Mind Flayer Campaign

[Whisper72]

Well... first off, don't know whether you have it, but Savage Species does indeed have an illithid class, the Illithid Savant on pp 77-79. Furthermore, if you want to invest the time and money, hunt down the 'illithiad' from 2nd edition. Has some nice info as well...

I do think that the most fun would be to make a monster class of 15 levels of the illithids. That way, with differences in feats and other choices along the way, the PC's will become quite different anyway. If you don't mind the power, use the Gestalt rules from AU and allow the PC's to 'dual class' in 'Illithid' and a core class of choice....

 

[BOZ]

something we came up for a little project we were working on over at the Creature Catalog forums...

-Alhoon (Illithilich) (Lords of Madness, p. 157, Monsters of Faerûn, p.89)
-Brain golem (Fiend Folio, p. 85)
-Duergar, Psionic (Expanded Psionics Handbook, p. 195)
-Elder brain (Lords of Madness, p. 144, Underdark, p. 84)
-Githyanki, Psionic (Expanded Psionics Handbook, p. 198)
-Githzerai, Psionic (Expanded Psionics Handbook, p. 199)
-Half-Illithid/Mindwitness (Underdark, p. 89)
-Half-Illithid Template (Underdark, pg. 90-91)
-Illithid grafts (Fiend Folio p. 212, Underdark p. 77)
-Illithid symbionts (Dragon Magazine #308, p. 54)
-Illithidae (Embrac, Kigrid, Saltor) (Lords of Madness, p. 158)
-Ineffable Horror (Underdark, p. 91)
-Larval Flayer (Dragon Magazine #318, p. 91)
-Mind Flayer, Psionic (Expanded Psionics Handbook, p. 204)
-Mind Flayer, Vampiric (Lords of Madness, p. 160)
-Paragon Mind Flayer (Epic Level Handbook, p. 208)
-Phthisic (Expanded Psionics Handbook, p. 206)
-Ulitharid (Lords of Madness, p. 158)
-Urophion (Lords of Madness, p. 170)
-Voidmind Creature template (Monster Manual III, p. 187)

Illithid Prestige Classes:
Illithid Body Tamer (Underdark, p. 35)
Illithid Savant (Savage Species, p. 77)
Illithidkin (Dragon Magazine #296, p.48)
Soul Eater (Book of Vile Darkness, p. 66)

 

[DrakkarDaveneorn]

i think a brain-sucking campaign sounds oh-so delicious! you could make the PCs start with illithid class levels but keep in mind what Epic stuff can provide you with,with much dedicated NPC creating. Epic can be a very diverse and difficult world to lord over as anyone, even illithids, and Epic doesn't have to be retardedly cramped powerful with magic. for generating high level NPC fodder i would suggest the Jamis Buck D&D NPC Generator. you will have to mae adjustments accordingly when using the Jamis Buck generator tough, one time i made an 18th level mage and he wound up with 31hp.

with epic you could also give your PCs the chance in invade and control different sizes of civilizations and different cultures of civilizations. forinstance when the party arrives on the surface perhaps they find some little traditional Homlet with virtually no protection and the PCs could just have some merderous fun! and then after more illithids move into the Homlet is attacked by Barbarians who usually bully the small homlet for goods. and then with news from the barbarians adveturers set out to slaughter the illithids, or a group of local paladins set out to investigate. maybe some of the adventurers escape and tell the Gith of the illithids activities. oh numerous possibilities

 

[interwyrm]

I think for a mind flayer campaign, all of the pcs should be wizards, sorcerers, or psions... and maybe a cleric if there is such a thing as a cleric of whatever that brain god is. No fighters though. That's below illithids. Each player should have the opportunity to have some sort of physically powerful thrall that he commands. This would even out their chances against mental resistant enemies.

 

[Chimera]

Consider making it more of a Strategic level game, with their Illithids being the great powers seldom used and with more emphasis on the use of their minions and soldiers. The players vie with each other to build their own forces and subjugate as many other beings, while still working as a group to accomplish the greater goals.

Most of the time, they'd be running groups of thralls and slaves attempting to accomplish minor missions. Exploration, capturing positions, intelligence gathering, assassinations, capturing of more slaves.

The job of the Illithid Masters is to deal with and maintain control over their minions and to negotiate with each other and with the NPC powers.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Illithids of the Tamer Creed

I think for a mind flayer campaign, all of the pcs should be wizards, sorcerers, or psions... and maybe a cleric if there is such a thing as a cleric of whatever that brain god is. No fighters though. That's below illithids.

What about the infamous Tamer Creed which believes in martial vigilance?

As a future player in Necros' game, I am inclined to use the following characters: a (LE) illithid monk of the Tamer Creed and a (NE) grimlock barbarian thrall.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Wow! I think that ideas got potential to be an enormously fun game.

Like a few other people have said, I think it would work better as a more strategic level of game. Plenty of politiking and plotting.



I don't know if you are familiar with it, but I'd consider using something like the Ars Magica covenant system of play. Think it would fit well - with mixed groups of flayers and thralls adventuring.

If you're not familiar - then I started typing the basics, but it was taking far too long! Have a look on drive through RPG - IIRC, they've got a free PDF of the 4th edtion game... which covers the basics.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Grog & Wizard vs. Thrall & Illithid

I don't know if you are familiar with it, but I'd consider using something like the Ars Magica covenant system of play. Think it would fit well - with mixed groups of flayers and thralls adventuring.

Necros and I are both familiar with the "Grog & Wizard" covenant. From what I gather, he is probably going to employ something akin to that dynamic in this campaign.

Old-School Ars Magica does indeed rock, by the way.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Necros and I are both familiar with the "Grog & Wizard" covenant. From what I gather, he is probably going to employ something akin to that dynamic in this campaign.

Old-School Ars Magica does indeed rock, by the way.

Glad someone else agrees! Had a lot of fun with those kind of games. Always fun getting to be the evil wizard trying to stop the party of heros. Or maybe that's just the way our games turned out.

 

[Necros]

Yeah, going to go for a growing power type thing. Every player has one thrall to start and the xp is shared among all characters, even those that are on the sideline for the moment. Mostly the differnt groups adventure seperately.

The mind flayer PCs will probably start as 3rd level equivalent and work up to full power level and full capacity. Eventually to attempt to put out the sun or some like such activity.