Lesser Elder Brain (3.5e Race)

The Lesser Elder Brain

The Lesser Elder Brain is a subtype of the Elder Brain born of an Illithid colony. Before a Mind Flayer fully completes its metamorphosis it must first metamorphose its mind into the Lesser Elder Brain, the process for a Lesser Elder Brain to become a Elder Brain varies on how well the Lesser Elder Brain is treated and cared for and it is very common for ill-treated Lesser Elder Brains to die off, so it is seen as incredibly rare for them to leave the Hive in any capacity, and when this is done, they are commonly given Guards to keep them from dubious adventurers. A Lesser Elder Brain may leave an Illithid colony to start one of its own, gaining a new heightened sense of independence from its transformation.

Personality

The Lesser Elder Brain is in the process to becoming the Elder Brain and forsakes all other earthly attachments besides its mind and for this the Lesser Elder Brain begins its development into an intellectual powerhouse, they become fickle and duplicitous as well as clever and boast incredible foresight and pre-planning skills.

Lesser Elder Brains cannot be around their competition e.g. other Lesser Elder Brains and will seek out and destroy them or make sure they can never mature into a fully grown Elder Brain.

Like many other Illithid, Lesser Elder Brains possess an utterly Alien moral system and will frequently make choices that no other species could begin to understand, and therefore, may generate dislikes and tastes based on virtually any stimuli, and therefore, it is always best to be cautious when inviting the competitive Lesser Elder Brain into a Group.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for the world, Lesser Elder Brains spend so much of their time scheming, that they rarely care about the machinations of what is going on above their Colony until they become an Elder Brain, and because of this, seem to be rather paranoid that any threat is the result of another Lesser Elder Brain's scheme.

Physical Description

Lesser Elder Brains often appear as Human Sized Brains with small tentacles protruding out of it, however, as they grow, they grow to the size of a fully grown human before they have reached peak maturity.

Lesser Elder Brains do contain mouths, though they remain hidden until they begin feeding. When a Lesser Elder Brain goes to feed, it grapples its food and rests on their head whereby the brain will part in the middle where a maw of gyrating teeth will saw through the victim's skull and the Lesser Elder Brain will consume the brain as food.

Relations

Lesser Elder Brains are often seen as hostile enemies to all but the Illithid race, to which they are seen as invaluable, willing to risk their lives to save them from getting into the hands of their enemies. Due to the confusing mental state of the Lesser Elder Brain, they may completely turn on their own colony so that they may rule it alone, getting local adventurers or Town guards to slay them [the colony] in their stead.

To all but the Illithids, killing the Lesser Elder Brain is killing the "cocoon" before it develops into its monstrous "Butterfly", though other parties who dare to believe they use the Lesser Elder Brain to their advantage may try to make use of them.

Alignment

Lesser Elder Brains can be seen as helpful while the person they are helping are useful to their own goals as well as showing a deep understanding of the workings of Laws, it is common for "helpful" Lesser Elder Brains to be Neutral or even Evil, however, it is very uncommon for them to be anything less than Lawful, but it is not unheard of for a Lesser Elder Brain to go rouge.

It is not uncommon for the Lesser Elder Brain to turn on its non-Illithid Allies, turning them into Mindless Slaves and enforce Illithid Laws on aforementioned slaves at the slightest perceived insult.

Lands

Lesser Elder Brains can be found in Illithid colonies, where-ever they might be within the world. Lesser Elder Brains may also be mistaken for "Brain in a Jar" trophies found in various stores or Trophy Hunter's houses.

Religion

The Lesser Elder Brain follows the same philosophical and religious structure as other Illithids, often being the source for the Colony.

Language

The Lesser Elder Brain can no longer communicate with others verbally and speaks only telepathically or through others. The Lesser Elder Brain can potentially speak multiple languages, however, the most common are: Common, Undercommon and Deep Speech.

Names

Mind flayer names are strains of thoughts and images that identified them to other members of the race. Since these names were too complex to be pronounced or even expressed in words, other races of the Underdark adopted rough translations in Undercommon by usually combining descriptive words that conveyed the general idea of the mind flayers' original names in order to identify them. Uniquely, the Lesser Elder Brains are among the most Individual of all Illithids and therefore, are likely to have come up with very boastful names for themselves, names that would likely make speaking them nauseating.

Racial Traits

• -4 Strength, -4 Dexterity, +4 Intelligence, -3 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +3 Charisma, : The Lesser Elder Brain loses all forms of strength and defensive traits to become a intellectual being, often relying others to do the heavy lifting for them, additionally, the Lesser Elder Brain cannot leave it's container of Brine and thus cannot move and only be carried or slowly levitate using their innate Psionic abilities.
• Aberration (Psionic) with the Below alterations:

Skill points equal to (8 + Int Modifier, minimum 1) per HD, with × 4 skill points at first HD. Lesser Elder Brains have -5 in all physically demanding Skill rolls, full list being up to the GM.

• Small size.
• The Lesser Elder Brain has a Fly speed of 20ft (Good)
• Blindsight (Ex): An Lesser Elder Brain has 30ft of Blindsight.
• Resistance (Ex) to acid 5, cold 5, and electricity 5.
• Saves: Will +5
• Mental Prowess (Ex): The Lesser Elder Brain gains +3 to Manifester levels and Psion Spell's DC as a Psion or +3 to Caster Level and Wizard Spell DC.
• Illitid Mind (Sp): As a Standard action the Lesser Elder Brain can target a Aberration within 30ft of the Lesser Elder Brain, it must make a DC 14 + Int or Wis (Whichever is higher) Will saving throw or be charmed by the Lesser Elder Brain, upon a successful save the Aberration is immune to the ability for 24 hours. Other Lesser Elder Brains and Elder Brains are Immune to this effect and Automatically succeed their Will saving throws.
• Mentally Oriented: The Lesser Elder Brain can choose an additional 2 Specializations/Disciplines when choosing the Psion or Wizard class.
• Spell-Like Ability: 1/day— Dominate Person. Caster level is 3rd. The save DC is Int-based.
• Psi-Like Abilities: 3/day— detect psionics, mental barrier, psionic charm (DC 13). Manifester level 1st. The save DCs are Int-based.
• Automatic Languages: Understands Common, Deep Speech and Undercommon but can't speak, Telepathy 60ft
• Bonus Languages: The Lesser Elder Brain has the capacity to understand virtually any Language.
• Favored Class: Psion or Wizard.
• Level Adjustment: +2
• The Lesser Elder Brain do not require to breath or eat traditional food, however they require 4 hours sleep. The Lesser Elder Brain feeds on the psionic presence of its enemies, and must eat a Brain every Month or begin to starve.
• A Lesser Elder Brain which leaves its container of Brine for longer than 1 minute (10 rounds) will take 1d6 points of permanent Constitution damage as it slowly withers. For every year since the transformation into a Lesser Elder Brain (or since character creation) the reduction in constitution for being outside its container is reduced by 1 to a minimum of 1, so after two years of maturing, a Lesser Elder Brain will take 1d4 points of Constitution damage rather than 1d6.

Vital Statistics

Table: Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Sexless	2 ft	+0	40 lb.	× (2) lb.

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