Elder brain - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: unwishable

2025-12-06T19:14:10Z

unwishable

Umbire the Phantom: pothole

2025-12-06T18:47:09Z

pothole

Umbire the Phantom: /* Encyclopedia entry */ line breaks

2025-12-06T18:46:11Z

‎Encyclopedia entry: line breaks

Umbire the Phantom: /* Origin */ punc

2025-12-06T18:25:34Z

‎Origin: punc

Umbire the Phantom: copyedit + update reflink

2025-12-06T18:25:04Z

copyedit + update reflink

Umbire the Phantom: lede

2025-02-11T14:08:24Z

lede

Umbire the Phantom: freshen this up

2024-07-15T18:54:41Z

freshen this up

Umbire the Phantom: bit more strategy

2024-05-15T00:58:28Z

bit more strategy

Umbire the Phantom: and follow that up

2024-05-14T22:32:39Z

and follow that up

Umbire the Phantom: formatting + copyedit + update pass

2024-05-14T22:31:55Z

formatting + copyedit + update pass

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 ==Generation==
-Elder brains are not randomly generated, and normally-generated ones are always hostile. They are not a valid polymorph form or genocide target, and are set as a [[unique monster]] at the start of each game unless the [[hero]] is an [[Anachrononaut]], [[Android]] (which is a [[Clockwork Automaton (starting race)|"clockwork"]] Anachrononaut) or [[Illithanachronounbinder]].
+Elder brains are not randomly generated, and normally-generated ones are always hostile. They are not a valid polymorph form or genocide target, and cannot be wished for in figurine or statue form. Elder brains are set to be a [[unique monster]] at the start of each game unless the [[hero]] is an [[Anachrononaut]], [[Android]] (which is a [[Clockwork Automaton (starting race)|"clockwork"]] Anachrononaut) or [[Illithanachronounbinder]].
 In the [[Anachrononaut quest]], an elder brain is generated at the center of each lower filler level during level creation, and three more are placed around the goal level to serve as boss enemies for Anachrononauts in lieu of a formal [[quest nemesis]]. These elder brains are also present in the [[Android quest]], and Androids will encounter an additional elder brain on their quest's home level.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
   |frequency=0
   |genocidable=No
-  |attacks=Reach 1d4 [[int drain]], Reach 1d4 [[int drain]], [[dNetHack monster spells|Spellcast]] 0d6 mage spell, [[Spellcast]] 2d8 clerical spell
+  |attacks=Reach 1d4 [[int drain]], Reach 1d4 [[int drain]], [[dNetHack monster spells|Spellcast]] 0d6 mage spell, Spellcast 2d8 clerical spell
   |weight=2250
   |nutr=2250

@@ Line 51: / Line 51: @@
 ==Encyclopedia entry==
 {{encyclopedia|
-	The elder brain is a huge, fibrous mass of cognizant brain
+The elder brain is a huge, fibrous mass of cognizant brain tissue covered with writhing feelers. A single elder brain floats within the depths of a briny pool found at the center of its illithid community.
-	tissue covered with writhing feelers. A single elder brain
-	floats within the depths of a briny pool found at the center
+The elder brain is the center of its illithid community, serving as an advisor and, most importantly, the living repository of the community's technology, history, and psionic expertise. It is the right and obligation of every illithid to merge with the elder brain after death - living in exalted mentality while guiding and shepherding its erstwhile community. While most illithids believe that their personality will survive the transition, individual egos are suborned to the gestalt consciousness suffusing the tissue mass.
-	of its illithid community.
+|[ Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Complete Monstrous Manual, TSR ]
 }}
 {{variant-343}}

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 ==Origin==
 {{Wikipedia|Illithid}}
-An "elder brain" (or "Elder Brain") is a massive brain that appears in most works featuring [[illithid]]s (or mind flayers), particularly the various editions of ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. The Elder Brain is the core of illithid society on a local scale, and lives in a pool of cerebral fluid in the center of an illithid city, acting as its "ruler". Illithids have their brain extracted and taken to the Elder Brain's pool upon death, which illithids commonly believe to be a path to immortality through incorporating their personality into the Elder Brain - in reality, their memories, thoughts and experiences are consumed and added to the collective, while all else is lost; this is a secret that Elder Brains guard closely. Psionic potential is thus an integral part of the illithid's identity.
+An "elder brain" (or "Elder Brain") is a massive brain that appears in most works featuring [[illithid]]s (or mind flayers), particularly the various editions of ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. The Elder Brain is the core of illithid society on a local scale, and lives in a pool of cerebral fluid in the center of an illithid city, acting as its "ruler". Illithids have their brain extracted and taken to the Elder Brain's pool upon death, which illithids commonly believe to be a path to immortality through incorporating their personality into the Elder Brain&mdash;in reality, their memories, thoughts and experiences are consumed and added to the collective, while all else is lost; this is a secret that Elder Brains guard closely. Psionic potential is thus an integral part of the illithid's identity.
 As the Elder Brain contains the essence of every illithid that died in its community, it functions in part as a vast library of knowledge that can be drawn upon with a simple telepathic call; the Elder Brain in turn can communicate telepathically with anyone in its community, issuing orders and ensuring everyone conforms. An extremely ancient Elder Brain is known as a God-Brain, and possesses almost limitless psionic powers. The Elder Brain cannot absorb magical powers, however: illithids who delve into wizardry beyond acceptable bounds are often cast out, and such illithids will seek [[Alhoon|immortality through undeath]] instead.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
   |frequency=0
   |genocidable=No
-  |attacks=Reach 1d4 [[int drain]], Reach 1d4 [[int drain]], Cast 0d6 [[mage spell]], Cast 2d8 [[clerical spell]]
+  |attacks=Reach 1d4 [[int drain]], Reach 1d4 [[int drain]], [[dNetHack monster spells|Spellcast]] 0d6 mage spell, [[Spellcast]] 2d8 clerical spell
   |weight=2250
   |nutr=2250
   |size=gigantic
-  |resistances=[[sleep]], [[poison]], [[petrification]]
+  |resistances=[[sleep resistance]], [[poison resistance]], [[stoning resistance]]
   |resistances conveyed=
   |attributes={{attributes|An elder brain|fly=1|swim=1|amphibious=1|seeinvis=1|nopoly=1|prince=1|neuter=1|hostile=1|strong=1|collect=1|infravision=1|infravisible=1|traitor=1|notame=1|stationary=1}}
-  |reference=[https://github.com/Chris-plus-alphanumericgibberish/dNAO/blob/compat-3.21.1/src/monst.c#L8174 dNetHack src/monst.c, line 8174]
+  |reference=[https://github.com/Chris-plus-alphanumericgibberish/dNAO/blob/compat-3.24.0/src/monst.c#L9006 dNAO 3.24.0 - src/monst.c, line 9006]
 }}
-An '''elder brain''', {{magenta|U}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]]. The elder brain is a [[sessile]] and [[telepathic]] [[aberration]] that serves as a [[M2 PRINCE|prince]] to [[mind flayer]] colonies. Elder brains are [[strong]] and [[amphibious]] with the ability to [[swim]], [[fly]] and [[see invisible]], and have [[infravision]] and can be seen via infravision.
+Elder brains are [[stationary]], but are still flagged to pick up items that they would come across, and can act at the same base speed as an unburdened and un-hasted hero. They are [[amphibious]] and capable of [[swimming]], [[flying]] and [[levitation]]; they are [[strong]], can [[see invisible]], have [[infravision]] along with [[R'lyehian vision]] and [[darksight]], and can be seen via infravision. An elder brain cannot be made [[tame]], and one that is somehow tamed will turn [[traitor]].
-Elder brains have two [[intelligence drain]] attacks that can reach targets anywhere within a 5x5 square centered on the brain's square, and will also cast one mage and one clerical [[dNetHack monster spells|monster spell]] during each of their turns. They possess [[sleep resistance]], [[poison resistance]] and [[stoning resistance]].
+Elder brains have two [[intelligence-draining]] attacks that can reach targets anywhere within a 5x5 square area centered on the brain's location, and will cast one mage and one clerical [[dNetHack monster spells|monster spell]] during each of their turns with no cooldown&mdash;they can also emit special [[mind blast]]s. Elder brains possess [[sleep resistance]], [[poison resistance]] and [[stoning resistance]].
-An elder brain cannot be made [[tame]], and one that is somehow tamed will turn [[traitor]].
+Elder brains can be [[Ward (dNetHack)|warded]] by a fully-reinforced [[User:Chris/dNetHack/Elder Sign|Elder Sign]].
 ==Generation==
-Elder brains are not randomly generated, and normally-generated ones are always hostile. They are not a valid form for [[polymorph]], and are set as a [[unique monster]] at the start of each game unless the [[hero]] is an [[Anachrononaut]] or an [[Illithanachronounbinder]].
+Elder brains are not randomly generated, and normally-generated ones are always hostile. They are not a valid polymorph form or genocide target, and are set as a [[unique monster]] at the start of each game unless the [[hero]] is an [[Anachrononaut]], [[Android]] (which is a [[Clockwork Automaton (starting race)|"clockwork"]] Anachrononaut) or [[Illithanachronounbinder]].
-In the [[Anachrononaut quest]], an elder brain is generated at the center of each lower filler level upon level creation; three more are placed around the goal level, serving as boss enemies for Anachrononauts in lieu of a formal [[quest nemesis]]. [[Android]]s (which are [[Clockwork Automaton (starting race)|"clockwork"]] Anachrononauts) will encounter an additional elder brain on their quest's home level.
+In the [[Anachrononaut quest]], an elder brain is generated at the center of each lower filler level during level creation, and three more are placed around the goal level to serve as boss enemies for Anachrononauts in lieu of a formal [[quest nemesis]]. These elder brains are also present in the [[Android quest]], and Androids will encounter an additional elder brain on their quest's home level.
-An elder brain serves as a boss enemy for the female [[Drow (starting race)|Drow]] [[Noble]], waiting at the center of the [[Drow Noble Quest]]'s goal level. This elder brain only guards the [[Bell of Opening]]: the [[quest artifact]], the [[Web of the Chosen]], is in the possession of the [[mindless]] [[A'gone]], the role's nemesis who is imprisoned in a cell on the level's edge.
+An elder brain serves as a "nemesis" for the female [[Drow Noble]], and is always found waiting at the center of the [[Drow Noble Quest]]'s goal level. This elder brain only guards the [[Bell of Opening]]&mdash;the [[quest artifact]], the [[Web of the Chosen]], is in the possession of the [[mindless]] [[A'gone]], who is imprisoned in a cell on the level's edge.
 A peaceful elder brain is generated on the [[Illithanachronounbinder quest]] within the massive pool in the eastern portion of the level.
 ==Strategy==
-Though elder brains do not move from their square, they will act at the same default speed as the hero does: in addition to draining the intelligence of any target within its reach, an elder brain can also employ more straightforwardly lethal attacks such as the [[touch of death]] and [[turn to stone]] monster spells. As a result, most characters are better off avoiding them unless they can quickly dispose of the brains from a reasonable distance, e.g. with a [[wand of death]] charge.
+In addition to draining the intelligence of any target within its reach, an elder brain can also employ more straightforwardly lethal attacks such as the [[touch of death]] and [[turn to stone]] monster spells. As a result, most heroes are better off avoiding the brains unless they can quickly dispose of them from a reasonable distance, e.g. with a [[wand of death]] charge.
-On the Drow Noble quest, as the hero ventures deeper into the colony, the elder brain they are tasked with eliminating will assault them with various telepathic messages from a special mind blast - on top of serving as discouragement, each mind blast increases the hero's [[insight]], and all hostile telepathic monsters on the level are alerted of their position and given boosts to accuracy and damage.
+On the Drow Noble quest, as the hero ventures deeper into the colony, the elder brain they are tasked with eliminating will assault them with various telepathic messages from a special mind blast&mdash;on top of serving as discouragement, each mind blast increases the hero's [[insight]], and all hostile telepathic monsters on the level are alerted of their position and given boosts to accuracy and damage.
 ==Origin==

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 }}
-An '''elder brain''', {{magenta|U}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in [[dNetHack]] and [[notdNetHack]]. The elder brain is an immobile and [[telepathic]] [[aberration]] that serves as a [[M2 PRINCE|prince]] to [[mind flayer]] colonies. Elder brains are [[strong]] and [[amphibious]] with the ability to [[swim]], [[fly]] and [[see invisible]], and have [[infravision]] and can be seen via infravision.
+An '''elder brain''', {{magenta|U}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]]. The elder brain is a [[sessile]] and [[telepathic]] [[aberration]] that serves as a [[M2 PRINCE|prince]] to [[mind flayer]] colonies. Elder brains are [[strong]] and [[amphibious]] with the ability to [[swim]], [[fly]] and [[see invisible]], and have [[infravision]] and can be seen via infravision.
 Elder brains have two [[intelligence]]-draining attacks that can reach targets anywhere within a 5x5 square centered on the brain, and will also cast one mage and one clerical [[dNetHack monster spells|monster spell]] during each of their turns. They possess [[sleep resistance]], [[poison resistance]] and [[stoning resistance]].
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 ==Generation==
-Elder brains are not randomly generated, and normally-generated ones are always hostile. They are not a valid form for [[polymorph]], and are set as a [[unique monster]] at the start of each game unless playing as an [[Anachrononaut]] or an [[Illithanachronounbinder]].
+Elder brains are not randomly generated, and normally-generated ones are always hostile. They are not a valid form for [[polymorph]], and are set as a [[unique monster]] at the start of each game unless the [[hero]] is an [[Anachrononaut]] or an [[Illithanachronounbinder]].
-In the [[Anachrononaut quest]], an elder brain is generated at the center of each lower filler level upon level creation; three more are placed around the goal level, serving as boss enemies for Anachrononauts in lieu of a formal [[quest nemesis]]. [[Android]]s (which are [[Clockwork Automaton (starting race)|'clockwork']] Anachrononauts) will encounter an additional elder brain on their quest's home level.
+In the [[Anachrononaut quest]], an elder brain is generated at the center of each lower filler level upon level creation; three more are placed around the goal level, serving as boss enemies for Anachrononauts in lieu of a formal [[quest nemesis]]. [[Android]]s (which are [[Clockwork Automaton (starting race)|"clockwork"]] Anachrononauts) will encounter an additional elder brain on their quest's home level.
-An elder brain serves as the quest "nemesis" for the female [[Drow (starting race)|Drow]] [[Noble]], waiting at the center of the [[Drow Noble Quest]]'s goal level. This elder brain only guards the [[Bell of Opening]]: the [[quest artifact]], the [[Web of the Chosen]], is in the possession of the [[mindless]] [[A'gone]], who is imprisoned in a cell on the level's edge.
+An elder brain serves as a boss enemy for the female [[Drow (starting race)|Drow]] [[Noble]], waiting at the center of the [[Drow Noble Quest]]'s goal level. This elder brain only guards the [[Bell of Opening]]: the [[quest artifact]], the [[Web of the Chosen]], is in the possession of the [[mindless]] [[A'gone]], the role's nemesis who is imprisoned in a cell on the level's edge.
 A peaceful elder brain is generated on the [[Illithanachronounbinder quest]] within the massive pool in the eastern portion of the level.
 ==Strategy==
-Though elder brains do not move from their square, they will act at the same default speed as the player character does: in addition to draining the intelligence of any target within its reach, an elder brain can also employ more straightforwardly lethal attacks such as the [[touch of death]] and [[turn to stone]] monster spells. As a result, most characters are better off avoiding them unless they can quickly dispose of the brains from a reasonable distance, e.g. with a [[wand of death]] charge.
+Though elder brains do not move from their square, they will act at the same default speed as the hero does: in addition to draining the intelligence of any target within its reach, an elder brain can also employ more straightforwardly lethal attacks such as the [[touch of death]] and [[turn to stone]] monster spells. As a result, most characters are better off avoiding them unless they can quickly dispose of the brains from a reasonable distance, e.g. with a [[wand of death]] charge.
-On the Drow Noble quest, as a character ventures deeper into the colony, the elder brain they are tasked with eliminating will assault them with various telepathic messages from a special mind blast - on top of serving as discouragement, each mind blast increases the character's [[insight]], and all hostile telepathic monsters on the level are alerted of the character's position and given boosts to accuracy and damage.
+On the Drow Noble quest, as the hero ventures deeper into the colony, the elder brain they are tasked with eliminating will assault them with various telepathic messages from a special mind blast - on top of serving as discouragement, each mind blast increases the hero's [[insight]], and all hostile telepathic monsters on the level are alerted of their position and given boosts to accuracy and damage.
 ==Origin==
@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 [[Category:dNetHack monsters‎]]
 [[Category:notdNetHack monsters‎]]

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 Though elder brains do not move from their square, they will act at the same default speed as the player character does.
-On the Drow Noble quest, as a character ventures deeper into the colony, the elder brain they are tasked with eliminating will assault them with various telepathic messages from a special mind blast - on top of serving as discouragement, each mind blast increases the character's [[insight]], and all hostile telepathic monsters on the level are alerted of the character's position and given an accuracy & damage boost.
+On the Drow Noble quest, as a character ventures deeper into the colony, the elder brain they are tasked with eliminating will assault them with various telepathic messages from a special mind blast - on top of serving as discouragement, each mind blast increases the character's [[insight]], and all hostile telepathic monsters on the level are alerted of the character's position and given boosts to accuracy and damage.
 ==Origin==