Mind fiayers, 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. Four tentacles snake from their octopus-like heads, flexing in hungry anticipation when sentient creatures come near. In eons past, illithids controlled empires that spanned many worlds. They subjugated and consequently warped whole races of humanoid slaves, including the githyanki and githzerai, the grimlocks, and the kuo-toa. Conjoined by a collective consciousness, the illithids hatch plots as far-reaching and evil as their fathomless minds can conceive. Since the fall of their empires, illithid collectives on the Material Realm have resided in the Underdark.
Psionic Commanders Mind fiayers possess psionic powers that enable them to control the minds of creatures such as troglodytes, grimlocks, quaggoths, and ogres. Illithids prefer to communicate via telepathy and use their telepathy when issuing commands to their thralls. When an illithid meets strong resistance, it avoids initial combat as it orders its thralls to attack. Like physical extensions of the illithid's thoughts, these thralls interpose themselves between the mind fiayer and its foes, sacrificing their lives so that their master can escape.
Hive Mind Colonies Solitary mind fiayers are likely rogues and outcasts. Most illithids belong to a colony of sibling mind fiayers devoted to an elder brain - a massive brain-like being that resides in a briny pool near the center of a mind fiayer community. From its pool, an elder brain telepathically dictates its desires to each individual mind fiayer within 5 miles of it, for it is able to hold multiple mental conversations at once.
Hunger of the Mind Illithids subsist on the brains of humanoids. 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 mauve skin.An illithid experiences euphoria as it devours the brain of a humanoid, along with its memories, personality, and innermost fears. Mind fiayers will sometimes harvest a brain rather than devour it, using it as part of some alien experiment or transforming it into an intellect devourer.
Qualith On the rare occasion that mind flayers need to write something down, they do so in Qualith. This system of tactile writing (similar to braille) is read by an illithid's tentacles. Qualith is written in four-line stanzas and is so alien in construction that non-illithids must resort to magic to discern its meaning. Though Qualith can be used to keep records, illithids most often use it to mark portals or other surfaces with warnings or instructions.
Variant: Mind Flayer Arcanist A few mind flayers supplement their psionic power with arcane spells. However, they are regarded as deviants by their illithid peers and usually shunned. A mind flayer arcanist has a challenge rating of8 (3,900 XP) and the following trait.
Spellcasting The mind flayer is a 10th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The mind flayer has the following wizard spells prepared:
| Cantrips |
At Will |
Blade Ward |
Dancing Lights |
Mage Hand |
Shocking Grasp |
| 1st Level |
4 Slots |
Detect Magic |
Disguise Self |
Shield |
Sleep |
| 2nd Level |
3 Slots |
Blur |
Invisibility |
Ray of Enfeeblement |
|
| 3rd Level |
3 Slots |
Clairvoyance |
Lightning Bolts |
Sending |
|
| 4th Level |
3 Slots |
Confusion |
Hallucinatory Terrain |
|
|
| 5th Level |
2 Slots |
Telekinesis |
Wall of Force |
|
|
Mind Flayer
Mind fiayers, 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. Four tentacles snake from their octopus-like heads, flexing in hungry anticipation when sentient creatures come near. In eons past, illithids controlled empires that spanned many worlds. They subjugated and consequently warped whole races of humanoid slaves, including the githyanki and githzerai, the grimlocks, and the kuo-toa. Conjoined by a collective consciousness, the illithids hatch plots as far-reaching and evil as their fathomless minds can conceive. Since the fall of their empires, illithid collectives on the Material Realm have resided in the Underdark.
| Armor Class | 15 (breastplate) |
|---|
| Hit Points | 13d8+13 |
| Speed | 30ft. |
| Strength | 11 (+0) |
| Dexterity | 12 (+1) |
| Constitution | 12 (+1) |
| Intelligence | 19 (+4) |
| Wisdom | 17 (+3) |
| Charisma | 17 (+3) |
| Saving Throws | Intelligence d20+7 | Wisdom d20+6 | Charisma d20+6 |
| Skills | Arcana d20+7 | Deception d20+6 | Insight d20+6 |
| Perception d20+6] | Persuasion d20+6 | Stealth d20+4 |
| Senses | Darkvision 120ft. | Passive Perception 16 |
| Languages | Deep Speech | Undercommon | Telepathy 120ft. |
| Challenge | 7 (2,900 XP) |
| Special 1 | Magic Resistance | The mind flayer has an advantage on saving throws against | spells and other magical effects |
| Special 2 | Innate Spellcasting (Psionics) | The mind flayer's innate spellcasting ability | is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). |
| It can innately cast the following spells, | requiring no components: |
| Spells 1 | At will | Detect thoughts | Levitate |
| Spells 2 | 1/day each | Dominate monster | Realm Shift (self only) |
| Action 1 | Tentacles | Melee Weapon Attack | d20+7 to hit |
| Reach 5 ft., one creature | Hit 2d10+4 psychic damage. | If the target is Medium or smaller, | it is grappled (escape DC 15) and must succeed on |
| a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or be stunned until this grapple ends |
| Action 2 | Extract Brain | Melee Weapon Attack | d20+7 to hit |
| Reach 5 ft., one incapacitated humanoid | grappled by the mind flayer | Hit The target takes 10d10 piercing damage. | If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, |
| the mind flayer kills the target by | extracting and devouring its brain |
| Action 3 | Mind Blast (Recharge 5-6) | The mind flayer magically emits psychic energy in a 60-foot cone. | Each creature in that area must succeed on |
| a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or | take 4d8+4 psychic damage | and be stunned for 1 minute. | A creature can repeat the saving throw |
| at the end of each of its turns, | ending the effect on itself on a success |
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