Help! Defense vs Mindflayers

[Laslo Tremaine]

Last week our party got jumped by a trio of Psionic Mindflayers (ala XPH [this is a 3.5e game]).

Our party make up at the time was:
Dwarf Fighter 8
Human Cleric 8
Human Wizard 8
Human Fighter 4/ Rogue 3
Gnome Druid 8

We had just taken out a large group of mercenaries (about 20) and their Kensai Leader. Evidently in the process we aggravated the heretofore mysterious BBEG, who telepathically contacted the Wizard, expressed his displeasure, and popped in three (heavily buffed) XPH Mindflayers. The trio then proceeded to hand us our posteriors (mind-blasting us, and then eating our brains at their leasure). The only party member to get away, was the Wizard, who decided that descretion was the better part of valor...

Now that we have all been ressurected (and are all a level lower), the question now is, "How do you take out a group of Mindflayers, and is there any way to protect against a mindblast?"

We have full access to the library of the God of Knowledge, and the head priest is greatly indebted to us. So we have very good in-game resources for researching the information. The problem is that none of the players knows of any tricks to solve the problem.

Right now our only solution is to find ways to boost our will saves. But with the combined attacks of three, possibly four, mindflayers, means that even with decent saves (which the fighters do not have) odds are against us.

The question then becomes, "In base 3.5, is there any sure-fire protection from Mind Blast?

Anyone got any suggestions? We're all pretty concerned about our current state of hosed-ness...

 

[Orichin]

ring of mind shielding, higher will saves, slippery mind class ability, become mindless undead....

there's no real surefire way of protecting yourself from much, and non-magical mind-affecting attacks are no exception.

 

[shilsen]

Become undead. Resurrecting was a tactical error

Kidding aside, there aren't too many options. Orichin has got a few, though he's wrong about a ring of mind shielding, which is useless against Mind Blast.

 

[sdt]

What you do depends on how the DM treats psionics; is it treated as magical or non-magical? If non-magical then I suggest you read the variant rule at the end of page 297 in the DMG: Basically there needs to be spells and/or items available to counter psionics. A similar event happened to our party as we were nearly (actually 50%) wiped out with nary a flicker of its tentacles.

 

[Spatula]

First of all, the CR of the XPH Mindflayer is too low. Make sure your DM understands this. A 9th level human telepath has a CR of 9. A mindflayer has all of the abilities of a 9th level telepath, plus power resistance, mind blast, instant death attack (brain eating), better hit points, better BAB, darkvision, etc. and has a CR of 8.

It would be extremely expensive, but if you can, buy scrolls of mind blank and have the wizard use them on the party. That should nullify just about everything the mindflayers can do, including mind blast.

 

[Urbanmech]

I think polymorphing into plants would give you the plants immunity to mind effects. Just find a 7 hd plant and polymorph the low will save people into that and then go to town.

 

[Plane Sailing]

much Less expensive and equally effective - scroll of antimagic field.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Right now our only solution is to find ways to boost our will saves. But with the combined attacks of three, possibly four, mindflayers, means that even with decent saves (which the fighters do not have) odds are against us.

Practically speaking, there is no way you are going to survive against 3 Mindflayers in a fair fight. It is unlikely you will get a fair fight.

Your party is roughly the equivalent of 8th level (was 9th). Three Mind Flayers is equivalent to an 11th level encounter by the book. As already pointed out, Mindflayers are easily a strong CR 9 if rated correctly. In a straight fight, your 8th level party is going up against the equivalent of a CR 12 critter (or higher!).

4 Mind Flayers are 99% likely to defeat you.

The only useful suggestion I have is to use walls to separate one Mindflayer from his friends and whittle these guys down. Your Wizard can cast Wall of Fire. Consider paying good money to get some scrolls like Wall of Force and Wall of Thorns. If the intended victim is smart, he will just use some psionic power to flee. You may need to Dimensional Lock him.

You are really in over your head. How about you leave and come back when you are three levels higher?

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Plane Sailing's suggestion is your only hope.

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

Seems like I remember a gnomish helmet from some issue of Dragon that allowed the wearer to absorb up to three maindblast attacks, and then to release them at foes as suited the user's needs, thus emptying the helmet out to leave room to absorb more mindblasts. I don't remember what issue it was in, and I can't look right now, but I'm almost certain it was in there. Illithid aren't immune to mindblast either, as I recall, so even just one of these could make even your dwarf or your rogue immensely capable in this scenario.

I'll see if I can find that issue.