Page 69 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

and filled with an alchemical solution. A brain placed in the Moderate divination; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item, Rary’s

canister lives on indefinitely, although it is unconscious and telepathic bond or telepathy as a special ability; Price 10,000 gp.

insensible. Dampsuit: A dampsuit is a close-fitting bodysuit of slick
Removing a brain for storage in the canister requires a DC leather that covers a mind flayer from head to toe. It seals in a

25 Heal check (mind flayers gain a +5 circumstance bonus on creature’s precious body moisture when the illithid ventures
this check due to their natural facility at the task). The body away from the dark, clammy warrens where it normally lives.
must be living when removal begins, and the brain must be The suit itself consists of several complex layers, each moist-
placed in the canister within 1 minute of removal, or it dies. ened and lubricated with mucus for easy movement. The suit
The creature whose brain is removed dies immediately and traps all moisture that escapes from the wearer’s body and
cannot be raised or resurrected unless the brain is recovered
recirculates it.
CHAPTER 4 THE MIND FLAYERS or destroyed. Wearing a dampsuit, a mind flayer can operate in dry, hot

Mind flayers sometimes use brain canisters to store meals for
conditions that would quickly exhaust or kill an unprotected

illithid. Under normal conditions, a mind flayer’s tentacles
long journeys, when it might not be possible to feed as often
remain curled up inside a special pouch designed for just that
as they like. They also store the brains of particularly interest-
ing humanoids, so they can perform terrible experiments or
transplants on the brain or question these individuals through purpose on the front of the suit. When needed, they can be
thrust out through a valve in the face mask, then withdrawn
various psionic means. (along with a brain) when their work is done.
Faint necromancy; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, gentle A dampsuit is a suit of +1 slick leather armor that protects its
repose; Price 30,000 gp; Weight 5 lb. wearer with an endure elements effect.

Brainmate: Mind flayers in the vicinity of an elder brain Faint abjuration; CL 4th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor,
feel its presence constantly. This is not an unpleasant sensation endure elements, grease; Price 6,910 gp; Cost 3,535 gp.
for them. The never-ending hum of the elder brain’s activity is a Striator: This uniquely illithid stylus looks like nothing

reassuring sensation for an illithid. When a mind flayer travels more than a nicely polished piece of wood or bone. It typically

outside the elder brain’s range of influence, that comforting is about a foot long, an inch wide, and a quarter to a half-inch
presence is lost. An imperfect solution to this problem is the thick. More ornate versions have pleasantly sweeping curves

brainmate. that fit the hand or are decorated with intricate inked carvings.
The brainmate consists of a tiny bud, about the size of a The only universal distinguishing characteristics are four

walnut, taken from an elder brain and encased in a crystal small, flattened nibs at one end.

globe filled with mucus. The brain matter itself might or might When a creature grasps the stylus and draws it across a piece
not be visible within the murky goo. The globe can be worn of parchment or paper, the striator reads the thoughts of the
on a chain around the neck or simply carried on the wearer’s writer and causes a pattern of dashes and spaces to be raised up
person. on the surface in four parallel lines. This is Qualith, a system
A brainmate is nominally sentient. It contains a tiny of tactile writing used by illithids (see Language, below).
portion of the elder brain’s knowledge, and it responds to The striator draws its information directly from the user’s
direct telepathic questions. Although a brainmate does not thoughts and transcribes the data into Qualith whether the
provide the comforting background hum of mental activity writer understands Qualith or not.

that illithids find so soothing, it is a useful companion to a Faint divination; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, detect

far-ranging mind flayer. thoughts; Price 1,500 gp.
If the wearer has the telepathy special ability, the ability Thought Extruder: On occasion, a brain is more valuable to

to cast Rary’s telepathic bond, or the mindlink psionic power, mind flayers if it’s not eaten. Prisoners, for example, might have

he can access the brainmate to make use of its knowledge. A important knowledge that the mind flayers need but cannot

brainmate possesses 10 ranks in two specific Knowledge skills, extract by brute force. No matter how powerful a character’s
allowing the wearer to make checks in those specific skills as psionic or magic resistance to mind-reading might be, it can

if he possessed the same number of ranks. The wearer uses his be overcome through the use of a thought extruder. The device
own Intelligence modifier on these checks allows no saving throw and does not permit spell resistance.

Besides storing information from the elder brain, a brain- This diabolical device is a collapsible cage of wires, mesh,

mate also records everything its owner imparts to it. If the and needles. Once it’s fitted around the head of a restrained

brainmate is worn or carried by a telepathic user, it records subject (which takes 20 minutes), a mind flayer uses its bio-

everything the individual sees, hears, or experiences. It is corrosive enzyme to open a fist-sized hole in the prisoner’s
common, therefore, for illithid spies to be equipped with skull, exposing the brain. Needles then drill into the gray
brainmates. When a spy returns to its community, the elder matter, probing for active thought centers, pleasure and pain
brain has perfect access to everything the spy encountered, receptors, and repressed or shielded memories. The operator
with no memory loss or room for misinterpretation. must be able to establish telepathic communication with the
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