# Elder Brain >[!rimg]+ > ![[Placeholder2.png]] *Here lies a great, fibrous mass of fused brain tissue, covered in writhing tendrils. It pulsates and glows like an ember, releasing visible flares of psychic power.* <div class="grid-container"><div class="MON">Elder Brain</div> <div class="CR">CR 25 (1,638,400 XP)</div> <div class="SOU">Lords of Madness pg. 144</div> <div class="SYS">Dungeons & Dragons 3.5</div></div> LE Large Aberration **Init** +5 **Senses** blindsight 240 ft., darkvision 60 ft., thoughtsense 360 ft.; **Perception** +40 #### defense **AC** 30, 10 touch, 29 flat-footed (+1 Dex, +20 natural, -1 size) **hp** 507 (26d8+390); regeneration 10 (sonic or acid) **Fort** +24, **Refl** +11, **Will** +24 **Feint** 47, **Demoralize** 43 **DR** 15/adamantine; **SR** 36 **Resist** cold 10, fire 10 #### offense **Speed** fly 30 ft. (good), swim 30 ft. **Melee** 4 tendrils +20 (1d6+1 plus grab) **Space** 10 ft., **Reach** 10 ft. **Special Attacks** bud brain golem, extract, mind blast (60-ft. cone, DC 31, 3d4 rounds) **Psi-Like Abilities** (ML 20th; Concentration +28) > **At will**— _astral projection_, _charm monster_, _detect thoughts_, _dominate monster_, _mass suggestion_, _plane shift_ > **3/day**— quickened _charm monster_, quickened _mass suggestion_ **Psion Powers Known** (PP 423, ML 20th, Concentration +28) > **0 (at-will)—** 0 > **1st—** _defensive precognition_, _detect psionics_, _mind thrust_, _psionic charm_, _vigor_ > **2nd—** _body equilibrium_, _ego whip_, _id insinuation_, _psionic levitate_, _psionic suggestion_, _read thoughts_ > **3rd—** _body adjustment_, _body purif ication_, _dispel psionics_, _false sensory input_, _mental barrier_ > **4th—** _intellect fortress_, _personality parasite_, _psionic dimension door_, _psionic divination_, _psionic dominate_, _schism_ > **5th—** _adapt body_, _mind probe_, _psionic plane shift_, _psychic crush_, _shatter mind blank_ > **6th—** _energy wave_, _mass cloud mind_, _psionic disintegrate_, _psionic true seeing_ > **7th—** _crisis of life_, _insanity_, _personal mind blank_ > **8th—** _mind seed_, _psionic greater teleport_, _true metabolism_ > **9th—** _apopsi_, _assimilate_, _microcosm_, _psychic chirurgery_ #### statistics **Str** 13, **Dex** 13, **Con** 38, **Int** 28, **Wis** 25, **Cha** 26 **BAB** +19, **CMB** +21, **CMD** 32, **TA** +19, **RTA** +19 **Feats** [[Alertness]], [[Great Fortitude]], [[Greater Psionic Weapon]], [[Improved Initiative]], [[Iron Will]], [[Lightning Reflexes]], [[Psionic Meditation]], [[Psionic Weapon]], [[Quicken Power]], [[Quicken Spell-Like Ability]] (charm monster), [[Quicken Spell-Like Ability]] (mass suggestion), [[Toughness]], [[Weapon Focus]] (tendril) **Skills** Autohypnosis +38, Bluff +34, Diplomacy +34, Disguise +34, Fly +32, Intimidate +37, Knowledge (arcana) +35, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +35, Knowledge (history) +35, Perception +40, Sense Motive +37, Spellcraft +38, Swim +38 **Languages** Aklo, Common; telepathy 360 ft. #### special abilities ### Bud Brain Golem (Ex) Once per day, an elder brain can bud a portion of its flesh, forming a golemlike creature composed of fused and hardened brains. An elder brain can never have more than three active brain golems at a time. ### Extract (Ex) An elder brain that begins its turn with an opponent pinned with its tentacles can attempt a grapple check to extracts the opponent's brain. If successful, the elder brain extracts and consumes the creature's brain, which kills it instantly (unless it has multiple brains). Creatures without brains are not affected by this ability. ### Mind Blast (Su) An elder brain can use its mind blast once every 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based. #### tactics An elder brain uses its quickened spell-like abilities in the same round that it makes melee attacks with its tendrils, if possible. It begins a combat against multiple foes with a mind blast. #### ecology **Terrain** Underground **Organization** Solitary **Treasure** Standard **Advancement** 27–38 HD (Large); 39–78 HD (Huge) An elder brain is the ultimate stage of the mind flayer life cycle. A malevolent being of godlike intellect, an elder brain serves as the center of any mind flayer city, guiding its host community toward the fulfillment of its dark dreams of illithid dominion. An elder brain spends most of its existence floating within the depths of a briny pool in a protected cavern at the heart of a mind flayer city. Its visible psychic energy is a side effect of the power that allows it to remain active long after the bodily deaths of the individual mind flayers whose brains compose its form. ### Elder Brain Society An elder brain is the physical and spiritual center of its illithid community. It serves as a living repository of the community’s technology, history, and psionic expertise, as well as its advisor (or more often, as its de facto leader). It is the right and obligation of every illithid to merge with the elder brain when its natural life span nears its end. Though most illithids hope otherwise, their sacrifice is complete— their egos are subsumed, and their gray matter serves only to revitalize the elder brain. An elder brain preys upon the thousands of illithid tadpoles that share its briny pool. The tadpoles that survive are deemed strong enough to be used to create true illithids.