Mind Flayer Characters

Hey GP!

I'm getting ready to run a Spelljammer game and I want it to feature mindflayers. They're an iconic DND monster, especially in Spelljammer, and I've never really played around for them, so I'm pretty excited. Before this campaign, I've always imagined mindflayers as sort of samey. They're described in the 5e monster manual as all being part of this hive mind thing who work for the same goal. It kind of implies that they are all the same, and I'm trying to diversify them a little bit, since I anticipate having to use different Illithids, and I want to be able to mix it up for my PC's so it's not just the same fight/encounter over and over again. Any Ideas?

If it helps, I'm basing my Ilithids off of 3rd edition DND, specifically as described int the Lords of Madness splat book. For those not in the know, the Illithids in that book are actually described as being from the future, and it's implied that they are running to the past from something undefined. I'm going to say that they are fleeing to the past from this dark entity that is supposed to eat the universe at the end of time. To escape, they are tunneling backwards through time. The only problem is, they are leaving an opening for the dark entity to go through.

Let me know what you guys think. I always appreciate your ideas.

You have the Gnome ceramorphs


Then you also have the rouge mindflayers that have broken free from the hivemind and not part of the grand design. In Baldurs Gate 3 (the computer game) you will encounter such a rouge mindflayer, that eate criminals and was a criminal mastermind.


But mindflayers are samey as they are mostly puppets of the hiveminds

Even as part of the hivemind they are distinct individuals as much as your ten fingers are different. The have seporate thoughts and can , as runekyndig indicated, exist without the overmind hive. It is just that they have a higher sence of collective well being and cooperation while part of the hive. It seems more like without the overthinking creating the hive mind they are so arrogant and egotistical that they would have trouble as a society. Many of the books with them in it have individuals that have different skills and personalities.

I find illithids to be fascinating. I was so freaking stoked to get that Lords of Madness splatbook all those years ago.

I find the discussion in this podcast episode to give me an even greater respect for the mind flayer.

I think you're right to sense they have a "samey"-ness to them, but that doesn't mean they're all carbon copies of each other. To echo Psybermagi, variation exist and even if all the mind players of a particular hive work together, that doesn't mean they can't have different personalities.

Are you running this game here on GP? All this talk of mind flayer has me itching to play again.

Mind Flayers aren't the Borg, so you should be free to give them some individuality as Psybermagi indicates.

Sometimes illithids retain the memories and some of the traits of the host that bore the Illithid ceremorph. It might be inspiring to consider how a dwarf-turned-illithid might differ from a Goliath, or a teefling, or an aasimar.

You could put a twist on it where the ceremorph did not fully consume the host due to some environmental or arcane reason and instead hybridized them so each illithid in the group carries some traits, purely visual or mechanical as well if you like, of their original race. This makes them impure to other illithids and resistant to the overminds affects.

I do like the idea that there are certain physical traits that carry over from the host. My game will include thri keen, and I think a four armed illithid will be a nice curve ball. I do like the idea that mental traits are overridden. I think that makes them more terrifying.

The hosts of the podcast that unique exemplar recommended had a good take in the minds they eat. It's like reading a book. Some books are memorable, some are not. Same for taste. A remarkable mind (like an adventurer) tastes way better than the slaves they breed.

I will be hosting this for my home game, so sadly not here. I will put together a random table of traits for your amusement though. Feel free to post suggestions for it in the meantime.

I'm sure there are creatures outthere what will scratch that brain itch

XD
Nice one!

Have you ever seen the Dark Crystal?

I would differentiate them like the skeksis are different amongst themselves.

Kind of samey, but each with their own little interests/specialties, quirks, and foibles.

Okay. Here are some physical and mental traits for Illithids. by ancient right, they are in random table format.

Physical Traits:
1. Four arms: either through ceramorphis or augmentation, this Illithid has acquired an extra set of limbs.

2. Missing/extra tentacles: (roll again, if odd, lose a tentacle, if even, gain 1d4 tentacles) maybe one was cut off by a rival illithid. Maybe the rival attached the severed tentacle to their own face.

3. Small or large: (roll again. If odd, small. If even, large) Some say that only a select number of species can be transformed. Unfortunately for reality, Illithid don't discriminate.

4. Pronounced beak: For cracking open those thick skulled adventurers. DM's, you know the one.

5. Biomechanical grafts: in addition to being peerless psychics, Illithids have also developed sophisticated, and invasive, technological enhancements.

6. Bioluminescent. Squid will use bioluminescent patterns to confuse prey and attract mates. Illithids do not mate.

7. Hunchbacked. Ceramorphasis is the conversion of the mind and body. The bodily transformation is of secondary importance, and physical imperfections are generally considered acceptable.

8. Serpentine body: The lack of legs doesn't impede the illithids mobility over much. But it does make them look creepy.

9. Vestigle wings: Why fly when you can levitate?

10. Third eye. Some psychic traditions believe in the psychic power of opening your third eye. Illithids do not believe, they know.

Mental traits:

1. Gluttonous: this Illithid will do it's best to eat as many brains as it can, and will get hangry if it eats less than one brain a week.

2. Picky eater: While Illithids can survive on the brains of any sentient creature, this one prefers to eat only the most beautiful of minds, and will only deign to eat the brains of thralls when it's very hungry indeed.

3. Independent: this Illithid is quite comfortable working away from the Elder brain and the hive. Perhaps too comfortable...

4. Codependent: This Illithid will avoid separation from the hive, and may be considered clingy by its cohort.

5. Mind slaver: This Illithid revels in its ability to control the minds of others, and relies heavily on slaves, thralls, and arcane beasts to accomplish tasks.

6. Academic: An occult researcher who relies on a steady supply of test subjects.

7. Inquisitive: Coming from a very alien world, this llithid tries to understand those it shares the cosmos with. None find its questioning pleasant.

8. Arrogant: For an Illithid.

9. Scarred: This Illithid faced the end of the universe and survived, proving the most improbable of truths: even an Illithid can be traumatized.

10. Insecure: The Elder Brain tolerates only the best, and there is no rule against eating the brain of another Illithid...