D&D General Mind Flayer Encounter

[S.Woodlander]

Hey group - new here and I was wondering if I can pick your brains (considering the subject title, poor choice of words! lol)

I know the basics of Mind Flayer attacks (mind blast, etc) but what are some of the other things a mind flayer can do, like for example, can a mind flayer put images into a victims mind, having them see things or scenarios? And if so, is it line of site?
Are there things I can do with a mind flayer that bends the rules a little bit - but not far too crazy? Just something to make the mind flayer more mind dangerous and fun. This is a 9 & 10 level party that I am sure are going to destroy the flayer quite easily. Anything I can do here?

 

[Katarhas]

You can probably flavor the mind blast to execute your idea of putting images into a victim's mind on a failed save, will give more in-universe context as to why the mind blast had stunned their character.

 

[g00se99994]

Hey group - new here and I was wondering if I can pick your brains (considering the subject title, poor choice of words! lol)

I know the basics of Mind Flayer attacks (mind blast, etc) but what are some of the other things a mind flayer can do, like for example, can a mind flayer put images into a victims mind, having them see things or scenarios? And if so, is it line of site?
Are there things I can do with a mind flayer that bends the rules a little bit - but not far too crazy? Just something to make the mind flayer more mind dangerous and fun. This is a 9 & 10 level party that I am sure are going to destroy the flayer quite easily. Anything I can do here?

No reason that you can't have multiple mind flayers and minions

 

[Tonguez]

Hey group - new here and I was wondering if I can pick your brains (considering the subject title, poor choice of words! lol)

I know the basics of Mind Flayer attacks (mind blast, etc) but what are some of the other things a mind flayer can do, like for example, can a mind flayer put images into a victims mind, having them see things or scenarios? And if so, is it line of site?
Are there things I can do with a mind flayer that bends the rules a little bit - but not far too crazy? Just something to make the mind flayer more mind dangerous and fun. This is a 9 & 10 level party that I am sure are going to destroy the flayer quite easily. Anything I can do here?

Mindflayers also get Dominate which means they can charm a victims mind and make them believe everything is great and that the things you are directing it to do (including attacking its friends) are completely normal. I'd allow there to be some sensory fluff layered on that effect especially given they can detect thoughts too - Using detect thoughts to mindblast a memory could be a thing

 

[S.Woodlander]

Nice! Very good use of the mind blast and the rationale of making it fun and interesting and workable. Thanks guys!

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Depends if you are okay with adding thing to their statblocks, like adding psionic casting of some illusions or enchantment spells. Dream, Fear, Enemies Abound, Phantasmal Force, Crown of Madness would all be fun effect to mess with the PCs mind without being super powerful.

 

[Stalker0]

So the 5e mind flayer only gets a 1 hour domination, but in lore terms they have often have legions of "thralls" (aka creatures that have been repeatedly subjected to mind blast/domination or other psionic badness) and are now wholly subservient to the mind flayer. This gives you a ton of minion options in any mind flayer encounter, so you can add in a wide range of other creatures and spell abilities as you need.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

A few morlocks with a few GOO warlocks from MPMM could be a nice minion army.

Or a swarm of Derros riding gibbering mouthers...

 

[S.Woodlander]

So the 5e mind flayer only gets a 1 hour domination, but in lore terms they have often have legions of "thralls" (aka creatures that have been repeatedly subjected to mind blast/domination or other psionic badness) and are now wholly subservient to the mind flayer. This gives you a ton of minion options in any mind flayer encounter, so you can add in a wide range of other creatures and spell abilities as you need.

Yes! I am in 2E but they do have thralls (Quaggoth, Duegar, etc) that I plan to place to help keep the party at bay a little bit and to keep the mind flayer from physical melee

 

[S.Woodlander]

Here's another question - I plan to use a wild magic table for the magic users and clerics in the party due to the unstableness of magic in the underdark because if the "faerzress". My question is, does the faerzress effect just divination andc conjuration? or all sphere's and groups of magic? Or simply DM's choice?