5e Race II: The Illithids

Illithids

Emerging from Darkness

Illithids are not born, they are made: a host body is implanted with a mature illithid larvae and transformed in a process known as ceremorphosis. The newly made illithid remembers little of its former life and only occasionally retains some quirk or behaviour from the original host.

An illithid pose-down party.

Illithids are not usually filled with the wanderlust that overcomes other races. Their path to adventure usually emerges out of service to or rebellion against an Elder Brain. Perhaps you are on a mission of some deep importance to your Elder Brain master or maybe you were part of a rebellion against the strictures of the community and feel that eating other humanoids (okay, even just the brains) is wrong. It is possible that you may be a rare Adversary illithid, which possesses all of the memories and personality of the original host body.

Whatever your reasons, you find yourself outside the safety of your community and in need of a very good disguise. Most up-worlders regard you with outright hate and disgust. They know the reputation of your kind and will usually be extremely hostile.

Illithid Names

Illithid names are widely varied and adopted from many cultures.

Male Names: Sangalor, Zoidberg, Chuul

Female Names: Marianne, K’thula, Geverstrem

Family Names: Illithids do not have families or clan identifiers. All illithids usually belong to an unnamed Elder Brain. Adversary illithids may resume the use of their pre-ceremophosis name.

Illithid Traits

Powerful minds are the hallmark of the illithid. They are mostly psions (currently wizards, I guess) or wizards, though clerics and fighters do exist among their ranks.

Thoons love to flex.

Ability Score Increase: Your Intelligence score increases by 2.

Age: As humans.

Alignment: Tend toward lawful evil.

Size: Medium

Height: 4’8”+2d10 inches. Weight: 100 +1d4 x height modifier result in pounds.

Speed: 30

Mind Bolt: As blast of psychic energy that briefly stuns foes.

Mind Blast: At level 9, the illithid has mastered the mind bolt and can now produce a cone of stunning mind energy.

Psychic Prowess: Intelligence is your ability for illithid psionic powers. Psionic save DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + intelligence modifier.

Telepathy: An illithid can communicate telepathically to any other intelligent creature within 100 feet.

Tentacles: Illithid tentacles are incredibly strong and are used in the feeding process, rending flesh and cracking skull to reveal tasty grey matter. You can you add your Intelligence modifier (instead of Strength) to grappling checks with tentacles. You may only grapple one creature at a time.

Extract: An illithid that has grappled a target can make an automatic extraction attack on the following turn. Extraction deals 1d6+Intelligence modifier damage as you dig into the head of the grappled victim seeking those sweet sweet brains. Extraction will instantly kill an unconscious victim.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of the underfolk (drow, kuo-toa, undercommon). Illithids have no spoken language of their own, but they do have elaborate body language based upon the movements of their tentacles and the hissing and gnashing of their maw.

Subrace: There are two types of illithid: the mind flayer which is more numerous and the thoon, which is rare.

Mind Flayer

Devious and cruel, keepers of thralls. Psychic sensitives.

Ability Score Increase: Your Charisma score increases by 2.

Sense Thoughts: This power acts like a radar ping, other creatures may not realize that you are near but they will feel uneasy as your probe for their thoughts. The Mind Flayer can make an Intelligence check to detect the presence of intelligent creatures (Int 5+) within 100 feet. This does not detect other forms of unintelligent life. Intelligent creatures can resist detection with a contested roll of Wisdom or Charisma. (DMs should always roll several times, regardless of the presence of intelligent life). This power acts like a radar ping, other creatures may not realize that you are near but they will feel uneasy.

Read Thoughts: The mind flayer can attempt to read the thoughts of one creature it can see within 30 feet. The target creature makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you can read the target’s surface thoughts for 1 minute. During that minute, you have advantage on Charisma (deception) checks to deceive the target and Wisdom (insight) checks to sense the target’s intentions.

Enthralling Charm: A mind flayer can enslave the mind of another creature. You can cast Charm Person (DC equal to 8+proficiency bonus+intelligence modifier). This spell can not be cast again until you have had a short or long rest.

Thoon

Physically powerful, built for combat and protection. Trained in the construction of psychic weaponry and body manipulation.

Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Psychic Shield: A thoon with a free hand can construct a shield of psychokinetic force. This shield improves AC by 2 and doesn’t require proficiency to use.

Psychic Weapon: A thoon can manifest a weapon of psychokinetic force.  This weapon can take any shape (and has all the properties of such a weapon). The weapon requires proficiency to be wielded effectively. When inspired (using inspiration), you can imbue the weapon with +1 magical bonus for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. (You give up the advantage roll in favour of the +1 bonus to rolls).

Mind Bolt

0 level cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: None, occasional somatic components.

Duration: Instant

A surging bolt of psychic energy lashes out at the target, very briefly stunning them. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, it takes 1d8 psychic damage and can not use reaction abilities until the start of your next turn. This power increases by 1d8 damage at 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8) and 17th level (4d8).

Mind Blast

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet, cone

Components: None, occasional somatic components.

Duration: Instant

A stunning wave of psychic energy blasts each target in the area of effect, assaulting the mind and causing extreme mental anguish. Targets make a Intelligence saving throw (DC equal to 8+proficiency bonus+intelligence modifier). On a failed save, targets suffer 2d6 damage and are stunned for 1 minute. On a successful save, targets take half damage and are not stunned. However, the target can not use reaction abilities until the start of your next turn. Stunned targets make saving throws each round to overcome the stunned condition.

Once you complete a short or long rest, you may use this power again.


Everything you need to know about illithids
5e Psionicist at Cross Planes
Art credits sadly unknown... Google Fu... you have failed me again.