Let's Read The Monster Manual II: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Fight Them

[S_A_M I AM]

[Mith]

While waiting for the Mind Flayer update, my thoughts on a twist with Mimics is to make them a stage of a doppleganger. As the Mimic eats more and more sentient creatures it reaches a point where it can become a doppleganger. Otherwise it just slowly grows as it dines on rats and insects.

[Unoriginal]

While waiting for the Mind Flayer update, my thoughts on a twist with Mimics is to make them a stage of a doppleganger. As the Mimic eats more and more sentient creatures it reaches a point where it can become a doppleganger. Otherwise it just slowly grows as it dines on rats and insects.

At this point you're better off homebrewing some kind of doppleganger larva (maybe that imitates animals rather than humanoids) than modifying the Mimic's lore.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Mind Flayers

Intro: One of the game's iconic creatures, Mind Flayers (or Illithids) have a long history with the game. They date back to a newsletter from 1974 and were in the original white box Dungeons and Dragons in 1975. Inspired by Lovecraft, Mind Flayers are a case of taking elements from something else and making it your own, as while they share the basic appearance and some of the mental powers of Cthulhu, they've become their own separate creatures with a complex mythology that would fit in Lovecraft but isn't really related to anything of his. Their appearance, literal brain eating, and psychic powers are a memorable mix. Mind Flayers are popular enough that I remember being amazed to fight knockoffs of them in Final Fantasy 1. Also, they have the rare advantage of having both a memorable descriptive name (mind flayer) and a pretty good sounding proper one (illithid), allowing players to use whichever they feel most fitting, which isn't always the case for monsters in D&D.

Art: It's not bad, the Mind Flayer is wearing fairly standard 'evil fantasy wizard robes' in a style that's long been associated with them and his purple skin seems to glisten moistly. The requisite four facial tentacles are well-done. The face might be a little too human though, with the placement and proportions of the eyes and the ridge that is reminiscent of a nose. I think I'd have liked it better if it had large, bulging, cephalopoid eyes but I'm sure there are other people who find the human features make it more creepy. Although he has one hand raised, it looks a bit less menacing and more like he's waving at someone. My main issue with the piece is that, despite the creature's appearance it doesn't come off as all that threatening.

Purpose and Tactics: Mind-Flayers alone or in small groups are master-mind monsters for mid-level campaigns. Their diet lets you play up the horror elements if you wish. Only high level characters can deal directly with their colonies and the stronger monsters associated with them. Even the 'weakest' of their created minions, the Intellect Devourer, punches way above it's supposed weight class. Like said Devourer, the Mind Flayer is a squishy monster with deadly powers. For comparison, the CR 7 Mind Flayer has less hit points than the CR 3 Minotaur. They do not get into punch-ups with their enemies. That's what they have slaves for.

Instead, they use minions as a wall while positioning themselves to catch as many enemies as possible in a Mind Blast. Then they grab stunned opponents and tear their brains out with their mouth-tentacles, killing their targets. Extract Brain isn't an instant-kill ability anymore but it still does serious damage. Once per day they can cast Dominate Monster, which is another great way to soften up the party, by sending their physically oriented members to kill the rest (and a Mind Flayer is easily intelligent enough to target the effect at someone other than an obvious spell-caster).

Illithids also have Levitate, so they don't have to sit there and eat melee attacks if they don't want to, unless your melee characters can fly. A Mind Flayer in it's lair will probably have the terrain set up so there's a spot they where can use Levitate to escape pursuit by ground bound creatures (such as an escape tunnel set high up in a wall, with a pair of grips they can use to pull themselves into it).

If it's desperate or very confident, one might resort to tentacle grappling an unstunned opponent, hoping to pull of a stun, but that involves moving up to enemies who can attack them and it's not their forte.

Mind Flayers can also use Detect Thoughts but that's more of a non-combat effect, since they probably won't be concentrating on it often enough to protect themselves from ambush. It's thematically appropriate for the psychic squid and does make it even easier for them to plan around their opponent's actions. It makes them dangerous negotiators and conspirators, for example.

While spell-casters may be more likely to have good saves against a Mind Flayer's powers and to be able to hurt them if they Levitate, Mind Flayers do have Magic Resistance, which helps.

Then there's the variants like the Mind Flayer Arcanist, which is more dangerous yet. While theoretically only 1 CR higher, it has access to Blur and Invisibility for defense/stealth, Lightning Bolt for non-mental attack offense, and Wall of Force for battle field control. I imagine that can be a bear to fight, popping out of invisibility on a hard to reach ledge that it got up on with Levitation, launching a Mind Blast, casting Wall of Force to split up the party, etc. At least these guys are outcasts and unlikely to be found palling around with a bunch of normal Mind Flayers for backup.

Fluff: Unlike most monsters in the 5th edition Monster Manual, the Mind Flayers have actually devoted some space to their fluff, an entire page worth. It's only a fraction of what's been released on them over their long history, but it hits a lot of the highlights-- Social, psychic predators that live in underground cities ruled by Elder Brains of vast telepathic power who once ruled large empires but now simply rule scattered colonies. Unfortunately, it did cut out their origins and the nature of the Elder Brain, which are the kinds of details that help make a monster memorable. Lots of monsters are heirs to fallen empires, few happen to come from the dying future where they rule the universe and have fled back in time to escape it's end or to throw the brains of their dead members into special preservative pools that fuse them into a hive-consciousness.

Hooks:
Braaains: Someone is stealing fresh corpses from the city undertaker's. The local coroners are acting strange. Expecting undead, the players stumble onto something different that still craves fresh brains: A rogue mindflayer, outcast from it's colony, trying to feed subtly, backed by mind controlled humans.

The Slaving Ring: After tracking down some raiders who traffic in human captives, the players defeat them in their lair. However, before the PCs can enjoy the fruits of this victory, the customers arrive-- A group of Mind Flayers and minions, an envoy from a nearby colony. Injured from the previous battles, can the players find a way to escape or even triumph? Can they pull off clever tactics like splitting their enemies up by pretending to be the slavers they've come to negotiate with. If they do survive, should they try to hunt down where the Mind Flayers came from and find a way to end this threat once and for all or is it beyond them? And who was really the monsters here, the Illithids or the people selling to them?

Verdict: Not a bad write up of a great monster, but it could have used a few more details instead of keeping things vague. Probably the desire was to make it easy to plop them into any campaign but the lack of specificity lessens their memorability.

[Unoriginal]

Nice entry! Just a few comments that popped up in my head:


-Don't forget that the Mind Flayer has Plane Shift once per day, which is *the* way they'll make their escape when things go south, unless they have good reasons to not just "nope" out of danger

-While the Illithid is a squishy squid, it's actually dealing a fair ammount of damage with its tentacles even without Extract Brain. So one would be smart to not get cocky when going in melee with a Mind Flayer.

-Illithids need to eat the brain while it's on the living creature (though they also can extract it from the living humanoid's skull and put it in a special container). Your idea of an Illithid taking over a morgue/ funerarium is good, but it doesn't fit the fluff. Now, if it was a medical facility...


-Nice detail for the artwork: the Illithid is actually wearing a breastplate, like its statblock says it does. It makes the Mind Flayer much more armored than your average caster (making it less squishy) and I always thought it was a nice way to separate the 5e Mind Flayer not only from other casters, but also from versions of Illithids from other editions (who generally are portrayed wearing robes more similar to the Time Lords' traditional getup than anything practical).

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Nice entry! Just a few comments that popped up in my head:
-Don't forget that the Mind Flayer has Plane Shift once per day, which is *the* way they'll make their escape when things go south, unless they have good reasons to not just "nope" out of danger
-While the Illithid is a squishy squid, it's actually dealing a fair ammount of damage with its tentacles even without Extract Brain. So one would be smart to not get cocky when going in melee with a Mind Flayer.
-Illithids need to eat the brain while it's on the living creature (though they also can extract it from the living humanoid's skull and put it in a special container). Your idea of an Illithid taking over a morgue/ funerarium is good, but it doesn't fit the fluff. Now, if it was a medical facility...

I forgot to mention Planeshift. It is a good panic button, but I'd have another way to escape and only have them use it if pressed, since it only takes one to 'an approximate location'. It's no good running away from the heroes to end in in an angry Ifrit's bathroom. Yes, yes, DM Fiat means that doesn't have to happen if you don't say, but I like to treat things as working mostly the same for NPCs. Which means, yes, my PCs have had some amusing incidents with Plane Shift.

I mentioned they can stun people with their tentacles, which, especially combined with Extract Brain, is far more of a nightmare than default damage, even if that's not bad. I called it a 'desperation maneuver' because, again, squishy squid.

This version is basically just wearing a breastplate over its fancy robes. It raises his AC a little, but not more than the minor natural armor of previous editions. It is a nice art detail, though.

Tsk, I was hoping 'fresh' would do. I guess it's a medical facility that has an abnormal percentage of deaths among ill patients, then. Not quite as likely to throw the PCs as a funerary service, but it has some real horror potential, playing up the live feeding.

[Unoriginal]

I forgot to mention Planeshift. It is a good panic button, but I'd have another way to escape and only have them use it if pressed, since it only takes one to 'an approximate location'. It's no good running away from the heroes to end in in an angry Ifrit's bathroom. Yes, yes, DM Fiat means that doesn't have to happen if you don't say, but I like to treat things as working mostly the same for NPCs. Which means, yes, my PCs have had some amusing incidents with Plane Shift.

Fair enough.

I mentioned they can stun people with their tentacles, which, especially combined with Extract Brain, is far more of a nightmare than default damage, even if that's not bad. I called it a 'desperation maneuver' because, again, squishy squid.

I agree.

This version is basically just wearing a breastplate over its fancy robes. It raises his AC a little, but not more than the minor natural armor of previous editions. It is a nice art detail, though.

I found it neat nevertheless. Natural armor gives a different feeling than someone who has to equip and prepare their protective gears, especially when you consider the designers could just have given them Mage Armor or the like from a psionic power as a way to increase the AC. Notably, I think it helps convey the idea that they're clever and efficient rather than just relying on being naturally tough. Plus it gives the image of the Illithid city having a rather developed forging facility where their slaves work day and night under the watchful mind of their overseer.


This makes me think two things:

1. Now I want to homebrew an Illithid Forge Overseer.

2. Them using breastplates seems that the Mind Flayers see value in learning the use of armor. It'd be easy to justify an Illithid wearing half-plate, for exemple if it's one who cares more about being protected than being stealthy, using a shield (they're not using their hands to fight, anyway), or both. And the increased AC the Mind Flayer would get from it can be pretty interesting.

[the_brazenburn]

Great post! I have always had a soft spot for the illithid, it being the focus of the first campaign I ever DM'd. It was a pretty basic series of dungeon crawls to defeat the five different mind flayer generals before descending into the depths to take on the Elder Brain (which I had had to homebrew stats for due to Volo's not being released yet). The dungeon was a mess, alternately too difficult and ridiculously easy, but I still like the monsters.

[Millstone85]

Unfortunately, it did cut out their origins and the nature of the Elder Brain, which are the kinds of details that help make a monster memorable. Lots of monsters are heirs to fallen empires, few happen to come from the dying future where they rule the universe and have fled back in time to escape it's end or to throw the brains of their dead members into special preservative pools that fuse them into a hive-consciousness.

And then VGtM appears to have modified the lore.

Instead of being refugees from the end of time, illithids are now suspected to have "moved themselves and their works into the future to avoid being overrun" (p71). So, are the current illithids keeping vigil, waiting for the right time to set up some sort of temporal beacon for the others to reappear? Anyway, it breaks the symmetry illithids had with aboleths as living fossils. Not cool.

As for elder brains, a new one can not just agglomerate from the brains of regular illithids. It has to begin with the brain of an ulitharid, which I guess will remain the basis of the creature's ego. And the way the relationship between an ulitharid and its original colony's elder brain is described, I can't help but picture something like in the last Steven bomb.

Ulitharid: I want my own colony! I want it now! I deserve it! I am just as important as you!
Elder Brain: Then why don't you act like it?

Too human, perhaps, but fun.

[Unoriginal]

As you said, it's "suspected". No one know the truth.

[S_A_M I AM]

ShikomeKidoMi: You mentioned how Mindflayers fight as individuals or as the leaders of encounters. How would you handle fight tactics if the players were up against a group of mindflayers without their more resilient minions?

How would you suggest handling telepathy or mind powers in general?

-Nice detail for the artwork: the Illithid is actually wearing a breastplate, like its statblock says it does. It makes the Mind Flayer much more armored than your average caster (making it less squishy) and I always thought it was a nice way to separate the 5e Mind Flayer not only from other casters, but also from versions of Illithids from other editions (who generally are portrayed wearing robes more similar to the Time Lords' traditional getup than anything practical).

I suppose they'd be dressing up as members of The Order of The Black Sun then? Because on colour schemes and personality, the drow would absolutely be Patrex and that'd be a mindflayers other obvious option.

[Unoriginal]

ShikomeKidoMi: You mentioned how Mindflayers fight as individuals or as the leaders of encounters. How would you handle fight tactics if the players were up against a group of mindflayers without their more resilient minions?

Personally I would suggest a group of Mind Flayers faced with a group of adventurers they can't defeat easily would retreat in different direction, trying to get the group to scatter to catch up to them, kiting their enemies with Mind Blast, and then run to one of the now isolated PCs to gang up on the adventurer in melee.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Oh, one more thing about Plane Shift I should mention: It lets you justify running into Mind Flayers on any plane. Particularly thematic choices include the Ethereal, Astral, and Shadow.

ShikomeKidoMi: You mentioned how Mindflayers fight as individuals or as the leaders of encounters. How would you handle fight tactics if the players were up against a group of mindflayers without their more resilient minions?How would you suggest handling telepathy or mind powers in general?

Well, if their opponents look primarily melee oriented, they might all Levitate into the air and then volley overlapping Mind Blasts. Otherwise, it's probably a fighting retreat, dodging or sprinting on rounds they can't use mind blast, until at least most of their opponents are stunned. Depending on how they judged their chances they'd either keep retreating or once stun takes about half their enemies, they'd advance and focus all their attacks on anyone who's still moving, hoping to tentacle-stun and Extract Brain. If any of them end up in low hitpoints and it doesn't look like they can simply run away, they'll hit Plane Shift as a panic button.

How to handle telepathy depends on the kind. Are we talking about mind-reading or just communication?

[polymphus]

I designed a campaign around Illithids and their pets, and there's one major thing about them DMs tend to forget: their big abilities target INT, which is the most common 5e dump stat. The scream-stun can be absolutely devastating. I periodically rewarded my players with a sorta SUPER INSPIRATION which meant they could choose one dice roll and make it a 20, and after the first illithid fight they saved every single one for the psychic scream.

[Mith]

I designed a campaign around Illithids and their pets, and there's one major thing about them DMs tend to forget: their big abilities target INT, which is the most common 5e dump stat. The scream-stun can be absolutely devastating. I periodically rewarded my players with a sorta SUPER INSPIRATION which meant they could choose one dice roll and make it a 20, and after the first illithid fight they saved every single one for the psychic scream.

The frustrating thing with saves is that lack of proficiency can screw you over even if you have a decent intelligence score.

[DerKommissar]

Do Mind Flayers have a form of semi-permanent mind control in their lore? I always asumed they are capable of that, but now Im not sure anymore... so how do they control their slaves?

Direct mindcontrol?
Technology (e.g. special collars, lobotomy style surgery)?
Brainwashing?
Classic threats?

Dominate monster is nice to have, but lasts 1 hour, is concentration and if the target takes damage it has a chance to break free - sounds pretty risky to me!

[Unoriginal]

Do Mind Flayers have a form of semi-permanent mind control in their lore? I always asumed they are capable of that, but now Im not sure anymore... so how do they control their slaves?

Direct mindcontrol?
Technology (e.g. special collars, lobotomy style surgery)?
Brainwashing?
Classic threats?

Dominate monster is nice to have, but lasts 1 hour, is concentration and if the target takes damage it has a chance to break free - sounds pretty risky to me!

The Volo's talks about it.

Illithid colonies have the capacity to turn someone into a thrall by essentially rewriting their mind with constant psionic pressure, over the course of a few days.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

And then VGtM appears to have modified the lore.Instead of being refugees from the end of time, illithids are now suspected to have "moved themselves and their works into the future to avoid being overrun" (p71). So, are the current illithids keeping vigil, waiting for the right time to set up some sort of temporal beacon for the others to reappear? Anyway, it breaks the symmetry illithids had with aboleths as living fossils. Not cool.

The thing about Volo's is that it's written quasi-in character. If Volo can't be expected to know that Mind Flayers are from the future and not the past, then the Guide can't, either.

[Unoriginal]

Also it doesn't help that the Gith uprising and those "visible" events of the Illithid empire happened in the past, not to mention how the Illithids had dominion over the timeless Astral plane.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Anyway, if you'll recall, I stated that the Mind Flayer in the Monster Manual had an oddly human cast to his facial features. For comparison, I'm posting a quintessentially normal image of Mind Flayers from previous editions, in particular look at the eyes and the area around where the nose and mouth would be:

Spoiler

Show

[JackPhoenix]

Snip

Spoiler the image for mobile users, please. And I think I prefer the 5e version. Why? Well, it looks more like human, which is a good thing: mind flayers are, after all, humans with a parasite stuck in their brain.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Spoiler the image for mobile users, please. And I think I prefer the 5e version. Why? Well, it looks more like human, which is a good thing: mind flayers are, after all, humans with a parasite stuck in their brain.

I can see that, but I like my alien horrors alien. There's a lot of human-ish faced monsters in D&D.

[War_lord]

I prefer the modern version, it looks more like a mutated human body (which is what a Mindflayer body is) and less like a squid. "Normal" is relative, many D&D monsters undergo massive changes in appearance over the editions because artists have their own vision.

[Regitnui]

I prefer the modern version, it looks more like a mutated human body (which is what a Mindflayer body is) and less like a squid. "Normal" is relative, many D&D monsters undergo massive changes in appearance over the editions because artists have their own vision.

Well, you could argue that the mindflayer tadpole (which has four tentacles) has replaced/assimilated the skull structure, making the nose disappear. After all, it is just cartilage.

[War_lord]

Well, you could argue that the mindflayer tadpole (which has four tentacles) has replaced/assimilated the skull structure, making the nose disappear. After all, it is just cartilage.

But it hasn't, it's in the skull replacing the brain, and has warped the body to better fit its purposes. And just coincidentally looks Squidlike. Unlike the other version which is literally a squid for a head.

I personally find the traces of humanity far more disturbing then the goofy comic book look.

[JackPhoenix]

But it hasn't, it's in the skull replacing the brain, and has warped the body to better fit its purposes. And just coincidentally looks Squidlike. Unlike the other version which is literally a squid for a head.

I personally find the traces of humanity far more disturbing then the goofy comic book look.

Indeed. I like both looks, but prefer the 5e version considering the mind flayer's origins. Body horror and all that. The squid head works better if it's a species of its own, without the parasitic background (it would still look goofy, but it's D&D, where monsters based on plastic toys exist. "Goofy" is tolerable in this context.)

[Millstone85]

As you said, it's "suspected". No one know the truth.

The thing about Volo's is that it's written quasi-in character. If Volo can't be expected to know that Mind Flayers are from the future and not the past, then the Guide can't, either.

Good points.

Now, most of the things I would talk about regarding illithids are from VGtM. Should I wait for the appropriate Let's Read?

[S_A_M I AM]

How to handle telepathy depends on the kind. Are we talking about mind-reading or just communication?

Either? Both?
I'm not certain as to how it's handled in 5e and it's not something you mentioned in your (otherwise solid and good) overview. I'm presuming that telepathy, as it's listed as a language, is just a form of non-verbal communication but I checked the DMG and PHB Indexes. I've no joy.

By extension: RAW has it's telepathic abilities modelled by its innate spells. But just being able to drop a dominate, detect thoughts and talk without a mouth is potentially underwhelming.

[Millstone85]

I'm presuming that telepathy, as it's listed as a language, is just a form of non-verbal communication but I checked the DMG and PHB Indexes. I've no joy.

You want page 9 of the MM. It is indeed non-verbal communication. There are several paragraphs of rules attached to it. An interesting bit is that "A creature without telepathy can receive and respond to telepathic messages but can't initiate or terminate a telepathic conversation". So you hear the Skype ringtone in your head and are forced to take the call, but you choose what is read from your mind.

[Unoriginal]

Good points.

Now, most of the things I would talk about regarding illithids are from VGtM. Should I wait for the appropriate Let's Read?

Not necessarily, but mentioning a part is from the Volo's would be good.