Drow, Mind Flayers and general Underdark Mayhem

[ErichDragon]

I need some help on a one shot I am running next week for my group.

I stole the idea from somewhere on these boards but I don't remember from whom. Anyway the PCs are going to be Drow from Menzoberranzen (sp?) and are sent on a mission to stop a ritual that the local neighborhood Mind Flayers are about to perform. Of course this ritual will destroy Menzo, the Drow etc., etc. They PC's are being led to the Mind Flayer stronghold by a traitorous Illitihid who seeks revenge against his kin.

Anyway on to the crunch. I am playing straight 3.0 rules. How many class levels should the Drow have to balance them with the Illitihid if, the Illithid is pulled straight out of the Monster Manual?

Also, anyone have any cool Mind Flayer names and/or any interesting encounters for this type of adventure?

Thanks

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Average mind flayer CR 8. Their servants are usually grimlock rangers, with 2-5 levels of ranger (sometimes more), average CR 3-6.

An inquisition of mind flayer could have 2 flayers and 4 grimlock Rgr 2 for an EL of 10. Note that the save DCs are pretty low if facing 10th-level opponents.

The average flayer community has 200-2000 illithids, 10% of which have psion levels. To determine max level, say half of them are psion 1, half the previous number are psion 3, and so forth. I recommend using the 3.5 non-associated class system, even though you're using 3.0.

(If you don't use psionics, replace with sorcerer.)

It also has more than twice as many slaves, most of them grimlocks, ~10% have ranger levels, and another ~10% of slaves are prisoners who will be eaten (drow, kuo-toe, adventurers, and the like).

The elder brain can produce brain golems if it thinks there will be trouble, but their CR is too high (see Fiend Folio) by up to 4 points. I'm not kidding. Also, if you have FF, maybe use cranium rats, but their CR is 1-2 points too low

Illithid clerics or spirituels (Mindscapes), not regular psions or sorcerers, will be in charge of calling the cranium rats to the Prime Material Plane.

If you have the PsiH also try intellect devourers. Their DR is supposed to be that high, BTW.

Finally, the Elder Brain can manifest powers as a 20th-level psion, so his CR is at least 20.

It boils down to how ambitious do you want to be. If you plan out the whole community the players can't possibly sneak in (elder brain can sense all within 2-5 miles of the community, unless they have nondetection or something simlar).

IMO your players must be at least 9th-level (ECL 11) to have a chance, assuming they want to get to the innermost heart of a flayer city. This is because the city has three parts: an outer grimlock community, an inner flayer community with a hidden door (location provided by traitorous mind flayer), and the innermost core is not directly connected to the rest of the city, requiring teleport or maybe just dimension door.

 

[ErichDragon]

Thanks SeveredHead. My general idea is that they aren't going to infiltrate an established community because the ritual must take place at a special power node away from the Illithid community. I was more concerned with balancing the PCs. One of the PCs will be the traitorous Mind Flayer so I wanted to know what level the Drow should be to be on par with him.

Thanks

 

[diaglo]

you could buy the new Underdark handbook from WotC for some added help.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

A mind flayer has ECL 16, so the drow should be 14th-level (and ECL 16) as well.

That means facing lots of mind flayers

 

[LGodamus]

my group would prolly say "our DM would do that to us at 5th level".............

 

[ErichDragon]

ECL 16 !?!?!?!?!

Wow. That is really high. Maybe I will just tone down the Mind Flayer a little and make the PCs level 10 Drow.

Another question then. Does the 16 ECL take into account equipment? For instance, if I let a player use the Mind Flayer straight out of the 3.0 E MM, would they get the equivalent equipment of a 16th level PC?

Thanks