For now.
(I am sorry, but I don't remember which module it was.)
This, while being rather conventional, might be the most appliable solution for an usual D&D game, or at least I think so.
>The Egg of Coot, what is it?
>Why, it's E. Gary Gygax, oldest Coot of rpgs!! >I don't remember where I heard this, but I think it's true, actually.
For all the readers of rec.games.frp.misc that weren't around in the early 80's (or at least, weren't interested in RPGs then), and to allow all concerned to make up their minds from the only data we have available, I present to the net an unauthorized reproduction of Dave Arneson's original description of the Egg of Coot, straight from the "First Fantasy Campaign" supplement from Judges Guild (alas, sadly out of business and gone).
note: the following is quite long. Also, the poster's comments within are enclosed in these nifty square brackets. What will they think of next?
Egg of Coot
This all consuming personality lives off the egos of others to support his own ego. At one time (millennia ago) of humanoid characteristics, today, his exact physical description is unknown. In fact it is not even known for sure if he (it) has a physical appearance.
Theories say that he is now a huge mass of jointly operating cells, a huge mass of Jelly, a giant thickly hided egg, pure energy, a man, a mass of living rock, etc. It is generally acknowledged that the physique of this creature is too horrible for any mortal to behold and that it carries out its activities through the use of surrogates which it controls or has programmed. All communications with this beast are through direct mental contact or via his throne-room which is dominated by a huge old world artifact said to be an ancient war machine, through which it communicates directly via voice transmission from some other area of its City-Palace.
1) Enjoys little jokes like scrawling obscene words and phrases on the walls of latrines and garbage cans (to show it's "power"), sky writing, pulling the wings off of flies, etc. General level of jokes indicates a Level II Intelligence with a mature age of 3 or 6, never having been denied anything!) [No, the text never said what Level II intelligence was]
2) Has a huge Laboratory that turns out spells, for selling, which are (of course) perfection itself (30% chance of failure per level of spell, i.e. III = 50%, II = 40%, etc.). Of historical interest is when the Ran of Ah Foo served in the factory as a Spell Maker but was kicked out when he "surpassed" the Egg's standard of excellence, which, since the perfect standard is impossible to surpass, meant that he (the Ran) had committed the ultimate wrong and was forced to flee rather than become the newest human victim to be experimented on.
3) All close servants of the Egg, undergo mental conditioning that is aimed at crushing all their mental initiative. This is then replaced by the over-whelming desire to serve the Egg and do _exactly_ as it wished. Part of the standard conditioning has them believing that all the Egg does and communicates is good and right with all unbelievers being those jealous of the Egg's perfection and should be treated accordingly.
4) The Egg is known to hold an unshakable grudge against anything that has ever in any way caused it difficulty that was not immediately overcome. It will direct its efforts exclusively towards the demise of this force even to the extent of ignoring past offenders in order to go after the newest threat. This is the result of the Egg's tremendous self-esteem which admits _no_ failings.
5) The best insight into the Egg's ambitions is in its creed which is daily intoned by hundreds of conditioned followers, around his capital city: Might is Right. Might is Right. Don't Give a Sucker an even break. Winning _is_ everything. Get what you want by Hook or by Crook, but get it. The Ends always justify the means used to achieve it. The meek may inherit the Earth but that means the strongest will rule everything.
I fear the rest of the Creed is a bit too strong for our gentile readers and deal with certain "Breeding privileges and customs". Let it suffice that when an area is captured by the Egg, it shortly undergoes a dramatic population decline and acquires a new unnatural and very inhumane population composition.
Hope this helps
http://www.oerthjournal.com/oerthjournals/OJ_05.pdf
So far I am thinking of using the Alienist PrC. Inside the Egg "shell" which I imagine is made of alien metal (like a spacecraft from Stair Cairns or Expedition to the Barrier Peaks) is a rift to the Far Plane - and that his/its power stems from that.
I like the tie in that Iuz may have apprenticed to the Egg.
Beyond that I am at a loss. Some of the reading I have done shows him to possibly be a scientist from the past or future of Greyhawk (Gamma World) but I am not a fan of mixing my fantasy and tech. So I prefer to go Far Realms over scifi. Are there any races or templates that people might think would work? I thought perhaps Ethergaunt.
Beyond that, I am assuming Murlynd has dealt with the Egg, and may be able to offer some information. I will allow his "guns" as a sole tech feature, but I want that to be very rare, not a common occurrence. As this is Epic, Murlynd will probably make a personal appearance in the campaign (Keoghtom already has). Trying to judge the power of the Egg is hard - I don't think it is a demigod or even DvR0. I also think it is no more than 30th level.
Anyone with any other thoughts (besides quoting Paul MacCartney? "The Walrus was Paul" - Glass Onion....)
ROB
Hagunemnon from the Epic Level handbook. It has not natural or even stable shape, so it fits the descriptions of being everything and nothing - man, beast, egg shell, blob. All these things are mentioned in the original Blackmoor setting description:
"Theories say that he is now a huge mass of jointly operating cells, a huge mass of jelly, a giant thickly hided egg, pure energy, a man, a mass o living rock, etc.. It is generally acknowledged that the physical [sic] of this creature is too horrible to behold."
Any good PrCs or templates to add to this that might make it more interesting? I know, a CR 29 creature is probably more than enough for many campaigns, but I am looking for something Iuz would be afraid to cross, and I am not there yet....
ROB