Illithid posession? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Illithid posession? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
neantollo
08-15-06, 06:49 PM 'Fiends' are capable of posession in Eberron, but I don't see precisely how that is defined. Do 'fiends' consist of only demons/devils? What about an Illithid? Its a non-native outsider (just like Quori, who can), might it be capable as well?
Tyryt
08-15-06, 07:24 PM Errr.. Illithids are Aberrations, not outsiders. Aside fromt hat, creatures with the ability all say that they can do it (however it is sometimes under the overall ability for the type of demon or whatever than in their entry).
Ath'kethin
08-15-06, 07:28 PM 'Fiends' are capable of posession in Eberron, but I don't see precisely how that is defined. Do 'fiends' consist of only demons/devils? What about an Illithid? Its a non-native outsider (just like Quori, who can), might it be capable as well?

You could rule this way if you chose, but I personally feel that illithids aren't quite powerful enough for true posession. Add to that the fact that many of them are on the material plane, and it becomes more difficult.

Instead, in a similar situation I opted to give an illithid some levels in Thrallherd and then use mindlink and invasive mindlink. Makes for one scary little villain. You could even up the ante even more and make them a ulitharid instead of just an illithid.

And for the record, a "fiend" is generally defined as a denizen of the lower planes. Which daelkyr (and mind flayers) are not.
Ath'kethin
08-15-06, 07:31 PM Errr.. Illithids are Aberrations, not outsiders.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that in Eberron, illithids should be considered outsiders with the native subtype. I could be mis-remembering, however. And it might have been "could be considered" rather than "should be considered."
Gurv
08-15-06, 07:51 PM I seem to recall reading somewhere that in Eberron, illithids should be considered outsiders with the native subtype. I could be mis-remembering, however. And it might have been "could be considered" rather than "should be considered."
No. The early illithids were aberrations, from another plane. That would make them aberrations with the extraplanar subtype, not outsiders. Just because something comes from another plane doesn't mean that it must be an outsider.

More to the point, illithids currently on Eberron were "born" there. Meaning that they don't have the extraplanar subtype either.
neantollo
08-16-06, 10:55 AM Thanks for the clarifications; I think Thrallherd will serve nicely :)
ieattrollsforbreakfast
08-16-06, 11:59 AM The definition of a fiend as far as D&D is concerned is an outsider with the evil subtype. By that definition, daelkyr and quori should be capable of possession. However, quori have been made exception to this with their own possession rules (which only work on humans or empty vessels). I wouldn't give possession abilities to a daelkyr, though, I don't think it really fits. Besides, if a daelkyr takes off all its symbionts it looks like a human anyway, so I can get by reasonably with that disguise. I'd imagine daelkyr would create a create to do the possessing for them, rather than do it themselves.
As for illithids, since they aren't fiends by any D&D definition, as explained earlier in the thread, they can't possess people.
In my games, I'd probably limit possession to demons, devils and yugoloths, perhaps with the odd exception.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
neantollo 08-15-06, 06:49 PM	'Fiends' are capable of posession in Eberron, but I don't see precisely how that is defined. Do 'fiends' consist of only demons/devils? What about an Illithid? Its a non-native outsider (just like Quori, who can), might it be capable as well?
Tyryt 08-15-06, 07:24 PM	Errr.. Illithids are Aberrations, not outsiders. Aside fromt hat, creatures with the ability all say that they can do it (however it is sometimes under the overall ability for the type of demon or whatever than in their entry).
Ath'kethin 08-15-06, 07:28 PM	'Fiends' are capable of posession in Eberron, but I don't see precisely how that is defined. Do 'fiends' consist of only demons/devils? What about an Illithid? Its a non-native outsider (just like Quori, who can), might it be capable as well? You could rule this way if you chose, but I personally feel that illithids aren't quite powerful enough for true posession. Add to that the fact that many of them are on the material plane, and it becomes more difficult. Instead, in a similar situation I opted to give an illithid some levels in Thrallherd and then use mindlink and invasive mindlink. Makes for one scary little villain. You could even up the ante even more and make them a ulitharid instead of just an illithid. And for the record, a "fiend" is generally defined as a denizen of the lower planes. Which daelkyr (and mind flayers) are not.
Ath'kethin 08-15-06, 07:31 PM	Errr.. Illithids are Aberrations, not outsiders. I seem to recall reading somewhere that in Eberron, illithids should be considered outsiders with the native subtype. I could be mis-remembering, however. And it might have been "could be considered" rather than "should be considered."
Gurv 08-15-06, 07:51 PM	I seem to recall reading somewhere that in Eberron, illithids should be considered outsiders with the native subtype. I could be mis-remembering, however. And it might have been "could be considered" rather than "should be considered." No. The early illithids were aberrations, from another plane. That would make them aberrations with the extraplanar subtype, not outsiders. Just because something comes from another plane doesn't mean that it must be an outsider. More to the point, illithids currently on Eberron were "born" there. Meaning that they don't have the extraplanar subtype either.
neantollo 08-16-06, 10:55 AM	Thanks for the clarifications; I think Thrallherd will serve nicely :)
ieattrollsforbreakfast 08-16-06, 11:59 AM	The definition of a fiend as far as D&D is concerned is an outsider with the evil subtype. By that definition, daelkyr and quori should be capable of possession. However, quori have been made exception to this with their own possession rules (which only work on humans or empty vessels). I wouldn't give possession abilities to a daelkyr, though, I don't think it really fits. Besides, if a daelkyr takes off all its symbionts it looks like a human anyway, so I can get by reasonably with that disguise. I'd imagine daelkyr would create a create to do the possessing for them, rather than do it themselves. As for illithids, since they aren't fiends by any D&D definition, as explained earlier in the thread, they can't possess people. In my games, I'd probably limit possession to demons, devils and yugoloths, perhaps with the odd exception.