(PF) Druid with Lovecraftian horror flavor?

[JackRackham]

I have this concept for a Dwarf Druid who would be geared toward abominations instead of nature and would have a Lovecraftian/Cthulhu cultist feel. I could pull this off in 3.5, but the campaign I'm gonna play in will be Pathfinder. Is anyone ware of ACFs (or anything else) for Oracle, Cleric, or Druid that would give me something I could fluff into this sort of mold?

I'm not worried about the crunch of it, or maximizing the build (I prefer to figure that out on my own). I just don't know where to start for the flavor I want in PF.

[Rainshine]

Blight Druid archetype from APG is the first that comes to mind as a twisted druid -- it's mostly focused on disease though, so you'll need to do a fair bit of shaping from disease to fear effects, I'd imagine.

[Klarth]

The Void domain and the Dark Tapestry mystery are rather Lovecraftian.

[Snowbluff]

Blight Druid archetype from APG is the first that comes to mind as a twisted druid -- it's mostly focused on disease though, so you'll need to do a fair bit of shaping from disease to fear effects, I'd imagine.

Samsaran would let you add some of the spells to your spell list. Sound like a good idea?

[Sayt]

The Dark Tapestry subdomain of Void is made of Lovecraft, unfortunately it's not, IIRC, availalble to druids?

There's a certain amount of how much lovecraft do you want versus how much druid you want, because Lovecraft druid doesn't have a lot of support.

Lovecraft Cleric, built as a summoner on the other hand, Can Summon Monsters FROM BEYOND!

Or, if you want to have a character which turns into an eldritch horror, I suggest taking a Synthesist Summoner, taking the any given form, and slapping on as many tentacles on as eldritchly possible.

I do kind of wish there was more support for Lovecraftian Druids, as they're mentioned as being worshippers of Shub-Niggurath in the Carrion Crown AP, but as far as I'm aware, there's no mechanical support.

[Snowbluff]

Too bad tentacles are so bad. You might be better off with refluffed slams or claws.

Double-too-bad about the limit on the number of tentacles you can have.

[Kudaku]

Perhaps obvious, but have you considered either synthesist (as Sayt suggests) or straight summoner? Since eidolon appearance is entirely up to the summoner, you could make it start off looking something like this (http://www.elfwood.com/art/m/a/maija/cthulhu.jpg)...?

[Slipperychicken]

Seconding Summoner. Shadow Caller (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-fetchling/shadow-caller-summoner-fetchling) archetype adds some creepier beasts to the list. Also, you get to summon these guys, among others.

]http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/265/f/d/furtive_zoog_by_feliciacano-d1zwwlq.jpg

http://www.goddessfantasy.net/bbs/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=58023.0;attach=258 28;image

It does sacrifice a number of other summon options for shadow-themed creatures, but all their summons get Shadow Blend (20% concealment when not in bright light) and SR=5+CR. Also, they get Allips and Shadows with their SM4. So it might be a viable tradeoff if you don't mind losing the elementals, especially if you can reliably dim the lights (use a magic item?) to benefit from concealment.

It's also compatible with the Evolutionist archetype.


Perhaps obvious, but have you considered either synthesist (as Sayt suggests) or straight summoner? Since eidolon appearance is entirely up to the summoner, you could make it start off looking something like this (http://www.elfwood.com/art/m/a/maija/cthulhu.jpg)...?

I'd want to throw in the shadow blend and/or shadow form evolutions to emulate its otherworldly nature making it difficult to attack in 3 dimensions. The Unnatural Aura evolution might be very nice if you want to stomp on animals with impunity (since they won't willingly approach your eidolon, and typically don't have ranged attacks).

[JackRackham]

The Dark Tapestry subdomain of Void is made of Lovecraft, unfortunately it's not, IIRC, availalble to druids?

There's a certain amount of how much lovecraft do you want versus how much druid you want, because Lovecraft druid doesn't have a lot of support.

Lovecraft Cleric, built as a summoner on the other hand, Can Summon Monsters FROM BEYOND!

Or, if you want to have a character which turns into an eldritch horror, I suggest taking a Synthesist Summoner, taking the any given form, and slapping on as many tentacles on as eldritchly possible.

I do kind of wish there was more support for Lovecraftian Druids, as they're mentioned as being worshippers of Shub-Niggurath in the Carrion Crown AP, but as far as I'm aware, there's no mechanical support.

I looked into this, and while looking for deities with the Dark Tapestry subdomain, I came across the Great Old Ones. I'm now a worshiper of Xhamen, with the Trickery domain and the Decay subdomain. I was really looking for a Great Old One that I could reasonably find underground, and the idea of all the plant life around me withering and dying in horror at the unnatural stain on my soul is appealing.

I think I want to play this like a somewhat upbeat, otherwise typical dwarf who just happens to worship an eldritch abomination: "Ay, me God be a translucent sphere of tentacles with two tails that be infecting all the life on this plane with his unnatural essence...To Xhamen-Dor!" *drinks a pint*

And then, maybe he gets serious when he's a few ales in: "Ach, but me God only looks like a sphere, laddie. But he not be a sphere, he not be any shape in your mortal ken. He be existing in eight dimensions, and he be infecting the whole world with 8-dimensionality. Haf ye ever seen in eight dimensions, laddie? I haf. *eyes turn white* It be...changin' ye...."

[Zubrowka74]

How aboot taking the Eldritch Heritage feat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/eldritch-heritage) to get the Aberrant bloodline (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/aberrant-bloodline)?

Is it kind of MAD? Yes. Is it feat intensive? As well. Does it add the flavor you seek while keeping the class of your choice? Hell yeah!

But I'd agree to adapt a cleric because Druid is a special case of nature cleric. In D&D2E it was seen as such.

[Pex]

In one of my group's campaigns, the Summoner player uses the Lovecraftian shtick. He makes his Eidolon as a Thing From Beyond. Ultimate Magic provides a helpful template to work from using the tentacles evolution. However, for flavor text his eidolon's tentacles are . . . phallic.

By coincidence I chose to play a Dark Tapestry Oracle. I had no idea what Dark Tapestry meant. In this particular case I just wanted to play it for the fun Revelations. I would learn after I made my choice that Dark Tapestry is all about the Lovecraftian Mythos. I went with it to have my character be spooky. As an Oracle, he has determined that he is meant to help the Summoner in his Grand Quest for the Necronomicon.

[JackRackham]

How aboot taking the Eldritch Heritage feat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/eldritch-heritage) to get the Aberrant bloodline (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/aberrant-bloodline)?

Is it kind of MAD? Yes. Is it feat intensive? As well. Does it add the flavor you seek while keeping the class of your choice? Hell yeah!

But I'd agree to adapt a cleric because Druid is a special case of nature cleric. In D&D2E it was seen as such.

That looks cool, but the point of the character concept is that this guy is a dwarf stereotype who just happens to worship a Great Old one.

[Zubrowka74]

And eventually ends up corrupted by the Great Old Ones power? At low level he'll look much like the stereotypical dwarf.

[Sayt]

I just remembered, the Shade of Uskwood (ISWG) feat adds a number of illusion and necromancy spells which would be within the purview of the Mad Gods. On the other hand, it does require Neutral Evilness, and obesience to Zon Kuthon, although those are, hopefully negotiable with your GM.

[zeek0]

Another option is the Warshaper. It makes it so that when you shapechange you get an extra appendage, you get 5 feet more of reach, and you heal faster. Imagine your bear reaching out 10 feet to stab someone with your tentacle.

[Serafina]

It's not on the PFSRD yet, but there is a feat for worshippers of the great old ones/outer gods in Inner Sea Gods:
Dreamed Secrets
Basically all you need is an ability to cast divine spells and caster level 7, and you can select two wizard-spells (just not of your highest spell level) every day which you can prepare normally, but when you attempt to cast them you must make a DC 20 will save or take 2 wisdom damage and fail to cast the spell (without actually losing it).

[Benthesquid]

From Lovecraft's Commonplace Book...

27 Life and Death: 
Death—its desolation and horror—bleak spaces—sea-bottom—dead cities. But Life—the greater horror! Vast unheard-of reptiles and leviathans—hideous beasts of prehistoric jungle—rank slimy vegetation—evil instincts of primal man—Life is more horrible than death.