“Cthulhu Mythos” Monsters

I got my copy of the Deities and Demigods when I was 13 as one of the best Christmas gifts my mother ever got me: the Players’ Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual, Fiend Folio, and Deities and Demigods. That was before I actually read any Lovecraft. I know now that the Deities and Demigods depiction of Lovecraft was very different from any way I would represent his writing, but the impact of the original write up and the gonzo art of Erol Otus that accompanied most of the entries had a big impact on me.

I pulled out my copy of Deities and Demigods and have adapted the Cthulhu Mythos monsters (ignoring the psionics entry in each entry) and present them here — bad Lovecraft adaptation or not.

Byakhee (servants of Hastur)

These giant furry bat-like creatures have humanoid legs that enable them to stand like men. They can be summoned by clerics of Hastur. They are intelligent, telepathic, and will obey those who carry the Elder Sign or who appeal successfully to Hastur.

Large Outsider Chaotic Evil

Armor Class: 11

Hit Points: 75 (10d10 +20)

Speed: 20 ft, fly 60 ft

STR 14 (+2); DEX 13 (+1); CON 15 (+2); INT 10 (+0); WIS 10 (+0); CHA 6 (-2)

Skills:          Perception +4

Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14

Languages: Common

Teleport: Byakhee may teleport throughout the Material Plane at will, carrying human beings with them on their backs or in their talons.

Telepaths: Byakhee may communicate with intelligent creatures with their minds.

Actions

Multiattack: Byakhee may make two attacks with their claws

Claws: +6 melee weapon, reach 5 feet, 7 (1d10+2) slashing damage and target is grappled.

Cthuga’s Flame Creature

These creatures appear to be large flaming amoebas with tentacles that appear to be flames coming from their bodies. One of their function is to appear when the god is supposed to appear but is too busy or chooses not to come.

Large Outsider Chaotic Evil

Armor Class:         16

Hit Points:         88 (16d10)

Speed:         30 ft, climb 30 ft

STR 10 (+0); DEX 15 (+2); CON 10 (+0); INT 10 (+0); WIS 10 (+0); CHA 3 (-4)

Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10

Damage Immunity: Bludgeoning, Piercing or Slashing damage from non-magical weapons.

Languages: Common

Aura of Heat: all who start or end their turn within 20 yards of the Flame Creature take 2d10 points of fire damage.

Magic Resistance: Flame Creatures have advantage to saving throws made agains spells and magical effects.

Actions

Heat ray: +6 melee weapon, reach 5 feet, 7 (1d10+2) slashing damage and target is grappled.

Deep Ones (servants of Cthulhu)

The Deep Ones are humanoid, amphibious man-fish, cold-blooded creatures of great strength. They can attack with their clawed, webbed hands or wield weapons. They live near the land on ocean shelves and are able to travel to the land at any time for as long as they wish.

They have been known to interact with evil humans and interbreed with them. This results in human-appearing offspring who undergo a gradual transformation after the age of 21 that causes them to become the Deep Ones who spawned them. The Deep Ones are souless and apparently immortal.

These creatures promote evil in preparation for their master Cthulhu’s return. THey do this by collecting treasures from the sea and using them as funds to spread the cult of Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones.

While you could just substitute the stats for other fish-men like the Sahuagin or Kuo-toa for Deep Ones, here is an attempt to adapt the Deep Ones from Deities and Demigods:

Medium Monstrosity Chaotic Evil

Armor Class:         14 (hide)

Hit Points:         45 (6d8 +18)

Speed:         30 ft, swim 60 ft

STR 18 (+4); DEX 10 (+0); CON 16 (+3); INT 12 (+1); WIS 12 (+1); CHA 6 (-2)

Skills: Arcana +4, Perception +4

Senses: Darkvision 90 ft., passive Perception 14

Languages: Deep One, Common

Actions

Claws: +7 melee weapon, reach 5 feet, 7 (1d6+4) slashing damage and target is grappled.

Spear: +7 melee weapon, reach 5 feet, 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage or 8 (d8+4) piercing damage if used two-handed, range 20ft/40ft if thrown

Great Race

These creatures populated the world eons ago and their cities still exist buried in deserts and other out-of-the-way places. They had a highly advanced scientific civilization, but with psionics rather than magic. When their civilization was destroyed, some of them were frozen in time, and these are occasionally discovered. The Great Race are tall cones, ten feet wide at the base, with four ten-foot long tentacles at the top. Two tentacles end in lobster-like claws, one in trumpet-like ears, and one in a glob with three eyes along its circumference with a set of manipulating tentacles depending from it. The relationship, if any, between the Great Race, the Old Ones, and the elder gods is unclear. Humans discovering and freeing them are sometimes rewarded with gifts of knowledge.

Large Monstrosity Lawful Neutral 
Armor Class: 14 (hide)

Hit Points: 52 (8d10 +8)

Speed: 40 feet

STR 12 (+2); DEX 14 (+2); CON 13 (+1); INT 15 (+2); WIS 14 (+2); CHA 10 (+0)

Skills: Arcana +7, Investigation +7, Perception +7

Condition Immunity: charmed, frightened

Senses: Passive Perception 17

Languages: Great Race

Actions

Multiattack: Great Ones may make two claw attacks in a single round.

Claw: +7 melee weapon, reach 10 feet, 8 (1d8+2) slashing damage.

Mi-Go (The Fungi from Yuggoth)

These red, bat-winged creatures somewhat resemble lobsters in that they have many legs, feelers, and eyestalks, and forearms that end in great pincers. Though they appear to be crustaceans, they are actually fungus creatures. Mi-go are immune to the effects of cold, dark and vacuum and can fly across interstellar space. They cannot speak, but communicate by clicking their pincers.

Though they may seem unintelligent monsters, Mi-go are actually very intelligent and have access to advanced technology, such as desiccating rays and the ability to surgically extract and preserve brains.

Large Outsiders Chaotic Evil

Armor Class:         16 (hide)

Hit Points:         52 (7d10 +14)

Speed:         20 feet, 30ft flying

STR 12 (+1); DEX 14 (+2); CON 15 (+2); INT 13 (+1); WIS 12 (+1); CHA 6 (-2)

Skills: Arcana +4, Investigation +4, Perception +4

Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned

Damage Resistance: acid, cold

Senses: Darkvision 90 feet, Passive Perception 14

Languages: Mi-go

Fungal Fortitude: Mi-go do not need water, food, or air.

Actions

Multiattack: Mi-go may make two claw attacks in a single round.

Claw: +5 melee weapon, reach 5 feet, 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage.

Primordial One

These creatures are barrel-shaped cylinders with membranous wings. On top of their bodies is a head covered by three-inch wiry cilia of many colors. At the top of their bodies they have 5 red–irised, stalked globular eyes and 5 mouthed tentacles. At the base of their bodies are five powerful tentacles used for mobility.

The primordial ones are actually an alien race of high intelligence and advanced science. They hate all other types of intelligence and seek to destroy them if possible, striking with three of thei powerful walking tentacles if no advanced weaponry is available.

Large Monstrosity Chaotic Evil

Armor Class: 14 (hide)

Hit Points: 75 (10d10 +20)

Speed: 40 feet, 30ft flying

STR 12 (+1); DEX 14 (+2); CON 15 (+2); INT 13 (+1); WIS 12 (+1); CHA 6 (-2)

Skills: Arcana +4, Investigation +4, Perception +4

Condition Immunities: charmed

Damage Resistance: cold, fire

Senses: Darkvision 90 feet, Passive Perception 14

Languages: Primordial One

Actions

Multiattack: Primordial Ones may make three tentacle attacks in a single round.

Tentacle: +7 melee weapon, reach 5 feet, 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning damage.

 

Shoggoth

Originally created by the Primordial Ones as servants, the shoggoths eventually rebelled and destroyed the civilization of their masters. Shoggoths resemble huge, intelligent amoebae, able to form almost any shape out of their near-transparent bodies, including legs, eyes, mouths, huge weapons or whatever is needed. The few remaining Shoggoths lure in distant, long-deserted cities, sometimes aiding servants of Cthulhu or other Great Old Ones.

Large Monstrosity Chaotic Evil

Armor Class: 14 (hide)

Hit Points: 52 (20d10 +14)

Speed: 20 feet, 30ft flying

STR 16 (+3); DEX 10 (+0); CON 15 (+2); INT 8 (-1); WIS 10 (+0); CHA 2 (-4)

Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned.

Senses: Darkvision 90 feet, Passive Perception 14

Languages: Primordial One

Magic Resistance: Flame Creatures have advantage to saving throws made agains spells and magical effects.

Actions

Multiattack: Shoggoths may make two pseudopod attacks in a single round.

Pseudopod: +13 melee weapon, reach 10 feet, 19 (3d10+3) slashing damage.