Homebrew Freed Illithid/Mind Flayer Species Details

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2.

Age. Illithids complete their ceremorphosis by the age of 9, and reach full maturity at the age of 15. An Illithid lives usually longer than its original host, with an average lifespan of 120 years.

Alignment. Due to their hierarchies, Illithids usually tend towards lawful behavior. However, if an Illithid breaks free of the system, they tend to follow their own plans and agendas. They can either try to befriend the weird surface people or enslave them, shifting the alignment anywhere from good to evil.

Size. Illithid have tall, slender bodies, reaching a height of about 6 feet. Illithids weigh less than a human. Your size is medium.

Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Limited Innate Psionics. Ever since you broke connection to the Psionic Network, your psionic powers have weaken significantly. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Detect Thoughts spell; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Once you reach 5th level, you can cast the Levitate spell; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait.

Limited Magic Resistance. You have advantage on Intelligence saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Tentacles. You have prehensile tentacles connected to where a human mouth would be. These can carry small onjects weighing no more than 10lbs and can not make weapon attackes.

Mind Blast. You can use your action to send a devastating blast of psychic energy. When you use your mind blast, each creature in a 15 foot cone centered on yourself must make a Intelligence saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 psychic damage on a failed save, and half as much on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 as well as the stunned condition for 1 minute at 11th level, and 5d6 as well as the stunned condition for 1 minute at 16th level. At the end of each of the creatures turn, it can make another Intelligence saving throw. On a success, the target is no longer stunned. After you use your mind blast, you can´t use it again after you complete a long rest.

Telepathy. You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 60 feet of you. A creature understands you only if the two of you share a language. 

Alien Nature. Due to your alien nature, other creature are uneasy while communicating with you. You have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks but disadvantage on all other Charisma checks. Your creature type is considered both humanoid and aberration. 

Devour Brain. Consuming brains is a necessity for you since it is part of your balanced diet. An Illithid gains insight on the creaturs memories, personality, and innermost fears.  When you reduce a small or medium humanoid to 0 hit points with your tentacles, you can use your reaction to devour the creatures brain. Alternatively, when you are within 5 feet of a dead small or medium humanoid and prone, you can use your action to extract and devour the brain. The fresher the brain, the more information can be extracted from it. If the brain is less than 1 minute old, you gain 2 long term memories from it as well as any short term memories; if the brain is less than a day old, you gain 1 long term memory and any short term memories; if the brain is less than 2 days old, you only the short term memories; any brain older than 2 days only functions as nourishment. You do not gain proficients, skills, class abilities, spells, feats or racial abilities from the brain. 

 Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Deep Speech.

Freed Illithid/Mind Flayer Traits

Be it a broken connection to the psionic network or a twisted mutation in the tadpole, Freed Illithids operate outside of the hive mind of the greater Mind flayer community, able to explore and grow as an individual