Elder Thing

Ancient creators of life

Complete specimens have such uncanny resemblance to certain creatures of primal myth that suggestion of ancient existence outside antarctic becomes inevitable. Dyer and Pabodie have read Necronomicon and seen Clark Ashton Smith’s nightmare paintings based on text, and will understand when I speak of Elder Things supposed to have created all earth life as jest or mistake..

– At the Mountains of Madness, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, 1931

This ancient race has inhabited the earth for many millions of years and may have created life on earth as it appears today. Older creatures prefer water as their habitat, but can also move effortlessly on land and even fly.

The appearance resembles a cylindrical shape a good two meters high, the ends of each tapering slightly, so that an Elder Thing resembles almost a barrel. Furrows and ridges cover the body with strange growths, and the wings and strange head, shaped like a five-pointed starfish, give the creature characteristics of both animal and plant life.

The Elder Things established at least one major city in Antarctica and created the Shoggoths there who used them as slaves. During the millions of years of their existence on Earth, the Elder Things fought many conflicts, but now seem to have retired.

SPECIAL POWERS 

Pin Down: On a successful attack by the creature, the target is pinned down. This state can only be avoided by dodging.

Shaping Matter: Elder creatures can shape matter they touch with their grasping arms to their liking. They are able to create completely new objects, creatures and buildings with ease. Creatures can resist this effect with a CON × 5 test. A transformation does not necessarily have to be deadly for the affected living being. In any case, it is very painful and leads to a loss of 1d4/1d10 sanity.

Unnatural Organism: An Elder Thing’s physiology reveals no weaknesses or particularly significant areas of the body. Targeting to increase damage is therefore not possible, nor are critical hits. However, the creature still takes regular damage.

Unnatural Tenacity: The creature possesses a number of additional HP that do not result from its CON or STR.

Yog-Sothothery: The Elder Things are described in great detail in the story At the Mountains of Madness . In this context, the question is interesting as to whether or where there may be other dwellings for these beings apart from Antarctica. If they see themselves as architects of life forms, what might they have accomplished in the past millennia?

Elder Thing, Ancient creators of life

STR: 30

CON: 50

DEX: 8

INT: 50

POW: 20

HP: 50

Build: Large

Willpower Points: 20

ATTACKS

Attacks per round: 1

Fighting attacks: .

Grab and Rend 30%, Lethality 15% (see Pin Down )

Armor: None (see Unnatural Organism ).

Skills: Athletics 30%, Fly 80%, Swim 80%, Unnatural 95%.

Rituals: Elder Sign, Abjuration, Dho-Hna Formula, Summon Creatures (Shoggoth).

Sanity Loss: 1d4/1d10.

This creature description is translated from the German version published by FHTAGN-RPG.