# Intellect devourer

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{{Short description|Dungeons & Dragons monster}}
{{Infobox fictional race
| name                = Intellect devourer
| image               = <!--200px-->
| first               = ''[Eldritch Wizardry](/source/Eldritch_Wizardry)'' (1976)
| type                = 
| alignment           = 
}}
In the ''[Dungeons & Dragons](/source/Dungeons_%26_Dragons)'' [fantasy](/source/fantasy) [roleplaying game](/source/roleplaying_game), the '''intellect devourer''' is a type of fictional monster.

==Publication history==
The intellect devourer first appeared in the original ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game supplement ''[Eldritch Wizardry](/source/Eldritch_Wizardry)'' (1976).<ref>{{Citation | last1 =Gygax | first1 =Gary | author-link1 =Gary Gygax | last2 =Blume | first2 =Brian | author2-link = Brian Blume | title =Eldritch Wizardry | publisher =TSR | year =1976 | location =Lake Geneva, WI | edition =1}}</ref>

The intellect devourer appeared in first edition ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' in the original ''[Monster Manual](/source/Monster_Manual)'' (1977).<ref>[Gygax, Gary](/source/Gary_Gygax). ''[Monster Manual](/source/Monster_Manual)'' ([TSR](/source/TSR%2C_Inc.), 1977)</ref> The ustilagor first appeared in ''[Dragon](/source/Dragon_(magazine))'' #69 (January 1983), and then reprinted in the original ''[Monster Manual II](/source/Monster_Manual_II)'' (1983).

The intellect devourer and the intellect devourer larva (ustilagor) appeared in second edition in ''[The Complete Psionics Handbook](/source/The_Complete_Psionics_Handbook)'' (1991),<ref>[Winter, Steve](/source/Steve_Winter_(game_designer)). ''[The Complete Psionics Handbook](/source/The_Complete_Psionics_Handbook)'' (TSR, 1991)</ref> and reprinted in the ''[Monstrous Manual](/source/Monstrous_Manual)'' (1993).<ref>[Stewart, Doug](/source/Doug_Stewart_(game_designer)), ed. ''[Monstrous Manual](/source/Monstrous_Manual)'' (TSR, 1993)</ref>

The intellect devourer appeared in third edition in the ''[Psionics Handbook](/source/Psionics_Handbook)'', and its 3.5 revision the ''[Expanded Psionics Handbook](/source/Expanded_Psionics_Handbook)'' (2004).<ref>[Cordell, Bruce R.](/source/Bruce_R._Cordell) ''[Expanded Psionics Handbook](/source/Expanded_Psionics_Handbook)'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2004)</ref> The battle intellect devourer appeared in ''Dragon'' #303 (January 2003). The ustilagor appeared in ''Dragon'' #337 (November 2005).

The intellect devourer and ustilagor appeared in the fourth edition in ''[Monster Manual 3](/source/Monster_Manual_3)'' (2010).<ref>[Mearls, Mike](/source/Mike_Mearls), [Greg Bilsland](/source/Greg_Bilsland), and [Robert J. Schwalb](/source/Robert_J._Schwalb). ''[Monster Manual 3](/source/Monster_Manual_3)''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2010</ref>

Intellect devourers also appear in the fifth edition ''[Monster Manual](/source/Monster_Manual)'' as well.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

==Description==
Intellect devourers are described as chaotic and evil monsters, malevolent towards sentient life.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pV6KDwAAQBAJ&dq=intellect%20devouer%20%22dungeons%22&pg=PA344|title=The Monsters Know What They're Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters|last=Ammann|first=Keith|publisher=Gallery / Saga Press|year=2019|isbn=978-1982122669|location=|pages=344}}</ref> They are said to dwell deep beneath the ground, and subsist on the psychic energy of their prey. They are generally described as servants of the [mind flayer](/source/mind_flayer)s.<ref name=":0" /> Their alignment is lawful evil in 5th Edition.{{cn|date=April 2023}}

==Other media==
Intellect devourers appear in the film ''[Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves](/source/Dungeons_%26_Dragons%3A_Honor_Among_Thieves)''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cbr.com/dnd-movie-honor-among-thieves-pathfinder-intellect-devourors/?newsletter_popup=1 | title=Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Debuts Pathfinder-Esque Intellect Devourors | date=27 February 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://nerdist.com/article/all-the-monsters-in-dungeons-and-dragons-honor-among-thieves-movie-original-monster-manual-homage/ | title=Here Are All the Menacing Monsters in DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES | date=30 March 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://gizmodo.com/dnd-honor-among-thieves-creature-video-chris-pine-1850165545 | title=How Many of These Creatures Have You Put in Your D&D Campaign? | date=27 February 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/gaming/dnd-honor-among-thieves-debuts-pathfinder-esque-intellect-devourors/ar-AA180qys | title=DND: Honor Among Thieves Debuts Pathfinder-esque Intellect Devourors | website=[MSN](/source/MSN) }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.polygon.com/23635507/dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves-sxsw-review-spoiler-free | title=Honor Among Thieves is everything a D&D fan could want | website=[Polygon](/source/Polygon_(website)) | date=11 March 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tor.com/2023/02/27/will-your-favorite-dd-creatures-show-up-in-dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves/ | title=Will Your Favorite D&D Creatures Show up in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves? | date=27 February 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.slashfilm.com/937844/the-new-dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves-poster-features-art-from-the-wrong-roleplaying-game/ | title=The New Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Poster Features Art from the Wrong Roleplaying Game | date=22 July 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://collider.com/dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves-featurette/ | title='Honor Among Thieves' Featurette Unveils New 'Dungeons & Dragons' Creatures | website=[Collider](/source/Collider_(website)) | date=27 February 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-movie-trailer-creatures/ | title=Dungeons & Dragons Trailer Highlights Every Bizarre Creature in Movie | website=[Screen Rant](/source/Screen_Rant) | date=27 February 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://icv2.com/articles/previews/view/53305/preview-d-d-icons-realms-honor-among-thieves-monsters-boxed-set | title=Preview: 'D&D Icons of the Realms: Honor Among Thieves - Monsters Boxed Set' }}</ref>

==Reception==
[SyFy Wire](/source/SyFy_Wire) in 2018 called it one of "The 9 Scariest, Most Unforgettable Monsters From Dungeons & Dragons", saying that "The idea of having your brain consumed and just becoming an evil puppet is truly terrible."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-9-scariest-most-unforgettable-monsters-from-dungeons-dragons|title=The 9 scariest, most unforgettable monsters from Dungeons & Dragons|first=Lisa|last=Granshaw|date=October 24, 2018|website=SYFY WIRE|access-date=October 8, 2019|archive-date=April 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429125029/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-9-scariest-most-unforgettable-monsters-from-dungeons-dragons|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Rob Bricken for ''[Gizmodo](/source/Gizmodo)'' commented that "If you read the description, they're quite deadly, but what I love is that they're just giant brains on legs, which is to say they look like what they eat. Imagine if humans looked like full roast chickens on legs. It's fun!"<ref>{{cite web |title=23 Strange Creatures From Advanced D&D's First Edition Monster Manual |date=2023-03-31 |website=[Gizmodo](/source/Gizmodo) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416151542/https://gizmodo.com/dungeons-dragons-monster-manual-23-strange-creatures-1850287302/slides/10 |archive-date=2023-04-16 |url-status=live |url=https://gizmodo.com/dungeons-dragons-monster-manual-23-strange-creatures-1850287302/slides/10}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{D&D topics}}

Category:Dungeons & Dragons monsters
Category:Fictional story elements introduced in 1976

{{D&D-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Intellect devourer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellect_devourer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellect_devourer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.