My 11 Year old stepsons 17th Level Dwarven ranger has now eaten 3 illithid brains .
This was in that big prison - Spiral of Manzensinne or what not.
Any one want to have a stab at the game effects- Good or bad of doing this?
Thanks.
Illithid brains themselves have no real effect, it would seem; they are, after all, just brains. Most of the juicy powers of the Mind Flayer are either in the Elder Brain or the tadpoles that are use for cerebromorphosis.
I would say there is no effect-except possibly someone looking at a brain eater strangely.
If you want more ideas for dealing with Aberrations, check out Lords of Madness. That has some good ideas.
My 11 Year old stepsons 17th Level Dwarven ranger has now eaten 3 illithid brains .
This was in that big prison - Spiral of Manzensinne or what not.Any one want to have a stab at the game effects- Good or bad of doing this?
Thanks.
When you feed cows to chickens then feed those cow-eating chickens back to cows you get mad cow disease. If the flayer had been eating dwarf brains and then had its brain eaten by a dwarf I'd see a possiblity for a prion borne madness. Illithids are so abberent I'd imagine that such a madness could open up some of the farspawn-type possibilities. Which is always neat. Oh yeah. >:)
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When you feed cows to chickens then feed those cow-eating chickens back to cows you get mad cow disease. If the flayer had been eating dwarf brains and then had its brain eaten by a dwarf I'd see a possiblity for a prion borne madness. Illithids are so abberent I'd imagine that such a madness could open up some of the farspawn-type possibilities. Which is always neat. Oh yeah. >:)
Yeah, a number of species (humans included) get mad cow disease by eating brain matter of other members of their own species, or even the brain matter of predators that ate the brain matter of the original species (in your example, a dwarf eating the brain of an illithid that ate the brains of a dwarf). Since dwarves are one of the races that illithids commonly encounter in their slave raids underground, I'd suggest a contraction of the mad cow variety is in order for your little brain-eating dwarf. Gotta stay away from those mind flayer brains. Moo.
I would say the brains were bad for thhe character -
They are so alien they are likely to be toxic - to some poison effect.
But I would also have a taint of evil magic/psionic effct as well - I would probably make it harsh. Madness, radiates evil, forever carries a scent that provokes animosity, addicted - lusts for more brains, whatever fits. I would discourage PCs from brain eating.
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Any one want to have a stab at the game effects- Good or bad of doing this?
There was a prestige class in a dragon magazine involving a cult of illithids that involved eating brains. I don't recall the specific issue number -- if I find it, I will post it -- but if you get a chance you should look it up for some possible inspiration.
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also on the subject of same species disease susceptibility, don't illithids use other races for breeding stock? There would ergo be precedent for genetic similarity and thus cross-species disease exchange.
Along Heath's line of reasoning (and despite my original post about the mad-cow-ness), you could also choose to apply the half-illithid template from Underdark to the dwarf. You might want to check it over and retool it, since its abilities at a higher level (like 17th) don't really merit its +4 level adjustment in my opinion, but it would be interesting indeed for the dwarf in his subterranean wanderings to suddenly be seized with a fit of convulsions as first one, then two, then four slimy green tentacles erupted from around his mouth, and he became aware of the surface thoughts of those near him (including, possibly, his companions). If the mad-cow idea doesn't excite you, that is.
Thanks for all your help guys!
I went for a psionic Mad cow variety and a loss of his non psionic buffer.
As well as a few 0 level psi powers to make him think hes got somethnig good... for now.
Thanks for all your help guys!
I went for a psionic Mad cow variety and a loss of his non psionic buffer.
As well as a few 0 level psi powers to make him think hes got somethnig good... for now.
Sounds like a dramatic set of choices that will provide some great roleplay surprises and opportunities. Please, let us know how it went over.
Yeah. This thread is definitely food for thought.
or maybe thought food?
tog
Yeah. This thread is definitely food for thought.
You're on fire tonight. I warned you about overdosing on vitamin clever, didn't I?
When you feed cows to chickens then feed those cow-eating chickens back to cows you get mad cow disease. If the flayer had been eating dwarf brains and then had its brain eaten by a dwarf I'd see a possiblity for a prion borne madness. Illithids are so abberent I'd imagine that such a madness could open up some of the farspawn-type possibilities. Which is always neat. Oh yeah. >:)Yeah, a number of species (humans included) get mad cow disease by eating brain matter of other members of their own species, or even the brain matter of predators that ate the brain matter of the original species (in your example, a dwarf eating the brain of an illithid that ate the brains of a dwarf). Since dwarves are one of the races that illithids commonly encounter in their slave raids underground, I'd suggest a contraction of the mad cow variety is in order for your little brain-eating dwarf. Gotta stay away from those mind flayer brains. Moo.
Humans don't so much get "Mad Cow" from eating the brains of other humans, they do however get Kuru, which is another degenerative brain disease caused by a hearty protein or Prion. Mad Cow is crazy, but easily avoided, just don't eat ground beef as it is the only type of beef really that involves the spinal column...oh and stay away from Brain Tacos if you're that scared (Yes Cow Brain tacos).
As far as I'm concerned there are no prion diseases in D&D unless you want there to be, if there are then trust me, short of the whole chicken example...which isn't exactly scientific, that sort of thing just wouldn't happen. I'd go more the route of what sort of MADNESS might come from eating Illithid Brains, not what sort of Disease- especially prion related. It is the POWER involved in eating the brains of a brain eating creature that we should be concerned about, though from my perspective if you were going to include prions in a D&D setting, then Illithids probably would be a good place to start. Yeah, give your 11 year old son's character 10 years to live before his nervous system starts breaking down and microscopic holes in his brain turn it into a juicy prion ridden delicacy (yes brains are infact TASTIER when they are prion ridden, so say the Kuru people- and people taste of pork btw.)
Just some anthropological views...
If you are talking about interspecies brain eating, you could be talking about a cultural issue, it's weird enough eating another species of humanoid, but their brains?! That's got to be culturally loaded in some extreme matter, and potentially tasty.
EDIT: I've had alot of experience with pcs (my own and players in my campaign) taking trophies, for example one of my players a pc named Drotto- the Dwarven Barbarian/Druid took a Heart o' Wyvern Meal, he might just eat it. He also collected many parts of wyvern, which are courteously being preserved along with Drotto's brother by means of Gentle Repose...
I also have a skull collector character, that I play. Sure in the campaign I play him in (though I'm using him as an NPC in my campaign that I run) has a flail that uses skulls- it is a funky barbarian type Legacy Weapon, so collecting them is useful, but from the character concept, he's just death obsessed and from the whole barbarian god of death perspective- he believes in the power of people's skulls- for one thing he can actually sort of communicate with them via the Skull Lash legacy weapon, if they are prepared and attached properly to the flail...
But anyway, you're looking to create ill effects or funky side-effects from eating a psionic, brain eating, race's brains?
As far as I'm concerned there are no prion diseases in D&D unless you want there to be, if there are then trust me, short of the whole chicken example...which isn't exactly scientific, that sort of thing just wouldn't happen.
I hear you, but it is a fantasy game and although I'm well aware of the academic particulars of kuru and mad cow I was just breaking it down into bite sizes pieces. I only wanted to describe a "plausible fodder" in making a scenario more fun for another DM and I think the mission was accomplished. I certainly wasn't aiming to get the word "prion" said in-game. Don't you worry.
PRION! THAT'S THE SOLUTION TO THE STONEHENGE PUZZLE!
I think I shouldn't oughtta ate that mind flayer brain; it's having odd consequences. Need potion of immodium now.Yeah. This thread is definitely food for thought.You're on fire tonight. I warned you about overdosing on vitamin clever, didn't I?
IMMODIUM! THAT'S THE ANSWER TO THE STONEHENGE PUZZLE!
When you feed cows to chickens then feed those cow-eating chickens back to cows you get mad cow disease.
Hmm...so if a 17th level ranger eats illithid brans, and is then fed to the mind flayers....
I could see this leading to the ranger's brain being a form of poison to the flayers. Perhaps it inflicts the eater with some psychic disease which can be passed to other illithids by telepathy.
I could also see the ranger developing some minor psychic powers.
EDIT: Oh and there are also several legends about eating brains giving the eater the memories and knowledge of the eaten. A flayer's memories and knowledge may be so alien as to cause madness in and of itself.
When you feed cows to chickens then feed those cow-eating chickens back to cows you get mad cow disease.Hmm...so if a 17th level ranger eats illithid brans, and is then fed to the mind flayers....
I could see this leading to the ranger's brain being a form of poison to the flayers. Perhaps it inflicts the eater with some psychic disease which can be passed to other illithids by telepathy.
I could also see the ranger developing some minor psychic powers.
I like your thinking, Chris. What a twist.
this is why I love this site. So many cool ideas...so little time....
Well- I went for the total loss of his NON psionic barrier as well as emitting low level annoying and non damaging mind blasts when angry. He can detect thoughts off and on and has some sort of slowly growing brian disease.