[Race] Emancipated Mind Flayer (Critique requested)

[PhoenixPhyre]

Long-time lurker, first time poster.

So I run a high-school D&D club (as the faculty advisor and DM) and one of my players really really wants to play as a mind flayer (ugh). We're switching from 4e (where he played a home-brewed mind flayer) to 5e for next school year, and I'm trying to get a good balanced version as a bargaining chip. Kinda "if you do, it has to be this version."

The setting is home-brew, but pretty lightly modified. Setting wise, the race would give interesting plot hooks. It's mechanics I'm worried about.

Now I need your feedback. Is the following (especially the mind blast special ability) badly out of line compared to other races? I've tried following the DMG instructions...but they're kinda lacking in detail.

The fluff would be a mind-flayer that (due to chance or something) was disconnected from the hive mind and ended up non-evil. Comments are noted by //.

Emancipated Mind Flayer

Ability Score Increase: +2 INT //only a +2 due to the abilities

Age: Adult at 3-4*; 50 yr lifespan *Parasite in host

Alignment: Usually chaotic. Rarely lawful good.

Size: Medium (slender build)

Speed: 30 ft/round

Languages: Common and Deepspeech, plus 1 of your choice.

Darkvision: 60 ft.

Alien Mental State: You have advantage on saving throws to resist charm, sleep, and compulsion effects.

Psionic Nature: You know can cast Disguise Self 1x per day using INT. At 3rd level you can cast Detect Thoughts 1x per day and at 5th level you can cast Mind Blast (below) 1x per day.

Mind Blast:
Range: 10ft sphere centered on self (caster unaffected).
Targets: All creatures in area.
Duration: Instantaneous
School: Illusion

All targets must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw (DC = 8 + INT + proficiency) or take 1d8 damage and be stunned until the end of your next turn. If they successfully save, they take no damage but cannot take reactions until the end of your next turn. //this is the ability I'm worried about. It's quite iconic, but I'm afraid of abuse.

Thoughts?

[Xuldarinar]

I know there is a lack of instances for the sake of formatting, but my first question is as follows; The default creature type is Humanoid. Are these emancipated mind flayers humanoids or aberrations?


That aspect aside, both conceptually and mechanically they seem interesting to me. At a glance at least. I think its a concept worth delving into.

Do take my input with a grain of salt as I am -just- getting into 5e.

[JBPuffin]

I'd say give them +1 Cha and proficiency in a skill; Int as a racial bonus means wizard or bust, especially since it's useful for very little else, and frankly the other bonuses are rather circumstantial, including Disguise Self 1/day. Make Mind Blast do 3d8 - 1/day means very little abuse potential, really, and it's supposed to be approximately a 2nd-level spell. All in all, you built these guys almost timidly, and as they are they're probably close to if not a worse off than dragonborn, the weakest PHB race. Give them some more stuff and they'll be fine, though.

[PhoenixPhyre]

I'd say give them +1 Cha and proficiency in a skill; Int as a racial bonus means wizard or bust, especially since it's useful for very little else, and frankly the other bonuses are rather circumstantial, including Disguise Self 1/day. Make Mind Blast do 3d8 - 1/day means very little abuse potential, really, and it's supposed to be approximately a 2nd-level spell. All in all, you built these guys almost timidly, and as they are they're probably close to if not a worse off than dragonborn, the weakest PHB race. Give them some more stuff and they'll be fine, though.

Thanks. I did somewhat intentionally shoot low, but as you say it's probably a bit too low. I'll add on a +1 CHA, skill in Intimidation, and up the damage of mind blast to 3d8. It was the stun I was worried about coming from a 4e perspective where disable effects are king.

Funny that you compare them to dragonborn--I already know several of my players will probably go for that option despite its weakness. They're teenagers who care much more about fluff and cool-factor than crunch. You might even say it's a no-optimization game.

[PhoenixPhyre]

I know there is a lack of instances for the sake of formatting, but my first question is as follows; The default creature type is Humanoid. Are these emancipated mind flayers humanoids or aberrations?


That aspect aside, both conceptually and mechanically they seem interesting to me. At a glance at least. I think its a concept worth delving into.

Do take my input with a grain of salt as I am -just- getting into 5e.

Yeah, I had planned for them to be humanoid since (as a new DM) I'm not entirely sure what all would be affected by making them aberrations (affected by Hold Monster instead of Hold Person? Other spell-targeting weirdnesses?). Thanks for the feedback!

[Xuldarinar]

Yeah, I had planned for them to be humanoid since (as a new DM) I'm not entirely sure what all would be affected by making them aberrations (affected by Hold Monster instead of Hold Person? Other spell-targeting weirdnesses?). Thanks for the feedback!

It can certainly throw a wrench into things. One solution I had, personally, goes as follow; Give them an ability to makes it so for abilities that have effects that specify aberrations, they are treated as aberrations. For all other purposes they are treated as humanoid. I did that for the Alloprax when I brought them to 5e, but I digress.

Thematically this could be approached as either a "failed" ceremorphosis, or that by some circumstances ceremorphosis was partially undone, assuming that is still the way mind flayers make more mind flayers in 5e.

[PhoenixPhyre]

Thematically this could be approached as either a "failed" ceremorphosis, or that by some circumstances ceremorphosis was partially undone, assuming that is still the way mind flayers make more mind flayers in 5e.

As a setting detail, ~50-100 years before the adventure opens there was a (cataclysmic) cosmic realignment of sorts where a formerly all-lawful universe got chaos (interpreted here as free will for planar beings/monsters) forcibly shoved down its throat. Thus monster races of all types are giving birth to non-evil children (among other changes). So thematically, this is a case of "failed" ceremorphosis as the parasite/spawn ended up non-evil and unbound from the hive.

The common folk up on the surface still are not going to be happy (hence the disguise self as a racial power).

[cyberman09]

Seems interesting but a bit OP. Usually classes alone don't get 3 spells. Maybe loosing disguise self?You are the DM I assume and it really is all up to you, but thats just my 2 cents

[PhoenixPhyre]

Seems interesting but a bit OP. Usually classes alone don't get 3 spells. Maybe loosing disguise self?You are the DM I assume and it really is all up to you, but thats just my 2 cents

I followed the template there of the Drow subrace--they get a cantrip (dancing lights) + 2 spells (darkness and faerie fire). Disguise self is much less powerful than faerie fire; mind blast is a bit more powerful (under certain circumstances, but weaker in others) than darkness. If there's a power problem, I don't see it in the spells.

Thanks for your input though.

[Rerem115]

Are these emancipated mind flayers humanoids or aberrations?

Why not both? Isn't that how tieflings are handled?

[Xuldarinar]

Why not both? Isn't that how tieflings are handled?

I don't believe so. While I've taken the approach myself in the alloprax, I believe the tiefling are simply and strictly humanoids. If that has changed, or I am otherwise mistaken, I would love to know.

[Markoff Chainey]

I think it is awesome and you did a good job.

I personally would go for CHA +1 and INT +1 and add a little on the abilities side for a more "mindflayer" feel...

I recognized that you gave the same spells as drow magic, but no cantrip. Mage Hand would be fitting and flavorful IMO.

Instead for a +1 I would do the following:
- add telepathy like a 1st level GOO warlock as a racial ability.
- add a levitate instead of Mind blast as a spell. - this way you just add a spell and do not reinvent a new one that might get in conflict with later additions.
- add Mind Blast as a racial ability 1/ short rest; and allow the damage scale with char level, otherwise it becomes utterly useless very soon. - I would recommend: at lvl 1: 2d6, 6th lvl: 4d6, 11th lvl: 6d6, 16th lvl: 8d6. (On our table, we did the same to dragonborn's breath or it deals less than a cantrip on higher levels.)
- As a last point, I would add proficiency in either deception or arcana.

If you would want to give them a more darker bent, you could also make it a requirement that they eat a brain once in a while and give them the ability to devour a brain. (unarmed melee attack, works only on incapacitated, restrained or grappled targets; deals a cumulative d4 + STR damage per turn until target breaks free - so 2d4+2xSTR on turn 2 and 3d4+3xSTR on turn 3...) - for a better taste, a real Illithid carrys a brain jar with him in that he uses a special "family recipe" to make it more tasty and healthy and to prevent a bad digestion... ;-)

My 2 cents,
Cheers!

P.S.: I guess you already saw the Illithid Race on D&D Wiki here. - I like your version better!