I have an Illithid brain, what can I use this for?

[ElementalAaron]

Hello all I am in need of inspiration for my artificer. I am playing an artificer and we are all lvl 4 in my party and we got a jump on an illithid and my character thirst for knowledge, I have extracted its brain which my DM says has a special part to generate it psionic energy(it is a homebrew world). And I was wondering if you guys have some fun and/or silly ideas I can use this brain for!

[Brookshw]

I feel like a gun that does psychic damage by channeling the brain, mind you, the brain is in a jar attached to the gun. or maybe plug it into your turret for the same result.

Or the "brain grenade", similar to an acid flask or something, does psychic damage.

Hypno-ray goggles!

Really, I'm totally in favor of anything hammy you can do with it.

[Waterdeep Merch]

So it just generates psionic energy? No particular thought or soul behind that energy?

Locate this gland. Have a cleric with cure wounds, protection from poison, lesser restoration, and regenerate perform impromptu brain surgery on you. You may need to restructure your skull a bit.

Now you wield the mental powers of an illithid!

Or if you're squeamish, make a crown with it.

[Azuresun]

Plug it into a giant construct, preferably one with death rays.

[Ortho]

Funnily enough, my players also managed to get ahold of an illithid brain. They decided to grow a pet intellect devoured out of it.

[Trask]

Eat it and gain psychic powers!

As a DM I'd probably have there be some risk and period of sickness, but if you survive, gain the mind blast ability, perhaps once per short or long rest.

[P. G. Macer]

Eat it and gain psychic powers!

As a DM I'd probably have there be some risk and period of sickness, but if you survive, gain the mind blast ability, perhaps once per short or long rest.

According to Elminster’s comments in Volo’s Guide to Monsters, illithid brains are poisonous, with a single bite enough to drive an eater mad (“Er, ask me not how I know this.”).

[Trask]

According to Elminster’s comments in Volo’s Guide to Monsters, illithid brains are poisonous, with a single bite enough to drive an eater mad (“Er, ask me not how I know this.”).

Maybe he never had a fresh one :D

Or maybe you only need to prepare it a bit with special herbs and rituals that negate the worst effects.

I dont consider Elminster to be the last word on what might be a cool idea.

[FirstAgeMagic]

So, when I'm DMing I like to encourage creature parts as components for PCs who go through the efforts to harvest them as rewards. Here's a few things that an Illithid Brain seems like it could be used for:

-A Component for crafting a Magic Items. Helm of Telepathy seems appropriate, but your DM seems gracious so you might be able to homebrew an item together.

-Alternate Material Component. This is more a homebrew idea I use at my tables. Basically I would say "You can use this to cast any spell that deals Psychic damage and has a material component, replacing the usual material component. If you do so the Brain is used up but the spell deals max damage.

-Instrumental in some dark ritual. Depending on how morally grey your characters are there definetly seems like, Thematically, Human Cultists who capture an Illithid might be inclined to attempt to eat their brains in a dark ritual of cruel ironic. Doing so might warp your body giving you immunity to mind flayers ability to detect your thoughts and an ability to replicate their Mind Blast as an Action 1/day.

-Make a Brain in a Jar. An undead Illithid brain that serves as a twisted AI. Warning, the Brain is probably hostile and is still telepathic and psionic. But you could also do it anyway. For the Science.

-I also like Grafting as a concept but don't know if I can condone Brain Grafts like an Illithid Brain. I'll throw it out though.

Hope this helps

[Imbalance]

If it's truly poisonous and mania-inducing, dry it, powder it, and save it. When you inevitably arrive at that evil city or kingdom that your party couldn't possibly defeat in open war, have the rogue sneak in and drop it into their water supply.

[Temperjoke]

You could make a computer that could hack into an hive's collective consciousness and all the information there.