Intellect Devourer ate my Intelligence

[MarkB]

Well, that's up to you as DM - does it take much wherewithall to attune? Maybe he just takes a liking to it because it's shiny.

There is one more possibilty, but it's a bit of a stretch, and a waste of a limited character resource unless you allow him to re-spec later. He's currently 5th level, and a fighter. If he can somehow stumble and chance his way through enough encounters to reach 6th level, he'll earn an Ability Score Increase, which he can use to gain two points of Intelligence.

 

[CleverNickName]

This could be a great set-up for a side quest, where the party must undertake a dangerous mission to recover the fighter's lost intellect. If you would like to get your character's intellect back, you should have a chat with your DM about options. Maybe suggest one of the following scenarios?

• A powerful tome of forbidden knowledge contains the power to restore the lost intelligence...but first, it must be uncovered from the tomb of its author.
• An archfey or fiend has offered to restore the character's intellect. At a price, of course...but no need to worry about the details, just sign right here on the dotted line, Future Warlock!
• The blood of a silver dragon, if given willingly, can be used to make a powerful potion that might restore the character's lost intellect. Only one silver dragon still exists, so the party must journey to a faraway land and find the creature's lair.
• The illithids might know a way to restore the lost intellect...but who would dare ask them? and what price might they require?

 

[Jester David]

1) A pool of crystal water in a holy site can cleanse the effect, if the party promises to complete a quest for the god.

2) A travelling druid can remove the effect in exchange for gold and the promise of a favour.

3) A myconid colony can use their spores to reactivate his brain, but he will be half-fungi as a result.

4) A lesser restoration might be able to suppress the effects for a time. Or get him back up to 1 or 2 Int.

 

[Stalker0]

I just thought this through and the headband of intellect will not work. That item requires attunement. Not sure how a drooling brain-dead character can muster the forethought to attune to anything at all.

He can, he absolutely can....because its too cool not to allow!

 

[Quartz]

Ok so one of my players has a 5th level fighter (dwarf) who stumbled on an intellect devourer in mt dungeon. While he survived it, his intelligence is now 0. Besides a greater restoration, is there any there way to help him?

We've done this a number of times. You had the monster in your dungeon; you should have foreseen the possibility. Personally I'd just make the damage recover over a long rest. Otherwise it's not fun for the player.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

1) A pool of crystal water in a holy site can cleanse the effect, if the party promises to complete a quest for the god.

2) A travelling druid can remove the effect in exchange for gold and the promise of a favour.

3) A myconid colony can use their spores to reactivate his brain, but he will be half-fungi as a result.

4) A lesser restoration might be able to suppress the effects for a time. Or get him back up to 1 or 2 Int.

Any of these. Or the party cleric trips over a scroll of Greater Restoration that someone dropped in the road. It's the DM's job to make sure the players have fun, not enforce the rules of a harsh uncaring universe. So it's perfectly acceptable for the DM to bend reality to fix what was, in effect, a DM error.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

Ok so one of my players has a 5th level fighter (dwarf) who stumbled on an intellect devourer in mt dungeon. While he survived it, his intelligence is now 0. Besides a greater restoration, is there any there way to help him? Greater restoration is up there in level and they are no where near a big city. Could just be me but ti seems dang deadly at such a low CL.

Oh yes, several come to mind... Lets see....

ONE: The Old Wise Woman of the Wood says that if someone searches for the Golden Mushrooms deep in the center of the Fey Woods they can help. You must find a golden mushroom, fully matured, then place it in a copper bowl filled with the pure water from the Well of Memories. That bowl, with the mushroom and water then needs to be placed in the center of a toadstool ring on a full moon. The Song of Longing must be sung by a trio of fey-folk. Elves, faerries, brownies, sprites, even goblins will do. If successful, the mushroom will glow brightly and dissolve into the liquid, turning it a glowing gold colour. That must be drunk by the afflicted one. The afflicted ones mental faculties will then be fully restored.

TWO: The afflicted has to simply find the Intellect Devouerer that 'ate' his brain, and then eat it while it's still alive. If the creature is already dead (likely by other party members), then the brain can be used...but it will require raising it from the dead. This presents an interesting dilemma...as the intellect devouerer probably doesn't want to be eaten alive after just being returned to life.

THREE: I suppose a Wish would do it. Or maybe Regeneration. But those are the boring options...and where's the sens of adventure and fun in that?



^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[MarkB]

THREE: I suppose a Wish would do it. Or maybe Regeneration. But those are the boring options...and where's the sens of adventure and fun in that?



^_^

Paul L. Ming

That factor does have to be weighed against the question of where is the fun in playing a dribbling vegetable for the duration of the time it takes to complete a more extended quest?

 

[AmerginLiath]

Alternate ideas if you can’t get his Intelligence back:

Make some quick coin selling a strong-but-mindless body to the nearest diabolical cult looking for a shell for possession?
Weekend At Bernie’s hijinks?
Healable human shield?

 

[Prakriti]

I thought the rule was that if ANY ability reaches 0, the character dies. Is that not a rule in 5E?