Tweaking Mindflayers; changing extract from instant death to acid damage

[frankthedm]

I hope i am not turning soft, but I have grown to dislike kill you instantly effects that don't have some sort of save or go through the characters HP total. So i got to thinking, flayers usually get described as secreating an powerful enzyme to burrow through one's skull to they to the brain. Why not have it deal a flayers deal large amounts of acid damage to living tissue when they have all 4 tentacles attached?.

But the question is how much acid damage for a CR 8?

10d6? Flat 50 damage to have always a chance be fatal?

Maybe the tentacles could work like acidic weapons [+1d6 acid]? When all four are attached an extra 5d6 or 10d6 acid damage is dealt?

 

[Shade]

Hmmm...I'd rather go a combination of Con, Int, Wis, and Cha damage than acid. That keeps 'em still really deadly and makes you really rush to detach them. Maybe 1 point of each per round attached.

 

[freyar]

I like this idea. Then you die as usual when Con hits 0. Maybe make it drain rather than damage, so you'd need a spell to heal the mental stats. It really is like your brain is being eaten, in that case.

 

[Mortis]

I, too, favour the ability damage/drain option.

Maybe 1 point of each per round attached.

per tentacle attached?

I wouldn't like to see creatures with acid resistance/immunity just shrugging off the mind flayer's tentacles.

Regards
Mortis

 

[BOZ]

Hmmm...I'd rather go a combination of Con, Int, Wis, and Cha damage than acid. That keeps 'em still really deadly and makes you really rush to detach them. Maybe 1 point of each per round attached.

sounds similar to what we did with the Eater of Knowledge.

 

[dhaga]

I agree with Mortis: 1 point of each per round per tentacle attached.