Illithoid (PC)
Mind flayers, also called illithids, are the scourge of sentient creatures across countless worlds. Psionic tyrants, slavers, and interdimensional voyagers, they are insidious masterminds that harvest entire races for their own twisted ends. Tentacles snake from their octopus-like heads, flexing in hungry anticipation when sentient creatures come near. They live in colonies under the direction of elder brains.
Mind flayers reproduce when by laying eggs from which hatch tadpole-like creatures that are used to make more of their kind through a process called ceremorphosis. First, a captured humanoid is rendered docile by a blast of psionic power. A newly hatched tadpole is inserted into the victim's cranium, usually through a nostril or ear canal. The tadpole grows as it devours the humanoid's brain, attaching to the victim's brain stem and becoming its new brain.
Rare mind flayers can be found away from their colonies. These are the illithoid who seem less potent than other illithids. It is not clear of their origin. Some think that just the loss of connection to the hive mind of the colony causes the difference while others believe that on rare occasions the tadpole doesn't eat the entire brain - either because it is interrupted or is too weak - and the host retains some control. Illithoids are solitary, likely rogues, runts, or outcasts. These usually abhore their heritage and fight against their natural inclinations.
Illithoids can subsist on brains other than humanoid. The brains provide enzymes, hormones, and psychic energy necessary for their survival. An illithid healthy from a brain-rich diet secretes a thin glaze of mucus that coats its skin. Illithoid acquire stray, fleeting memories from brains they eat as well as cultural sophistication such as feeding on gridlock brains makes them pay almost no attention to crafting/styling clothing.
Your illithoid might adopt Personality Traits, Ideals, Bonds, and or Flaws listed in Volo's Guide on pages 74 and 75.
Illithoid Names
The females and males might adopt names such as: Aurangaul, Cephalossk, Drukt, Drusiss, Lugribossk, Quoor, Ralayan, Sardsult, S'venchen, Tharcereli, Tobulux.
Illithoid Traits
Your illithoid character has an assortment of inborn abilities.
ABILITY SCORE ADJUSTMENTS. Your Intelligence increases by 2.
AGE. Illitoid are mature at the age of 8 and live about 50 years.
ALIGNMENT. Illitids are usually lawful evil, but illithoids usually fight agaist their heritage so could be any alignment.
SPEED. Your walking speed is 30 ft.
LANGUAGES. You can speak Deep Speech, Undercommon, telepathy 120ft.
DARKVISION. Accustomed to underground lairs, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
LACK OF INITIATIVE. When an illithid meets resistance, it is genetically adverse to combat, as most illithids are used to giving orders to their thralls to attack. Because of this, you have disadvantage on iniative rolls.
SUNLIGHT SENSITIVITY. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
HATED. Because mind flayers are terrifying to almost other non-illithids, you have disadvantage on Charisma (persuasion) checks with other races.
SUBRACE. Illithoid are divided into 3 subraces: Alhoon, Common, and Ulitharid. Choose one of these subraces.
Alhoon
These illithoid have rough green or white skin and 4 thick two-foot long tentacles.
These characters usually are Wizards who follow the School of Necromancy. Player character alhoons do not have to follow the path to lichdom.
SIZE. Alhoons are about 6 feet tall and weigh about 150 pounds. Your size is medium.
ALHOON MAGIC. You know the Chill Touch cantrip. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
MAGIC RESISTANCE. Alhoons have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
TENTACLES. Your tentacles are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal psychic damage equal to ld4 + your Strength modifier. The tentacles can be used to grapple only an incapacitated target of size medium or smaller.
If a creature grappled by these tentacles is reduced to 0 hit points, the mind flayer can kill the target by extracting and devouring its brain.
Common
These illithoid are the most abundant illithoid and have smooth light pink or mauve skin and 4 two-foot long tentacles.
SIZE. Common illithoid are between 5 and 6 feet tall and weigh about 120 pounds. Your size is medium.
MIND BLAST. You magically emit a psychic energy blast in a 15 foot cone; any creature in the cone must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw equal to 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature is stunned until the end of your next turn and takes 1d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one but is not stunned. The damage increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 16th level.
After you use your mind blast, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
TENTACLES. Your tentacles are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal psychic damage equal to ld6 + your Strength modifier. The tentacles can be used to grapple only as a bonus action when they hit a target of size medium or smaller.
If a creature grappled by these tentacles is reduced to 0 hit points, the mind flayer can kill the target by extracting and devouring its brain.
Ulitharid
These illithoid are the most rare illithoid and have smooth blue or purple skin and 6 thein five- to seven-foot long tentacles.
Very rarely, a tadpole from an elder brain's brine pool transforms an individual into an ulitharid, a larger mind flayer with more prominent tentacles.
SIZE. Ulitharids are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 190 and 240 pounds. Your size is Medium.
TENTACLES. Your tentacles are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes with a 10 foot reach. If you hit with them, you deal psychic damage equal to ld8 + your Strength modifier. The tentacles can be used to grapple as a bonus action against a target of size large or smaller.
If a creature grappled by these tentacles is reduced to 0 hit points, the mind flayer can kill the target by extracting and devouring its brain.
Illithoid PC created by Elon Tusk 2017