Creatures that originated in the same alien and hostile world as the mind flayers, the illithidae are an order of creatures that are related to mind flayers in much the same way that terrestrial animals such as wolves, bears, or apes share some kinship with humans. Several of the more common examples of these creatures are presented below. They inhabit underground areas where illithid lairs or cities can be found. It’s unknown whether these beasts are simply attracted to the regions where mind flayers live or are deliberately domesticated by illithids.
The statistics block below contains details for more than one type of illithidae. Use the horizontal scrollbar below it to display the desired one or select from the links below that.
| Embrac ⬇️ Large Aberration |
Kigrid ⬇️ Medium Aberration |
Saltor ⬇️ Small Aberration |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Hit Dice: | 11d8+22 (71 hp) | 9d8+18 plus 3 (61 hp) | 5d8+5 (27 hp) |
| Initiative: | −1 | +1 | +3 |
| Speed: | 20 ft. (4 squares) | 40 ft. (8 squares) | 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 15 (−1 size, −1 Dex, +7 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 15 | 19 (+1 Dex, +8 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 18 | 16 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +8/+16 | +6/+10 | +3/+0 |
| Attack: | Tentacle +11 melee (2d4+4 plus poison) | Bite +10 melee (1d6+4) | Handaxe +7 melee (1d4+1/×3) or bite +7 melee (1d6+1) |
| Full Attack: | 4 tentacles +11 melee (2d4+4 plus poison) and bite +9 melee (2d6+2) | Bite +10 melee (1d6+4) and 2 claws +8 melee (1d6+2) | Handaxe +7 melee (1d4+1/×3) and bite +2 melee (1d6+1) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./10 ft. | 5 ft./5 ft. | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Constrict 2d4+6, improved grab, poison, psionics | Improved , poison, psionics, rake 1d6+2 plus poison | Psionics, screech |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft. | Darkvision 60 ft., scent | Darkvision 60 ft. |
| Saves: | Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +10 | Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +7 | Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +5 |
| Abilities: | Str 18, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 9 | Str 18, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 11 | Str 12, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 11 |
| Skills: | Hide +2 (+6 underground), Spot +8; racial bonuses | Climb +7, Hide +8, Jump +12, Listen +8, Move Silently +5, Spot +8, Survival +9; racial bonuses | Climb +11, Jump +7, Listen +5, Spot +5, Tumble +5; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack | Multiattack, Run, Toughness, Track | Alertness, Weapon Finesse |
| Environment: | Underground | Underground | Underground |
| Organization: | Solitary or pair | Solitary or pack (4–9) | Solitary, pair, gang (3–4), or troop (7–12 adults and 2–4 young) |
| Challenge Rating: | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| Treasure: | 50% normal | None | 50% normal |
| Alignment: | Often neutral | Often neutral | Often neutral evil |
| Advancement: | 12–16 HD (Large); 17–33 HD (Huge) ♊ | 10–15 HD (Medium); 16–27 HD (Large) ♊ | 6–9 HD (Medium) ♊ |
| Level Adjustment: | — | — | — |
This hulking creature’s body resembles a big sack. Its slimy skin is blotched with black, gray, white, and a dull red. It has stout limbs that are clawed at the ends, and its large, lumpy head bears a saw-edged beak. Eight tentacles are arrayed more or less evenly across its wrinkled body. Each tentacle is as thick as a man’s thigh at its base and tapers down to three fingerlike appendages at the end. The tentacles also have numerous suckers and bony hooks on their undersides.
An embrac is an ambush predator. It uses its Hide skill and the shadows of the underground to lurk near a subterranean passageway, trail, or body of water and wait for prey to come within reach. If overmatched, an embrac is not far from a small cave it can use as a bolthole to escape.
When prey comes within reach, an embrac lashes out with a tentacle. Although the monster has eight tentacles, it can use only four to attack in the same round; it uses its remaining tentacles to gain leverage and hold its place.
An opponent can make sunder attempts against an embrac’s tentacles as if they were weapons. An embrac’s tentacles have 10 hit points each. If an embrac is currently grappling a target with one tentacle, it uses another to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing an embrac’s tentacle deals 5 points of damage to the embrac. An embrac regrows severed tentacles in 1d10+10 days.
Constrict (Ex): An embrac deals 2d4+6 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an embrac must hit with its tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can deal constrict damage.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 17, initial and secondary damage 1d4 Str. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Psionics (Sp): 3/day—crushing despair (DC 13), deep slumber (DC 12), sound burst (DC 11); 1/day—displacement. Caster level 7th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
If you are using the Expanded Psionics Handbook in your game, you can substitute the following psi-like abilities for the psionic spell-like abilities given above: 3/day—ego whip (2d4 Cha, DC 13), mental disruption (DC 13), concussion blast (two targets, 2d6 damage); 1/day—greater concealing amorpha. Manifester level 7th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Skills: An embrac has a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in underground or rocky areas, due to its coloration.
Source: Lords of Madness, page 154.
Somewhat feline in build, this stocky quadruped has a short tail, muscular legs, a thick neck, and a flat, broad head. Its fur is stone-gray in color. Its has large eyes of dull red, and its snout and jaws are long and full of small, sharp teeth.
Dangerous underground predators, kigrids attack any potential prey they encounter. They are persistent and determined stalkers, using their darkvision and scent abilities to identify and follow their quarry.
Kigrids are cunning hunters that try to force their prey into dead-end tunnels, off cliff edges, and into other obstacles to prevent their escape. If their quarry puts up determined resistance, the kigrids might negotiate or withdraw if the entire pack is in danger. Kigrids seem to understand most spoken languages (perhaps this is a latent psionic ability) and can reply in Undercommon with a growling, howling voice.
A kigrid pulls down prey with its powerful bite. It uses its poisonous rake to finish off grappled opponents. A kigrid cannot begin a grapple and perform a rake attack in the same round.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a kigrid must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and makes two rake attacks against its foe.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 16, initial and secondary damage 1d4 Dex. A kigrid delivers its poison only with its rake special attack (it has poison spurs near its rear claws). The save DC is Constitution-based.
Psionics (Sp): 3/day—blink, daze monster (DC 12), detect thoughts (DC 12). Caster level 5th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
If you are using the Expanded Psionics Handbook in your game, you can substitute the following psi-like abilities for the psionic spell-like abilities given for the kigrid: 3/day—concealing amorpha, id insinuation (2 targets, DC 13), read thoughts (DC 12). Manifester level 5th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +10, damage 1d6+2 plus poison (see above). A kigrid makes two rake attacks when it attacks a grappled opponent.
Skills: Kigrids have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Jump and Survival checks.
Source: Lords of Madness, page 155.
This baboonlike creature has a beard of half a dozen small tentacles hanging from its chin. Its fur is a murky brown color, and it has large, blue-black eyes. It stands about 3 feet high but moves in a crouch, with arms as long as its legs. It has three fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot.
Saltors are just one of many kinds of subterranean scavengers. They eat anything they can catch: worms, grubs, snails, fish, crayfi sh, moss, fungi, and so on. As might be expected, their diet is light on protein; this can make them dangerous foes to small, lightly armed, or wounded parties of adventurers.
Saltors are intelligent beings, and they know well that they are weaker than most other underground dwellers. To compensate for this, they use weapons and tools to make foraging and hunting small game easier. Parties that treat saltors well and have metal tools to offer might be able to garner information from the creatures about the region in which they live. Saltors speak Undercommon in a barking tone.
Even a pack of saltors would not be a match for a well-equipped and wary party of heroes if not for the creatures’ psionics and special sonic attack.
Psionics (Sp): 3/day—blur, magic missile; 1/day—haste (self only). Caster level 3rd.
If you are using the Expanded Psionics Handbook in your game, you can substitute the following psi-like abilities for the psionic spell-like abilities given for the saltor: 3/day—concealing amorpha, energy ray (3d4 sonic); 1/day—hustle. Manifester level 3rd.
Screech (Su): As a standard action, a saltor can emit a high-pitched, piercing shriek in a 20-foot cone. The shriek deals 2d8 points of sonic damage to all nonsaltors and stuns such creatures for 1 round. A DC 13 Fortitude save negates the stun and halves the damage. Once it screeches, a saltor cannot screech again for 1 hour, so saltors save their screeches until they are sure they need them.
One saltor screeching sets off all the other adults in the troop as well. This protective measure allows the troop to escape peril. Victims of multiple screeches must save against each screech separately; success against one does not provide immunity to the next.
Skills: Saltors have a +4 racial bonus on Jump and Spot checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. Saltors can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. Saltors use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Jump checks.
Source: Lords of Madness, page 156. Corrected the screech save DC. Corrected secondary weapon damage; it was treated as having the Multiattack feat when it did not.