Effective ways of Fighting Illithids

[ThirdWizard]

So right now we are looking at scrolls with ... Greater Spell Immunity [Mind Blast, Dispel Magic, Greater Dispel Magic]

Some good news and some bad.

Good news: You can select the spells protected from at the time of casting, so you don't need a specific scroll.
Bad news: Dispel magic is Spell Resistance: No, so you can't specify that when casting spell immunity.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Some good news and some bad.

Good news: You can select the spells protected from at the time of casting, so you don't need a specific scroll.
Bad news: Dispel magic is Spell Resistance: No, so you can't specify that when casting spell immunity.

To my great and constant chagrin. My character has about 70,000gp less in magical items than the other characters in the group. Which is to no great loss when he's buffed to the gills, but a couple targeted dispells and he's somewhat less impressive.

For Dispel Magic and GDM, I suggest a few Rings of Counterspelling. They take up the ring slots, but it's the only thing beyond a Rod of Absorption that will do it.

RoA is a good idea. If you've got that much.

--fje

 

[Mycanid]

I'm still impressed (or flabbergasted) that you would even try to attack an illithid city to begin with. I wouldn't go anywhere near those things.

 

[The_Warlock]

An important caution depends on the size of the Illithid community. Is this actually a city, or an outpost?

If it's big enough, you may find yourself up against an Elder Brain. If they have one, the mind blanks are a must, as they can sense minds constantly at range (if I recall, though I don't remember how far), can be the equivalent of a 20th level psion, but most importantly, it has telepathy that will allow almost instant response time among the other flayers and their thralls if something odd starts happening (like masses of flayers or thralls start dying for no reason).

Another point is that Mind Flayers gain great benefit from working in concert with creatures that can drain or damage stats, so bring along materials of at least Lesser Restoration, and preferably full Restoration just in case something starts mucking with your stats, like Wisdom to mess with your Will Saves, or any stats to paralyze or catatonia you, which turns you shortly into Flayer Chow (TM).

Also, remember that Mind Flayers have SR. If you use any magic against them, don't (except Dim Anchor), use it on you, or the terrain. Mess them up with low level non-resistable spells - grease the floor beneath him, hit him with Melf's Acid Arrow for continuing damage to force concentration checks if he is a level psion or sorcerer, summoned creatures with grapple, and if you can get it - Anti-Magic Field. Everything a Flayer can do except extract your brain is either Su or Sp - keep him in the field, and he's an 8 HD warrior class schlub. Even if you are in there with him, you will likely be phsyically more adept than him without magic, and you'll also be immune to magic and psionic assaults from outside the field.

Good Luck!

 

[reason]

...

Good methods:

1) obtain allies who make a habit of fighting Illithid

2) build golems as shock troops

3) low-tech application of area-effect physical force; collapsing rocks, catapults, bring the building down, etc.

Reason
Principia Infecta

 

[D'karr]

Some good news and some bad.

Good news: You can select the spells protected from at the time of casting, so you don't need a specific scroll.
Bad news: Dispel magic is Spell Resistance: No, so you can't specify that when casting spell immunity.

Good catch. See that's what I come here for. You guys are providing invaluable advice to take this threat on.

We want to prevent the MFs from using dispel or greater dispel to take away our limited advantage. Would using spell turning work better for that?

 

[D'karr]

To my great and constant chagrin. My character has about 70,000gp less in magical items than the other characters in the group. Which is to no great loss when he's buffed to the gills, but a couple targeted dispells and he's somewhat less impressive.

For Dispel Magic and GDM, I suggest a few Rings of Counterspelling. They take up the ring slots, but it's the only thing beyond a Rod of Absorption that will do it.

RoA is a good idea. If you've got that much.

--fje

Rod of absorption, good idea. Expensive but would work against the Dispel. Unfortunately the Ring of Counterspelling would be close to useless as we can't cast the spells on it again. I guess the Rod would be also but it keeps absorbing, which is what we might need.

 

[D'karr]

I'm still impressed (or flabbergasted) that you would even try to attack an illithid city to begin with. I wouldn't go anywhere near those things.

Yeah, we're kind of screwed but we might as well go out in a blaze.

 

[D'karr]

An important caution depends on the size of the Illithid community. Is this actually a city, or an outpost?

We don't know how big. It has been described to the PCs as a city.

If it's big enough, you may find yourself up against an Elder Brain. If they have one, the mind blanks are a must, as they can sense minds constantly at range (if I recall, though I don't remember how far), can be the equivalent of a 20th level psion, but most importantly, it has telepathy that will allow almost instant response time among the other flayers and their thralls if something odd starts happening (like masses of flayers or thralls start dying for no reason).

From all the indications we have to this point we are not going against an Elder Brain. So that at least is a consolation. However we do expect to be in combat with lots of these brain suckers. That's why we want to be prepared to kick butt even though we might die doing it.

Another point is that Mind Flayers gain great benefit from working in concert with creatures that can drain or damage stats, so bring along materials of at least Lesser Restoration, and preferably full Restoration just in case something starts mucking with your stats, like Wisdom to mess with your Will Saves, or any stats to paralyze or catatonia you, which turns you shortly into Flayer Chow (TM).

Good point.

Also, remember that Mind Flayers have SR. If you use any magic against them, don't (except Dim Anchor), use it on you, or the terrain. Mess them up with low level non-resistable spells - grease the floor beneath him, hit him with Melf's Acid Arrow for continuing damage to force concentration checks if he is a level psion or sorcerer, summoned creatures with grapple, and if you can get it - Anti-Magic Field. Everything a Flayer can do except extract your brain is either Su or Sp - keep him in the field, and he's an 8 HD warrior class schlub. Even if you are in there with him, you will likely be phsyically more adept than him without magic, and you'll also be immune to magic and psionic assaults from outside the field.

You know that is probably the best desperation tactic. It will take away our magical advantages but it will also level the playing field. In a straight out fight we can probably beat the crap out of them.

Good Luck!

Thanks, we're going to need a lot of it.

 

[D'karr]

Good methods:

1) obtain allies who make a habit of fighting Illithid

2) build golems as shock troops

3) low-tech application of area-effect physical force; collapsing rocks, catapults, bring the building down, etc.

Reason
Principia Infecta

We're getting no allies anytime soon. We can't build but I think summoning will be available to us; so some elementals will probably be in effect. Bringing down the building, good idea. Earthquake...