Leveling the playing field between small party with poor Int saves and a mind flayer

[Zorgoth]

I have a party of a level 8 Fathomless Warlock and a Gloom Stalker Ranger 6/Fighter 2 (possibly an Eloquence bard 8, but he doesn't show up that often). They will be venturing into the Underdark soon, and I want them to face a mind flayer there (possibly a buffed mind flayer, as I was considering giving it some warlock abilities so that it can drop a rod of the pact keeper). The problem is that the mind flayer has very strong abilities with DC 15 int saves, and the party has no one proficient in those saves. On the plus side, the ranger will probably go first and attack 7 times with his hand crossbow, but that won't kill the mind flayer outright unless he is very lucky with sharpshooter. The warlock has repelling blast, which can break the grapple. However, I'm worried that on its turn, the mind flayer would mind blast the party and lock them down completely until it's already extracted a brain and killed someone.

They're going to get a quest reward before they go, which I always intended to include powerful consumable magic items. My first thought was to provide a consumable magic item that says "This item has three charges. When you fail a saving throw, you can use your reaction to spend a charge and pass it instead. When the charges are gone, the item becomes non-magical." If the players realize how dangerous the mind flayer's abilities are, this should allow them to defeat it, but it kind of trivializes the fight, as the mind flayer has no hope of surviving three rounds (mind blast, grapple, extract brain) without its stuns. I guess I could partially mitigate this if I give it Quicken Spell (rationalized either as a feat or it being a sorlock) and have it cast Quickened Hold Person on the ranger on the same turn as Mind Blast, since my magic item can only be used once per round.

Does anyone have a better idea for a consumable item (or some other temporary advantage) to give the party that would let them win but make it feel like a challenge?

[da newt]

If the Players are clever they should realize that they have a range advantage over most foes including the Mind Flayer. If this is an encounter they can see coming and there are lines of sight, they should be able to end the MF without ever getting in range of it's mind blast.

I'd just make sure they have an opportunity to figure out what they will be up against beforehand and plan.

If you want to ensure they have a way to get un-stunned you can houserule that if a PC takes an action to shake a stunned PC, they are awakened, but 7 SS hand Xbow shots w/ ADV (if it's dark or the Warlock has Invisibility - or better yet 6 shots from further away w/ HM and a heavy Xbow) vs 15 AC and 71 hp isn't a tough fight.

I think non-SS w/ ADV and +9 to hit should be 93% to hit, and 6(d10 + d6 + 4) + 2d8 = 87 so dead MF as long as you hit 5 out of 6 or better (not counting crits assuming average damage roles) without the warlock taking a turn.

[J-H]

Players almost always surprise you with how easily they roll over "this could be deadly" encounters. I'd probably run it as is and see what happens.

[solidork]

You're already planning on tweaking things a bit - maybe this Warlock Mindflayer's mind blast targets Charisma, an adaptation that would make it more effective against other Mindflayers (though only slightly) and the tastiest prey that has a high intelligence.

[Unoriginal]

I have a party of a level 8 Fathomless Warlock and a Gloom Stalker Ranger 6/Fighter 2 (possibly an Eloquence bard 8, but he doesn't show up that often). They will be venturing into the Underdark soon, and I want them to face a mind flayer there (possibly a buffed mind flayer, as I was considering giving it some warlock abilities so that it can drop a rod of the pact keeper). The problem is that the mind flayer has very strong abilities with DC 15 int saves, and the party has no one proficient in those saves. On the plus side, the ranger will probably go first and attack 7 times with his hand crossbow, but that won't kill the mind flayer outright unless he is very lucky with sharpshooter. The warlock has repelling blast, which can break the grapple. However, I'm worried that on its turn, the mind flayer would mind blast the party and lock them down completely until it's already extracted a brain and killed someone.

They're going to get a quest reward before they go, which I always intended to include powerful consumable magic items. My first thought was to provide a consumable magic item that says "This item has three charges. When you fail a saving throw, you can use your reaction to spend a charge and pass it instead. When the charges are gone, the item becomes non-magical." If the players realize how dangerous the mind flayer's abilities are, this should allow them to defeat it, but it kind of trivializes the fight, as the mind flayer has no hope of surviving three rounds (mind blast, grapple, extract brain) without its stuns. I guess I could partially mitigate this if I give it Quicken Spell (rationalized either as a feat or it being a sorlock) and have it cast Quickened Hold Person on the ranger on the same turn as Mind Blast, since my magic item can only be used once per round.

Does anyone have a better idea for a consumable item (or some other temporary advantage) to give the party that would let them win but make it feel like a challenge?

I think your players would have much more fond memories if they have an harrowing battle and nearly die against a Mind Flayer than if they are saved by an item you put there just to make the fight easier.

Let the Mind Flayer uses their psionic powers and the battle will be legendary.

[Dr.Samurai]

I think set up the terrain to give your players the chance you want them to have.

Your players can kill this mind flayer pretty easily. If you're worried about the Mind Blast, give them space to spread out so they're both not caught in it if they're careful. The ranger is invisible to the Mind Flayer, so can Stealth in plain sight. The ranger also has a climb speed at this level as well. Could be your ranger player sneaks up on the creature while it is engaging the warlock.

Distance can be on their side as well, allowing the PCs to take down its hit points before having to engage closer.

If you cap the height of the cavern they're fighting in, the mind flayer might not be able to levitate out of reach, etc.

I am in agreement with others here; players can be pretty innovate and resourceful. The Stun is a strong effect and if they're both caught, it can be lethal. But give them a chance to avoid it, or even have the RNG on their side.

[Snails]

Will the PCs be tipped off about what they are up against and where to find the Mind Flayer?

They have a Ranger and scouting with PwaT is powerful. If the Warlock has Invisibility, he can upcast it to cover both PCs, and it possible the Flayer will die before its initiative.

That said, you are right to be concerned about this kind of lockdown ability in a very small party. In a larger party everyone failing is not common, but even that event is recoverable and it is not a campaign killer is one of the PCs is suddenly dead.

[Sigreid]

Will the PCs be tipped off about what they are up against and where to find the Mind Flayer?

They have a Ranger and scouting with PwaT is powerful. If the Warlock has Invisibility, he can upcast it to cover both PCs, and it possible the Flayer will die before its initiative.

That said, you are right to be concerned about this kind of lockdown ability in a very small party. In a larger party everyone failing is not common, but even that event is recoverable and it is not a campaign killer is one of the PCs is suddenly dead.

If it was me, they'd find the rod of the pact keeper on the body of a fallen adventurer that they noticed suction cup marks on his face and a hollow skull.

[Unoriginal]

If it was me, they'd find the rod of the pact keeper on the body of a fallen adventurer that they noticed suction cup marks on his face and a hollow skull.

I mean I don't think a Mind Flayer would just leave a potential magic item on a corpse like that, even when they can't use it.

Mind Flayers are geniuses.

[Sigreid]

I mean I don't think a Mind Flayer would just leave a potential magic item on a corpse like that, even when they can't use it.

Mind Flayers are geniuses.
Perhaps the body is found in the dining hall and the maid is meant to clean it up.

[Zorgoth]

Will the PCs be tipped off about what they are up against and where to find the Mind Flayer?

They have a Ranger and scouting with PwaT is powerful. If the Warlock has Invisibility, he can upcast it to cover both PCs, and it possible the Flayer will die before its initiative.

That said, you are right to be concerned about this kind of lockdown ability in a very small party. In a larger party everyone failing is not common, but even that event is recoverable and it is not a campaign killer is one of the PCs is suddenly dead.

They will be warned about the Mind Flayer as long as they take the time to talk to the friendly NPCs first, which they should do. Instead of giving them an automatic save-passer, I'm going to do two things; I'll take the suggestion from earlier in the thread and make this specific Mind Flayer target Charisma with its Mind Blast so that the warlock has a good chance of saving, and second, I gave them a one-use resurrection item, in case one of them does die. Beyond that, the encounter is kind of unpredictable, because the Mind Flayer, being a Warlock, *also* has invisibility. It doesn't have third-level spells, but it does have Quicken Spell, which it will use to demonstrate its warlockiness by casting Quickened Eldritch Blast (with Grasp of Hadar) along with Mind Blast on its first turn. If the party catches it off-guard, it's probably dead. If it sees the party (probably inside Leomund's Tiny Hut) during the party's short rest, it is able to sit in a room and remain invisible indefinitely, casting it once per hour after a short rest. On the other hand, the ranger is always invisible to the Mind Flayer unless he steps into an area of light, which I'm sure he won't do. If the Mind Flayer initiates combat invisible, the ranger will probably win initiative and will not be surprised due to his weapon of warning, but this means he might not get off his 7 attacks because he'd have to pass a Perception check to hear the Mind Flayer getting ready to attack in order to know its position. He'd then have to use his Action Surge on a regular round, getting 5 attacks that round. On the other hand, he likely won't get hit by the mind blast if he doesn't get to attack, since the mind flayer won't know he exists.

I also have a couple escape hatches in case it looks like a TPK. One, the ranger will probably be unknowingly using an evil, cursed, sentient crossbow that wants to kill just about everything, and that has a much better Charisma score than he does. That crossbow can try to possess him, then roll its own save against the stun. Second, they are near a kuo-toa city and could encounter patrolling kuo-toa warriors in the nick of time. If I have to save them like that, they won't be getting XP, but I'd rather do that then have to restart the campaign because my encounter was too hard. I think they can take the encounter, though, as long as they plan correctly.

[Slipjig]

I think your proposed item unduly trivializes the encounter. Give the players a little warning, and let them come up with a strategy. Even with just 1-2 rounds of notice, they can "Spread out so we can't all be caught by a single blast".

And if the players end DO all end up stunned, maybe the mind flayer just ate the dead Warlock (with the magic item still on his body), and decides to take the PCs as slaves instead of eating them immediately.