Happy Halloween! Cthulhoid creatures for 4e

[Max Schreck]

Happy Halloween everybody!

In the spirit of the season, and all, I lay before your viewing pleasure a set of cthulhoid creatures adapted to our favourite system: GURPS Fourth Edition.

Some are laid out as racial templates (intelligent beings that can compare directly to humans, mostly), while others are in the "bestiary" format.

They are still a little rough, I take it, as I have just finished them up, so further suggestions and corrections are most welcome.

Now, without further ado:

Byakhee
ST 18; DX 14; IQ 8; HT 10.
Will 10; Per 10; HP 18; Speed 6; Dodge 9; Move 6
SM +2; 400 lbs.
Traits: Claws (Talons), Doesn’t Breathe, DR 2, Extra Attack (claw), Flight (Winged, Space Flight, Move 20), No Fine Manipulators, Temperature Tolerance 30, Vacuum Support, Vampiric Bite (Limitation: does not restore HP, -50%)
Skills: Brawling-12
Weapons: Claws (1d+2 imp each), Bite (1d+1 cut+1 HP blood loss/round)
Fright Check Modifier: -3

Deep One, 90 points
Attribute Modifiers: ST+2 [20]
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+4 [8]
Advantages: Acute Vision +1 [2], Amphibious [10], Claws (Blunt) [3], Damage Resistance 1 [5], Doesn't Breathe (Gills) [10], Nictitating Membrane 5 [5], Peripheral Vision [15], Pressure Support 3 [15], Temperature Tolerance 15 [15], Terror -3 (Always On, -20%) [48], Unaging [15]
Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous) [-20], Bad Smell [-10], Callous [-5], Dependency (Total immersion in water, Daily) [-15], Disturbing Voice [-10], Frightens Animals [-10], No Sense of Humor [-10]
Features: Lusts for human mates [-1]

Dimensional Shambler
ST 19; DX 10; IQ 7; HT 16.
Will 10; Per 10; HP 19; Speed 6.25; Dodge 9; Move 6
SM 0; 270 lbs.
Traits: Claws (Talons), DR 3, Extra Attack (Claw), Jumper (World, Enhancement: +5 IQ when rolling to Jump)
Skills: Brawling-9
Weapons: Claws (2d-1 imp each). If both claws hit in the same round, the victim is grappled (p. B370). The shambler will most likely attempt to Jump with the unfortunate, if this happens. Abductees of Dimensional Shamblers are seldom seen again.
Fright Check Modifier: -5

Ghoul, 180 points
Attribute Modifiers: ST+4 [40], DX+1 [20], HT+1 [10]
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Perception+3 [15], HP+1 [2]
Advantages: Acute Taste/Smell +2 [4], Claws (Blunt) [3], 2 Extra Attacks (Claw, Bite) [50], Hard to Kill +1 [2], Immunity to Disease [10], Injury Tolerance (Unliving) [20], Night Vision 5 [5], Sharp Teeth [1], Terror -3 (always on, -20%) [48]
Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous) [-20], Bad Smell [-10], Callous [-5], Odious Racial Habit (Eats human carrion) [-15]
Features: Although the ghouls have Injury Tolerance (Unliving), they are not undead. The Advantage reflects the ghouls’ peculiar resistance to gunshot wounds.

The Fungi from Yuggoth (the Mi-go), 175 points
Attribute Modifiers: DX+2 [40]
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+7 [14], Will+1 [5].
Advantages: Dark Vision [25], Doesn’t Breathe [20], Extra Legs (Six, Cannot Kick) [5], Flight (Winged, Space Flight) [45], G-Experience (All) [10], Improved G-Tolerance (0.5 G) [10], Injury Tolerance (No Blood, No Eyes, No Vitals) [15], Radiation Tolerance 5 [10], Temperature Tolerance 30 [30], Terror -3 (always on, -20%) [48], Vacuum Support [5].
Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous) [-20], Callous [-5], Disturbing Voice [-10], Frightens Animals [-10], Low Empathy [-20], Restricted Diet (Mi-go food) [-40].
Features: Cannot swim [-1], Humble [-1]; home gravity 0.067 (microgravity).

Mi-go Technology:

Mist Projector: a silvery contraption made of metal tubes and spheres, roughly in a pistol shape. The weapon shoots a beam of liquid nitrogen; the aliens use it to create either a fogbank of 10 by 10 metres for cover and concealment, or at close ranges to incapacitate foes susceptible to extreme cold (such as humans).

Dam.: 2d (Linked: Thermal shock) Acc.: — Range: 50 Wt.: 7 RoF: Jet
Shots: 10 ST: 6 Rcl.: — Cost: ? LC: 0 Bulk: -3 TL: ^

Only totally sealed armour protects at full DR; all others protect with 1/5. Any biological being without tolerance to extreme cold damaged by the beam must also check for thermal shock (p. B430) immediately and for every minute thereafter until the liquid nitrogen is scraped off, and the victim is warmed up.

Mi-go Electric Weapon: this is basically just an electrolaser pistol as those used by human cultures in some SF settings; use the same stats, except that the mi-go weapon is very compact (Bulk -1), about the size of a potato (and shaped like one, some would say) and has no apparent trigger. The electrolaser is activated by the mi-go’s strange biochemical signals, and as such cannot be fired by humans. It is possible to add a manual trigger with 8 hours of labour and an Electronics (Weapons)/TL9 -4 roll.

Symbiotic Bio-Armor: mi-go armor is a genetically modified, living, biomechanical entity that clamps on to the wearer and protects him/her/it from projectiles, energy attacks, elements, etc. Cartilage and chitin protects against impact, and mucus and slime acts as an ablative foam against heat. The armor feeds off the secretions of the Mi-Go’s alien biochemistry. If worn by a non-mi-go, the armour will die after about a week, and rot to uselessness. The armor is TL10 and has DR 30 against piercing, cutting and crushing attacks, DR 15 against burning and impaling. The armor is flexible, but does not count as flexible against damage, as the armor detects incoming projectiles nanoseconds before impact and becomes harder than steel, thanks to the mi-go’s advanced bio- and nanotechnology.

Serpent People, Full Atavism, 165 points
Attribute Modifiers: DX+2 [40], IQ+4 [80]
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+1 [2]
Advantages: Acute Taste/Smell +2 [4], Claws (Blunt) [3], Damage Resistance 1 [5], Immunity to Snake Venom [10], Innate Attack – Snake Venom 3d dam (Blood Agent; Cyclic (Hourly); Follow-Up (from Sharp Teeth); Onset (1 minute); Resistible (HT-3); Toxic) [7], Sharp Teeth [1], Terror -3 (Always On, -20%) [48]
Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous) [-20], Callous [-5], Cold-Blooded [-10]
Features: None.

Serpent People, Degenerate, 35 points
Attribute Modifiers: DX+1 [20], IQ-2 [-20], HT-1 [-10]
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+1 [2].
Advantages: Acute Taste/Smell +2 [4], Claws (Blunt) [3], Damage Resistance 1 [5], Immunity to Snake Venom [10], Innate Attack – Snake Venom 3d dam (Blood Agent; Cyclic (hourly); Follow-Up; Onset (1 minute); Resistible (HT-3); Toxic) [7], Sharp Teeth [1], Terror -3 (always on, -20%) [48]
Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous) [-20], Callous [-5], Cold-Blooded [-10]
Features: None.

Servants of Glaaki, -12 points
Attribute Modifiers: DX-5 [-100], HT+5 [50]
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+6 [12]
Advantages: Doesn’t Breathe [20], Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30], Injury Tolerance (Unliving) [20], Terror -4 (Always On, -20%) [56]
Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous) [-20], Bad Smell [-10], Frightens Animals [-10], Supernatural Features (Pallor, No Body Heat) [-15], Unhealing [-30], Weakness (The Green Decay, 1d pr. 30 minutes) [-15]
Features: Sterile. Not all Servants have Appearance (Monstrous); those recently deceased merely look very pale and clumsy. These do not have Terror, either. The Green Decay sets in if a Servant active for six decades or more is struck by sunlight.

Star Vampire (The Shambler from the Stars)
ST 25; DX 10; IQ 8; HT 12.
Will 15; Per 13; HP 25; Speed 7.5; Dodge 10; Move 8
SM +1; 500 lbs.
Traits: 360° Vision, Claws (Long Talons), Doesn’t Breathe, DR 4, 2 Extra Attacks (claws), Flight (Move 16), Infravision, Injury Tolerance (Homogeneous, No Eyes), Invisibility (electromagnetic, materialises for 30 seconds after feeding), No Fine Manipulators, Temperature Tolerance 30, Vacuum Support, Vampiric Bite +2, Uncontrollable Appetite (blood)
Skills: Brawling-10, Stealth-20
Weapons: Claws (3d imp each), Bite (2d+1 cut+3 HP blood loss/round)
Fright Check Modifier: -5 (only when visible; a normal Fright Check without modifiers could be called for when hearing the creature chitter invisibly).

Happy Halloween! Next up, more creatures from the Cthulhu Mythos and from Silent Hill (if I find the time).

Max

EDIT: So that the poor Deep Ones don't drown in their own habitat I have added Doesn't Breathe (gills) [10] to the template. Byakhee are now also able to flap their wings in space. How they do it is beyond me, though.

Added Night Vision 5 to the ghoul.

[Antiquation!]

Silent Hill?

Do Want.

Also, excuse my rudeness. I think you did an excellent job in keeping with the Cthulhuesque spirit with these creatures. I will probably take two or three for one of my campaigns, if that's not a problem.

[vitruvian]

Shouldn't the Byakhee have Space Flight as well - and maybe some Enhanced Move (Space) for both them and the Fungi, since they can cover distance in space *much* more quickly than in atmo?

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

Shouldn't the Byakhee have Space Flight as well - and maybe some Enhanced Move (Space) for both them and the Fungi, since they can cover distance in space *much* more quickly than in atmo?

Good catch. It might even be Warp or Warp(Hyperjump) for either of them.

[madickey]

Originally Posted by Max Schreck

Happy Halloween everybody!
Deep One, 80 points
Attribute Modifiers: ST+2 [20]
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+4 [8]
Advantages: Acute Vision +1 [2], Amphibious [10], Claws (blunt) [3], Damage Resistance 1 [5], Nictitating Membrane 5 [5], Peripheral Vision [15], Pressure Support 3 [15], Temperature Tolerance 15 [15], Terror -3 (always on, -20%) [48], Unaging [15]
Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous) [-20], Bad Smell [-10], Callous [-5], Dependency (total immersion in water, daily) [-15], Disturbing Voice [-10], Frightens Animals [-10], No Sense of Humor [-10]
Features: Lusts for human mates [-1]

Should have Doesn't Breathe (Gills) [10] also

[Bandii]

Nice work. I did some Mi-Go variants based on the Delta Green version last year; but never got around to finishing them. I like your takes on the others.

Happy Halloween.

-Mike

[AmesJainchill]

Wow...this would have been very useful in my GURPS 4e Call of Cthulhu game, when I was beginning running it about a year ago. Now I've abandoned that genre totally.

Originally Posted by Max Schreck

Injury Tolerance (unliving) [20]...Features: Although the ghouls have Injury Tolerance (unliving), they are not undead. The Advantage reflects the ghouls’ peculiar resistance to gunshot wounds.

This should be limited to projectiles only--bullets, thrown weapons, arrows, darts, javelins, etc. Melee weapons aren't affected.

[Max Schreck]

Originally Posted by madickey

Should have Doesn't Breathe (Gills) [10] also

Right they should, and I've now added it to the template above. Thanks.

Max

[Max Schreck]

Injury Tolerance (unliving) [20]...Features: Although the ghouls have Injury Tolerance (unliving), they are not undead. The Advantage reflects the ghouls’ peculiar resistance to gunshot wounds.

Originally Posted by AmesJainchill

This should be limited to projectiles only--bullets, thrown weapons, arrows, darts, javelins, etc. Melee weapons aren't affected.

That is built into the advantage to begin with; Injury Tolerance (unliving) reduces damage from impaling and piercing weapons only. Cutting and crushing implements do their normal damage, so fire axes and baseball bats are unaffected.

Of course, that still reduces damage from a rapier or a spear, but I don't think that's something worth hassling over. It is pretty unrealistic that an impaling arrow should have less effect than an impaling rapier simply because the arrow is shot from a bow. If you stab with the arrow like a knife, should it do full damage then? I know that is what the CoC rules say interpreted literally, but I decided to ignore it, and rule that CoC ghouls have an innate resistance to puncture wounds, regardless how these wounds are inflicted.

Originally Posted by AmesJainchill

Wow...this would have been very useful in my GURPS 4e Call of Cthulhu game, when I was beginning running it about a year ago. Now I've abandoned that genre totally.

I'm sorry to hear it, but I know where you're coming from, as I've been following your posts both here and on Yog-Sothoth.com, and I feel the same way about CoC sometimes. But if you don't like the official line CoC has taken regarding investigator attrition rates, change the adventures or better yet, make your own.

Bye now.

Max

[Max Schreck]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

Shouldn't the Byakhee have Space Flight as well - and maybe some Enhanced Move (Space) for both them and the Fungi, since they can cover distance in space *much* more quickly than in atmo?

Ah, yes, the Byakhee should have space flight. An oversight on my part. As for flying faster in "the aether of space", I don't know. Fungi use magical gates a lot (in Chaosium material, anyway) and that could explain their fast travel between Pluto and Earth. I'll leave both the byakhee and the mi-go as they are for now, but maybe they should conceivably have Warp, as both creatures routinely cross interstellar distances. I just don't know if they fly all the way...

Max