Absorb Intellect

This article is about the illithid power. For the upgraded full-illithid version, see Synaptic Consumption.

Absorb Intellect is an illithid power which saps a target's Intelligence and heals the user over time. The healing per turn and Intelligence reduction starts at 1d8⁠⁠Hit Points and -1 respectively and increases by a stacking 1d8⁠⁠Hit Points and -1 reduction each subsequent turn for 5 turns.

Description

Gobble up a foe's intellect, lowering their Intelligence by 1 per turn and healing your wounds for 5 turns.

Properties

Cost

 Action

Healing: 15~120

1d8⁠Healing (On initial application)

+ 2d8⁠Healing (After 1 turn)

+ 3d8⁠Healing (After 2 turns)

+ 4d8⁠Healing (After 3 turn)

+ 5d8⁠Healing (After 4 turns)

Details

 INT Save (Spell save DC)

 Range: 9 m (30 ft)

 Recharge: Short rest

Duration: 5 turns

Technical details

UID

Target_TAD_AbsorbIntellect

Spell flags

CannotTargetItems, CannotTargetTerrain, DisableBlood, IsHarmful

Condition: Absorbed Intellect (Stage 1)

 Absorbed Intellect

Duration: 1 turn

 INT Save (Spell save DC)

• Intelligence is being reduced by 1.
• Regain 1d8⁠⁠Hit Points

How to learn

Other ways to learn:

• Unlock from the illithid power skill tree with a Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen after obtaining one of the following:
  •  Perilous Stakes
  •  Displacer Beast Shape

Notes

• The Absorbed Intellect condition is lost and regained each round after an initial failed saving throw. Every turn of the effect, the amount of Intelligence lost increases by 1, starting as a -1 penalty on the first turn and ending as a -5 penalty on the final turn.^{[See: Bugs]}

Bugs

• There is a brief instant where each stage of the Absorbed Intellect condition overlaps with the next, causing both Intelligence penalties to apply at the same time and causing a creature to become  Atrophied if its Intelligence becomes 0 in that brief instant. For example, a creature with 9 Intelligence becomes Atrophied when  Absorbed Intellect (Stage 4) becomes  Absorbed Intellect (Stage 5).