Mindflayer Player Race
When the mind flayers kidnap a humanoid, sometimes, instead of eating their brain, they implant them with a tadpole. These poor victims turn into mind flayers themselves, slaves to the elder brain. But if that elder brain is slain and the mind flayer is not, they gain independence. Most of the time, they will continue what they were doing before, or seek out another colony with an elder brain they can serve. Rarely, an illithid will start living their own life. They are almost guaranteed to be hated by everyone they might encounter. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for them to join an adventuring group. Groups that are accepting of an illithid among their ranks are usually mostly made up of other outsiders. Tieflings, Drow, or maybe other monstrous races like Orcs or Goblins. The groups who do accept an illithid rarely regret.
A note on eating brains:
Even after being freed, an illithid must still eat brains regularly. However, they don’t have to be humanoid brains. They can simply eat the brains of animals. Sticking to that will cause a lot fewer problems than killing people every few days.
Illithid Features
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and one other ability score increases by 1.
Age. Illithids aren’t born. They live slightly longer than humans, however, often exceeding 120 years.
Size. Illithids come in all shapes and sizes, depending on what kind of humanoid they were before. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 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.
Telepathy. You can speak telepathically to any creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.
Devour Brain. Illithid must consume at least one brain a day, or one intelligent, humanoid brain per week. In a minute, you can extract the brain of an unconscious creature within 5 feet of you. You instantly kill the target by devouring its brain.
Devouring a brain with this feature or the "Extract Brain" psionic ability provides you with 5 temporary hit points until you take a rest, then roll 1d20.
- 1-5. You learn 1 piece of useless information
- 6-10. You learn 2 pieces of useless information
- 11-15. You learn 1 piece of useful information
- 16-20. You learn 2 pieces of useful information
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Deep Speech, and Undercommon.
Psionic Abilities. Choose 1 psionic ability for your illithid character. When you reach 5th level, you can choose an additional ability. If a psionic ability calls for a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.
The psionic abilities are detailed bellow.
Psionic Abilities
Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Read Minds. As an action you can open your mind to the thoughts of others. For 1 minute you can use a bonus action to read the surface thoughts of any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
At 5th level you can cast the detect thoughts spell, requiring no spell slot or components. You must finish a short or long rest before you can cast it this way again.
Tentacles. As you become used to your tentacles, they become stronger and more co-ordinated. Your tentacles become a natural weapon which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal psychic damage equal to 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. When you attempt to grapple a creature, you can use your tentacles for it. If the grapple succeeds, the target must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, it is restrained as long as it’s grappled.
Extract Brain. As an action, you can attempt to extract the brain of an incapacitated or restrained creature within 5 feet of you if no other hostile creatures are within 5 ft. Make a melee weapon attack with a bonus equal to your proficiency bonus + your intelligence modifier. On a hit, the target takes Xd10 piercing damage, with X equal to half your level (rounded up). If that reduces the target to 0 hit points, you instantly kill the target, devouring its brain. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Mind Blast. As an action, you emit psychic energy to destroy your foes. Each creature in a 15-foot cone originating from you must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 2d6 psychic damage and is stunned until the end of its next turn, or half as much damage and is not stunned on a successful one. The damage and size of this ability increases to 3d6, 30 feet at 6th level, 4d6, 45 feet at 11th level, and 5d6 and 60 feet at 18th level. After you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Racial Feat
Illithid characters gain access to the following feat:
Psionic Mastery
prerequisite: Illithid
You grow more accustomed to your body and mind's capabilities. You gain the following benefits:
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Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
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You gain access to an additional psionic ability of your choice.