How to Run a Mind Flayer Raid

[@kimcoleeppling8177]

> Billy Bob Joe-Overalls, Shrimp Fried Bryce, Magnum Dong, and Sandra Bullock this is... possibly the most honest D&D party i've ever seen

[@BJGvideos]

Needs a thinly disguised anime character

[@irithylldragon]

*everyone is here* - character who stands to fulfill a non-serious, comedy role (billy bob joe-overalls) - character made to fulfill a certain name or play-on-words (shrimp fried bryce) - character who is just a blatant meme, and no effort has been put into hiding it (magnum dong) - character whose blatant over-influence from one source has led to them basically just playing exactly what they were influenced by (sandra bullock)

[@alexanderjohnson3014]

@@irithylldragon hey hey hey, don't forget Sandra Bullock. She's important too.

[@irithylldragon]

@@alexanderjohnson3014 don't worry, i would never

[@Johnny-vi7oq]

@no or maybe yes The noble who didn't join the fight

[@MiagolioMaxwell]

Mindflayers: *select a random tavern to invade* Its undead and golem inhabitants: "You picked the wrong house fool!"

[@defensivekobra3873]

Context plz

[@Old_Guard2]

@@defensivekobra3873 Psychic damage does nothing to a construct like a golem.

[@defensivekobra3873]

@@Old_Guard2 yes but taverns are not commonly stocked by animated constructs and undead, it suggests that there is more to this story

[@Old_Guard2]

@@defensivekobra3873 You’re thinking too much into this, it’s pretty surface level.

[@emilygordbort7300]

@@defensivekobra3873 The party consists of a Necromancer, a Duergar Fighter, a GOOlock with psionic protection and that one dipshit druid who uses all of his spell slots every fight to summon like 12 elementals per round

[@jwall1646]

I’d love to see a tactics video with Hobgoblins, Lizardfolk, or the Duergar if you’re taking recommendations.

[@joelkilchoer4238]

I highly recommend the book “the monsters know what they’re doing.” Or if you’re short on cash, it is based on a blog of the same name that isn’t as extensive but is free

[@zacharyhawley1693]

Hobgoblins and Duergar use similar tactics since they both are unrepentant slavers. Unless war, they go for subdual over murder unless they face too much of a resistance.

[@snarglblargn4986]

He did kobolds. Take notes

[@jwall1646]

@@snarglblargn4986 kobolds aren’t mentioned in the initial comment. Read.

[@jwall1646]

@@joelkilchoer4238 thanks I’ll definitely check it out.

[@CleopatraKing]

mind flayers are cool, rune smith is cool take algorithm points

[@Ymryrth]

true

[@loyalsunbro9934]

They're so cool, awesome great nice gamer dnd dream minecraft!

[@VidGamer123]

engaging with comment to further award algorithm points

[@haruntekin6724]

Comments that give Runesmith algorithm points are cool. Take comment engagement points.

[@johnathanroque9634]

This video was useful and informative for running mindflayer encounters and should be like and commented on #dnd.

[@trashynecromancer1155]

“You could call in the space marines-“ Deathwatch: heard you need some Xenos purged?

[@anexistanthuman2435]

XENOS!!!!????

[@tsarzamancorpdna]

I can't wait for the Black Templars to chainsword a while hive

[@Seoul_Soldier]

*Black Templar rage intensifies*

[@stevenraycopley8885]

PPPUUURRRGGGHIIIINNNNNGGG WWWIIITTTTHHH MMMMYYYY KKKIIIINNNN!

[@lasttarrasque6223]

FOR THE EMPEROR!

[@dicemonsterdice5186]

So glad to hear you assert that psionics aren't magic.

[@MrBlack0950]

Its mind fuckary, like alakazam from pokemon.

[@jamescampbell2353]

Next level psionics is custom spells, illusions that hurt you and reality warping area of effects

[@gargoyles9999]

*Culexus intensifies*

[@somebodyalive6131]

Mindflayers believe that magic is the defective, cancerous offshoot that was originally psionics.

[@slightlydisgruntled7438]

However it probably shouldn’t go through walls

[@bskec2177]

How to run a mind flayer raid. Away. You run away.

[@beastwarsFTW]

Find some Duergar and tell them where the mind flayers are.

[@chrishubbard64]

Come back when you can cast mind blank on the entire party. Days in advance.

[@foureightseven096]

Convince the Lich the mindflayers know where his phylactery is. Sell tickets to the ensuing free-for-all.

[@exzyyd392]

You don't run a Mind Flayer raid. You let them into your head and allow them to take control for a while. You need to be careful not to let them stay for too long though, lost Jerry that way

[@jackielinde7568]

Oh, yean... Jerry. Everyone take off your hats and bow your head in a moment of silence for Jerry. ... ... ... Okay, put the hats back on. We're done with that shit. Jerry was a bit of a jerk.

[@jamescanjuggle]

@@jackielinde7568 while we can agree Jerry was a jerk telling us to take off our hats while Op suggested giving Mind Flayers a lil sip sip of the brain nip just pushes me towards you being a thrall wanting to get our guard down🤔(😂 this was fun to write)

[@funnyswangoosething5088]

Flashback to that one time one of my party members damaged a Mind Flayer by purposely decreasing his already low intelligence.

[@WolfBoy-om6dw]

How did he do that?!

[@SomeRandomDude821]

@@WolfBoy-om6dw Feeblemind? But if you can cast 8th level spells then 1. You're probaby a Wizard so decreasing your int is a horrible idea 2. You probaby have a powerful enough spell that could do more damage anyway.

[@funnyswangoosething5088]

Ok so it’s gonna sound stupid. TL:DR In our homebrew mess barbarian stopped a Mind Flayer cult single handily by using a kind of useless item to transport their souls to a plane (for now at least). Long exhaustive summary trip to memory lane below. Essentially our GM created a plane that can only be entered by sacrificing something “core” to you, with a nifty item we get to choose it instead! (Barbarian decreasing his intelligence made him roleplay as an animal essentially) which could only happened with a little item. After that we rarely went into that plane so the item became kind of useless, but in one of our favorite little towns our homeboys heard of a little cult worshipping Mind Flayers (imagine Genestealers). Barbarian tell the GM he has a plan. Since Mind Flayers thirst for some of that big brain energy, he wish to disguise himself as the wizard. A 6 foot muscle bound bear of a man wishes to disguise himself as a frail man. While we were setting up this horrible horrible plan that took months, the cult managed to grew big enough that they throw a revolution that caused the city to fall to chaos and ruled by… purple people. Our merry band waltz in (barbarian now in with a new magical makeover) fought with the slaves cultists for a bit, realized that they are connected to their respective Flayers and Squidward is probably wondering why a frail old man is bludgeoning his minions to death with a club as big as him. We took the normal cause of action and massacre everyone that looks “suspicious” or purple in the vicinity, we then took a little safer and wizard starts casting illusion spells. Eventually we got caught in a brutal melee where we were captured so our brains can be sucked. They took us to their dungeon and the closer we get the more Lovecraftian bullshit happens that makes our brains ouchy wouchy. Wizard disguised himself as a fallen NPC which was “accidentally” killed during a battle above, the Flayers bicker for awhile when they realized they caught a certified Big Brain Man, they treat us pretty lavishly until the moment we are going to be eaten, and as one of them comes up to eat his meal. The item activates, giving his whopping 6 intelligence to -1. This made the Mind Flayer PHYSICALLY SICK when the only memories he saw is what a senile earthworm thinks. This causes him to go on like an allergic reaction, but it’s psychic but since it’s a hive mind other mind flayers feel the pain mentally too, and so did their slaves making a giant psychic scream as the mind flayers’ souls are ripped away. The slaves and cultists were suddenly freed from their masterminds, realized what crimes they have done, what horrific forms the Flayers had transformed them. The city’s government and major corporations and other important stuff were burned down and killed, the city now has a minority hated for crimes they didn’t done and it’s buildings were heavily damaged by the Big Loud™️. So good run The All Helping Church, you lasted 6 months. (We were level 8 this cult was meant to make us level 10 why did it took that long)

[@jasonfurumetarualkemisto5917]

@@funnyswangoosething5088 That's actually pretty inventive. Too bad the Flayers can just nope out of the material plane and return a few decades later whenever they want. Also you have inspired me to name the Ulitharid I plan to have in my new campaign Squidward.

[@The_Bearded_Lion]

@@funnyswangoosething5088 So wait, his INT went all the way down to -1? If a skill hit's zero you're dead.

[@kittyshippercavegirl]

Me: don't have a D&D group, I can't really justify buying D&D stuff Runesmith: plushies Me: Dangit, you win

[@Grinnar]

You could always find a group, I'm sure. There are tons everywhere looking for more players! Unless you don't wanna. Then just enjoy your plushies.

[@mke3053]

What comes first: the chicken or the egg?

[@Forestdude9000]

There are some reddit and discord groups that you could use. I think there's also a few apps for finding groups. Or, heck, you can start your own group with people you know, not necessarily friends, just people with a common interest, though that last option is the hardest.

[@kittyshippercavegirl]

@@Grinnar I do want to find a group, but anxiety do be doing anxiety things

[@3nertia]

@@Grinnar That's almost the problem - tons of people everywhere makes it difficult to find a decent party that aren't just a bunch of murderhobos and a GM that's not a raging control freak heh

[@captaincomic8678]

…I’ll be honest, I was way more interested when I misread this as “How to _Ruin_ a Mind Flayer Raid”.

[@alias588]

The Tavernkeep is Doomguy. Mind Flayer Raid ruined.

[@Shadeem]

ah, you too.

[@deKahedron]

Next week on XP to level 3:

[@lagg1e]

@@alias588 Mindblast is fired. BFG Division starts to sound in the distance, you hear a double barreled shotgun being loaded.

[@Herpdongs]

Missed oportuntity for a "so anyways i started blasting" referrence

[@Scaevola9449]

"You will not survive," he says. Sure. My army of mindless golems has something to say about that.

[@jackanderson1155]

“You could call in the space marines-“ Hey, I played Doom, and I *don't* think that the mind flayers would have a good time if that happened

[@boiolabeats]

What? How? I was literally planning a mind flayer raid for my campaign, this video came at the perfect time

[@PrimalRockSlapper]

Same

[@jimmyhale6392]

Of course, every good campaign has one.

[@cookiebombcasualemail5284]

A GIFT FROM THE DICE GODS!

[@matthiasmortier3627]

You're planning a tpk?

[@DrCrazyEvil]

The universe is calling to you and whispers "finish the campaign"

[@Ozziemandias56]

When every single creature moves through the barbarians square without even taking an opertunity attack.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

Based on how far they moved, they likely took the evasion action.

[@Ozziemandias56]

@@MonkeyJedi99 do you mean disengage. That may stop them from being attacked but it doesn't let them move through another creatures square. Also they manacled their enemies which I believe should take an action.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@Ozziemandias56 Right! Disengage! Man, miss one weekend of gaming and my mind goes. Moving through the barbarian was an issue, yes.

[@TheDragonOfWhi]

They also actioned and moves at least 60ft a turn. If the raid was actually played out properly. It would be turn two before they were even up stairs to do anything.

[@Lrbearclaw]

He'd only get one and I just read it as he whiffed the swing.

[@_Woody_]

This could easily become a series. One that I would be more than ready to follow.

[@chrishubbard64]

Agreed, its fun seeing how op the various monsters really are when designed to use their abilities properly.

[@jakubguziur7522]

I think it already kinda is, it's just not named yet

[@ZarloSkald]

"Swiggity swoogity , we are here to get your brain....ity You know what, ima just ..."**NOM**

[@nahm321]

"We're here to empty your cranial cavity" you're welcome

[@gargoyles9999]

*Laughs in Null*

[@FanOfMostEverything]

"Swiggity swooty, we want your cerebooty."

[@mistercheese1887]

The entire hive mind heard that. This flayer is now the joke of the colony

[@crowsenpai5625]

Not ONE Ilithid in that hive mind has learned how to pun!

[@lukesams3349]

“60 floating octopus men blasting you with math questions until you die” has quickly become one of my favorite Runesmith quotes

[@hadarc01]

That "I will come to your house and silently stare at you for an hour" was semi-meant to be creepy but in reality you wanted to see how much of us find that apealing, didn't you?

[@lawaern3474]

Okay, one small point. Last I checked enemy characters of equal size are not crossable, so big daddy barbarian blocking the way out should be a bigger problem for the quaggoths.

[@francomaemori7123]

I love to see an encounter that gets as logical as it can get in a fantasy setting that goes like "you can't win this", but at the same time it's so frustrating

[@spoonyluv19]

Did you really think that offering to show up at someone's house would make me buy the book? naw I'm just gonna wait and admire your chiseled jawline for an hour.

[@zoroearc2582]

I love how in the mind flayer line up at 9:18 there’s just just a normal guy

[@lucasramey6427]

Yeah weird must have been a misclick

[@YamiCJMErl]

knowing relatively little about DnD, part of me kind of expected a png of a robot Tyrannosaurus upon hearing the word "Grimlock"

[@nottthebrave523]

I love this series! Hope we can get a gnoll episode, the Basically Gnolls video was pretty cool in it of itself.

[@uzernamefail]

Gnolls run intelligently AKA how to never be allowed to DM again

[@defensivekobra3873]

This party you mentioned could probably covertly take on the mind flayer hive by using a combination of nondetection, mind fortress and pass without trace to sneak in and use magic/ gunpowder to cause the roof of their lair to collapse

[@flibbernodgets7018]

I like it when the party can't win in a straight up fight, as both a player and a GM. The strongest tools anyone has in an encounter are information and planning, and it's cool to see those being used against them. I would also be very curious to know what you think the best way PCs might go about attacking the illithids, but then again that's the sort of thing it would be more fun to see actual players figure out.

[@heavenlyguardianHG]

Logan, you NEED to give us a playlist and more encounter building. Even as someone who doesn’t DM this stuff is incredibly entertaining.

[@carpedm9846]

You missed the soldier who was actually an Int Devourer on the inside.

[@caninehat6589]

Thank you for teaching us father.

[@TheGoblinoid]

Man, this channel's value is crazy.

[@thomassierp5583]

Perfect. Whenever someone says mindflayers aren't that tough I snigger maliciously inside...

[@faxmachine1162]

Imagine how ticked the party would be losing and knowing they cant fight back.

[@pancakes8670]

Would make for an excellent role play experience, encountering something in the world that's beyond your control, the only logical solution being just trying to escape

[@elijoseph5256]

Please! Do more of this, monster tactics are always fun, I would LOVE if you did a Gnoll Raid

[@BahaBurst]

Literally the day after I finished running my wonky attempt at a one-shot about mindflayers slowly taking over a town lol

[@drewingconclusions1839]

these encounter videos are my favorite parts of your content. I run a roleplay focused group and don't do combat often, so it's fun to watch these what-ifs.

[@SolomonPleasent]

Logan in my house for not being his product? I save money and see him in person for free? Such a good sell for not to buy it thanks Logan.

[@pirig-gal]

Yeah, "Don't threaten me with a good time!"

[@njalbjorn6880]

I ran this encounter and it became a defining moment for the campaign as it wiped half the party, losing them several powerful magic items and their healer. It set the remaining party on a warpath that fueled the remainder of the campaign, thx runesmith

[@patchclient3861]

I wanna say I love seeing more of these. It kinds of give me an idea (at least on the side of the enemies when I'm going to run a similar game) how encounters like these should go. Please make more of these I beg you.

[@charachristopoulou3122]

I might be the luckiest person alive. I ran your bandit encounter right before running a dungeon where I gave hints that mind flayers have infiltrated the town and then this video comes out. You're the best!

[@deltarno7502]

Woot, nicely done. Now I kinda wanna see a story from the mind flayer perspective, a small hive trying to make their way in a cold, cruel world. Raid wise, hoping for some fire giants. Keep up the good work.

[@rainycake]

I really enjoyed how you played out the encounter. It was like watching all the fan parts of dnd combat without all the unfun parts.

[@Barkleysdad]

I love it when you show notes on literally any type of running encounters at all

[@MrSoup-zs4rd]

I think a Mindwitness would also be a viable option for surface raids. The Elder Brain could control it within 5 miles and the Mindwitness can issue commands to seven creatures at once. Include all the Eye Rays that can be used to stun, frighten or slow potential victims and a Mindwitness seems like an ideal raid leader.

[@cole4783]

my one assertion is that the other quagotths probably wouldnt have been able to go through Bryce's square unless he was stunned

[@DMDMStudios]

Your calm and measured tone never ceases to lull me into a false sense of security only for your sense of humor to make me spit coffee out of my mouth at 6:50 am. Good video :)

[@viktord2025]

I'm gonna run a Mind Flayer raid. They're gonna bust in with their nautiloid, and the party's gonna have an epic broadside battle with them

[@samantha12892]

I love how all of your sound effects are from tf2. As someone with over 1000 in-game hours, this makes me very happy.

[@zioqqr4262]

i follow 0 of these guides but i like listening to you build hypotheticals

[@rzu1474]

This really make the mindflairs seem scary. Also absolutely op

[@MrBeenReadyy]

From the bottom of my heart as a DM running a long form Mindflayer campaign rapidly approaching its finale, thank you.

[@femboyskeleton9150]

Wow thanks for being clairvoyant Mr. Smith this will be very helpful for my mind flayer campaign that starts this week

[@francisweller839]

Great job, Logan. Love your videos, love your insights more. I appreciate that we’re acknowledging how utterly suicidal it is to attack an illithid colony

[@gianlorenzoclara5728]

This is actually super interesting, i wouldn't mind to watch more of this kind of content

[@Dyneamaeus]

Yea, Mind Flayers are right up near the top among 'monsters that can't lose if played correctly.' They can see your thoughts, share information instantly at great distances, command armies, strike in a way most beings aren't prepared to defend against, implement highly complex plans with extreme precision, and will do absolutely anything for their goals.

[@Neutral_Tired]

Looking at the stat block for an Elder Brain it seems to imply that the hivemind only functions within a 5 mile radius of it, and it can detect the location and intelligence score of all creators in that same range, so if the party is close enough that the raid is part of the hivemind then they already knew exactly where everyone was before arriving

[@brotherhoodz97]

1:37 “BROTHER! THESE TYRANID BIOFORMS LOOK STRANGE, GET ME THE HEAVY FLAMER!”

[@MrMagbrant]

Honestly one of my favorite videos so far ^^

[@ZarkasTheSkreleton]

4:11 that Quaggoth on the west-wall has a mind of their own.

[@rianfantozzi7827]

These tactic videos bring me so much joy.

[@diegotejada55]

1:40 Runesmith made a One Piece reference? I can't believe my two loves have come together on this day

[@scottsbarbarossalogic3665]

I do not know why, but the idea of Psionic Blast being a math problem someone needs to solve is very funny to me

[@CalamityCanyon]

“We have a card game…” “Oh, that’s neat.” “We have cards…” “Well, thank god”

[@pieterpuk7684]

This is an awesome video format. MOAR!

[@garrickberry3175]

Why does everyone forget that barbarians have javelins.

[@jlokison]

Because idot Barbarians keep forgetting they can have Javalins.

[@Raptor_Media_Group]

This was excellent. I'd like to order a full Series creature tactics and reasonings. Also videos on Space Marines and Space Jedi and how they earned these names. ty Runesmith ily

[@TheRrandomm]

The feeling when a player in a campaign I'm in really named their character "Magnum Dong" and now it appears in the video

[@TaosoftheVoid]

Hey, you're the reason I'm working on writing my own little dnd stories! I may or may not use this as a reference for it too!

[@dominiklange8382]

Nice. Perfect timing. I got a session to run this weekend and they have to raid a Mind Flayer base.

[@gaminreasons8941]

Yeah, Mindflayers are terrifying, despite not usually having an huge army of minions, they are, by their nature, a interconnected group of super-geniuses. So they should always be employing strategies and due to being squid monster people, playing things subtle until they have no other choice.

[@desaturatedyou]

Love the quaggoth that just slowly merged into the building

[@xaviermantha63]

Thanks for the video. PS: Psionic is not magic. Glad you are not my enemy !

[@verdragon5591]

1:42 you know, I was thinking Warhammer when you said Space Marines, but I'd fully believe the Imperium would do a buster call for the Emperor

[@JoicPersonal]

Man, what I'd do to have Runesmith guy come to my house to stare at me silently for about an hour. Guess I won't buy this really cool Guide I want.

[@the_epipan]

04:50 It seems that everyone believed that Sandra Bullock was going to be sleeping with the others, but when Billy Bob woke up he discovered that Sandra went to sleep in Bryce's bedroom and that he was supposed to sleep alone... mmm... suspicious.

[@remainprofane7732]

Please make more raid videos. It’s super interesting to see you break down the different strategies of different antagonists, plus I find it more engaging when the monsters seek the player out rather than vice versa

[@greattaco6429]

I'll only buy the twisted taverns book if Runesmith still does come to my house and silently stare at me for about an hour

[@diegorodrigues9528]

The fact that the colonies have hundreds of mind flayers is kinda annoying. I really want to put some mind flayers in OotA campaign but it would end up in a TPK

[@ayoutubewatcher2849]

Personally I find this ridiculous. Hundreds of mind flayers would require hundreds more humanoids as food for just 1 month. Once, you have hundreds of citizens going missing each month, you'll quickly have every nation close by aggroed on the hive to exterminate it("cue 3 or 4 parties of 8 level 10s along with a couple hundred npcs of a mix of guard, thug, veteran, and knight statblocks). If I were to do a raid on a hive and you wanted to do several 100 in the hive have it as you would an army battle with lots of npcs with the party spearheading it. Throw in some rolls to see how well or bad the npcs are doing affected by party prep.

[@vermillionwraith7810]

I think one important point is that there is never a thriving illithid hive. They are constantly hunted but also have to stay in close proximity to humanoids, this can never end well for them long term. So even if there are 100s of them there will be major degeneration. From there you just come up with an interesting Achilles heel that the players can exploit. the first idea that comes to my head is a majority of the hive being kept in cryosleep to reduce how many brains they need. then your players could fight their way though, discover an army of illithids but we able to destroy them in one fell swoop via collapsing the ceiling or whatever seems cool.

[@geltric4779]

I have no idea what this video was for, but I had fun on this crazy ride. I'd love to see more if you're up for it.

[@cleanestorclol3709]

“These sweet boys need some cranial meat.” -Runesmith

[@ChaoGuy2006]

Better than Baldur's Gate III's opening. Players do it better, who'd have thunk? Great work as always. I think these encounter videos are great supplements to your Basically series, and hope to see more. Also, holy crap a One Piece reference.

[@timothymaddux9018]

That. "BRAIN BLAST!" was perfect

[@gabrielrussell5531]

I should point out that Illithids wouldn't use mind blasts on a slave/food raid since they would kill the average person.

[@eylore3934]

Thune flayers might as they prefer the brains of the dead

[@TheBlackhoof]

I like to homebrew that they could choose to do non-lethal psychic damage with their mind blasts, if needbe. Makes sense for being able to kidnap commoners.

[@TeaneyKnight]

These videos are always great, I look forward to more.

[@1forge2rulethemall88]

The hive: Ah crap we stumbled onto those stronger humans, well time to send a few more flayers to be sure they don't tell the green ones.

[@MaskedMike004]

This was a fun video, especially since a game I'm in recently ended with Mind Flayers as the big bad. Those guys are scary!

[@connortonight]

RAW the quaggoths wouldn't be able to get through the barbarian at 6:05 because you can't move through an enemy's space

[@rabbidninja79]

I had my party try to escape from a city that was in the middle of an illithid invasion. they did very well until only 1 of the mind flayer's managed to see them. they got to see the whole illithid army chase after them. (the mind flayers were invading in order to try to capture them)

[@demonderpz7937]

If you think you can come in my house and stare at me judgingly for a full hour without me hugging you and asking if you’re ok you are simply wrong Runesmith

[@BoyInFrance]

I really enjoy these tactics videos!

[@damoncross22]

Love this video style, the gods command that you make more.

[@torexinc.8762]

5:05 Anyone else notice the random roaming quaggoth that fades in and out of the tavern?

[@jaimeanguixdiaz1577]

Day 18 asking Runesmith to do a Basically Theros

[@somejackassontheinternet]

I misread that as "How to run a mimic raid" and got really interested Still good video tho

[@Nerdface0]

Time to write up an "abandoned" town.

[@morganfossati1346]

Sandra Bulok and a one pice reference!!! Best video ever

[@zenovkayos5811]

The road leading into the Tavern in the map looks like .. a body part. Ready to be thrusted into the box... Not gonna lie I laughed a bit

[@lagg1e]

Mind Flayers are awesome and I do not want to ever encounter them, but I also do.

[@susanriccio5806]

I love videos like this!!! Please keep making them if you enjoy doing so

[@Hawkens4k]

this does help with an idea i had for a mind flayer cult.