**engrossing story** "...and she fled down the corridor in tears, her friend over her shoulder. Hot blood streaming out of a wound to his chest. She turned to see the monstrosity consuming her other two friends..." **RUclips add starts** "Craving something delicious? Come to Papa John's, and get 2 large 2-topping pizzas for just $19.99!"
18 minutes into the video and my gamer/DM brain is screaming "SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LEAVE THE GATES TO THE WATERDEEP SEWERS UNSUPERVISED AND UNPROTECTED!...…… wait, Georgie? Hey where did Georgie go? Where did this red balloon come from?" at me.
Georgie comes back after 3 days of wondering the sewers tugging his toy boat. "Gerorgie!?! you freeloader, Where ya been?" with a blank stare "With a woman, Her name is Marit Lage. She says we all float down here." as he toddles off into the darkness.
Can a deepspawn make more deepspawn? What is a deepspawn's lifespan? If a wizard used shapechange to become a deepspawn would the spawn it produced as a deepspawn remain loyal?
I would say they can make more deepspawn but they won't unless desperate. Too easy to step on each others toes. The line between ally and competition would be too thin and easily crossed for them. So unless a slow death they can see coming is on the horizon they will just do what is most natural for them. Make more spawn. Perfectly acceptable servants that will never betray it
Was thinking the same thing. Really enjoyed all the DnD feeling creatures. I think you could fit many of them into the show, there was a Crawling Claw, Rot Grub-like critter, Aboleth Skum, Gibbering Mouther-ish thing. Good stuff!
What would you say happens to the spawnlings if you kill the deepspawn? Become independent, lose what's left of their minds and go feral, or just drop dead? Let me know what you think... could be fun to use one of these
Have you ever considered writing? perhaps some short stories or a novella? You have an excellent knack for detail and descriptions. I hope we see more narration in future videos. They really help to set a mood for the monsters more than just a stat block. Good job as always!
Love these! Used them once to consume and replicate a thieve's guild leader. Needless to say, after this, the entire guild was under the control of the Deepspawn deep beneath the city and remains so to this day.
Working on a Deepspawn story right now. I added an, "It-like" period of inactivity to the one in this adventure to create a greater mystery and slow down the story a bit. This was very informative and inspiring. Thank you.
Think this is the third time I’ve watched this video but I just love this style of story intro, discovering the monsters in the same way the players would
A Cleric of Bane sobbing? No wonder she’s getting her companions killed. Bane is using her to bring strife and doom. Once he’s done with her she’s so going to be burned.
I'm imagining a Neutral Good Spawn that invaded a drow temple of Eilistraee and spent the next century listening to the songs and sermons of the priests it consumed there. It now seeks redemption. Might be a fun encounter for the Out of the Abyss module.
How is it possible that every time I have a old creature coming up in my game, you happen to make a video on the same creature lol. thanks for the mind reading and awesome videos as always :)
Awesome, my group once had one of these in an adventure centred around a dwarven city deep in the the underdark. In ancient times the inhabitants had been at war with the Duergar, lacking the numbers to counter the dark dwarf army, they instead chose to capture a deep spawn and basically create a clone army which the dwarves then entombed in a vast cavern once the war was won. Our groups task was to hunt down a small group of clones that had infiltrated the city and were attempting to free the deep spawn.
@@AJPickett Thank you, it was a while ago but from what I can remember the adventure was inspired by information from Drizzt Do'Urdens's Guide to the Underdark.
Am I the only one picturing an entire Deepspawn town where a significant portion of the populace is Deepspawn clones, like the Shadow Over Innsmouth? Take something like that but build it up from a small fishing village to a large port city using the abundant Trade as a steady stream of food for the Deepspawn. Imagine your party discovering the tip of this threat & bringing it to the town elders, only to find they've already been replaced. Alternately the town elders may have made a deal with the Deepspawn to take the material wealth from all the sailors that go "missing," & quiet their political/economic rivals in order they take over their rivals assets while the Deepspawn gets a new family of clone minions. Like most aberrations, there are CLEANLY shades H.P. Lovecraft here.
You wake up naked in a pool of water. You can't see anything, but you can hear a voice....in your head? "Come, we must prepare you for your task" Something like an arm wraps around you and pulls you from the water. You can now see several eyes before you, and while you know you should be afraid, you cannot help feel a strange comfort in the presence of this monstrosity with octopus-like arms and many mouths. "Take these" Another arm points to a pile of clothes, weapons, and equipment you would need on a long journey. As you're putting on your clothes, you notice your master's other arms pulling other people from the water. They come over to the equipment and get prepared also. You know these people. They are your brothers and sisters. You all serve your master, and your master wants gold, so go get it adventurer.
I remember reading a Forgotten Realms novel where a Deepspawn was the Big Bad Evil Guy at the end. It had actually worked out a pretty elaborate plan for taking over a kingdom, and came pretty close to succeeding, including making a clone of the leader of the kingdom. The ability to create The Thing level clones of anyone or anything it eats makes for a terrifyingly effective infiltrator and manipulator.
"The cleric of Bane (...) couldn't help but think about how many urchins she could keep off the streets" Never thought of Bane as being the charitable kind. 😏
I love monsters that fight by proxy, they always make the best long term foes for adventurers to face. Even better if that monster can create a vast legion of proxies to fight in it's stead without ever being seen, or appearing only after victory is assured. Not that Deepspawn actually need proxies to vanquish foolhardy adventurers.
Hey AJ, "CR 17"! { Invasion of the body snatchers }. Did you notice the shield AJ. It has a eye symbol in middle of it. (Nice touch)-> Having the one person who escapes, pray that her companions somehow live, (she got her wish). Great video AJ and excellent story. (And I thought dragons were scary). Remember in the 13 Warrior when Herger stated, (after seeing over 1000 horsemen). "I'd rather fight a dragon". Thanks AJ & have a great day.
I could see an adventure based around one of the spawnlings, the spawnling attempting to resurrect a deep spawn, and get revenge upon the people who killed it.
What happens to the spawn in the deep spawn is killed? Do they die? Wander off no longer remembering what they are? Go on to become a PC with no backstory?
Ha, that would fit so well! They don't die when the Deepspawn dies, they have free will all the time, its just they are completely loyal to the deepspawn that made them. In theory, they may go to places they vaguely remember but then again, they might not.
I would suggest these things reproduce when they fight each other over territory and they end up mutually consuming each other creating 3 "copies". 2 copies retreat to their original territories believing they have lost while the third, the actual offspring, makes a very stealthy escape from the entire area.
I had a one shot where two players wanted to play as siblings Aasimar and Teifling. I mentioned this monster from Ad&d, within ten minutes they are twins, have a hunger sibling that is a flying whale, and they all worship their parent. The Deep Mother.
Lovecraft body snatchers, .. you could even have PCs who parents or a parent were a spawn clone of a deepspawn. A pc could discover they have a .. mutation .. during level advancement in campaign play. Or the wizard/ sorcerer of the party seeks out spells that mimic the deepspawn abilities, then spell shifts themselves into a deepspawn at a given level.
Oh Deep spawn. One of my favorite. I have used them over the years The best one i recall is the crime lord Zxy' Mwwull. She heald sway over a large island chain. Known as Muut. She enslaved hive of beholder and had spawn who served as nobility. Aww that campaign was epic.
Imagine a Deepspawn in place of an Elder Brain, it consumed and replicated the entire Mindflayer colony, the party encounter Mindflayers warped and hideous from too many replications and are trying to figure out what sort of disease or other mallady is causing it before they find this thing in place of the Elder Brain
Deepspawn are an awesome edition to an arsenal guarding any treasure! They fill up an area quickly with dangerous monsters! I wish you would do a video on the Living Wall,have you ever used it?,its a VERY powerful creature! Great video AJ! 😳
I believe the weirdest and strangest fact of this aberration is not its physiology nor the capability of replicating life but the fact that its speaks aquan. I need to know why!!! (draconic and giant don't help either)
I had an idea for deepspawn reproduction: what if when deepspawn minions are permitted to reproduce in whatever manner is typical of the race they're copied from, the offspring is always a deepspawn? Or what if deepsawn minions eventually morph into deepspawn if they manage to survive for long enough?
After watching this I've figured out I'm a twisted individual. I now want to make a PC who is a Deepspawn's "Spawn", it would be a warlock (Deep one) multiclass with maybe fighter, who at some point betrays the party for his master
This video was the missing puzzle piece for my campaign. A.J. You're work is absolutely top notch. I will be making you into an NPC for ALL of my campaigns as an Interdimensional Lore Master of the Multiverse. Your videos will be a reward for my players. OR I could just read the script in your accent! Noice!
ONCE AGAIN AJ, I MUST thank you as you have given me the next major player for my campaign. You save my bacon once again, and for that sir I tip my hat to you.
Hmmm seems they should have some form of psionics but they dont you say. Very interesting to say the least. Another fine video sir I liked the creepy background sounds. Thanks again for all you do and doing it so well
1.) How many spawn can it make at a time? Or it it only limited to the ratio of biomass consumed to mortality rate of its spawn? 2.) Can they still advance (level up)? 3.) Can magic tell if they are spawn? 4.) Can they still do things like grow older and reproduce? 5.) What happens if it eats a oblex? 6.) Are the memories that it gains from eating things also fuzzy? 7.) Can it at least still gain the memories of a creature to big to copy? 8.) If it eats its own spawn and spawns another, dose the replication still degrade, or dose having that reference make it just as good as the original spawn? 9.) How high level spells (or similar abilities) can it use? Is it only limited by the level it can learn itself or eat someone who did? 10.) How fresh/intact dose the corps have to be for it to not have difficulties/limitations copying it? 11.) How long dose it take between eating something and gaining the benefits (knowledge, spawn templates, more biomass, etc.)? 12.) How long dose it take to birth spawn and can it do so in combat? 13.) What happens if the spawn have the curse of lycanthropy, chaos phage, or a tadpole or intellect devourers inside it? What about things like boons and curses? 14.) did the mind flayers learn the ability to make thrulls that are the same, but with fanatical devotion to the mind flayers, from them? 15.) Are there any large or smaller corporal creatures creatures that in cannot copy, or are there some that it can not (undead, outsiders, constructs, oozes, etc.)? 16.) Is it there recent memories that they have trouble remembering, or all of them? 17.) Do the spawn have souls? 18.) Can the deep spawn and/or its spawn still get cleric, paladins, and/or warlock abilities? 19.) Do they ever keep non-spawn minions, or keep a stock of non-spawn beings to get accurate copies? 20.) Can spawn be magically compelled to betray each other? 21.) How do spells like clone and simulacrum effect things, and do the mean infinite free minions?
@@marvalice3455 But what if the deep spawn has the simulacrum? Can it get two (or more) minions from the corps of one if it eats it then uses the spell?
@@dragonturtle7645 good question! I would say yes, but any spawn the simulacrum creates based on a template from before the spell is cast are subject to the limitations of the simulacrum spell. so if the Deepspawn(referred to from now on as Steve) eats an adventurer, than casts simulacrum the Spawn the Simulacrum creats of the adventuerer is also just as much a part of the simulacrum as the rest of the double, but if Steve feeds his double a second adventurer, that one may not be. at least that is how _I_ would run it.
It sounds like from this particular encounter, my psychic drow monk with his Adopted artificially intelligent orc son combine their efforts to overpower the the beast and mind control it until my drow can learn all about it and then have a temporary party member until it is done being useful.
AJ Pickett Nice. Those definitely don’t get enough attention. Everyone just wants to talk about the squidily stuff(Beholders, Mindflayers, Flumphs, etc...). Combat against Sentient Magenta sounds like it would be infinitely more difficult than fighting a Beholder. Hell, I’d rather fight a Mind Flayer who’s riding a Beholder than a time traveling/teleporting bio-rock(I’m assuming it can change its physical location as well as its temporal location). It would just time jump to 200 feet above you at the moment you were born, start falling, and within 5 seconds you’re dead. Mind Flayers can’t compare to that.
If deepspawn body snatched some companions and sent them to rejoin would there be a way to figure them out beyond weird behavior for example using truesight or true seeing?
This is one of my all time favorite monsters. My players are always unsure of two things. 1: is something thing in this room a mimic? And 2: is this npc acting weird because it's a spawn? And they always warn new people. New player np: oh great another killer dm how many characters has killed? How many hundreds of times has he thrown them at you guys. PCs: 3 np: what?! PCs : yeah two encounters with the mimic and once with the deepspawn as a pet shop owner on sigil. That's where I got my psudodragon. Np: WHAT!?!? PCs oh and no pcs have died in six years since the start of th campaign. Np: WH WHAT!?!?!?! How is that possible? PCs: we all made the saves. Np: so what are you afraid of? PCs you don't understand it was really scary. He had us trapped in a fort on a frozen peninsula and it was eating it's way threw the npcs and cohorts and every time it almost got us and we didn't known if it was possessing one of us. He kept taking us away from the table to talk alone. Np:.... Like the Thing. PCs what thing? Np: the movie? The Thing by John carpenter. ( A look of realization crosses the party.) PCs: you plot stealing bastard! That's why you wore thise shirts for the whole game even after you spilled crap on it. Me: hahahahaha. Np: what "shirts"? PCs: he wore three different shirt of The Thing. He changed everytime we took a snack break. You were rubbing it in our faces. Np: at least you killed it right? PCs: oh no we had it join the party. It's grew in to our base. Np ... This whole building is a mimic?!?..... Mr. House: I'm the furniture too. who needs a massage?(hands grow out of the chairs) PCs: no thank you😃 Np: 😲😯😮😧😲 tldr homebrew is awesome when done right 😎
DM: So what's up with your character? Me: He's from the Spawn. The DeepSpawn (wheeze laughs uncontrollably) DM: OH MY GOD YOU DO THIS EVERY TIME!!! STOP IT WITH THE LITTLE NICKY REFERENCES THE REST OF US HAVE FAMILIES TO GO TO!!!
I now want to make a stupid hellthat has been mixed with a human with a shovel face that doesn't know how to follow orders. Deepspawn: capture the genie! Spawn: Alright get in the flask you son of a bitch! Edit: This is it. This is going to be my first character. I've never actually played a DnD campaign It will canonically explain how stupidly overpowered he could be in certain situations or the stupid decisions he makes and the creative stupid baby genius abilities that new players have or so I've heard.
I don’t think if it’s ever been confirmed if they can spawn more than one copy of a creature, or even spawn more than one copy at the same time. That’s never been clarified for past 4 editions
With enough wit and man power to make plans maybe a deep spawn buys freight passage on a ship. With its young securing jobs as crew. Safe withing its box it directs its spawn to secure it more food. Many hands, to make light work.
Can the perfect copies of the deepspawn be used as a cheap catalyst for ressurecting heroes by just putting their souls or something into their copies? Can a deepspawn consume another deepspawn? Does a spawn have fully functional organs and has there ever been a record of a spawn bearing children? (Might need a wizard to experiment on that.) Okay creative fun time!! This process sounds like a good way to channel a body for my drows homunculus to gain a proper body of its own, using a mixture of those things that start with a D that are made from a soup of dead body parts or something, with mixed body parts, mechanizations and a pure copy of my drow to have it's homunculus have a host body that it can enter anytime with a mind of its own to have a perfect copy of my drow with extra abilities and a malleable body. (Side note for fun,the homunculus would look like a very cute small version of my drow, complete with one blue eye and one red eye with a purple, bluish gem in it's forehead, tiny angel wings, a devil tail and pitch black skin covered in small markings and tattoos, and it has a small, gentle voice that coos affectionately any words it speaks. Basically an absolutely adorable drow cherub, which makes this next part more disturbing.) This thing would basically enter this spawn through its back, with the back literally opened up like a flower of flesh and bone and other Eldritch machinations as it gently slips into the creature, with the enhanced spawn creature serving as essentially a flesh mech or titan from attack on titan for the homunculus. Also fair to mention that the homunculus can summon this spawn once per day naturally but can always be magically stored through the gem in it's head which shares a space with it's master's demi-space which he can access without fail and usually summons for the homunculus. Also another fun idea: suppose a spawn was made by my drow through the deepspawn's organs, but he altered it to be a female version of itsel purposefully twisting it, experimented on it, impregnated it, and then used it to birth this particular homunculus? New way to get homunculus' everyone!!
True, the spawn copies don't have souls of their own, as far as I know, they have all the usual organs, and that probably means they could reproduce normally. A Deepspawn is a huge creature, so eating another deepspawn is a herculean task, but maybe they can do it.
they are independent entities, so killing the Deepspawn doesn't physically harm them, however, they will be very upset that their parent has been killed.
Can someone please tell me what happens to the spawn that the deep spawn produces when they are killed? Do they revert to any form or do they remain in that form. Also are there any anatomical differences if someone were to cut open a dead spawn?
They look completely normal internally, they are independent entities, so killing the Deepspawn doesn't physically harm them, however, they will be very upset that their parent has been killed.
That story in the beginning was chilling. . . Gods Ps. Does anyone remember a B movie with something that was close to this thing attacking a cruise ship? I can't remember the movies name just that some woman got sucked down a toilet. . .
@@TheTrueFeleas I just typed it into RUclips and that's totally it! Glad someone could understand my vague description, haha. This thing definitely reminded me of the monster in the movie
Our party encountered a very old Deepspawn near Menzoberranzan the progeny it produced were extremly powerful and it was deliberatly made so by a very crafty Matron who constantly burned through slaves,lovers and elder house boys like they were running out of style! ☻☻☻
I don’t think it’s ever been confirmed if they can spawn more than one copy, or even more than one copy at the same time. It’s never been clarified for the past 4 editions.
So many unanswered questions: Are the spawn soulless clones or di they have souls? Can they live lives if the deepspawn "mother" is killed? Do they progress on their own, gaining levels and XP? What happens to a spawn paladin? Does he retain his features (at least until "mother" has him violate his code)?
@@karatemancometh That’s always been the problem with Deepspawn in every edition. They’ve never been clear on the details. It’s always been “It eats something, it clones it under its control with the same features, even same alignment, but just serving its “parent.” They’ve never been clear how many times they can do this to same the creature. I always assumed just one copy. I mean it would be insane if it eats one Minotaur and then can spawn that same one dozens of times. Later on they began to limit it to certain creatures up to a certain size and power. So I’m guessing you can’t just feed it level 10 Fighter Storm Giant and then it can create its own. Plus other aspects like does it have a soul? I assume it does. Because it “births” the creature and its a living being so it’s gotta have one.
I had a 3.5 mini-campaign I did with one and it turned out well. But I had to practically pen my own "Guide to the Deepspawn" to answer these questions. I limited the power and number of clones by the DS's CR. And I treated the spawn as new creatures. The aforementioned paladin went crazy each time it was spawned and the rest had to put him down (until one transitioned into a Blackguard and became a main antagonist).
**engrossing story**
"...and she fled down the corridor in tears, her friend over her shoulder. Hot blood streaming out of a wound to his chest. She turned to see the monstrosity consuming her other two friends..."
**RUclips add starts**
"Craving something delicious? Come to Papa John's, and get 2 large 2-topping pizzas for just $19.99!"
I could not have planned that so perfectly.
18 minutes into the video and my gamer/DM brain is screaming "SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LEAVE THE GATES TO THE WATERDEEP SEWERS UNSUPERVISED AND UNPROTECTED!...…… wait, Georgie? Hey where did Georgie go? Where did this red balloon come from?" at me.
Georgie comes back after 3 days of wondering the sewers tugging his toy boat. "Gerorgie!?! you freeloader, Where ya been?" with a blank stare "With a woman, Her name is Marit Lage. She says we all float down here." as he toddles off into the darkness.
Oh man. Loving the idea of an Aboleth acquiring a pet Deepspawn. The shenanigans they'd get up to!
Spawnie and Abe: A Piercer and Roper Production.
Ah yeah, these lads really tickle my "kill it with fire" nerve. The lizard part of my brain is screaming "Burn them! Burn them all!".
Can a deepspawn make more deepspawn? What is a deepspawn's lifespan? If a wizard used shapechange to become a deepspawn would the spawn it produced as a deepspawn remain loyal?
Interesting ideas lol
I would say they can make more deepspawn but they won't unless desperate. Too easy to step on each others toes. The line between ally and competition would be too thin and easily crossed for them. So unless a slow death they can see coming is on the horizon they will just do what is most natural for them. Make more spawn. Perfectly acceptable servants that will never betray it
I think these are questions for your DM
Man, Seska is the nicest Baneite I’ve ever heard of.
She was not always that nice :)
I require L O R E
Going to say, this is a really good vid to release alongside Stranger Things season 3. AJ you rascal.
lets just say, I was HEAVILY influenced. Damn good season!
@@AJPickett The wife and I just finished watching man, this was definitely icing on the cake. Thanks much!
@@icydeath0000 Now you can take the show to your game table and roll dice with Dungeons of Strangeness. :)
Was thinking the same thing. Really enjoyed all the DnD feeling creatures. I think you could fit many of them into the show, there was a Crawling Claw, Rot Grub-like critter, Aboleth Skum, Gibbering Mouther-ish thing. Good stuff!
What would you say happens to the spawnlings if you kill the deepspawn? Become independent, lose what's left of their minds and go feral, or just drop dead? Let me know what you think... could be fun to use one of these
I would say most become independant, some of them go feral, depends how long they have been active.
Have you ever considered writing? perhaps some short stories or a novella? You have an excellent knack for detail and descriptions. I hope we see more narration in future videos. They really help to set a mood for the monsters more than just a stat block. Good job as always!
I think I saw a live stream where he said he's saving all his scripts from his videos of The Sage to make into a book one day.
Its been 2 years since this came out. Here i am in 2021 rewatching. Thanks to you Aj I will NEVER forget this horror.
Deepspawn, the gits that keep on giving :)
Just dropping to say this is a fantastic plot hook.
I have a new "boss monster" to use and a complete campaign based on it thanks to this video.
This is way better than the other guy's Deepspawn video
Love these! Used them once to consume and replicate a thieve's guild leader. Needless to say, after this, the entire guild was under the control of the Deepspawn deep beneath the city and remains so to this day.
Working on a Deepspawn story right now. I added an, "It-like" period of inactivity to the one in this adventure to create a greater mystery and slow down the story a bit.
This was very informative and inspiring. Thank you.
Think this is the third time I’ve watched this video but I just love this style of story intro, discovering the monsters in the same way the players would
Aberrations,
Results may vary.
A Cleric of Bane sobbing? No wonder she’s getting her companions killed. Bane is using her to bring strife and doom. Once he’s done with her she’s so going to be burned.
Seska was not always so nice... things happened during her earlier adventuring career...
AJ Pickett well, without submitting herself for correction soon I wonder how long she’ll be able to maintain her faith with Bane.
I love the stutters, pauses, and slips-of-the-tongue you have. It gives your channel such character. Never change that, if you don’t mind.
I couldn't if I tried.
I love the ending where that happy little tune plays over Demogorgon emerging from the fog
I'm imagining a Neutral Good Spawn that invaded a drow temple of Eilistraee and spent the next century listening to the songs and sermons of the priests it consumed there. It now seeks redemption. Might be a fun encounter for the Out of the Abyss module.
My days at work go much quicker when it's time to get deeply nerdy!😆
How is it possible that every time I have a old creature coming up in my game, you happen to make a video on the same creature lol.
thanks for the mind reading and awesome videos as always :)
I am tapped into the D&D Force.
Amazing story at the beginning. You've got a real talent.
I love the narrative part in the beginning, it gives me a sense of the way the creature is played.
Awesome, my group once had one of these in an adventure centred around a dwarven city deep in the the underdark. In ancient times the inhabitants had been at war with the Duergar, lacking the numbers to counter the dark dwarf army, they instead chose to capture a deep spawn and basically create a clone army which the dwarves then entombed in a vast cavern once the war was won. Our groups task was to hunt down a small group of clones that had infiltrated the city and were attempting to free the deep spawn.
perfect use of the lore, I applaud you!
@@AJPickett Thank you, it was a while ago but from what I can remember the adventure was inspired by information from Drizzt Do'Urdens's Guide to the Underdark.
Am I the only one picturing an entire Deepspawn town where a significant portion of the populace is Deepspawn clones, like the Shadow Over Innsmouth? Take something like that but build it up from a small fishing village to a large port city using the abundant Trade as a steady stream of food for the Deepspawn. Imagine your party discovering the tip of this threat & bringing it to the town elders, only to find they've already been replaced. Alternately the town elders may have made a deal with the Deepspawn to take the material wealth from all the sailors that go "missing," & quiet their political/economic rivals in order they take over their rivals assets while the Deepspawn gets a new family of clone minions. Like most aberrations, there are CLEANLY shades H.P. Lovecraft here.
The Deepspawn, as opposed to your fandom, which are the Deeply Nerdy Spawn.
So many possibilities. One of myfavorite monsters yet. Thank you.
You wake up naked in a pool of water. You can't see anything, but you can hear a voice....in your head? "Come, we must prepare you for your task" Something like an arm wraps around you and pulls you from the water. You can now see several eyes before you, and while you know you should be afraid, you cannot help feel a strange comfort in the presence of this monstrosity with octopus-like arms and many mouths. "Take these" Another arm points to a pile of clothes, weapons, and equipment you would need on a long journey. As you're putting on your clothes, you notice your master's other arms pulling other people from the water. They come over to the equipment and get prepared also. You know these people. They are your brothers and sisters. You all serve your master, and your master wants gold, so go get it adventurer.
Exactly so.
The Far Realm: We got tentacles and eyestalks. Which you want??
Aberrations: Yes
I remember reading a Forgotten Realms novel where a Deepspawn was the Big Bad Evil Guy at the end. It had actually worked out a pretty elaborate plan for taking over a kingdom, and came pretty close to succeeding, including making a clone of the leader of the kingdom. The ability to create The Thing level clones of anyone or anything it eats makes for a terrifyingly effective infiltrator and manipulator.
What novel?
@@JoshuaDuaneClark War In Tethyr.
"The cleric of Bane (...) couldn't help but think about how many urchins she could keep off the streets" Never thought of Bane as being the charitable kind. 😏
You misunderstood, the money is to finance their imprisonment lol.
How she joined the clergy of Bane and her current alignment in this tale is a whole other story...
What do you have if you feed and shelter every stray that begs at your door?,,, an army.
@@zhondortoth8699 'Insert Mr. Burns meme here'
I love monsters that fight by proxy, they always make the best long term foes for adventurers to face. Even better if that monster can create a vast legion of proxies to fight in it's stead without ever being seen, or appearing only after victory is assured. Not that Deepspawn actually need proxies to vanquish foolhardy adventurers.
Hey AJ, "CR 17"! { Invasion of the body snatchers }. Did you notice the shield AJ. It has a eye symbol in middle of it. (Nice touch)-> Having the one person who escapes, pray that her companions somehow live, (she got her wish). Great video AJ and excellent story. (And I thought dragons were scary). Remember in the 13 Warrior when Herger stated, (after seeing over 1000 horsemen). "I'd rather fight a dragon".
Thanks AJ & have a great day.
That is such a good movie, I must have watched over ten times by now.
I could see an adventure based around one of the spawnlings, the spawnling attempting to resurrect a deep spawn, and get revenge upon the people who killed it.
What happens to the spawn in the deep spawn is killed? Do they die? Wander off no longer remembering what they are? Go on to become a PC with no backstory?
Ha, that would fit so well! They don't die when the Deepspawn dies, they have free will all the time, its just they are completely loyal to the deepspawn that made them. In theory, they may go to places they vaguely remember but then again, they might not.
I would suggest these things reproduce when they fight each other over territory and they end up mutually consuming each other creating 3 "copies". 2 copies retreat to their original territories believing they have lost while the third, the actual offspring, makes a very stealthy escape from the entire area.
I had a one shot where two players wanted to play as siblings Aasimar and Teifling. I mentioned this monster from Ad&d, within ten minutes they are twins, have a hunger sibling that is a flying whale, and they all worship their parent. The Deep Mother.
Hunger sibling? Love it.
I came to post and realized I had listened and posted on this video before. 😅.
Nice
Welcome back!
So John Carpenter's version of The Thing meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers... LOL
plot twist the ranger was the servant od the deepspawn and tricked the heros
Lovecraft body snatchers, ..
you could even have PCs who parents or a parent were a spawn clone of a deepspawn.
A pc could discover they have a .. mutation .. during level advancement in campaign play.
Or the wizard/ sorcerer of the party seeks out spells that mimic the deepspawn abilities, then spell shifts themselves into a deepspawn at a given level.
Oh Deep spawn. One of my favorite. I have used them over the years
The best one i recall is the crime lord Zxy' Mwwull. She heald sway over a large island chain. Known as Muut. She enslaved hive of beholder and had spawn who served as nobility. Aww that campaign was epic.
I am trying to work and listening, you have me at the edge of my seat! This is pure gold, I love it!
And heaven help you if someone else had the same idea but failed for what ever reason!
Oh man this has really inspired me! I am currently running an Eldritch horror-esk campaign and these guys would fit RIGHT in!!
This was a great story. Now I want to plan an epic encounter set against a deepspawn.
Imagine a Deepspawn in place of an Elder Brain, it consumed and replicated the entire Mindflayer colony, the party encounter Mindflayers warped and hideous from too many replications and are trying to figure out what sort of disease or other mallady is causing it before they find this thing in place of the Elder Brain
Deepspawn are an awesome edition to an arsenal guarding any treasure! They fill up an area quickly with dangerous monsters! I wish you would do a video on the Living Wall,have you ever used it?,its a VERY powerful creature! Great video AJ! 😳
I believe the weirdest and strangest fact of this aberration is not its physiology nor the capability of replicating life but the fact that its speaks aquan.
I need to know why!!!
(draconic and giant don't help either)
I had an idea for deepspawn reproduction: what if when deepspawn minions are permitted to reproduce in whatever manner is typical of the race they're copied from, the offspring is always a deepspawn? Or what if deepsawn minions eventually morph into deepspawn if they manage to survive for long enough?
The song in the background is perfect
For proper Lovecraftian horror give one Deepspawn spawn temporal amnesia that makes it to think that it is the original!
That sounds like the perfect origin for a GOO warlock
I could see duergar using psionics to find and kill replicas made by deepspawn.
One of the coolest monsters.
After watching this I've figured out I'm a twisted individual. I now want to make a PC who is a Deepspawn's "Spawn", it would be a warlock (Deep one) multiclass with maybe fighter, who at some point betrays the party for his master
Or hear me out. The Deepspawn wanted him to find his own path.
This video was the missing puzzle piece for my campaign. A.J. You're work is absolutely top notch. I will be making you into an NPC for ALL of my campaigns as an Interdimensional Lore Master of the Multiverse. Your videos will be a reward for my players. OR I could just read the script in your accent! Noice!
Heh heh, maybe I should make a video where I act like a Sage NPC and read off some dialog people can use in their games?
ONCE AGAIN AJ, I MUST thank you as you have given me the next major player for my campaign. You save my bacon once again, and for that sir I tip my hat to you.
A Deepspawn and death tyrant walk into a bar.....
Everyone else leaves.
@@AJPickett
That's cute. You think they'd get the chance.
AJ Pickett you assumed they rolled well during initiative
Hmmm seems they should have some form of psionics but they dont you say. Very interesting to say the least. Another fine video sir I liked the creepy background sounds. Thanks again for all you do and doing it so well
1.) How many spawn can it make at a time? Or it it only limited to the ratio of biomass consumed to mortality rate of its spawn?
2.) Can they still advance (level up)?
3.) Can magic tell if they are spawn?
4.) Can they still do things like grow older and reproduce?
5.) What happens if it eats a oblex?
6.) Are the memories that it gains from eating things also fuzzy?
7.) Can it at least still gain the memories of a creature to big to copy?
8.) If it eats its own spawn and spawns another, dose the replication still degrade, or dose having that reference make it just as good as the original spawn?
9.) How high level spells (or similar abilities) can it use? Is it only limited by the level it can learn itself or eat someone who did?
10.) How fresh/intact dose the corps have to be for it to not have difficulties/limitations copying it?
11.) How long dose it take between eating something and gaining the benefits (knowledge, spawn templates, more biomass, etc.)?
12.) How long dose it take to birth spawn and can it do so in combat?
13.) What happens if the spawn have the curse of lycanthropy, chaos phage, or a tadpole or intellect devourers inside it? What about things like boons and curses?
14.) did the mind flayers learn the ability to make thrulls that are the same, but with fanatical devotion to the mind flayers, from them?
15.) Are there any large or smaller corporal creatures creatures that in cannot copy, or are there some that it can not (undead, outsiders, constructs, oozes, etc.)?
16.) Is it there recent memories that they have trouble remembering, or all of them?
17.) Do the spawn have souls?
18.) Can the deep spawn and/or its spawn still get cleric, paladins, and/or warlock abilities?
19.) Do they ever keep non-spawn minions, or keep a stock of non-spawn beings to get accurate copies?
20.) Can spawn be magically compelled to betray each other?
21.) How do spells like clone and simulacrum effect things, and do the mean infinite free minions?
I can answer 1 of these!
A simulacrum is not biological, they are made of ice, so they probably don't work for spawn
Of course the Magos Biologist asks lol
@@marvalice3455 But what if the deep spawn has the simulacrum? Can it get two (or more) minions from the corps of one if it eats it then uses the spell?
@@Demonica2539 What can I say, the Quest for Knowledge.
@@dragonturtle7645 good question! I would say yes, but any spawn the simulacrum creates based on a template from before the spell is cast are subject to the limitations of the simulacrum spell.
so if the Deepspawn(referred to from now on as Steve) eats an adventurer, than casts simulacrum the Spawn the Simulacrum creats of the adventuerer is also just as much a part of the simulacrum as the rest of the double, but if Steve feeds his double a second adventurer, that one may not be.
at least that is how _I_ would run it.
Question AJ, if they kill the deep spawn, what happens to the "clones"? Do they die?do they know what happened to them?
They carry on, and yes, they know they are not the original creature.
@@AJPickett omg that has to be psychological taxing to know you are not you, that you died and now you are... What you are now! Super creepy.
yes a dungeons and dragons version of the alien movie THE THING
Story time with AJ! That was an excellent video. Wish I had a 5e stat block for this horrible beastie.
Great video AJ. Deepspawn are awesome for body snatcher type session stories.
It sounds like from this particular encounter, my psychic drow monk with his Adopted artificially intelligent orc son combine their efforts to overpower the the beast and mind control it until my drow can learn all about it and then have a temporary party member until it is done being useful.
Is there anything from the Far Realm that doesn’t have either tentacles or eyestalks?
Gibberlings Maybe?
Oh for sure, there are sentient colors, infectious dreams and stones that move backward through time..
AJ Pickett Nice. Those definitely don’t get enough attention. Everyone just wants to talk about the squidily stuff(Beholders, Mindflayers, Flumphs, etc...). Combat against Sentient Magenta sounds like it would be infinitely more difficult than fighting a Beholder. Hell, I’d rather fight a Mind Flayer who’s riding a Beholder than a time traveling/teleporting bio-rock(I’m assuming it can change its physical location as well as its temporal location). It would just time jump to 200 feet above you at the moment you were born, start falling, and within 5 seconds you’re dead. Mind Flayers can’t compare to that.
@@AJPickett Do you know where one could find info about those creatures? they sound really intriguing.
If deepspawn body snatched some companions and sent them to rejoin would there be a way to figure them out beyond weird behavior for example using truesight or true seeing?
True sight, yes.
I am curious as to what happens to a drone if the deepspawn dies, do they die as well do the just go insane will they form some form of free will.
No idea
They don't die when the Deepspawn dies, also, they do have free will, they are just completely loyal to the Deepspawn.
AJ, this is some fantastic work! All of it.
Oh boy, I was looking for some cool underdark encounters. My players will hate this.
This is one of my all time favorite monsters. My players are always unsure of two things. 1: is something thing in this room a mimic? And 2: is this npc acting weird because it's a spawn? And they always warn new people. New player np: oh great another killer dm how many characters has killed? How many hundreds of times has he thrown them at you guys. PCs: 3 np: what?! PCs : yeah two encounters with the mimic and once with the deepspawn as a pet shop owner on sigil. That's where I got my psudodragon. Np: WHAT!?!? PCs oh and no pcs have died in six years since the start of th campaign. Np: WH WHAT!?!?!?! How is that possible? PCs: we all made the saves. Np: so what are you afraid of? PCs you don't understand it was really scary. He had us trapped in a fort on a frozen peninsula and it was eating it's way threw the npcs and cohorts and every time it almost got us and we didn't known if it was possessing one of us. He kept taking us away from the table to talk alone. Np:.... Like the Thing. PCs what thing? Np: the movie? The Thing by John carpenter. ( A look of realization crosses the party.) PCs: you plot stealing bastard! That's why you wore thise shirts for the whole game even after you spilled crap on it. Me: hahahahaha. Np: what "shirts"? PCs: he wore three different shirt of The Thing. He changed everytime we took a snack break. You were rubbing it in our faces. Np: at least you killed it right? PCs: oh no we had it join the party. It's grew in to our base. Np ... This whole building is a mimic?!?..... Mr. House: I'm the furniture too. who needs a massage?(hands grow out of the chairs) PCs: no thank you😃 Np: 😲😯😮😧😲 tldr homebrew is awesome when done right 😎
@@andy10121984 Thanks for the insight! I for sure have some encounters planned, my party is currently lvl 11, but I can make it work.
i really like this more of a narrative story tyoe video keep it up!
Could deep spawn grow indefinitely. Imagine a factory sizee deep spawn producing storm troopers in mass
They are just Huge (in the lore), you can have bigger ones in your game if you want something like that.
AJ Pickett ok but more importantly...
Can mimics digest deep spawn flesh? My Mimic Whisperer Sorcerer has *ALOT* of maws to feed.
I hope this intro sticks around because it's very cool
What happened to that adventuring party? Can spawn be broken free of their parent's control? I must know.
They are completely loyal to the Deepspawn, they are not mind controlled.
New campaign ideas. Thank you AJ Pickett!
DM: So what's up with your character?
Me: He's from the Spawn. The DeepSpawn (wheeze laughs uncontrollably)
DM: OH MY GOD YOU DO THIS EVERY TIME!!! STOP IT WITH THE LITTLE NICKY REFERENCES THE REST OF US HAVE FAMILIES TO GO TO!!!
I now want to make a stupid hellthat has been mixed with a human with a shovel face that doesn't know how to follow orders.
Deepspawn: capture the genie!
Spawn: Alright get in the flask you son of a bitch!
Edit: This is it. This is going to be my first character.
I've never actually played a DnD campaign
It will canonically explain how stupidly overpowered he could be in certain situations or the stupid decisions he makes and the creative stupid baby genius abilities that new players have or so I've heard.
Aren’t those the creature introduced in Dwarves Deep for early 2nd?
I don’t think if it’s ever been confirmed if they can spawn more than one copy of a creature, or even spawn more than one copy at the same time. That’s never been clarified for past 4 editions
One question. what happens to a Deepspawns "copies" if the the copy survives and the deep spawn dies?
They are independent creatures who go about their lives, though they will be deeply upset about the death of their parent.
With enough wit and man power to make plans maybe a deep spawn buys freight passage on a ship. With its young securing jobs as crew. Safe withing its box it directs its spawn to secure it more food. Many hands, to make light work.
Can the perfect copies of the deepspawn be used as a cheap catalyst for ressurecting heroes by just putting their souls or something into their copies?
Can a deepspawn consume another deepspawn?
Does a spawn have fully functional organs and has there ever been a record of a spawn bearing children? (Might need a wizard to experiment on that.)
Okay creative fun time!!
This process sounds like a good way to channel a body for my drows homunculus to gain a proper body of its own, using a mixture of those things that start with a D that are made from a soup of dead body parts or something, with mixed body parts, mechanizations and a pure copy of my drow to have it's homunculus have a host body that it can enter anytime with a mind of its own to have a perfect copy of my drow with extra abilities and a malleable body.
(Side note for fun,the homunculus would look like a very cute small version of my drow, complete with one blue eye and one red eye with a purple, bluish gem in it's forehead, tiny angel wings, a devil tail and pitch black skin covered in small markings and tattoos, and it has a small, gentle voice that coos affectionately any words it speaks. Basically an absolutely adorable drow cherub, which makes this next part more disturbing.)
This thing would basically enter this spawn through its back, with the back literally opened up like a flower of flesh and bone and other Eldritch machinations as it gently slips into the creature, with the enhanced spawn creature serving as essentially a flesh mech or titan from attack on titan for the homunculus.
Also fair to mention that the homunculus can summon this spawn once per day naturally but can always be magically stored through the gem in it's head which shares a space with it's master's demi-space which he can access without fail and usually summons for the homunculus.
Also another fun idea: suppose a spawn was made by my drow through the deepspawn's organs, but he altered it to be a female version of itsel purposefully twisting it, experimented on it, impregnated it, and then used it to birth this particular homunculus?
New way to get homunculus' everyone!!
True, the spawn copies don't have souls of their own, as far as I know, they have all the usual organs, and that probably means they could reproduce normally. A Deepspawn is a huge creature, so eating another deepspawn is a herculean task, but maybe they can do it.
@@AJPickett
Nice.
Your stories are great!
What happens to the Deepspawnc's spawn if the "mother" dies? Do they continue after or do they fade away too?
they are independent entities, so killing the Deepspawn doesn't physically harm them, however, they will be very upset that their parent has been killed.
Can someone please tell me what happens to the spawn that the deep spawn produces when they are killed? Do they revert to any form or do they remain in that form. Also are there any anatomical differences if someone were to cut open a dead spawn?
They look completely normal internally, they are independent entities, so killing the Deepspawn doesn't physically harm them, however, they will be very upset that their parent has been killed.
Great, now im torn between playing an intelect devourer, or a deepspawn replica.
Keep doing this intros with the charakters...so awesome!
Reminds me of the octolus from deep rising.
I'm here first cause I love aj's vids
You're a champion mate :)
Where can i find stats for these wonderful creatures?
That story in the beginning was chilling. . . Gods
Ps. Does anyone remember a B movie with something that was close to this thing attacking a cruise ship? I can't remember the movies name just that some woman got sucked down a toilet. . .
Deep Rising. The monster was called the Octalus.
@@TheTrueFeleas I just typed it into RUclips and that's totally it! Glad someone could understand my vague description, haha. This thing definitely reminded me of the monster in the movie
@@tatsusama3192 Haha np! Only thing that makes the Deepspawn worse than that is that it can make clones of whatever it eats haha.
@@TheTrueFeleas Oh, that probably would have made the movie better. Imagine cruise goers tricking loved ones into rooms with tentacles to be eaten!
@@tatsusama3192 Haha indeed!
Our party encountered a very old Deepspawn near Menzoberranzan the progeny it produced were extremly powerful and it was deliberatly made so by a very crafty Matron who constantly burned through slaves,lovers and elder house boys like they were running out of style! ☻☻☻
Favorite D&d monster
Womb sacks... I guess it's going to be a good day. Hard to get that imagery out, I seem to have failed my madness roll
When you think you're playing D&D but it turns into Call of Cthulu.
Damn dude, that is a narrative!!
I love the flavor of the video A.J. be careful that these stay reference videos.
Always.
I don’t think it’s ever been confirmed if they can spawn more than one copy, or even more than one copy at the same time. It’s never been clarified for the past 4 editions.
So many unanswered questions:
Are the spawn soulless clones or di they have souls? Can they live lives if the deepspawn "mother" is killed? Do they progress on their own, gaining levels and XP? What happens to a spawn paladin? Does he retain his features (at least until "mother" has him violate his code)?
@@karatemancometh That’s always been the problem with Deepspawn in every edition. They’ve never been clear on the details. It’s always been “It eats something, it clones it under its control with the same features, even same alignment, but just serving its “parent.”
They’ve never been clear how many times they can do this to same the creature. I always assumed just one copy. I mean it would be insane if it eats one Minotaur and then can spawn that same one dozens of times.
Later on they began to limit it to certain creatures up to a certain size and power. So I’m guessing you can’t just feed it level 10 Fighter Storm Giant and then it can create its own.
Plus other aspects like does it have a soul? I assume it does. Because it “births” the creature and its a living being so it’s gotta have one.
I had a 3.5 mini-campaign I did with one and it turned out well. But I had to practically pen my own "Guide to the Deepspawn" to answer these questions. I limited the power and number of clones by the DS's CR. And I treated the spawn as new creatures. The aforementioned paladin went crazy each time it was spawned and the rest had to put him down (until one transitioned into a Blackguard and became a main antagonist).
I'd like to know what happened to the dragon in the story
Get a gaming group together, roll a few dice and run the adventure yourself :)
@@AJPickettbad dates
I got here searching for 'clay golem'...?
Can I have the music name?
wow this thing feels like a fantastic big bad thans for introducing me to him.
Creepy powerful creature will u do a video of death giant or eldritch giant
Sure
Awesome thanks is there much history on the Ibixian race
@@AJPickett a video similar to your cobra dragon+ one would be sweet for the various giants not yet introduced into 5e!