Mind Flayers and Diet

[Tetsubo]

Mind Flayers are carnivores that primarily consume humanoid brains. The dread "brain extraction" attack. Does anyone know if they can survive on non-humanoid brains, such as animals? Essentially a "vegetarian" Mind Flayer. I am just wondering what a good aligned Mind Flayer would do to survive...

 

[moritheil]

Mind Flayers are carnivores that primarily consume humanoid brains. The dread "brain extraction" attack. Does anyone know if they can survive on non-humanoid brains, such as animals? Essentially a "vegetarian" Mind Flayer. I am just wondering what a good aligned Mind Flayer would do to survive...

Per Lords of Madness and the Illithiad, they can survive on lower animals (see the rothe), but sentient brains taste better.

BoED may have something to say about good-aligned mind flayers.

 

[darthkilmor]

Mind Flayers are carnivores that primarily consume humanoid brains. The dread "brain extraction" attack. Does anyone know if they can survive on non-humanoid brains, such as animals? Essentially a "vegetarian" Mind Flayer. I am just wondering what a good aligned Mind Flayer would do to survive...

Lords of Madness page 62 seems to indicate you might be able to get by on non-humanoid brains(and other organs), but I would surmise you have to have something above animal intelligence.

If it were my campaign, a good-aligned mind flayer would eat the brains of known criminals, convicts, evil humanoids such as bugbears, goblins, orcs, etc, and/or if there were a collection of them probably have a market or farm for raising food. Its similar to the "where does a good vampire get blood?" thats be visited so many times in tv and film.

 

[Tetsubo]

Lords of Madness page 62 seems to indicate you might be able to get by on non-humanoid brains(and other organs), but I would surmise you have to have something above animal intelligence.

If it were my campaign, a good-aligned mind flayer would eat the brains of known criminals, convicts, evil humanoids such as bugbears, goblins, orcs, etc, and/or if there were a collection of them probably have a market or farm for raising food. Its similar to the "where does a good vampire get blood?" thats be visited so many times in tv and film.

But a vampire doesn't need to kill a blood donor. A brain donor though is toast.

Someone suggested the Sustenance Psionic Power.

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

But a vampire doesn't need to kill a blood donor. A brain donor though is toast.

Someone suggested the Sustenance Psionic Power.

What about a ring of regeneration? That would allow the eaten brain to grow back again.


and again


and again

Talk about torture. Charlie Gordon's got nothing on this poor sod.

 

[moritheil]

What about a ring of regeneration? That would allow the eaten brain to grow back again.

Neat catch.

This white gold ring continually allows a living wearer to heal 1 point of damage per level every hour rather than every day. (This ability cannot be aided by the Heal skill.) Nonlethal damage heals at a rate of 1 point of damage per level every 5 minutes. If the wearer loses a limb, an organ, or any other body part while wearing this ring, the ring regenerates it as the spell. In either case, only damage taken while wearing the ring is regenerated.

Not very good-aligned in the estimation of most people, but neat.

 

[XCorvis]

I played a good aligned mind flayer once. I bought a ring of sustenance, and fortunately I never lost it.

 

[moritheil]

I played a good aligned mind flayer once. I bought a ring of sustenance, and fortunately I never lost it.

Actually, that's an excellent point. Why, if 90% of their effort is going to capturing more slaves, would more illithids not simply steal or make rings of sustenance? They'd still use slaves for labor, but at least they wouldn't burn through them at such a ridiculous rate.

 

[domino]

Actually, that's an excellent point. Why, if 90% of their effort is going to capturing more slaves, would more illithids not simply steal or make rings of sustenance? They'd still use slaves for labor, but at least they wouldn't burn through them at such a ridiculous rate.

To paraphrase from a book, nowadays, people can get by on water, so why drink beer?

 

[moritheil]

To paraphrase from a book, nowadays, people can get by on water, so why drink beer?

Yeah, but there's a difference in beer consumption between having beer with every meal, all the time, and having beer only now and then.

I mean, given that slave consumption is listed as one of the major weaknesses of their civilization, one that drives them to raid all the time, one would think that they would manage their intake a bit. Aren't they supposed to be geniuses?