I've been looking online and I can't seem to find an answer toa question regarding its Devour Intellect ability.
The ability reads:
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.
Assuming a creature fails the saving throw, you roll 3d6 and if that total equals or exceeds the creature's intelligence score, it is reduced to 0. My question is if the target has an Intelligence score of 15 and I roll a 10 on the 3d6, does the target's Intelligence score reduced to 5? or does it remain at 15?
The reason I ask is that if the score remains at 15, it would mean that any creature with an Intelligence score of 19 or 20 (naturally without any magic items modifying their score) is immune to having their intelligence devoured.
To me, this doesn't seem like this is what is intended as surely an Intellect Devourer would love the more intelligence brains.
Has there been any clarification on this or how would you guys rule on this?
If that were the case, an intellect devourer would be a too powerful creature. Strictly, the wording set a clear condition: the effect is valid only if the 3d6 roll is equal to or greater than the Intelligence score. I think having an Intelligence score of 19 or higher sets a limit of what the Devourer can do.
The problem with making devour intelligence too easy to use is that any successful use means the devourer can on its next action possess the target. You could probably replace the check with some other mechanic (for example, a second Intelligence save).
If you want to pull some dirty shenanigans on your players (which is what I did--my guys are pretty savvy so most encounters are at expert level for them) they were hunting down a mind flayer and he had a group of four or five hobgoblins with him who were mind-controlled by the flayer. As the party mowed through the hobgoblins (because honestly, they are hobgoblins) they would kill one and then on the dead hobgoblin's turn, its head cracks open and out jumps an intellect devourer who goes for the nearest party member. The players went nuts. Suddenly they were running away from corpses because they knew there would be an intellect devourer in each corpse that they cannot do anything about until it appears. And while they are a well-rounded party, they are not built for INT saves. I was able to create some serious encounter tension by using that tactic on them.
If you want to pull some dirty shenanigans on your players (which is what I did--my guys are pretty savvy so most encounters are at expert level for them) they were hunting down a mind flayer and he had a group of four or five hobgoblins with him who were mind-controlled by the flayer. As the party mowed through the hobgoblins (because honestly, they are hobgoblins) they would kill one and then on the dead hobgoblin's turn, its head cracks open and out jumps an intellect devourer who goes for the nearest party member. The players went nuts. Suddenly they were running away from corpses because they knew there would be an intellect devourer in each corpse that they cannot do anything about until it appears. And while they are a well-rounded party, they are not built for INT saves. I was able to create some serious encounter tension by using that tactic on them.
You mind if I steal that idea... for later?~
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Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
So my party decided to split the party and the barbarian was ambushed by an intellect devoured. Very swiftly he was overtaken by the devoured and lost his brain. However, instead of just having the player be dead, I have decided that the player can continue playing his character as he usually would but the events of the ambush have been erased from his mind.
What he doesn't know is that he is now a double agent for the BBEG. ***evil laugh***
I think the reason why there are limitations or why characters with 19+ Intelligence are immune, is because this is a CR 2 (low level) creature, it targets a stat very rarely maxed since only one class (at the time of printing) focused on Intelligence as a primary stat, and it's otherwise a very strong ability able to instantly take out a character.
There's also in in-game reason: it's Mind Flayers who like to feast on intelligent brains. The point of Intellect Devourers is, oddly, not to devour intellect but rather take over less intelligent people to trick and lure the more intelligent people to the Mind Flayers.
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Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond. Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ thisFAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
If that were the case, an intellect devourer would be a too powerful creature. Strictly, the wording set a clear condition: the effect is valid only if the 3d6 roll is equal to or greater than the Intelligence score. I think having an Intelligence score of 19 or higher sets a limit of what the Devourer can do.
QFT. They are already immensely powerful for what is supposed to be a CR 2 creature.
"The target is stunned until it regains at least one point of Intelligence." realistically means "The player might as well create a new character because they are not playing this one for many sessions."
"The target is stunned until it regains at least one point of Intelligence." realistically means "The player might as well create a new character because they are not playing this one for many sessions."
Mostly what it means is "The character dies the next round", because the round after succeeding the devourer is going to, well, devour the victim's brain.
Of course, the really nasty thing is: Body Thief does not require using Devour Intellect, it can also be used on targets that are incapacitated by another effect. Including being asleep (counts as unconscious), and they have senses that are really good at finding PCs, adequate stealth, and the ability to function in darkness.
We sleep in the dungeon; our watches are...
DM: rolls wandering monster, gets intellect devourer. Rolls stealth, beats passive perception of watcher. Eats a random PCs brain.
DM to Player: you wake up suddenly, from a nightmare you don't remember.
When one of my players got mind scrambled and had to be carried back to town for a greater restoration, I used it as a plot point in the campaign and he liked it so much, he (a bard) dipped a level of Aberrant Mind sorcerer so he could lean into it.
So if the intellect devourer eats a PC's brain, and the cleric recognizes this and expels it by casting a Protection from Evil/Good on them...does that mean the body dies (unless the brain is restored in one round by a wish spell)? Am I reading that right?
Slightly related, but do warforged even have brains that can be devoured?
yes, they have a brain analogue that can be devoured.
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Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
If a char is taken down to zero hit points from slashing damage and is making death saves, can an Intellect Devourer perform Body Thief on them? It says at zero hp the Intellect Devourer must leave the body. Can it just perform the brain extraction even though the character is at zero hit points as a simply fatal blow?
If a char is taken down to zero hit points from slashing damage and is making death saves, can an Intellect Devourer perform Body Thief on them? It says at zero hp the Intellect Devourer must leave the body?
No it doesn't. It says when the host body dies it has to leave. A body at 0 hp is not dead, though it's not going to be very useful unless the devourer has an ally to raise it above 0 hp.
Recently my cha. was hit by an Intellect Devourer, with an intelligence of 11 and an unsuccessful save my intelligence was sapped to 0. I'm currently stunned. DM says it takes about a week in game to regain one point of intelligence. We don't have any party members with access to greater restoration, and aren't really able to find someone either in the current predicament.
My question is if I go to 0 hp, unconscious, and am brought back, will I come back with my intelligence at all? Will the stunned aspect be negated? Any other way to combat the effects without spending a week of downtime?
It's going to take more than a dip into unconsciousness to restore your INT condition. Your DM has the right of it. Maybe your teammates can ask around town for a priest who is capable of performing a greater restoration on you. Otherwise, you will need the downtime.
Recently my cha. was hit by an Intellect Devourer, with an intelligence of 11 and an unsuccessful save my intelligence was sapped to 0. I'm currently stunned. DM says it takes about a week in game to regain one point of intelligence. We don't have any party members with access to greater restoration, and aren't really able to find someone either in the current predicament.
My question is if I go to 0 hp, unconscious, and am brought back, will I come back with my intelligence at all? Will the stunned aspect be negated? Any other way to combat the effects without spending a week of downtime?
Thank you.
Your DM is actually being generous. As far as I know, stat loss doesn't recover on its own at all though in this case I think it looks like a good choice from a game perspective, especially if there is limited access to magical means to restore the stat. The character is stunned for a week and then has a very low intelligence that takes several months to recover. Could make for an interesting role playing arc if the player is interested and it takes a while to find a priest/druid/caster/scroll capable of greater restoration.
P.S. Intellect Devourers are one of the few really nasty creatures still in the game, especially at low level. There are quite few instant death abilities of any type left in the game.
Hey guys,
I've been looking online and I can't seem to find an answer toa question regarding its Devour Intellect ability.
The ability reads:
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.
Assuming a creature fails the saving throw, you roll 3d6 and if that total equals or exceeds the creature's intelligence score, it is reduced to 0. My question is if the target has an Intelligence score of 15 and I roll a 10 on the 3d6, does the target's Intelligence score reduced to 5? or does it remain at 15?
The reason I ask is that if the score remains at 15, it would mean that any creature with an Intelligence score of 19 or 20 (naturally without any magic items modifying their score) is immune to having their intelligence devoured.
To me, this doesn't seem like this is what is intended as surely an Intellect Devourer would love the more intelligence brains.
Has there been any clarification on this or how would you guys rule on this?
If that were the case, an intellect devourer would be a too powerful creature. Strictly, the wording set a clear condition: the effect is valid only if the 3d6 roll is equal to or greater than the Intelligence score. I think having an Intelligence score of 19 or higher sets a limit of what the Devourer can do.
The problem with making devour intelligence too easy to use is that any successful use means the devourer can on its next action possess the target. You could probably replace the check with some other mechanic (for example, a second Intelligence save).
If the target's INT is 15 and the intellect devourer rolls a 10, then that aspect of the Devour Intellect action fails.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
I suppose that makes sense. :) I'll leave the intelligent PCs for the Mind Flayers. ;)
If you want to pull some dirty shenanigans on your players (which is what I did--my guys are pretty savvy so most encounters are at expert level for them) they were hunting down a mind flayer and he had a group of four or five hobgoblins with him who were mind-controlled by the flayer. As the party mowed through the hobgoblins (because honestly, they are hobgoblins) they would kill one and then on the dead hobgoblin's turn, its head cracks open and out jumps an intellect devourer who goes for the nearest party member. The players went nuts. Suddenly they were running away from corpses because they knew there would be an intellect devourer in each corpse that they cannot do anything about until it appears. And while they are a well-rounded party, they are not built for INT saves. I was able to create some serious encounter tension by using that tactic on them.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
You mind if I steal that idea... for later?~
Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
I may have to incorporate this as well.
So my party decided to split the party and the barbarian was ambushed by an intellect devoured. Very swiftly he was overtaken by the devoured and lost his brain. However, instead of just having the player be dead, I have decided that the player can continue playing his character as he usually would but the events of the ambush have been erased from his mind.
What he doesn't know is that he is now a double agent for the BBEG. ***evil laugh***
I think the reason why there are limitations or why characters with 19+ Intelligence are immune, is because this is a CR 2 (low level) creature, it targets a stat very rarely maxed since only one class (at the time of printing) focused on Intelligence as a primary stat, and it's otherwise a very strong ability able to instantly take out a character.
There's also in in-game reason: it's Mind Flayers who like to feast on intelligent brains. The point of Intellect Devourers is, oddly, not to devour intellect but rather take over less intelligent people to trick and lure the more intelligent people to the Mind Flayers.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
QFT. They are already immensely powerful for what is supposed to be a CR 2 creature.
"The target is stunned until it regains at least one point of Intelligence." realistically means "The player might as well create a new character because they are not playing this one for many sessions."
Mostly what it means is "The character dies the next round", because the round after succeeding the devourer is going to, well, devour the victim's brain.
Of course, the really nasty thing is: Body Thief does not require using Devour Intellect, it can also be used on targets that are incapacitated by another effect. Including being asleep (counts as unconscious), and they have senses that are really good at finding PCs, adequate stealth, and the ability to function in darkness.
We sleep in the dungeon; our watches are...
DM: rolls wandering monster, gets intellect devourer. Rolls stealth, beats passive perception of watcher. Eats a random PCs brain.
DM to Player: you wake up suddenly, from a nightmare you don't remember.
When one of my players got mind scrambled and had to be carried back to town for a greater restoration, I used it as a plot point in the campaign and he liked it so much, he (a bard) dipped a level of Aberrant Mind sorcerer so he could lean into it.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
So if the intellect devourer eats a PC's brain, and the cleric recognizes this and expels it by casting a Protection from Evil/Good on them...does that mean the body dies (unless the brain is restored in one round by a wish spell)? Am I reading that right?
Slightly related, but do warforged even have brains that can be devoured?
yes, they have a brain analogue that can be devoured.
Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
If a char is taken down to zero hit points from slashing damage and is making death saves, can an Intellect Devourer perform Body Thief on them? It says at zero hp the Intellect Devourer must leave the body. Can it just perform the brain extraction even though the character is at zero hit points as a simply fatal blow?
No it doesn't. It says when the host body dies it has to leave. A body at 0 hp is not dead, though it's not going to be very useful unless the devourer has an ally to raise it above 0 hp.
Hey guys,
Recently my cha. was hit by an Intellect Devourer, with an intelligence of 11 and an unsuccessful save my intelligence was sapped to 0. I'm currently stunned. DM says it takes about a week in game to regain one point of intelligence. We don't have any party members with access to greater restoration, and aren't really able to find someone either in the current predicament.
My question is if I go to 0 hp, unconscious, and am brought back, will I come back with my intelligence at all? Will the stunned aspect be negated? Any other way to combat the effects without spending a week of downtime?
Thank you.
It's going to take more than a dip into unconsciousness to restore your INT condition. Your DM has the right of it. Maybe your teammates can ask around town for a priest who is capable of performing a greater restoration on you. Otherwise, you will need the downtime.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Your DM is actually being generous. As far as I know, stat loss doesn't recover on its own at all though in this case I think it looks like a good choice from a game perspective, especially if there is limited access to magical means to restore the stat. The character is stunned for a week and then has a very low intelligence that takes several months to recover. Could make for an interesting role playing arc if the player is interested and it takes a while to find a priest/druid/caster/scroll capable of greater restoration.
P.S. Intellect Devourers are one of the few really nasty creatures still in the game, especially at low level. There are quite few instant death abilities of any type left in the game.