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Old 03-21-2016, 08:54 PM   #1
Dalillama
 
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Default Stats for a horned serpent

The PCs in my current game may go hunting a Horned Serpent, in order to obtain the magical crystal on its forehead. In my campaign, all Horned Serpent legendry refers to the same class of creature, regardless of the local name. Broadly speaking, the creature is a big (tree-sized) river snake with big horns and magical powers relating to weather and water. Poisonous breath and hypnotic powers optional. I would like people's ideas on stats. The 4 PCs are ~300 points, with TL 5 guns and Ritual Path Magic and dynamite, and this should be a serious threat to them.

Last edited by Dalillama; 03-21-2016 at 08:59 PM.
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Old 03-21-2016, 09:25 PM   #2
Dammann
 
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Default Re: Stats for a horned serpent

How much DR does the best armored character have? What is the best and worst damage the characters can deal? My rule of thumb is to set serious enemy DR high enough that the weakest damage dealers in the party can do 1 HP or none to the bad guy, and the damage that it can deal is enough to penetrate the best DR of the party's characters. If there is too much difference between the party's best damage dealer and worst, the weak hitters just can't get through without an eye shot or something.
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Old 03-21-2016, 10:06 PM   #3
Dalillama
 
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Default Re: Stats for a horned serpent

Then they’ll have be creative, won't they? One of the weak hitters is the mage, so shooting isn't his primary role, and the other one is essentially a non combatant in the context of magic snakes the size of trees; trickery is best used before the shooting starts. The biggest guns do ~3d pi+, with the possibility of armor piercing and/or explosive rounds (via magic ). Nobody in the group has significant armor.
I honestly think that they will come to their senses before picking a fight with another magical monster, but I want to have something down if they do.
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Old 03-22-2016, 08:52 AM   #4
Varyon
 
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Default Re: Stats for a horned serpent

Large serpents are typically constrictors, so Constriction Attack seems appropriate. I'm not certain what you have in mind for "tree sized" (trees being, of course, quite variable), so let's go with SM+4 (a small-ish tree; note this puts the snake in the same class as a large elephant). I'd probably start with the Green Anaconda and scale up to SM+4 and ST 40 (8,000 lb) or 50 (15,625 lb). It's likely to have higher IQ (such mythological creatures are typically sapient or at least rather cunning), but that's optional. The horns may simply be features that aren't substantial enough to cause damage, or they could be a Striker (or Natural Weapon if using that Pyramid article) - Crushing if short or blunted, Impaling if long and sharp. The serpent may have some degree of hydrokinesis. It's associated with lightning/thunder in some legends, and that is consistent with weather control (which is going at worst to make it rain during the fight, which will drop the Malf of TL 5 firearms). This could take the form of a lightning bolt (likely originating from the horns) or a follow-up to the horn Striker (or even to normal attacks), or both. In either case, the attack is probably going to be Burning damage with Surge* and Side Effect (Stunning).

DR equal to SM would be realistic, but boosting it for such a creature would be rather appropriate. I'd be tempted to go with DR 10, so that your 3d weapons will only get through 50% of the time. Average injury is going to be around 2 HP (5.5 HP if using AP rounds, which are Pi; 8 HP if you give your bullets an armor divisor via magic) - against a 40 or 50 HP creature, that means you need a lot of bullets. Aiming at the Vitals will make things a bit better (4.5, 16.5, and 16.5 HP, respectively), although with the further DR 2 Skull shots aren't so hot without AP (2 HP and 18 HP, respectively). Explosive bullets would be the way to go - a minimum "explosive bullet" Charm is going to be Greater Create Energy (6) + External Explosive Damage 2d (0) + Lesser Control Magic (5), for 33 energy. If the initial bullet fails to make it through DR, that's a contact explosion, for 12 damage - 2 HP Injury. If the bullet does make it through, that's a x3 wounding modifier, for an average of 21 injury. Every +3 energy is +1 to injury for nonpenetrating shots, +3 or so to injury otherwise. An Armor Piercing bullet Charm is probably something like Lesser Strengthen Matter (3) + Armor Divisor 2 (10) + Lesser Control Magic (5), for 18 energy. For this purpose, you're probably best off creating some explosive bullet Charms, then replacing the Lesser Control Magic with 1 yard Area Effect (2) and Duration, 6 hours (5) for 20 energy - put all your bullets/weapons in a 1 yard circle and cast that spell to make everything armor piercing for the next 6 hours.

*Not typically relevant at TL 5, but you could rule that on a Critical Hit or similar, the electricity ignites the target's powder.
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