Illithid (5e Class)
Illithid
A vaguely humanoid shadow emerges from the darkness, towards the terrified Underdark explorer. He tries to run, but he is trapped by an invisible fist. Before he can scream, a searing pain erupts in his head, and a mass of tentacles emerges from the figure, wrapping around his head and cracking it open as he takes his last breath.
So that's fun!
Aberrations
Illithids, although they are known by many names, are native to the Far Realm and can understand Deep Speech, and their bodies and minds are utterly alien to the creatures of this realm. They are both a race and a class, and they are both mutually exclusive.
Creating an Illithid
Why did your character become an Illithid? Was it because they were born that way? Why am I making these questions? Do I need friends?
- Quick Build
You can make an Illithid quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the Sage background.
Class Features
As a Illithid you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Illithid level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Illithid level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor
Weapons: Daggers, Darts, Sling, Quarterstaffs, Light Crossbows
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, Persuasion, Religion
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- A breastplate
- (a) A scholar's pack or (b) An explorer's pack
- 2 Daggers
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 3d4x10 in funds.
Prerequisite
To join and gain levels in the illithid class, you must be an illithid.
Tentacles
The tentacles that grow from your face are natural weapons that deal 2d6 + your Intelligence modifier psychic damage on a hit, and you can use your Intelligence modifier for the attack rolls, in which you are proficient. In addition, you can grapple with your tentacles like you normally would, but you can use Intelligence(Arcana) in place of Strength(Athletics) for the grapple check. You cannot use this feature when trying to escape a grapple. The damage of your Tentacles increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown on the Illithid table.
Mind Blast
As an action, you can unleash the fury of your mind. When you do so, all creatures in a 60-foot cone originating from you must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 2d8 + your Intelligence modifier psychic damage and is stunned for 1 minute. A stunned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. The damage of your Mind Blast increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown on the Illithid table. You have 1 use of this feature, and you regain that use when you finish a short or long rest.
Extract Brain
While you are grappling an incapacitated creature, you can attempt to remove its brain. Make an attack roll using your Intelligence modifier in which you are proficient. If it hits, you deal 3d10 piercing damage to the target. If this damage reduces the creature to 0 hit points, you break open its skull, rip out its brain, and devour it. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Magic Resistance
Starting at 2nd level, you have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Illithid Mindscape
At 3rd level, you chose a Mindscape. Choose between Alien, Controlling, Erupting, and Adapting, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 15th.
Ability Score Increase
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Tentacles Improvement (5th level)
At 5th level, when you make an attack with your Tentacles, you can attempt to grapple the target as part of the same action.
Mind Blast Improvement (5th level)
Also at 5th level, when you start your turn with no uses of your mind blast left, you can roll a d6 (no action required). If you roll a 6, you regain the use of your mind blast.
Extract Brain Improvement (5th level)
Also at 5th level, whenever you devour a brain using your Extract Brain or Intellect Thief, you gain temporary hit points equal to the creature's Intelligence Modifier (minimum of 1).
Overwhelming Mind
At 7th level, the damage of your Mind Blast and Tentacles features ignores resistance to psychic damage.
Burning Thoughts
At 9th level, when you deal psychic damage to a creature, you can implant a seed of madness in its head. When you do so, it takes 1d4 additional psychic damage, and at the start of each of its turns, it must make an Intelligence saving throw against your mind blast DC at the start of each of its turns or take 1d4 psychic damage, ending the effect on a success.
At 13th level, the damage increases to 1d6 psychic damage.
Tentacles Improvement (11th level)
At 11th level, any grapple attempt you make with your tentacles automatically succeeds if the target is Medium or smaller.
Mind Blast Improvement (11th level)
Also at 11th level, you regain the use of your Mind Blast if you roll a 5 or a 6 on the d6.
Extract Brain Improvement (11th level)
Also at 11th level, the temporary hit points you gain by devouring a brains is equal to the creatures Intelligence score, rather than its modifier.
Mental Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 14th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. The ability scores you can increase with this feature are Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
Tentacles Improvement (17th level)
At 17th level, when you begin a grapple with your tentacles, if the target is creature, it must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or be stunned until the grapple ends. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Mind Blast Improvement (17th level)
Also at 17th level, when a creature succeeds on it's saving throw against your mind blast, it takes half the damage it would have taken on a failure, instead of none.
Extract Brain Improvement (17th level)
Also at 17th level, you no longer have to finish a long rest before you use your Extract Brain again. You must still abide by all other restrictions stated.
Dizzying Intellect
When you reach 18th level, you have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws, and you have resistance to psychic damage.
Mental Prowess
At 20th level, your Intelligence and Wisdom scores increase by 4. Your maximum for those scores is now 24.
6th, 10th, 15th,
Arcane Mindscape
The Arcane Mindscape is for Illithid who wish to cast powerful spells to supplement their psionic abilities, and are often seen as horrid deviants by the other Illithids.
- Spellcasting
| Spell | Slots | per | Level | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illithid Level |
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Cantrips Known |
Spells Known |
| 3rd | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | 3 |
| 4th | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | 4 |
| 5th | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | 4 |
| 6th | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | 4 |
| 7th | 4 | 2 | - | - | 2 | 5 |
| 8th | 4 | 2 | - | - | 2 | 6 |
| 9th | 4 | 2 | - | - | 2 | 6 |
| 10th | 4 | 3 | - | - | 3 | 7 |
| 11th | 4 | 3 | - | - | 3 | 8 |
| 12th | 4 | 3 | - | - | 3 | 8 |
| 13th | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | 3 | 9 |
| 14th | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | 3 | 10 |
| 15th | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | 3 | 10 |
| 16th | 4 | 3 | 3 | - | 3 | 11 |
| 17th | 4 | 3 | 3 | - | 3 | 11 |
| 18th | 4 | 3 | 3 | - | 3 | 11 |
| 19th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 |
| 20th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 13 |
- Channel Psyche
At 3rd level, you can use the mental abilities of your slain foes to empower your Spellcasting. You can use a bonus action on your turn to destroy a brain you have harvested using your Devour Brain, Harvest Intellect, or Extract Brain traits, and regain one 1st-level spell slot.
- Unstoppable Force
At 6th level, when a creature is stunned by you, your spells ignore that creature's resistance.
- Psychic Spells
At 10th level, you can expend a use of your Mind Blast to cast a 3rd-level spell that you have prepared.
Alien Mindscape
Alien Illithids refuse to accept the world they live in and devote themselves to trying to get back to the Far Realm. Such Illithids are almost never the product of ceremorphosis on a humanoid.
- Alien Invocation
At 3rd level, you can use a bonus action to cast Arms of Hadar with Intelligence as your spellcasting modifier. Once you do, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
- Power of the Dark Hunger
At 6th level, you can cast Hunger of Hadar once with Intelligence as your spellcasting modifier, and regain the ability to do so once you finish a long rest.
- Fleeting Multiverse
Also at 6th level, you begin to lose concepts of the Multiverse as you learn more about the Far Realm. When you attempt to speak in a language other than Deep Speech, you must first succeed on an Intelligence check. The DC for this check equals 10 + the number of languages you know.
- Alien Fear
At 10th level, when a creature takes psychic damage from an effect you created, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against you Mind Blast DC or be frightened of you for 1 minute. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
- Return to the Far Realm
At 15th level, you can attempt to banish an enemy to the Far Realm. When you are grappling an incapacitated creature, you can use your action to force it to make a Charisma saving throw against your mind blast DC. On a success, you take 4d6 psychic damage and are stunned until the end of your next turn. This damage ignores resistance to psychic damage. On a failure, the creature disappears and reappears in the Far Realm. At the end of your next turn, the target returns to the space it previously occupied, or the nearest unoccupied space. If the target is not an aberration or immune to the frightened condition, it must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or instantly die. On a success, the target takes 10d10 psychic damage and falls unconscious for 24 hours. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again for 30 days.
Controlling Mindscape
Controlling Illithids attempt to shape the world around them by creating thralls, shaping the elements, and...other things.
- Create Thrall
At 3rd level, you can use a short rest to transmute a brain you have acquired from your Devour Brain, Harvest Intellect, or Extract Brain traits into a being known as a thrall. The thrall is loyal to you, and it obeys your commands to the best of its abilities. You can command the thrall how to act using your bonus action. Bereft of any commands, the thrall attempts to act in your best interest. You can have only one thrall at a time. If you attempt to create a second thrall while you already have one, the formed body of the original melts away, leaving behind a non-magical brain. The thrall uses the stat block presented below.
- Thrall
|
Medium aberration, neutral Armor Class 11
Senses passive Perception 10
Might of the Master. The thrall has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, paralyzed, stunned, or put to sleep. ACTIONSSlam. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
|
- Assert Control
At 6th level, you know the Control Flames, Gust, Mold Earth, and Shape Water cantrips. In addition, you can cast Charm Monster at 4th level once with this feature, with Intelligence as your spellcasting modifier, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
- Shatter Will
At 10th level, you can cast Dominate Person once as a 5th-level spell and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
- Improved Thralls
At 15th level, your thralls take more diverse forms. When you create a thrall, you can assign its ability scores using the standard array and increase one of its ability scores by 2 and another by 1, and it has a number of hit dice equal to half your level. In addition, you have a number of thrall points equal to half your level, which you can spend to evolve your thralls abilities, traits, and actions, and you can take two 0-point evolutions. All evolutions are listed below.
0-point evolutions
Innate Cantrip: The thrall gains the innate spellcasting feature, which it can use to cast one cantrip of your choice at will. Its Spellcasting ability is your choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
Elemental Form: The damage type of the thrall's slam attack changes to acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison.
Darkvision: The thrall gains darkvision out to 60 feet.
Languages: The thrall gains the ability to speak two additional languages.
Skill: The thrall gains proficiency in one skill or tool of your choice of your choice.
Resistance: The thrall gains proficiency in your choice of Strength, Intelligence, or Charisma saving throws.
Aligned: The thrall's alignment changes.
Adventurer: The thrall gains a climbing speed or a swimming speed equal to its walking speed.
Amphibious: The thrall can breathe both air and water.
1-point evolutions
Innate 1st-level spell: The thrall gains the innate spellcasting ability if it doesn't already have it, which it can use to cast one 1st-level spell of your choice, and must finish a long rest before it can cast it again. Its Spellcasting ability is your choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
Light Armor: The thrall gains proficiency with Light Armor and a body equipped to wear Light Armor.
Resilient: The thrall gains an additional hit die.
Spellcasting: The thrall becomes a 1st-level spellcaster. Choose a class: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, or Wizard. The thrall becomes a spellcaster as if it had gained the Spellcasting feature from that class. It gains no other class features from the chosen class. Alternatively, the thrall gains the Pact Magic feature from the Warlock class.
Higher Spellcasting: If the thrall has the Spellcasting or Pact Magic feature, the thrall's spellcaster level increases by 1. It gains all the features of the Spellcasting feature it gained, but no other features of leveling up.
Superior Resistance: The thrall gains proficiency in your choice of Dexterity, Constitution, or Wisdom saving throws.
Pseudopod: The thrall gains proficiency in simple weapons, as well as an appendage it can use to wield one-handed weapons. It cannot dual-wield.
Ability Score Increase: One of the thrall's ability scores of your choice increases by 1.
Fighting Style: The thrall gains one of the fighting styles listed in the fighter class.
Song of Rest: If the thrall or any friendly creatures who can hear it regain hit points by spending Hit Dice at the end of the short rest, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.
Danger Sense: The thrall has advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that it can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, it can't be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.
Reckless Attack: When the thrall makes its first attack on its turn, it can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives it advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during this turn, but attack rolls against it have advantage until its next turn.
Speed Increase: The thralls speed increases by 10 feet.
Dexterous Slam: The thrall can use Dexterity, instead of Strength, for the attack and damage rolls of its slam attack.
Natural Explorer: The thrall ignores difficult terrain, it has advantage on initiative rolls, and on its first turn during combat, it has advantage on attack rolls against creatures that have not yet acted.
Sneak Attack: Once per turn, the thrall can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature it hits with an attack if it has advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon. The thrall doesn't need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn't incapacitated, and the thrall doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.
Poison: The thrall's Slam attack is replaced by a Stinger attack that deals piercing damage, and on a hit, the target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 1d4 poison damage on a failed save. This damage increases for each point you spend on this evolution, following the pattern shown below. The Dc for the saving throw is 10 + the thrall's Constitution modifier + its proficiency bonus.
1d4-1d6-1d8-1d10-2d6-2d8-2d10-2d12-3d10
Superior Slam: The damage die of the thrall's slam attack increases, following the pattern below.
1d4-1d6-1d8-1d10-2d6-2d8-2d10-2d12-3d10
Diverse: The thrall gains three 0-point evolutions of your choice.
Brutal Critical: The thrall rolls one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit.
2-point evolutions
Innate 2nd-level spell: The thrall gains the innate spellcasting ability if it doesn't already have it, which it can use to cast one 2nd-level spell of your choice, and must finish a long rest before it can cast it again. Its Spellcasting ability is your choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
Physical Resistance: The thrall gains resistance to your choice of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.
Prismatic Immunity: The thrall gains immunity to your choice of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage.
Dual Pseudopods: The thrall gains proficiency in martial weapons, as well as two appendages it can use to wield weapons.
Feat: If your DM allows the use of feats, your thrall gains the benefits of a feat of your choice.
Cunning Action: The thrall can take a bonus action on each of its turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Rage: On the thrall's turn, it can enter a rage as a bonus action. While raging, the thrall has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, when you make a melee weapon attack using Strength, it gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll, and it has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. If it is able to cast spells, it can't cast them or concentrate on them while raging. The thrall's rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if it is knocked unconscious or if its turn ends and it hasn't attacked a hostile creature since its last turn or taken damage since then. It can also end its rage on its turn as a bonus action. Once it has raged the twice, it must finish a long rest before it can rage again.
Bardic Inspiration: The thrall can use a bonus action on its turn to choose one creature other than itself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6. Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time. It can use this feature a number of times equal to its Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). It regains any expended uses when it finishes a long rest.
Second Wind: The thrall can take a bonus action on its turn to regain 15 hit points. Once it does, it can't do so again until it finishes a short or long rest.
Superior Sneak Attack: If the thrall has the Sneak Attack adaptation, the damage die for it increases by 1d6.
Unarmored Defense: While the thrall is wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, its AC equals 10 + its Dexterity modifier + one of the thralls ability score modifiers of your choice.
Small: The thrall's size becomes Small. This gives it the following features:
- The thrall can use Dexterity, instead of Strength, for the attack and damage rolls of its slam attack
- The thralls hit die become d6's
- The thrall's Dexterity increases by 2, and its Strength decreases by 2.
Medium Armor: The thrall gains proficiency with Light and Medium Armor and a body equipped to wear Light or Medium Armor.
Expertise: Choose any combination of two of the thrall's skill or tool proficiencies. Its proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check it makes that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
3-point evolutions
Mastery: The thrall's proficiency bonus increases by 1.
Flight: The thrall gains a flying speed of 30 feet
Metamagic: The thrall gains the Font of Magic and Metamagic feature as detailed in the Sorcerer class, but it has number of Sorcery points equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Evasion: When the thrall is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Action Surge: On its turn, the thrall can take one additional action. Once it uses this feature, it must finish a short or long rest before it can use it again.
Tough: The thrall's Hit Points increase by 2 for each hit dice it has.
Ultimate Resistance: The thrall gains proficiency in all saving throws, including death saving throws.
Tiny: The thrall's size becomes Tiny. This gives it the following features:
- The thrall can use Dexterity, instead of Strength, for the attack and damage rolls of its slam attack
- The thralls hit die become d4's
- The thrall's Dexterity increases by 8 to a maximum of 26, and its Strength decreases by 6.
Shields: The thrall gains proficiency with Light Armor, Medium Armor, and Shields, and a body equipped to wear Light or Medium Armor and wield Shields.
4-point evolutions
Innate 3rd-level spell: The thrall gains the innate spellcasting ability if it doesn't already have it, which it can use to cast one 3rd-level spell of your choice, and must finish a long rest before it can cast it again. Its Spellcasting ability is your choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
Physical Immunity: The thrall gains immunity to your bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
Extra Attack: The thrall can attack twice, instead of once, when it takes the Attack action on its turn.
Uncanny Dodge: When an attacker that the thrall can see hits it with an attack, it can use its reaction to halve the attack's damage against it.
Wild Magic: Whenever the thrall casts a spell of 1st-level or higher, it rolls on the Wild Magic table, as described in the Sorcerer class.
Large: The thrall's size becomes Large. This gives it the following features:
- The thralls hit die become d10's
- The thrall's Strength score increases by 4
- The thrall rolls double the damage die for its weapon attacks
Heavy Armor: The thrall gains proficiency with Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, and Shields, and a body equipped to wear Light, Medium, or Heavy Armor and wield Shields.
5-point evolutions
Greater Innate 1st-level spell: The thrall gains the innate spellcasting ability if it doesn't already have it, which it can use to cast one 1st-level spell of your choice, which it can cast at will. Its Spellcasting ability is your choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
Innate 4th-level spell: The thrall gains the innate spellcasting ability if it doesn't already have it, which it can use to cast one 4th-level spell of your choice, and must finish a long rest before it can cast it again. Its Spellcasting ability is your choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
Supreme Resistance: The thrall has advantage on all saving throws, including death saving throws
Erupting Mindscape
Illithids of the Erupting mindscape are bursting with psychic energy that empowers their bodies and destroys their foes.
- Mental Body
At 3rd level, the power of your mind enhances your body. You gain proficiency with Simple Weapons and Martial Weapons, and you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls of Simple and Martial weapons. In addition, you can add your Intelligence modifier to any Strength or Dexterity check or saving throw you make, and you can use Intelligence instead of Strength when determining how far you can jump and your carrying capacity.
- Extra Attack
At 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, when you take the Attack action on your turn.
- Psychic Blade
At 10th level, your blades are empowered with your psychic energy. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an attack, you can choose to deal an additional 2d6 psychic damage to the target.
- War Mind
At 15th level, when you use your action to use your Mind Blast feature, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
Adapting Mindscape
Illithids of the Adapting mindscape accept that they are in an unfamiliar universe, and go to work on making it a familiar universe.
- Quick Learner
At 3rd level, you have learned some of the lore of this universe. You learn two languages of your choice and gain proficiency in any combination of three skills or tools of your choice. In addition, you gain proficiency and can double your proficiency bonus for History, Nature, and Religion checks.
- Skill Inheritor
Also at 3rd level, when you devour a brain with your Extract Brain or Devour Brain feature, you gain one randomly determined Skill, Tool, Weapon, Armor, or Saving Throw proficiency of the owner for 1 hour.
- Favored Enemy
At 6th level, you have significant experience studying, tracking and hunting a certain type of enemy. Choose a type of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select two races of humanoids (such as gnolls and orcs) as favored enemies. You gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls against creatures of the chosen type. Additionally, you have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
You choose one additional favored enemy at 10th and 15th level.
- Breadth of Knowledge
At 10th level, you gain proficiency with your choice of Shields, Constitution saving throws, Dexterity saving throws or 4 Weapons of choice. In addition, you can cast Detect Magic, Detect Thoughts, Locate Object, Locate Creature, Locate Animals and Plants, and Contact other Plane once with this feature, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
- Master of Trivia
At 15th level, you gain proficiency with your choice of Shields, Constitution saving throws, Dexterity saving throws or 4 Weapons of choice. Alternatively, if you have proficiency with Shields, you can gain proficiency with Heavy Armor. Additionally, you can cast Plane Shift, targeting only yourself once with this feature, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Multiclassing
You cannot multiclass into the Illithid Class.
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