So, you’ve encountered a Devourer and now want to know how to Regain your Intelligence in DnD 5e right?
Happens to the best of us. So, don’t worry; it isn’t that scary.
An Intellect Devourer is a creature from the Monster Manual, its special ability is to “devour” the intellect of unsuspecting victims. But, it really shouldn’t pose much of a problem to cure yourself if you know what you’re doing.
And that is the question that this guide will try to answer. So let’s get right to it.
First of all
Table of Contents
What is an Intellect Devourer?
The aforementioned Monster Manual describes this strange creature like this.
“An intellect devourer resembles a waking brain protected by a crusty covering and set on bestial clawed legs. This foul aberration feeds on the intelligence of sentient creatures, taking over a victim’s body on behalf of its mind flayer master.”
That basically describes the creature and what it does, but let’s further elaborate on it.
The Intellect Devourer is the not-so-cute pet of a Mind Flayer. Its main goal is to ambush and beset unsuspecting sentient creatures and feed on their intellect.
What this means is that it almost exclusively will go only against creatures who are alone – and in rare cases, against creatures who have another companion with them. But never against groups.
The reason that it does this is the following. The main goal of an Intellect Devourer (other than eating your intellect and turning it to 0 ) is to take over the body of its victim.
Once it’s taken over the body of its host, it uses this new body that it has conquered to lure in other unsuspecting victims.
Now, the reason you are probably here is for the first part. The “turning your Intellect ability score to 0” part. Let’s discuss that.
How to Regain your Intelligence in DnD 5e
Here’s how you can regain your Intelligence after you’ve fallen victim to a devourer.
First of all, and most importantly. Get rid of the Intellect Devourer in the first place.
You’d be a pretty bad surgeon if you begin to close a knife wound without having removed the knife in the first place. The same applies here.
Now you’re just left with its effects. What to do about the 0 intelligence?
This question was directed at Mike Mearls on Twitter, and I believe his answer can be taken as a solid basis for answering the problem.
In essence, what he wants to say is the following.
Rules as written have a bit of an oversight with this problem. They never bothered to include any specific method to cure yourself of the affliction that Intellect Devourers apply.
So, it’s reasonable to assume in that case that any sort of spell that removes a curse or a disease could work. So spells like Greater Restoration should work like a charm here.
There is of course one more method that can be used. But this relies entirely on your DM if he will let it pass.
Xanathar’s Guide to Everything also includes the option of “Relaxation” as a way of potentially ridding yourself of the effect. All you have to do is have a week of downtime doing practically nothing and you’ll be good as new.
The final method is a bit of a catch. You’re not really fixing the problem as much as you are applying a bandaid to it.
The Intellect Devourer sets your Intellect at a 0, so if you could potentially increase that by just 1 point of intellect somehow – then you practically cure yourself of its effect.
Just instead of 0 intellect, you’ll now have 1 intellect.
Closing Remarks
That basically covers all there is to know about Intellect Devourers and how they work, what they can do to you, and how to cure yourself from their effects.
As far as I am aware, there is no other condition that is similar to this one. So I can fully understand why rules as written have an oversight with this part. Still, I think that the methods of ridding yourself of the condition should work just as well.
