So, I'm currently running the Age of Worms adventure path for my players (my first ever campaign, but so far it's going very smoothly), and they're in the middle of the Hall of Harsh Reflections adventure at the moment.
Since I knew they wouldn't be getting much farther than halfway through Sodden Hold in the last session, I didn't read through the Zyrxog's Lair part as thoroughly as the rest previously, but having done so now I've noticed a rather large discrepancy between the CR of Zyrxog (Mind Flayer Sorc 7) compared to that of the generic Mind Flayer Sorc 9 in the Monster Manual.. Namely 11 vs 17. Those two missing class levels should only reduce the CR by 2, to 15, not by 6.. I don't see any errata in the MM to lower the CR there, so is this just the writer deciding the Sorcerer class is non-associated for Mind Flayers?
I believe the MM CR is in error - despite a mind flayer's impressive mental statistics, it still has 8 HD of no spellcasting, which is a huge amount of catching up the flayer has to do if you want him to be effective.
Creative Director
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Correct. The Mind Flayer Sorcerer from the Monster Manual has the wrong CR. Sorcerer levels are non-associated levels for a mind flayer; taking levels in sorcerer really doesn't help a mind flayer out much at all until those sorcerer levels match its racial hit dice. As a result, each sorcerer level counts as half a CR increase until the levels match its racial Hit Dice. As a general rule, fighter-type levels are always associated for monsters (unless the monster really doesn't have any combat effectiveness). Spellcaster levels are only associated for monsters that have spellcasting (sorcerer levels for a naga, for example, or druid levels for a nymph, or cleric levels for a ghaele eladrin). Rogue levels are only associated for monsters that have strong stealth skills (like a babau demon, or a derro).
Thank you :)