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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Jun 2005 : 16:09:41
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by silvermage
So far there are some types of illithids listed, They are:
1) Ulitharids
2) Illithid sorcerers
3) Alhoons
4) Mind Flayer vampires(but lacks intelligence)
5) Neothelids
6) Urophians
In addition, we have the Elder Brain, which is actually a collective of illithid minds that form a unified consciousness which jointly rules and directs the affairs of an illithid community.
There's also a Ulitharilich in Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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khorne
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1073 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jun 2005 : 18:23:45
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quote:
Originally posted by silvermage
So far there are some types of illithids listed, They are:
1) Ulitharids
2) Illithid sorcerers
3) Alhoons
4) Mind Flayer vampires(but lacks intelligence)
5) Neothelids
6) Urophians
I have never heard of Neothelids or Urophians. |
If I were a ranger, I would pick NDA for my favorite enemy |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jun 2005 : 18:26:47
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| Does anyone remember the (very) old Dragon Magazine that had the Illithid creatures in it, supposedly from their homeworld . . . |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jun 2005 : 02:50:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
There's also a Ulitharilich in Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark.
Yes, but as I recall, Thalynsar was a "unique" example of such an illithid. Still, a hybird ulitharid, illithilich, and elder brain, is an intriguing curiosity among the mind flayer race.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
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Forge
Learned Scribe
USA
218 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jun 2005 : 16:38:13
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Dunno Sirius, the Harpell "Rectal-cranial Inversion" Polymorph worked pretty well methinks, and it's not covered in that link.
I'm curious though if there is any rationale to the high incidence of mind flayers in the Underdark, or if that is just their "natural" habitat? |
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tauster
Senior Scribe
Germany
399 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jun 2005 : 16:53:28
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quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Does anyone remember the (very) old Dragon Magazine that had the Illithid creatures in it, supposedly from their homeworld . . .
there was "the sunset world - in the realm of the mind flayers" by stephen inniss (dragon magazine, october 1989), and the "dragon bestiary" in the same issue detailed the monstrous inhabitants of this world. |
Edited by - tauster on 06 Jun 2005 16:55:01 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jun 2005 : 17:15:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Forge
Dunno Sirius, the Harpell "Rectal-cranial Inversion" Polymorph worked pretty well methinks, and it's not covered in that link.
I'm curious though if there is any rationale to the high incidence of mind flayers in the Underdark, or if that is just their "natural" habitat?
Illithids seriously hate sunlight -- to the point that I've seen a couple of references to an illithid plot to extinguish the sun. I don't know if that's still around in 3E, or not, though. It seems a silly plot, to me. Not only is it way too big a plot, but I'm thinking that when the world froze over, there wouldn't be nearly as many sentient brains to eat... |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Shadovar
Senior Scribe
785 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jun 2005 : 09:28:06
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| I even heard that a few elder brains are working long and hard to 'extinguish' the sun forever, so that they can take over the surface world. In some ways, the mind flayers are like the phaerimm, both dislike sunlike though sunlight can cause some 'skin' damage to the latter-the phaerimm. |
We have fostered trust, recruited loyalty, and gathered the faithful. We have trained thousands. Our legions can cover the land, fill the sky and travel through the darkness. We can hunt any and all that would deny our heritage. Now is our time, now is the time of the Dark Reign(Rain) of the Empire of Shadows.
- High Prince Telemont Tanthul, Lord Shadow
In a speech given to the citizens of Shade Enclave
At the celebration of the Shinantra Battle victory when he revealed that he was THE Lord Shadow of legend. |
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Hammerfist
Acolyte
10 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2005 : 06:46:26
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| Are there any more details on the Elder Brain? like what are their purposes? For I do not possess the Lords of Madness: Book Of Aberrations so I am unsure about the Elder brains. |
The hammer will strike when I say so. |
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Sandhrune
Acolyte
35 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2005 : 06:52:34
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| Well elder brains eat illithid tadpoles all the while acting as an incubator for them. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2005 : 07:04:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Hammerfist
Are there any more details on the Elder Brain? like what are their purposes? For I do not possess the Lords of Madness: Book Of Aberrations so I am unsure about the Elder brains.
The Illithiad, a 2e tome, has the most information about elder brains, and the other types of illithids.
Basically, the elder brain is a sentient, disembodied mind that lies at the center of most illithid communities. It resides in a pool of briny fluid and rules the community through a mingled conglomerate of illithid minds which form a united and collective consciousness. The illithid minds are "givern over" to the elder brain to form the collective.
It is considered the duty of every mind flayer to one day join the elder brain by uniting their mind with the collective elder brain's mass of brain tissue.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 08 Jun 2005 07:06:21 |
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Shadovar
Senior Scribe
785 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2005 : 07:04:29
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| The elder brain also acts as the Illithids last line of defense against assault. The elder brain is a very good at detecting intruders and able to shatter defenses such as nondetection. If it detects a non-friendly sentient being, it would mobilize a attack immediately. The elder brain do possess some very interesting ailities besides what I mentioned. |
We have fostered trust, recruited loyalty, and gathered the faithful. We have trained thousands. Our legions can cover the land, fill the sky and travel through the darkness. We can hunt any and all that would deny our heritage. Now is our time, now is the time of the Dark Reign(Rain) of the Empire of Shadows.
- High Prince Telemont Tanthul, Lord Shadow
In a speech given to the citizens of Shade Enclave
At the celebration of the Shinantra Battle victory when he revealed that he was THE Lord Shadow of legend. |
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silverpriestess
Acolyte
22 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2005 : 07:13:50
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| So among all the illithid types, which one among them all is the greatest and the most superior of the illithid variants? |
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Shadovar
Senior Scribe
785 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2005 : 07:21:58
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I think there are two that can be said to be superior to the rest. They are : 1) Neothelids 2) Urophians. Both possess great offensive abilities.
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We have fostered trust, recruited loyalty, and gathered the faithful. We have trained thousands. Our legions can cover the land, fill the sky and travel through the darkness. We can hunt any and all that would deny our heritage. Now is our time, now is the time of the Dark Reign(Rain) of the Empire of Shadows.
- High Prince Telemont Tanthul, Lord Shadow
In a speech given to the citizens of Shade Enclave
At the celebration of the Shinantra Battle victory when he revealed that he was THE Lord Shadow of legend. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2005 : 08:07:38
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Don't discount the ulitharids. Remember, ulitharids are the result of 1 out of every 25 illithid tadpoles reaching ceremorphosis. They are usually considered superior to most other mind flayers, and often reach significant places of power within an illithid community.
Of course, in terms of raw power and intelligence, one need not look past the elder brain itself.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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AlacLuin
Learned Scribe
131 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2005 : 17:54:05
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Did the new book change the requirement for the host of the tadpole needing to be human to make a true Mind Flayer?
I know supposedly any other creature make a half- Illithid.
I always found this requirement a bit “odd”, not unworkable, but just a little unbelievable.
As in, they must have a large population of human slaves deep in the underdark so they can procreate.
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2005 : 01:44:03
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Thanks Tauster . . . 1989 . . . great flaming hair dye, but I'm getting old. I remember sitting down and writing an adventure for my players as soon as I got that issue. I wrote in on my brother typewriter becuase my Adam computer was out of ink and I couldn't find anyone that still carried ribbons for the printer . . .
(must stop this torture . . . back to mind flayers)
In my campaigns I changed the half-illithid thing to any medium sized humanoid creating a full blooded illithid, and only creatures that either weren't standard humanoids or weren't medium sized created halfs.
That way humans, dwarves, drow, orcs, and hobgoblins are all similar enough to create true illithids, but deep gnomes, goblins, kobolds, lizardfolk, bugbears and the like use the half template.
But thats just me. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2005 : 02:52:17
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quote:
Originally posted by AlacLuin
Did the new book change the requirement for the host of the tadpole needing to be human to make a true Mind Flayer?
That's not a requirement. Most humanoids can become illithids if they undergo the process of ceremorphosis. There are only a few demihuman races that cannot.
Lizardmen for example, which I believe was included with the half-illithid template, are a viable example of races that can undergo the change.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Osieu
Acolyte
26 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2005 : 08:53:45
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
There's also a Ulitharilich in Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark.
Yes, but as I recall, Thalynsar was a "unique" example of such an illithid. Still, a hybird ulitharid, illithilich, and elder brain, is an intriguing curiosity among the mind flayer race.
He's dead. WoTC killed him for no reason. You Murderers!!! 
It's mentioned in 3.5 FR Underdark book that Thalynsar drained too much power from the elder brain and lost his mind. Other illithiliches were forced to destory him to stop his madness.
Why don't WoTC kill those boring goodie two-shoes and leave the old cool villains alone?  |
Edited by - Osieu on 09 Jun 2005 08:55:20 |
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AlacLuin
Learned Scribe
131 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2005 : 20:53:15
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by AlacLuin
Did the new book change the requirement for the host of the tadpole needing to be human to make a true Mind Flayer?
That's not a requirement. Most humanoids can become illithids if they undergo the process of ceremorphosis. There are only a few demihuman races that cannot.
I'm talking true mind Flayer, not the Half Template.
In DDGttU, svirfneblin and lizardmen are specified as being special ceremorph successes.
The half template is significantly weaker then a true Mindflayer.
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Edited by - AlacLuin on 09 Jun 2005 20:56:32 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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Mind Flayers
