D&D General trying to describe a player aberration appearance?

[Mind of tempest]

It depends upon what type of aberration. Is it somethong from the far realms that came through a portal? A nightmare given flesh shape? A corrupted human? A corrupted textbook?

If you're looking for creepy, then less is more. I'd go with a regular human with some subtle or hidden changes that are unseen at first, but give you pause - and I'd do as much with how they act as I would with what they look like.

Also, changes should not just be cosmetic. Give them a mechanical significance so that they're not just forgotten. It doesn't need to be powerful - just present and significant enough that it comes up here and there.

I wanted a race and I want something that can be iconic, ideally far realm derived, humans but strange is hard to do right without being offensive.

any suggestions that are easier to do?

 

[Stormonu]

WOMBO art says this:

 

[Mind of tempest]

WOMBO art says this:

bit hard to wear armour, but cool.

 

[jgsugden]

I wanted a race and I want something that can be iconic, ideally far realm derived, humans but strange is hard to do right without being offensive.

any suggestions that are easier to do?

You have a few templates to look at that can give you ideas. The Illithid, Spawns, etc... can inspire you.

I have Cenobites, stolen from Hellraiser, in my game. They're not really a PC race - they're more along the lines of Titans, etc... but they are Far Realm tied in my lore.

Stealing straight from Lovecraftian mythos is perfectly fine. Cthulhi (My Little Cthulhu), Aylith, Deep Ones all have potential - and if you go with something established, finding minis for it may be easier.

 

[Tonguez]

This is how I'd have worded it:
"three - eyes stare out from an oversized cranium, above them two antenna with strange bulbous ends.
four thick tentacles surround its wide mouth writhing when the creature is pleased.
a body covered in chitin and clammy skin, four arms with six digits, and long spindly legs ending in two wide splayed cresent talons.
their chitin comes in a variety of metallic shades, higlighted by bright flourishes."

the decription you gave of the toes gave me a very different image than the picture of the raptor claws

 

[Weiley31]

tags?

Somewhat of a Rule 34 joke.

 

[Mind of tempest]

You have a few templates to look at that can give you ideas. The Illithid, Spawns, etc... can inspire you.

I have Cenobites, stolen from Hellraiser, in my game. They're not really a PC race - they're more along the lines of Titans, etc... but they are Far Realm tied in my lore.

Stealing straight from Lovecraftian mythos is perfectly fine. Cthulhi (My Little Cthulhu), Aylith, Deep Ones all have potential - and if you go with something established, finding minis for it may be easier.

yeah, mind flayer is more in the head area than any wear else might need to better define that.
I need something more PC sized and not just the stereotype squid heads that and I always want to make something that fits my ideas as I never quite fit with any race concepts so far both in concept and in what they are known for.

my odd knowledge of cenobite says that they would hate the far realm to chaotic and mad they seek order and experiences.

This is how I'd have worded it:
"three - eyes stare out from an oversized cranium, above them two antenna with strange bulbous end.
four thick tentacles surround its wide mouth writhing when the creature is pleased.
a body covered in chitin and clammy skin, four arms with six digits, and long spindly legs ending in two wide splayed cresent talons.
their chitin comes in a variety of metallic shades for their chitin, higlighted by bright flourishes."

the decription you gave of the toes gave me avery different image than the picture of the raptor claws

like a crescent moon of toes right? that was what I was going for not raptor claws.

 

[Mind of tempest]

This is how I'd have worded it:
"three - eyes stare out from an oversized cranium, above them two antenna with strange bulbous ends.
four thick tentacles surround its wide mouth writhing when the creature is pleased.
a body covered in chitin and clammy skin, four arms with six digits, and long spindly legs ending in two wide splayed cresent talons.
their chitin comes in a variety of metallic shades, higlighted by bright flourishes."

the decription you gave of the toes gave me a very different image than the picture of the raptor claws

any idea on how to make the back of their head more octopus-like?