Statting up a Dullahan

[Cowrie]

How would you represent having a head permanently detached from the body? I originally thought modified Independent Body Parts, but upon re-reading the description, that seems like a poor fit. The way the head modifier for that advantage is described, maybe having either the head as an Ally for the body or the body as an Ally for the head would work, but generally body parts as Allies are considered ill-advised, and an Ally as part of a racial template seems clunky, anyways. Also wouldn't mind advice for how to handle some other characteristics of the dullahan, such as stuff unlocking in their presence or being impossible to run away from.

By the way, I know Pyramid 3/99 has a dullahan, but that one has no head whatsoever, and I want one where the head is just separate.

[AlexanderHowl]

I would suggest looking at Duradara!! It has a quite powerful dullahan.

[Cowrie]

I'm not looking for sources about dullahan, though. I'm looking for advice on how to stat up the abilities of one in gurps. Suggesting an anime featuring a dullahan is less than useless for my present situation.

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by Cowrie

I'm not looking for sources about dullahan, though. I'm looking for advice on how to stat up the abilities of one in gurps. Suggesting an anime featuring a dullahan is less than useless for my present situation.

The reason I suggest it is because of her abilities, notably her manipulation of shadows, her mount's ability to transform into any vehicle, her supernatural senses, etc.

[David Johnston2]

Dullahan: Unkillable 3 (Achilles Heel Detached Head), Pararadar. Clairvoyance and Clairaudience, location always at head -80% (blind and deaf if out of range)

[Cowrie]

Clairaudience and Clarvoyance could work, but I'm not sure where you're coming from on the Pararadar and the detached head as an Achilles heel. Could you explain?

[Dustin]

Perhaps Puppet (B78) and Possession (B75).

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Cowrie

Clairaudience and Clarvoyance could work, but I'm not sure where you're coming from on the Pararadar and the detached head as an Achilles heel. Could you explain?

The Pararadar is so it can navigate. After all, it's eyes and ears are always with the head. The Dullahan is a kind of half-ghost half-fairie. I visualize as it disappearing before it can be finally slain. But find and destroy the head and it can be slain. Someone could also threaten the Dullahan into serving them by holding the head hostage.

[Plane]

Horror 80 mentions the Headless Horsemen as specialized ghosts but doesn't appear to actually stat them...

One problem I can see with using "Independent Body Parts" is that this also allows your arms/legs to detach and fight independently and I'm not sure how to prevent that.

Given that the "Detachable Head" modifier (horror 15) treats wherever your sentience isn't located as an ally, I think Cowrie's idea of designing them as allies to begin with (and just ignoring Detachable Body Parts altogether) makes sense.

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Dullahan: Unkillable 3 (Achilles Heel Detached Head), Pararadar. Clairvoyance and Clairaudience, location always at head -80% (blind and deaf if out of range)

Zombies 54 allows the "fatal flaw" for Supernatural Durability to be specified as a Headshot, so allowing that to be defined as an Achilles Heel for Unkillable seems to make sense if treating them as a collective unit.

If they're being defined as allies, then maybe the body could have a Dependence on the Head and die (or lose its Unkillability) if separated from it?

[Cowrie]

Originally Posted by Plane

Horror 80 mentions the Headless Horsemen as specialized ghosts but doesn't appear to actually stat them...

One problem I can see with using "Independent Body Parts" is that this also allows your arms/legs to detach and fight independently and I'm not sure how to prevent that.

Given that the "Detachable Head" modifier (horror 15) treats wherever your sentience isn't located as an ally, I think Cowrie's idea of designing them as allies to begin with (and just ignoring Detachable Body Parts altogether) makes sense.



Zombies 54 allows the "fatal flaw" for Supernatural Durability to be specified as a Headshot, so allowing that to be defined as an Achilles Heel for Unkillable seems to make sense if treating them as a collective unit.

If they're being defined as allies, then maybe the body could have a Dependence on the Head and die (or lose its Unkillability) if separated from it?

If you look more closely at my OP, I was initially against using an Ally, since body parts as allies are often unbalanced. I still have doubts about that write-up for that reason. And, like I said before, I'm not sure I want the head as an Achilles Heel.