Hey guys,
Well, first of all I would say that the Kobold/Gnome thing is a bad example because it says right in the stats for making a Gnome that they get a +1 attack versus Kobolds and Goblinoids due to their long standing hatred of one another. So that fact is in the SRD and doesn't need to get extrapolated.
Second: Here's an interesting question on 'If Thoughts Could Kill'. The Author of the book was the one who developed much of what Illithid culture is for TSR back when. I've come to the conclusion that its just safer for one of us peons to avoid using the word Illithid but does Bruce get any special treatment in this regard?
Finally: I thought it was a worthy experiment to see what happened when you gave the stats to someone who didn't know all about What a Mind Flayer was. So I used my girlfriend who has played in a total of 1 and a half adventures that I've been running and was walked through character creation and the like. Her RP background is as a Vampire player primarily. Essentially she has no idea what a mind flayer is but knows how to read D&D stats. Here is what she came up with:
"Huh...well...let's see...before I got down to the part that says "tentacles around the mouth" I was thinking no mouth. but since it definately has a mouth, now I'm thinking like a hagfish with the always open circular mouth and teeth all around. And of course the tentacles around that...kinda like long slimey whiskers. It's got a huge head, especially the forehead which protrudes to enhance its telepathic powers. I didn't think much about the body, but since it moves around under_ground_ not just in water or something, I would say that it probably has a humanoid body, so its not like a squid or something. And its skin is clammy like a frog and dark mottled color to hide underground. And it doesn't make any sounds because it doesn't have vocal chords...it just talks telepathically.
How's that?
-A"
What surprised me was the decission that it probably had a humanoid body.
-Bill
P.S. This is what I sent her to work with:
> Here are the game stats for a monster. As an experiement, could you
> tell me what this creature looks like in your mind?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Love you,
>
> -Me
>
>
>
> Brain Sucker
>
> Medium-Size Aberration
> Hit Dice: 8d8+8 (44 hp)
> Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
> Speed: 30 ft.
> AC: 15 (+2 Dex, +3 natural)
> Attacks: 4 tentacles +8 melee
> Damage: Tentacle 1d4+1
> Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
> Special Attacks: Mind blast, psionics, improved grab, extract Special
> Qualities: SR 25, telepathy
> Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +9
> Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 19, Wis_17, Cha 17
> Skills: Bluff +8, Concentration +12, Hide +8, Intimidate +10,
> Knowledge (any
> two) +9, Listen +10, Move Silently +7, Spot +10
> Feats: Alertness, Combat Casting, Dodge, Improved Initiative,
> Weapon Finesse (tentacle)
>
> Climate/Terrain: Any underground
> Organization: Solitary, pair, inquisition (3-5), or cult (3-5 plus
> 6-10
> -grimlocks)
> Challenge Rating: 8
> Treasure: Double standard
> Alignment: Usually lawful evil
> Advancement: By character class
>
> Brain Suckers speak Undercommon but prefer to communicate
> telepathically.
>
> Combat
>
> Brain Suckers like to fight from a distance, using their psionic
> abilities, particularly their mind blast. If pressed into melee
> combat, a Brain Sucker
> lashes its enemies with the tentacles ringing its mouth.
>
> Mind Blast (Sp): This attack is a cone 60 feet long. Anyone caught in
> this cone must succeed at a Will save (DC 17) or be stunned for 3d4
> rounds. Brain
> Suckers often hunt using this power and then drag off one or
> two of their
> stunned victims to feed upon.
>
> Psionics (Sp): At will-astral projection, charm monster, detect
> thoughts, levitate, plane shift, and suggestion. These abilities are
> as the spells
> cast by an 8th-level sorcerer (save DC 13 + spell level).
>
> Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the Brain Sucker must hit a
> Small to Large creature with its tentacle attack. If it gets a hold,
> it attaches
> the tentacle to the opponent's head. A Brain Sucker can grab a
> Huge or
> larger creature, but only if it can somehow reach the foe's
> head. After a
> successful grab, the Brain Sucker can try to attach its
> remaining tentacles
> with a single grapple check. The opponent can escape with a
> single
> successful grapple check or Escape Artist check, but the Brain
> Sucker gets a
> +2 circumstance bonus for every tentacle that was attached at
> the beginning
> of the opponent's turn.
>
> Extract (Ex): A Brain Sucker that begins its turn with all four
> tentacles attached and successfully maintains its hold automatically
> extracts the
> opponent's brain, instantly killing that creature.
>
> Telepathy (Su): Brain Suckers can communicate telepathically with any
> creature within 100 feet that has a language.
>
>
