Feeblemind and how it interacts with the intellect devourer and body thief.


Rules Questions


Yesterday in my home game our party cast feeblemind on a spellcaster. We did not know that it was a host body for an Intellect Devourer.

As an Intellect Devourer is immune to mind effecting effects would the host body also be immune? Would the Intellect Devourer still be able to cast it's own spells through the host?


Isn't the host effectively dead already?


VRMH wrote:
Isn't the host effectively dead already?

After the battle the DM told to us that the host creature used it's mental stats and not the Intellect Devourer's.

On the fly he ruled that while the host was feebleminded the Intellect Devourer itself was immune.

This was an encounter from the Serpents Skull AP.

I was just wondering if anyone else had dealt with this situation before.

Going on the assumption that the host is already dead would you rule that the host is immune to all mind effecting effects?

Grand Lodge

Well, I'm not sure about the rest, but the Intellect Devourer would definitely be able to still use its abilities through the host, even if the host was feebleminded. Nothing you do to the host affects the Intellect Devourer (except for outright slaying it).

Shadow Lodge

Yes, the host gains immunity to mind-affecting effects, though I can see why the GM on the fly decided the host's mind would be affected. Refer your GM to the second column of page 56.

However, I don't believe the intellect devourer should be able to cast spells in this situation. Refer your GM to the second column of page 57 as well as the stat blocks of the hosts which should make it clear whether they're expected to use magic.

Remember to do so respectfully and tell your GM you got these page numbers from the forum so they don't think you're cheating ;)

Serpent's Skull Spoilers:
The intellect devourer in question does not have to kill its hosts. They retain their own minds while the intellect devourer is not actively controlling them but while they are controlled their minds are elsewhere and thus they cannot be affected by mind-affecting effects. However the intellect devourer can only use SLAs and from the stat blocks it appears spells if physically occupying the host - in which case the host is dead, brain eaten, and does not retain its own mind.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Going by the bestiary stats, the DM is wrong in that the "host" body no longer has a mind of it's own. The intellect devourer is simply wearing the body the way we would a suit of power armor, having harvested the brain's memories for it's own use in disguise. Since the critter is immune to mind affecting spells, Feeblemind would have no effect.

Grand Lodge

Normal Intellect Devourers cannot use their host's spells or sla's, only their own. I don't know if the one in Serpent's Skull is different in that regard, though.

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