Lesser Mind Flayer?

[Demons_eye]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a lesser Mind Flayer? Or failing that how to stat one? I wanted to get it down to a playable race. IE: Less LA and Less HD

For making the LA got down I was thinking of

1. Reducing all the stat bonus by 4 or 6.
   
2. Removing the NA
   
3. Removing the Special Attacks
   
4. Removing the Spell Resistance

After that I am at a loss so can anyone help me or point me to a lesser Mind Flayer?

[Flickerdart]

There's the Half-Illithid (I think) template in Lords of Madness, and Illithid Heritage feats...somewhere. I forget. But they can give you the tentacles and the brain eating goodies.

[Demons_eye]

The only thing I dislike about Half-Illithid is that you can't be human. I'll look into those feats tho thanks!

Any other ideas?

[KillianHawkeye]

The only thing I dislike about Half-Illithid is that you can't be human.

I think that's because the process used to create half-illithids results in a true illithid when applied to a human, but I'm AFB right now.

[The Glyphstone]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a lesser Mind Flayer? Or failing that how to stat one? I wanted to get it down to a playable race. IE: Less LA and Less HD

For making the LA got down I was thinking of

1. Reducing all the stat bonus by 4 or 6.
   
2. Removing the NA
   
3. Removing the Special Attacks
   
4. Removing the Spell Resistance

After that I am at a loss so can anyone help me or point me to a lesser Mind Flayer?

But....what's left? When you take away the special abilities and spell resistance, all you're left with is fat caster-friendly stat modifiers. There's nothing left of the original monster....

the Half-illithid template might suit your needs, +5 LA and no HD, or spend a bunch of feats on the (lame, but applicable) Illithid Heritage feats.

[Eldariel]

LA +0 Mindflayer:
-2 Str, -4 Con, +4 Int

Mindblast (Psi-like): At level 1, Mind Flayer's Mind Blast causes 1d4 round Sickened-condition, second successful blasts a Staggered-condition and third successful blast Stun. If creature is immune to Stun, it is immune to both milder conditions caused by this power. If creature is not immune to Stun, it is not immune to either milder condition caused by this power. At level 6, first failed save causes a 2d4 round Staggered-condition and second successful blast stuns. At level 12, blast causes a stun for 3d4 rounds. Until level 12, the Mind Flayer may only target a single creature with each blast. Save DC is Charisma-based.

Natural Attacks: As MM.

Improved Grab & Extract: As MM.

Alien mind: -3 to all Charisma-related skill checks.

Resistant: +1 racial bonus to all saving throws vs. spells and powers.

Telepathy 10' per HD to maximum of 100' on 10 HD.

Darkvision 60'


The abilities are powerful, but they're slightly balanced by their ability modifiers having no synergy with them. Mind, binding Mind Blast to Power Points and giving them bonus power points per HD would also work, but this version doesn't require Psionics.

Also, I feel making Mind Blast to be manifested like the power would especially make Mind Flayer Psions (their obvious favored class) less special.

[Starbuck_II]

What do they get:
Mindblast, eating brains (Extract), SR 25 (HD +17), Telepathy, 4 natural attacks, improved grab, 3 NA
+2 Str, +4 Dex, +2 Con, +8 Int, +6 Wis, and +6 Cha
And Psionics (special spell-like abilities)
Charm Monster (4th level), Leveitate (2nd), Planeshift (7th), Detect Thoughts (2nd), Suggestion (3rd)

The Reason for Cha bonus is Mindblast requires that for DC.
Dex for Weapon finesse to be useful as a level feat.
Int because of fluff says they are smart.
The rest of bonuses to stats are just extra.
SR is higher than standard: usually it is at most HD +15 or CR +15.

So looking at list:
1. Reducing all the stat bonus by 4 or 6.
a. Removing Str, Con, and Wisdom bonus would lower LA by 2 at least (maybe 3).
b. Lowering Int would lower LA for each 4 Int.

2.Removing the NA
NA +3 is worth only 1.

3.Removing the Special Attacks
Which ones?
a. Telepathy is LA 1
b. Mind Blast is worth LA +2.

c. Psionics:
1) Suggestion is not worth anything over all.
2) Planeshift is 2
3) Charm Monster is 1
4) Levitate is 1
5) Detect Thoughts is not worth anything over all.

4.Removing the Spell Resistance
Worth at minimum LA +2 since they have above standard.

So if we removed Psionics and unneeded stats:
We would have Mindblast, eating brains (Extract), SR 25 (HD +17), Telepathy, 4 natural attacks, improved grab, 3 NA
+2 Dex, +6 Int, +and +6 Cha. 8 HD.
LA +3.

Since usually 2 HD are worth 1 LA: we could lower 2 HD for each LA removed.

1) Remove SR to lower HD by 4.
2) Remove Extract and Improved grab for 1 LA
3) Weaken Mindblast to lower LA by 1: make 1d4 rds.

Then we would have we might have:
Lesser Mindblast, Telepathy, 4 natural attacks, 3 NA
+2 Dex, +6 Int, and +6 Cha. 4 HD. LA +1.

[arguskos]

Interesting that you should ask. I actually shifted the Illithids to a player race in my homebrew setting. Here are their stats:

Illithids:
Stats: +4 Int, -2 Con, -2 Str
Size/Speed: Medium, 30 ft
Special: telepathy 100 ft; 4 slams (1d4+.5 Str); extract; 1/day charm person (CL= character level, DC=11+Int mod)
Languages: Common, Qualith
Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Draconic, Elven, Intolian, Goblin, Orog

Several notes: Qualith is their language, so don't worry about that; and the lack of mind blast was a balance concern. It can be acquired via a feat though, and looks much like Eldarial's suggestion above. Further know that their fluff changed significantly for my setting (I can supply it if needed), so that's why the stat mods don't line up precisely.