Great Old Ones vs Abominations vs Elder Evils?

[Schattenbach]

Which of these three groups (I'm refering to the Great Old ones from the D20 Call of Cthulhu book here) seems the most significant ...

... # in terms of what magical power they could provide other creatures (like the spells Great old Ones provide ... or the Invocations Far-Realm type Warlocks could theoretically get from Elder Evils and the like)?

... # oher boons they could potentialy provide (like some great old ones that could theoretically "reward" their worshippers and such ... or the bonus feats associcated with Elder Evils)?

... # in terms of horrible things they could to to mortals (i.e. all non-deities) that come in contact with them (or face them in combat?

... # in terms of horrible things they could do to deities (including each other) that come in contact with them (or face them in combat)?

Elder Evils actually still seem like the most dreadsome out of the bunch to me overall, while the only strong point of Abominations seems to be that, on average, they might be more threatening than the other two groups (anfd there are plenty more than a single one of each type of Abominations around). What's the Playgrounders' consensus (or ... opinion if there isn't some consensus yet) on this matter?

[Kelb_Panthera]

The great old ones are just right out for doing anything beneficial for mortals. That's just not what they do. They are characterized primarily by their supreme indifference to the very existence of mortals. They probably handily win the "do horrible things to mortals with their mere presence" category. Stat for stat (the printed stats are a joke) they'd be utterly hammered by proper deities.

The elder evils, on the other hand are a mixed bag. The powers they grant mortals are nothing to write home about but a few of them are leftovers from creation itself and would crush a deity in a fair fight. At least one of them has the sole purpose of deific genocide. Others are... less impressive.

Assuming you're talking about the abominations from the epic handbook, they're just big beasties. I'm pretty much unimpressed all around. As far as I know, they're no more able to grant mortals power than any other non-deific outsider.

[Crake]

Great Old Ones are pretty universally the most horrific out of the lot. They are literally cosmic devourers, when it comes to raw, unadulterated destructive capabilities, the other two simply do not compare. When it comes to followers and boons however, you're gonna have a bad time there, there is no way one follows them, gains power, and doesn't become irrevocably insane. Elder evils quite squarely cover that niche. Abominations on the other hand, fit neither of those, they're generally uncaring of followers, but aren't really capable of the raw power of the other two. They will destroy everything around them, but are not actually capable of destruction on a worldwide scale for the most part.

So to answer your question, the first two points go to elder evils, the last two points go to great old ones. Abominations are basically on par with the strongest minions of either group though, and I wouldn't be surprised to see abominations as the heralds of elder evils or great old ones. Atropals for example would probably follow atropus :smalltongue:

[ExLibrisMortis]

Great Old Ones only provide benefits to humans in the way humans provide benefits to the less important of our gut bacteria: incidentally, without thinking, and subject to the availability of spicy foods.


Elder evils are written in such a way as to be stoppable; most of them require mortal assistance to fully manifest.


Abominations are just outsiders, epic level edition. Of course, they have the stats to be high-level enemies, but I don't find them all that interesting.



I would rank them GOO > EE > A.

[ShurikVch]

Stat for stat (the printed stats are a joke) they'd be utterly hammered by proper deities.How?
Azathoth is a Greater Deity with Alter Reality (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#alterReality) - IMHO, it's decent claim to victory
(Hastur have Alter Reality (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#alterReality) too, but only a Demigod)
Nyarlathotep can't be killed at all - he will come back 10d10 days later, and there is absolutely no way to stop it: no phylactery to smash, no horn to throw into volcano, no nothing; also, he can cast any spell as free action (looks like "I WIN!" button)
(Shub-Niggurath is equally unkillable)
Yog-Sothoth have Silver Ray - which can kill or stun for 20 rounds (deities aren't immune - even if higher rank), and Temporal Teleport Without Error - can be used on unwilling targets - even on deities of lower rank

[Kelb_Panthera]

How?
Azathoth is a Greater Deity with Alter Reality (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#alterReality) - IMHO, it's decent claim to victory
(Hastur have Alter Reality (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#alterReality) too, but only a Demigod)
Nyarlathotep can't be killed at all - he will come back 10d10 days later, and there is absolutely no way to stop it: no phylactery to smash, no horn to throw into volcano, no nothing; also, he can cast any spell as free action (looks like "I WIN!" button)
(Shub-Niggurath is equally unkillable)
Yog-Sothoth have Silver Ray - which can kill or stun for 20 rounds (deities aren't immune - even if higher rank), and Temporal Teleport Without Error - can be used on unwilling targets - even on deities of lower rank

Wrong stats. The OP specified the D20 CoC sourcebook. I think those are from a paizo source.

[Coidzor]

Wrong stats. The OP specified the D20 CoC sourcebook. I think those are from a paizo source.

This is the Paizo version of Hastur (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/aberrations/great-old-ones/great-old-one-hastur). No Alter Reality in sight, as the ability doesn't exist in Pathfinder.