GURPS Monster Hunters 3: The Enemy

40 Pages·2011·2.893 MB·English

by  Jason 'PK' Levine

M
3
ONSTER
H
UNTERSTM
T E
HE NEMY TM
Written by JASON “PK” LEVINE
Illustrated by GERINALDO COLON, PAUL DALY,
NEIL MELVILLE, SHEA RYAN, and DAN SMITH
An e23 Sourcebook for GURPS®
STEVE JACKSON GAMES
®
Stock#37-0319 Version1.0–May2011
C
ONTENTS
INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . 3 DemonicVariety ..............19 Weaknessesand
HowtoUseThisBook..........3 Skin-Changers ...............20 PlayerKnowledge...........28
AbouttheAuthor..............3 In-Betweeners ................21
4. ROGUE HUMANS. . . . . 29
WhyAren’tIThisTough?........3
3. THE LIVING. . . . . . . . 22 Crusaders ...................29
1. THE UNDEAD. . . . . . . . 4 AlbinoAlligators..............22 Cultists......................31
Ghosts.......................4 Chupacabras.................23 OtherRogues.................32
GhostlyAbilities ...............5 Cryptids.....................23 Experiments.................32
Mummies ....................6 Lycanthropes.................24 Psis.........................33
TheMummy’sCurse............7 InjuryTolerance...............25 Cold-BloodedMurder..........35
Vampires.....................8 DestroyingComfortZones ......26 Witches .....................35
BurningDowntheHouse.......11
5. HUNTING
Zombies.....................12
ZombiesThatAren’t ...........12 THEM DOWN. . . . . . . 37
ZombieMobs.................14 TheUndead..................37
SpiritBeings.................37
2. SPIRIT BEINGS. . . . . . 15 TheLiving...................38
Angels ......................16 RogueHumans...............38
Demons.....................17
Law(Demonic)...............17 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
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C 2
ONTENTS
I
NTRODUCTION
Though it was impossible to hear over the booming reggae modifier.) The GM may worsen this by -1 to -5 for especially
music,Daniellecontinuedtopray,holdingherfetishhighinthe scaryspecimens.
air.Tryastheymight,thezombiescouldnotcomecloseenough
Mostfoescomewithnotesonroughlyhowmanyhunters
toharmthehunters...butforeveryshamblinghorrorputdown,
they’redesignedtoface;e.g.,theferalvampire(p.10)suggests
twomoreseemedtocomefromtheshadows.
one or two enemies per champion, so a four-person team
“Guys,I’mrunninglowonammohere!”Bradwarned.
should be able to hold its own against six feral vamps. Such
“Everyone transition to melee when you have to,” Scott
notesassume400-pointheroes.AsthePCsgrowinability,the
shoutedback,“butstaywithinthecircleofprotection!Cutand
GMwillneedtothrowmore(ortougher)monstersatthem!
duck!Moveasagroup!”
PlayersshouldvisitChapter5–itcontainsvaluabletipson
“We’rejustwastingtime!”Everettyelled.“Ifwedon’ttakehim
hunting these enemies. It intentionally avoids mentioning
out,he’lljustkeepcreatingmore!Wehavetogetcloser!”
obscureweaknessesorlesser-knownabilities,allowingtheGM
Over the PA system, the bokor on stage had actually started
toprintoutjustthosepagesasa“generalknowledge”handout.
singing.“Zombiecome,yeah.Zombiecomeforyou!Youcanna
UsefultraitsforPCstohaveareinboldface.
stop me, no, so you canna stop them too . . . you like that,
These enemies were written to face heroes built with
Danni?Iknowitisyouhere!”
GURPS Monster Hunters 1: Champions, using the rules in
All three men stopped firing simultaneously. “You know
TheMission,butwouldworkfineinanyhigh-poweredsuper-
thisguy?”
naturalgame.Note“high-powered”–mostofthesefoeswould
“No.Yes.”Daniellesighed.“It’scomplicated,OK?”
slaughter75-to150-pointcharacters!
Monster hunters are defined by the enemies they face – The GM who seeks further opponents may find GURPS
awe-inspiring champions need an array of powerful foes HorrorandtheGURPSCreaturesoftheNightseriesinspir-
againstwhichtoprovethemselves.Scarymonstersanddan- ing,althoughhemighthavetobeefupthefoestheretochal-
gerousroguesareanabsolutenecessityinamonster-hunting lenge400-pointheroes.
game,soGURPS Monster Hunters 3:The Enemyoffersan
assortmentofopponentstoughenoughtochallengeeventhe Terminology
mightiesthero!
Certaincreaturescanturnhumansintomonsters.Forcon-
Instead of trying to cover every potential enemy a hunter
sistency,TheEnemyusesthetermsireforthe“parent”monster
mightface,thisbookfocusesonsomecommonones.Ghosts,
andprogenyforthenew,“child”creature.Example:IfAdam,a
lycanthropes,vampires,andzombiesareubiquitousinhorror
werebear,attacksPenelope,turningherintoalycanthrope,then
fiction – with mummies and demons not far behind! Angels
AdamisPenelope’ssire,whilePenelopeisAdam’sprogeny.
and skin-changers, each drawn from specific religious fears,
arelesscommon,buttheymakefordangerousandunnerving
A A
enemies.Roguehumansrepresentthedarksideofchampions, BOUT THE UTHOR
astheyusetheirgiftsagainsthumanityforevilorselfishrea-
Jason Levine, known to the underworld as Reverend Pee
sons. And some monsters, like albino alligators and chu-
Kitty,firmlydeniestherumorsthatheisavampire/weretiger
pacabras,areincludedbecausethey’rejustfuntofight!
half-breed.Thefangsarejustacoincidence.Whennotfeed-
ingoffthebloodoftheliving,heistheAssistantGURPSLine
H U T B
OW TO SE HIS OOK EditorandlivesinnorthernGeorgiawithvarioushumanand
animalrelations.HehascontributedtoPyramid,writtensev-
EachopponentinTheEnemyincludeseverythingtheGM
eralGURPSbooks,foundedwww.mygurps.com,andtaken
needstodropitintoagame,plussuggestionsformotivation
up permanent residence in your attic. He hopes you don’t
andthemetohelpaddcolortoadventuresinvolvingthatfoe.
mindthelastpart.
Stats use the abbreviated format for animals
(p.B456),withtwoadditions:
AttackDetails:Afoewith“Bite(13):3d+1
Why Aren’t I This Tough?
cutting” rolls 13 or less to attack – possibly
modifiedbyDeceptiveAttack,All-OutAttack,
Thevampires,lycanthropes,etc.inthisbookareintentionallymorepow-
etc.–andinflicts3d+1cuttingdamageifsuc-
erful than the equivalent inhuman templates in Champions (pp. 49-51).
cessful. These details appear instead of the
Whilethatmaynotseemfairatfirstglance,considerthatthesemonstersare
equivalent traits; e.g., this enemy’s “Traits”
bestial, murderous, and often barely intelligent;their raw power comes at
linewouldn’texplicitlylistSharpTeeth.
the expense of being a true monster, not a member of society. (Inhuman
Fright Check: The enemy’s suggested
NPCswithself-controlandhumanitydon’tusethesestatseither;buildthem
Fright Check modifier, as explained on
using the Champions templates.) In theory, any inhuman PC could
pp. 28-29 of GURPS Monster Hunters 2:
“embrace his inner monster,” renounce his human side, and eventually
TheMission.ItaffectsalltheFrightChecks
developintoapotentmonstrosity...buthisformerteammateswouldhave
listed there. (Exception: Terror always uses
tohunthimdownlongbeforetheprocesswascomplete!
thepenaltylistedforthatadvantage,notthis
I 3
NTRODUCTION
C O
HAPTER NE
T U
HE NDEAD
“You’reawfullycheerfulforsomeonewho’sabouttodieasec- Insteadofactingasaclearenemy,ahostileghostcanbea
ondtime,”Bradcommented,asheslappedstakeroundsintohis plotpoint.Oncetheheroesdeterminewhat’styingtheghostto
shotgun. The vampire struggled, but Scott and Everett had too this world (below), they can resolve it. Furthermore, not all
much leverage, and bore it back to the floor. “And seriously, a ghostsarehostile.Somearemindlessbutrelativelyharmless,
vamplivingunderneathabloodbank,makingwithdrawals?Can and can serve as a bit of color. Others may be intelligent
yougetanymoreclichédthanthat?” enoughtoserveasinterestingNPCs!
The monster gave up trying to get free, and lay back – still
wearingthatsubtlegrin.“Withdrawals?Isthatwhatyouthink? The Ties That Bind
Trydeposits,youmindlessmeatsack.Youcankillme,butmy
Aghostiscreatedwhenaperson’ssoulrefusestomoveonto
bloodlivesonforever!”
theafterlife,andinsteadtiesitselftosomething(anobject,aper-
Everyone paused for a moment, then Danielle’s eyes opened
son,aconcept,etc.)inthephysicalworld.Theghostcanmove
wide. “Transfusions! Most of them wouldn’t have any special
on if the tie to this anchor is severed. Either Hidden Lore
effect,butifthepatienthadlostallofhisbloodfirst...”
(Restless Undead) or Theology (Shamanic) can provide
“...thehospitalwouldhaveaferalvamponitshandswithin
insightontheanchor;ifthechampionisabletotalktotheghost
hours,”Everettcontinued.“Howlonghaveyoubeendoingthis?”
(e.g., with a Spiricom or Spirit Communication) he may
hedemandedofthebloodsucker.“Howmanypacks?”
insteadusePsychologyoradifferentspecialtyofTheology.
“Go to Hell,” the vampire replied. Brad
pulledthetrigger.
Therearen’tmanythingscreepierthan
the dead rising up and taking on an
uncannysemblanceoflife.Becauseofthis,
the undead have always made excellent
supernatural foes, from classic horror to
modernmonsterhunting.ManyMysticism
(Champions,p.42)abilitiesgivecrusaders
anedgeagainsttheundead,makingthem
particularlyusefulinsuchafight.
G
HOSTS
Ghostsarespiritsofthedeadwhohave
not moved on to the afterlife for some reason (The Ties That Somecommontypesofanchors:
Bind, below). They are often tied to a particular location,
IncompleteTask:Theghostnevergottodosomething,orto
thoughafewareeitherconnectedtosomethingmobileoroth-
see something happen. This can be anything from having its
erwise free to travel. Ghosts are invisible, but they can show
finalstorypublishedtowitnessingitsmurderavenged.Com-
themselves for 1 FP per second; when visible, their physical
pletingthetaskallowstheghosttomoveon.Heroeswhocan
appearancedependsontheirself-awareness(pp.5-6)–amind-
talktotheghost(seeabove)maytrytousePsychologytocon-
lessghostwillbefuzzyandindistinct,whileanintelligentone
vinceittoabandonthetask,butthistakesapenalty(from-4
willlookexactlyasitdidinlife.Theycanheartheliving,but
to-10)basedonhowstubborntheghostis.
notvice-versa–apower,spell,orpieceofspecializedhardware
Location: A ghost may haunt its home or place of death.
isneededfortwo-waycommunication.
Such a ghost is often hostile, since the tie is one of jealous
Ghostscanservemanyusesinagame.Aghostisoftenan
possession–itdoesn’twantanyotheroccupants.Thisoften
interesting and somewhat sympathetic enemy; as it’s already
requires an exorcism. Use the rules for Confronting Curses
dead,theheroesshouldhavenomoralissueswithsendingit
(TheMission,p.23);theghostresistswithitsownWill.
ontoitseternalreward.Theproblemwithfightingaghostis
Person:Rarely,aghostattachesitselftoaperson–usuallya
thelackofwaystodoit!Thechampionsmusthaveaccessto
lovedone,butsometimesanunluckystranger,orevenitskiller!
Mysticism, psionics, magic, or psychotronics to confront an
ItalwayshasPossession(GhostlyAbilities,p.5)andmaynotbe
intangible ghost directly. Some ghosts can materialize physi-
abletoshowitselforotherwiseactexceptwhen“riding”itshost.
cally(for1FPpersecond),atwhichpointtheycanbedefeated
Killingthehostmaysendtheghostonward–oryoumayendup
–butunlesssuchafoecanbe“killed”inasingleturn,it’slikely
facingtwoangryghosts!
simplytodematerializeifhurt.
T U 4
HE NDEAD
Object: This is the source of many “cursed item” myths. A ThismakesexorcismandPathofCrossroadsritualsworthless,
ghost tied to an object often has no or low self-awareness astherearenotiestobreak!Suchaghostmustbe“destroyed”
(below);itdevotesmostofitspsychicenergytowardempower- (withmagic,psychotronics,etc.)topushitintotheafterlife.
ingtheitem.Theclassicexampleisaghostbondedwithitsown
murder weapon, who may use Possession or Mind Control Self-Awareness
(GhostlyAbilities,below)toforcethewieldertocommitsimilar
Evenanintelligentghostmaynotbeawareofitssituation.
murders. The bond may give the item supernatural abilities,
Inanchoringitselftoreality,aghostgivesupacertainamount
fromaknifedoing+2damagetoatypewriterthatcanpredict
offreewillandself-awareness.Inbroadstrokes,ghostscanbe
future events. Destroying the item is dangerous, as it usually
classifiedinoneofthefollowingways.
resultsinafree,angry,mindlessghost!
Confusion:Manyghosts–especiallyvictimsofsudden,vio- NoSelf-Awareness:Ithasnorealizationthatitisaghost,and
lent deaths – don’t realize they are dead! Though tragic, they isdoomedtorepeatthesamemotionsforever.Thisoftenmakes
can still be a danger, as they unknowingly use their ghostly it a harmless apparition – but not if its routine is something
abilities(below)onthosenearby.Leftalone,suchaghostwill destructive!(“Appearsatthehoteleverynightandmurdersany-
usually, eventually realize the truth and move on willingly; oneinRoom6A”isareasonableroutine.)Lackofself-awareness
championsabletotalkwithit(seep.4)canusePsychologyor usuallycoincideswithlowIQ;ifnot,theghostmaybecunning
Theologytohelpthishappenrightaway. and even capable of holding a conversation, but everything it
sees,hears,andthinksiscoloredbywhateverpatternit’slocked
Anchorless Ghosts into. Its personality is often better modeled with pseudo-code
All ghosts are formed from psychic energy (The Mission, (e.g.,“AT6p.m.GOTObasement;IFpersonpresentTHENpos-
p.26).Theaveragepersondoesn’thavemuch–ittakesallof sessELSEGOTObedroom”)thanGURPStraits.
his energy plus that temporarily gained from the terror or Low Self-Awareness: The ghost is locked into a particular
anger of an unexpected death just to anchor himself to this mindset; technically, it has free will, but it is absolutely con-
worldandbecomeaghost. vinced that a particular paradigm is in effect. Treat this as a
Thisisn’ttrueofeveryone.Somepeoplehavepotentreserves complex Delusion (e.g., “It is 1942. I am alive and defending
ofpsychicpowerinlife,whichtheyareabletousetobuildthem- myhomefromNaziinsurgents.Thefirstred-hairedwomanI
selvesanunfettered“spiritbody”upondeath.Suchghostsrarely seeeachdayismywife.”),usuallywithCompulsiveBehavior,
have potent psychic abilities, as they’ve expended all of that Obsession, or both, for some goal related to the paradigm.
energy, but they are self-aware and not anchored to anything. Stubbornnessiscommon.
Ghostly Abilities
Ghosts may have any mix of the following abilities, higherofST10ortheghost’sactualST.Eachadditional1
along with whatever new ones the GM dreams up! Note FPspentincreaseseffectiveSTby50%ofitsoriginalvalue
thatanyrollsnecessarytousetheseabilitiesareagainstthe oradds+1tohit.
ghost’s Will, regardless of which attribute the advantage Possession:TheghostmustwinaQuickContestofWill;
wouldnormallyuse. thevictimisat+5ifhe’sexpectingthis.Eachattemptcosts
theghost5FP,butthereisnoongoingcostifsuccessful.
Communication: Some ghosts can make themselves
Failuremeanstheghostcannottrytopossessthatsubject
heard to the living, either as an audible projection or via
againfor24hours.Norollisneededtorideawillinghost!
telepathic communication. Either costs 1 FP per minute.
The ghost can tap into the host’s memories and use his
Somecanonlydothiswithasleepingsubject.
skills.ThepossessiongivesthehostabonustoST,DX,and
Materialization:Anyghostcanbecomevisiblefor1FP
HT – usually +2 to each, but a powerful ghost may give
per second. Some ghosts can also manifest physically for
from +5 to +10! Use Confronting Curses (The Mission,
the same cost. As doing so makes it vulnerable, this is
p.23)forexorcisms.
rarelytakenadvantageof.Suchaghostwillhaveanonzero
Probability Alteration: See the psionic power on p. 35.
STscore–typicallyequaltohalfitsFP.
Instant uses cost 1 FP; ongoing penalties cost 1 FP per
Mind Control: This is common in ghosts that haunt
minute for each -1. Such a ghost can make a hunt more
objects (above), rare otherwise. Costs the ghost 1 FP to
challenging,evenifit’snottheprimaryenemy;e.g.,fight-
attempt, plus another 1 FP per minute, per person. If it
ingapackofwerebearsishard,butfightingthemwhenthe
winsaQuickContestofWill,thesubjecthastofollowits
localghostisturningchanceagainstyouismuchharder.
orders for as long as it concentrates. It can try to control
Terror:Thewailofsomeghostscanchilltheirvictims’
multiple people, but every victim past the first gives the
very souls! This costs 1 FP. Everyone in the same room
ghostacumulative-1.Thesubjectgetsanotherresistance
mustmakeaFrightCheck,atapenaltysetbytheGMfor
rolleverytimehe’sforcedtotakeamorallyrepugnantor
this particular ghost (usually from 0 to -5). Victims who
potentiallysuicidalaction.
succeedareimmuneforanhour,andallvictimsget+1to
Poltergeist: For 1 FP, the ghost can pick up and toss
resistperFrightCheckafterthefirstwithin24hours.
thingswithoutmaterializing.UseitsDXtohit,andusethe
T U 5
HE NDEAD
HighSelf-Awareness:Whileotherwiseassharpasitwasin does full injury; can cause shock, knockdown, and stunning;
life,theghosthasafew“blindspots”relatedtoitssituation. andcankillthemummyat-HPorworse(likeanormalperson).
Examples include Delusions (such as “I’m not dead”) and Treatanattempttotrackdownthemummy’soriginandweak-
Obsessions related to the ghost’s anchor or circumstances nessasaspecial“what”deduction(TheMission,p.10).
ofdeath. Creationexamplesinclude:
FullSelf-Awareness:Theghostknowsthatit’saghost,knows
Not-So-FinalRest:Mostmummiesareanimatedwhensome-
whatyearitis,knowshowitdied,andiscapableofrelatively
onedisturbstheirgrave.Thismaybeanythingfromadeveloper
rationalthought.Thisisveryrareforanyghostwithananchor!
drainingapeatbogtoagraverobberlookingfortreasure.The
mummy’sweaknessisitsgrave;ifthecoffin,stone,wood,etc.,in
Ghost
whichitlaidisfashionedintoaweapon(e.g.,aclub,arrowhead,
Thereisno“averageghost,”butthesestatisticswilldofora orbullet),thatweaponbypassesitsdefenses.
baseline. Intelligence varies greatly, but even a smart ghost SacredRites:Occasionally,aspecialritualincantationiscre-
may not be completely self-aware (pp. 5-6). See Ghostly atedatthesametimeasacorpseisbeingmummified,withthe
Abilities(p.5)forfurthervariations.Morepowerfuloneshave powertobringthebodybackto(un)life.Thistypicallyrequires
betterattributes(especiallyWill)andmuchlargerFPpools– someconditiontohavebeenfulfilled;e.g.,onlyafterathousand
up to FP 100 for a “boss-level” ghost! After detecting and yearshavepassed,oronlywhenasingledescendantofagiven
observinganinactiveghostforanhour(orobservinganactive bloodlineremains.Ifthisincantationisreadaloud,regardlessof
one for a minute), a successful Hidden Lore (Restless distancebetweenthereaderandthemummy,thecreatureawak-
Undead),Physics,orPhysics(Paraphysics)rollcanestimate ens.Intentdoesnotmatter;thisisoftendoneaccidentally!This
aghost’sstrengthandcapabilities. ritualwillalwayshaveanopposite–anincantationthatweakens
themummyinstead–butthisneednotbefoundinthesame
ST:0 HP:20 Speed:6.50
scrollorbook.Whilethis“weakeningritual”isreadbysomeone
DX:12 Will:14 Move:6
withinclearsightandearshotofthemummy(requirescontin-
IQ:1-15 Per:10 Weight:N/A
ualConcentratemaneuversincombat),allweaponsbypassthe
HT:14 FP:20 SM:0
mummy’sdefenses.
Dodge:9 Parry:N/A DR:0
FrightCheck:0
Traits: Mute (Substantial Only); Spirit (Insubstantiality is “Some say they’re
AlwaysOn).
Notes:AffectedbyPathofUndeadmagicandTrueFaith. immortals.”
M “Everything’s immortal,”
UMMIES
Mummies are a rare and dangerous form of undead. Earl stated, “until you
While vampires can beget more vampires, and new ghosts
comeintoexistenceeveryday,mostmummiesaretheprod- figure out how to kill it.”
uctofcomplexfuneraryritualsperformedthousandsofyears
ago.Onceawakenedandrestoredtohealth(seeCreationand – Larry Correia, Monster
Weakness,below),amummyisabletopassashuman.Some
mummieshavebeenanimateforoverathousandyears,grad- Hunter Vendetta
uallyamassingwealthandpower,untiltheyareaforcetobe
reckonedwithevenwithouttheirinnateabilities!
Creation and Weakness
Tomb Guardian: Some mummies are specifically created
Everyundeadmummybeginsasamummifiedcorpse.The to guard a tomb or similarly important area. At the time of
mummification ritual – which involves removing internal creation, such a mummy will be given a special funerary
organs and carefully preserving the body – was common in amulet,whichempowersittoawakenwhennecessary.(The
northernAfricaandpartsofAsiathousandsofyearsago,but intentisthatsaidmummywillthenstickaroundtocontinue
is rarely performed today. In addition, certain circumstances guardingthings,butasmummiesarefree-willedbeings...)
(e.g., exposure to dry air, extreme cold, or certain bogs) can Itsweaknessisthatamulet;iftheheroescanremoveitfrom
naturallymummifyabody.Theresultantcorpsedecaysslowly, around the mummy’s neck, all attacks bypass the mummy’s
preservingmanyofitsoriginalfeatures. defensesuntilitcangettheamuletback!Theamuletisinde-
A mummy does not spontaneously “awaken”; something structibleaslongasthemummyisalive,sowould-bethieves
mustbringitbacktolife.It’simportanttoestablishitsreason must either unhook the clasp from behind (takes four sec-
for returning (see p. 7), as this will determine its weakness. onds, or two with a successful roll against DX-5, DX-based
Eachweaknessallowsdifferentattacksto“bypassitsdefenses,” Lockpicking,orPickpocketat+1)orgrabtheamulet(-5to
which is shorthand for allowing a given attack to ignore the hit)andyankitoffthemummy’shead.Thelatterrequiresa
mummy’sDR,andcancelitsinnateResistancetoDamage(p.7) QuickContestofSTifeitherofthemummy’sarmsarefreeto
andResistancetoDeath(p.7)!Thatis,theattackbypassesDR; stoptheattempt,oranuncontestedDXrollotherwise.
T U 6
HE NDEAD
The mummy awakens as a hideous, partially decomposed requiresasuccessfulattack,butdoesnoimmediatedamage;it
corpse(-4toFrightChecks),with-5toSTand-2toallother isatouch,notapunch.
attributesandcharacteristics(evenBasicSpeedandMove).If
the mummy is able to kill someone with its bare hands, and
thenspendafull10minuteswiththecorpse,itcandrainthe
victim’s vital life force, restoring itself to health. Once this is I hate mummies!
done,itlooksexactlylikeitdidwhenitwasalive,andisable
topassasahuman.
– Rick O’Connell,
Supernatural Strengths
in The Mummy
Resistance to Damage: The powerful preservation makes a
mummy’s body effectively Homogenous (instead of Unliving,
likemostundead),andtheremovalofitsorgansmeansithas and sequels
no weak points. In addition, it takes half injury from every
attack,isimmunetoshock,nevermakesknockdownrolls,and
cannotbecrippledorstunned!Iftheheroescandriveitbelow
0HP,itisathalfMoveandcanbecrippled,butallotherimmu-
nities and tolerances still apply. A badly injured mummy will Motivation
runaway,awarethatitsRegenerationwillallowittohealina
Amummyretainsmuchofitsoriginalpersonality,though
relativelyshorttime.
thereanimationstrengthensitsviceswhilefadingitsmorality.
ResistancetoDeath:Amummycannotdieuntilit’sdownto
The GM should approach each mummy as a character, and
-5¥HP;atthatpoint,itmustrollagainstHTtoavoiddeath.It
assignitahandfulofuniqueskills,disadvantages,andquirks,
mustmakefurtherrollsat-6¥HP,-7¥HP,-8¥HP,and-9¥HP;at
tofleshoutitsmotivationandpersonality.
-10¥HP it dies automatically. Smart hunters will try to track
Mostmummieswereaccustomedtobeinginapositionof
downitsweakness(below)!
powerwhilealive,andtheyseekthatinmoderntimesaswell.
SpiritForm:Everymummyhastwoforms:itsnaturalone,
Withacombinationofsupernaturalpower,ruthlessness,and
inwhichitappearshuman,andapotent“spiritform.”Itcan
the ability to make extremely long-term plans, nearly every
switch between these two forms once per turn, as a free
mummywillbea“bigbad”(The Mission,p.34)withmany
action, and any injury carries over proportionately between
minions. Some can be especially overconfident, but most
the two. In a way, the spirit form is an embodiment of the
are more than willing to run away if a fight starts to turn
mummy’s soul, which has been twisted and bound with the
againstthem.
dark forces that animated it. It is physical, however; no
Theexceptionsarethosecreatedvianaturalmummifica-
mummy becomes a ghost! The specific form will vary from
tion. These mummies – who are nearly always animated
mummy to mummy; two common examples (a swarm of
when their graves are disturbed – are not necessarily any
locustsandagiantscarab)areprovidedonp.8.Othercom-
more intelligent or power-hungry than any other sentient
monspiritformsincludegiantcrocodiles(usethealbinoalli-
being. Such a mummy has the usual physical strength and
gatoronpp.22-23)andanimatedclaystatues(usethestrong
supernatural power, but is unlikely to have amassed any
demon on pp. 18-19, but avoid overly supernatural abilities,
attendantsocialpower.
likespellcasting).
Terror:Themummymayrevealitsinnerhorrorwhileinits
Mummy (Natural Form)
naturalform;e.g.,itsjawsmayunhingeanditseyesrollback,
allowinglocuststoswarmfromallthreeholes.Thisrequires The mummy looks like a perfectly normal human being,
a Fright Check at -4, and follows the usual rules for Terror though it can use Terror to show a piece of its true self. The
(p.B93). weapons are an example; feel free to add or change weapon
The Curse: A mummy who is able to touch a subject can skills. Note its Move:The mummy may step two yards per
afflict him with the Mummy’s Curse (below). In combat, this turn,allowingittomovein,attack,andthenmoveoutagain.
One mummy should be a match for an entire team of
huntersthatcan’tdrawonitsweakness.Iftheyhaveaccess
to its weakness, the mummy itself can take on one or two
The Mummy’s Curse
hunters in a fair fight; the GM can bolster its odds with a
Any mummy may attempt to curse a victim with a fewminions(e.g.,fastzombies,p.14).
touch. The victim must make a HT-5 roll, with failure
ST:25 HP:25 Speed:8.00
meaning he’s cursed. From then on, he must roll against
DX:16 Will:20 Move:11
HT-5everyday,losing1HPonafailure.Successprevents
IQ:15 Per:18 Weight:100-200lbs.
injurythistime,butdoesn’tstopfutureinjury;onlyacrit-
HT:16 FP:N/A SM:0
icalsuccessbreaksthecurse!TheMummy’sCursemaybe
treated with Esoteric Medicine; see Supernatural Afflic- Dodge:12 Parry:13 DR:6*
tions (The Mission, p. 17). Until something ends the
FrightCheck:N/A
curse,thevictimcannotrecoverHPbyanymeansandis
atanextra-4toresistthatmummy’sTerror! Broadsword (16): 2d+4 impaling or 5d cutting; Reach 1.
MadeasaDeceptiveAttack(-1todefendagainst).
T U 7
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Traits:BadGrip3;CombatReflexes;
Doesn’t Breathe; Doesn’t Eat or
Drink; Doesn’t Sleep; Enhanced
Move 2 (Air); Extra Attack 1;
Flight; Ham-Fisted 2; Immunity
to Metabolic Hazards; Indom-
itable; Injury Tolerance (Damage
Reduction2*;Diffuse*;NoEyes;
see p. 25); Regeneration (Regu-
lar); Supernatural Durability
(Must still make survival rolls)*;
Unfazeable.
Skills: As for natural form, plus
InnateAttack(Breath)-19.
Notes:Asfornaturalform.
Javelin(18):2d+3impaling;Reach1.Maybethrown:Acc3, *Exceptwhenweaknesscausesanattacktobypassdefenses.
Range37/62,Bulk-4.
Kick(16):2d+6crushing;ReachC,1. Mummy (Scarab Form)
Punch (16): 2d+5 crushing; Reach C. Made as a Deceptive
Themummycanturnintoagiantbeetle.Thismakesitvery
Attack(-1todefendagainst).
difficulttoinjure–ithashigherDRandtakesone-thirddam-
Traits: Alternate Form (Absorptive Change, Heavy Encum- age(insteadofhalfdamage)fromallattacks!Itcanalsobur-
brance; Reduced Time 4); Combat Reflexes; Doesn’t row into the ground at full speed. Because it doesn’t have to
Breathe;Doesn’tEatorDrink;Doesn’tSleep;ExtraAttack breathe,it’shappytoletthetunnelcollapsebehindit,prevent-
1; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards; Indomitable; Injury ingtheheroesfromfollowing.
Tolerance (Damage Reduction 2*; Homogenous*; No
ST:25 HP:25 Speed:8.00
Blood;NoEyes;seep.25);Regeneration(Regular);Super-
DX:16 Will:20 Move:8
naturalDurability(Muststillmakesurvivalrolls)*;Terror
IQ:15 Per:18 Weight:100-200lbs.
(Visual;-4toFrightChecks);Unfazeable.
HT:16 FP:N/A SM:0
Skills: Broadsword-18; Hidden Lore (Mummies)-14;
Karate-18; Spear-18; Tactics-16; Thrown Weapon Dodge:12 Parry:13 DR:10(Hardened1)*
(Spear)-18;Wrestling-18.
Notes:AffectedbyTrueFaithandPathofUndeadmagic.Can- FrightCheck:-4
notuseholyitems.NeitherhasnorusesFP.Sterile.
Pincers(16):4d+1(2)cutting;ReachC,1.MadeasaDeceptive
*Exceptwhenweaknesscausesanattacktobypassdefenses. Attack(-1todefendagainst).
Traits:AbsoluteDirection;CombatReflexes;Doesn’tBreathe;
Mummy (Locust Form)
Doesn’t Eat or Drink; Doesn’t Sleep; Extra Attack 1; Extra
Themummybecomesahumanoidcollectiveoflocusts.It’sat Legs (Six Legs); Horizontal; Immunity to Metabolic Haz-
-6tousenormalweapons,butitcan“shoot”locustsatitsfoes ards;Indomitable;InjuryTolerance(DamageReduction3*;
withasurprisingamountofforce.Itcansneakthroughcracks, Homogenous*; No Blood; No Eyes; see p. 25); No Fine
keyholes, or any other opening large enough for even a single Manipulators;Regeneration(Regular);SupernaturalDura-
locusttofitthrough.Themummymayvoluntarilyscatterintoa bility(Muststillmakesurvivalrolls)*;Tunneling(Move8);
cloudoflocustsuptoamileacross;ifso,onlyarea-effectattacks Unfazeable.
canhurtit,andonlyinproportiontotheareatheyblanket.(For Skills:Asfornaturalform.
example, if the mummy scattered to cover a 400-square-yard Notes:Asfornaturalform.
room,anexplosionthatcovered40squareyardswoulddoonly
*Exceptwhenweaknesscausesanattacktobypassdefenses.
1/10 normal damage to the mummy.) While scattered, the
mummyisawareofwhat’shappeningthroughoutthearea,but
V
cannotaffecttheworldinanyway. AMPIRES
ST:25 HP:25 Speed:8.00 The public’s view of vampires as “romantic creatures”
DX:16 Will:20 Move:8/32(Air) couldn’t be more wrong – they only feign intimacy to lure in
IQ:15 Per:18 Weight:100-200lbs. prey,andtheyonlysparklewhenthey’reonfire.Vampiresare
HT:16 FP:N/A SM:0 bloodthirstyundead,animatedbytwistedversionsofthesouls
which once inhabited their bodies. Physically, they resemble
Dodge:12 Parry:N/A DR:2*
pallid humans with sunken features; feeding temporarily
FrightCheck:-4 flushestheirsystems,makingthemindistinguishablefromthe
living. Their fangs, which are normally retracted, lengthen
Jet of Locusts (19): 3d-3 piercing damage, Acc 3, Range whenthey’reexcitedorabouttofeed;asimilarphenomenon
10/100, RoF 1. Because this is a swarm attack, use Large- happens with their hard, yellow fingernails, which become
AreaInjury(p.B400). claw-likeinappearance.
T U 8
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Whenapackofvampiresmovesintothearea,peoplebegin A victim with Immunity to Metabolic Hazards cannot
todisappear.Vampiresmustconsumebloodatleastonceper become a vampire; if drained of all blood, he simply dies.
day;anunderfedvampirewillbemissing2HPforeachdayit Resistant to Metabolic Hazards allows a HT roll to resist
hasgonewithoutfeeding. theprocess;applytheResistantbonus,butalso-1ifdrained
Whenitcomestofeeding,theirvictim’sgenderandethnic- to-HP,-2at-2¥HP,-3at-3¥HP,etc.Successindicatesimmu-
ityareirrelevant–thoughtheypreferfitadultsoverchildren nitytothisoneparticularvampire;othersmaystillattemptto
ortheelderly.Inapinch,theycanfeedfromanimalsorblood turnthesubject.
bags,buttheyfindthisasappetizingasahumanfindsrotten Feral vampires rarely create progeny; even when their
garbage.Somevampiresaresmartenoughtoavoidkilling,and minds are focused enough to consider the option, they don’t
todrainfromaless-noticeablearterytokeepsuspicionsdown; wantthecompetitionforfood.Intelligentvampireswilldoso
there have been cases where entire neighborhoods have been selectively,tryingtochoosepotentialprogenywhomaysome-
slowlyturnedintohumancorralswithoutanyonerealizing. daymature.Everythreemonths,anewvampiremaymakea
Will-6rolltocometotermswithitsbloodlust;itmaturesona
Bloody Relations success, but on a critical failure (which is far more likely), it
becomespermanentlyferal.
Vampirescanberoughlydividedintothreegroups.Allnewly
createdvampiresareferal–barelyintelligent(thoughcunning
Supernatural Strengths
andsneaky!)andonlyconcernedwithfeedingandstayingunde-
tected.Themorestrong-willedoneseventuallymature;amature Feralvampiresaresixtimesstrongerthananormalhuman
vampireisruthlessandintelligent,andwilloftenbefoundatthe and almost twice as fast. As they mature, they only become
headofalargepack.Themostancientanddeadlymaturevam- stronger and faster. They don’t have to breathe, and are
piresareknownasmasters.Thesearenothard-and-fastcate- immunetodisease,poison,andsimilarhazards.
gories;inparticular,thetransitionfrom“mature”to“master” Being dead makes them difficult to kill – they take little
isoneofslowgrowth,notasuddenjumpinability. damagefrombulletsandarrows(InjuryTolerance,p.25),are
Mostvampirepacksconsistofamaturevampireanditsfive immunetoshock,nevermakeknockdownrolls,andcannotbe
to10progeny,ofwhichmost(ifnotall)willbeferal.Feralvam- crippledorstunned!Onceavampirefallsbelow0HP,itisat
piresfollowtheirsire’swordslavishly,onlyquestioningorders halfMoveandcanbecrippled;allotherimmunitiesandtoler-
which seem truly suicidal. If there is a disagreement, the ancesstillapply.Mostimportant,avampirewillnotdieunless
matureleader’sMindControl(SupernaturalStrengths,below) killedinaspecificway(Weaknesses,p.10)–itwillkeepfight-
canusuallyresolveit. ing,evenat-5¥HPandbeyond!
Maturevampirescanblendintosociety,thoughtheirsocio- Darkness doesn’t affect vampires unless it’s total darkness
pathictendencies(andinabilitytogooutsideduringtheday) (-10)–andmasterscanignoreeventhat.Theycandistinguish
make it a constant challenge to fit in. In some settings, they betweenpeoplebyscent,andmakeallSmellrollsat+4,or+9
mayhavetheirownunderworldsociety,butevenitwillberife todetectexposedblood(whichincludesmostinjuredhunters).
withparanoiaandbackstabbing. Amaturevampirecansensefear,anger,andotheremotionsin
itsprey’ssweat.
Creation Mature vampires retain a mental connection to anyone
they’ve bitten, and may roll a Quick Contest of Will (minus
Aquickbiteisn’tenoughtoturnamortalintoavampire–all
Speed/Rangepenalties)tolaterdominateavictim.Treatthisas
ofthevictim’sbloodmustbedrained!Ingameterms,thevictim
Suggest(p.B191);itcanonlybeusedforsimplecommands.
mustbeat-HPorworse,andmusthavetakenatleasthisfullHP
The vampire’s progeny resist at -4, as they share their sire’s
ininjuryfrombloodloss.Thenthevampirefeedsthevictimat
blood.Amasterdoesn’tevenneedabloodlink,andmaymes-
least3HPofitsblood.UnwillingprogenymustmakeaWillroll
merizeanyonenearby.
to resist drinking; mature and master vampires often just use
The statistics below assume that, while vampires can cer-
MindControltocompelit.Within(thevictim’sHT/2)hoursof
tainlyuseweapons,theyaren’tparticularlywell-trainedinthem.
thisprocess,thevictim’sbodydiesandhebecomesaferalvam-
Tomakethemevenmoredangerous,addoneormoreweapon
pire.Thereisnoresistanceroll,andnoknownwaytoprevent
skillsatDXlevelorbetter.Theonlythingworsethanamaster
this;evenkillinghimwillnotpreventthetransformationunless
vampireisonewhoalsohappenstobeamasterfencer!
hisbodyisdecapitatedandincinerated.
I know . . . there’s a God because I kill vampires for a
living. Are you listening? I kill vampires for money. A lot of it.
So don’t tell me there ain’t no God. I know . . . there’s a God.
I just don’t understand Him.
– John Steakley, Vampire$
T U 9
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Weaknesses theworld,however,sotheGMshouldfeelfreetoreplaceanor-
malweaknesswithoneofthese,foraspecificlineofvampires.
Whilevampiresarenearlyimpossibletokillthroughnor-
mal methods, it can be done via sunlight, fire, or staking the
Motivation
heart.Onceavampireisbelow-HP,anydamagefromoneof
these sources forces it to make a survival roll. If it’s below Aclusterofferalvampireswantstofeedandbeleftalone;
-5¥HP, any such damage kills it immediately! See below for while they’re not particularly bright, they are smart enough
more on these attacks. Utter annihilation (a single attack totrytostayundetected.Apackwithamaturesirecanmake
doing -10¥HP injury) will long-range plans. If
also kill one, but this is possible,they’llkid-
difficulttoarrange. nap humans and
Vampires take double keepthemaliveina
injury from heat or fire; corral – usually a
smart hunters will pack a pitinthefloorora
flamethrower when facing lockedroom–feed-
bloodsuckers.Theycannot ingfromonevictim
evengooutduringtheday at a time, so each
safely – a mere touch of has time to recover
sunlight does 2d injury before becoming a
immediately (bypassing meal again. (Any
any DR), while lengthy corralled humans
exposure causes ongoing who die are fed to
injury. A vampire wearing the other captives.)
a long coat, hat, and sun- This reduces the
block under an overcast frequency of local
skywouldtakeanother2d disappearances,but
injury every two minutes, doesn’t eliminate
while one wearing a them.
bathing suit on a sunny day
wouldtake2dinjuryevery30seconds.AflashlightwithaUV Feral Vampire
bulbdoeshalftheinjuryofweaksunlight:1deverytwomin-
The vast majority of the vampires in the world are feral,
utes,minimum1dforanycontactatall.(Allinjurydescribed
either because they were created recently or because their
hereincludestheVulnerability;donotfactoritinagain.)
bloodlusthaspermanentlyoverpoweredtheirmind.Abouttwo
Staking a vampire calls for targeting the heart with a
feralvampsperchampionisusuallyafairfight.
wooden impaling or piercing attack (including wooden bul-
lets). This requires an attack roll at -5; missing by 1 hits the ST:23 HP:23 Speed:6.50
torso.AsuccessfulattackignoresDR,does¥3injury(theheart DX:14 Will:13 Move:8
ispartofthevitals),andmaykillthevampire!Ifitsurvives,it IQ:8 Per:13 Weight:150lbs.
isautomaticallystunned;itmustDoNothingonitsnextturn, HT:12 FP:N/A SM:0
afterwhichitcanrollagainstHTeachturntorecover.Untilthe
Dodge:10 Parry:12 DR:4(ToughSkin)
vampireoranallyremovesthestake(whichrequiresasingle
Ready maneuver), the bloodsucker is at half Move, -2 to all FrightCheck:0
defenses,andcannotattack.
Avampire’sneckisalsoaweakpoint.Anycuttingattackto Bite(16):2d+2cutting;ReachC.
theneckthatdoesinjuryequaltothevampire’sHPormorehas Claw(16):2d+4crushing;ReachC.
achanceofdecapitatingit.ThevampiremustrollagainstHT, ImprovisedWeapon(9):BasedonDamage2d+1/4d+1.
at-1foreverytwofullpointsbywhichtheinjuryexceededits
Traits: Acute Taste and Smell 5 (Exposed blood only); Bad
HP.Failuremeansitsheadisseveredfromitsbody.Thisdoes
Temper (6); Berserk (15); Bestial; Bloodlust (6); Combat
notkillthevampire,butitsbodyisparalyzedandvulnerable
Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; Divine Curse (Cannot
untiltheheadisplacedbackupontheneckstump.Lefttoits
enter a home without permission); Doesn’t Breathe;
own devices, the vampire will eventually use its tongue and
Draining(Blood);ImmunitytoMetabolicHazards;Injury
facialmusclestorolltothebodyandriseagain.
Tolerance (Unliving); Night Vision 9; Supernatural Dura-
Being supernaturally evil creatures, vampires are vulnera-
bility(Easilydecapitated;Stunnedbystakes);Supernatu-
bletoholyattacks(Champions,p.51).Theyarealsoforbidden
ral Features (No Body Heat; No Reflection; Pallor);
from entering a private home without permission; unfortu-
Uncontrollable Appetite (Blood) (6); Unhealing (Partial);
nately, “permission” can be interpreted very liberally! Anyone
VampiricBite(3HP/second);Vulnerability(Heat/Fire¥2);
who has been formally invited in may extend this invitation,
Weakness (Holy attacks; 1d per minute); Weakness (Sun-
andthepresenceofa“Welcome”matorsimilarformofgreet-
light;1dperminute;Variable).
ingisgoodenoughtograntthemonsteraccess.
Skills:Brawling-16;Climbing-14;Stealth-18.
Most other vampire myths are mistaken: They don’t mind
Notes:AffectedbyTrueFaithandPathofUndeadmagic.Can-
garlic,cancrossrunningwater,mayignorespilledseeds,and
notuseholyitems.NeitherhasnorusesFP,butcanburn
aren’tafraidof(orhurtby)crosses...unlesssaidcrosscounts
HPforextraeffort.Sterile.
asaholyattack.Vampirebloodlineshavebranchedoutacross
T U 10
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