Partially Used: The Elder Brain

Could the respawn timer on this one be shortened?

It's such a long timer, that it's pretty rare to actually fight this baddie now, and I've had more than one player ask me about it (one just now actually, who's been running through flayers for hours and hasn't seen it once ever). It's been a few weeks since I've actually gotten to see it myself.... it doesn't even seem to respawn at all.

And could it have a better spell selection too? One of the last few times I did fight it, it spammed the bladewalls, but otherwise, the only challenge I found in fighting it was having enough enhancement to break through it's DR... most of the time it doesn't even throw out one blade wall (which doesn't quite seem like an attack one would expect out of an elder brain anyhow), and it focuses on completely ineffective physical attacks (which causes it to suffer from loads of AoO's by the player). Perhaps having it do the concussion psionic attack like the regular mindflayers do would really make the elder brain impressive (and dangerous), and much more frequent spell casting.

That would be rather painful... I don't like that concussion power much to begin with, let alone beefed up. Might I suggest giving him a few guards if he doesnt already have them.

I'd have to agree about the bladewall thing though. Not really a spell you'd expect and it doesnt really do much aside from the initial damage unless you're running around a ton, which with it being a huge brain and all, I would hope it's immoble.

I do have to say that the respawn timer is too long, considering that I've been grinding thre for hours now and not ever seen it once ( It was I who reminded MannyJabrielle about this in fact)

I too have been rather...disappointed by the elder brain..not that i want him to pwn and such. but nightstar( my so called Soulknife/psion) can pop down there...and slaughter him in like 25 seconds.

One of the problems with the illithids/elder brain is they are spose to be psionic. Sadly nwn has no psionic system...theres oneon the vault but that would require ad to install an arseload of scripts and a monumental amount of work.

As it is now...a simple mindblank scroll makes you literally immune to the mind flayers and the brain...yet in the psionics handbook...mind blank only covers a portion of psionic attacks. You need intellect fortress...tower of iron will and so on, and you can only have one up at a time and have to choose.

My suggestion is to add powers that are similar to actual psionic powers. Telekinetic holds and such can be simulated with the bigbys group of spells. Concussion like was just mentioned can be simulated with maybe magic missiles and such and so on.

Now you saying...a simple shield of force will stop that...well...you can always script it in that one case where no magic resistance will stop them..as t hey are psionic not magic so the shield wont stop em. you can also make every other *spell* it casts the same way...and only a choice of five very rare very specific type of spells that WILL stop the spells...and only certain ones.

This would a small bit of scripting..but would make brain much more tougher..and fun...and more inline with the real baddy then his current condition(which is appallingly easy)

Just my thoughts

p.s. yes i like psions heh heh

I agree the bladewall seems out of place.

I like the idea of the Brain using Bigby's spells, forceful and grasping make good sense as they either knock down or daze the target. For a damaging attack, the psionic blast would work (the same one the venerators get, not a beefed up one), and also have the brain summon minions to guard it.

Those types of things would make sense to me.

At least then...mind blank wouldnt be the catch all defense against it...with that up....the brain has to resort to plinking you with hand to hand type attacks and well.....he sucks cause if its a fighter on him....he dont stand a chance.