Particle_Man
Explorer
I wonder if there is a way to bring Far Realms creatures into this?
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Inspired by Lords of Madness (Updated with 65% more ideas, and 74% more confusion)!
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Aberzanzorax
Hero
Inspired by you all
In my campaign I'm doing the following:
Aboleth and illithid tadpoles are the same thing.
One type of development is that the tadpoles swim away: as parts of the elder brain, they remember everything. They grow to large illithid tadpoles, then neothelids, then aboleth.
Another type of development is that they are implanted. The result is a creature more able to find knowledge and then return it to the brain. These are viewed as "impure" and are sort of "control groups" or "blind trials". Illithid are sent to the world not knowing so that the elder brains can learn new information unbiased and then reintegrate it.
The real trick of this is that all elder brains are a single brain...apparently disconnected by our understanding of space and time...but in reality a single gargantuan entity.
The aboleth and illithid are like cells or organs to it. Think bloodcells...travelling around, finding problems, eating them, carrying nutrients to the brain, etc.
The unknown enemy? Death from old age. This entity is a living creature, and as such is not immortal...very old, but not immortal. Hence, it "relives" new lives by sending components of itself back in time to learn more and have new experiences. Each time they are to discover a cure for death...but the fountain of youth for a creature that spans galaxies is complicated indeed.
This fits with another idea I had about the beholders actually being the eyes of Cyclopses from the far realm. In the far realm, they are whole, but in our world, only their eyes are seen. Perhaps, since the far realm has geometric impossibilities as well as temporal ones, all these abberations ARE one single creature and ARE the far realm. Only bits of it can reach through to our world but the far realm is the creature: Whole and terrific.
In my campaign I'm doing the following:
Aboleth and illithid tadpoles are the same thing.
One type of development is that the tadpoles swim away: as parts of the elder brain, they remember everything. They grow to large illithid tadpoles, then neothelids, then aboleth.
Another type of development is that they are implanted. The result is a creature more able to find knowledge and then return it to the brain. These are viewed as "impure" and are sort of "control groups" or "blind trials". Illithid are sent to the world not knowing so that the elder brains can learn new information unbiased and then reintegrate it.
The real trick of this is that all elder brains are a single brain...apparently disconnected by our understanding of space and time...but in reality a single gargantuan entity.
The aboleth and illithid are like cells or organs to it. Think bloodcells...travelling around, finding problems, eating them, carrying nutrients to the brain, etc.
The unknown enemy? Death from old age. This entity is a living creature, and as such is not immortal...very old, but not immortal. Hence, it "relives" new lives by sending components of itself back in time to learn more and have new experiences. Each time they are to discover a cure for death...but the fountain of youth for a creature that spans galaxies is complicated indeed.
This fits with another idea I had about the beholders actually being the eyes of Cyclopses from the far realm. In the far realm, they are whole, but in our world, only their eyes are seen. Perhaps, since the far realm has geometric impossibilities as well as temporal ones, all these abberations ARE one single creature and ARE the far realm. Only bits of it can reach through to our world but the far realm is the creature: Whole and terrific.
malraux
First Post
This thread rules.
One idea with a mutable timeline that could be used. The aboleth eventually evolve into the mindflayers, but it takes far longer than time of the metaverse. In the original timeline, many eons into the future, the aboleth encounter the threat and are unable to counter it, so they instead send themselves into the past to give themselves time to prepare. This returning group does its best, but is unable to defeat the adversary at the end of time. Since they continue to posses the memory of how to send themselves back, they do so again. This happens untold times, but as the timeline is mutable, the group that is sent back is continually older and more removed from the original aboleth. Eventually even aboleth can forget, and the ilithids are the current result from this process. They focus on conquering and manipulation so that at the end of time, they are ready to face the great adversary.
As for a PC plot in all this, perhaps the goal of the PCs could be to kill the elder brain containing the memory of time travel. For if they do that, then they put an end to the ilithid's schemes as they won't be able to return.
One idea with a mutable timeline that could be used. The aboleth eventually evolve into the mindflayers, but it takes far longer than time of the metaverse. In the original timeline, many eons into the future, the aboleth encounter the threat and are unable to counter it, so they instead send themselves into the past to give themselves time to prepare. This returning group does its best, but is unable to defeat the adversary at the end of time. Since they continue to posses the memory of how to send themselves back, they do so again. This happens untold times, but as the timeline is mutable, the group that is sent back is continually older and more removed from the original aboleth. Eventually even aboleth can forget, and the ilithids are the current result from this process. They focus on conquering and manipulation so that at the end of time, they are ready to face the great adversary.
As for a PC plot in all this, perhaps the goal of the PCs could be to kill the elder brain containing the memory of time travel. For if they do that, then they put an end to the ilithid's schemes as they won't be able to return.
Creeping Death
First Post
Wow, this thread is cool.
As for a PC plot. Every once in a while every few millenia or so a group of heros outshines the rest. This is the PC. The Illithid take note and either approach or manipulate them into helping.
The Illithid want to prevent their future kingdom from being destroyed, maybe these PC's can help. But the PCs need to be tested. Send them back to prevent the gith uprising. If the PCs succeed they push the gith uprising back a few decades to a few centuries. Being respected by the Illitid but then instantly gaining the enmity of all gith. If the PCs realize what is going on, and help the gith, the reverse is true. The PCs escape back to their own time, where the Illithid realize who they are and attempt to kill them. The PCs then also start encountering gith and see that the gith hold them in reverence.
If the PCs help the Illithid fight off the gith uprising, they are then sent to the far future to help out.
During the course of this type of campaign the connections can be made between Illithid, aboleth, far realms, and all the others.
hmm.... I'm going to have to flesh this out some more.
As for a PC plot. Every once in a while every few millenia or so a group of heros outshines the rest. This is the PC. The Illithid take note and either approach or manipulate them into helping.
The Illithid want to prevent their future kingdom from being destroyed, maybe these PC's can help. But the PCs need to be tested. Send them back to prevent the gith uprising. If the PCs succeed they push the gith uprising back a few decades to a few centuries. Being respected by the Illitid but then instantly gaining the enmity of all gith. If the PCs realize what is going on, and help the gith, the reverse is true. The PCs escape back to their own time, where the Illithid realize who they are and attempt to kill them. The PCs then also start encountering gith and see that the gith hold them in reverence.
If the PCs help the Illithid fight off the gith uprising, they are then sent to the far future to help out.
During the course of this type of campaign the connections can be made between Illithid, aboleth, far realms, and all the others.
hmm.... I'm going to have to flesh this out some more.
frankthedm
First Post
[imagel]http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/651/moonbeastcl1.th.jpg[/imagel] Dungeon magazine #83 Deep Freeze by Cameron Widen has stats for the Farranth, who look a LOT like Lovecraftian Moon beasts.
Moon-beast - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The moon-beasts sail black galleys between the moon and the Dreamlands, trading rubies for slaves and gold at the port of Dylath-Leen. When there, they employ the Men of Leng, disguised in turbans, as their go-betweens and stay hidden below deck, lest the merchants of Dylath-Leen learn the terrible secret of whom they are dealing.
Only thing was the Faranth had several odd issues or missing parts to their stat blocks. Also, they were kinda meaty along with being dangerously smart for a CR2. but this was the time ogres were CR2 as well.
I've just done an update to 3.5 for them, filling in the missing parts and denoting what is bonus, along with trying to make their "grab" attack unique rather than just assume their tentacle attack was missing it's damage amount and was a normal improved grab attack.
[sblock=Faranth]
Size/Type: Large (long) aberration
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (25 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20ft. Swim 10 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (+5 natural, -1 size), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+10
Attack: Tentacle +6 melee touch (Damage: grab) or Claw +4 melee (1d6+3) or Long spear +6 melee (2d6+4 x3)
Full Attack: Tentacle +6 melee touch (Damage: grab) and 2 Claws +4 melee (1d6+3) or Long spear +6 melee (2d6+4 x3) and Tentacle +4 melee touch (Damage: grab).
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Faranth Grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60’ Unfathomable Perception
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +8
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 10 Con 15, Int 20, Wis 15, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +11*, Craft(any) +8, Hide +5, Know (Engineering)+12, Know (Any) +9, Listen +11, move silently +7, Search +8, Sense motive +6, Spot +11, swim +11*.
Feats: Multiattack (1HD) Power attack (4HD), Alertness(b), Improved initiative(b), Iron will(B).
Environment: Black seas of infinity
Organization: Solitary, Pair, Company[5-8] or galley crew [7-12] and 10-20 Tieflings {men of Leng]
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard (typically Rubies, Gold and slaves)
Alignment: Usually Lawful evil
Advancement: 5-10 HD Large, 11-18 huge
Great purplish black slippery things with writhing vitals just beneath their skin. Though ever undulating, its principal shape is that of a sort of decapitated frog with a mass of long red tentacles vomited out from the neck hole as if bloody innards.
Combat
These aberrations, while not traditionally humanoid, are proficient with simple weapons and can wield them normally.
Faranth Grab (Ex): If a faranth hits with its tentacles, it rolls an opposed grapple check as if it had successfully initiated a grapple attempt. If the Faranth wins the opposed grapple check, it can conduct the grapple normally, or it can dash the victim against the ground or other hard surface, dealing 2d6+3 damage as an immediate action. This ends the grapple prematurely and places the victim in a space adjacent to the faranth of the faranth's choosing. No AoOs are incurred by this victim's change of placement.
Unfathomable Perception (Ex): These eyeless creatures perceive their surround in some manner mortals do not fully grasp. They cannot be blinded but otherwise are vulnerable to effects that work on sight, such as figments, glamors and patterns. This perception also grants them Alertness and Improved initiative as bonus feats
Skills * faranth have a +2 racial bonus on Hide checks.
A Faranth has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim or climb check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim or climb check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. [/sblock] [sblock=Mature Faranth]
Size/Type: Large (long) aberration
Hit Dice: 8d8+24 (60 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20ft. Swim 10 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (+5 natural, -1 size), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+13
Attack: Tentacle +9 melee touch (Damage: grab) or Claw +7 melee (1d6+3) or Long spear +9 melee (2d6+4 x3)
Full Attack: Tentacle +9 melee touch (Damage: grab) and 2 Claws +7 melee (1d6+3) or Long spear +9/+4 melee (2d6+4 x3) and Tentacle +7 melee touch (Damage: grab).
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Faranth Grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60’, Unfathomable Perception
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +10
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 10 Con 16, Int 20, Wis 15, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +15*, Craft(any) +8, Hide +9, Know (Engineering)+16, Know (Any) +9, Listen +15, move silently +11, Search +13, Sense motive +6, Spot +15, swim +11*.
Feats: Multiattack (1HD) Power attack (4HD), Alertness(b), Improved initiative(b), Iron will(B).
Environment: Black seas of infinity
Organization: Solitary, Pair, Company[5-8] or galley crew [7-12] and 10-20 Tieflings {men of Leng]
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard (typically Rubies, Gold and slaves)
Alignment: Usually Lawful evil
Advancement: 5-10 HD Large, 11-18 huge
Great purplish black slippery things with writhing vitals just beneath their skin. Though ever undulating, its principal shape is that of a sort of decapitated frog with a mass of long red tentacles vomited out from the neck hole as if bloody innards.
Combat
These aberrations, while not traditionally humanoid, are proficient with simple weapons and can wield them normally.
Faranth Grab (Ex): If a faranth hits with its tentacles, it rolls an opposed grapple check as if it had successfully initiated a grapple attempt. If the Faranth wins the opposed grapple check, it can conduct the grapple normally, or it can dash the victim against the ground or other hard surface, dealing 2d6+3 damage as an immediate action. This ends the grapple prematurely and places the victim in a space adjacent to the faranth of the faranth's choosing. No AoOs are incurred by this victim's change of placement.
Unfathomable Perception (Ex): These eyeless creatures perceive their surround in some manner mortals do not fully grasp. They cannot be blinded but otherwise are vulnerable to effects that work on sight, such as figments, glamors and patterns. This perception also grants them Alertness and Improved initiative as bonus feats
Skills: Faranth have a +2 racial bonus on Hide checks.
Feats: Faranth have Iron will as a bonus feat.
A Faranth has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim or climb check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim or climb check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. [/sblock] Faranth aka Moon Beast sprite sheet ready to print. Sprite rippers include VGS.net & SmithyGNC.
Last edited:
Plane Sailing
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As well as major thread necromancy - this one was started three years ago!
Angellis_ater
First Post
It's funny though that when I began writing The Mind Unveiled, these very same ideas had come to me on how Aboleth and Illithid were related (and in my games, they were). And I had never heard of ENWorld back then.
frankthedm
First Post
Neat idea. I'd dig it a whole lot more, although I am just reflexively against any sort of time-travel related business.
Also, I don't think Morkoth/Kopru make convenient in-betweens. Kopru I can see, but they can't be the stage before Illithids, because they are still confined to the water.
Hmm, food for thought. Something else I've noticed with all the Far Realms species. They are either obsessed with gaining personal power/power for their race, or they're just out to survive.
Why are none of the Far Realms entities looking to... well, spread the influence of the Far Realms? Trying to make the cracks wider, open the seals, etc? An entire race dedicated to bringing the realm of tentacles and chaos to the PCs?
Also, I don't think Morkoth/Kopru make convenient in-betweens. Kopru I can see, but they can't be the stage before Illithids, because they are still confined to the water.
Now that I dig.
Hmm, food for thought. Something else I've noticed with all the Far Realms species. They are either obsessed with gaining personal power/power for their race, or they're just out to survive.
Why are none of the Far Realms entities looking to... well, spread the influence of the Far Realms? Trying to make the cracks wider, open the seals, etc? An entire race dedicated to bringing the realm of tentacles and chaos to the PCs?
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