone killed by an ID in piece, being the only other class with both Raise Dead and Regenerate.

So we're in agreement here, Resurrection is the easier way.

[Maelynn]

When an ID is removed, the creature dies within 1 minute if their brain isn't restored.

Ah, I see what you meant. Except that it's a timer of 1 round, not 1 minute. :<


Regenerate (assuming it can restore brains) will allow Raise Dead to be used instead of Resurrection.

For the sake of the argument, let's assume that Regenerate does. The window of opportunity is too short to succesfully use Regenerate before the target dies. You'd have to cast Regenerate before confronting the Intellect Devourer, and then plan your Protection spell or combat so precisely that the 2-minute mark to regrow the brain fall within the round after the Devourer leaves the body.

[Man_Over_Game]

Odd question, how would you rule someone casting Sanctuary on the Devourer's target?

[ProsecutorGodot]

Ah, I see what you meant. Except that it's a timer of 1 round, not 1 minute. :<
Noted, Don't know how I misread that more than once.


For the sake of the argument, let's assume that Regenerate does. The window of opportunity is too short to succesfully use Regenerate before the target dies. You'd have to cast Regenerate before confronting the Intellect Devourer, and then plan your Protection spell or combat so precisely that the 2-minute mark to regrow the brain fall within the round after the Devourer leaves the body.
I would argue that the creature isn't missing its brain unless the ID has been removed but I can see room for debate. If it were to come up at my table and the players made great efforts to time this appropriately I would probably let it happen.


Odd question, how would you rule someone casting Sanctuary on the Devourer's target?
The ID doesn't attack the target when it's consuming their brain. You would protect them from the claw attack but Devour Intellect and Body Thief aren't an attack or spell so sanctuary does nothing.

[Hypersmith]

Get the brains out of the stomach of the eater, jam them through the hole in the skull of the eaten, cast some decent level healing magic, start a character arc about change of self and other people's memories in their brain, as well as losing some of their own memories and the like.

Yeah, redirection is probably the easiest way lol.

[Tawmis]

Hey Playground,
How do you remove an intellect devourer from someone and keep them themselves? Common sense says you can't restore someone who's had their BRAIN EATEN. But Waterdeep: Dragon Heist has a whole subplot around Meloon Wardragon.
Thoughts?

Thoughts?

None here. I saw this brain thing - the size of a dog...

And I don't remember much more before that...

[Maelynn]

Odd question, how would you rule someone casting Sanctuary on the Devourer's target?

Hm, interesting. Like ProsecutorGodot said, the Devourer's abilities aren't an attack or a harmful spell. Although one could argue that the brain being 'magically eaten' with the ability Body Thief counts as harmful, by RAW it shouldn't work.


I would argue that the creature isn't missing its brain unless the ID has been removed but I can see room for debate. If it were to come up at my table and the players made great efforts to time this appropriately I would probably let it happen.

Well, Body Thief says the brain is literally consumed, after which the Devourer teleports into the skull. I interpret that as having its brain missing. This also explains why you can't simply use Greater Restoration to restore Intellect, since there's no brain and Greater Restoration doesn't restore physical injuries. It would only work if the mind had been affected with the brain still intact, like with Feeblemind.

I must say that an Intellect Devourer is way too nasty for its CR. Not necessarily the brain devouring or the Intellect penalty, but the fact that the victim dies without a brain within 1 round of the Devourer leaving/dying. At the level suggested by the CR, a PC wouldn't have access to or the gold necessary for a Resurrection spell. Also, Protection from Evil and Good targets only 1 person and is a concentration spell, so it's impossible to shield the entire party.

Another thing that I'm wondering about is the 'intelligence contest' mentioned in Devour Intellect, which isn't explained anywhere. Is it an opposed INT check? Is it a saving throw against a certain DC? Is it a battle of wits, where the Devourer and its intended victim try to baffle each other with clever riddles?

[ProsecutorGodot]

Another thing that I'm wondering about is the 'intelligence contest' mentioned in Devour Intellect, which isn't explained anywhere. Is it an opposed INT check? Is it a saving throw against a certain DC? Is it a battle of wits, where the Devourer and its intended victim try to baffle each other with clever riddles?

An ability contest is actually described in the PHB.

Contests
Sometimes one character's or monster's efforts are directly opposed to another's. This can occur when both of them are trying to do the same thing and only one can succeed, such as attempting to snatch up a magic ring that has fallen on the floor. This situation also applies when one of them is trying to prevent the other one from accomplishing a goal — for example, when a monster tries to force open a door that an adventurer is holding closed. In situations like these, the outcome is determined by a special form of ability check, called a contest.

Both participants in a contest make ability checks appropriate to their efforts. They apply all appropriate bonuses and penalties, but instead of comparing the total to a DC, they compare the totals of their two checks. The participant with the higher check total wins the contest. That character or monster either succeeds at the action or prevents the other one from succeeding.

If the contest results in a tie, the situation remains the same as it was before the contest. Thus, one contestant might win the contest by default. If two characters tie in a contest to snatch a ring off the floor, neither character grabs it. In a contest between a monster trying to open a door and an adventurer trying to keep the door closed, a tie means that the door remains shut.
An opposing intelligence check is rolled.