D&D Icons of the Realms: Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk (Set 29)

[WindTengu]

Voalsh looks like he's sitting on top of very large floating, burnt cheeseburger that has sat out in the humid rain forest for way too long.

Did uh...you have something to admit about your cooking skills?

[Mattnuke]

Just saw some new minis from this set In this twitter post: https://twitter.com/Wizards_DnD/status/ ... 0929464444

a Trio of Mindflayers

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Cool characters! But is it just me or do these Mind Flayers look just a tiny bit more cartoonish compared to, say, the recent Mind Flayer Voyage ones?

They changed how their renders look about six months ago and most of them have been looking a bit cartoony. They’re definitely much more different from the final product now, which is a shame.

[Kualan]

Just saw some new minis from this set In this twitter post: https://twitter.com/Wizards_DnD/status/ ... 0929464444

a Trio of Mindflayers

F6V-KNKWkAA6t89.jpg


F6V-KoDXcAAycPv.jpgF6V-Kb8XEAAYBp-.jpgF6V-KyaXkAAhO5K.jpg

Cool characters! But is it just me or do these Mind Flayers look just a tiny bit more cartoonish compared to, say, the recent Mind Flayer Voyage ones?

They changed how their renders look about six months ago and most of them have been looking a bit cartoony. They’re definitely much more different from the final product now, which is a shame.

Even factoring in the new render style, my first take was that they looked a little cartoonish compared to other Mind Flayers that have also been depicted with the new render.



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On doing a side by side comparison to the Adventure Box flayers, the difference isn't as stark as I first thought - but still a little bit cartoony for the newer ones. Nothing deal-breaking though, and I doubt there will be much difference at all once the actual in-hand minis are side by side.

[Mattnuke]

I think it’s the brighter colors and lack of shading on the newer ones.

Of the three new ones though, I like the one holding his buddies head the best. That’s just creepy mind flayer goodness there. The other two are a little too specific for me.

[Imbalance]

I was content to just brush off this adventure and see what minis I end up with down the road, but now I need to find out what's up with noodle arms there.

[Mattnuke]

Pretty sure it’s a masseuse illithid. Those are the Magic Fingers of Manos. Your stress has no chance of surviving here, adventurer!

Just don’t get the scalp massage…

[Guyra]

I was content to just brush off this adventure and see what minis I end up with down the road, but now I need to find out what's up with noodle arms there.

It's hard to tell for sure, but it might look like those are some sort of weapons that it's holding in his hands. Impossible to say for sure from the angle shown, though. It can also look like the tentacle things are instead of hands, especially with the identical skin colouring.

Pretty sure it’s a masseuse illithid. Those are the Magic Fingers of Manos. Your stress has no chance of surviving here, adventurer!

[Mattnuke]

To me they look like the ends of the encephalon’s appendages.

Also anyone else notice that the two ‘mutant’ illithids have more facial tentacles than a normal mind flayer?

[berk the black]

Wow, more mind flayers. I was just thinking to myself how long it had been since we got anything mind flayer related. They must be the must underrepresented race in all of D&D.



At least the mutants are different, but I think I’m actually getting over-saturated with mind flayers now. And I don’t even have the two gnome flayer minis from Rime of the Frost Maiden nor the vampiric one from Ravenloft.

[Crai]

Wow, more mind flayers. I was just thinking to myself how long it had been since we got anything mind flayer related. They must be the must underrepresented race in all of D&D.



At least the mutants are different, but I think I’m actually getting over-saturated with mind flayers now. And I don’t even have the two gnome flayer minis from Rime of the Frost Maiden nor the vampiric one from Ravenloft.

Hey Berk. Where did you find this photo from?

That's quite a tableaux scene. Eerily, it's rather reminiscent of my last visit to the Apple Store at the mall. Albeit with frightening tentacles and employees who eat brains while fixing your iPhone.

[berk the black]

Wow, more mind flayers. I was just thinking to myself how long it had been since we got anything mind flayer related. They must be the must underrepresented race in all of D&D.



At least the mutants are different, but I think I’m actually getting over-saturated with mind flayers now. And I don’t even have the two gnome flayer minis from Rime of the Frost Maiden nor the vampiric one from Ravenloft.

Hey Berk. Where did you find this photo from?

That's quite a tableaux scene. Eerily, it's rather reminiscent of my last visit to the Apple Store at the mall. Albeit with frightening tentacles and employees who eat brains while fixing your iPhone.

Why, that photo is from my table, of course. And I guarantee you at my game table the only brain eating is done by professional aberrations, not apple assistants!

[Crai]

Why, that photo is from my table, of course. And I guarantee you at my game table the only brain eating is done by professional aberrations, not apple assistants!

Haha! I love it!

Those medium-ish "black & white" illithids (custom paint jobs?) are really interesting. That's more scary-looking than the illithids' more traditional coloration of purple & black.

[MonsterEnvy]

I was content to just brush off this adventure and see what minis I end up with down the road, but now I need to find out what's up with noodle arms there.

Allow me. The three Mind Flayers there are the main villains of the Shattered Obelisk Adventure. They are mutated by the Far Realm and are devoted to their Far Realm deity Ilvaash.

Chishinix. Chishinix is a powerful psychic and sees flashes of future events. In return for this power, Ilvaash created a severed head that looks just like Chishinix’s. The mind flayer’s psychic powers are tied to this severed head, which Chishinix must keep by her side. The severed head, in turn, reads Chishinix’s thoughts, ensuring she stays loyal to Ilvaash, and demands frequent treats. The severed head constantly leaks a greasy purple ichor that stains Chishinix’s clothing.

Hashutu. Hashutu was paranoid that enemies waited around every corner and prayed to Ilvaash for more power. The Far Realm godlet answered, offering to trade Hashutu’s hands for tentacles that could warn him of incoming attacks. Hashutu gladly took the gift, and now his arms end in writhing tentacles that alert Hashutu of any movement or other threat that might lurk nearby.

Voalsh. In a desperate bid to reclaim their autonomy, the other mind flayers of Illithinoch ambushed Voalsh. Right before the moment of her death, Ilvaash granted her wings, which unfurled from her back like enormous, writhing tentacles. Voalsh vanquished her foes from above in short order. Ever since, she regularly takes to the air to investigate her paranoid suspicions that her enemies might attack at any time. Voalsh has fashioned a magical, floating disk that she often uses to hover above the eye level of anyone else, unfurling her wings to emphasize her intimidating and otherworldly nature.

[Marco]

I was content to just brush off this adventure and see what minis I end up with down the road, but now I need to find out what's up with noodle arms there.

Allow me. The three Mind Flayers there are the main villains of the Shattered Obelisk Adventure. They are mutated by the Far Realm and are devoted to their Far Realm deity Ilvaash.

Chishinix. Chishinix is a powerful psychic and sees flashes of future events. In return for this power, Ilvaash created a severed head that looks just like Chishinix’s. The mind flayer’s psychic powers are tied to this severed head, which Chishinix must keep by her side. The severed head, in turn, reads Chishinix’s thoughts, ensuring she stays loyal to Ilvaash, and demands frequent treats. The severed head constantly leaks a greasy purple ichor that stains Chishinix’s clothing.

Hashutu. Hashutu was paranoid that enemies waited around every corner and prayed to Ilvaash for more power. The Far Realm godlet answered, offering to trade Hashutu’s hands for tentacles that could warn him of incoming attacks. Hashutu gladly took the gift, and now his arms end in writhing tentacles that alert Hashutu of any movement or other threat that might lurk nearby.

Voalsh. In a desperate bid to reclaim their autonomy, the other mind flayers of Illithinoch ambushed Voalsh. Right before the moment of her death, Ilvaash granted her wings, which unfurled from her back like enormous, writhing tentacles. Voalsh vanquished her foes from above in short order. Ever since, she regularly takes to the air to investigate her paranoid suspicions that her enemies might attack at any time. Voalsh has fashioned a magical, floating disk that she often uses to hover above the eye level of anyone else, unfurling her wings to emphasize her intimidating and otherworldly nature.

That sounds horrible, but not in a good way.
I'll gladly skip the book and set.

[Kikoli]

I was content to just brush off this adventure and see what minis I end up with down the road, but now I need to find out what's up with noodle arms there.

Allow me. The three Mind Flayers there are the main villains of the Shattered Obelisk Adventure. They are mutated by the Far Realm and are devoted to their Far Realm deity Ilvaash.

Chishinix. Chishinix is a powerful psychic and sees flashes of future events. In return for this power, Ilvaash created a severed head that looks just like Chishinix’s. The mind flayer’s psychic powers are tied to this severed head, which Chishinix must keep by her side. The severed head, in turn, reads Chishinix’s thoughts, ensuring she stays loyal to Ilvaash, and demands frequent treats. The severed head constantly leaks a greasy purple ichor that stains Chishinix’s clothing.

Hashutu. Hashutu was paranoid that enemies waited around every corner and prayed to Ilvaash for more power. The Far Realm godlet answered, offering to trade Hashutu’s hands for tentacles that could warn him of incoming attacks. Hashutu gladly took the gift, and now his arms end in writhing tentacles that alert Hashutu of any movement or other threat that might lurk nearby.

Voalsh. In a desperate bid to reclaim their autonomy, the other mind flayers of Illithinoch ambushed Voalsh. Right before the moment of her death, Ilvaash granted her wings, which unfurled from her back like enormous, writhing tentacles. Voalsh vanquished her foes from above in short order. Ever since, she regularly takes to the air to investigate her paranoid suspicions that her enemies might attack at any time. Voalsh has fashioned a magical, floating disk that she often uses to hover above the eye level of anyone else, unfurling her wings to emphasize her intimidating and otherworldly nature.

That sounds horrible, but not in a good way.
I'll gladly skip the book and set.

Personally, I think this is kinda really clever.

The Far Realm is supposed to mutate and corrupt and distort those that come into contact with it unprepared. Even mind flayers, who are eldritch in nature, yes... But one of the lesser forms.

These three mind flayers commited heresy to their kind and embraced the far realm and now, they are twisted and distorted into creatures that are mind flayer-ish, but different just enough that anyone attempting to meta-game mind flayers or having knowledge of them is gonna be caught unawares.