Fear of the Mind Flayer

[sfedi]

Hi, it´s my frist time that I´ll run an encounter of a party of 6th level characters vs a mind flayer.

My fear is that of an unfun TPK.

The MF´s power is essentially a save or loose area at-will ability that ir can use every round.

It seems that the better tactic for it is to mind blast every round until everyone is stunned, and the proceed to extract (which he can do, because the stunning effect lasts a looong time) (the mind blast effect overlaps with itself, so if some rounds are left, it can mind blast a few times to extend the stunning effect, via overlapping).

Which doesn´t seem a lot of fun to me.

Is that it? Or am I overlooking something?

PS: How can the PCs deal with the stunning effect, whether it´s preventing or removing it.

 

[Grymar]

Yep, that's my problem with the MF. I change it to a single target blast so the rest of the party can still react.

 

[mhensley]

I wouldn't worry so much. Mind Flayers are pretty soft and squishy and tend to get killed rather quickly. Half your party will probably beat it's initiative and proceed to cave its skull in and kill it by the end of round 2. If not, why not have the MF take them captive for dinner later?

 

[Melhaic]

I wouldn't worry so much. Mind Flayers are pretty soft and squishy and tend to get killed rather quickly. Half your party will probably beat it's initiative and proceed to cave its skull in and kill it by the end of round 2. If not, why not have the MF take them captive for dinner later?

I second all of this. I think taking them captive would be the most fun myself, and would probably use a couple. A dominated slave could run of with anyone unlucky enough to fail their save.

If you found a loaf of bread, would you eat it there or go home and make sandwiches? What if that loaf of bread could act as a slave/guardian? There is no reason this has to go to tpk. Instead, the outcome should guide the rest of the adventure.

 

[Tewligan]

IMO, a mind flayer SHOULD be a badass. If the party goes running in unprepared just trusting in their pointy things, then the mind flayer should end up with some tasty brains for his trouble. They're meant to be scary. Does the party know that there's a mind flayer in their future? If so, and they don't work out how to deal with it before charging in - well, maybe their next characters will fear The Mauve Menace!

 

[Jhaelen]

I wouldn't use a single mindflayer against a 8th level party (of four). IMHO, mind flayers should never be encountered without a couple of minions.

I have used a mindflayer (psionic variant) accompanied by an ogre mage rogue and 4 level 6 human warrior guards against a party of 8 level 8 characters. The encounter was almost too easy, there wasn't a single death and only one character ever failed his save against the mindblast (the barbarian).
I'm using Eberron-style Action points, btw. of which plenty were used in the encounter.

The really bad thing about it was that the barbarian was stunned for the entire combat - decidedly not fun for the player. The rest was having a good time.

 

[Li Shenron]

Imagine you were attacked by a mob of delicious roasted chickens or juicy animated pork hams.

Would you stop and eat the first one you "kill", while the others keep threatening your life?

The mind flayer doesn't need to eat the first victim's brain on the spot, just because he can. Probably he wants to save himself first of all and will keep stunning people until they are all out. And even in that case maybe he isn't hungry at all, and prefers to capture you. Or maybe, he doesn't even think it's worth and will leave them there in stupor, and walk his way out.

 

[sfedi]

I wouldn't use a single mindflayer against a 8th level party (of four). IMHO, mind flayers should never be encountered without a couple of minions.

The party will be: Rogue 6, Warblade 6, Druid 7 and Bard 7
Any comments?

I´m thinking of changing the Mind Blast Power to something more fun.

First, it´ll be a swift action to activate it.
Second, it will only last for 1 round.
Third, although considered stunned, the victim can still make a move action (as in nauseated).

I´m thinking of changing the shape of the effect too.

 

[grimslade]

I wouldn't worry too much about 1 MF vs 4 PCs. First, some will make their saving throw for the mind Blast and then proceed to pummel Mr. Mauve and Tentacly. Several will beat its initiative, unless you have it attack and blast in an ambush.

If you happen to stun the whole gang, have them taken prisoner. Cattle drive back to the MF ranch. Much better for the party to dread the inevitable brain BBQ on the march through the Underdark. It also gives them another crack at their overconfident MF overlord.

DO play the MF to the hilt. Drop from levitation to grapple the wizard! Charm a PC patsy to trip up the cleric. Make the MF a feared and terrible opponent because without the MB, the illithid is a poor bag of HPs, one great axe crit from the grave.

First time I introduced Mind Flayers to my group. Everyone made their save and cuisinarted through the lot of them. They were not impressed until the Mind flayer monk swat team came after them.

 

[Kunimatyu]

The Voidmind template applied to a thrall helps make a mindflayer fight interesting, as the mindflayer can project its powers through them.

Psionic mindflayers allow you to focus on things other than the very-nasty Mind Blast, and Ego Whip on the fighter and some confusion effects can really spice things up.