Homebrew Exalted Illithid Species Details

Illithid Attitudes about Magic

From their perspective as masters of psionic energy, mind flayers view magic as a wild, unpredictable, and primitive source of power. After all, anything that simple humanoids can learn to use must be ineffectual compared to what illithids are capable of. A exiled illithid, however, may reevaluate this attitude while separated from an elder brain and the collective psionic energy of the hive.

Arcane Magic

Mind flayers consider arcane magic to be an abomination, a twisted cousin of psionic power that will be erased from the multiverse when the illithids’ empire rises again. Some sages speculate that this attitude arose among the mind flayers because magic played an important role in the rebellion of the gith. In any case, a few exiled mind flayers do pursue arcane magic. Using some of the items or spells they discover, they can shield their minds as they aspire to break free of the elder brain’s control.

Eventually, a mind flayer thus separated from the hive turns to the path of lichdom. Just as the elder brain offers immortality to its faithful illithids, so does becoming a lich ensure life everlasting. The feeling of freedom that comes from this change is liberating, but the specter of death forever after colors the mind flayer’s actions. An undead mind flayer is hated and hunted by other illithids, but many are powerful enough to stand on their own against attackers. (See alhoon for more information on undead illithid.)

Divine Magic

Illithids acknowledge the existence of divine entities, but it is unusual for any but a deviant mind flayer to actively worship such a power. Since they are capable of planar travel, illithids don’t view the afterlife and the Outer Planes in the mythic way that most other races do. Illithids don’t believe they possess souls whose eternal fate is governed by the gods. Instead, when a mind flayer’s brain is returned to the elder brain to be consumed, the creature’s intelligence lives on. Only if an illithid’s brain isn’t retrieved after death would its consciousness be cast into oblivion.

Two divine entities have long been associated with mind flayers by the scholars of other races. These aren’t deities, but rather manifestations of ideal psionic and philosophical mental states that mind flayers revere. Illithids occasionally meditate on these ideals while performing physical movements meant to help them achieve the proper attitude — actions that have often been misinterpreted by observers as worship.

Maanzecorian. The entity/concept called Maanzecorian embodies a complete comprehension of knowledge. It is a state wherein memories, thoughts, and aptitudes are dredged up from one’s mind not one at a time as needed, but are all laid bare and brought to the fore at once. The perfect memories exhibited by aboleths have long fascinated mind flayers that emulate Maanzecorian, leading to frequent conflict between the two races.

Ilsensine. Ilsensine is a broader philosophical ideal than Maanzecorian, leading many sages to assume it must be the more important or more powerful of the two “gods.” Ilsensine represents not just mastery of one’s own mind but a psionic union between oneself and the realm of universal knowledge. Different elder brains have different interpretations of what this state consists of and how to achieve it. Elder brains and illithids that devote themselves to Ilsensine sometimes pursue ways to dominate gods of knowledge or even aspire to supplant those gods on the way to attaining the state of full incorporation into the universal consciousness.

Exiled Illithid Traits

Exiled illithid traits and attritbutes

Ability Score Increase

Your intelligence score is increased by 2, and one ability score of your choice is increased by 1.

Superior Darkvision

Time spent outside the proximity of the elder brain has dulled your usual Mindflayer senses. You can still see in dim light within 120 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 grey.

Psionic Mastery

Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the detect thoughts spell and levitate spell through your psionic abilities. At 14th level, you can cast the plane shift spell, targeting yourself only. At 18th level, you can cast dominate monster. Once you have cast each spell using this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. You do not require material components to cast spells with this trait. 

Natural Intellect Fortress

You have resistance Psychic damage, and advantage on intelligence saving throws

Telepathic Bond

You have the ability to telepathically communicate to any creature within a 120 feet of you. Creatures with an intelligence of at least 4 or higher you can communicate with them. As a bonus action you can link your mind to a creature, giving you the ability to telepathically communicate to that creature within 200 feet so long as they remain on the same plane of existence. This ability lasts for as many hours based on your intelligence modifier.

Natural Weapons: Tentacles

The four tentacles around your jaws are a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. Use your Intelligence modifier for attack rolls and damage with these natural weapons. If you hit a creature with your tentacles, the attack deals psychic damage equal to 1d8 + your Intelligence modifier, instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike.

When you hit a creature of size Medium or smaller with a tentacle attack, you can attempt to grapple that creature as a bonus action. You cannot target another creature with your tentacles while engaged in such a grapple. You deal 1d6 damage + your Intelligence modifier as psychic damage each round that the creature is grappled by your tentacles.

At 9th level, the target must also succeed on an Intelligence saving throw equal to 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your Proficiency bonus or be stunned until the end of your next turn, you may do this an amount of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Mind Blast

As an action, The exiled mind flayer magically emits psychic energy in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make Intelligence saving throw and take 1d8 + your intelligence modifier as psychic damage and if they failed the save, they become stunned until the end of your next turn.

This can be done a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, per long rest.

The Damage of this ability increases to a 30-foot cone and deals 2d8 at 5th level, 45-foot cone and deals 3d8 at 11th level, and 60-foot cone and 4d8 at 17th level.

Exalted Illithid Traits

Sometimes a mind flayer that’s away from its colony breaks free from the elder brain, Perhaps it ran into a situation where its bonds of obedience were broken, or perhaps the colony was destroyed while it was away, or it possibly discovered the fundamental uses of the Arcane. In such a case, the mind flayer becomes free-willed or exiled among elder brains and other Mind Flayers. Unlike colonial mind flayers, Exiled Mind flayers may develop a healthy respect for those not of their kind. They treat especially powerful creatures and individuals as equals, not adversaries, and may seek to cooperate with them. A exiled mind flayer might become a trusted advisor or a powerful ally, so long as it is respected and treated with out racial prejudice and shown equal respect from other creatures/individuals. For details of mind flayer culture and nature, see Volo's Guide to Monsters (pages 71-81).

Superior Dark vision

Time spent outside the proximity of the elder brain has dulled your usual Mindflayer senses. You can still see in dim light within 120 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 grey.

Ability score increase

+2 to intelligence score and +1 to any other ability score

Psionic Mastery

Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the detect thoughts spell and levitate spell through your psionic abilities. At 13th level, you can cast the plane Shift spell, targeting yourself only. At 15th level, you can cast dominate monster Once you have cast each spell using this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. You do not require material components to cast spells with this trait. 

Natural Intellect Fortress

You have resistance Psychic damage, and advantage on intelligence saving throws.

Natural Weapons: Tentacles

The four tentacles around your jaws are a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. Use your Intelligence modifier for attack rolls and damage with these natural weapons. If you hit a creature with your tentacles, the attack deals psychic damage equal to 1d8 + your Intelligence modifier, instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike.

When you hit a creature of size Medium or smaller with a tentacle attack, you can attempt to grapple that creature as a bonus action. You cannot target another creature with your tentacles while engaged in such a grapple. You deal 1d6 damage + your Intelligence modifier as psychic damage each round that the creature is grappled by your tentacles.

Mind Blast

As an action, The exiled mind flayer magically emits psychic energy in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make Intelligence saving throw and take 1d8 + your intelligence modifier as psychic damage and if they failed the save, they become stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

This can be done a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, per long rest.

The Damage of this ability increases to a 30-foot cone and deals 2d8 at 5th level, 45-foot cone and deals 3d8 at 11th level, and 60-foot cone and 4d8 at 17th level.