Mind flayers

Mind Flayer
Medium Aberration
Level 8
Stats
Hit points	71 (Balanced) 92 (Tactician)
Weight	60 kg (120 lb)
Initiative	+1
Ability scores
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 19 (+4) 17 (+3) 17 (+3)
Proficiency bonus	+3
Saving throws	Str 0 Dex +1 Con +1 Int +7 Wis +6 Cha +6
Features
Magic Resistance	Advantage on Saving Throws against spells and magical effects
Opportunity Attack	Automatically attack an enemy moving out of reach
Charm Tactician	Prevent an enemy from attacking you until next turn, as a reaction

Mind flayers or illithids are a non-playable race of Aberration creatures. The Githyanki word for mind flayer is ghaik. Multiple specific creatures titled Mind Flayer also exist in the game and are, as their names would suggest, all mind flayers.

Overview

“	Psionic tyrants, slavers, and interdimensional voyagers that feed off the brains of thinking creatures. Most belong to a hivemind colony devoted to an elder brain, and all work towards achieving the Grand Design - their dream of once more controlling empires that span the multiverse.	„
	— in-game racial description

Mind flayers are psionic aberrations with a humanoid-like figure and a tentacled head that communicate using telepathy. They feast on the brains of intelligent beings and can enthrall other creatures to their will. Every mind flayer is connected to an Elder Brain, a colossal and powerful psionic brain that commands the mind flayers it is linked to.

Mind flayers reproduce by infecting other creatures with a tadpolethat consumes its host from the inside, transforming them into another mind flayer in a process called ceremorphosis.

Thousands of years ago, mind flayers were a dominant planar power. Using massive flying vessels called Nautiloids, they traveled to hundreds of worlds, harvesting intelligent humanoids to consume, propagate their race, and use as slave labour. One of their enslaved races, the gith, rose up and destroyed their empire, leaving only small pockets of mind flayers behind.

Interactions

Mind flayers play a major role as antagonists throughout the game, from the prologue into the endgame. Though most are immediately hostile, in some cases a mind flayer can be friendly or downright ingratiating. Whether their pleasantness is genuine or a self-serving veneer on their psionic charms is often left for the player to contemplate.

Mind Flayer (Prologue)
Medium Aberration
Level 8
Stats
Hit points	85 (Balanced) 110 (Tactician)
Weight	60 kg (120 lb)
Initiative	+1
Ability scores
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 19 (+4) 17 (+3) 17 (+3)
Proficiency bonus	+3
Saving throws	Str 0 Dex +1 Con +1 Int +7 Wis +6 Cha +6
Features
Magic Resistance	Advantage on Saving Throws against spells and magical effects
Opportunity Attack	Automatically attack an enemy moving out of reach

Creatures encountered

• A unique mind flayer in the prologue has a slightly larger health pool than mind flayers encountered later in the game. It also does not gain  Charm on Tactician.
• Illithid Arcanist

Characters encountered

• Omeluum
• The Emperor
• In the endgame, the player can choose to transform a character into a mind flayer:
  • Avatar character
  • Karlach
  • Orpheus

Attacks and abilities

 Mind Blast ()

4d8 (4~32) + Spellcasting modifier Psychic

Spew forth a conical wave of psychic energy and possibly  Stun targets within.

INT Save

AoE: 14 m / 47 ft (Cone)

Recharge: Long rest

 Tentacle Lash ()

2d10 + 4 (6~24) Psychic

Lash out with your tentacles.

 Melee: 1.5 m / 5  ft

Gallery

• 

  A mind flayer in Early Access

• 

  Mind flayer model

• 

  Mind flayer consuming a brain

External links

Mind flayer on the Forgotten Realms Wiki