Buy me a coffeeNyarlathotep “The Black Pharaoh, The Crawling Chaos”
- Pantheon: Cosmic Horror
- Deity Title: Nyarlathotep, The Crawling Chaos
- Deity Symbol: None, but often associated with tentacles, masks, and other eldritch symbols
- Home Plane: The Void Beyond, a dimension beyond mortal comprehension
- Deity Level: Greater Deity
- Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
- Aliases: The Messenger of the Outer Gods, The Black Pharaoh, The Haunter of the Dark, The Dark Angel, The Faceless God
- Superior: Azathoth (sometimes speculated, not confirmed)
- Traditional Allies: Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, Cthulhu
- Traditional Foes: The Elder Gods, particularly those associated with order and sanity
- Divine Artifact: The Black Pharaoh’s Mask, an artifact of unfathomable power that grants its wearer control over the minds of mortals.
- Servants: Cultists, mad prophets, and those driven to madness by Nyarlathotep’s influence
- Servitor Creatures: Shoggoths, Nightgaunts, and other eldritch horrors
- Sacred Animal: None
- Manifestations: Nyarlathotep can manifest in countless forms, from a cloaked figure in a dark alley to a swirling mass of tentacles and eyes. Its presence often induces madness and despair in mortals.
- Signs of Favor: Visions of the void, whispered prophecies of impending chaos, and inexplicable acts of madness that defy rational explanation.
- Worshipers: Cultists, madmen, seekers of forbidden knowledge, and those who have lost hope in the face of cosmic indifference.
- Cleric Alignments: Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil
- Specialty Priests: Mad prophets, seers, and cult leaders who commune with Nyarlathotep to gain forbidden knowledge and power.
- Holy Days: The Black Sabbaths, unholy rituals held under the cover of darkness to honor Nyarlathotep and invoke its chaotic influence.
- Portfolio: Chaos, madness, destruction, forbidden knowledge, cosmic horror
- Domains: Chaos, Trickery, Madness, Knowledge
- Favored Weapon: None
- Favored Class: Warlock
- Favored Race: Humans, due to their susceptibility to madness and corruption
- Duties of the Priesthood: Spread madness and chaos, sow discord among mortals, summon eldritch horrors, and unravel the fabric of reality.
- Major Cult/Temple Sites: Hidden temples and sanctuaries scattered throughout the world, often concealed in the darkest corners of civilization.
- Benefits: Those who serve Nyarlathotep gain access to forbidden knowledge and dark powers beyond mortal comprehension. They may also receive visions and prophecies of the future, albeit at the cost of their sanity.
- Significant Others: Nyarlathotep is a solitary deity, rarely forming meaningful relationships with other entities. However, it is speculated that it may have a connection to Azathoth, the blind idiot god who slumbers at the center of the universe.
Nyarlathotep stands as a towering figure of chaos and cunning, draped in the enigmatic allure of countless forms. In his most human guise, he is a tall, swarthy man, his skin a deep, obsidian black, yet devoid of any African lineage. His features are sharp, regular, and symmetrical, betraying no emotion, no hint of his thoughts. He is hairless, his head smooth as polished stone, and his attire is often a shapeless robe of heavy black fabric that seems to absorb light itself. His presence is commanding, his aura palpable, as if he is a walking nexus of otherworldly power.
Nyarlathotep, known as the Crawling Chaos, is unique among the pantheon of Outer Gods in the Cthulhu Mythos. Unlike his kin, banished to the stars or slumbering in deep dreams, Nyarlathotep roams freely, delighting in sowing discord and madness. He is the soul and messenger of the Other Gods, a herald of their will, yet he acts with an autonomy that suggests his own inscrutable agenda.
His role is that of an instigator, a catalyst for change through destruction and rebirth. He traverses the Earth, not only as a harbinger of his fellow deities but also as an agent of his own insatiable curiosity. He seeks to unravel the fabric of reality, to play with the fates of civilizations, and to manipulate the threads of destiny. His actions, though seemingly malevolent, serve a purpose beyond human comprehension—to maintain the balance of cosmic chaos and order, ensuring the eternal cycle of creation and annihilation.
Nyarlathotep’s motives are as multifaceted as his forms. He embodies the unknown, the fear of the dark corners of the universe, and the terror of the mind’s uncharted depths. He is the whisper in the shadow, the laughter in the wind, the madness that lurks just beneath the surface of sanity. Through his machinations, he aims to remind humanity of its insignificance in the vast, uncaring cosmos, even as he offers the forbidden knowledge that can elevate or destroy.
Nyarlathotep 5e
Nyarlathotep 5e
Nyarlathotep Pathfinder
Nyarlathotep, The Crawling Chaos
Medium outer god, chaotic evil
Armor Class 22 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 725 (50d8 + 500)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 (+10) | 20 (+5) | 30 (+10) | 30 (+10) | 30 (+10) | 30 (+10) |
Saving Throws Dex +15, Con +20, Wis +20, Cha +20
Skills Deception +20, Insight +20, Persuasion +20
Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 38 (315,000 XP)
Innate Spellcasting. Nyarlathotep’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 28). Nyarlathotep can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: alter self, darkness, detect thoughts, levitate, telekinesis
3/day each: confusion, dispel magic, fear, telepathic bond
1/day each: dominate monster, plane shift, time stop
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Nyarlathotep fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Weapons. Nyarlathotep’s weapon attacks are magical.
Regeneration. Nyarlathotep regains 40 hit points at the start of his turn.
Shapechanger. Nyarlathotep can use his action to transform into a humanoid or back into his true form. His statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment he is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (Nyarlathotep chooses).
Actions
Multiattack. Nyarlathotep makes three attacks: one with his scepter and two with his tentacles.
Scepter. Melee Weapon Attack: +20 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 38 (6d6 + 10) bludgeoning damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 28 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +20 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (4d8 + 10) bludgeoning damage plus 24 (6d6) psychic damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of Nyarlathotep’s choice that is within 120 feet of him and aware of him must succeed on a DC 28 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute.
Legendary Actions
Nyarlathotep can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Nyarlathotep regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Attack. Nyarlathotep makes one scepter or tentacle attack.
Cast a Spell (Costs 2 Actions). Nyarlathotep casts a spell from his list of innate spells.
Teleport (Costs 2 Actions). Nyarlathotep magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.
Mind Blast (Costs 3 Actions). Nyarlathotep targets one creature he can see within 60 feet of him. The target must succeed on a DC 28 Intelligence saving throw or take 66 (12d10) psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Nyarlathotep can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects; Nyarlathotep can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Nyarlathotep creates an illusory duplicate of himself in his lair. The duplicate moves and acts as Nyarlathotep wishes and lasts until destroyed, Nyarlathotep dismisses it as a bonus action, or Nyarlathotep uses this lair action again.
- Nyarlathotep casts phantasmal killer as a spell-like ability targeting one creature he can see within the lair.
- Nyarlathotep causes a wave of psychic energy to wash over the lair. Each creature of his choice in the lair must succeed on a DC 28 Intelligence saving throw or take 21 (6d6) psychic damage and be stunned until the end of their next turn.
Regional Effects
The region containing Nyarlathotep’s lair is warped by his magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Creatures within 1 mile of the lair occasionally catch glimpses of otherworldly landscapes or hear Nyarlathotep’s whispers in their minds. This can cause them to become frightened or charmed (DC 28 Wisdom saving throw to resist).
- Shadows within 1 mile of the lair seem to move on their own, and sometimes reach out as if to grasp something. This is purely an illusion but can be quite unsettling.
- Nyarlathotep can alter the weather within 6 miles of his lair as if casting the control weather spell.
If Nyarlathotep dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
Epic Monsters: Nyarlathotep (5E)
Epic Monsters: Nyarlathotep (5E) | EN World | Dungeons & Dragons | Tabletop Roleplaying Games
The “Mighty Messenger” of the Great Old Ones, an endless font of maleficent darkness known to humanity as Nyarlathotep.
Near as I can tell this is Lovecraft’s vampiric Great Old One. That’s an oversimplification for the “God of Thousand Forms” (29 of which can be found here) but gets the important bits across the plate: he’s a deceptive manipulator that likes to build (or subtly control existing) cults, can’t stand sunlight, and takes some enjoyment out of inflicting insanity upon others.
Nyarlathotep
Medium aberration (shapechanger), neutral evil
Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
Hit Points 340 (40d8+160)
Speed 30 ft., fly 90 ft. (hover)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 19 (+4) | 18 (+4) | 19 (+4) | 22 (+6) | 21 (+5) | 20 (+5) |
Saving Throws Int +14, Wis +13, Cha +13
Skills Deception +13, Insight +13, Perception +13, Persuasion +13, Stealth +12
Damage Resistances cold, fire, force, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magical or adamantine weapons
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons not made from adamantine
Condition Immunities charmed, diseased, frightened, paralyzed, petrified
Senses darkvision 200 ft., truesight, passive Perception 23
Languages Common, Deep Speech, telepathy 200 ft. (tongues)
Challenge 25 (75,000 XP)
Brilliant. He has advantage on and gains his proficiency bonus (+8) to all Intelligence ability checks.
Deathly Touch. All of his weapon attacks are magical and deal an extra 21 (6d6) necrotic damage (included in the attack). A creature’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and Nyarlathotep regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. The creature dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Immortality. When he is slain his potent spirit retreats to the planet’s core, slowly regenerating his corporeal form. During this time he is reforming. While reforming, Nyarlathotep cannot move, is unable to take any actions but lair actions, and regains 1 hit point at the end of each day. When he has his full hit points he is no longer reforming. Killing Nyarlathotep while he is reforming destroys him permanently.
Innate Spellcasting. His innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 22; spell attack +14). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
Constant: freedom of movement, tongues, true seeing
At will: astral projection, charm monster, counterspell, dimension door, dispel magic, dream, mirage arcane, sending, suggestion, teleport
5/day: dominate monster, symbol
3/day: feeblemind, project image, mass suggestion, weird
Insanity. Any creature that attempts to interact directly with Nyarlathotep’s thoughts (such as via detect thoughts or telepathy) must succeed at DC 22 Intelligence saving throw or gain an indefinite madness. When using its telepathy to communicate Nyarlathotep doesn’t activate this feature unless he spends an action to focus his mind on one opponent.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If he fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. He has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Regeneration. He regains 20 hit points at the start of his turn if he has at least 1 hit point and isn’t in sunlight.
Shapechange. He magically polymorphs into a humanoid or beast that has a challenge rating no higher than his own, or back into this form. Nyarlathotep only reverts to this form if he dies. Any equipment he is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (Nyarlathotep’s choice). In a new form, he retains his alignment, hit points, Hit Dice, ability to speak, proficiencies, Legendary Resistance, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, as well as this action. Nyarlathotep’s statistics and capabilities are otherwise replaced by those of the new form except any class features of that form.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. He takes 20 radiant damage when he starts his turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, he has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. He uses his Frightful Presence, makes two weapon attacks, and casts a spell.
Ebony Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) magical piercing damage plus 21 (6d6) necrotic damage.
Evil Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) magical bludgeoning damage plus 21 (6d6) necrotic damage or 8 (1d8+4) magical bludgeoning damage plus 21 (6d6) necrotic damage if wielded with two hands.
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) magical bludgeoning damage plus 21 (6d6) necrotic damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of Nyarlathotep’s choice that is within 120 feet of him and aware of him must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Nyarlathotep’s Frightful Presence for the next minute.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Nyarlathotep can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Nyarlathotep regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
- Extra Attack (costs 2 actions). He makes one weapon attack.
- Move. He moves up to his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
- Solidify Fear. Nyarlathotep chooses a frightened creature he can see within 50 feet, taking the fear in its mind and making it a physical reality inside of its skull. The creature makes a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 28 (8d6) force damage and 28 (8d6) psychic damage, and it gains the stunned condition until the start of Nyarlathotep’s next turn. On a successful save the creature is not stunned and takes no force damage.
LAIR ACTIONS
On initiative count 20 (losing all initiative ties), he can use one of his lair action options. He can only do so while inside of his lair in the planet’s core. If surprised, Nyarlathotep can’t use one until after his first turn in the combat.
- Disruptive energies roil around his lair. Until the start of the next round, any healing spells or effects (such as cure wounds or a paladin’s Lay on Hands) only restore half as many hit points as normal.
- Evil essence infused into Nyarlathotep’s lair spikes upward and manifests into psychic shards. Until the end of the next round, the area is difficult terrain. A creature can choose to ignore the difficult terrain, but doing so causes it to have disadvantage on Wisdom and Charisma saving throws until the start of its next turn.
- Pure malevolence pours out from the walls, ceiling, and floor, corrupting the souls it touches upon. Creatures make a DC 21 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 45 (10d8) necrotic damage.
Alignment: CE
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Madness, Void
Portfolio: accidents, destruction, insanity, nightmares, space
Favored Weapon: dagger
Followers of the elder gods acknowledge that such immense minds probably create chaos and insanity precisely because they are incomprehensible.
Nyarlathotep, however, is thoroughly evil, delighting in the disorder his presence brings and actively roaming mortal worlds in order to sow confusion and destruction. His depraved followers venerate him with unhinged displays of crazed violence and mayhem.
Currently in the World
Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos, moves through the world with a purpose shrouded in enigma. His myriad forms are as varied as the cultures and lands he traverses, each avatar a mask that conceals his true, unfathomable intent. In the present, he is a whisper in the ear of emperors and a shadow in the dreams of scholars, his influence seeping into the fabric of emerging civilizations and decaying empires alike.
As the 1450s unfold, Europe is in the throes of transformation. The fall of Constantinople looms, and Nyarlathotep watches with a thousand eyes, his form shifting to suit the alleyways of Venice, the courts of Florence, and the academia of Paris. He is the spark in the alchemist’s crucible and the doubt in the theologian’s prayer, ever-present, ever-elusive.
His goals are not conquest or dominion, for such trivialities are beneath an entity of his cosmic stature. Instead, he seeks the stimulation of change, the chaos of transition, and the sweet nectar of human potential unleashed. He breathes life into the Renaissance, not as a benefactor but as an instigator, curious to witness the fruits of human endeavor, be they ripe with wisdom or rotten with folly.
Nyarlathotep’s desires are as fluid as the rivers that carve the continents. He craves not worship but observation, not reverence but the raw, unfiltered essence of human experience. His motivations are a tapestry woven from the threads of a million lives, each strand a story, each hue a choice, each pattern a destiny entwined with his own inscrutable design.
As the world marches inexorably towards the modern age, Nyarlathotep dances in its wake, a figure of fantasy and fear, a deity not of this earth, yet irrevocably bound to the saga of humanity. His narrative is not one of past or future but an eternal present, a tale without end, a story forever unfolding.