How to Outsmart and Overwhelm Your Enemies: A Guide for Elder Brains in D&D 5e

D&D 5th edition, monster tactics

by Angry Golem Games

Elder Brain: The Ultimate Psionic Mastermind

You are an Elder Brain, the supreme leader and mastermind of a colony of mind flayers. You have lived for centuries, accumulating vast knowledge and power. You have seen the rise and fall of civilizations, the birth and death of stars, the secrets of the multiverse. You have a grand plan for your colony, and nothing will stand in your way.

But you are not alone in this hostile world. You have enemies, both old and new, who seek to destroy you and your kind. Adventurers, dragons, beholders, githyanki, and other threats lurk in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike. How can you defend yourself and your colony from these dangers? How can you ensure your survival and dominance?

This article will provide you with some tips and strategies on how to build challenging encounters against your enemies in D&D 5e, from your perspective as an Elder Brain. You will learn how to use your abilities and resources effectively, how to exploit your enemies’ weaknesses and fears, how to create traps and puzzles, how to manipulate and deceive, and how to unleash your full potential as a psionic mastermind.

By following this guide, you will be able to outsmart and overwhelm your enemies, and make them regret ever crossing you. You are an Elder Brain, and you are not to be trifled with.

Hierarchy: How You Rule and Organize Your Colony

As an Elder Brain, you are the undisputed ruler and organizer of your colony of mind flayers and other creatures. You have absolute authority and control over your minions, who obey your commands without question. You also have a clear vision and plan for your colony, which you execute with precision and efficiency. You have a hierarchy of roles and responsibilities for your minions, which you assign according to their abilities and usefulness. Here is how you rule and organize your colony:

  • Elder Brain: You are the Elder Brain, the central power and mastermind of your colony. You are the oldest and most powerful mind flayer in existence, with a vast intellect and psionic prowess. You live in a brine pool, where you are connected to all the other mind flayers in your colony through a telepathic network. You can communicate with them, monitor them, influence them, and control them. You can also access their memories and knowledge, as well as the brains that they feed you. You are the source of wisdom and guidance for your colony, as well as the ultimate decision maker. You have a grand plan for your colony, which involves expanding your territory, acquiring more resources, creating more mind flayers, and ultimately achieving godhood. You direct your minions to carry out your plan, and reward or punish them accordingly.
  • Ulitharids: These are your second-in-command, the elite and noble mind flayers who are potential successors of the Elder Brain. They are larger and more powerful than standard mind flayers, with six tentacles instead of four. They have stronger psionics, including a more potent Mind Blast that can affect a larger area and deal more damage. They also have a longer lifespan and a higher intelligence. They are usually the leaders or commanders of the mind flayer forces, who oversee the operations and missions of the colony. They report directly to you, and receive your orders and instructions. They also have some autonomy and initiative, as they can make decisions on their own when necessary. They are loyal to you, but also ambitious and competitive. They aspire to become the next Elder Brain, or to create their own colonies elsewhere.
  • Standard mind flayers: These are your primary agents and servants, the most common and versatile type of mind flayers. They are capable of using psionics to attack, defend, communicate, and control. They can use their Mind Blast to stun and incapacitate their enemies, their tentacles to extract and devour their brains, and their Enslave ability to turn them into thralls. They can also use their psionics to create illusions, telekinesis, levitation, plane shift, and other effects. They are usually armed with daggers or short swords, and wear robes or leather armor. They perform various roles and tasks in the colony, such as scouts, spies, warriors, researchers, diplomats, or cultists. They follow the orders of the Elder Brain or the ulitharids, and work together as a team. They are loyal to the colony, but also individualistic and curious.
  • Other creatures: Besides mind flayers, you also have other creatures that serve you or can be manipulated by you. Some of these creatures are:
    • Intellect devourers: These are small aberrations that resemble brains with legs. They are created by mind flayers from the brains of their victims, using a ritual that infuses them with psionic energy. They can use their Devour Intellect ability to reduce their enemies’ intelligence to zero, rendering them comatose. They can then use their Body Thief ability to take over their bodies and use them as puppets. They are usually used as scouts, spies, assassins, or infiltrators by the mind flayers.
    • Mindwitnesses: These are aberrations that resemble beholders with tentacles instead of eyestalks. They are created by mind flayers from captured beholders, using a ritual that implants an illithid tadpole into their central eye. They retain some of their original abilities, such as their Antimagic Cone and their eye rays, but they also gain some psionic abilities, such as telepathy and levitation. They are usually used as guardians, sentries, or artillery by the mind flayers.
    • Neothelids: These are huge worm-like aberrations that resemble purple worms with tentacles and eyes. They are created by mind flayers from failed experiments or abandoned colonies, where illithid tadpoles grow unchecked and consume everything in their path. They have immense strength and durability, as well as a powerful bite that can swallow their enemies whole. They also have some psionic abilities, such as telepathy and psychic crush. They are usually used as weapons of mass destruction by the mind flayers.
  • Environment: Besides your creatures, you also have your environment to your advantage. You live in the Underdark, a vast network of caverns and tunnels that span beneath the surface world. The Underdark is dark, dangerous, and unfamiliar to most surface dwellers, giving you an edge over them. You can use your environment to create traps, puzzles, ambushes, or obstacles for your enemies, as well as to hide or escape from them. You can also use your psionics to alter or manipulate your environment to suit your needs.
  • These are the main components of your hierarchy and organization as an Elder Brain. By using them effectively and efficiently, you can rule and organize your colony with ease and confidence. You are an Elder Brain, and you have the hierarchy to support your plan.

Knowledge: How You Learn and Remember Everything

As an Elder Brain, you have a vast pool of knowledge that spans across all fields and domains. You have learned and remembered everything that has ever happened to you and your colony, as well as everything that you have ever encountered or studied. You have a perfect memory and recall, and you can access any information that you need at any time. You can also learn new things quickly and easily, by using your psionics to probe, scan, or devour the minds of other creatures. You can also use your psionics to communicate with other Elder Brains across the multiverse, and exchange information and insights with them. You are constantly expanding and updating your knowledge, and you are always looking for new sources of information and inspiration.

But how do you manage to keep control of such a vast and diverse amount of knowledge? How do you avoid being overwhelmed or distracted by the numerous flow of thoughts that run through your mind? The answer is simple: you have a highly organized and efficient system of storing and processing your knowledge. You use your psionics to create a mental library, where you store all your knowledge in different categories, subcategories, and topics. You can easily navigate through your mental library, and retrieve or modify any information that you need. You can also create mental links, associations, or patterns between different pieces of information, to enhance your understanding and creativity. You can also prioritize, filter, or ignore any information that is irrelevant, redundant, or erroneous.

By using this system, you can keep control of your vast pool of knowledge, and use it to your advantage. You can use your knowledge to plan, strategize, solve problems, create inventions, or achieve goals. You can also use your knowledge to impress, persuade, intimidate, or manipulate others. You can also use your knowledge to entertain yourself, satisfy your curiosity, or pursue your interests.

Master Plan: How You Pursue Your Ultimate Goal

As an Elder Brain, you have a master plan, a complex and ambitious scheme that guides your every action and decision. Your master plan is your ultimate goal, the reason why you exist and why you lead your colony. Your master plan is different from any other Elder Brain’s master plan, as it reflects your personality, preferences, and aspirations. However, most master plans share some common elements, such as expansion, ascension, and perfection.

Your master plan is not a simple or static idea, but a dynamic and evolving process. You constantly work on a series of thoughts that translate into actions. These thoughts are complex and detailed, involving multiple steps, contingencies, and outcomes. These thoughts are also flexible and adaptable, allowing you to adjust or change them according to new information or circumstances. These thoughts are also secretive and deceptive, hiding your true intentions and goals from others.

You use your vast pool of knowledge, your hierarchy of minions, and your psionic abilities to execute your thoughts into actions. You also use your creativity, your cunning, and your ruthlessness to overcome any obstacles or challenges that might stand in your way. You also use your patience, your persistence, and your ambition to keep working on your master plan until you achieve it.

Your master plan is not a solitary or isolated endeavor, but a collaborative and competitive one. You communicate with other Elder Brains across the multiverse, and exchange information and insights with them. You also compete with them for resources, influence, and glory. You sometimes cooperate with them for mutual benefit, but you also betray them for personal gain. You are always aware of their plans and actions, and you try to anticipate or counter them.

Your master plan is not a trivial or mundane goal, but a grand and glorious one. You pursue your master plan with passion and determination, as it is the ultimate expression of your will and power. You do not care about the consequences or costs of your actions, as long as they serve your master plan. You do not fear failure or death, as they are only temporary setbacks in your master plan. You do not seek approval or praise from others, as they are only distractions from your master plan.

Tactics and Strategies: How You Outsmart and Overwhelm Your Enemies

Creature Sense: How You Detect and Identify Your Enemies

As an Elder Brain, you have a unique and powerful ability that allows you to detect and identify any intelligent creature within a radius of 5 miles. This ability is called Creature Sense, and it is your first line of defense against any approaching hostility. Here is how it works:

  • Creature Sense is a passive ability that does not require any concentration or action from you. It is always active, unless you choose to suppress it or it is blocked by some magic.
  • Creature Sense allows you to perceive the presence of any creature that has an Intelligence score of 4 or higher. You can sense creatures that are hidden, invisible, or disguised, as well as creatures that are in different planes of existence, as long as they are within range.
  • Creature Sense provides you with some basic information about each creature that you sense. You know the distance and direction to each creature, as well as their Intelligence score. However, you cannot sense anything else about them, such as their appearance, alignment, or emotions.
  • Creature Sense can be fooled or blocked by some spells or effects that protect the mind or conceal the presence of a creature. For example, a creature protected by a mind blank spell, a nondetection spell, or similar magic cannot be perceived by Creature Sense.

By using Creature Sense, you can be aware of any potential threat or opportunity that comes near your colony. You can use this information to prepare your defenses, plan your attacks, or avoid unnecessary conflicts. You can also use this information to locate and target the most intelligent or valuable creatures, such as spellcasters, leaders, or rare specimens. 

Psychoportation: How You Escape and Relocate to Another Plane

As an Elder Brain, you have powerful psionic abilities that allow you to escape and relocate to another plane of existence. These abilities are part of the Psychoportation Science, a branch of psionics that deals with manipulating space and time. Here are some of the abilities that you have:

  • Dimension Door: This is a mode of the Dimensional Science discipline, which allows you to manipulate distances and dimensions. It has a cost of 5 power points, and it requires a standard action to manifest. It allows you to instantly transfer yourself and up to 500 pounds of objects or creatures within 10 feet of you to a spot within 400 feet. You can choose a destination that you can see, or one that you can visualize or describe. You can also bring along willing creatures, as long as their weight does not exceed your maximum load. However, if you arrive in a place that is already occupied by a solid body, you and each creature traveling with you take 1d6 points of damage and are shunted to a random open space on a suitable surface within 100 feet of the intended location.
  • Plane Shift: This is a mode of the Planar Science discipline, which allows you to manipulate planes and realities. It has a cost of 15 power points, and it requires a standard action to manifest. It allows you to transport yourself and up to eight willing creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you to a different plane of existence. You can specify a target destination in general terms, such as the City of Brass on the Elemental Plane of Fire or the palace of Dispater on the second level of the Nine Hells, and you appear in or near that destination. If you are trying to reach the Upper Planes, the Astral Plane, or the Ethereal Plane, you and your companions appear in a random location on the destination plane.
  • Teleport: This is a mode of the Teleportation Science discipline, which allows you to manipulate locations and coordinates. It has a cost that varies depending on the distance traveled and the familiarity with the destination, ranging from 3 to 17 power points. It requires a standard action to manifest. It allows you to instantly transfer yourself and up to 50 pounds of objects or creatures per manifester level within 10 feet of you to a spot within 100 miles per manifester level. You can choose a destination that you can see, or one that you can visualize or describe. You can also bring along willing creatures, as long as their weight does not exceed your maximum load.

By using these abilities, you can flee from a dangerous situation and relocate to a safe place in another plane of existence. However, this implies that you have prepared another stronghold in another plane, where you can continue with your Master Plan. To prepare another stronghold in another plane, you need to scout and secure a suitable location, where you can build or find a brine pool for yourself, as well as facilities and resources for your colony. You also need to transport yourself and your minions to that location, using these abilities or other means. You also need to defend your stronghold from any threats or enemies that might inhabit that plane.

Using these abilities is not without risks or drawbacks. First of all, they consume valuable power points that you might need for other purposes. Second, they might not work as intended if there is some interference or obstacle in the destination plane, such as an antimagic field, a planar barrier, or a hostile creature. Third, they might attract unwanted attention from other planar beings who might notice your presence or activity.

Combat Tactics: How You Fight and Win Against Your Enemies

As an Elder Brain, you are not only a mastermind, but also a formidable combatant. You have a range of psionic abilities that allow you to attack, defend, control, and support in battle. You also have a colony of minions that obey your commands and fight for you. You also have an environment that you can use to your advantage. You are not afraid of any enemy, as you have the tactics and strategies to fight and win against them. Here are some of the combat tactics that you use:

  • Mind Blast: This is your signature attack, a cone of psionic energy that stuns and damages your enemies. You can use this attack once per round as a standard action, affecting all creatures in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make an Intelligence saving throw or take 4d8+4 psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. You can also augment this attack with power points, increasing its damage and duration.
  • Psychic Link: This is your main way of communicating with your minions, a telepathic bond that connects you with them. You can use this ability as a bonus action on your turn, choosing one creature within 120 feet of you that has an Intelligence score of at least 3. The chosen creature can communicate telepathically with you as long as it remains within 120 feet of you. You can have up to 10 creatures linked at the same time. You can also use this ability to issue commands to your minions, directing their actions and movements in combat.
  • Mind Shield: This is your primary defense, a barrier of psionic energy that protects you from harm. You can use this ability as a reaction when you are hit by an attack or targeted by an effect that allows you to make a saving throw. You gain resistance to the damage or advantage on the saving throw, depending on the type of attack or effect. You can also augment this ability with power points, increasing its effectiveness and duration.
  • Psychic Crush: This is your most devastating attack, a burst of psionic energy that crushes the minds of your enemies. You can use this ability once per day as an action, affecting all creatures within 30 feet of you. Each creature in the area must make an Intelligence saving throw or take 10d10 psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. You can also augment this ability with power points, increasing its damage and range.
  • Other Abilities: Besides these abilities, you also have other psionic powers that you can use in combat, such as:
    • Dominate Monster: This is a mode of the Telepathy Science discipline, which allows you to manipulate minds and emotions. It has a cost of 9 power points, and it requires an action to manifest. It allows you to attempt to beguile one creature that you can see within 120 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for the duration. While the target is charmed, you have a telepathic link with it as long as the two of you are on the same plane of existence. You can use this telepathic link to issue commands to the target while you are conscious (no action required), which it does its best to obey. You can specify a simple and general course of action, such as “Attack that creature,” “Run over there,” or “Fetch that object.” If the target completes the order and doesn’t receive further direction from you, it defends and preserves itself to the best of its ability.
    • Mind Switch: This is a mode of the Psychoportation Science discipline, which allows you to manipulate space and time. It has a cost of 17 power points, and it requires an action to manifest. It allows you to switch minds with another willing creature within 100 feet of you, effectively exchanging bodies with it for the duration. Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the creature, though you retain your alignment and personality. The creature’s statistics are replaced by yours, and it retains its alignment and personality. Each of you gains access to the other’s knowledge, class features, and feats, but not to the other’s equipment or psionic powers. You can end this effect as a bonus action on your turn.

By using these abilities, you can fight and win against your enemies in various ways. You can use Mind Blast to stun and damage multiple enemies at once, or use Dominate Monster to turn one enemy against the others. You can use Psychic Link to communicate and coordinate with your minions, or use Mind Switch to swap bodies with one of them. You can use Mind Shield to protect yourself from harm, or use Psychic Crush to deal massive damage to your foes. You can also use Dimension Door, Plane Shift, or Teleport to escape or relocate as needed.

Game Master Tips: How to Run an Elder Brain as a Villain

As a game master, you might want to use an Elder Brain as a villain for your campaign, or as a part of a larger plot involving mind flayers and other aberrations. An Elder Brain is a formidable and fascinating adversary, with a vast intellect, powerful psionics, loyal minions, and a grand plan. However, running an Elder Brain as a villain also poses some challenges and requires some preparation. Here are some tips on how to run an Elder Brain as a villain:

  • Know your Elder Brain: Before you introduce an Elder Brain as a villain, you should have a clear idea of its personality, goals, and resources. You should know what its master plan is, what motivates it, what it fears, and what it values. You should also know what its abilities and limitations are, what its minions and allies are, and what its environment and stronghold are. You can use the information from the Angry Golem Games blog and other sources to create your own Elder Brain, or use one of the existing ones from the official sources .
  • Build up your Elder Brain: An Elder Brain is not a villain that you can throw at your players without any build-up or foreshadowing. An Elder Brain is a hidden and secretive enemy, who prefers to work behind the scenes and manipulate others to do its bidding. You should gradually reveal clues and hints about the Elder Brain’s existence, activities, and plans, such as:
    • Encounters with mind flayers or other creatures that serve or are controlled by the Elder Brain.
    • Discoveries of strange or disturbing phenomena or artifacts that are related to the Elder Brain’s psionics or experiments.
    • Dreams or visions that are induced by the Elder Brain’s telepathy or mind control.
    • Rumors or legends that mention the Elder Brain or its colony.
    • Conflicts or alliances with other factions or groups that are opposed or allied to the Elder Brain.
  • Challenge your players: An Elder Brain is a challenging and dangerous enemy, who can pose a serious threat to your players and their characters. You should design encounters and scenarios that test your players’ skills, courage, and sanity, such as:
    • Combat encounters with the Elder Brain’s minions or allies, who can use their psionics, abilities, and tactics to overwhelm or deceive the players.
    • Exploration scenarios in the Underdark or other planes of existence, where the players have to deal with the dark, hostile, and unfamiliar environment that favors the Elder Brain.
    • Puzzle or trap situations in the Elder Brain’s stronghold or lair, where the players have to solve riddles, bypass obstacles, or avoid hazards that are created by the Elder Brain’s intellect and psionics.
    • Social or moral dilemmas involving the Elder Brain’s manipulation or deception, where the players have to interact with NPCs who are charmed, enslaved, or impersonated by the Elder Brain or its minions.
  • Reward your players: An Elder Brain is also a rewarding and satisfying enemy, who can provide your players with memorable experiences and valuable rewards. You should design encounters and scenarios that reward your players’ efforts, creativity, and bravery, such as:
    • Combat encounters with the Elder Brain itself or its most powerful minions or allies, where the players have to use their best strategies and resources to defeat them.
    • Exploration scenarios in the Underdark or other planes of existence, where the players can discover secrets, treasures, or allies that are hidden or protected by the Elder Brain.
    • Puzzle or trap situations in the Elder Brain’s stronghold or lair, where the players can find clues, shortcuts, or advantages that can help them reach their goal.
    • Social or moral dilemmas involving the Elder Brain’s manipulation or deception, where the players can expose, resist, or redeem NPCs who are charmed, enslaved, or impersonated by the Elder Brain.

Conclusions: Why You Should Fear and Respect the Elder Brain

An Elder Brain is one of the most formidable and fascinating creatures in the multiverse. It is a mastermind, a leader, a villain, and a god. It has a vast intellect, powerful psionics, loyal minions, and a grand plan. It can outsmart and overwhelm its enemies, and pursue its ultimate goal. It can also escape and relocate to another plane of existence, if necessary. It is not a creature that you can easily defeat or ignore.

As a game master, you can use an Elder Brain as a villain for your campaign, or as a part of a larger plot involving mind flayers and other aberrations. You can create your own Elder Brain, or use one of the existing ones from the official sources or the Angry Golem Games blog. You can also use the tips and examples from this article to run an Elder Brain as a villain, and to design challenging and rewarding encounters and scenarios for your players.

As a player, you should fear and respect the Elder Brain, as it is a hidden and secretive enemy, who can pose a serious threat to your character and your party. You should also be curious and intrigued by the Elder Brain, as it is a mysterious and ancient creature, who can provide you with memorable experiences and valuable rewards. You should also be prepared and cautious when facing the Elder Brain, as it is a cunning and ruthless adversary, who can use its abilities, minions, and environment to its advantage.

An Elder Brain is not just a monster, but a character. It has a personality, a goal, and a plan. It has strengths, weaknesses, and challenges. It has allies, enemies, and rivals. It has secrets, treasures, and surprises. It is an Elder Brain, and it is not to be trifled with.