Why are Mind Flayers considered "cool villains"?

[Wormwood]

Mind Flayers are cool because they are mauve.

You know that thing you're afraid of? The thing that nobody know about? The thing that makes you cry in your bed at one in the morning? The thing you did? That thing that was done to you? That thing that you can never, ever forget?

It's mauve.

 

[the Jester]

Mind Flayers are cool because they are mauve.

You know that thing you're afraid of? The thing that nobody know about? The thing that makes you cry in your bed at one in the morning? The thing you did? That thing that was done to you? That thing that you can never, ever forget?

It's mauve.

And this may be the best explanation yet.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Kittens are the coolest monster.

They look like nothing but fluff, cuddles, and purrs, then when it's too late they metamorphose, slowly, into cats - who secretly control your households!

The Aulld Grump, yeah... kittens.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Kittens are the coolest monster.

For commoners, at least.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Mind flayers wear black dusters adorned with a few well-chosen buttons, and they wear Doc Martens.

Why else would gamers think they're cool?

(They also quote "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" at the drop of a hat.)

 

[pdkoning]

I do like the mind flayers but I find them too 'alien' for most campaigns. I do like 'classic' monsters. And furthermore I don't like monsters that eat brains. I like monsters that swallow whole adventurers.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I always liked mindflayers because of their built-in other plane-ness. Plus that in the days when they had astral projection they could be almost unkillable mastermind villains

 

[DMH]

Aboleths are cool. They're what got me into D&D.

"SURE!" I responded. 21 years later, and I'm still at it and I still like aboleths! *laugh*

Did you ever read that Dragon article on the aboleth leaders? They kept getting bigger (for more HD) until the top leader was the size of an old dragon.

Back to illithids- one thing I have wanted to do with them is make them slaves to the ethergaunts. The 'gaunts created them by manipulating the common earthworm and now use their psionic powers when magic doesn't hack it (like in anti-magic fields).

 

[Ed Cha]

Then I was wondering what really makes these creatures and one likt them "cool".

Answer: D series made drow and mind flayers cool. It was just an epic adventure.

Drow and mind flayers are really powerful and really evil. I think that's why people like them. They're just badass. I do think they've been overused, so I'm kinda sick of them now.

 

[Testament]

I love the Squiddies, aka Illithids. They're terrifyingly smart, utterly alien and as has been said, are unlike anything the PCs will encounter. And unlike Drow, they're aren't as hideously overused.

IMHO, fighting Illithids should be like fighting MJ-12 was in Deus Ex. You have no idea what's happening to you, and they're always three steps ahead of you. Until they overreach, you're dancing to their tune, and you don't even realise it.

Illithids: The Great and Secret Masters.