Episode 374 - The Mind Killer

These dang Mind Flayers sure are nasty and weirdly obsessed with brains… yikes! Get a better hobby, ya weirdos!

## **Story**

### Long Story

The party is celebrating their recent defeat of the Mind Flayers. Then, Lahni begins to get weird. Her eyes go wide, and she turns to run into the cabin. Doug knows that she's been mind controlled by the Mind Flayers, which is no good. Doug sends his Earth Elemental ahead to scout the area. While they're waiting, Toby begins the interrogation of the one Mind Flayer they captured. He's being obstinate, so Doug rubble puts the fear in him, and he eventually acquiesces. He tells the party that Lahni has been taken to be mind flayed, and gives them directions to the Elder Brain' lair. And a key to said lair. Great! With that done, Toby slaps a Scroll of Teleportation on him, with a note attached explaining the situation. The Mind Flayer is sent to, I think, Grull.

The party heads down the left path, which is where the Mind Flayer told them to go. It doesn't have any trouble in it. Lahni ran to the right, but they both go to the same place. Doug phases through the floor to look on up ahead, and discovers a the Elder Brain! Lahni stands before it, immobile. The Brain is in a pool, which is, in turn, filled with gross brain brine. Doug reports this back to the others. Unfortunately, there is no door for them to walk through, so Lahni begins scraping along the wall to find an opening. Eventually, they are able to find a hidden key slot, and use the key to open the wall/door. As soon as they enter, they are attacked by two Mind Flayers. And the Elder Brain. Which immediately stuns Rowan, Doug, and Skud.

Toby Lightning Bolts the creatures, and Levitates Lahni over toward himself. The Mind Flayers grab Rowan, and bring her in to get bit. Doug is able to wake up, and senses that his elemental friend is on his way to help them. Toby uses *Prestidigitation* to summon an image of Toby 2 making really stinky egg salad sandwiches, to shock Rowan and Skud awake. It works on Skud, but not Rowan. The Elemental Enters and attacks the brain, while Doug turns into Gaseous Form (sand?), and escapes grasp. Skud sends the Mind Flayer attacking himself into a *Maze*, then uses his BattleBot to attack the one that's juuuuuuust about to kill Rowan. And it's enough to kill it! She is saved.

Skud uses *Feeble Mind* to stupid-ify the Elder Brain, and it completely fails to resist it. At the insistence of Doug, Skud decides to capture the Elder Brain in one of his Bone Cards. Also, Doug Rubble is able to get some of the Brain Brine that he needed for his drugs. As a thanks for helping him, he gives the party a rock with runes on it that will grant them entry into the arena to fight the Sorrowful Man. He also gives Toby a Ring of Mind Shielding, which shields his thoughts from being read. Also, if Toby dies while wearing it, his soul enters it. He also, also gives them all free drugs.

### Short

Lahni is brain commanded by the Elder Brain to run to it, so it can eat her brain. lol. The others run in, and manage to just barely defeat them, moments before they kill Rowan. It's a close call, but the are victorious, and then Doug is able to collect his brain brine. He gives the party a token to fight the Sorrowful Man, and Toby a Ring of Mind Shielding. And free drugs.

## **Trivia**

* The Elder Brain can't get any brain energy from Lahni, which is hilarious
* The Elder Brain has a movement of 5 ft/round, but has a tentacle reach of 30 ft
* Rowan has written down (on a napkin) the location of all of her gold, that she's hidden under a tree somewhere, and given the napkin to Lahni, just in case

## **In This Episode...**

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - Toby Treacletart
* Jennifer Cheek - Rowan Grey
* Mike Bachmann - Skud Derringer
* Pat Edwards - Doug Rubble

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Lahni Caplain
* Bercy Hamhands

### **Locations**

* The Elemental Plane of Earth
	+ Jörldin

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [On-Hold] - Stop Tiamat!
* [Active] - Destroy The Orb!
	+ [Active] - Find the first missing piece
		- [Active] - Gain access to the Elite Forge
			* [On Hold] - Defeat Lucious Incendous, Master of the Fire Plane
			* [On Hold] - Defeat Fuckin Gary, Master of the Air Plane
			* [Active] - Defeat The Man of Sorrow, Master of the Earth Plane
				+ ~~[Complete] - Collect the Brain Brine from the Elder Brain~~
	+ [On-Hold] - Find the third missing piece
		- [On-Hold] - Investigate the final location
* [On-Hold] - Find Adira Harper
* [Backburner] - Find Lannie Caplain
	+ [On-Hold] - Investigate Galanthis
* [Active] - Find a way to pay back the Ferrim Pecunia bank of Pelor's Hope
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Great Colosseum in Caer

### **Quotes**

**"When I gobble your brains down, it will sound as if someone is mixing macaroni within a pot."** ~ *The captured Mind Flayer*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Bachmann - 3
	+ Jennifer - 2
	+ Tim - ~~14~~
	+ **Pat - 10**

* **Doug Rubble** rolls *Survival* to see what's going on with Lahni
	+ 16
		- Success - She's been taken over by an elder brain

* **Doug Rubble** rolls *Intimidation* to scare the captured Mind Flayer
	+ 22
		- Success - He is intimidated

* **Rowan** rolls *Insight* to see if the captured Mind Flayer is lying to them
	+ 25
		- Success - He's telling the truth

* **Doug Rubble** rolls *Perception* to see if there are any other Mind Flayers in the room
	+ 10
		- He doesn't see any

* **Toby** and **Rowan** roll *Investigation* to see if they can get into the Elder Brain room
	+ Toby - 16
		- Success - He finds a secret keyhole
	+ Rowan - 7
		- Failure

*Combat Begins vs 2 Mind Flayers + Elder Brain*

* **Initiative**
	+ Toby - 20
	+ Elder Brain
	+ Skud - 11
	+ Mind Flayer 1
	+ Doug - 10
	+ Rowan - 8
	+ Mind Flayer 2

*Round One*

* **Toby**
	+ Casts *Levitate* on Lahni, requiring a Constitution saving throw
		- ?? - She fails and is floating

* **Elder Brain**
	+ Does a *Mind Blast* on everyone, requiring Intelligence saving throws
		- Doug - 4
			* Fail - 32 psychic damage, and stunned for 1 minute
		- Toby - Nat20 + 12
			* Success, rebounds some of the damage back onto it
		- Rowan - 5
			* Fail - 32 psychic damage, and stunned for 1 minute
		- Skud - 14
			* Fail - 32 psychic damage, and stunned for 1 minute

* **Skud**
	+ Is stunned and misses a turn, gets to make a Saving Throw
		- 7 - Fail, still stunned

* **Mind Flayer 1**
	+ Does a *Mind Blast* on Toby, requiring another Intelligence Saving Throw
		- 21 - Success

* **Doug**
	+ Is stunned and misses a turn, gets to make a Saving Throw
		- 5 - Fail, still stunned

* **Rowan**
	+ Is stunned and misses a turn, gets to make a Saving Throw
		- 8 - Fail, still stunned

* **Mind Flayer 2**
	+ Does a *Mind Blast* on Toby, requiring another Intelligence Saving Throw
		- 20 - Success

*Round Two*

* **Toby**
	+ Casts *Lightning Bolt*, requiring a DC 19 Dexterity Saving Throw for all three of them
		- Fail
			* 23 Lightning Damage
		- Fail
			* 23 Lightning Damage
		- Fail
			* 23 Lightning Damage

* **Elder Brain**
	+ Fails to recharge its Mind Blast
	+ Floats toward Toby slowly
	+ Tentacle Attacks Doug
		- 25
			* Hit - 20 bludgeoning damage, and he is grappled/lifted into the air

* **Skud**
	+ Is stunned and misses a turn, gets to make a Saving Throw
		- Nat1 - Fail, still stunned

* **Mind Flayer 1**
	+ Fails to recharge its Mind Blast
		- Grabs Rowan, lifts her, and hits her - 20
			* Hit - 15 psychic damage

* **Doug**
	+ Is stunned and misses a turn, gets to make a Saving Throw
		- 23 - Success, he wakes up!

* **Rowan**
	+ Is stunned and misses a turn, gets to make a Saving Throw
		- 7 - Fail, still stunned

* **Mind Flayer 2**
	+ Grabs Skud, and attacks him - 25
		- Hit - 15 psychic damage

*Round Three*

* **Toby**
	+ Summons a smelly memory to get Skud and Rowan to wake up, requiring Intelligence Saving Throws
		- Skud
			* 20 - Wakes up
		- Rowan
			* 4 - Doesn't wake up

* **Elder Brain**
	+ Fails to recharge its Mind Blast
	+ Tries to scoop up Toby
		- 12 - Fails

* **Skud**
	+ Casts *Maze* on Mind Flayer 2
		- He's gone

* **Mind Flayer 1**
	+ Bites Rowan's brain
		- Hit - 55 piercing damage

* **Doug**
	+ Elemental Enters
	+ Casts *Gaseous Form* on himself to escape, and moves 10 ft above the brain
	+ Elemental Attacks the Brain {x2}
		- 20, 20
			* Hit, Hit - 25 bludgeoning damage

* **Rowan**
	+ Is stunned and misses a turn, gets to make a Saving Throw
		- 11 - Fail, still stunned

* **Mind Flayer 2**
	+ Fails to escape the Maze

*Round Four*

* **Toby**
	+ Casts *Lightning Bolt* again (6th level)
		- Hit - 38 lightning damage

* **Elder Brain**
	+ Recharges its Mind Blasts
	+ Hits Skud and Rowan with the Mind Blast, requiring Intelligence Saving Throws (with advantage)
		- Skud - 20
			* Not stunned
		- Rowan - 10
			* Failed - stunned - 32 psychic damage

* **Skud**
	+ Casts *Spiritual Weapon* to send his BattleBot to attack Mind Flayer 1 - 19+11
		- Hit - 22 damage - *kills it*
	+ Casts *Feeble Mind* on the Elder Brain, requiring an DC 18 Intelligence Saving Throw
		- Nat1 - FAILURE!!!! IS FEEBLE MINDED

*Combat Ends*