Neothelid

In the ordinary course of things, an illithid tadpole matures in an elder brain's brine pool for near a decade before being selected for implantation, after which it spends another 20 years developing within its host to reach full maturity. When this life cycle is interrupted, however; when the elder brain is killed or flees and the tadpoles are left to their own devices, a bloodbath ensues. Weeks or months of cannibalistic fervor overtake the pool, and at the end a single, overgrown tadpole emerges, feeding on vermin until it grows large enough to take its preferred prey of sentient brain matter.

Neothelid Tactics

The neothelid opens with its breath weapon, then tries to swallow the most intelligent creature it can sense. It saves its Telekinetic Draw for the most intelligent spellcaster present. It tries to trap any melee threats between its body and the walls of its tunnel or cavern to maximize the effect of Wild Thrash.

Neothelid Lore

History DC 15: Though their thick hide is difficult to pierce with ordinary weaponry, the interior of a neothelid is not so protected.
History DC 20: Neothelids are often known to lair in tunnels burrowed by purple worms, as they are unable to effectively burrow themselves.
Nature DC 15: Neothelids are the result of illithid tadpoles that have undergone neotony; unable to continue their natural life cycle through ceremorphosis and left to grow unchecked in their perpetually juvenile state.
Nature DC 20: Neothelids produce a sticky enzyme that disolves flesh and bone, leaving only fat and nervous tissue behind. A creature covered in it has only seconds to scrape or wash it off before being reduced to gelatinous mess.
Religion DC 20: It has been proposed that the neothelid stage of life, rather than being an evolutionary defect, may be an adaptation to some past environment where the illithid regularly infected titanic or godlike beings, though this is pure conjecture.

Neothelid

Gargantuan aberration, chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
  • Hit Points 232 (15d20 + 75)
  • Speed 30 ft., fly 10 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
27 (+8) 7 (-2) 21 (+5) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 12 (+1)
  • Saving Throws INT +8, WIS +8, CHA +6
  • Damage Resistances Weapon attacks not made from inside it
  • Senses Blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 13
  • Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

Mind Sense. The neothelid knows the number and direction of each creature with an Intelligence score of 4 or higher within 1 mile of it.

Non-Euclidian. The space in a 5 foot radius around the neothelid is difficult terrain for non-aberrations, as the mind flayer's presence warps it into incomprehensible geometries.

Magic Resistance. The neothelid has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Implacable. If the neothelid fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. If it does, it loses 25 hit points.

Actions

Multiattack. The neothelid makes four attacks with its tentacles, one of which it may replace with a swallow.

Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage plus 4 (1d8) psychic damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 21).

Swallow. One creature grappled by two or more tentacles must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be swallowed by the neothelid. A swallowed creature is Blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the neothelid, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the neothelid's turns.

If the neothelid takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the neothelid must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in the nearest unoccupied spaces. If the neothelid dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Brain-Stripper Enzyme Breath (Recharge 5-6). The neothelid disgorges a torrent of acid in a 60 ft. cone that dissolves bone and flesh but leaves fat and nerves behind. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or be covered in the enzyme until a creature uses its action to scrape or wash it off. A creature covered in the enzyme takes 35 (10d6) acid damage at the start of each of its turns.

Reactions

Telekinetic Draw. As a reaction to passing a saving throw against a spell, the neothelid forces the spell's caster to succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be pulled 15 ft. toward the neothelid.

Wild Thrash. As a reaction to taking 30 or more damage in a turn, the neothelid thrashes about. Each creature within 15 ft. of it is pushed up to 15 ft. away. A creature that cannot move the full 15 ft. additionally takes 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage.

Psychic Crush. As a reaction a creature reducing it below 80 hit points, the neothelid attempts to crush its mind with brute psionic force. The creature musts succeed on a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw or drop to 0 hit points, or take 21 (6d6) psychic damage on a success.

Art Credits

  • Neothelid copyright Wizards of the Coast

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