I decided to stat him. He's the yellow-swathed dude in Leng, who is suggested alternately as being an avatar of Nyarlathotep, Hastur, or just a high priest. JJ thinks he's a priest of Nyarlathotep, and I think that's what was intended by HP Lovecraft. Specifically, he's described in the Dream Quest short story as probably being a moon-beast.
This offered a few challenges though, specifically that moon-beasts lack eyes and can't speak. Thus, this is a "variant" moon-beast. The only changes are that it can speak, isn't blind, and has reduced blindsight. Lastly, I have my own way of statting so this probably doesn't conform to proper PF format.
Also, let me add that I now pity the Paizo employees that have to stat up complicated mythic spellcasters. This took me, no joke, an entire morning.
High-Priest Not To Be Described:
Variant Moon-Beast Cleric of Nyarlathotep 14/Hierophant 6; CR 23/MR 6
CE Large Aberration
Init: +13; Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., blindsight 60 ft.; Perception +40
AC: 31, touch 19, flat-footed 26
(-1 size, +3 Dex, +2 dodge, +12 natural, +5 deflection)
HD: 28D8+220; hp: 346
Fort: +19, Ref: +13, Will: +31
DR: 10/piercing or slashing
Immune: Cold
Resist: Electricity 30
SR: 22
Speed: 50 ft., climb 20 ft.; air walk
Melee: Claw +31/+31 (1D6+12), tentacle +29/+29/+29/+29 (1D6+8/19-20)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Channel negative energy 9/day, eldritch breach, faith’s reach, mythic presence, rend, touch of evil 16/day, wisdom drain
Special Abilities: Alignment insight, divine surge (inspired spell), enduring blessing, force of will, mythic power 15/day, recall 16/day, remote viewing, scythe of evil 2/day, surge (1D8), symbol of the holy
Spell-Like Abilities: Constant—air walk, at will—detect thoughts (DC 18), 3/day—charm monster (DC 20), dispel magic, dominate person (DC 21), shadow conjuration (DC 20), shadow evocation (DC 21), veil (DC 22), 1/day—confusion (DC 20), major image (DC 19), mirage arcana (DC 21), plane shift (self only). Caster level 11th, concentration +17.
Cleric Spells Prepared (9/8/8/8/7/6/5; caster level 15th; +27 melee touch, +22 ranged touch; concentration +28)
-7th: legend lore*, blasphemy (DC 30) (M), persistent slay living (DC 28), quickened divine power, waves of ecstasy (DC 30)
-6th: modify memory (DC 29)*, heal (M), word of recall, plague storm (DC 29), quickened bull’s strength, greater dispel magic
-5th: dispel good (DC 28)*, quickened divine favor (M), insect plague, persistent blindness/deafness (DC 26) (M), cleanse, flame strike (DC 28) (M), scrying (DC 28)
-4th: unholy blight (DC 27)* (2), cure critical wounds, persistent hold person (DC 25), blessing of fervor, poison (DC 27), freedom of movement, dimensional anchor
-3rd: speak with dead (DC 26)*, prayer (2) (M), cure serious wounds (2), bestow curse (DC 26) (2), deeper darkness
-2nd: memory lapse (DC 25)*, silence (DC 25), resist energy (2), spiritual weapon, disfiguring touch (DC 25), lesser restoration, augury
-1st: protection from good*, entropic shield, cure light wounds (3), doom (DC 24), comprehend languages, murderous command (DC 24), remove fear
-0th: detect magic, bleed (DC 23), guidance, mending
*Domain spell. Domains: Evil, Knowledge (Thought subdomain)
Str: 26, Dex: 17, Con: 22, Int: 23, Wis: 36, Cha: 23
Base Attack: +20; CMB: +29; CMD: 49
Feats: Craft Wondrous Item, Combat Casting, Dodge (M), Greater Spell Penetration, Improved Critical (tentacle), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes (M), Mobility, Multiattack, Mythic Spell Lore (M), Persistent Spell, Quicken Spell, Quick Channel, Spell Penetration, Toughness
Skills: Bluff +24, Climb +16, Diplomacy +27, Intimidate +30, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (history) +20, Knowledge (planes) +29, Knowledge (religion) +35, Perception +40, Perform (wind instruments) +18, Sense Motive +37, Stealth +30, Spellcraft +37, Use Magic Device +28
Racial Modifiers: Stealth +8
Languages: Abyssal, Aklo, Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, Undercommon; telepathy 300 ft.
Special Qualities: Amazing initiative, aura of chaos and evil, compression, hard to kill, mythic saving throws, mythic spellcasting, no breath, recuperation, spontaneous casting (inflict spells)
Equipment: Amulet of mighty fists +4, ring of protection +5, headband of inspired wisdom +6, orange prism ioun stone, pipes of pain, four pieces of ivory (worth 50 gp each, for legend lore), set of marked sticks (worth 25 gp, for augury)
Well, according to Mr. Daniel Harms' excellent Cthulhu Mythos Encyclopedia, the High Priest Not To Be Described has several contradictory elements about it. Some say it is a Moon-Beast, others say it is Nyarlathotep him/itself, and others say that it is a human who is possessed by a psychic projection of ol' Narly.
I know the original Lovecraft Dreamlands stories, he was robed in yellow with red lining and a covering over his face, and had pale skin and "paws" and played a flute. He also has some connection to the Tcho-Tcho people, being the "Elder Hierophant Tcho-Tcho Lama of Leng." Whether that means he is just the High Priest of the Tcho-Tcho's religion, or he is a body-warped member of the Tcho-Tcho people, is open for speculation.
But with all the yellow robes and such, and the Dreamland connection to the dream-like and entropic aspects of the Hastur mythos, I've always imagined some kind of connection between Hastur and Leng. Especially considering Hastur's epithet of He Who Must Not Be Named in comparison to the High-Priest Not To Be Described. But Narly is the one specifically mentioned by Lovecraft in the Dreamlands stories, chasing Randolph Carter around and whatnot.
That's something I would like to see mentioned in a book about the Dreamlands (or Dimension of Dreams,) Randolph Carter, King Kuranes, and other characters. And how Ghouls can tunnel into the Dreamlands through the Waking World. I would also like to see a template or something for Dreamlands Ghasts. Not a new creature, but a template or variation of standard ghasts that come from the Dreamlands. Maybe they get changed somehow by the energies of the Dimension of Dreams.
(As an aside, my PCs have recently made a very dire enemy by thwarting the plans of a certain small human woman named Haita the Shephard, a Bard and very high ranking member of the Cult of Hastur- her name being a reference to the original Ambrose Bierce story that first mentioned Hastur. They aren't going to like what the Bard heavy Cult of Hastur ends up doing to their reputation. And after their good names have been tarnished by bad publicity from all the Bards spreading highly unflattering songs and poems about them, they're going to hear about someone/thing that may be able to help, a certain Repairer of Reputations... )
that did look hard to stat up!! looks good tho:) also great post Izar Talon, i myself am fairly ignorant of lovecrafts work and it was great to read your post:) i also like what Paizo has done with it.
Well, according to Mr. Daniel Harms' excellent Cthulhu Mythos Encyclopedia, the High Priest Not To Be Described has several contradictory elements about it. Some say it is a Moon-Beast, others say it is Nyarlathotep him/itself, and others say that it is a human who is possessed by a psychic projection of ol' Narly.
Yeah, I don't have a very firm opinion on what the High-Priest is. Moon-beast works, but there's heavy implications that it is in fact Hastur. Or some aspect of Nyarlathotep for that matter. Regardless, I wanted to stat up a Mythos big-bad, though not one of a demigod level - thus, I went on the hunch that the HPNTBN is a moon-beast.
As for a Dreamlands accessory, that would be fantastic. Based on what little information we got on Leng from Into the Nightmare Rift, Golarion's Dream Dimension is very much inspired by HPL's work. Indeed, there are Leng Ghouls in that adventure that may well meet your need for Dreamlands Ghasts. In case you don't have Into the Nightmare Rift, the Leng Ghoul is a CR 10 beastie with 12 Hit Dice who can, in fact, burrow. Really it's a whole new creature, stats-wise.
I started off all excited and pumped to finally be able to give such a creature proper stats. By the end I was mentally drained. Again, props to Paizo if/when they give us more interesting mythic spellcasters.
Well, according to Mr. Daniel Harms' excellent Cthulhu Mythos Encyclopedia, the High Priest Not To Be Described has several contradictory elements about it. Some say it is a Moon-Beast, others say it is Nyarlathotep him/itself, and others say that it is a human who is possessed by a psychic projection of ol' Narly.
Yeah, I don't have a very firm opinion on what the High-Priest is. Moon-beast works, but there's heavy implications that it is in fact Hastur. Or some aspect of Nyarlathotep for that matter. Regardless, I wanted to stat up a Mythos big-bad, though not one of a demigod level - thus, I went on the hunch that the HPNTBN is a moon-beast.
As for a Dreamlands accessory, that would be fantastic. Based on what little information we got on Leng from Into the Nightmare Rift, Golarion's Dream Dimension is very much inspired by HPL's work. Indeed, there are Leng Ghouls in that adventure that may well meet your need for Dreamlands Ghasts. In case you don't have Into the Nightmare Rift, the Leng Ghoul is a CR 10 beastie with 12 Hit Dice who can, in fact, burrow. Really it's a whole new creature, stats-wise.
I will definitely have to check that out, thanks. :)
Oh, in my rambling, I forgot to mention in my first post that I like what you did with the stats for the Hjigh Priest. I will use these if my PCs get stupid enough to try to go after him!
Oh I appreciated the rambling. I'm a huge HPL fan, but it's actually been a while since I've sat down and read his stuff. I'll have to rectify that, refresh my memory.
As for a Dreamlands accessory, that would be fantastic. Based on what little information we got on Leng from Into the Nightmare Rift, Golarion's Dream Dimension is very much inspired by HPL's work. Indeed, there are Leng Ghouls in that adventure that may well meet your need for Dreamlands Ghasts. In case you don't have Into the Nightmare Rift, the Leng Ghoul is a CR 10 beastie with 12 Hit Dice who can, in fact, burrow. Really it's a whole new creature, stats-wise.
Statting it up would be a chore but you could likely grab the Chaosium Dreamlands books or the Sense of the Slight of Hand Man to get Dreamlands settings.
