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Old 02-03-2020, 09:58 PM   #92
Christopher R. Rice
 
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Portsmouth, VA, USA
Default Re: He Who Hungers in the Deep

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Yes, He Who Hungers in the Deep should be around that power level, although I confess I almost never create anything with points unless it's a PC.
Me either. Not worth the effort in most cases UNLESS it's an ally or important NPC. Then I spend the time to do so.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Well, see above. I haven't made it as a power in GCA. To translate it into something approaching GURPS speak, the tendril or fragment of He Who Hungers in the Deep requires Mana to survive, cut off from his home plane like this, and he can gather it from appropriately dark flavored Places of Power and he can also gain it from 'sacrifices', i.e. those he kills and devours, but also those who die within the right sort of dark energy vortex.
So he's just sort of hanging around in the vortex collecting the souls of those who have died? How does Heaven (or Hell for that matter) feel about him poaching like that? You'd think they'd send someone down to smite the crap out of him./

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Because Earth is pretty low in Mana, He Who Hungers either has to limit what kind of feats he attempts, as he cannot naturally gather enough energy to sustain it, or he must consume copious amounts of energy by devouring intelligent beings. No prizes for guessing which He'll prefer.
Aye. Makes for good story too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Before Teddy Smith closed off the Aqueronte from any other planes and realities, using his 'Elder Sign'*, He Who Hungers in the Deep was quite close to actually manifesting something more than a few tendrils, given how enthusiastically the PCs were killing the crewmen/human traffickers on the cargo ship and the not-quite-human pishtaco who oversaw them.

But with that connection closed, He Who Hungers must find an alternative source of energy to grow this severed part of him into a perfect predator capable of opening the way to Earth for his whole self.
A nice Xantos Gambit.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
*A jade seal he obtained at the ruined temple on the mysterious island, in that strange twilight realm where Teddy first met He Who Hungers. In GURPS terms, a combination of grimoire and spell focus.
Cooool. I'd make the darn thing something like a relic myself. But that's just me.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
He Who Hungers is quite intelligent, even if He is in no way constrained by any vestige of culture or civilization. He can converse telepathically, at least in areas of sufficient magical energy, and seems to enjoy getting to know his prey before he devours them.

So he likely understands pretty well that he has an advantage in the water, which is most likely why he dove off the Aqueronte, the cargo ship that the PCs had boarded. Much like Shere Khan, He Who Hungers has seen man-made firearms before and recognizes their power.
That's a good metaphor. I like that. I wonder how they're going to get him to come ashore - he doesn't seem like he can be effectively trapped that way. He's too smart. Maybe lure him with souls or something.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
The seriousness of the situation probably warrants risking being arrested, yes. Teddy Smith is technically a Reserve Deputy of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and if he shoots He Who Hungers, it's probable that the twisted remains of whoever the host body originally was would appear human enough once they were taken to a morgue and, given that He Who Hungers would likely be the process of committing murder, Smith would be commended for his work.

However, any use of explosives, incendiaries and the like is likely to significantly complicate explanations afterwards, especially as such diverse law enforcement agencies as the SWAT team from JCSO, a tactical team from USCG, assistance from Harris County Sherrif's Office and Houston PD and federal agents from the task force established to investigate the previous events in play, including US Marshals and FBI, are inbound.

As the players made sure to arrange for friendly law enforcement assistance beforehand, the first authorities on the scene will be from the USCG and the JCSO. The USCG contingent is from MSST 91104, a Coast Guard tactical team that was until recently based on Galveston (now moved to Houston) and more than half of the operators there served with LCDR (USCG; Ret.) Mason Armitage, who was acting CO of the unit in 2017, and now commands the Penemue team of 'Night Riders' (Monster Hunters).

Even so, that means several members of the tactical team will be unknown or relatively unknown to the PCs and their allies and while they will know all the SWAT members from the JCSO that probably arrive next, it's unlikely that all of them will be okay with watching 'law enforcement' be performed with napalm and flamethrowers.

Not to mention that Harris County and Houston PD have helicopters and that while the PCs arranged for the rest of the task force to get wrong coordinates for the ship they boarded, that will only delay them for ten or fifteen minutes.
That is a LOT of support for a group of hunters to have. Not that it's a bad thing, but wouldn't you have the whole "Let's wait for the calvary to show up" problem?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Also not a very satisfying conclusion to an adventure, a short, sharp melee in the waters off Houston.

Far better to have to track He Who Hungers ashore and catch up with him at a local landmark with a fell reputation, a Place of Power for dark magic, where He'll be hunting cultists trying to hide from mundane law enforcement.

Fortunately, He Who Hungers in the Deep explicitly doesn't want to devour Teddy Smith until he has broken his mind and his spirit. It seems He Who Hungers is quite vexed with Teddy, for some reason.
Interesting. Why's it angry at Smith? Or is that a campaign secret?
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