Mind flayer darkeners, or illithids, are so insidious, diabolical and powerful that all denizens of the dark fear them.
Statistics[]
Race: aberration
Size: medium
Alignment: lawful evil
Armor class: 15
Hit points: 68
Attack bonus: +13/+8
Damage: 2d4+3 slashing damage (creature weapon)
Hit dice (level): 15
Spellcasting: wizard 7
Challenge rating: 16
| Saves | ||
|---|---|---|
| fortitude | 5 (7 vs. spells) | |
| reflex | 6 (8 vs. spells) | |
| will | 15 (17 vs. spells) | |
| Abilities | ||
|---|---|---|
| strength | 12 | |
| dexterity | 14 | |
| constitution | 12 | |
| intelligence | 28 | |
| wisdom | 19 | |
| charisma | 17 | |
Trained skills:(‡) concentration (19), listen (22), move silently (9), spellcraft (10), spot (22)
Feats: alertness, combat casting, darkvision, dodge, empower spell, extend spell, greater spell penetration, quicken spell, scribe scroll, silent spell, summon familiar, weapon finesse, weapon proficiency (creature), weapon proficiency (wizard)
Blueprint:(‡) x2_mindfdarkener
Special abilities[]
A mind flayer darkener is immune to mind-affecting spells. Its creature weapon can penetrate damage reduction as a +2 weapon.
This creature can use its psionic inertial barrier once per day, its psionic charm monster and psionic mass concussion each twice per day, its psionic mind blast 10m radius four times per day, and its psionic mind blast eight times per day. In addition, it carries a potion of cure serious wounds and (single) scrolls of Bigby's interposing hand and Evard's black tentacles. (These items are not dropped as loot when the creature dies.)
A mind flayer darkener is a level 7 wizard with the following spells prepared.
| Level 1 | magic missile (x3), shield |
|---|---|
| Level 2 | Balagarn's iron horn, darkness (x2), Melf's acid arrow |
| Level 3 | lightning bolt, slow, stinking cloud |
| Level 4 | improved invisibility, Isaac's lesser missile storm, minor globe of invulnerability |
If in combat with a creature of a playable race who is neither petrified nor polymorphed, but is disabled, a mind flayer darkener will move to be 1.5 meters from that creature and use its extract brain ability. For this check, being disabled means being stunned or paralyzed, and 30% of the time a dazed creature is also considered disabled. There are two quirks (bugs) associated with this check. First, a creature of the Tiefling subrace (case sensitive) is treated as being a disabled creature of a playable race unless petrified. (This was probably an attempt to account for Valen Shadowbreath in the Hordes of the Underdark campaign, but not intended to bypass the disabled check.) Second, a creature subject to a spell failure effect (not spell failure from worn equipment) is considered disabled. (Instead of spell failure, the intent was to detect the visual effect associated with being paralyzed, but this was incorrectly implemented.)
Tieflings who are polymorphed or not actually disabled, and 70% of the (otherwise not disabled) dazed creatures who are selected for brain extraction, are given a reprieve from brain extraction and are instead subjected to a psionic mind blast that does not count against the daily limit. (So the brain of a dazed creature is extracted only 9% of the time.)
Notes[]
See also: mind flayer, mind flayer venerator, ulitharid, alhoon