DragonLancer
Hero
I went for the square box (2-2) arrangement as I think that looks better and seems easier to grasp someone's head with before brain extraction.
Mind flayer tentacle arrangement?
- Thread starter lukelightning
- Start date
Krieg
First Post
1-2-1:
Would this count as four in a row or box?:
Either one above works for me.
Of course mindflayer society is just begging for some serious walktapus muscle...
Finally, one can't help but wonder if Dr. Zoidberg was a victim of his own mindblast...it would explain a lot.
Would this count as four in a row or box?:
Either one above works for me.
Of course mindflayer society is just begging for some serious walktapus muscle...
Finally, one can't help but wonder if Dr. Zoidberg was a victim of his own mindblast...it would explain a lot.
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somekindofjerk
First Post
Though I prefer the diamond-type configration, I think Illithids experience the same phenomenon as Beholders, where each artist draws them differently. Spelljammer artwork for te mostpart had the square arrangement, while even the Illithiad had all three configurations throughout. Also keep in mind that real life octopi are rather flexible, and--assuming the Illithid follows suit--the average mind-flayer could flex about to any configuration based on need or preference with ease.
As for alternative diet, Illithids are often portrayed as having the ability to alter an existing creature (the grimlock) and dabble in hybridization (half-illithid template, the urophion). Thus a particular collective of non-evil, isolated, or resource-poor (thus severely reducing the capacity for save populations) flayers could engineer rothe with enlarged brains or some kind of farmed synthetic brain material.
As for alternative diet, Illithids are often portrayed as having the ability to alter an existing creature (the grimlock) and dabble in hybridization (half-illithid template, the urophion). Thus a particular collective of non-evil, isolated, or resource-poor (thus severely reducing the capacity for save populations) flayers could engineer rothe with enlarged brains or some kind of farmed synthetic brain material.
painandgreed
First Post
I'm for saying that the mind flayers head is very flexible and the arrangement of the tentacles can be changed at will. They are actually spaced in a circular pattern around the mouth with no particular arrangement but can be arranged by the illithid to suit their moods, emotions, and even culture. Being a race that spans many planes, any attempt at coming up with a standard set of descriptions that fits all different groups of illithid would be useless since no standard culture exists. An arrangement, display, or movements used by one mind flayer outpost to siginify rank, may be considered rude and insulting by a visiting illithid. Meanwhile the outpost thinks of their visitor as an uncultured hick who doesn't have basic manners.
somekindofjerk
First Post
krieg said:
Though for what it's worth I think we got Dr. Zoidberg because the stars were finally right.
painandgreed said:
As I recall the Illithiad mentioned that mind-flayers could tell one another's emotional state from the position and writhing of their tentacles, and their movements formed the basis for Illithid 'sign-language' as well as the reading/writing of qualith.
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wingsandsword
Legend
I'll definitely agree that with all the D&D references in Futurama, Zoidberg had to at least be partially inspired by iillithid.
I'd been vaguely tempted to introduce a socially-inept mind-flayer surgeon named zhoi'dhb-rrgg, but I think that my PC's would throw dice at me for that one. I think making him ship's doctor on a spelljamming ship with a female cyclops captain, a lazy drifter who survived a millennia in temporal stasis, a smart-mouthed warforged rogue and a half-senile old artificer who actually owns the ship might be a little too much
But back on topic, I personally voted for "4 in a row", since the illustration posted by Krieg from the Illithiad (which is still the best work ever made about mind flayers) looks like the 4-in-a-row to me, and I always go back to that as the definiative book on the subject.
I'd been vaguely tempted to introduce a socially-inept mind-flayer surgeon named zhoi'dhb-rrgg, but I think that my PC's would throw dice at me for that one. I think making him ship's doctor on a spelljamming ship with a female cyclops captain, a lazy drifter who survived a millennia in temporal stasis, a smart-mouthed warforged rogue and a half-senile old artificer who actually owns the ship might be a little too much
But back on topic, I personally voted for "4 in a row", since the illustration posted by Krieg from the Illithiad (which is still the best work ever made about mind flayers) looks like the 4-in-a-row to me, and I always go back to that as the definiative book on the subject.
standard
lukelightning
First Post
Soylent Brains is PEEEEEEOPLE BRAINS!
Pure Puppet said:
Henry
Autoexreginated
To me, that's kind of like asking, "Do all humans have innie or outie belly buttons, based on one human?" I would imagine that there are variations in species, same as all life, as long as said variation didn't interfere with their brain-eating. A variation that DID interefere would be like a birth defect - kind of like a man born quadraplegic in a medieval society would likely only have a career as a beggar to look forward to, if they survived at all.
I think about these things too much.
I think about these things too much.
