Narrative vs Mechanical Design in RPGs

Game design problems #dnd #dungeonsanddragons #rpg #ttrpg #gamedesign #gamedev #gamer #dungeonmaster #tabletopgaming #warhammer #mtg

[dragonheart]

Alternatively. After a player dies to the Intellect Devourer, have something go wrong with the process, and the ID loses itself in the former mortal's identity. The player is now able to play as the ID, who thinks it is the former character.


This is really a one use only solution, but it can be cool

[gran]

You should read older editions where abilities that instakill were stupidly common 😂

[enderstrikegaming]

Here's how I used this monster while avoiding this problem: they were simply too well known for a solution to not exist.

You ever hear from locals when you go to a new area "Watch out for xxx insect/spider/snake/etc!!" and if you do find that thing they tell you what to do? That's what I did for this creature, only I made it seem more rare (cause they should be rare) and the locals were giving less of a warning and more of a "oh btw" kind of thing.

This not only gave my players the knowledge that they could possibly run into the thing, but it meant that most nearby towns or shops would have a reverse spell or something.

[lordbosiah]

When I ran an intellect devourer, I made it latch onto the top of the character's head and control them that way. The character being controlled is completely under my control, but the other characters can still make attack rolls targeting the devourer to knock it off.

[hiimspee]

bro your background music is my alarm music and it never fails to stress me out.

[zephyrstrife]

one of the holdovers from when D&D was a "survive the horrors of the depths" kind of game where "save or die" generally led to a lot of character deaths, especially thieves.

[dtd]

I like to bring these in when my table gets bored of their build(s). Sometimes I use them with a twist. To were they retain memories and abilities of a previous host. So when a player is taken over they gain new proficiencies or abilities etc.

[blackmark]

Some things are meant to be used sparringly. In 5th ED, unfixable ailments and permadeath stuff are way fewer and meant to be employed as rare but super dangerous foes to remind players that there are things out there that can and will end their character.

[keegantompkins]

In game, you can target the high int characters instead of the low int ones.

They eat intelligence, so why would they go for the barbarian when the wizard smells like a feast?

Perhaps it even gets "full" and decides to run off.

[kylevidauri]

I tend to use devourerers as a weapon deployed by Illithid assassins and therefore they're a rare, situational enemy. The Illithids rarely send them at the party proper, usually they're trying to gain control of a local community leader, and Devourers follow orders to the letter.

[DHTheAlaskan]

Yeah I lost a barbarian with a 10 int to one of these in Waterdeep Dragonheist. This was my 2nd dead in 2 sessions of the campaign. The dice can be a cruel mistress.

[thewrustywrench]

I think these are meant to be used sparingly, it’s okay for characters to die and encounter monsters that can just squash them, I find it realistic. But it’s really what the players want out of the campaign that you as a DM want to make, my advice is talk to the players and ask them what type of game they wanna play.

[noabsolutelynot]

Our DM setup a homebrew solution: Rings of mind shielding would protect against it, you could make a saving throw with your class stat, and if it took over and you were defeated by your party within ten hours the effect was reversible and your memories could be restored.

[CipherDVoid]

So one DM of 3.5 she really did Stat mechanics to high degree. essentially when it comes to intelligence each point represents knowledge. So anything effects your intelligence she randomly picks one thing you forget. A Mind Flayer did this to a Druid and they were stuck as a panther for the rest of the session. The panther still could understand, fight and other stuff. But basic panthers can't speak or has thumbs. making items and a lot of spells useless. She made a single Mind Flayer something to be feared. When we finally got the chance to defeat it. I betrayed the party and served the Mind Flayer. It was just one of few sessions in my life. Where I was eagerly awaiting each week. She shown me Stat and Alignment mechanics done right.

[markgordon]

I was playing dragon heist in water deep and an intellect devourer drained my characters int but thankfully the DM was a bro and made a way for my character to be restored.

[VelociraptorsOfSkyrim]

Well, counter point.

The Intellect Devourer targets _intelligence._ A dumb character is less likely to be targeted by the monster in the first place. 😂

Case and point, the Honor Amongst Thieves scene.

[AutistikWaldo]

I run intellect devourer, I added a will save and madness to my game because plays a lot of horror and aberration based themes. Will saves make the players feel great because they get to act out how they overcome these kinds of terrors.

[daviddent]

Honestly like zombification or any blood lust based lycrantrophy one should have a series of sturggles and chance to exorcise the monster from their body, let alone the monster shouldn't be allowed to just go around without arousing suspicion.

Though as you said once in a video making sure people understand what can happen in a campaign is the burden of the DM. Tailoring encounters or trimming back some challenge for story is necessary evil even if some will get very salty because they lost a character (or multiple) to Intellect Devourers.

Though I argue this like Wish Spell or Deck of Many Things in the category of maybe don't toss it into a early campaign and discuss hypothetically with your players what they would do with a challenge that could kill them or TPK the whole team eventually.

[cliffordhoffman]

Omg my first character was a half orc barbarian and he wanted that as a pet when we found them

[klrworkman]

😂 I loved how they portrayed them in the new movie LOL
They just Walked right by without so much as acknowledging their presence