Gnome ceremorph

Gnome ceremorphs were creatures that resulted from a modified version of ceremorphosis, in which an illithid tadpole was implanted into a gnome. Unlike typical mind flayers, successful gnome ceremorphs retained partial memories of their previous lives, as well as much of their personality.

Description
Gnome ceremorphs retained the host's original size after ceremorphosis, remaining as tall as typical gnomes, but with physical traits of mind flayers, such as facial tentacles that had psionic powers.

Also unlike typical mind flayers, gnome ceremorphs tended to favor speaking rather than using telepathy to communicate. They retained their host's original known languages, but could also speak Deep Speech. In all cases, they spoke with a "gooey" accent.

Abilities
Like ordinary mind flayers, gnome ceremorphs had powerful psionic abilities and were capable of innately levitating and producing the effects of detect thoughts at will. They were also capable of psychically casting dominate monster and plane shift once per day.

Personality
As a result of the warped ceremorphosis process, gnome ceremorphs retained much of their host's original personality. In particular, they kept their inclination towards invention and tinkering, as well as their original sense of morality. Those traits became mixed with the mind flayers' taste for control and experimentation, but they tended to remain peaceful creatures.

Combat
Despite preferring to avoid combat when possible, if threatened, a gnome ceremorph did not hold back on its powers. They could unleash powerful mind blasts, were extraordinarily resilient to magical attacks, and also counted with a technological arsenal at their disposal. Many gnome ceremorphs carried homemade laser pistols that could shoot beams of radiant energy at their opponents.

Ecology
The normal process of ceremorphosis, if conducted on a gnome, invariably resulted in the death of both the host and the tadpole. The reason the process failed was unknown, but it was thought to be related with the different way that gnomish minds worked, or tied to their quasi-magical nature.

However, by slightly modifying the ceremorphosis process, it was possible to produce a viable ceremorph from a gnome host. The process did not always succeed, however, sometimes resulting in a stunted creature known as a gnome squidling.

Gnome ceremorphs relied on a diet of brains like ordinary mind flayers.

Notable Gnome Ceremorphs

 * Vorryn Q'uuol and Dredavex Sinfiz, co-captains of the nautiloid Id Ascendant.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden