Post/Author/DateTime	Post
MasterBlaster 08-14-07, 02:23 PM	i was thinking -2 str, +2 int +2 cha and getting rid of all the spell like abilities and telepathy stuff. sound fair?
Shaggy_Shaggs 08-14-07, 02:40 PM	If it's LA +0, it's not a mind flayer. Now let me read what you actually posted.:whatsthis ....:uh-huh: Yeah, that's not a mind flayer. So let's see, you want natural armor, potent spell resistance, four natural weapons and two potential casting stat boosts for a pittance in Str reduction, and pay no attention to the no save just die attack behind the curtain, and Improved Grab to make it even easier. Yeah, I'm gonna say no, that's not fair. Just out of curiosity, were you thinking of this travesty retaining its hitdice and being ECL 8+ class level, or dropping those too and calling it ECL = class level?
Myers 08-14-07, 03:18 PM	I'm also curious what you are trying to accomplish, if your trying to take away all of it's advantages that make it better then a normal character, then your just trying to make a normal character that is automatically feared and hated everywhere just for flavor of appearance? Yeah if you remove everything and make it a generic humanoid with just -2 str, +2 cha +2 int, then yes it is plausible to be a +0 LA, Once you throw in things like multiple attacks and natural armor the LA goes up however.
baronvonboxy 08-14-07, 03:25 PM	Play a base race, a lot more fun than being a Munchkin
Crimson_Concerto 08-14-07, 03:46 PM	i was thinking -2 str, +2 int +2 cha and getting rid of all the spell like abilities and telepathy stuff. sound fair?Well, first of all, your ability scores are unbalanced, so that's an automatic no right there. Just because a +2 STR, -2 INT, -2 CHA is supposedly okay doesn't mean the reverse is, and technically, the Half-Orc being as underpowered a race as it is (partially becuase of the net -2) doesn't help your case. Second of all, you plan on retaining the four natural attacks, ability to eat brains, natural armor, spell resistance, and all that other good stuff? Yeah, no... Third of all, Mind Flayers having an LA of +0 is completely contradictory to their flavor, so unless you feel like rewriting some new flavor for these things and completely redoing how the world sees them, then it won't make a single bit of sense.
Witch 08-14-07, 03:49 PM	Well, first of all, your ability scores are unbalanced, so that's an automatic no right there. Not really. Ability score unbalance doesn't automatically mean a race is unbalanced as LA +0. However, it's right that in this case, the amount of retained benefit is just absurd.
metiphisto 08-14-07, 08:16 PM	What not just design a race that is similar to illithads in ways, hated, aberrations. I would say if you trying to make it a primary casting class race you will need to give it one plus and two negs to make it close enough to LA +0 look at Elan from the Expanded Psionics, there aberrations but all they get is a -2, but some very nice racial specially if your playing a psionic character.
Lawlicron 08-14-07, 09:02 PM	If I'm not mistaken there are illithid heritage feats somewhere. Anyone know where they are? I think that would accomplish what you'd like a little better. Be a human sorcerer and you get two of them at first and one every three levels. Maybe you can convince your DM to nix your familiar for one too.
EvilDeathBee 08-14-07, 09:24 PM	If you just want to play an outsider with no LA, you could opt for the Alienist PRC in Complete arcane.
Skindrill422 08-14-07, 09:29 PM	Illithids can't talk unless using telepathy there jaws are only made for eating brains and if you get rid of all that stuff it takes away from the RP
fatmonkey 08-14-07, 09:38 PM	Illithid can talk in 3e... but they never had (and still do not have) jaws. A mind flayer with only racial abilities as follows: Type: Humanoid Abilities: Str -2, Int +2, Cha +2 Favored class: Telepath Would be relatively balanced... even if it were the type aberration it would probably be balanced. It would not be very mind flayer like. Also unbalanced ability scores and mental ability score bonuses tend to upset people... If you want to be a mind flayer use the monster class from Savage Species. If you want to be a full manifester than get a DM who will play a gestalt game with monster races.
Nephlite 08-14-07, 09:40 PM	i was thinking -2 str, +2 int +2 cha and getting rid of all the spell like abilities and telepathy stuff. sound fair? Race: Squidkin Wis -2 (only score that actually works since everyone can use Wisdom for saves) Meduim, Aberration Base Speed: 30 Darkvision 30 feet -1 cha based penalty with social skills dealing with non-aberrations (Gather info, diplomacy, bluff, etc). +1 NA (increases by 1 at 10 HD, up to +3 at level 20) 4 tentacles (1d4 damage) This would be balanced. while they have 4 tentacles: the damage sucks and no extract ability. Natural armor less than a Kobold, but goes up every 10 HD so increase isn't that bad when they get it. Major benefit is aberration type (since immune to hold person and charm person). Squidkin were used in D&D Dorks web comic. He found them balanced.
runestar 08-14-07, 09:43 PM	Much as I abhor the notion, the illithid heritage feats and that flayerspawn prc in CPsi might be able to simulate some sort of mindflayer class progression...
Lawlicron 08-14-07, 10:36 PM	Much as I abhor the notion, the illithid heritage feats and that flayerspawn prc in CPsi might be able to simulate some sort of mindflayer class progression... I think thats what MasterBlaster is looking for. What does CPsi stand for? I never remembered the abbreviated names people give the books.
Skindrill422 08-14-07, 11:22 PM	Theres a Mind flayer in the Savage Species? would that work?
Aloki 08-14-07, 11:36 PM	Complete Psionic, and yes, I like the savage species progressin for the mind flayer
gullas 08-15-07, 07:12 AM	just play an really really ugly human with usless tentacle(except for eating food like Zoidberg):)