D&D 5E mind flayer NPC

[GMforPowergamers]

This is really 2 posts in 1, a new monster design that is interesting, and a story twist idea. SO please look at it both ways

SO Have you guys ever seen those bad vampire movies where there is a 'good vampire' normally who falls in love with the hero and sustains themselves on animal blood. (Please I know we are not twilight fans for the most part but stay with me)

SO I was thinking of doing mind flayers in my world that were the 'implanted person' route...and I have an NPC in mind I call "The starving man" who looks like a tall gaunt figure wrapped in rags and robes and in a mask with shaded glass. (maybe like a vampire hiding from the sun and denning itself blood)

the creature was once a gith, and was taken and implanted...but as the implanting was happening the mother brain and hive were exterminated...so his strong will+ not finished metamorphosis has allowed him to remain some small portion of himself... now he has to feed and stay away from other hives, but he is still somewhat himself, but as a flayer...

I think I can 'trick' the PCs into thinking I'm using vampire tropes when the animals he 'feeds' on he realling eating the brain... I think it could be a fun twist on an old trope. I stated him up and let me know what you think...

The Starving Man
Medium aberration, lawful evil
Armor Class 15 (+2 leather) Hit Points 71 (13d8 + 13) Speed 30ft.
STR 11 (+0) DEX 14 (+2) CON 12 (+1)
INT 19 (+4) WIS 18 (+4) CHA 17 (+3)

Saving Throws lnt +7, Wis +7, Cha +6
Skills Arcana +7, Deception +6, Insight +7, Perception +7, Persuasion +6, Stealth +5
Senses darkvision 120ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Deep Speech, Gith, Undercommon, telepathy 120ft. Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Magic Resistance. The mind flayer has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Thought Shield. the mind flayer’s thoughts can’t be read by telepathy or other means unless it allow it. The mind flayer also has resistance to psychic damage, and whenever a creature deals psychic damage to it, that creature takes the same amount of damage that the flayer dose.

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The mind flayer's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
At will: detect thoughts, levitate, mage hand (the hand is invisible)
3/day each: feather fall, jump, misty step, nondetection (self only), tongues
1/day each: dominate monster, plane shift (self only), telekinesis

Spellcasting. The mind flayer is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The mind flayer has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): dancing lights, eldritch blast, green flame blade, shocking grasp
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, disguise self, shield, sleep
2nd level (3 slots): blur, invisibility, ray of enfeeblement
3rd level (2 slots): clairvoyance, lightning bolt, sending

ACTIONS

Mind Knife (+3 short sword) Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) slashing damager plus 8 (1d8+4) psychic damage

Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 (2dl0 + 4) psychic damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 15) and must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or be stunned until this grapple ends.

Extract Brain. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one incapacitated humanoid grappled by the mind flayer. Hit: The target takes 55 (10d10) piercing damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the mind flayer kills the target by extracting and devouring its brain.

Mind Blast (Recharge 5-6). The mind flayer magically emits psychic energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or take 22 (4d8 + 4) psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success

eldritch blast, and green flame blade I am refluffing as TK bolt, and pyrokinissis

 

[Ath'kethin]

Seems workable to me. And also an unexpected twist.

Possible concerns: eldritch blast is normally only available to warlocks. It's also different enough from standard Illithid abilities that your players might cry foul.

Also, long before Twilight was Interview with the Vampire, which included a vampire so horrified at the idea of killing humans that he subsisted on rats' blood for years. Other vampires openly mock him for doing so.

Also, check your spelling. You have at least one instance of a word technically spelled correctly that is in the wrong spot ("dose").

 

[ccs]

So you've tricked the players.... How do you think they'll react when they discover that their weird companion is a mindflayer?

In-character, only idiots would continue associating with the thing. It's a mindflayer! With a bizzarre sob story that it claims as its origin. If the characters accept this? Their Wisdom scores should be permanently reduced to about 4.

This NPCs dying words should become the punchline of jokes for years to come: "But I'm a GOOD mindflayer!"

No, I do not think this is a good idea.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

So you've tricked the players.... How do you think they'll react when they discover that their weird companion is a mindflayer?

In-character, only idiots would continue associating with the thing. It's a mindflayer! With a bizzarre sob story that it claims as its origin. If the characters accept this? Their Wisdom scores should be permanently reduced to about 4.

This NPCs dying words should become the punchline of jokes for years to come: "But I'm a GOOD mindflayer!"

No, I do not think this is a good idea.

well I haven't tricked them yet. I'm not sure why people who would 'work' with a 'good' vampire would have such an issue with a 'good' mindflayer... that's why I think it's a GOOD twist... "You were ok with a vampire but not an illithad, why?"