Ideas for the Mindflayer, let's hear 'em

[scadgrad]

I'm not so keen on using the old AD&D version w/ psionics and would rather simply use a version that has it's powers in an easier to utilize format. Any ideas?

[Mark]

The 2E AD&D had a non-psionic variant. Beyond the tentacle attacks,

A mind flayer can also use the following arcane powers, one per round, as a 7th level mage: suggestion, charm person, charm monster, ESP, levitate, astral projection and plane shift. All saving throws against these powers are made at a -4, due to the creature's mental prowess.

That might give you a starting place.

[Blood axe]

The 2E AD&D had a non-psionic variant. Beyond the tentacle attacks,

A mind flayer can also use the following arcane powers, one per round, as a 7th level mage: suggestion, charm person, charm monster, ESP, levitate, astral projection and plane shift. All saving throws against these powers are made at a -4, due to the creature's mental prowess.

That might give you a starting place.

Thats a good idea!

[johnnybleu]

I sure love me some mindflayers, and was also thinking of ways to use them in LL without all the fuss of the AD&D version. I had the intention of simply making up all the powers as I see fit and just make up rules for how they work.

I think Mark's suggestion of using similar M-U spells as a template is a pretty good idea, actually.

[Dyson Logos]

Psionic Blast can be quickly replaced with a cone effect that forces a save versus paralysis or be rendered out of the fight for x amount of time.

It's effectively what I gave my Obscene Eyes.

[Mark]

I think Mark's suggestion of using similar M-U spells as a template is a pretty good idea, actually.

That's actually a quote from 2E Monstrous Manual...not my idea.

[Mach Front]

If you've access to the first issue of Strategic Review (or can find a way to access it...somewhere...out there ), that's where the Mind Flayer first appeared. As such it doesn't make use of the psionic rules. By that I mean it doesn't enumerate it's psionic abilities. Being made for OD&D it would work quite well for Classic D&D and LL I'd suspect.

Outside of it's physical attack, it's mind blast is it's only other ability. This is simply presented as a table that shows intelligence of the target, gives a save based on that and range and obviously a result for a failed save (Death, sleep 1 hour, insanity, etc.).
(Maybe just such a table is used for the AD&D version too, as I didn't see a description of the mind blast in the MM, nor in the PHB though saw a reference to psionic blast and further reference to another table that I didn't find...so it must be in the DMG, but that's all I'm going to read on psionics and frankly is more than I've read about them in all the 25 years I've been gaming. )

[Adapt]

You might want to take a look at the "Brian Lasher" in the Mutant Future rules.

[scadgrad]

Thanks for the posts guys, for simplicity's sake, I think I'll likely use the original from Strategic Review #1. Damn, I had no idea those were so easy to find on the old interwebz.