Aberrations in Medieval Europe

[LoneWolf23]

Just got "Lords of Madness", and already I got to thinking.. I'm planning a fantasy campaign set in an Alternate form of Medieval Europe with Magic and Fantasy creatures, and I'm curious about the idea of adding Aberrations to it. Probably by emphasizing the Lovecraftian feel.

Anyone got any suggestions or comments on this idea?

 

[Jolly Giant]

I can't think of any mythological prescedence for it, but that doesn't mean anything. If you want the Lovecraft feel to your game, aberrations is definitely the way to go. There are PLENTY of mythological beasts to choose from though, if you want to enhance the historical feel of your campaign (which is more along the lines of what I'm working on right now).

 

[demiurge1138]

First suggestion. Keep the aberrations secret. Keep them safe. None of the common folk should believe that aberrations exist. Giant psychic fish? All a lie, or a case of mistaken identity. Mind flayers? Stories told by dwarven parents to scare their children.

The players should have absolutely no idea what they're in for until the see the illithid, aboleth or whatever for the first time. There should be a lot of build-up and fear before the creatures in question are revealed, first through human cultists or slaves, then from increasingly monstrous servitors.

Include as a secret society both humans worshipping or studying aberrations, and a society of those dedicated to destroying them. The society against aberrations could be a good introduction to one race of aberrations after the players have fought another (presumably weaker), as well as a source of people who actually believe them.

Demiurge out.

 

[Tonguez]

I can't think of any mythological prescedence for it, .

Aboleth could model the Great Sea Ork; Cateolopas is found in medieval myth, as are willowisps;

and Abberations = things with tentacles are Kraken by another name

 

[arscott]

for best results, alter their appearances and play them as the Faerie Folk.

 

[Turanil]

Just got "Lords of Madness", and already I got to thinking.. I'm planning a fantasy campaign set in an Alternate form of Medieval Europe with Magic and Fantasy creatures, and I'm curious about the idea of adding Aberrations to it. Probably by emphasizing the Lovecraftian feel.

Anyone got any suggestions or comments on this idea?

I think it's the best idea. Doing the campaign like it was a sort of fantasy Call of Cthulhu. You could even add sanity rules from Unearthed Arcana. But doing like a fantasy CoC, you must not throw these monsters at your PCs like mundane random encounters and the monster in its cavern-type. You must go the route of horror investigation ala Cthulhu (even if playing D&D 3.5, the PCs are actually able to defeat those foes).

 

[Khorod]

Make them unique monsters, leave such things as origins and reproduction to be mind-bending mysteries.

One of my settings is very historically influenced, and some untamed, mountainous wilderness in the center of the main continent is full of semi-immortal monsters. They'd be more of a danger to the world-at-large, but a another force in the region keeps them contained for its own protection...

 

[Flyspeck23]

I think it's the best idea. Doing the campaign like it was a sort of fantasy Call of Cthulhu. You could even add sanity rules from Unearthed Arcana. But doing like a fantasy CoC, you must not throw these monsters at your PCs like mundane random encounters and the monster in its cavern-type. You must go the route of horror investigation ala Cthulhu (even if playing D&D 3.5, the PCs are actually able to defeat those foes).

And that's what CR is for... maybe all aberrations the party encounters are way above their level, CR-wise. So the PCs would know that aberrations are probably more than they could handle.

Make them unique monsters, leave such things as origins and reproduction to be mind-bending mysteries.

Unique is good, and very medieval.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

It's not a bad idea at all. Tsochar remind me of medieval legends about werewolves being hairy on the inside of their skin, for some reason. Illithids in the depths of the "Vatican"!

 

[Flyspeck23]

Illithids in the depths of the "Vatican"!

No real-life politics, please.