Unsatisfying mind flayer encounter

[Urbannen]

Are you keeping them at 8 HD? I think it's odd that they have the abilities of a 9th level psion, yet they only have 8 HD. Shouldn't they have 9 HD? I used the PHB version of them.

Edit: Or, if a 9th level psion has a CR of 9, shouldn't a mind flayer with the same abilities and racial abilities far superior to any PHB race, also be at least a CR 9?

 

[Spatula]

According to the Expanded Psionics Handbook, it's an instantaneous effect.

Where does it say that? Mind blast is no longer a psionic power, and the "psionic mind flayer" in the monster section doesn't redefine (or even reprint) the mind blast ability description IIRC.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

IMC mind flayers can use Domination and a few other abilities as well. As a result, they have options as to what they can do in combat other than boring ol' Levitate + Mind Blast.

Plus, they often work with grimlock rangers. (I had to give them a Wis of 10 to get no sp ells - their masters hate spells, of course - and they didn't get any benefit from the combat styles. However, the Tunnelfighting feat is really fun, especially since the players can't take that feat )

Because the EL is higher (due to two mind flayers and multiple grimlocks), the players are higher level and so are more likely to make their saving throw (and penetrate SR/PR).

If you don't like grimlocks, have them charm other creatures, especially ones with pathetic Will saves, like purple worms

Oh yeah, why isn't the wizard casting glitterdust on them? That spell is virtually broken in 3.5 (AoE blindness and removes invisibility and ignores SR) but it works really well on mind flayers. Mind flayers can't really aim by ear, so all the players have to do is more away from the blinded flayer (except the rogue, who wants his sneak attack).

 

[Plane Sailing]

If you don't like grimlocks, have them charm other creatures, especially ones with pathetic Will saves, like purple worms

At an earlier point in my campaign the mindflayers were staging an assault on the prime material via a gate to the elemental plane of air. They had an army of dominated air elementals to do their bidding (and since elementals are immune to stunning there would be no problems for the mindflayers inflicting "friendly fire" on their troops when they mind blast the lot. Not that they worry overmuch about friendly fire in the first place, I imagine!)

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Where does it say that? Mind blast is no longer a psionic power, and the "psionic mind flayer" in the monster section doesn't redefine (or even reprint) the mind blast ability description IIRC.

He may be reading the Mind Thrust description, which is Instantaneous. Mind Blast is something else entirely, and not noted in any way I could find in the XPH. In the PsiHB, it's an attack mode and is Instantaneous, just as all Attack Modes.

 

[Urbannen]

Where does it say that? Mind blast is no longer a psionic power, and the "psionic mind flayer" in the monster section doesn't redefine (or even reprint) the mind blast ability description IIRC.

Mind blast is now a 4th level psionic power found in the psionic powers section.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

In the XPH Mind Blast is called Psionic Blast, a 3rd-level power that stuns opponents in a 30 foot cone for 1 round.

 

[Spatula]

Mind blast is now a 4th level psionic power found in the psionic powers section.

As (Psi)SeveredHead says, mind blast the psionic power no longer exists. Its closest equivalent is psionic blast, which has a duration of 1 round (and can be augmented) and not Instantaneous.

 

[Votan]

There are two things I fear in numbers in the Underdark. Beholders and Mind Flayers. Either alone is not much of a threat, but either in numbers is absolutely fearsome, and for mind flayers who don't have the "I'm the perfect beholder" syndrome this works especially well.

Illithid battles so far in my campaign have been quite exciting, as the stunned character(s) generally have tentacles wrapped around their head within 1 to 2 rounds. Watching the others try to save them, and the stunned character bite his finger nails generally keeps the adrenaline running.

But as they are self serving evil creatures, they generally plane shift out before they die, meaning that with the levels of damage a party that fights illithids can deal, it is rarely a long fight.

Short, deadly, high stakes combat where if you get stunned and your friend gets charmed could either end up with you lovingly sweeping illithid halls or rotting in a pile after your brain was a buffet.. If it's dull, you may be being too protective of your PC's character sheets...

Or maybe I'm just too bloodthirsty.

This has been my experience when I send Illithid's against the party. The whole thing is over in about 2-3 rounds. It is random bu that is what makes it really dangerous. Save or die attacks (and this is close) are what scares players in 3rd Ed (now that level drain isn't what it once was) and a cabal of Mind Flayers are good at this.

I don't think I've ever had combat last long enough for a player to recover and trust me people were not bored as they watched the mind flayers go for the kill.

 

[Count Arioch the 28t]

The one and only mind flayer fight I ran was over rather quickly. They beat one down in a matter of rounds, the other managed to charm the party's fighter, who then proceeded to beat everyone else down, but the second one was dead in a few more rounds.

They managed to get the drop on them.

I will be running them in an upcoming adventure again, and I intend to even the score.

OH, and the first person to say "Mind flayers are never surprised due to detect thoughts" shoudl go back and read the spell again. It's duration is concentration, and they had better things to do than concentrate at the time.