#gnome squidling

[cagemasterfantasy]

DND Monsters: Gnome Squidling

From: Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Small Aberration, Unaligned

AC 8

HP 10 (3d6)

Speed 15 ft.

Str 4 -3 Dex 7 -2 Con 10 +0 Int 4 -3 Wis 10 +0 Cha 3 -4

Senses Darkvision 60 ft.

Languages Understands Deep Speech and Gnomish but can't speak, telepathy 60 ft.

CR 1/2

Traits

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The squidling's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 7). It can innately cast levitate at will, requiring no components.

Magic Resistance. The squidling has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (2d4) psychic damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 7) and must succeed on a DC 7 Intelligence saving throw or be stunned until this grapple ends.

Extract Brain. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one incapacitated creature grappled by the squidling. Hit: 27 (5d10) piercing damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the squidling kills the target by extracting and devouring its brain.

Mind Tickle (Recharge 5–6). The squidling magically emits psychic energy in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 7 Intelligence saving throw or take 2 (1d4) psychic damage and be stunned until the end of its next turn.

[abyssalaerlocke]

Astarion turning gnome!Tav into his vampire consort, before they become an illithid squidling/ceremorph in the endgame

Astarion the Vampire & Tav the Squidling

Keeping this super simplified, but I'd love to see its potential, so if anyone wants to try, tag me! It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn

(convenient Astarion and squidling art from my Submerged AU — along with some info on what they are)

When he comes around to his consort being an illithid (because who couldn't like that cute little creachur), affectionately calling them "little leach ❤"

Lamprey Lord Astarion

[abyssalaerlocke]

I'm gonna start updating my pinned post with my latest art, if you ever wanna check in if you missed something, so I don't have to spam or guess when y'all are most active in multiple time zones :]

Astarion the Vampire & Tav the Squidling

Keeping this super simplified, but I'd love to see its potential, so if anyone wants to try, tag me! It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn

[abyssalaerlocke]

Astarion the Vampire & Tav the Squidling

Keeping this super simplified, but I'd love to see its potential, so if anyone wants to try, tag me! It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't even have to be better than me, if you just want to practice, or do a different style

Finished collection and old post with some details and poses on the ones that didn't get finished

Gnomes normally don't survive ceremorphosis — it requires a modified process which can turn them into a gnome ceremorph or a gnome squidling (technically squidlings are considered the 'fail state' by mind flayers, but considering the experimental methods, I like to think there's a spectrum/range of outcomes). Gnome Ceremorphs retain more of their memories, personality, and morality than typical mind flayers, and squidlings.

On the Nautiloid, in room off of Shadowheart's, is a central pod set up for viewing, with a control panel that instantly turns the occupant into an illithid. It was a gnome Astarion found inside, and who he accidentally turned into a squidling.

Tav managed to escape during the crash, and found the party, earning their trust and becoming unlikely friends with Astarion.

This is from a scene I imagine of Astarion unlocking a chest they find in a shipwreck, and Tav pulls out the Mask of the Shapeshifter — popping it on and attempting to use disguise self to retake their original gnomish appearance.

However — while in DnD, disguise self is just an illusion — in BG3, changing to a smaller or larger race affects your ability to fit through holes, indicating there's a physical aspect. Tav might find they suddenly lose their ability to breathe underwater, and will want to dispel it quickly — an ordeal to Astarion's fond amusement.

Thank you @krembruleed for the Astarion refs

[abyssalaerlocke]

Menace

Gnome squidling Tav who perches on dragonborn Durge's shoulder, and can't get their little mouth over big, spiky, armoured head

so Durge isn't even worried when they get bored and snacky and start wrapping their tentacles over his face while he's busy (probably plotting with Gortash. Gortash is... getting used to his favourite assassin's new partner)

Gnome squidling

Gnome squidlings were creatures that resulted from unsuccessful attempts at performing a modified version of ceremorphosis, in which an illi

[abyssalaerlocke]

Frogs

So not on the current aquatic poll are Jaheira, Minsc & Boo.

I'm thinking gold Grung for Jaheira. Grung are small frog humanoids that secrete poison. The gold ones are leaders, and their poison specifically can charm — which is closest to Jaheira's truth wine.

Grung

Grungs (pl: grung or grungs) were poisonous frog-like amphibious humanoids that lived in swamp or marsh forests. Their society was organized

Minsc, I kinda like Sahuagin, cause they're cool, and I don't have any planned. They're normally evil, but maybe Minsc has too much head trauma for that kind of malevolence? There's also a four-armed variant 🤔

Sahuagin Champion

Boo, I want to make a miniature version of a giant animal (since miniature giant space hamsters were made with magic, and it's theorised that shrinking them is what causes their increased intelligence). Something naturally small, cute, innocuous. I'm waffling between seahorse and frog.

If I do frog, they have a relationship with bullywugs, who can communicate with frog species. So then I'm considering making Minsc a Bullywug and just having the 3 in a froggy family portrait (funny, but lame). Although typically evil, those that stray from the group, and explore and live among other races are known to become neutral or good.

Bullywug

Bullywugs were a primitive race of frog-like humanoids found throughout the bogs and marshes of Toril, the self-proclaimed lords of the swam

My biggest issue is in terms of relevance. I abandoned the writing and just plan on drawing the character designs. And these wouldn't meaningfully be recognisable as their characters anymore. You could just look at existing art of the races and ta-da, that's them! 🙃

The other less human ones are Tav as a squidling — but Tav doesn't have a defined look to recognise in the first place. It's just a fun — hey, here's this silly little cute monster, Astarion's unexpected buddy, both fish out of water, getting up to mischief together.

Gnome squidling

Gnome squidlings were creatures that resulted from unsuccessful attempts at performing a modified version of ceremorphosis, in which an illi

Durge as a lizardfolk, but he'll be albino, and recognisable as the default dragonborn.

And shark Halsin — but it's mostly about Shadowheart being scared of sharks. Also, considering making him a wereshark, which have hybrid forms 🤔 I dunno, feels weird to draw

Wereshark

A wereshark was a very rare and fearsome type of lycanthrope that could take the form of a shark. Weresharks could take three different form

I also like him having a dolphin form, but still in addition to the shark form (which is relevant especially in that pic). Weredolphin would suit him better, but just wild shaping into a shark as a druid.

[abyssalaerlocke]

Bean

So, I might be wrong, but I think I forgot to share one of my gnome squidling ideas 👉👈

Gnome Tav takes the sacrifice of becoming illithid (lil' gnome squidling — which don't have the same personality and stuff as regular mind flayers) so they can defeat the netherbrain

...and becomes the Absolute.

Astarion and Gale both went their power hungry routes, and are in the know, kind of involved, while some of the others have had their memory modified so they won't cause trouble.

Astarion, despite being ascendant, is nice, and comfortable with, and stays with illithid Tav — because they're subtly mind influencing him. But at some point he reaches out to Gale, bringing up that they should be concerned this chaotic little squidling has so much power. Maybe Gale should help him get the stones in a coup, and doesn't Gale want the crown so he can ascend?

What Astarion doesn't realise is he couldn't even contemplate a coup if Tav wasn't allowing it, and they don't really want the weight of being the Absolute — they just wanna be a chaotic neutral lil' bean.

[abyssalaerlocke]

Excerpt from my other post

Gnomes normally don't survive ceremorphosis because of "their quasi-magical nature", but with some modification, they can be made into gnome ceremorphs, or gnome squidlings (gnome squidlings are considered the fail state, and they're described differently in appearance and mind, but I like to think of it as a spectrum). Which, significantly, tend to retain their mind, alignment, etc. On the nautiloid, there's a room off of Shadowheart's with someone in a centrally viewed pod, with a console that can instantly transform them into a mind flayer. Besides the parasites in general having been modified, this process is definitely modified, and seems to have been made with special purpose. So what if they put gnome Durge in there, and one of the companions accidentally triggers it. You get this autonomous illithid Durge

Now, have that squidling be a druid, with an almost humanoid, bipedal(ish) animal as their wildshape — like a red panda

Just, being freaking cute, and sure, having them act human is gonna be a little weird, but people will probably figure they're a druid, or an awoken? enlightened? animal (however you phrase an animal made sapient by the Awaken spell). And it lets them go around without people freaking out about an illithid.

Also pairs nice with their raccoon man