Why are Mind Flayers considered "cool villains"?

[lmpjr007]

I was talking to a friend of my and we were speaking about "cool monsters" and the first thing that popped up was Mind Flayers. Then the Drow. Then I was wondering what really makes these creatures and one likt them "cool". Plus what other monster would you consider to me "cool". Any info or suggestions would be helpful.

 

[Ravellion]

I think with mindflayers it is a combination of

a) a cool sounding name
b) very alien physique and powerful abilities that the PCs can never emulate
c) an agenda that we don't quite understand but is obviously threatening
d) incredibly intelligent
e) pretty much always had good art
f) They flip out and eat your brain right out of your skull.

Drow are cool for the same reason ninja's are cool. Lurking in the shadows, stealthy, incredibly good fighters.

Rav

 

[Hand of Evil]

I have to say it is background and design, Mind Flayers, Drow and Skaven are the three great to me (in no order) and I think it was due to the information we were given by their creators, they stool out because they were different, smarter, dangerous, fearful but tatics were built into the design.

 

[Committed Hero]

From bookofratings.com:

Among the many variations on brain-eating found in D&D, the mind flayer is about the coolest. First off, it doesn't look like a platypus or star-nosed mole. Seriously, those are options. Secondly, the brain eating is not purely metaphorical. This thing doesn't just feed on your thoughts or emotions, it pulls your damned brain out of your head with those face tentacles and swallows it like neuron sashimi. Frankly I think you could make more money by videotaping this process and selling it over the Web than by raiding ogre dens for random coinage.

 

[Ravellion]

I have to say it is background and design, Mind Flayers, Drow and Skaven are the three great to me (in no order) and I think it was due to the information we were given by their creators, they stool out because they were different, smarter, dangerous, fearful but tatics were built into the design.

Good point actually. That's also why I really like the Githyanki (though I've never used them, because I have a problem with Psionics... although I do use Mind Flayers... er...), they have a rich and interesting history, fully tied to D&D.

Rav

 

[ivocaliban]

They look like tiny Cthulhu spawn...what's not to love?

Actually, I tend to avoid using most Underdark creatures. The drow have made a random appearance or two, but have never played a major role. As soon as I mention the word Underdark the players get all grumbly.

The svirfneblin are among my favorites, though. I just like hearing my players try and pronounce the word...thus offending the only allies they might have while down in the hole. I think "smurf nibblin'" is the best variation so far!

 

[Gez]

I never had problem pronouncing Svirfneblin, but then again, I studied German, so I'm accustomed to the pronounciation of long strings of consonants. Like in Schlittschuhe. It looks scary but it's not that hard to pronounce, in fact. It's just one of those words with a maxed out Intimidation score.

 

[Felon]

Well, I see plenty of drow-bashing posts on these boards, so I'd say drows (and to some degree elves in general) are considered cool to hate. Of course, they were initially designed based on a pretty munchkin concept--every drow was a friggin' fighter/thief/cleric/wizard. As Ravellion points out, mind flayers have abilities the PC's don't (and can't) have. Drow, OTOH, just co-opted everything everyone could do. That form of uberness turned off as many folks as it appealed to.

Mind flayers filled a niche that seemed kind of empty--still is, kinda. In D&D, where the vast majority of monsters are dumb bruisers that sit in a room or cave and wait for something to bite, Mind fllayers are a race of evil geniuses. While they're utterly inhuman, they're still grounded in the same world the heroes live in, and have some of the basic needs that civilized mortals have: the need to mate, the need to raise their young, they need government and commerce. It's all a warped, twisted, evil version of how humans do things, but that sets them apart from demons and devils and the like.

Same goes for drow to some degree. It's why ENWorld constantly sees posts whinging about "why do so many adventures have drow or gith?". If you need a savage, primitive race, you've got lots of choices, but if you need one that actually produces well-trained soldiers, spies, and spellcasters, the list is just not that long.

 

[ivocaliban]

I never had problem pronouncing Svirfneblin, but then again, I studied German, so I'm accustomed to the pronounciation of long strings of consonants. Like in Schlittschuhe. It looks scary but it's not that hard to pronounce, in fact. It's just one of those words with a maxed out Intimidation score.

My players still argue over the pronunciation of "drow" so I don't expect much out of them in that regard. Most of them haven't even studied English.

Maelstrormwrackthurmond, even!

 

[DMH]

I have no idea- the only thing I think is cool about illithids is their grafts. One thing that people haven't mentioned is that they are parasitic worms that need human hosts to gain their standard form and full potential. At least aboleth gain the memories of those they consume.