D&D 5E I got inspired by this picture. How do I flesh him out as the Big Bad?

[Delandel]

The picture in question.

It's a character from Magic: The Gathering that I don't know too much of, he eats people's dreams or something cool like that. But I can't get the artwork out of my head. I want to make a Big Bad inspired by this.

I see a creature that is a master of the mind. Manipulating his opponent's thoughts and fears are the name of his game. An abomination that delights in crawling into a victim's head and corrupting their thoughts and dreams. The sweetest music to his ears is the cries of horrors of his playthings.

He could be a willing minion of a greater mind. And maybe, somewhere in the past, he was. For a while he was content with his small-scale sadistic plans, taking pleasure in the "little things." But now he's thinking big. Now he's shooting for the stars. And he's going to use the PCs as unknowing pawns in his wonderful game.

Crunch-wise, I'm thinking a mid-high level wizard that focuses on illusions and enchantments. But what else? What is he, really?

And most importantly: what are his motivations?

 

[Tormyr]

That face mask along with mind control/telepathy makes me think mind flayer or doppleganger wizard. The third eye makes me think warlock.

 

[plutocracy]

Could be a warlock, pact with the elder beholder "Xanathar", the one that controls the thieves guild in Skullport! It would be cool to make him the master of the Skullport thieves guild, the emissary to Xanathar.

Since he's a big bad, you could give him ALL the class features of both warlock and rogue. If you want that whole wizardry thing, make him a tomelock with ALL ritual spells that he could cast (since he could get his guild to pretty much steal most arcane scrolls for him to scribe). Having the head of a beholder led thieves guild as an enemy would make for a lot of cool encounters.

From Wikipedia:

"Beholders are especially prominent in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, where they infiltrate and seek to control many sectors of society—many beholders are allied to the Zhentarim, some work with the Red Wizards of Thay, and a particularly powerful beholder, known as "The Eye" or "Xanathar" controls Skullport's influential Xanathar's Thieves Guild. Beholders also compete to control the Underdark from where most of them originate, with their base of power in the City of the Eye Tyrants, Ootul."

 

[Wrathamon]

he looks more like a warlock to me that made a pack with an aberration or ancient god-like being.

I think the dream eater idea is interesting. Would make PCs not wanting to take long rests all the time as they would get sucked into nightmare encounters.

maybe his goal is to free his "god" from its prison in the dream realm and he gets closer for each dream he steals

 

[GameDoc]

Sounds like a Pact of the Great Old One warlock.

Visually, those could be dragon scales and the red backdrop suggests fire so he could be a Draconic bloodline sorcerer.

Build him using the PC rules or use one of the spell-casting NPCs and reflavor.

 

[Roger]

I kinda feel like making him a doppelganger/intellect devourer.

The intellect devourer attacked, the doppelganger moved his own brain down into his torso, the devourer moved in to his skull, and there we are.

An uneasy alliance at best, but they're making it work.

 

[Unadvisedgoose]

I might steal this from you. I've been imagining a Great Old One Warlock as a Big Bad for a campaign. The Thrall ability that they receive has so many delicious story opportunities. Imagine a guy who could dsguiae himself and infiltrate the court of a powerful warrior King! You now have a weird mix of LotR's Wormtongue with Emperor Palpatine.

 

[Wrathamon]

a Doppelganger Old One Pack Warlock with a symbiotic Intellect Devourer trying to serve his master by stealing the thoughts of mortals to feed his master.

 

[Delandel]

a Doppelganger Old One Pack Warlock with a symbiotic Intellect Devourer trying to serve his master by stealing the thoughts of mortals to feed his master.

This right here? This is why you guys rock.

 

[TarionzCousin]

This thread is delivering. Thanks, all.

To give credit, the piece is by the artist known as Brom. His website: http://www.bromart.com/. Some of the art on that site is not safe for work.