For a mind control bug, it’s not all that good at mind control

suggestion once a day is kinda meh, I think it can be allowed to dominate person once a day 

Like lamias are only one CR higher and can do super strong mind control

Somebody watched "Operation -- Annihilate!" from TOS. ;)

I MUST SAY IT!!!
NOOO!! we are losing control, soon we enter the forbidden zone!
SOMEBODY CONTROL THIS DAMN SHIP BEFORE WE HAVE AN IMPACT! What options do we have?
Could you go back to the original subroutines or look for a spare part?
IT'S LIKE AMSND...
WE DON'T HAVE TIME LEFT PREPARE FOR THE IMPACT OF THE CRINGE!!!

is it like among us or the thing? cool

So I assume there can be multiple of these attached to one creature. Might be fun to use on one of my players as they hate small monsters that cling on.

Spacetroll covered in parasites.

Concept: 10/10

Execution: ...

I mean, really cool idea, and space-mind-control monsters are always something I like to have in my wheelhouse. But this smacks too much of the way mind flayers have a hyped up backstory and abilities but don't quite deliver (am I really supposed to believe that these intergalactic slave drivers, eldritch horrors the stuff of nighmtmares, mind control hundreds of creatures pretty much 24/7... with dominate monster? Which it can cast 1/day, and requires a saving throw? You can't build an empire on that! but aaaaaanway...). Honestly WotC, just make these things CR 6 or higher, enough to where they can use a better spell, or just give the third level rendition it's own ability, so that the suggestion is harder to ignore, but the effects don't allow it to harm the body, etc. Other than that it's a cool and well-made statblock, just needs some tweaking is all ;)

Thank you all, I haven't had a good mind flayer rant in a while.

if you want to mentally dominate the players, use Neogi. The horror of this monster is not that it uses mind control, it's that it's a colony of Giant flying ticks that threatens people with death if they don't do what they say. The HP and resistances they have to ensure they don't die in one turn, enough time to kill that lone character who was lored into the designated ambush spot with the Suggestion spell. And that's not including that they will operate in large groups.

I see the parasites operating like a mafia, Always sending telepathic reminders to their meat vassals about what will happen to them and their loved ones if they disobey.

I think how effective suggestion will be depends a lot on it's run.

First thing that's important is that while creatures that cannot be charmed are immune to suggestion, the spell itself is not a charm effect, meaning advantages on saves against it, effects that end it and so-on do not apply. This makes it a very insidious and hard to overcome effect.

Also the suggestion can be quite open-ended; it's not quite as freeform as geas, but if your suggestion is "take me wherever I wish to go and keep me safe" then the host will now transport the parasite and attempt to protect it to some degree, while thinking the entire time (and even afterwards) that they wanted to do it. Since the suggestion does not include letting the parasite feed on them, then the suggestion isn't broken when the parasite does that. Plus its reasonable to assume the parasite numbs the area to avoid detection, as many actual parasites do.

I think DMs should definitely consider allowing stronger versions of the parasite, especially if they are in control for some time, e.g- level up to allow geas and later dominate person but I think for the level it's fine. It's more parasite than puppeteer, despite the name.

Quote from Slucas >>

if you want to mentally dominate the players, use Neogi. The horror of this monster is not that it uses mind control, it's that it's a colony of Giant flying ticks that threatens people with death if they don't do what they say. The HP and resistances they have to ensure they don't die in one turn, enough time to kill that lone character who was lored into the designated ambush spot with the Suggestion spell. And that's not including that they will operate in large groups.

I see the parasites operating like a mafia, Always sending telepathic reminders to their meat vassals about what will happen to them and their loved ones if they disobey.

 Space parasites with italian accents. "Ay, I'm floatin' here!"

Glorzo from Rick and Morty, anyone? 

To anyone questioning if this creature is too weak, just remember... the DM doesn't have to only use one of them. 

The DM can use 1,000 of them. Try resisting that many 71-hp-Suggestions ;) 

It kinda seems like the suggestion might just be to make a target come close so the parasite can the attach and feed rather than for being used long term mind control, I feel like it would be a better parasite if it could use it's "cling" without damage so it wouldn't reveal itself when it attaches.

mertoid samos am gorl

It's amazing how a creatures name makes it sound like it can do what that name says but it turns out it can do that but very weakly, a Puppeteer Parasite is the perfect example. But it's amazing how one thing could cause so much damage with just the right decision, for example, in a campaign it turns out that there was a group of Puppeteer Parasites all suggesting the same thing to a person of great power, which essentially makes its name true for it is making a person its puppet by doing the same thing all together overwhelming the victims mind until there is so many attempts to make the person do something the power overwhelmed them and then they become a mindless puppet.

I love it this is definitely one of my favorites.

it basically seems to be an upgraded version of a Stirge, with extra damage output, extra health and a tiny bit of spellcasting. 

also with that kind of intelligence+ telepathy, it would be cool to have as a hive mind-like mission, and they can probably negotiate with the party

Can it eat things smaller than it

These are heavily inspired by The Puppet Masters, a 1994 movie based on a 1951 Robert Heinlein sci-fi novel. In that book he draws comparisons between the mind-controlling slugs from outer space and a second Red Scare—a communist takeover of America.

Other media inspired by this book include Invasion of the Body Snatchers and even The Suicide Squad. The cover of Justice League #190 (1981) shows the alien starfish Starro the Conqueror using parasites to turn everyone into a hive mind (driving home the metaphor that communism erases individual identity).

If I were using these, I'd say the mind control is an ongoing story effect. Then I'd use the suggestion as a sort of battle of wills if the players ever do something to disrupt it.

Hermes: [monotonous] The flight had a stopover on the Brain Slug Planet. Hermes liked it so much he decided to stay of his own free will.
Fry: Hermes has all the fun!