Lovecraftian Monsters

[jstomel]

I'm thinking about running a story arc that is sort of a combination maniac mansion/silent hill with heavy cthulu mythos undertones. The whole thing takes place in this giant manner house, parts of which are slipping into the far realms. I'm wondering if anyone has done homebrew renderings of Lovecraftian horrors into 4e monsters of levels 4-15. I would also be interested in any suggestions of monsters from various official 4e sources that people think would fit this type of story arc.

 

[Flipguarder]

aboleth -mm1
Balhannoth- mm1
Carrion Crawler- mm1
Nothics- mm2
Chuul-mm1
Squamous Maw - Motp
Foulspawn-mm1
gibbering beasts -mm1
Grell- mm1
Grick- mm1
Kuo-tua-mm1
pretty much all dire things work well imo.
Mind flayers -mm1
Otyughs -mm1

Most things from the farplane work really well.

 

[chronoplasm]

How about rats? Like out of the story The Rats in the Walls? Maybe you could reskin them to have human faces like Brown Jenkins?

Or zombies? Like out of Herbert West: Reanimator?

Or Ghouls like the ones in Pickman's Model.

 

[kevkas]

This is taken directly from Dragon Magazine, issue #375 (from the "Keepers of the Celestial Order" article):

4th Edition Far Realm Adventures
If you run the campaign arc described in this article, or if you’re just looking for Far Realm fun, you might find the following published adventures handy. Although not all deal directly with the Far Realm, all make your job easier by including aberrant creatures that you can connect to the Far Realm.

Adventure - Source - Level:
“Echoes of Thunderspire Labyrinth” - Dungeon #156 - 6th
·Pyramid of Shadows - H3 Adventure - 7th
“The Last Breaths of Ashenport” - Dungeon #156 - 8th
“Sleeper in the Tomb of Dreams” - Dungeon #155 - 8th
“Touch of Madness” - Dungeon #161 - 10th
·King of the Trollhaunt Warrens - P1 Adventure - 11th
“Depths of Madness” - Dungeon #162 - 11th
“Brink of Madness” - Dungeon #163 - 13th
“Depths of Avarice” - Dungeon #157 - 13th
“Sea Reavers of the Shrouded Crags” - Dungeon #158 - 15th
“Ziggurat Beyond Time” - Dungeon #159 - 21st

I haven't really checked each of them, but it's a start. You can probably find new monsters in each article. I did read Pyramid of Shadows (and I'm planning on DMing it in the future) and there's a part there that's related to the Far Realm.

From Monster Manual 2:
-Fell Taints. Even though they are mostly low level monsters, there's one of them which is a level 4th controller.
These creatures also get their own article on Dragon Magazine #376, and in there you can find info about their Description, their Behavior, and how to use them in Encounters (like an expanded Tactics section). You also get new Fell Taints, a 4th level Brute, a 5th level Solo Controller, and a 6th level Elite Controller.
I don't think there's a lot of low level aberrant creatures, so fell taints could be a good starting point for your campaign.

With some minor modifications I'm pretty sure you could adapt all the info and creatures to a more Lovecraftian look & feel.


Hope that helps.

C'thulhu fhtagn ñ_ñ

 

[Sporemine]

I know it's not official but:

Giant Face Hugger
Level 20 Elite Lurker
Large Aberrant Wtf?!
XP 5,600
Initiative +20
Senses Perception +21, Darkvision
HP 298; Bloodied 149
Regeneration See healthy breakfast
AC 34; Fortitude 32, Reflex 32, Will 32
Resist acid 10
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6, Climb 6, See lunge
Action Points 1

OmNomNomNomNom (Standard; at-will)+25 Vs. Ac 2d6+7 damage and ongoing 10 acid damage (save ends)

Lunge (Standard; at-will)The Giant Face Hugger shifts 6 squares and makes the following attack; +23 vs fortitude, 3d6+8 damage and the target is grabbed.

Swallow (Standard; must have grabbed creature of medium size or smaller)+23 vs Fortitude, If the attack hits the target is swallowed, restrained and no longer grabbed. The giant face hugger may have 2 targets swallowed at a time. Any swallowed enemy takes 20 acid damage per round. The swallowed creature has no line of sight to any creature other than the giant face hugger. The swallowed creature can only make melee or close attacks against the Giant face hugger. If the swallowed creature deals more than 30 damage to the face hugger with one attack, the giant face hugger spits it out. It appears an an ajacent space.

Healthy Meal The Giant face hugger gains 15 if it has a swallowed target that is taking acid damage. Regeneration 30 if it has two targets swallowed.

Bigness The giant face hugger can move freely while it has any creature smaller than itself grabbed.

Alignment Unaligned
Languages None
Skills Stealth +24
Str 23 (+16)Dex 28 (+19)Wis 23 (+16)Con 23 (+16)Int 3 (+6)Cha 23 (+16)

Equipment None


Void Shard
Level 3 Minion
Tiny Shadow Animate XP 37
Initiative +3
Senses Perception +3
Withering aura (Necrotic) aura 2; All creatures in the aura take 1 necrotic damage. Multiple withering auras stack (void shards are immune to this ability)
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.AC 17; Fortitude 16, Reflex 16, Will 15 Speed Fly 6 (hover)

Void touch (Standard; at-will)+6 Vs. Will, 1 necrotic damage

Of another dimension (Immediate Reaction (when hit by an attack); at-will)There is a 50% chance that the attack is changed to a miss.

Portal (Immediate Reaction (when missed by an attack); at-will)Another void shard appears in a square adjacent to the activating void shard

Alignment Unaligned
Languages None
Str 16 (+4)Dex 16 (+4)Wis 14 (+3)Con 16 (+4)Int 14 (+3)Cha 14 (+3)Equipment None


Little Sister
Level 7 Elite Controller
Medium Natural Animate (undead) XP 600
Initiative +6
Senses Perception +11
HP 160; Bloodied 80
AC 20; Fortitude 20, Reflex 20, Will 20
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6
Action Points 1

Claw (Standard; at-will)+12 vs AC, 2d6+5 Damage

Life Sap (Standard; at-will)Ranged 10, +11 vs will, 2d6+5 necrotic damage. if the target is weakened, it is now weakened and slowed (save ends).

Death Stare (Standard; recharge 456)Ranged 10, +11 Vs. Will, The target takes 1d8+5 necrotic damage and is dazed (save ends). If the target is already dazed, It is now weakened and dazed (save ends both)

Faceless Laugh (Standard; recharge 6) ♦ Fear
The little sister cackles madly as it's face disintegrates. +11 vs Will, The target is weakened and takes ongoing 3d8+5 necrotic damage and 5 ongoing necrotic damage. Place three face tokens in spaces ajacent to the little sister.

Re-absorb Face (Minor, must target a face token; at-will)Range 10, The targeted face token is destroyed, the little sister gains regeneration 5 for three rounds and a +1 to all defenses until the end of it's next turn.

Alignment Chaotic Evil
Languages Common
Skills Acrobatics +12, Bluff +11, Diplomacy +11, Stealth +12
Str 16 (+6)Dex 18 (+7)Wis 16 (+6)Con 16 (+6)Int 18 (+7)Cha 16 (+6)Equipment None

Face Token
Level 7 Minion
Small Natural Animate (undead) XP 75
Initiative +6
Senses Perception +6
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 21; Fortitude 19, Reflex 19, Will 19
Speed 6

Necro Bolt (Standard; at-will) ♦ Necrotic
+10 Vs. Will, 6 Damage and the target takes a -1 to will defense (save ends, multiple hits stack)

Alignment Unaligned
Languages None
Str 16 (+6)Dex 16 (+6)Wis 16 (+6)Con 16 (+6)Int 16 (+6)Cha 16 (+6)Equipment None

Cthulu Kudos

-Sporemine

 

[Mesh Hong]

If you are planning to run a Cthulhu inspired game then obviously the tone will be the main thing to get right. You will need to inspire an increasing level of uncertainty and paranoia as the game progresses and build up a slow reveal for the main threat.

This might actually be the perfect game to think about using my "psychological Conditions" rules to add mental disorders that the characters gain through the horror of the Far Realms. You will find these rules in my "Book of Distant Stars" (follow the link in my sig).

Once you know the types and levels of the creatures you might need I would be happy to help you create them.

 

[jstomel]

Thanks Mesh Hong, that's exactly what I am looking for.