Let's say a first or second level character of modest means gets their intellect devoured by the obviously named, Intellect Devourer.
What ways could that character be restored? Are there ways that a character might think it was restored, but actually not restored...
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist SPOILER AHEAD
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I have an idea for a character getting intellect devoured and then seemingly restored after the first chapter, only to perhaps find out later that they are an unwitting spy for Xanathar. So how do I 1) let the players think they are restoring their character and 2) let them actually restore the character later on when they discover the truth about the devouring?
Thanks for all of the amazing wisdom that I'm sure is coming this way
If you want your secret spy, the easiest way is to have the Intellect Devourer use body thief. But that would make the PC not actually want to stop being a spy (since it is controlled by the ID). You can also just make up something and also make up a cure.
@MoonsilverTV: so I'm not sure if this has been noted yet, but you can actually get rid of it nonmagically using the Relaxation downtime activity presented in Xanathar's Guide to Everything on page 131. Seems like an oversight that has been fixed since Mearl's tweet :)
"While relaxing, a character gains advantage on saving throws to recover from long-acting diseases and poisons. In addition, at the end of the week, a character can end one effect that keeps the character from regaining hit points, or can restore one ability score that has been reduced to less than its normal value. "
HTH
So there's an option you may or may not be useful to you.
Good catch Devin. I didn't think of downtime or check comments.
Relaxation will work to cure the effects of the devour intellect action.
It is a DM call as to whether relaxation would be an option to recover from the attack of an intellect devourer. If the brain gets eaten relaxing is unlikely to help :)
"Devour Intellect. The intellect devourer targets one creature it can see within 10 feet of it that has a brain. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw against this magic or take 11 (2d10) psychic damage. Also on a failure, roll 3d6: If the total equals or exceeds the target’s Intelligence score, that score is reduced to 0. The target is stunned until it regains at least one point of Intelligence."
Devour intellect is specifically a magical attack
Relaxation in Xanathar's states: "This benefit cannot be used if the harmful effect was caused by a spell or some other magical effect with an ongoing duration."
Since the loss of intelligence is magical and does not fade on its own then it is likely a magical effect with an ongoing duration and as such just hanging out and relaxing might be unlikely to fix the loss of intellect due to an intellect devourer but as mentioned it would be a DM call.
This doesn't work as the stun is magical. -- "This benefit cannot be used if the harmful effect was caused by a spell or some other magical effect with an ongoing duration." The Devourer Intellect ability. -- "The target must succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw against this magic or take 11 (2d10) psychic damage. Also on a failure, roll 3d6"
This doesn't work as the stun is magical. -- "This benefit cannot be used if the harmful effect was caused by a spell or some other magical effect with an ongoing duration." The Devourer Intellect i. -- "The target must succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw against this magic or take 11 (2d10) psychic damage. Also on a failure, roll 3d6"
Well in that case, dispel magic works and you don't need the higher level spells mentioned.
But I don't think that is how it works. The stun is magical in origin and it's duration is tied to the INT loss, but the INT loss is not described as an ongoing duration (it isn't even "until dispelled").
Probably an oversight while writing it (its not like there arent a hundred examples of that...). A question to bring up to your DM if they spring this "as good as dead" effect on you.
Eh. think of Feeblemind. stat reduction, is magical, a spell even. Dispel Magic doesn't work on it.
Feeblemind is a good example of the weirdness of this type of effect. It is instantaneous (no duration), but it's effect persists. But since it is not an ongoing duration, it can recover via rest.
Probably an oversight while writing it (its not like there arent a hundred examples of that...). A question to bring up to your DM if they spring this "as good as dead" effect on you.
Right? They put one of these things in Waterdeep Dragon Heist because it's only CR2, but you'd better have good saving throws or just retire this character? And the effect is goofy, too. It's not intelligence reduced by 3 or 5. It's reduced to 0. You are now completely incapacitated and your party has to find a way to carry you out of the dungeon. Also, there's no way to recover.
Meanwhile, the theme on here is dudes trying to make it HARDER to end the effect. Like, "Hey, that won't work. You need at least this 7th level spell...to end the effect caused by a CR 2 monster..." It feels like this is taking advantage of a bad piece of design to deliberately troll the PC's. "Hey man, it's only a CR 2 character; I'm allowed to have it nuke your level 1 character into non-existence. git gud." It's not that hard to kill a party. I don't even object to killing a party if you set up a situation that is obviously too much for them that they DON'T have to complete. But in Dragon Heist, this thing is the boss fight at the end of their first quest.
I'm running this combat today, and I think I will keep the effect RAW, but I'm going to homebrew that a short rest gets you back to an intelligence of 6, because then you can walk and talk. After that, you need at least a few days of relaxation... I suppose I could force the party to cough up a bunch of dough to get the afflicted character healed, but I don't think they'll have that kind of resources and frankly I think it will really irritate them and be not fun.
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Let's say a first or second level character of modest means gets their intellect devoured by the obviously named, Intellect Devourer.
What ways could that character be restored? Are there ways that a character might think it was restored, but actually not restored...
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist SPOILER AHEAD
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
I have an idea for a character getting intellect devoured and then seemingly restored after the first chapter, only to perhaps find out later that they are an unwitting spy for Xanathar. So how do I 1) let the players think they are restoring their character and 2) let them actually restore the character later on when they discover the truth about the devouring?
Thanks for all of the amazing wisdom that I'm sure is coming this way
Greater Restoration will restore the creature INT. Regenerate will restore the creature's brain. Reincarnate or Resurrection is needed to bring a brainless creature back to life.
If you want your secret spy, the easiest way is to have the Intellect Devourer use body thief. But that would make the PC not actually want to stop being a spy (since it is controlled by the ID). You can also just make up something and also make up a cure.
I got the following from the comments area of the Intellect Devourer page.
So there's an option you may or may not be useful to you.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Good catch Devin. I didn't think of downtime or check comments.
Relaxation will work to cure the effects of the devour intellect action.
It is a DM call as to whether relaxation would be an option to recover from the attack of an intellect devourer. If the brain gets eaten relaxing is unlikely to help :)
"Devour Intellect. The intellect devourer targets one creature it can see within 10 feet of it that has a brain. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw against this magic or take 11 (2d10) psychic damage. Also on a failure, roll 3d6: If the total equals or exceeds the target’s Intelligence score, that score is reduced to 0. The target is stunned until it regains at least one point of Intelligence."
Devour intellect is specifically a magical attack
Relaxation in Xanathar's states: "This benefit cannot be used if the harmful effect was caused by a spell or some other magical effect with an ongoing duration."
Since the loss of intelligence is magical and does not fade on its own then it is likely a magical effect with an ongoing duration and as such just hanging out and relaxing might be unlikely to fix the loss of intellect due to an intellect devourer but as mentioned it would be a DM call.
Devour Intellect is an instantaneous effect, not one with a duration. How do I know? Because no duration is specified.
This doesn't work as the stun is magical. -- "This benefit cannot be used if the harmful effect was caused by a spell or some other magical effect with an ongoing duration."
The Devourer Intellect ability. -- "The target must succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw against this magic or take 11 (2d10) psychic damage. Also on a failure, roll 3d6"
As for this, the duration is listed "The target is stunned until it regains at least one point of Intelligence."
As for what?
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Well in that case, dispel magic works and you don't need the higher level spells mentioned.
But I don't think that is how it works. The stun is magical in origin and it's duration is tied to the INT loss, but the INT loss is not described as an ongoing duration (it isn't even "until dispelled").
Probably an oversight while writing it (its not like there arent a hundred examples of that...). A question to bring up to your DM if they spring this "as good as dead" effect on you.
Eh. think of Feeblemind. stat reduction, is magical, a spell even. Dispel Magic doesn't work on it.
Feeblemind is a good example of the weirdness of this type of effect. It is instantaneous (no duration), but it's effect persists. But since it is not an ongoing duration, it can recover via rest.
Right? They put one of these things in Waterdeep Dragon Heist because it's only CR2, but you'd better have good saving throws or just retire this character? And the effect is goofy, too. It's not intelligence reduced by 3 or 5. It's reduced to 0. You are now completely incapacitated and your party has to find a way to carry you out of the dungeon. Also, there's no way to recover.
Meanwhile, the theme on here is dudes trying to make it HARDER to end the effect. Like, "Hey, that won't work. You need at least this 7th level spell...to end the effect caused by a CR 2 monster..." It feels like this is taking advantage of a bad piece of design to deliberately troll the PC's. "Hey man, it's only a CR 2 character; I'm allowed to have it nuke your level 1 character into non-existence. git gud." It's not that hard to kill a party. I don't even object to killing a party if you set up a situation that is obviously too much for them that they DON'T have to complete. But in Dragon Heist, this thing is the boss fight at the end of their first quest.
I'm running this combat today, and I think I will keep the effect RAW, but I'm going to homebrew that a short rest gets you back to an intelligence of 6, because then you can walk and talk. After that, you need at least a few days of relaxation... I suppose I could force the party to cough up a bunch of dough to get the afflicted character healed, but I don't think they'll have that kind of resources and frankly I think it will really irritate them and be not fun.