[3.5] Half-Illithid Brain-Eating

[Darkxarth]

Ok, according to the Lord of Madness, Illithids require brains (and psychic energy?) to survive. However, I gathered that if an illithid eats more than the required amount (more than one brain per week?) they can get some sort of power boost? What about a half-illithids, if I recall correctly they don't require brains to survive. If they eat a brain does that give them any kind of power boost? I'm the DM, so if there is no real rule for this kind of thing, I'm probably going to make up some unique, one-time power to be granted to the half-illithid.

Thanks in advance.

[TakeV]

I wasn't aware that they get a power-boost.
However, I know that there is a prestige class for them, which lets them take on class abilities of those who's brains they eat, rather awesome. The requirement, of course, is to be able to eat brains.

I don't see any reason why they shouldn't get that boost. The implication, of course, is that it's not very nice to eat people's brains.

[Adumbration]

You should take a look at Complete Psionic Illithid Heritage feats. There's a feat that grants you tentacles, one per feat, and if you take four of them, you can take the Illithid Extractor feat that allows you to eat brains and get temporary powerpoints. It's feat expensive, sure, but it's still awesome.

[Darkxarth]

I wasn't aware that they get a power-boost.
However, I know that there is a prestige class for them, which lets them take on class abilities of those who's brains they eat, rather awesome. The requirement, of course, is to be able to eat brains.

I don't see any reason why they shouldn't get that boost. The implication, of course, is that it's not very nice to eat people's brains.

A friend of mine has Lords of Madness, but I do not. I am relying on his knowledge of the book at the moment. If it does not say something about illithids getting a power-boost, I apologize. (And no, this friend is not in the campaign involving the half-illithid.)

I wasn't aware of the prestige class, I'll look for it.

You should take a look at Complete Psionic Illithid Heritage feats. There's a feat that grants you tentacles, one per feat, and if you take four of them, you can take the Illithid Extractor feat that allows you to eat brains and get temporary powerpoints. It's feat expensive, sure, but it's still awesome.

The problem is that the half-illithid is nonpsionic. It's a Wizard, actually. However, I will try to take a look at these feats anyway, because they do sound interesting.

[arguskos]

The aforementioned prestige class is the Illithid Savant, from Savage Species. It requires you be a full illithid however. Just thought I'd toss that out there.

-argus

[monty]

Illithid Savant, which is the single most broken class in existence?

[TakeV]

The aforementioned prestige class is the Illithid Savant, from Savage Species. It requires you be a full illithid however. Just thought I'd toss that out there.

-argus

Meh, if I was GMing a game, I'd allow anyone that could eat-brains and had Illithid heritage(Half, feats, full, whatever) to take it.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I think that the only thing they'd get by eating extra brains would be fat.

[erikun]

What?! There's no fat in brains. It's straight protein in a sugar water solution.

[Worira]

Yes, and the human (and presumably half-illithid) body can break protein down into fat.

Also, how does a half-illithid even work? Illithids reproduce asexually.

[Ionizer]

Also, how does a half-illithid even work? Illithids reproduce asexually.

A wizard did it. The Wizard who lives by the Coast, if you get my drift. Simple enough.

Actually, I have no idea but I thought it was funny, and that it was a great way to tie in one of my favorite OoTS quotes. I have personally never read Lords of Madness (or ever even seen the cover of the book...) so I don't have any thing of relevance to contribute to this topic. Besides the fact that eating brains to gain power is very cool. And very evil, but that's part of what makes it very cool.

[Asbestos]

Yes, and the human (and presumably half-illithid) body can break protein down into fat.

Also, how does a half-illithid even work? Illithids reproduce asexually.

And brains are in fact, mostly fat anyway, so they just have to break fat down into... fat. Well, mostly water, then fat.

Anyway, a half-illithid is, according to the Fiend Folio (where the template is) the result of an illithid tadpole implanted in an incompatible (non-Humanoid that is) species. This is pretty contradictory to Lords of Madness, where I believe its mentioned that non-Humanoids being implanted with tadpoles results in the death of the host and the illithid.

[monty]

And brains are in fact, mostly fat anyway, so they just have to break fat down into... fat. Well, mostly water, then fat.

Anyway, a half-illithid is, according to the Fiend Folio (where the template is) the result of an illithid tadpole implanted in an incompatible (non-Humanoid that is) species. This is pretty contradictory to Lords of Madness, where I believe its mentioned that non-Humanoids being implanted with tadpoles results in the death of the host and the illithid.

Not quite. Half-illithid is any non-human humanoid. That is:
Human + tadpole = illithid
Other humanoid + tadpole = half-illithid
Anything else + tadpole = dead

[Asbestos]

Not quite. Half-illithid is any non-human humanoid. That is:
Human + tadpole = illithid
Other humanoid + tadpole = half-illithid
Anything else + tadpole = dead

Bah! You're right, I was going purely on memory... last time I do that
Probably not though.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Spoiler

Show

[Asbestos]

I think my arteries just seized up a little. Illithids must have some epic ability to process cholesterol... or they're all dying from heart attacks.

[monty]

Wow. I almost had a heart attack just looking at that.

[Darkxarth]

Thanks everyone, I'll try to get a hold of Savage Species and check it out, at least.

[littlechicory]

Not quite. Half-illithid is any non-human humanoid. That is:
Human + tadpole = illithid
Other humanoid + tadpole = half-illithid
Anything else + tadpole = dead

Except LoM specifically states that illithids' favorite victims for the procedure are drow.

[Monstrodoom]

Pfeh, drow are beloved as servants of the Elder Brain for their small, nimble hands.

Excellent massages, you see. Also, great for opening those cans of pork brains (in milk gravy) for the Elder Brain's personal consumption. They're what happens when illithid get fat, the brain is the only part that gains weight and the rest of your body liquefies underneath its brainy weight. So, the secret to power in illithid communities: FAT FAT FATTY FAT FAT!

Also: What happened to the purple worm half-illithids? How the hell did they come about?

[JBento]

If I recall correctly, there's two ways the illithid making-more process can go wrong: one of the results in neothelids (the purple worm half-illithid thingies) and the other in the stuff that would be in Complete Psionics, if such book existed.

One of them is what happens when the tadpole is removed from the pool, but not implanted, the other is when they're left on the pool for too long.

Folks with books at hand might confirm or correct this.

[Monstrodoom]

just checked LoM: Neothelids aren't actually purple worms, they're what happens when an illithid community collapses, and the elder brain dies. The tadpoles aren't all killed off and get to grow up feeding on the latent psychic energy of the brain; they don't under go ceremorphosis. They just grow to massive sizes and become brain-eating worm gods.

Also the urophions - the half-illithid ropers - are the real exception to the humanoids-only rule, since they DO undergo ceremorphosis. Huzzah.

[hamishspence]

it simply said for process- must be mammal (not amphibian or reptile) not too small (halfling) or too large (big bugbear, or larger) humanoid.

While it said "others are never used" both Fiend Folio and Underdark have half-illithids, with the Underdark version of the template being available to a wider range of creature types. Both predate LoM.

maybe, FF version is what happens when an unlucky lizardman, say, strays too close to a pool full of larvae, and the illithids choose to use resulting creature rather than destroying it.

Drow certainly fit, but all races that fit criteria can be turned into normal mind flayers.

Complete Psionics, while mostly bad, has a few good points- Larval flayers (escapees from pool, basically future neothilids) For 3.5 they appeared in Dragon Magazine first though.

it says in Underdark "Half illithids are the progeny of mind flayers and various other creatures. Most often, such progeny are formed through magical tampering with the reproductive process of the host creature, rather than through direct mating"

The sample creature in Underdark is a half-illithid beholder.

and "any corporeal creature that is not a construct" can have template. Oddly, since Living is not mentioned, you could have a half-illithid Undead, by the rules.

EDIT: So, LoM overrides FF on what creatures produce true illithids (mammal humanoids within certain size range) FF half-illithid covers all humanoid victims Not fitting criteria, and Underdark half-illithids aren't created through ceremorphosis at all.

[Moriato]

What?! There's no fat in brains. It's straight protein in a sugar water solution.

... are you sure you aren't thinking of jell-o?