Author Topic: various more-obscure mythical creatures  (Read 80832 times)

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #150 on: May 31, 2012, 07:05:04 PM »
Are you sure it bypasses diminuitive size?

Diminutive Size says

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When your size is a factor in combat, you can only inflict 1 physical stress per attack (but this could be improved by damage bonuses from weapons and the like).

so yeah, I'm pretty sure. There's a little bit of room for interpretation there, but not much.

Offline vultur

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #151 on: June 01, 2012, 02:43:58 AM »
Mostly I like these. This is an interesting set of possibilities for dragons.

Thanks!

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-The Catches seem undervalued. Anyone can hit an underbelly, and it's a well-known myth.

Yeah, I was kind of going back and forth on that. I'd like to have hitting the underbelly *only* ignore the Armor (not the extra stress boxes), but not sure if that really works.

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-The Natural Weaponry custom power would come in handy here. This is exactly what it was made for. Having both Claws and Breath Weapon is weird.

I prefer to use canon powers for "resource"-y stuff like this if there's one available (as opposed to stuff like Titanic Size or whatever that isn't provided for in the books), for ease of use. Also, Kalshazzak in OW has both. (I can see that it's a bit weird skills-wise, though.)

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-I think the Ancient Wyrm should have a Resources skill. Seriously, who ever heard of a poor dragon? Mythic Strength would also be fitting.

Good point.  Mythic Strength is noted under 'variations'.

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-Thanks to Hulking Size, the Aquatic Dragon's Stealth stuff doesn't really work.

Ouch ... you're right. Should I make up an extra stunt or power to make it work? I do want the Aquatic Dragon to be both big and able to do the crocodile hide-underwater thing.

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And why is that stunt listed under Might?
Oops, copy-paste error.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #152 on: June 01, 2012, 09:03:31 PM »
Thanks!

You're welcome.

Yeah, I was kind of going back and forth on that. I'd like to have hitting the underbelly *only* ignore the Armor (not the extra stress boxes), but not sure if that really works.

I'd allow it. I'd expect a way to bypass the Toughness entirely too if you want a rebate though.

I prefer to use canon powers for "resource"-y stuff like this if there's one available (as opposed to stuff like Titanic Size or whatever that isn't provided for in the books), for ease of use. Also, Kalshazzak in OW has both. (I can see that it's a bit weird skills-wise, though.)

I guess, but it's not just bad skill-wise. It also makes no sense optimization-wise. I don't insist on powergaming for NPCs, but at some point poor optimization becomes painful to look at.

It sets the ridiculous precedent that you need to spend extra Refresh if you want to describe your close-range attacks differently from your long-range attacks.

Ouch ... you're right. Should I make up an extra stunt or power to make it work? I do want the Aquatic Dragon to be both big and able to do the crocodile hide-underwater thing.

I figure a stunt or an Echoes Of The Beast trapping ought to cover it.

Offline THE_ANGRY_GAMER

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #153 on: August 16, 2012, 05:45:18 PM »
I've had a look at doing a Draugr, and this thing's looking F***ing terrifying. I'm tempted to do a lesser version just so there's something that PCs can actually beat. We're looking at maybe -21 Refresh here, and I'm fairly sure I'm under-statting this thing.
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Offline THE_ANGRY_GAMER

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #154 on: August 19, 2012, 04:22:56 PM »
Here's my lesser version of a Draugr. These are seriously badass, at least boss-level.

Cairn Draugr
High Concept: Angry Undead Viking
Other Aspects: I cannot leave my Howe; Insatiable hatred for the Living

Description: How Draugr are made is unkown, but many stories attest that they are similar to Black Court Vampires, in that one Draugr can create another. However, Draugr have very few of the weaknesses of the Black Court, and despite their method of creation, they are thankfully rare. Some Draugr, theorised to be the reanimated bodies of those foolish enough to raid the tombs (often referred to as Howes) of True Draugr, are unable to leave the tomb where they died. These are less strong than True Draugr, but are still extremely dangerous.

Skills
Superb: Endurance, Weapons
Great: Conviction, Athletics, Might
Good: Fists, Alertness, Intimidation
Fair: Deciet, Resources, Presence
Other skills depend on those the Draugr had when alive.

Powers
Supernatural Strength [-4]
Gaseous Form [-3]
Supernatural Senses [-2]: The Draugr knows the exact position of everything in its Howe.
Living Dead [-1]
Mythic Toughness [-6]
        The Catch [+4] is Iron, or attacks made by enemies with True Courage
Beast Change [-1] tied to:
        Hulking Size [-2]

Stress
Physical: OOOO(OOOOOO)
Mental: OOOO
Social: OOOO

Consequences
Mild (Any)
Mild (Physical)
Mild (Mental)
Moderate (Any)
Severe (Any)

Extreme (Any)

Total Refresh Cost: -15


« Last Edit: August 22, 2012, 09:29:38 PM by THE_ANGRY_GAMER »
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #155 on: August 22, 2012, 07:05:29 PM »
Interesting, but the skills seem too high. Fantastic skills should be something special.

Offline THE_ANGRY_GAMER

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #156 on: August 22, 2012, 09:28:20 PM »
Bumping them all down a notch would be workable.

I think the True Draugr (when I get round to statting it up) should have Fantastic Endurance - this thing ain't going down easy (the Wick article specifies that it can only be killed by someone with True Courage - custom power? Physical Immunity? Aspect?).

EDIT: Changed the writeup.
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Offline Taran

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #157 on: December 15, 2012, 01:35:36 AM »
Has anyone done the stats for Red Caps?  I thought I'd seen them somewhere...

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #158 on: December 15, 2012, 01:50:51 AM »

Offline 123456789blaaa

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #159 on: December 15, 2012, 04:11:46 AM »
Just found this vampire in an article on Bogleech.com. This is a very unique monster among mythological creatures. It seems more like something a creative modern fantasy writer would come up with than a monster locals would invent.

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The final monster I'll be showcasing here is by far the most confusing, and could easily take an entire article just to pinpoint its most accurate name. The self-segmenter is also called an "Aswang", though the name is used for several other very different monsters and is in some regions a generic term for the supernatural in general. It is also sometimes called a Manananggal, though this name more precisely describes another, similar vampire, and all have been used interchangeably with the Penanggalan from time to time.

  Whatever you want to call it, the segmenter is definitely one of the most bizarre and disturbing vampire fables. Batlike or birdlike wings sprout from her back at night, and she leaves behind her entire lower half to go hunting. Easily her most striking feature is the sharp, hollow tongue through which she feeds. Her tongue is long enough that she can prey on someone from the victim's rooftop, and can spin her tongue into the thickness of spider's silk to probe even the tiniest orifice for  sustainance. Not as picky as other undead, she is just as fond of phlegm and bile as she is of blood, and in some accounts can suck a man's intestines out through his navel.

 It is the true source of her "condition", however, that makes the segmenter so delightfully bizarre; for nestled in her stomach is a mysterious black chick (a black-feathered chicken hatchling, not an African-American girl. Learn proper english!) which chirps hungrily in anticipation of the fresh meal brought back every night by its host. Oddly enough, segmenters age like any normal human, and "retire" by passing their parasitic chicken to another young lady.

  The only cure? Find a way to make the host dizzy
until she vomits the bird directly into a fire.

I can totally see this monster as still having a soul and Free Will like White Court vamps (and thus being playable). Another interesting touch is that this could potentially be the only vampire that you can turn yourself into without the original vampires consent (just plop the bird into your mouth once you get the original vampire to vomit it out).
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Offline nick012000

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #160 on: December 15, 2012, 02:48:53 PM »
Just found this vampire in an article on Bogleech.com. This is a very unique monster among mythological creatures. It seems more like something a creative modern fantasy writer would come up with than a monster locals would invent.

I can totally see this monster as still having a soul and Free Will like White Court vamps (and thus being playable). Another interesting touch is that this could potentially be the only vampire that you can turn yourself into without the original vampires consent (just plop the bird into your mouth once you get the original vampire to vomit it out).

Hmm. So, Item of Power (the Black Chick) [+1] granting Feeding Dependency [+1], Human Form [+2], Blood Drinker [-1], Claws [-1] (the tongue), Wings [-1], and Inhuman Strength/Speed/Toughness/Recovery to taste.
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Offline hank the ancient

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #161 on: January 04, 2013, 04:36:26 AM »
sounds like the chick could be the catch as well.

...Henbane perhaps?

Offline Violet Rook

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #162 on: January 08, 2013, 12:18:59 AM »
New here. I would like to give it a try.

Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga is a Slavic myth, renown mostly in Russia. It is said that Baba Yaga is old and powerful, and very ugly. She has a large hook nose and wicked cruel fingernails on her hands. She is covered in warts and moles. Baba Yaga has teeth similar to steel and they are pointy and noshing. She lives in hut that is very much alive, or at least golem-like.

High Concept: Ancient Winter Witch
Other aspects: Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge, Pain is a lesson on its own, Mother of Witches

Skills
Most of her magic skills are going to fall in the Legendary area. She's really old and powerful. So all her skills should reflect such. If a skill has something to do with magic it will fall at superb at the very least.

Powers
Unseeli Magic [-4]
Claws [-1]
Greater Glamours [-4]
World Walker [-2]
The Sight [-1]
Supernatural Speed [-4]
Supernatural Strength [-4]
Physical Immunity [-6]
   The Catch: Is cold iron (like fae)

Items of Power
Baba Yaga's Mortar and Pestle: Instead of using the traditional broomstick, the Mother of Witches flys around in a mortar and pestle. She sits in the mortar with her knees up around her eyes and uses the pestle like a rutter. She uses her Silver birch broom to sweep clear any traces of her passing as she goes (see below). She moves at Mythic Speed for the purpose of travel by this means.

Silver Birch Broom: By holding this in her left hand, Baba Yaga can remove any and ALL traces of her presence from a place or thing as she drags it across the place.

Baba Yaga's Hut: Her home is what appears to be a wooden thatch hut. It has no windows and no door visible to most folks. It is of course control by passwords and wards etc. The epic part of her home is that it can move to roam her demesne. Her hut sits on a pair of giant hen legs. At her command and in defense of Baba Yaga, the house can stand up and move or kick at offending parties.
   Kick attack: Weapon 3, Supernatural Strength 4. (That's some pain there).

Stunts
Unconventional Consumption: Anything Baba Yaga can put in her steel toothed mouth she can eat and digest. It is rumored that she can even consume items of power (destroyed). (For this she would give up a fate chip). All with no ill effects. This does not extend to potions and other liquids.

Stress
P: O O O O (at minimum)
M: O O O O (O O O) (at minimum)
S: O O O O (O O) (at minimum)

Refresh Cost: -24 (at minimum)

Note: Now, without giving anything a way...This could very well be another name for someone else already in the Dresden Verse.
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Offline Deadmanwalking

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #163 on: January 08, 2013, 12:31:20 AM »
Baba Yaga thematically requires Evocation and Thaumaturgy, likely with a large amount of Refinement, rather than anything sponsored on its' own. She's an extremely potent spellcaster, after all, in every version I've heard of, and is so in her own right, not simply with borrowed power. she might have some sort of Sponsored Magic in addition, but her power is her own.

Cold Iron is also a +3 Catch, which would drop her Physical Immunity's cost to -5. Personally, I'd go with Toughness/Recovery powers and a different Catch, though. She has steel teeth, which means if she's Fae she's somehow found a way around the standard weakness.

And now I have the idea in my head of Baba Yaga having once been a powerful Winter Court Faerie, but having bucked Mab's authority and become independent after finding a way around her weakness to iron. That's pretty appropriately epic and scary.

Offline Hick Jr

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #164 on: January 08, 2013, 12:42:29 AM »
Ahem.

That's super awesome, but there's really only one witchy female faerie crone who's covered in warts with a hook nose and steel teeth, and happens to live in a very odd hut. On the off chance this is somehow a Cold Days spoiler, it's

(click to show/hide)

But having a house as a golem is a super-awesome idea that i'm stealing for my Oneiromancer.
Hi! My home is called an apiary! I collect honey, and defend the Queen!

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