In today’s Mythological Figures post we’ve got the Epic Monster to end all Epic Monsters, it that is all things and all times yet none of the above so very certainly Lovecraftian in the extreme—Yog-Sothoth!
We’re at an impasse once again. As with Coyote I’ve stumbled onto something worthy of mechanical impact but too great and ephemeral to lock down into a statblock (the golems were keen to that as well, making a spawn of it instead). As these are all Great Old Ones and have a place carved out for them in 5E—the Great Old One patron for warlocks—with Yoggy here on the top of, behind, under, inside of, and throughout the pile, I’m taking a class-based approach.
For readers like me that are wondering “what/who are you talking about?”, Yog-Sothoth is intrinsically connected to all of time and space while simultaneously being locked outside of the universe. See what I was getting at with the statblock? It knows all and sees all, produces other Great Old Ones by mating with Shub-Niggurath, and is not as directly malignant as its peers (a fresh change) although knowing too much about it and its vastness does, of course, overwhelm one’s sanity.
Design Notes: I'm out of RAW territory so post with your critiques and thoughts for how this can be improved! Would you allow it in your game? Why or why not? Does it need watered down? Spruced up? Is there a better option I've overlooked? Tell us!
Yog-Sothoth (Great Old One warlock patron)
Choosing Yog-Sothoth as your Great Old One patron offers the following alterations to the usual archetype features.
Cerebral Omniscience
Starting at 1st level, the range of your telepathy is reduced to 20 feet but creatures are able to understand you even if they have no language (creatures of particularly low Intelligence may only be able to understand very simple thoughts). You can use a bonus action to expend a spell slot and target a creature within range of your telepathy. Until the end of the round, you can read the creature’s mind if you had cast detect thoughts.
When you reach 5th level in this class, the duration increases to 1 minute, and at 10th level you are able to read the minds (such as they are) of all creatures regardless of Intelligence.
Know the Unknown
At 6th level, you do not gain or alter another archetype feature and get Known the Unknown instead. As an action, you can attempt an Intelligence saving throw against your spell save DC to discover an obscure piece of myth or lore. By spending one minute concentrating, you can attempt the saving throw with disadvantage and on a success, you learn a piece of information that is secret or protected. In either case the information you learn may be cryptic, of little immediate use, or couched in figurative language (the GM should secretly roll d100, sharing more useful knowledge the closer the result is to 100).
On a failure, you take 6d6 psychic damage and are insane until you finish a short rest. While insane, you can only take an action or a bonus action each round, you can't understand what other creatures say, can't read, and are only able to speak in gibberish. A lesser restoration spell cast on you ends this effect.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Enshrouded Mind
At 10th level, you do not gain or alter another archetype feature and get Enshrouded Mind instead. You gain resistance to psychic damage and immunity to the charmed condition.
When a creature targets you with a spell that would cause you to be charmed, it makes a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC or becomes confused (as the spell) for 1d4 rounds.
We’re at an impasse once again. As with Coyote I’ve stumbled onto something worthy of mechanical impact but too great and ephemeral to lock down into a statblock (the golems were keen to that as well, making a spawn of it instead). As these are all Great Old Ones and have a place carved out for them in 5E—the Great Old One patron for warlocks—with Yoggy here on the top of, behind, under, inside of, and throughout the pile, I’m taking a class-based approach.
For readers like me that are wondering “what/who are you talking about?”, Yog-Sothoth is intrinsically connected to all of time and space while simultaneously being locked outside of the universe. See what I was getting at with the statblock? It knows all and sees all, produces other Great Old Ones by mating with Shub-Niggurath, and is not as directly malignant as its peers (a fresh change) although knowing too much about it and its vastness does, of course, overwhelm one’s sanity.
Design Notes: I'm out of RAW territory so post with your critiques and thoughts for how this can be improved! Would you allow it in your game? Why or why not? Does it need watered down? Spruced up? Is there a better option I've overlooked? Tell us!
Yog-Sothoth (Great Old One warlock patron)
Choosing Yog-Sothoth as your Great Old One patron offers the following alterations to the usual archetype features.
Cerebral Omniscience
Starting at 1st level, the range of your telepathy is reduced to 20 feet but creatures are able to understand you even if they have no language (creatures of particularly low Intelligence may only be able to understand very simple thoughts). You can use a bonus action to expend a spell slot and target a creature within range of your telepathy. Until the end of the round, you can read the creature’s mind if you had cast detect thoughts.
When you reach 5th level in this class, the duration increases to 1 minute, and at 10th level you are able to read the minds (such as they are) of all creatures regardless of Intelligence.
Know the Unknown
At 6th level, you do not gain or alter another archetype feature and get Known the Unknown instead. As an action, you can attempt an Intelligence saving throw against your spell save DC to discover an obscure piece of myth or lore. By spending one minute concentrating, you can attempt the saving throw with disadvantage and on a success, you learn a piece of information that is secret or protected. In either case the information you learn may be cryptic, of little immediate use, or couched in figurative language (the GM should secretly roll d100, sharing more useful knowledge the closer the result is to 100).
On a failure, you take 6d6 psychic damage and are insane until you finish a short rest. While insane, you can only take an action or a bonus action each round, you can't understand what other creatures say, can't read, and are only able to speak in gibberish. A lesser restoration spell cast on you ends this effect.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Enshrouded Mind
At 10th level, you do not gain or alter another archetype feature and get Enshrouded Mind instead. You gain resistance to psychic damage and immunity to the charmed condition.
When a creature targets you with a spell that would cause you to be charmed, it makes a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC or becomes confused (as the spell) for 1d4 rounds.
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