Evil / Undead Class : Illithidkin
by Eric Cagle, Dragon #296
Mind flayers have a notorious reputation for being cruel and uncaring slavers of other races. The vast majority of these slaves live out the remainder of their short existence toiling away as servants, miners, or as entertainment for their mind flayer masters. Once they have exhausted their usefulness, the mind flayers devour the slave's brains for food.
On rare occasions, however, the mind flayers spare certain slaves with the gift for psionics. These individuals are carefully dominated and monitored so that their gifts are not used against their masters, but they are allowed to expand and explore the talents they possess. Part of the brainwashing includes the worship of the mind flayers' god, Ilsensine. While few mind flayers give much credence to the worship of gods, they find that it is a perfect tool for creating utterly devoted servants.
These individuals are known as illithidkin. As they increase in power, illithidkin begin acquiring traits that are similar to their mind flayer masters. Over time, illithidkin begin hungering for the brains of living creatures, much like mind flayers.
Illithidkin come almost exclusively from the psion class. Psychic warriors are the next most common, although few mind flayers tolerate such a martial individual for too long. As long as they meet the required amount of psionic knowledge, any other class can be an illithidkin, with wizards, bards, and rogues being most common.
Illithidkin become the eyes and ears of mind flayers, infiltrating cities, armies, and organizations. They actively seek out other potential candidates for converting to the worship of Ilsensine. In addition, they kidnap people off the streets and from their homes to be used as food and slaves by mind flayers. Illithidkin are entrusted by their masters to lead units of other humanoids for these chores and are often the most powerful members of such groups.
Requirements
To qualify to become an Illithidkin, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Any humanoid or monstrous humanoid
- Alignment: Lawful evil
- Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Knowledge (Psionics) 8 ranks
- Patron: Ilsensine
- Special: A character wishing to take levels of the illithidkin prestige class must willingly consume the brain of a sentient creature.
Class Skills
The illithidkin's class skills are Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (psionics), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Search, Spot, and Swim.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the illithidkin prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The illithidkin gains no new proficiency with weapons or armor.
Power Points: Illithidkin gain power points per day as shown on their advancement table. These power points are added to the character's previous total. Illithidkin gain bonus power points based on the key ability score for their primary ability. If the character previously could not gain power points for high ability (as is the case for psychic warriors), she now chooses a primary discipline and can gain bonus power point based on the related ability score (see Table 1-2: Psion Bonus Power Points in the Psionics Handbook).
If the character did not previously have psion or psychic warrior levels, she gains power points and powers as shown in the advancement chart and gains the ability to use psionics and take psionic feats.
Powers Discovered: Illinhidkin discover 0-level powers as shown on the Illithidkin Advancement table. The powers are added to the character's previous total powers known.
Psionic Combat Mode: The illithidkin learns a new psionic combat mode. She does not forget those that were previously learned.
Detached Mind (Su): The illithidkin becomes more emotionless, logical, and separated from troubling issues. The illithidkin gains a +2 bonus to saving throws against mind-affecting spells, spell-like abilities, psionic powers and supernatural effects.
Telepathy (Su): Illithidkin can communicate mentally with any creature within 30 feet that has a language.
Increased Intelligence (Ex): At 4th level, the illithidkin's brain and skull begin to expand, increasing her intelligence score by 2 points.
Illithid Apotheosis: At 5th level, the illithidkin has lost all touch with her original heritage, becoming more like a mind flayer. Her skin becomes purple and rubbery, and her eyes become completely white. Short, useless tentacles sprout from her face, and her teeth fuse into a beak-like maw. Her creature type changes permanently to "monstrous humanoid." All special abilities, spells or effects treat her as a monstrous humanoid.
Ex-Illithidkin: An illithidkin who ceases worshiping the Ilsensine or willingly opposes mind flayers loses almost all the Class Features of this prestige class. The only class feature that is not lost is illithid apotheosis. The creature is permanently warped and twisted into a monstrous humanoid, retaining the horrible mouth and tentacles.
| Illithidkin | Hit Die: d6 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Power Pts | Pwr Discovered |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Detached mind, psionic combat mode | +3 | - |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Telepathy 30 ft | +5 | - |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Psionic combat mode | +5 | 1 |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Increased Intelligence | +5 | 1 |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Illithid apotheosis, psionic combat mode | +7 | 2 |
Source: Dragon #296