In the Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 roleplaying game, the intellect devourer is a type of fictional monster for player character

Player character

A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...

s to encounter.

Publication history

The intellect devourer first appeared in the original Dungeons & Dragons game supplement Eldritch Wizardry

Eldritch Wizardry

Eldritch Wizardry is a supplementary rulebook by Gary Gygax and Brian Blume, written for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which included a number of significant additions to the core game.-Contents:...

(1976).

The intellect devourer appeared in first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the original Monster Manual

Monster Manual

The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...

(1977). The ustilagor first appeared in Dragon

Dragon (magazine)

Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...

#69 (January 1983), and then reprinted in the original Monster Manual II (1983).

The intellect devourer and the intellect devourer larva (ustilagor) appeared in second edition in The Complete Psionics Handbook

The Complete Psionics Handbook

The Complete Psionics Handbook is a supplemental rulebook for the 2nd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1991 by TSR Inc. It contains a variety of information useful to playing psionic characters in the game....

(1991), and reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).

The intellect devourer appeared in third edition in the Psionics Handbook

Psionics Handbook

The Expanded Psionics Handbook is a sourcebook by Bruce Cordell for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game that contains a multitude of rules and options for integrating psychic powers into the D&D game...

, and its 3.5 revision the Expanded Psionics Handbook (2004). 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 (2010).

Description

An intellect devourer is a chaotic and evil monster, highly malign with regard to sentient life. It dwells deep beneath the ground, and subsists on the psychic energy of its prey.