Elder Mind Reaver

Elder mind reavers are the aristocrats of their kind, chosen servants of the reaver hivemind and free to impose their will on lesser mind reavers and on any humanoid that falls into their grip. At 7½ feet, one stands more than a foot above its common kin. Its skin is darker than usual, and six tentacles, rather than the usual four, writhe around a mouth lined with sawlike teeth. Like most of its race it wears a robe that hides the body from neck to floor, often with a tall, high-crowned headdress.

It understands many spoken languages but cannot speak them well, relying on innate telepathy to communicate with any creature.

Its six tentacles are far stronger than those of an ordinary mind reaver. Each deals 1d4 damage on a hit and, unless the DM rules otherwise, seizes the victim's head. Once three have a grip, the creature starts boring toward the brain, reaching it in just 1d3 rounds.

Its mind blast fills the usual cone, 5 feet across at the creature, widening to 20 feet at a range of 60 feet. Anyone in it must save vs. spell at -4 or be feebleminded, as the 5th-level wizard spell.

It also wields a suite of spell-like powers, one per round at 10th-level wizard ability. For control it has charm monster, charm person, suggestion, eyebite and forget; for travel, levitate, plane shift and astral projection; for knowledge, true seeing, ESP and legend lore; and telekinesis to move things at a distance. Saves against all of them take a -4 penalty. Once per day it may heal itself of up to 25 points of damage by spending a full round in total concentration.

Roughly one tadpole in 25 grows into an elder mind reaver. These nobles tend the community's reaver hivemind, serve as envoys to other mind reaver cities, and govern small villages and outposts. Some sages suspect even greater mind reavers stand above them, though no surface dweller has ever seen one.

An elder mind reaver lives twice as long as its common kin, about 250 years, and also spends twice as long as a tadpole. Few beings of the deep underworld are more feared, and few dare to challenge one.