Far Realm/Lovecraftian Character Options?

[Dusk Raven]

As a fan of eldritch horror, I wanted to see if there were any options for player characters with a touch of the truly alien. Unfortunately, a quick Google search gave me... almost entirely stuff for 5e, so I'm asking the assorted monsters in the Playground instead. I know there's the Alienist PrC from Complete Arcane, but it doesn't seem very good - well, not better than whatever class one was taking in the first place. Lords of Madness sadly doesn't have much for players who want to be aberrations rather than fight them, but it does have the Fleshwarper PrC. And, I suspect one can flavor Warlocks or Archivists into being more eldritch. Any other options? Hell, any 3rd-party or homebrew options?

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Hmm, there was a competition a while back themed on that. Only the first 8 levels, though. Game-Warper's Optimization #5: E8 Madness! (http://bit.ly/2kOivMm)

Savage Species has a bunch of weird stuff easily refluffed as alien. My favorite is Symbiotic Creature, but be warned: that template is brokenly powerful if (ab)used properly; be careful of balance.

In a similar vein, Fiend Folio has weird symbiotic creatures, and there's an Eberron species (something like "Dalkyr Halfblood"?) born with one already attached to them.

Actually, the Magic of Incarnum classes could probably easily be fluffed as weird and alien powers, especially Totemist.

[Fizban]

Actually, the Magic of Incarnum classes could probably easily be fluffed as weird and alien powers, especially Totemist.
There is in fact, a brew on this board for just that: Irregular Soulmelds (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?281819-Irregular-Soulmelds-Like-the-Totemist-but-with-Aberrations-WIP). Very unfinished though, only 10 soulmelds, so the standalone class is likely not very useful as a standalone class.


I know there's the Alienist PrC from Complete Arcane, but it doesn't seem very good - well, not better than whatever class one was taking in the first place.
How about my fix, which brings in some Thaumaturgist abilities so its got more than fluff?

Alienist
New/Expirimental/Advanced:
-Prerequisite: Augment Summoning or The First Circle (Far Realm)

-Remove Metamagic Secret at 3rd and 7th levels.
-Move Mad Certainty to 3rd.
-At 4th, gain Minds That Think Alike: As the Thaumaturgist's Improved Ally ability, but applying to called creatures of alien, aberrant, Far Realm, etc natures. Add call alien to class spell list.
-At 6th, Insane Certainty (Extra Summoning is pushed back)
-At 7th, gain They're Always Watching: As the Thaumaturgist's Contingent Summoning abilty.
-At 8th, Extra Summoning.

-Clarification: The Alienist may consider the Pseudonatural template replacement to happen as a root part of the spell, before making monster choice. Thus, a Cleric could sumon a templated creature normally against their alignment, because now it's all just Pseudonatural (they still lose the ability to summon non-templated creatures).
-Planar Ally: Because a Cleric of any alignment could take this class, while still worshipping their original god, and yet summon nothing but Far Realm creatures which have nothing to do with their god, it would be approrpriate to similarly "redirect/replace" their normal Planar Ally options. This should be more fun on a case-to-case basis rather than simply making a single Far Realm Ally list, should anyone actually run such a character.

-Pseudonatural Template: An Alienist may summon their creatures already in Alternate Form, and indeed, most usually do so.
-Clarification: It takes no time for a Pseudonatural creature to use its True Strike ability, which clearly replaces the no-time Smite abilities of Celestial/Fiendish creatures.


The First Circle
Prerequisite: Knowledge (The Planes) 8 ranks, matching alignment (see text)
Benefit: You are well studied in the ways of a particular category of outsider, and have learned the first reliable long term contracting ritual to summon them (one which many practitioners skip altogether). You gain a +2 bonus on charisma related checks made to influence the chosen group, and those you summon or call gain a +4 bonus to Strength, Constitution, and Charisma for the duration of the effect. Further, you may conduct a 1 hour ritual requring 100gp of expensive material components, which summons a servitor that serves you for a number of hours equal to half your Knowledge (The Planes) check, made at the height of the ritual.

. . .

Additionally, there is one final circle known to those aware of the Far Realm. The Far Realm is a place of alien madness not concerned with alignment, but studying its methods still precludes one from learning a traditional circle.

Alignment Plane Bonus Servitor
Any Far Realm* Strange Thought Eater (XPH)**

*Far Realm associated creatures include anything with the Pseudonatural (CA) or Half-Farspawn (LoM) templates, as well as many Aberrations and Oozes. These are not found on normal summon or calling lists, but certain people such as Alienists, Cerebrants, or those with knoweldge of suitable individuals they could Call, can all make use of the bonus from this feat (in addition to the servitor ritual of course).

**This ritual summons a more coherent form than many other Far Realm creatures, suitable for more than just messy devouring. It takes the statistics of a Thought Eater- an only mildly terrifying translucent fleshed feline/bird amalgam which consumes intellect and evaporates if exposed to the material plane for too long (spending most of its time ethereal avoids this).

Call Alien
Conjuration [Calling]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Close (25' +5'/2 levels)
Target: One aberrant alien
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: No

By means of the call alien spell, you may pull beings of madness into the material realm. Whether these are true Far Realm terrors that threaten reality itself, strange outsiders adapting themselves to just barely fit into our world, or merely twisted beasts that simply inspire fear of the unknown, who is to say? Casting the spell sends out a call, luring the desired creature in with the material component as bait. If the target fails a Will save, the spell successfully manages to call it to you, otherwise the creature manages to snatch the bait without manifesting and the spell fails. The creatures you can attempt to call, and the caster level requirements to call them, are as follows:


[th]Name
Will Save
Int 3+?
Caster Level
Anguillan (Storm p136)
+3
Yes
9th or lower
Thought Eater (XPH p211)
+4
Yes
9th or lower
Mad Slasher (Mini's p64)
+4
Yes
9th or lower
Nothic (Mini's p65)
+7
Yes
9th or lower
Grick (MM p139)
+5
Yes
9th or lower
Carrion Crawler (MM p30)
+5
No
10th-12th
Gibbering Mouther (MMp125)
+5
Yes
10th-12th
Wyste (MM p200)
+4
No
10th-12th
Pseudonatural SM3* (CA p160)
Varies
Varies
10th-12th
Foulwing (LEoF p172)
+5
Yes
13th or higher
Pseudonatural SM4* (CA p160)
Varies
Varies
13th or higher

*A creature from the Summon Monster X or lower lists, with the Pseudonatural template applied. Outsiders with [Alignment] subtypes cannot be chosen.

Once the target has failed their save, the caster may attempt to keep a tiny hole open to its place of origin to tether and bind it to a temporary service, or simply allow the spell to end.

If the caster allows the spell to end, the creature's connection to its place of origin snaps, along with the connection that allows any bonuses from feats or class features, and the unnatural creature cannot reconcile the differences in reality. It acts on instinct and with its own, alien goals (if it has any beyond eating), impossible to bargain or reason with, and furthermore completely innoculated to any attempt by the caster to control it via magic or other abilities in the future.

If the caster chooses to keep the way open, the creature is of sufficient intelligence, and the caster has a means of communication (most likely a tongues spell or some form of non-language telepathy), the creature can be bargained with as lesser planar binding. If it does not possess sufficient intelligence, the caster will need something like a druid's Wild Empathy ability or a speak with animals spell, but functional upon aberrations, in order to communicate.

While call alien does not require a calling diagram and magic circle, the first part of the spell is still a trap, and the subject will still gladly take advantage of poor orders to do as they wish or claim payment under the letter. The creature's "tether" cannot be targeted or affected in any way, and simply allows it to return home when its task is complete, as normal for lesser planar binding.

Call alien does, however, have its own mystical diagram. With 10 minutes and a DC 20 Spellcraft check the prospective caster can draw a communication diagram. The diagram can hold a comprehend languages, tongues, or telepathic bond (or its lesser variant) spell cast upon the drawing, which will then automatically affect the target if the caster uses the bargaining variant.

Material Component: Bait worth 50gp per Hit Die of the creature called. This typically takes the form of rare occult paraphanalia involving strange symbols and made from various expensive materials, created for this very purpose, which are stolen away into the void. But in a pinch for some of the more bestial targets, a bloody sacrifice improvised with more common (but still valuable) components can entice a creature to come devour them.

Note that I have altered the Summon Monster lists, and have a very strict usage allowance on Planar Binding and friends.

There's also a Dragon Mag with a bunch of Far Realm stuff- a version of the plane itself (different from the one found in Manual of the Planes), some creatures, some spells for summoning those creatures, a feat for getting those spells, etc.


Lords of Madness sadly doesn't have much for players who want to be aberrations rather than fight them,
It has the Aberration Blood feats, which let you get a pair of permanent tentacles fairly easily. Though Rapidstrike's silly creature type requirement and Multiattack's 3 weapon requirement makes it hard to specialize in just two tentacles.

It also has the Half-Farspawn template which is pretty hefty.

Here's a thread I bookmarked with more Aberration Blood feats (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?155474-Aberration-Blood-Expanded-WIP), and the Aberrant Armorlord (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?83133-Aberrant-Armorlord-PrC) PrC, from back when people were making literally anything X ToB.

It would also be fairly easy to write up a series of SLA feats similar to Complete Mage's Fey/Fiendish/Celestial Heritage lines, though simply slapping some SLAs on something doesn't make it feel particularly weird and alien (a problem with Half-Farspawn and basically all the spooky psionic things as well).

[ShurikVch]

I know there's the Alienist PrC from Complete Arcane, but it doesn't seem very good - well, not better than whatever class one was taking in the first place.
Alienist version from Complete Arcane is a trash (because it's summoning-focused PrC which makes you worse at summoning) - the "normal" version is in the Tome and Blood

Now, firstly: Call of Cthulhu d20 was published by the Wizards of the Coast, and has official D&D adaptation section (incl. the Call Deity 9th-level spell)
Dungeon #134: "And Madness Followed" - featured infamous play The King in Yellow (https://lovecraft.fandom.com/wiki/The_King_in_Yellow#The_Play_The_King_in_Yellow), and water from the Lake of Hali (https://lovecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Lake_of_Hali) inflicts either Half-Farspawn or Pseudonatural template (non-epic version)
Dragon #308: "Armed to the Tentacle" article has some symbionts and Illithid magic items
Dragon #330 has "Enter the Far Realm" article - some mutations, monsters, spells, magic items, and couple of feats
Dragon #332: "Touched by the Madness" article - some feats and Aberrant Paragon class
Dragon #358: "Ecology of the Kaorti" - note the Green Rapture item: failing the saving throws transforms you into Kaorti (or, if non-Humanoid, grants Pseudonatural template)
Dragon #359: "Echoes of the Mourning" article - Mourning Mutate [aberrant] feat
Eberron stuff:
Eberron Campaign Setting have some symbionts
Magic of Eberron - more symbionts, and Mastery of Madness feat
Explorer's Handbook - Cataclysm Mage PrC

Zceryll, "The Star Spawn" (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/frcc/20070718) vestige

Thrall of Dagon (Dragon #349)

Doomdreamer (Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil): Tharizdun is often used as a stand-in for "the Other Gods" in D&D

Also:
Contemplative (Complete Divine)
Divine Agent (Manual of the Planes)
Divine Disciple (Player's Guide to Faerûn)
Planar Shepherd (Faiths of Eberron)
All of those PrC are changing your character depending on which deity or plane they're chosen; pick the Far Realm (or some Elder Evil)

Dragon Disciple - with Brainstealer Dragon (Dragon #337)

[Segev]

If you're willing to go to Pathfinder and third party material, the aberrant Aegis (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/classes/aegis/archetypes/dreamscarred-press/aberrant/) captures the feel pretty well, though I question its balance. As in, I think it gives up way too much of the Aegis's useful features for little but flavor in return. But I leave that to your consideration.

[Particle_Man]

Well you could go all in on mind flayers (because let’s face it, they are as close as one can get to Lovecraft without getting the license) with the illithid heritage feats and the flayerspawn psychic prestige class. It would have a psionic base class as the entry. Both the feats and the prestige class are in complete psionic. A human with two flaws and the prestige class can get all 14 heritage feats if you are a completist.

Or you could start at level 15 as an actual Mind Flayer (8 aberration HD, +7 LA) but that might be too weak vs other 15th level characters

A more tame option is to reflavour the warlock and rename some powers (they actually did exactly this with future editions).

[Bphill561]

Avoid the mind flayer, the brainstealer dragon mentioned above, if allowed, has a lower LA.

I had a fairly good time with a grafted soul eater and warshaper. I turned all her natural weapons into bite attacks, so she was covered with gapping mouths. I also abused shaper of form to hide a anthropomorphic animal chaissis, but that is a little dirty.

[PhantasyPen]

The Psychic Warrior 6th-level power Form of Doom (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/formofDoom.htm) always felt pretty lovecraftian to me!

[Efrate]

Binder in general not just zycrell could very easily fit eldritch horror. You call upon things beyond most understanding for powers and they affect how you act. Read some of the descriptions in ToM of what appears from the seal and its very horror inspired, if not always eldritch.

Vile feats from pledging yourself to an elder evil fits as well.

[Biggus]

For races, there's the kaorti (FF p.108) or the pseudonatural template (MotP p.212).

[Malphegor]

How about bringing the far realm to you? Planar Shepherd from the eberron books used for other settings can make a bubble of far realm goodness around you. I forget what this gets you but hey wildshape into creatures from there?

[ShurikVch]

Note: Gibberlings (https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Gibberling) are, in fact, originated in the Far Realm (see the Gates of Firestorm Peak for confirmation)

Illithid Heritage feats (Complete Psionic)

Also, fun fact: capstone ability of Master Astrologer PrC (Dragon #340) is called "The Stars are Right"!

When the stars were right, They could plunge from world to world through the sky; but when the stars were wrong, They could not live.

[Ruethgar]

So, for a bloodline I would offer up welknair’s Emergent Atrocity, on mobile so apologies for the link length. https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?207247-3-5e-Bloodline-Emergent-Atrocity-(PEACH)&p=11410280#post11410280

He has other bloodlines you can see in the extended home brew signature, but looking at the atrocity from the mutant perspective, if can certainly get the eldritch horror look well enough.

For the actual abilities associated with eldritch horrors, a simple one would be the Ravenloft Hypnosis skill plus Lucid Dreaming. Or Ravenloft’s madness at all plus lucid dreaming, plenty of nightmares you could conjure to drive one mad.

Similarly, if Pathfinder and third party is on the table, the Spheres of Power Advanced Alteration talent Starspawned which has the possible traits: Overwhelming Mind, Unspeakable Presence, and Impossible Geometries which all go well with an eldritch horror. Plus as part of a casting tradition you can literally go insane with Madness Mantra.

[Psyren]

Pathfinder has a bunch of Lovecraftian stuff you can borrow, from Elder Mythos Cultist/Scholar to Aberrant Bloodline to the Dark Tapestry mystery/domain to Obediences for the Outer Gods (which in turn opens you up for the Exalted/Evangelist/Sentinel PrCs) etc etc.

[Dalmosh]

Heroes of Horror has some good options...

The Archivist class and the Tainted Scholar prestige class are basically designed with this kind of play in mind.
The feat Lunatic Insight is quite thematic too, as is Willing Deformity:Madness from Elder Evils.

The Dark Speech feat from Book of Vile Darkness is a bit Lovecraftian as you can make sentient swarms through Dark Unity.
Cancer Mage can do lots of weird creepy stuff with sentient diseases. Walker in the Waste makes salt mummies, and turns people in salt and always felt slightly Charles Dexter Ward to me.

Ooze Master is nothing too flash, but maybe a bit thematically relevant. Dragon Magazine published a Thrall of Dagon prestige class in 349 which looks fairly on point.

For gross, messy Herbert West-style body horror, there's of course the Necrotic Cyst line of feats.

A druid with Aberrant Form and Assume Supernatural Ability can go in pretty much any direction.