Brain Collector

[Urklore]

Anyone make any d20 conversions for the Brain Collector? The creature from the Monstrous Compendium - Mystara Appendix (d20) and the ole' X4 Module (Basic D&D)? Below are the stats for 2nd edition:

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Brains
INTELLIGENCE: Very (11-12)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVEMENT: 18
THACo: 10
No. OF ATACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d10 (Bite)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spells
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spells
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: L (10’ Long)
MORALE: Elite (14)

Brain collectors (Neh-thalggu in their own language) are rare creatures who occasionally cross the barriers separating their distant home from the Prime Material Plane. Only near sources of great magical energy, where the fabric of time and space is twisted, can they find small gateways to Mystara, where they collect the brains of intelligent beings.

Each specimen of this hideous race has a yellow-orange body-bloated, oily, and amorphous-with dozens of short, writhing tentacles. Six crablike legs allow it to scuttle about. Four large, yellow, bulging eyes and a tooth-filled maw are set in its bulbous head. The head may also have a number of distinctive lumps (up to twelve), each one housing the brain of another intelligent creature.

Neh-thalggu do not think like any other creature. They speak their own tongue and that of diaboli. They can also speak and comprehend the languages known by any creatures whose brain they’ve swallowed.


Combat
The brain collector’s method of attack is a powerful bite with its razor-toothed jaws, inflicting 1d10 points of damage with each bite that hits.

Each brain collector can cast spells; depending on how many brains it has collected. Roll 1d12 to determine how many transplanted brains the monster already has in its head. Each transplanted brain can hold a single wizard spell, no higher than 3rd level (these can be chosen by the DM or randomly determined by dice roll; 1d3 for level and then according to wizard spell lists).

A brain collector can attack with its bite or with a single spell in a given round. Although the nature of its intelligence is unfathomable, brain collectors display a considerable tactical cunning in combat; they will use their available spells to the best possible effect.

A brain collector takes great care as it fights, to avoid doing damage to the cranium of its opponent. As its name suggests, the brains of sapient foes are very precious, indeed.


Habitat/Society
Though brain collectors have a completely alien psychology, “chaotic neutral” is the alignment that best describes them. The Neh-thalggu do not have hostile intentions as such; rather, they do not seem to regard humans or other humanoids as people.

Brain collectors are known to exist on the Demiplane of Nightmares, where they hold a mythic position in the folklore of diaboli, like that of dragons in human tales. Diaboli regard Neh-thalggu as creatures of power, cunning, and inscrutability, and brain collector magic can affect diaboli.

While Neh-thalggu exists on the Demiplane of Nightmares and the Prime Material Plane, sages agree the creatures are native to neither. Brain collectors may also be found wandering other known planes, particularly the Astral or Ethereal Plane. On the Prime Material Plane, a brain collector prefers ruins and caverns and other places with little light and infrequent disturbances.

When a brain collector reaches the Prime Material Plane, it immediately begins acquiring as many brains as it can, as quickly as possible. Each collector can store up to 12 brains at any one time. When these creatures slay humans, demihumans, or humanoids, they carefully cut away the top of the head with surgical tools to expose the brain, and then swallow it. The swallowed brain then moves into one of several pockets within the brain collector’s own head, forming a distinctive lump. For each brain collected, the creature gains the ability to cast one wizard spell of 1st to 3rd level once per day.

When a Neh-thalggu has collected its 12 brains, it immediately seeks to return to its home plane. One theory holds that with 12 collected brains, these monsters can, in certain locations, re-open the link to their native world. Fortunately, few 12-brain Neh-thalggu have been encountered; since they can collect no more brains, they are more eager to move along than to engage opponents.

The brain collector may be related in some fashion to the feyr (described in the Monstrous Manual)


Ecology
Brain collectors have no interest in treasure of any kind; denizens of the Prime Material Plane are curious objects for dispassionate study and ruthless exploitation-cattle, in the brain collectors’ eyes.

Neh-thalggu are predators of the highest order, but they exert little influence on the Mystaran environment.

[Urklore]

So we know it would be an abberation. Would have high ranks in Knowledge (The Planes), Spellcraft, and Heal. Perhaps Profession (Surgeon) as well.

[BOZ]

there is a version in the Epic Level Handbook, if i'm not mistaken...

[Urklore]

Wow! Well coat me in a floury batter and bake me all crispy. There it is, right in the epic book, page 206. Shame it is an epic monster, I think it is a tade out of reach of my 7th level players.

[Psychotic Jim]

I did a conversion of the brain collector as part of my Far Realms conversion thread 3.5 Far Realms creature conversions

Neh-thalggu (Brain Collector)
Large Aberration (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 10d8+30 (75 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (-1 size, +9 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+16
Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d10+7)
Full Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d10+7)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Consume brain, immunities, amorphous physiology
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +11
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 11, Con 17, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Concentration +16, Knowledge (arcana) +16, Knowledge (the Planes) +16, Heal +15, Spellcraft +16
Feats: Combat Casting, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack (B)
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground (Far Realms Gate)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral, neutral evil, or chaotic evil
Advancement: 11-16 HD (Huge), 17-20 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: ?
A truly bizarre creature, this abomination is a bloated, amorphous sack of yellow, oily fat standing upon six armored legs. Tiny, writhing appendages and strange, round bumps cover the creature’s body. It stares at you nonchalantly with its four alien glowing eyes.
Brain collectors (they call themselves nel-thalggu) are beings from the Far Realms seemingly here to harvest the brains of humanoid life. Eating the brains of humanoids gives them arcane power. The mentality of a brain collector is completely alien to our own. A brain collector has a swollen, off-yellow, slimy body with legions of tiny, flailing tendrils emerging from it. Four malformed, yellow eyes and a gaping mouth filled with enormous, sharp teeth round only add to its ugliness. The creature moves about on six strong, chitinous legs. Lastly, a brain collector has a prominent bulge on its body for each brain of a sentient life-form it has gobbled up.
Brain collectors have their own language, but they also can understand and speak any languages of the victims whose brains they have ingested.
Combat
In combat, a brain collector attacks using its bite or spell-like abilities, being careful not to damage the brains of any possible victims. If it has 12 brains, it attempts to flee.
Spell-like Abilities (Sp): A brain collector has up to 12 spell-like abilities, each emulating an arcane spell chosen randomly from spell levels 1-3 in sorcerer/wizard spell-list (Roll 1d12 to find the number of spell-like abilities a certain brain collector has, and roll 1d3 to determine the spell level). The brain collector uses these spell-like abilities as the spells cast by a 12th level sorcerer, each useable once per day (Save DC 13+Spell Level).
Consume Brain (Su): After its slays a humanoid or monstrous humanoid foe, the brain collector delicately removes the brain and devours it whole. For each brain it feeds upon, the brain collector gains a random spell-like ability useable once per day. In addition, it learns to speak and understand any languages the creatures whose brains it swallowed knew. A neh-thalggu is free to draw on all the Knowledge skills of each brain it currently stores, using the base ranks in a skill possessed by each brain, and adjusted by the neh-thalggu’s own skill modifiers for the Knowledge skill in question (or its Intelligence modifier, for a skill it has no ranks in). The brain collector can hold a maximum of 12 brains at once.
Immunities (Ex): Immune to all mind-influencing effects
Amorphous Physiology (Ex): A brain collector does not have fixed organs. As such, it is immune to critical hits, death from massive Damage, sneak attacks, and coup de grace.

[Garnfellow]

Originally Posted by Urklore

Wow! Well coat me in a floury batter and bake me all crispy. There it is, right in the epic book, page 206. Shame it is an epic monster, I think it is a tade out of reach of my 7th level players.

In the Epic Level Handbook there is a little note (not in the SRD description) that sometimes juvenile brain collectors are encountered -- which invites us all to make a stripped-down version that might fall into the EL 7 range.

[the Jester]

It's in the--

Oh.

Never mind, everyone beat me to it- including noting the 'juvenile' reference... :\