Lovecraft as a cleric?

[nobodylovesyou4]

Recently, i was asked to join a DnD campaign with one of my friends who is a semi-experienced DM. He told me to make whatever, because hes starting a new campaign. I figured i should be a cleric, because hey, someone has to heal.

I have had an idea brewing in the back of my mind for a few weeks now, and that was to make esteemed horror writer H.P. Lovecraft as a character. Cleric, i figured, was the perfect choice. Here's what i have:

Chaotic Neutral, so i dont have to be evil but still reflects the odd tendencies his stories tend to have

Human, of course

Domains of Madness and Vile Darkness, both in the Lords of Madness supplement

usual spells include lesser confusion, cause fear, and of course, the cures.

Now, i was wondering if anyone else has any better ideas for an H.P. Lovecraft style cleric? any suggestions will be duly noted; thanks in advance.

[Solo]

Extreme racism and xenophobia.


Lovecraft was a horrible, horrible person.

[Illiterate Scribe]

Extreme racism and xenophobia.


Lovecraft was a horrible, horrible person.

Solo is right. The bigot is eulogised far too much, IMO. He's just a bit too late for us to 'excuse' it on grounds of cultural relativism.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Archivist would probably be a little more appropriate fluffwise. Can you get to the Alienist PrC from Archivist?

[Neon Knight]

He's just a bit too late for us to 'excuse' it on grounds of cultural relativism.

Well, considering Congress passed the Immigration Act in 1924 with only six dissenting votes, I think you are gravely mistaken on that mark.

[nobodylovesyou4]

oh, right, nerd-o-rama, i completely forgot to mention that. i plan to go into the alienist prestige class, which definitely works for his style. as for archivist, i thought about it, but the lack of spontaneous healing is a turn off for me. plus i do NOT want to have to write down all the spells in my book.

and as for the other suggestions, that is so true. lovecraft was known for his over-the-top racism; in many of his stories he describes black people and other minorities in a way usually reserved for what you would find under a rock, and the word "******" isnt uncommon. hell, one story found a man calling his cat "******-man". he called that cat by name a lot.

[Illiterate Scribe]

Well, considering Congress passed the Immigration Act in 1924 with only six dissenting votes, I think you are gravely mistaken on that mark.

Yes? Appeal to authority much? They're not excluded from blame. The point is, people by that point are already beginning to realise that racism is a wrong and bad thing - Conrad, Dickens, Tolstoy, etc. Culturally, one of the biggest shifts away from it just happened.

[nobodylovesyou4]

Well, considering Congress passed the Immigration Act in 1924 with only six dissenting votes, I think you are gravely mistaken on that mark.

also true, if you look back you will find that racism was a huge thing up until the early seventies, and even then it wasnt too uncommon. the 1920's and 1930's were huge times for racism, and lovecraft was no exception.

EDIT: can we please end the discussion of racism? i came here for assistance in character creation, i dont want this to turn into a historical debate.

[Neon Knight]

We'll continue this PM.

Ontopic, you've got pretty solid base. I can't think of much to improve it.

[SamTheCleric]

Hmm, Alienist is good.. but you do end up losing 2 points of wisdom (clerics prime stat)... I don't know how important that is to you... but it could hurt.

How about a malconvoker? Summoning ancient evil, even if you arent.

[Wooter]

Can we just shift the subject to fantasy racism? Such as the character thinks that Humans (Or elves, or whatever he is) is the pinnacle of civilization, and the rest of the races are wierd and frightening.

Although the thought of finding halfings fightening is rather amusing...

[Leewei]

Back to the OP:

Perhaps take the angle that the character has merely become unhinged by reading too many manuscripts with forbidden lore in them. While barking mad, he's ultimately out to protect the world from the horrors he's become aware of.

I'd suggest writing down a list of adjectives commonly used by Lovecraft (cyclopean, timeless, immortal, and so on). I'd also suggest hitting Youtube and watching Neil Gaiman's interview regarding Lovecraft and what worked well in his writings.

[SurlySeraph]

Me, I wouldn't see Lovecraft as chaotic at all. I'd see him as Lawful Neutral or Lawful Evil and absolutely terrified of chaos to the very core of his being.

Unless your concept is more "Lovecraft after coming face to face with some of the things he wrote about." In that case, CN Archivist going into Alienist is about as perfect as you get. Low CHA, about 16 INT, decent WIS, and feeble CON.

[nobodylovesyou4]

all great suggestion, make no doubt. wooter, i had planned on doing that as soon as they brought it up, but thanks anyways, heh. sam's suggestion never occured to me; i started to play a malconvoker once, but i never really did get to do much because it was a pbp campaign (which are infamous, at least among my friends, for having little or very slow combat). frankly, though, i think alienist works better: the lovecraftian inspiration for the pseudonatural template is indisputible, and i think that growing a tentacle at tenth level is absolutely fitting for the master of 21st century horror. the extra wis can easily be made up with a magic item.

now, i have another question to ask: everyone break out your copy of lords of madness, because i just KNOW we all own one. in the magic items section, one of the items is a book, The Codex Anathema. the comparisons to the Necronomicon are obvious, but what do you people think of using it as an item, especially considering im a cleric?

[nobodylovesyou4]

Me, I wouldn't see Lovecraft as chaotic at all. I'd see him as Lawful Neutral or Lawful Evil and absolutely terrified of chaos to the very core of his being.

Unless your concept is more "Lovecraft after coming face to face with some of the things he wrote about." In that case, CN Archivist going into Alienist is about as perfect as you get. Low CHA, about 16 INT, decent WIS, and feeble CON.

my approach to lovecraft is that he isnt trying to stop the creatures, he is trying to create them. its some sort of metaphor for how he created them with his writings, but im not sure how to explain it.
EDIT: sorry about double post

[DementedFellow]

I don't see how Lovecraft screams cleric in the first place. To me, he is more of a Loremaster.

[Mr. Friendly]

Yeah, I don't see this Lovecraft "as he was" but more of the fictionalized "Lovecraft the Icon". In which case, you may be better with something like Archivist or Wiz/Sorc.

Honestly, for something a little...weirder... you could go with Bard. He gets summons at a slower rate, but I think LoM has Bard feats to have your music affect Aberrations...