Order of the Infected Mind

For untold millennia, mind flayers and their elder brain overlords have enslaved many peoples through mind control, and forcibly converted many others through the process of ceremorphosis. The Order of the Infected Mind is dedicated to the systematic destruction of this illithid scourge, intentionally allowing mature illithid tadpoles to burrow into their brains to better understand their prey. Unlike standard victims of ceremorphosis, though, this order brews their Hunter’s Bane to cause it to subdue and subsume the tadpole, turning it into a psionic weapon under the hunter’s control.

Level 3: Psionic Power

You harbor a wellspring of psionic energy due to the illithid tadpole attached to your brain. This energy is represented by your Psionic Energy dice, which are each the same size as your hemocraft die. You have a number of these equal to twice your proficiency bonus, and they fuel various psionic powers you have, which are detailed below.

Some of these powers expend the Psionic Energy die they use, as specified in the power’s description, and you can’t use a power if it requires you to use a die when your dice are all expended. You regain all your expended Psionic Energy dice when you finish a long rest. In addition, as a bonus action, you can regain one expended Psionic Energy die, but you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

The powers below use your Psionic Energy dice.

Mind over Matter. When you use a blood curse, you can expend a Psionic Energy die to amplify it, instead of by losing hit points.

Mind Sweep. As an action, you can expend a Psionic Energy die to extend your psychic senses and detect brain signatures around you. Until the end of the turn, you know the location of each creature within 30 feet of you that has an Intelligence score of 4 or greater and that speaks at least one language, as well as whether that creature is an aberration or has telepathy. Roll your Psionic Energy die and choose a number of creatures within 30 feet of you up to the number rolled. You learn the surface thoughts of each creature.

Level 3: Rite of the Brain Parasite

You learn the Rite of the Brain Parasite as part of your Crimson Rite feature. When you activate the Rite of the Brain Parasite, the extra damage dealt by your rite is psychic damage. Additionally, while that rite is active on your weapon, you gain the following benefits:

• You have resistance to psychic damage.

• Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with the weapon, you can expend and roll a Psionic Energy die to deal additional psychic damage to the target equal to the number rolled. When you do, you forcibly create a psychic tether to the target for 1 minute. For the duration, the target can’t become hidden from you, and if it’s invisible, it gains no benefit from that condition against you. The effect ends early if your rite ends or if you use this ability again.

Level 7: Mental Defenses

You learn to use your psionic power to strike at those who attempt to touch your mind. When you become subjected to an effect from a creature that would charm you, frighten you, read your thoughts, or deal psychic damage to you, you can use your reaction to expend and roll a Psionic Energy die. The creature takes psychic damage equal to twice the number rolled, and you add the number rolled to the next saving throw you make against the triggering effect this turn.

Level 11: Mind Blast

As an action, you can release a wave of psionic force that rattles its victims’ minds. Each creature of your choice in a 15-foot cone originating from you must make an Intelligence saving throw. A creature takes psychic damage equal to four rolls of your Psionic Energy die and is stunned until the end of your next turn on a failed save, or takes half damage and isn’t stunned on a successful one.

Once you take this action, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend three Psionic Energy dice to take it again.

Level 15: Brand of Weakened Mind

Your Brand of Castigation weakens your foe’s mental defenses. A creature branded by you loses any resistance or immunity it has to psychic damage for the duration, and you can use a bonus action on each of your turns to learn the creature’s surface thoughts and gain insights into its reasoning (if any).

Level 18: Blood Curse of Domination

Your blood curse can dominate the will of others. You gain the Blood Curse of Domination for your Blood Maledict feature. It doesn’t count against your number of blood curses known.