Mindflayer-like Aliens?

[Appelcline]

Are there any canon aliens who look sorta like a mindflayer: you know, with a tentacly head?

My players have requested such for this week's adventure, and I thought I'd query on existing races before making something up.

 

[Nightshade]

I can't remember any off hand - doesn't mean there isn't any. However, if you have the mind flayer in 3.0 DnD rules or even 3.5 conversion should be quick and relatively painless. The only part that requires significant thought would be how to translate the mind flayer's psionic attack. But as I recall all it does in DnD is stun someone for a few rounds. I think in the sci fi setting mind flayers might be at a disadvantage so you might want to give them some energy weapons. Remember, they are crashed landed aliens in the first place (see AD&D module S3).

-Nightshade

 

[rancke]

Are there any canon aliens who look sorta like a mindflayer: you know, with a tentacly head?

My players have requested such for this week's adventure, and I thought I'd query on existing races before making something up.

No such alien race in canon. There might be some D&D->Traveller conversion somewhere; try googling it.

There are about 400 minor non-human races known to Imperial scientists, and only about 50 of them detailed, so there's plenty of room for such a race. On the other hand, converting a well-known fantasy race to Traveller is apt to shatter the willing suspension of disbelief of some people. But if you and your players are OK with it, go for it.


Hans

 

[Spinward Scout]

Which version of Traveller are you using? If you're using T20, it's pretty easy to switch it from D&D or D20 Modern. Minor adjustments is all.

 

[Mithras]

I changed my Darrians to look like Mindflayers, and gave them some simple psionic powers, and big ships to cruise around, and it freaked the players out!!!

 

[Appelcline]

I'm only going for the general look of the mindflayers (or, as my player suggested, "an alien with an octopus head"), so hopefully there won't be any suspension of disbelief issues.

I'm probably going to assiduously avoid psionics precisely for that reason.

And, I certainly agree that there's plenty of room, I'm just always happy to use something in canon if it exists before making up something on my own.

 

[BlackBat242]

Is their greeting Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn?

 

[Madarin Dude]

Really the Mindflayer is too much of a fantasy critter to me. You could make a mindflayer type of thing that is terrifying in traveller with what exists already. Militant Psionic Hivers. They use direct manipulation. You can play them as a group or cult that is xenocidal and is psionic. This can get ugly folks.

 

[Thoth-Amon]

Well, they are a highly advanced race from the future. I'd update their clothing to fit the time. I personally use them like Greys... mysterious, advanced, and rarely coming on radar, only to disappear again just as quickly. No real contact has ever been made. You would have to adjust the psionic powers though to fit what you're looking for in your game.

 

[mike wightman]

The strange thing is the mind flayers were introduced to D&D as a sci-fi alien race.

Their write up for many D&D monsters in the D20 Modern range makes a lot more classic fantasy critters available for conversion to a sci-fi game.

Since most Traveller aliens are men in rubber suits I don't see the harm in using some of the more exotic D&D monsters as alien races for a Traveller game - many of them are a lot more alien than the alien races already presented in Traveller.

 

[Appelcline]

I ended up deciding to go with a more octopoid than human-octopus race ... and the players never tracked them down! Maybe next time.

 

[Dragoner]

I ended up deciding to go with a more octopoid than human-octopus race ... and the players never tracked them down! Maybe next time.

That is the race from Well's War of the Worlds, IIRC; but mind flayers are cool too, I seem to remember them being called Ilithids in one module.

 

[Ran Targas]

I ended up deciding to go with a more octopoid than human-octopus race ... and the players never tracked them down! Maybe next time.

Maybe you could make the Mindflayers more like Headcrabs in Half Life; they are mobile on their own but given the opportunity can highjack a human nervous system and manipulate the body through nerve induction. They learned to do this as parasites on their homeworld.

Yeah, it wreaks of Stargate SG-1; but how else do you explain a squid head and a human body?

There are a lot of great monsters from D&D that you can easily transplant into Traveller; they make great alien flora and fauna. I've used stirges and landsharks on more than a few occassions when I couldn't find a suitable alternative. Rust monsters are a real s.o.b. when loose on a starship.

 

[kafka47]

The new Doctor Who game ought to have profiles of the Ood. That might be just the ticket you need for a Mind Flayer type race. And, it is funny, as I guess it is because I play AD&D 1e that I always view the Mind Flayers as Aliens because their mastery of psionics over Arcane. When I have seen some 2e stuff, it seems that abyss was crossed long ago and they became just another magical monster which means they lost some of their 1e charm.

 

[FreeTrav]

The biggest problem I have with most weird beasties (e.g., Mind Flayers) is that I can't come up with an ecological/evolutionary justification for them, and thus it appears that their only reason for existence is be something that should scare the players/characters. That's barely acceptable in a hakkenslash fantasy setting, but it really doesn't go over well (with me) in a SF setting that's the slightest bit al dente (never mind chewy or crunchy).

 

[kafka47]

There is no need to justify the existance of carnivores in the Traveller universe. It is just that these particular carnivores have a particular dietary preference that would repulse most other sentients. Plus, nobody said they feed exclusively on brains...other organs could be equally delectible.

 

[Dragoner]

I do agree that Mind Flayers are a bit too anthropomorphic, which seems to be a star trek-ism left over in a lot of SF.

 

[Madarin Dude]

I do agree that Mind Flayers are a bit too anthropomorphic, which seems to be a star trek-ism left over in a lot of SF.

I concur That is the reason why i thought a group of mad psionic hivers might fill a niche that might be of interest but still keep it traveller and keep it more sci fi.

 

[Dragoner]

Mad psionic hivers sounds good, though it is how the idea gets developed that will count. Octopoid races are good, and have had a sci-fi base for a while (blame Wells I guess), but mind-flayers have a human body which would be hard to explain.

 

[rancke]

Mad psionic hivers sounds good, though it is how the idea gets developed that will count. Octopoid races are good, and have had a sci-fi base for a while (blame Wells I guess), but mind-flayers have a human body which would be hard to explain.

Maybe they are humans who treated themselves with a retro-virus? :devil:


Hans