Aquatic Lovecraftian Aberrations

[Thealtruistorc]

Hey guys. So for an upcoming adventure I'm doing, I'll have an Elder God as a BBEG and one of his sacred sites happens to be a remote lake at the bottom of which he sleeps. I'm looking for a monster that could serve as the dark god's caretakers, preferably some sort of aberration. Star-Spawn of Cthulhu are way too powerful for this role, and right now by best option seems to be some sort of templated sahaugin, hezrou, or aboleth, as deep ones just strike me as too darn goofy to fit this role. However, some of you may know that I like unusual monsters and would prefer to have something that most players wouldn't really expect or know how to fight.

My favorite idea so far has been an aquatic version of the spawn of Yog-Sothoth or an Incutilis lord, but I'm wondering what I am missing or what you could propose. I would be happy to know of any suggestions you have.

[Nibbens]

Hey guys. So for an upcoming adventure I'm doing, I'll have an Elder God as a BBEG and one of his sacred sites happens to be a remote lake at the bottom of which he sleeps. I'm looking for a monster that could serve as the dark god's caretakers, preferably some sort of aberration. Star-Spawn of Cthulhu are way too powerful for this role, and right now by best option seems to be some sort of templated sahaugin, hezrou, or aboleth, as deep ones just strike me as too darn goofy to fit this role. However, some of you may know that I like unusual monsters and would prefer to have something that most players wouldn't really expect or know how to fight.

My favorite idea so far has been an aquatic version of the spawn of Yog-Sothoth or an Incutilis lord, but I'm wondering what I am missing or what you could propose. I would be happy to know of any suggestions you have.

I'm not sure what level you're shooting for, but there's always Gibbering Mouthers. They're not Lovecraftian per say, but they should have been. lol. If not that, then any number of oozes would work perfectly - just make sure to fluff them op as constantly shifting forms or unknowable sights, and you'd be golden.

What about Slaads? You could refluff them as well.

[Geddy2112]

Shoggoths have an aquatic subtype, at least in pathfinder. However, a cr 19 might be too much.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Deep Ones and Skum are always good mood monsters. You can even pair the former up with some deep one hybrids.

[DrMotives]

I'm unsure of why you say aboleth are too goofy. Their fluff is very Lovecraftian, it even says so explicitly in LoM, where it mentions a bunch of faux Mythos elder gods that they serve.

[Crake]

I'm unsure of why you say aboleth are too goofy. Their fluff is very Lovecraftian, it even says so explicitly in LoM, where it mentions a bunch of faux Mythos elder gods that they serve.

Yeah, gotta agree here, they're practically the go-to aquatic lovecraftian monster in the d20 system, ain't nothing goofy about them.

[Gnorman]

I'm unsure of why you say aboleth are too goofy. Their fluff is very Lovecraftian, it even says so explicitly in LoM, where it mentions a bunch of faux Mythos elder gods that they serve.


Yeah, gotta agree here, they're practically the go-to aquatic lovecraftian monster in the d20 system, ain't nothing goofy about them.

Pretty sure OP meant that deep ones were too goofy, not Aboleths.

Anyway, I'd tentatively recommend the Uzollru from Dragon Magazine #349, depending on the exact level required. Despite being outsiders, not aberrations, they very much fit the bill. Explicitly servants of the very Lovecraftian Dagon, they're CR 16 with nasty, Con-draining tentacle attacks and the ability to completely stupefy their opponents with their madness-inducing aura. As a bonus, they're a very obscure monster and so even the savvier players may not know what to do.

[DrMotives]

The Echinoloth from Stormwrack are good. CR 8 starfish daemons. Also, Dragon Mag #345 has 3 types of sea serpent, which are written up as true dragons without wings, but having constrict & swallow whole options instead. The lantern serpent in particular looks alien, it's a sea serpent with the face of a deep sea lantern fish or angler fish. The 12 age categories allows you a lot of flexibility for balancing the encounters.

[Sayt]

Aboleths are could fit the bill quite handily. Aquatic, Aaberant, literally mind-bending.

[Thealtruistorc]

Pretty sure OP meant that deep ones were too goofy, not Aboleths.

Anyway, I'd tentatively recommend the Uzollru from Dragon Magazine #349, depending on the exact level required. Despite being outsiders, not aberrations, they very much fit the bill. Explicitly servants of the very Lovecraftian Dagon, they're CR 16 with nasty, Con-draining tentacle attacks and the ability to completely stupefy their opponents with their madness-inducing aura. As a bonus, they're a very obscure monster and so even the savvier players may not know what to do.

Thank you (on both accounts). This creature is perfect for what I was looking for. Aboleths I'm trying to avoid because they are going to come in later on in the campaign and I don't want to spoil the way my aboleths play.

[atemu1234]

Thank you (on both accounts). This creature is perfect for what I was looking for. Aboleths I'm trying to avoid because they are going to come in later on in the campaign and I don't want to spoil the way my aboleths play.

Also, there is an aquatic template in pathfinder. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/aquatic-creature-cr-0)

Stick it on things like Mind Flayers from 3.5 and you have some prime monsters.

Half-Farspawn is also fun in situations like these.

I know that most of these options involve 3.5 stuff, so I hope you're open to it.

[Wolfofmibu66]

well the new pathfinder Bestiary 5 actually has deep ones and a template for deep one hybrids, plus there have been multiple actual lovecraftian monsters stuffed into the various bestiaries, from actual elder gods, to shoggoths, to mi-go and shantaks.