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.

[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.

[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.

[kdtipa]

Originally Posted by Cowrie

How would you represent having a head permanently detached from the body? [...]

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.

Since I don't think any players are likely to be a Dullahan, I'd be really tempted to hand wave it... as the GM I think I'd just say: its head is separate. The body can sense where the head is. One of its arms and hands is usually taken up by holding the head.

If I was in need of making the stats for a player and not using David Johnston's suggestion? I was looking at Duplication to see if maybe you could have exactly one permanent duplicate. The main one is the head, and the body is the duplicate. That looks like it might take a lot of modification though. Up to you if you want to explore that possibility.

The more I think about this, the more I think: hand wave it for NPCs, and just disallow it for PCs.

[Gumby Bush]

Here's another starting point:

Injury Tolerance (No Head; actually has a head, just not attached, -?%), possibly along with Blindness and Deafness with Mitigator (head)

Beats me what the limitation value should be, though.

2-body characters are hard in GURPS. I think I've also seen it suggested that an Ally with an appropriate Cosmic modifier might work? In that case, give the head Telepathy (with Sensie, etc.,), possibly Mind Reading with similar, and Mindlink, and give the body Blindness and Deafness. Pay full points for the more expensive body/character, and maybe give Telepathy a Cosmic modifier of it's own to allow skill use through it?