Building Nyarlathotep

[Eldan]

So, I'm applying to a high-level gestalt game, and I need a few build ideas. The characters rae supposed to be Elder Gods, and I want to take some inspiration from Nyarlathotep.

So far, I have decided that I will be taking Changeling or Doppelganger for my race, and go Artificer, probably with Djinn in Tonic's excellent Madspark Eccentric, for the other side. Nyarly has a bit of a technology focus already, and this way ,he can pull impossible machinery out of thin air.

Now, I'm not quit sure about the other side. I want something that builds on Charisma, so he can tempt foolish mortals into their doom for his own amusement. If I can't find anything better, I guess it will have to be bard. I would also like to represent the themes of temptation, madness and shapeshifting better.

So, does anyone know of any good prestige classes that might help here? I have looked around the prestige class contests, but a short look didn't really show me anything that is quite what I want. Homebrew is fine.

[Shining Wrath]

Hmmm. The Crawling Chaos should definitely have shape-shifting ability. A couple of times Nyarl was Egyptian. He also tends to serve the interests of the other gods, being active on earth while they are variously exiled or sleeping.

I think some Sandshaper from Sandstorm might help you out. A lot of Lovecraft involves going out into the wilderness where the Elder Gods are still acknowledged. Walker in the Waste plays in the same territory but more divine caster, which might be appropriate for a god. Then throw in some Ashworm Dragoon, refluffed to ride something truly Lovecraftian like a Shoggoth.

On the non-sandy side of things, Eldritch Theurge from Complete Mage sounds very HPL. It also sounds like Insidious Corrupter from Drow of the Underdark might fit your conception of the Charisma-based tempter.

[Khatoblepas]

Divine Minion (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20050209a)/Master of Many Forms will give you ludicrous at-will wildshape (as a level 21 druid) into any form. (Useful for his 1000 forms).

[Eldan]

Hmmm. I'd rather not go Divine Minion/Master of Many Forms, as I'd like to stay away from the seriously overpowered. The Insidious corrupter fits the fluff, but doesn't seem to offer much a straight enchanter wouldn't get. Sandshaper/Walker in the waste is a really nice idea and probably fits better than the Madspark, as I can't see Nyarly raging much.

[Shining Wrath]

Hmmm. I'd rather not go Divine Minion/Master of Many Forms, as I'd like to stay away from the seriously overpowered. The Insidious corrupter fits the fluff, but doesn't seem to offer much a straight enchanter wouldn't get. Sandshaper/Walker in the waste is a really nice idea and probably fits better than the Madspark, as I can't see Nyarly raging much.

I can see him going totally bat-guano full-attack crazy under the right circumstances - personal threat combined with disrespect for the Elder Gods. Supposing that your party of Lovecraftian pseudo-god aliens (which is how I think HPL conceived of his Elder Gods, inasmuch as he personally was an atheist) ran into some representatives of a more traditional pantheon. And then someone with a mouth on him (Ares? Loki?) started talking smack, and smack degenerated into smacking. When dealing with puny mortals, no, thinly veiled contempt would be his demeanor.

[Fouredged Sword]

Changling

factotum 5 / warshaper 5 / factotum 10
Wild shape ranger 9 / master of many forms 10 / wild shape ranger 1

You are whatever you want to be. You are immune to a lot of stuff and can shift between forms at will. You have enough wildshape uses to be shaped for more than 24 hours a day, so you can alter yourself at will all day long. Good BAB makes for nice use of the natural attacks of your forms.

Focus your stats Con > Int > Cha > Wis > Dex > Strength

Dump dex and strength completely. You will be shaped all the time so focus on Con, which matters, and Int, which you will add to everything.

Your forms have mutations and strange features. You heal from wounds with alarming speed. No blade can find your heart.

Get a bunch of wildling clasps and a ring of sustenance. Glamored light armor changes to any outfit you need.

Take the various wildshape feats to open up more options for wildshaping.

If you need spellcasting take the form of something that has native spellcasting. It won't be permanent, and you will not be a dedicated spellcaster, but you can get 1-5th spells fairly easily be turning into dragons or mindflayers.

[Cirrylius]

I can see him going totally bat-guano full-attack crazy under the right circumstances - personal threat combined with disrespect for the Elder Gods. Supposing that your party of Lovecraftian pseudo-god aliens (which is how I think HPL conceived of his Elder Gods, inasmuch as he personally was an atheist) ran into some representatives of a more traditional pantheon. And then someone with a mouth on him (Ares? Loki?) started talking smack, and smack degenerated into smacking. When dealing with puny mortals, no, thinly veiled contempt would be his demeanor.
Technically, Nyarlathotep's a Great Old One, not an Elder God. Not trying to be a bitchy mythos hipster, I'm just...
okay, well, I AM kind of a bitchy mythos hipster, but I'm pointing it out for completeness' sake, not to be bitchy:smalltongue:

In Chaosium, Nyarlat has a war form, but it's reserved for when he's being physically threatened (even if the threat isn't very threatening). Personality-wise, Nyarlat's kind of snarky and contemptuous about the rest of the Old Ones and earth's gods (who are ridiculously far beneath the Old Ones in-setting)himself; he probably'd only respond to verbal sniping if it was directed at him personally:smallbiggrin:

[Man on Fire]

Hmmm. I'd rather not go Divine Minion/Master of Many Forms, as I'd like to stay away from the seriously overpowered.

You're building Nyarlathotep, if you aren't seriously overpowered, you're doing it wrong.

[Urpriest]

Temptationwise, Fiend of Corruption is cool, if not amazingly powerful.

[Spuddles]

You need a source of Shapechange or crazy wildshaping for his thousand forms.

I also don't really see his technology focus. He's a herald of madness and terror. Dread Witch or something on a cloistered cleric, beguiler or sorcerer chassis would make much more sense to me.

[Arcanist]

Temptationwise, Fiend of Corruption is cool, if not amazingly powerful.

Something like Wildshaping Ranger, Master of Many Forms and Fiend of Corruption? To be a Fiend of Corruption you need a LA and a RHD most likely so just factor that on in there as well :smalltongue:

[NichG]

Its weird to me that your Nyarlathotep isn't going to be an Outsider... Anyhow, if homebrew is in, how about something using the Xenotheurgy stuff?

There's a ton of Lords of Madness and BoVD stuff where you swear service to an elder evil in exchange for power. Chosen of Evil is kind of a fun feat there. Why not swear fealty to... yourself?

[Man on Fire]

You need a source of Shapechange or crazy wildshaping for his thousand forms.

I also don't really see his technology focus. He's a herald of madness and terror. Dread Witch or something on a cloistered cleric, beguiler or sorcerer chassis would make much more sense to me.

No, technology was always his gig, in Lovecraft's "Nyarlathotep" he travels from city to city with scientific displays, which he presents to people as magic. When one person unmasks this charade, he murders everybody who belived that guy.

And there is one more thing - main inspiration for Lovecraft when creating him was Nicola Tesla, that's obligating.

[Eldan]

I've now picked up the Thespian of Many Roles for one side of the build. It's basically a remake of the Master of Masks, by T.G. Oskar. It just fits so well, thematically.

For the other side, I'm still undecided. Currently, I'm thinking either Aranea 7/Sorcerer 3/Sandshaper 10//Bard 5/Thespian 10/Virtuoso 5 or Changeling Artificer 14/Barbarian 1/Madspark eccentric 5//Bard 5/Thespian 10/Virtuoso 5.

Either makes him a charismatic shapeshifter, with the ability to pull items out of thin air. The second has more of a technology focus, while the first is more magical and desert themed.