The group gathered themselves and contemplated the ‘door’ in front of them that would gain them entry to their ultimate target. It was a curious device that required a psychic key to activate, probably a thought process that would have been known to the Illithids. There was no way to pick the lock physically but it was maybe possible by the application of magic, though it would be difficult.
Then the Warlock realised that he could “summon the life spark” of a defeated Illithid Husk and command it to open the door. This expended the spark in his rod but got the job done easily and simply.
The door opened in a curtain of white light, it didn’t seem dangerous in itself so the group stepped through. With the opening sealing behind them, ready or not they confronted the Githyanki’s enemy….
The following are the notes I made before the encounter and creature stat block.
Damaged Elder Brain Node
The encounter takes place on a “four spoked wheel” stone platform, with the spokes being 15ft wide and the centre hub being 60ft round, with the middle 40ft containing the Elder Brain who connects through the ring to a mass of flesh and tendrils 100ft below.
The large brain has been skewered by a massive black metal lance that throbs with necrotic and psychic energy. Below in the pit can be seen the shattered remains of a spelljammer utterly destroyed.
Perception DC 30 will spot a lump near the top of the Brain through which seems to pulse slowly with a dull white light.
Arcana DC 35 will sense the strong magical signature of an artefact buried about 5 foot inside the fleshy brain.
Fixed in the middle of each “spoke of the wheel” is a glowing 5ft diameter red crystal.
Arcana check
DC25: these seem to be connected to the Brain in some way, probably using psychic energy.
DC30: these are focusing points that the Brain uses somehow, destroying them or shutting them down would probably weaken it.
DC35: these are stabilising points that the brain uses to regulate its psychic powers when projecting them through the realms. They are charged with a considerable amount of psychic energy.
DC40: these nodes could be used as a weapon against the Brain.
Weaponising a Node:
Skill challenge; 3 success required;
Arcana or Religion check DC34 (standard action)
on each failure target takes an attack +31 vs. Fortitude 4d10+10 psychic damage
On 3 successes it form a psychic distortion that cuts through the Brains resistance and deals 10d10+30 damage. This also deactivates the Node.
If all 4 nodes are deactivated the Brain becomes bloodied (if it isn’t already).
Digging the Artefact out
This is possible if someone can climb onto the Brain (climb checks DC30) then hack their way to it, say deal a total of 250 HP damage to the lump to represent digging down through brain matter.
Falling into the pit
It is a 100ft fall onto writhing flesh and tentacles; 8d10 falling damage (soft landing); at the start of each turn inside the pit take an attack +30 vs. Reflex; 3d8+10 damage; on hit target is restrained and take 20 ongoing psychic damage (save ends both); any damage done to fleshy base is counted as half damage to Brain (it’s the same creature). The ropey chords of flesh that connect the mass in the pit to the central brain can be climbed (DC 25 athletics checks), can emerge in any square adjacent to the brain at top (squeezing between brain and inner side of stone hub ring.
Damaged Elder Brain Node Level 27 Solo Controller
Gargantuan Aberrant Beast XP 55,000
Initiative 40/30 (/20) Senses Perception +25, blindsight 20
Writhing Tentacles aura 3; All enemies starting their turn inside aura take
a Tentacle Slam attack
HP 1,500; Bloodied 750; see Mental Discharge, Base Tentacle Grab,
Multiple Actions, Action Points
AC 42; Fortitude 39, Reflex 43, Will 40
Resist 50 psychic; Vulnerable 10 necrotic, 10 poison
Saving Throws +5
Speed immobile
Action Points 2 (regains all spent action points when first bloodied)
Tentacle Slam (Standard; at-will)
Reach 3; attack +32 vs. AC; 3d6+7 damage
Base Tentacle Grab (Standard; at-will) ♦ While bloodied only
While bloodied only; Reach 15 (from base); attack +32 vs. AC; 4d6+7
damage; on hit target is restrained (escape ends); target may attack the
tentacle on hit Brain takes half damage; if attack deals 50 or more damage
the target escapes as a free action
Psychic Stare (Standard; at-will) ♦ psychic
Range 20; does not provoke opportunity attacks; attack +31 vs. Will;
2d8+12 psychic damage; on hit slide target 1 square
Force Lance (Standard; at-will) ♦ force
Range 20; does not provoke opportunity attacks; attack +31 vs.
Fortitude; 3d10+12 force damage; on hit target is pushed 4 squares
Concentrated Glare (Standard; recharge 
)
Brain makes 2 Psychic Stare attacks against the same target
Crushing Control (Standard; recharge ) ♦ psychic
Range 20; does not provoke opportunity attacks; attack +31 vs. Will;
4d10+12 psychic damage; on hit target is dominated (save ends)
Dispel Magic (Standard; recharge )
Targets creator of zone that it wishes to dispel; does not provoke
opportunity attacks; attack +31 vs. Will; 1d10+12 psychic damage; on hit
zone is dispelled and the target is dazed (save ends)
Mental Discharge (Standard; recharge ) ♦ lightning; bloodied only
When Bloodied only; range 20; does not provoke opportunity attacks;
attack +31 vs. Reflex; 5d10+12 lightning damage; on hit target is dazed
(save ends)
Mind Wipe (Standard; encounter) ♦ psychic
Burst 20; attack +31 vs. Will; 4d10+12 psychic damage; on hit target is
stunned until the end of their next turn, after effect target may not use
encounter or daily powers until the end of their next turn; on miss half
damage
Multiple Actions
Brains acts twice each round on initiative 40 and 30; when bloodied it acts
three times each round on initiative 40, 30 and 20
Alignment Chaotic Evil Languages deep speech, (telepathy 50 cannot use)
Skills Arcana +30, Dungeoneering +25, History +30, Insight +25,
Intimidate +27
Str 24 (+20) Dex 20 (+18) Wis 24 (+20)
Con 26 (+21) Int 34 (+25) Cha 28 (+22)
Due to the limitations of the battle map I had to change the layout from round to rectangular with the four spokes going corner to corner and the centre ring being square. All the walkways were about 10ft wide.
In the first round things looked very bad for the group, the ranger was slid straight off the ledge and into the pit, the combined damage of which bloodied him. The rest of the group tried to bunch up for buffing, and the Brain tried to split them up. At this point I was sat there thinking that this was going to be a blood bath.
I couldn’t have been more wrong. The Paladin made a mad (run) fly across the pit and landed next to the brain while the rest of the group headed for the spokes to make their way in, the Warlock switched places with the Ranger then activated his wings to fly away from the tentacles in the pit.
The encounter ran pretty well, it was an intense battle but very much in the PCs favour.
- The paladin activated an item that meant that he couldn’t be pushed, pulled or slid, and the Brain couldn’t do anything to stop him. In the entire fight it used its Crushing Control (against the ranger) and it never recharged, never. With the Paladins divine challenge and the creatures multiple actions it meant he was getting an average of three attacks a round, in fact the funny thing we remarked on was that everyone else was running about while he was stood there constantly hacking away at it like a maniac.
- The Warlock managed to turn a node against the Brain, this worked quite well but the damage he did was actually less than the three attacks he could have had instead. The Cleric tried to activate another node but failed and took damage.
- The Cleric used a fire zone on the Brain which it tried to use its dispel magic to remove. It failed and the power never recharged, never.
- The Brain managed to push the warlord down into the pit where he stayed, hacking away at the base. But the tentacles never hit him, not once.
When the Brain was bloodied and it started acting three times a round it became slightly more dangerous, but also took more damage from the Paladin. At this point I gave the Brain 500 more HPs in an effort to maintain some sort of threat (and I was hoping for its dominate power to recharge at least once. I am quite strict with myself over recharges and never fudge them in an effort to maintain some sort of fairness.)
In the end the PCs hacked the Elder Brain to pieces, dug the section of artefact out that they were after (were surprised that the whole place didn’t explode around them) then walked back to the spelljammer and warped back to the known Cosmos.
Just another average day in the life of an Epic party.
Conclusion
This should have been a tougher encounter, but saying that I probably wouldn’t change much at all. The two things that lead to the creatures ultimate demise were:
1: very poor recharge rolls, that’s just the luck of the draw. I can’t go fudging recharge rolls because I have seen recharge 6 powers come up three turns in a row before now. A few good dominates could have shifted the battle considerably.
2: the Paladin not being able to be pushed or slid away, while he continued to get a free attack every time the Brain attacked someone else. I can’t punish someone for excellent item selection, usually a creature can move away, unfortunately the immobile Brain couldn’t.
Thinking about it the only things I would change are the Base Tentacle Grab attack and the Weaponised Nodes. I think I would change the Base Tentacle Grab attack to a move action and reduce the damage to 2d8+7. This would mean that when bloodied the Brain would be in effect getting 6 attacks a round, rather than 3. It could then use the Base Tentacle Grabs to try and lock down troublesome enemies while it concentrated on its main threats (in theory). I think I would consider changing the number of success’s required to weaponise the nodes from 3 (standard action skill checks) to 2. This would make them more worthwhile and balance the damage more in favour of the PCs.
Then the Warlock realised that he could “summon the life spark” of a defeated Illithid Husk and command it to open the door. This expended the spark in his rod but got the job done easily and simply.
The door opened in a curtain of white light, it didn’t seem dangerous in itself so the group stepped through. With the opening sealing behind them, ready or not they confronted the Githyanki’s enemy….
The following are the notes I made before the encounter and creature stat block.
Damaged Elder Brain Node
The encounter takes place on a “four spoked wheel” stone platform, with the spokes being 15ft wide and the centre hub being 60ft round, with the middle 40ft containing the Elder Brain who connects through the ring to a mass of flesh and tendrils 100ft below.
The large brain has been skewered by a massive black metal lance that throbs with necrotic and psychic energy. Below in the pit can be seen the shattered remains of a spelljammer utterly destroyed.
Perception DC 30 will spot a lump near the top of the Brain through which seems to pulse slowly with a dull white light.
Arcana DC 35 will sense the strong magical signature of an artefact buried about 5 foot inside the fleshy brain.
Fixed in the middle of each “spoke of the wheel” is a glowing 5ft diameter red crystal.
Arcana check
DC25: these seem to be connected to the Brain in some way, probably using psychic energy.
DC30: these are focusing points that the Brain uses somehow, destroying them or shutting them down would probably weaken it.
DC35: these are stabilising points that the brain uses to regulate its psychic powers when projecting them through the realms. They are charged with a considerable amount of psychic energy.
DC40: these nodes could be used as a weapon against the Brain.
Weaponising a Node:
Skill challenge; 3 success required;
Arcana or Religion check DC34 (standard action)
on each failure target takes an attack +31 vs. Fortitude 4d10+10 psychic damage
On 3 successes it form a psychic distortion that cuts through the Brains resistance and deals 10d10+30 damage. This also deactivates the Node.
If all 4 nodes are deactivated the Brain becomes bloodied (if it isn’t already).
Digging the Artefact out
This is possible if someone can climb onto the Brain (climb checks DC30) then hack their way to it, say deal a total of 250 HP damage to the lump to represent digging down through brain matter.
Falling into the pit
It is a 100ft fall onto writhing flesh and tentacles; 8d10 falling damage (soft landing); at the start of each turn inside the pit take an attack +30 vs. Reflex; 3d8+10 damage; on hit target is restrained and take 20 ongoing psychic damage (save ends both); any damage done to fleshy base is counted as half damage to Brain (it’s the same creature). The ropey chords of flesh that connect the mass in the pit to the central brain can be climbed (DC 25 athletics checks), can emerge in any square adjacent to the brain at top (squeezing between brain and inner side of stone hub ring.
Damaged Elder Brain Node Level 27 Solo Controller
Gargantuan Aberrant Beast XP 55,000
Initiative 40/30 (/20) Senses Perception +25, blindsight 20
Writhing Tentacles aura 3; All enemies starting their turn inside aura take
a Tentacle Slam attack
HP 1,500; Bloodied 750; see Mental Discharge, Base Tentacle Grab,
Multiple Actions, Action Points
AC 42; Fortitude 39, Reflex 43, Will 40
Resist 50 psychic; Vulnerable 10 necrotic, 10 poison
Saving Throws +5
Speed immobile
Action Points 2 (regains all spent action points when first bloodied)
Tentacle Slam (Standard; at-will)Reach 3; attack +32 vs. AC; 3d6+7 damage
Base Tentacle Grab (Standard; at-will) ♦ While bloodied onlyWhile bloodied only; Reach 15 (from base); attack +32 vs. AC; 4d6+7
damage; on hit target is restrained (escape ends); target may attack the
tentacle on hit Brain takes half damage; if attack deals 50 or more damage
the target escapes as a free action
Psychic Stare (Standard; at-will) ♦ psychicRange 20; does not provoke opportunity attacks; attack +31 vs. Will;
2d8+12 psychic damage; on hit slide target 1 square
Force Lance (Standard; at-will) ♦ forceRange 20; does not provoke opportunity attacks; attack +31 vs.
Fortitude; 3d10+12 force damage; on hit target is pushed 4 squares
Concentrated Glare (Standard; recharge )Brain makes 2 Psychic Stare attacks against the same target
Crushing Control (Standard; recharge ) ♦ psychicRange 20; does not provoke opportunity attacks; attack +31 vs. Will;
4d10+12 psychic damage; on hit target is dominated (save ends)
Dispel Magic (Standard; recharge )Targets creator of zone that it wishes to dispel; does not provoke
opportunity attacks; attack +31 vs. Will; 1d10+12 psychic damage; on hit
zone is dispelled and the target is dazed (save ends)
Mental Discharge (Standard; recharge ) ♦ lightning; bloodied onlyWhen Bloodied only; range 20; does not provoke opportunity attacks;
attack +31 vs. Reflex; 5d10+12 lightning damage; on hit target is dazed
(save ends)
Mind Wipe (Standard; encounter) ♦ psychicBurst 20; attack +31 vs. Will; 4d10+12 psychic damage; on hit target is
stunned until the end of their next turn, after effect target may not use
encounter or daily powers until the end of their next turn; on miss half
damage
Multiple Actions
Brains acts twice each round on initiative 40 and 30; when bloodied it acts
three times each round on initiative 40, 30 and 20
Alignment Chaotic Evil Languages deep speech, (telepathy 50 cannot use)
Skills Arcana +30, Dungeoneering +25, History +30, Insight +25,
Intimidate +27
Str 24 (+20) Dex 20 (+18) Wis 24 (+20)
Con 26 (+21) Int 34 (+25) Cha 28 (+22)
Due to the limitations of the battle map I had to change the layout from round to rectangular with the four spokes going corner to corner and the centre ring being square. All the walkways were about 10ft wide.
In the first round things looked very bad for the group, the ranger was slid straight off the ledge and into the pit, the combined damage of which bloodied him. The rest of the group tried to bunch up for buffing, and the Brain tried to split them up. At this point I was sat there thinking that this was going to be a blood bath.
I couldn’t have been more wrong. The Paladin made a mad (run) fly across the pit and landed next to the brain while the rest of the group headed for the spokes to make their way in, the Warlock switched places with the Ranger then activated his wings to fly away from the tentacles in the pit.
The encounter ran pretty well, it was an intense battle but very much in the PCs favour.
- The paladin activated an item that meant that he couldn’t be pushed, pulled or slid, and the Brain couldn’t do anything to stop him. In the entire fight it used its Crushing Control (against the ranger) and it never recharged, never. With the Paladins divine challenge and the creatures multiple actions it meant he was getting an average of three attacks a round, in fact the funny thing we remarked on was that everyone else was running about while he was stood there constantly hacking away at it like a maniac.
- The Warlock managed to turn a node against the Brain, this worked quite well but the damage he did was actually less than the three attacks he could have had instead. The Cleric tried to activate another node but failed and took damage.
- The Cleric used a fire zone on the Brain which it tried to use its dispel magic to remove. It failed and the power never recharged, never.
- The Brain managed to push the warlord down into the pit where he stayed, hacking away at the base. But the tentacles never hit him, not once.
When the Brain was bloodied and it started acting three times a round it became slightly more dangerous, but also took more damage from the Paladin. At this point I gave the Brain 500 more HPs in an effort to maintain some sort of threat (and I was hoping for its dominate power to recharge at least once. I am quite strict with myself over recharges and never fudge them in an effort to maintain some sort of fairness.)
In the end the PCs hacked the Elder Brain to pieces, dug the section of artefact out that they were after (were surprised that the whole place didn’t explode around them) then walked back to the spelljammer and warped back to the known Cosmos.
Just another average day in the life of an Epic party.
Conclusion
This should have been a tougher encounter, but saying that I probably wouldn’t change much at all. The two things that lead to the creatures ultimate demise were:
1: very poor recharge rolls, that’s just the luck of the draw. I can’t go fudging recharge rolls because I have seen recharge 6 powers come up three turns in a row before now. A few good dominates could have shifted the battle considerably.
2: the Paladin not being able to be pushed or slid away, while he continued to get a free attack every time the Brain attacked someone else. I can’t punish someone for excellent item selection, usually a creature can move away, unfortunately the immobile Brain couldn’t.
Thinking about it the only things I would change are the Base Tentacle Grab attack and the Weaponised Nodes. I think I would change the Base Tentacle Grab attack to a move action and reduce the damage to 2d8+7. This would mean that when bloodied the Brain would be in effect getting 6 attacks a round, rather than 3. It could then use the Base Tentacle Grabs to try and lock down troublesome enemies while it concentrated on its main threats (in theory). I think I would consider changing the number of success’s required to weaponise the nodes from 3 (standard action skill checks) to 2. This would make them more worthwhile and balance the damage more in favour of the PCs.
