```metadata
title: The Illithid Race
description: >-
  An attempt to create a player race emulating the terrifying mind flayers in
  Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. Features brain eating, mind blasting, and
  tentacle grappling.
tags: []
systems:
  - 5e
renderer: V3
theme: 5ePHB

```

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{{coverHeader The Illithid Race}}
{{coverDiamond}}
{{coverSplotch}}
{{coverFooter Fry brains and eat them with this homebrewed race for D&D 5th Edition!}}

![](https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/018/599/large/gabriel-cassata-mind-flayer-final-lowres.jpg?1456069457){position:absolute;bottom:0px;right:0px;width:900px}

\page
# The Illithid Race
Illithids, also known as mind flayers, are among the most alien and dangerous creatures across the planes. Gifted with innate psionic powers, illithid hive minds plot to enslave all sentient races under the guidance of their elder brains. Those who fall victim to illithid dominion are enthralled, turned into mind flayers themselves via the gruesome process of ceremorphosis, or have their brains devoured as an essential part of the race's diet.

Not all illithids are under the control of an elder brain, however. The unexpected death of one can free an illithid from its thrall, while some mind flayers actively seek to free themselves from its influence. Freak events can cause an aberrant ceremorphosis, leading the resulting illithid to retain some of its host's prior memories and personality.

### Alien Minds
Illithid behavior is utterly alien to others in most ways. Schemers at heart, illithids dedicate their every action towards a specific goal, yet their potent minds and highly individualized personalities render their methods incomprehensible to an outside observer.

Most illithids possess a strong sense of racial superiority, considering other sentient races to be intellectually inferior and in need of direction. This does not prevent them from cooperating with others, should doing so advance their own goals.

### Disturbing Presences
To most others, the mere sight of a mind flayer is physically repulsive. Possessing only the barest physical resemblance to a humanoid, illithids are immediately recognizable from their soft, tentacled faces and bloated, featureless eyes. Mind flayers particularly well-fed on sentient brains exude a slimy sheen across their entire head that gives off a strange smell to anyone in their immediate proximity. Though capable of speech, illithids prefer to communicate telepathically.

In addition to their alien features, illithids also possess many disturbing habits, chiefly among them their predilection for sentient brains. Not only are they an essential part of the mind flayer diet, they are considered a delicacy. In the presence of a particularly gifted mind, an illithid may openly rhapsodize over the prospective succulence of the creature's gray matter.

### Illithid Names
Illithids have no biological sex, and have a single, highly variable name. This name is an alien combination of syllables, some soft and melodic, others harsh and guttural. No two illithids have the same name.

**Illithid Names:** C'Thyol, Eldedax, Grethiyek, N'Hului, Nyarloth, Srezzungok, Ssrabrass, Ur'Khehkt, Xenathoth, Yog'Hoon

## Illithid Traits
- ***Ability Score Increase.*** Increase one ability score by 2, and increase a different one by 1, or increase three different scores by 1.
- ***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character.
- ***Type.*** You are an Aberration.
- ***Life Span.*** Illithids have a life span of 125 years on average.
- ***Size.*** You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.
- ***Speed.*** Your walking speed is 30 feet.
- ***Darkvision.*** 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 discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
- ***Mind Blast.*** When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with a blast of psychic energy in a 15-foot cone. A creature in the area must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus, or be incapacitated until the start of your next turn.
	
	You can use your Mind Blast a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
- ***Psionic Mind.*** You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don’t need to share a language with the creature, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.
- ***Tentacles.*** You have tentacles coming out of your face that can grasp things, have a reach of 5 feet, and can lift a number of pounds equal to five times your Strength score. You can use all of your tentacles simultaneously to do the following simple tasks: lift, drop, hold, push, or pull an object or a creature; open or close a door or a container; grapple someone; or make an unarmed strike. Your DM might allow other simple tasks to be added to that list of options. Your tentacles can't wield weapons or shields or do anything that requires manual precision, such as using tools or magic items or performing the somatic components of a spell.

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{{footnote PART 1 | RACE}}

\page
## Illithid Feats
#### Mind Flayer Psionics
*Prerequisite: Illithid race*
___
You can channel your tremendous psionic powers to influence the minds of others.
- Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You learn the *Detect Thoughts* spell and one of the following spells of your choice: *Cause Fear*, *Charm Person*, and *Command*. You can cast each of these spells without expending a spell slot or requiring components. Once you cast either of these spells in this way, you can’t cast that spell in this way again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using spell slots you have of the appropriate level. The spells’ spellcasting ability is the ability increased by this feat.

#### Psychic Levitation
*Prerequisite: Illithid race, 8th level*
___
You can move yourself with your psionic powers. You can cast the *Levitate* spell on yourself at will, without requiring a spell slot or components. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell when you cast it with this feat (choose when you select this feat).

## Illithid Magic Items
#### Aberrant Psi Crystal
*Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by an illithid spellcaster)*
___
To attune to this 3-inch diameter crystal, you must ingest it as part of the attunement process, and it remains within your body until your attunement to it ends, whereupon you regurgitate it.

While attuned to this magic item, your spells do not require verbal or somatic components, nor do they require material components that do not have a specified cost.

#### Molluscan Cowl
*Wondrous item, common*
___
This psionically-charged cowl is imprinted with the illusory appearance of a humanoid, and its strange shape and texture renders it wearable only to illithids.

While this cowl is drawn over your head, you make yourself look and sound like the humanoid imprinted on the cowl. These changes in appearance fail to hold up to physical inspection, and a creature can use its action to make a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, discerning your true appearance on a success.

#### Psychic Reservoir
*Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement by an illithid)*
___
This small blob of mucous is bound in a thin membrane and attached to a chain worn around the neck. To gain this magic item's benefits, you must spend an hour concentrating on channelling your psionic energies into it, which can be done during a short or long rest. After 24 hours have elapsed since you've charged the psychic reservoir, you must recharge it again.

While the psychic reservoir is charged and you wear it, the range of your Psionic Mind trait increases to 120 feet, and the area of effect of your Mind Blast trait increases to a 60-foot cone.

#### Resonance Stone
*Wondrous item, rarity by stone*
___
A resonance stone is an egg-sized, cut and polished gem infused with a specific emotion, whose properties can only be used by an illithid.

As an action, you can use your Psionic Mind trait to give the stone a psychic command while it is in range of your telepathy, releasing its infused emotion upon creatures you choose within 20 feet of it. A chosen creature must succeed on a DC 20 Intelligence saving throw or experience the emotion infused in the stone. Once the stone releases its infused emotion, it cannot do so again until the next dawn.

**Resonance Stone of Anger (Uncommon).** A creature affected by this stone's emotion cannot concentrate or take reactions until the end of your next turn.

**Resonance Stone of Elation (Uncommon).** For 1 minute, Charisma (Deception), Charisma (Performance), and Charisma (Persuasion) checks against a creature affected by this stone's emotion are made with advantage.

**Resonance Stone of Lethargy (Uncommon).** A creature affected by this stone's emotion has its speed halved until the end of your next turn.

**Resonance Stone of Disgust (Rare).** A creature affected by this stone's emotion spends its next action retching and reeling.

**Resonance Stone of Fear (Rare).** A creature affected by this stone's emotion is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

**Resonance Stone of Sadness (Rare).** A creature affected by this stone's emotion drops any item it is holding.

**Resonance Stone of Apathy (Very Rare).** A creature affected by this stone's emotion becomes indifferent about creatures of your choice that it is hostile toward for 1 minute. This indifference ends if the target is attacked or harmed by a spell or if it witnesses any of its friends being harmed. When this effect ends, the creature becomes hostile again, unless the DM rules otherwise.

**Resonance Stone of Adoration (Legendary).** A creature affected by this stone's emotion is charmed by you for 1 hour. During this time, the creature follows any command you issue it to the best of its ability, so long as the command isn't directly harmful to itself. If you or any of your companions damage the target, the effect ends.

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{{footnote PART 2 | EXTRAS}}

\page
# Acknowledgments
## Art
This brew uses art assets created by a variety of talented artists. Gratitude and due credit go towards the following artists for their work, with indications on where their assets have been used.

{{note
#### Art Credits
- [Background](https://imgur.com/a/SKmRN) [page](https://imgur.com/a/TW79K) [stains](https://imgur.com/a/OZt2m) by [Aeron Drake](https://www.reddit.com/user/AeronDrake/), [QalarValar](https://www.reddit.com/user/qalarvalar/), and [flamableconcrete](https://www.reddit.com/user/flamableconcrete)
- [*Portrait of a Mind Flayer*](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/RDrwy), by [Gabriel Cassata](https://gabrielcassata.com/) (Cover)
- [*Mind-flayer*](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/mq1GJv), by [Júlio Rocha](https://www.artstation.com/julio3d2d) (Page 4)
}}

:

## Resources
This brew was created using resources and guides written by dedicated individuals. Without their contributions, this brew would not have been possible, and would not have been nearly as much of a joy to write.

{{note
#### Resource Credits
- [The Homebrewery](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/), by [Scott Tolksdorf](https://www.stolksdorf.dev/)
- [Formatting](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/HJWLQsTwUZ) [Guides](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/B1Hju_QaTx) for The Homebrewery, by [Aeron Drake](https://www.reddit.com/user/AeronDrake/)
- [*Full Page Watercolor Stains*](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/SkKsdJmKf), by  [flamableconcrete](https://www.reddit.com/user/flamableconcrete)
- [*GM Binder Styling Reference*](https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-L0WUSjJyFHG7PDyIFta), by [Rhaenon](https://www.gmbinder.com/profile/Rhaenon)
- [*Watercoloring in Homebrewery*](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/HyWImuH06x), by [QalarValar](https://www.reddit.com/user/qalarvalar/)
- And, of course, [*Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition*](https://dnd.wizards.com/), by [Wizards of the Coast](https://company.wizards.com/)
}}

\column

## Using This Brew
This is a homebrew intended to be read and used freely by all. If you were to use any part of this in your games, I would be honored.

I am always looking to improve my work, and would love to hear your feedback and suggestions. You can find me on Reddit as [/u/Teridax68](https://www.reddit.com/user/Teridax68), and on Discord as 2B#7614.

I hope this was, at the very least, a fun read. Thank you for taking the time to read through this brew, and best of success and enjoyment with your own creations!

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{{footnote PART 3 | ACKNOWLEDGMENTS}}