New "Things" sighted!

[sniderman]

SMILEY FACE

STR: 4 (60) --- WPR: 4 (60)
DEX: 3 (45) --- PER: 5 (75)
AGL: 5 (75) --- PCN: 4 (60)
STA: 4 (60) --- PWR: 75
ATT: 1/68% --- WND: 14
MV: L 75†

Experience: 1,000

Smiley Faces are cannibalistic humanoids who disguise themselves as normal human beings, infiltrating society until they can strike -- and feast -- in secret. In its natural form, a Smiley Face's primary feature is a monstrous grinning mouth that fills most of its pallid, jaundiced face. Above the creature's mouth are two black, narrow, ovaloid eyes, giving the thing an uncanny resemblance to the 1970's "smiley face" icon, which is where it gets its name.

To hide its true nature, the thing's eyes change shape, its skin color softens and deepens, and its facial skin pulls back into place giving it the appearance of any other person, with one notable exception -- they seem to always have a smile on their face. (The creature's skin cannot pull back enough to completely cover the leering maw of the monster.) To hide the reason for their perpetual grin, the creature usually enters a field where this facial expression isn't unusual: stand-up comedian, theme park employee, day care worker, etc. Those who associate with the disguised monster often remark how pleasant "Miss Jones" is to be around and will never believe "she" had anything to do with anything nefarious.

A Smiley Face must feed on a freshly killed human once every month to maintain its disguise. If it hasn't fed during this time, the thing's face will change and warp, revealing its true features. The Smiley Face attacks its victim by first revealing its true face to its prey, using its paralytic grin power to terrorize the victim into immobility. It then uses whatever weapons it has on hand to murder the victim before consuming the body whole. When the Smiley Face is done feeding, there is usually very little remaining as the creature's powerful jaws can chew through and consume everything: bone, teeth, clothing, etc. The creature does have trouble digesting metal, so bits of tooth fillings and jewelry remnants may be found at the scene of the initial crime.

In its human form, a Smiley Face is pleasant, always cheerful and helpful, and may actually help investigators in their search for a missing colleague. In actuality, the thing is trying to determine how much investigators actually know, hide or destroy found clues, and otherwise throw them off the track.

Smiley Face Powers

Paralytic Grin: The appearance of a Smiley Face's true visage is so horrific, those who see one have been know to become paralyzed with fright. When a Smiley Face drops its charade and reveals its toothy rictus, it needs to roll a specific PWR check versus the column corresponding to the victim's WPR score. The power costs the Smiley Face 30 WPR with the following effects if successful:
S = The victim is stunned into inaction for one round.
L = The victim is lightly frightened and will be paralyzed for 1d10/2 rounds (round up).
M = The victim is mind-numbed and will be unable to act for 1d10 rounds.
H = The victim is horrified and will be unable to act for 2d10 rounds.
C = The victim is catatonic and will be unable to act until assisted by another party. The victim will need to be "shaken" out of their trance to act again as their mind has effectively shut down from shock.
The Smiley Face can attempt a paralytic grin only once per victim, as they become immune to future attempts with this power.

[sniderman]

WERESTAG
STR: 7 (105) --- WPR: 4 (60)
DEX: 4 (60) --- PER: NA
AGL: 5 (75) --- PCN: 6 (90)
STA: 5 (75) --- PWR: NA
ATT: 2/90% --- WND: 15
MV: L 250 (75† when human)

Experience: 1,000

Werestags are dangerous half-man/half-deer lycanthropes. Much like other were-beasts, Werestags are cursed to take the form of a human-stag hybrid during the full moon, violently changing into its grotesque shape over 10+1d10 rounds. However, the Werestag does not transform back into a human during the day; rather, it keeps its monstrous form during all 72 hours of the full moon's phase, transforming back into a human only when the final night ends. During this time, it stalks the countryside, hunting larger prey for sport. Horses, bears, and cattle will be found trampled and gored to death throughout the area. And any human beings who investigate these killings will very well find themselves as the Werestag's next prey.

In its Werestag form, the thing stands over 7 feet tall and is covered with short, matted brown hair. The creature's head resembles that of a stag, with a looming set of sharpened antlers. Although it stands upright and bipedal, its legs and feet are that of a deer, giving the monster a satyr-like look.The Werestag's preferred method of attack is to use its powerful legs to charge a victim, lower its head, then impale them on its antlers, goring them to death. The Werestag will also trample a victim under its cloven feet, using its great weight and bulk to crush its prey. Like a Werewolf (Cryptworld rulebook, page 72), a Werestag can recover Stamina as if it were two columns higher, and it recovers 3 wounds per day of rest. Although unaffected by silvered weapon like other lycanthropes, the Werestag takes +5 wounds of damage from any attack made by a deer's antler. An antler sharpened into a dagger or similar weapon will prove to be quite effective against the forest-dwelling behemoth.

The Werestag curse cannot be passed by bite or injury, as the curse is passed along the creature's bloodline. Only if you are born into the Werestag's bloodline will you be cursed with the transformation upon reaching puberty. Although only men of the bloodline will be affected by the curse, the women of the family will help to hide the true nature of their "beloved", going so far as to enticing prey onto their mate's "hunting grounds" for them to have sport with during the full moon.

[sniderman]

BLOODY MARY

STR: NA --- WPR: 7 (105)
DEX: NA --- PER: 6 (90)
AGL: NA --- PCN: 6 (90)
STA: NA --- PWR: 130
ATT: 1/* --- WND: 0*
MV: F 75 (incorporeal)

Experience: 1,000

The Bloody Mary is a form of ghost (Cryptworld rulebook, page 60) whose only purpose is to murder those who summon her. Unlike a typical ghost who is the residual aftereffect of a once-living human, a Bloody Mary is solely a demonic spirit that is the embodiment of rage and restlessness. The ritual to summon Bloody Mary is actually a childhood "dare game" usually played at birthday parties and sleepovers. Although the game is usually played just to unnerve or frighten the participant, the "game" will sometimes bring forth a spectral essence who will immediately attack those in the same room.

To summon a Bloody Mary, the victim must stare into a full-length wall mirror by candlelight, chanting "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary" three times. There is a 5% chance that the "game" will actually summon the vengeful ghost. The Bloody Mary will appear in the mirror's reflection as standing behind the viewer. She is dressed in long gauzy robes and her eyes are missing. Blood streams from the empty sockets. When the viewer turns around, the ghost will be standing in the room behind them, striking out in fury for having been disturbed. The door to the room will be locked (courtesy of Mary's Unsettling Powers), and the ghost will proceed to use its powers of excise living and supernatural touch to terrorize and injure the victim. (See Cryptworld rulebook, page 60 for information on these ghost powers.) Only when the victim is dead will Bloody Mary unlock the door, reentering the mirror and returning to her otherworldly domain. The victim will appear to have died of shock.

Frighteningly, once a mirror has been used to summon a Bloody Mary, the ghost will be "attuned" to that mirror for use as a portal into the mortal realm. If someone is alone in the same room as the mirror, there is a 10% chance of the ghost returning to kill a new victim, without need of the summoning ritual to bring her forth. Many generations of a family may feel that they are cursed or singled out by a demon for retribution throughout the years, when the deaths throughout their bloodline are actually caused by a child's game gone awry many years ago crossed with a family heirloom (the mirror) passed along from generation to generation.

To stop a Bloody Mary, the mirror used as its portal must be shattered while the ghost is within the mortal realm. (The mirror will simply reform overnight if it is broken while the ghost resides within it.) Calling forth the Bloody Mary in order to shatter the mirror is incredibly dangerous as the ghost will stop at nothing to both kill the person who summoned her as well as fighting to save the mirror from being damaged. Fending off her attacks while trying to also target the mirror will be quite a task for the players. If the mirror is shattered while the Bloody Mary is outside of it, the spirit will be shattered along with the mirror, permanently destroying her in the process.

[sniderman]

PUPPETEER
STR: 3 (45) --- WPR: 6 (90)
DEX: 4 (60) --- PER: 4 (60)
AGL: 3 (45) --- PCN: 6 (90)
STA: 3 (45) --- PWR: 90
ATT: 1/45% --- WND: 12
MV: L 75†

Experience: 800

The Puppeteer is an evil mental manipulator who creates and controls human "puppets" as its mindless thralls. The Puppeteer uses these minions to sow discord, commit murders, and spread chaos for its own devilish amusement. It uses its puppets for all interactions with others as the Puppeteer is wildly xenophobic, avoiding contact with the "outside world" as much as it can. It leaves its lair for only two reasons: to retrieve a victim for use as a new puppet, or to flee when discovered.

A Puppeteer creates a new puppet by abducting a victim and imprisoning them in its lair. They then torment them over several weeks, subjecting them to its Usurp Willpower ability. These hallucinations cause the victim to give up all hope, causing their Willpower to eventually drain away. When the victim's Willpower is reduced to 0, their spirit is broken, and the Puppeteer can attempt to use its Create Puppet power. If successful, the victim's essence is destroyed, and they are forever a mindless shell to be manipulated by the Puppeteer. (Use stats for Zombies, CW rulebook, page 72, for all puppets.)

A Puppeteer's dominion over its puppets is absolute as they have become an extension of itself. Anything he wishes or wills, they will do. He can see through their eyes; hear what they hear; taste, touch, and smell what they do. A Puppeteer can control up to five puppets simultaneously, and its range of control is thought to be limitless, although a puppet must return to the Puppeteer's lair once a month for "upkeep". Because of this limitation, a Puppeteer usually keeps its puppets close at hand. The lair of a Puppeteer will have 2d10 puppets that it has created over the years.

However, a Puppeteer will sometimes have one puppet under control in the "outside world," doing its bidding undercover, by manipulating events and people to further the Puppeteer's unsavory goals. Friends and family of the puppet may not be aware that the victim's soul is gone, replaced by that of the Puppeteer.

When the Puppeteer grows tired of its game, or when its outside world goals are met, it will send its puppets out in waves to cause as much destruction and chaos as they can. Mass murders, catastrophic destruction, and other atrocities will be committed by the rampaging puppets as the Puppeteer orchestrates the carnage from afar -- before starting again with a new collection of puppets.

Puppeteer Powers

Usurp Willpower: Once per week, the Puppeteer subjects its imprisoned victim to mental hallucinations, visions, and nightmares that gradually drains the target's Willpower. The attack costs the Puppeteer 20 WIL and requires a specific PWR check versus the column corresponding to the victim's current WIL. If successful, a feeling of overwhelming hopelessness and despair will affect the victim. They will lose WIL as per the results below. This WIL cannot be regained unless the Puppeteer fails its check at some point during the process:
S = The victim loses 1 point of WIL from their current WIL score.
L = The victim loses 1d10/2 (round up) WIL from their current WIL score.
M = The victim loses 1d10 WIL from their current WIL score..
H = The victim loses 2d10 WIL from their current WIL score.
C = The victim loses 3d10 WIL from their current WIL score.

Create Puppet: Once a victim's Willpower is reduced to 0, a Puppeteer removes all remnants of the victim's mind (their thoughts, memories, personality -- all vestiges of what makes them uniquely human), leaving behind an empty, hollow shell. The Puppeteer must spend 1 full day uninterupted with the victim, forcing its will into the newly created puppet. The process requires the Puppeteer to make a general PWR check at a cost of 50 WIL. If successful, the victim becomes a new puppet for the Puppeteer to control. If unsuccessful, the Puppeteer must wait for one week to try again. The victim may be able to regain his lost WIL during this time.

[doctortoc]

Death Shroud
STR: 6 (90) WPR: 7 (105)
DEX: 3 (45) PER: 1 (15)
AGL: 4 (60) PCN: 5 (75)
STA: 7 (105) PWR: 100
ATT: 2/53% WND: 0*
MV: L 100 F 100

Experience: 1,000

A Death Shroud is a peculiar kind of malignant spirit that manifests not as the image of the dead, but physically through the medium of their funeral clothing, burial shroud or other closely associated garment. Death Shrouds can appear as supernaturally animated fabric, or as a kind of hollow figure, empty clothing apparently filled with invisible and intangible flesh. Death Shrouds are crafty creatures, known for launching horrific attacks from ambush and lying in wait disguised as harmless heaps of discarded textiles.

Death Shrouds are typically created under the same circumstances as Revenants (see page 67 of the Cryptworld rulebook), but arise when the body is somehow damaged beyond the ability of the spirit to animate. Death Shrouds have been encountered animating the decayed wrappings of Mummies whose bodies have long since crumbled to dust, while others may inhabit the linens of corpses whose bodies have been harvested for organs, or simply cremated.
Death Shrouds are usually simply murderous but cunning creatures who, like the Revenant, have unfinished business and an urge for revenge, but occasionally one may arise with more sophisticated goals. These are usually Death Shrouds that have been deliberately created by practitioners of dark magic, seeking to escape the bounds of their own time by projecting their spirit into the future. Such creatures will attempt to create a new body for themselves from the flesh of the dead, often from those closely associated with the creature’s original death, their descendants or reincarnations. Such bodies are assembled piecemeal as the required flesh is ripped from unwilling victims, and normally require the arcane energies of an important celestial or magical event (such as an unusual planetary alignment or significant anniversary) to be fully animated. Once fully clothed in flesh, the Death Shroud should be treated as a Revenant, with all the usual powers and weaknesses.

*Death Shrouds, while their physical forms are entirely made of cloth, are extremely strong and supernaturally resilient. They are impervious to damage except that caused by fire, acid or other corrosive attacks. They do not suffer wounds, but are destroyed once their Stamina is exceeded.

Death Shroud Powers
Climb: As per Vampire (page 70, Cryptworld rulebook)
Desiccate: As per Mummy (page 64, Cryptworld rulebook)
Engulf: The Death Shroud may grapple a victim by wrapping them in its folds. Normally a Death Shroud may only engulf one victim at a time. Once a victim is engulfed, the Death Shroud may choose to use its Dessicate power on them. The Death Shroud must exert 5 WPR per round the victim is engulfed. Engulfed characters suffer -40% to all rolls.

[doctortoc]

Can I mention how much I love the Puppeteer, by the way? I've been working on a slightly similar THING; Homo Dominus, supposedly the next stage of human evolution, inspired by Frank M. Robinson's excellent novel The Power and the sadly short-lived TV series Prey. It's sufficiently different that it's worth submitting, and I'll post it up when I'm done.

Also, because for some reason I can't answer PM's; yes, I am the same Doctor Toc who ran the CHILL Web Seance back in the day, and I'm very proud to have a few THINGS in the up-coming supplement too

[sniderman]

Nice to have you here, Doc! I believe you need a minimal post count of 5 or 10 before you can fully use the PM system. That's probably the reason. Glad you like the Puppeteer! And thanks for supporting the classic Pacesetter system for all these years. Hope you'll continue supporting Cryptworld as well!

[sniderman]

CUT-UP
STR: 3 (45) --- WPR: 5 (75)
DEX: 5 (75) --- PER: 3 (45)
AGL: 5 (70) --- PCN: 3 (45)
STA: 3 (45) --- PWR: 70
ATT: 2/58% --- WND:12
MV: L 75†

Experience: 1,000

The Cut-Up is a form of Psycho Killer (CW rulebook, page 66) who dresses like and takes on the persona of a typical circus clown. They can appear as a circus clown, jester, joker, harlequin, mime, or any garishly-garbed comic character. However, the Cut-Up's make-up will be smeared; his clothes tattered and soiled,; and a smell of death lingers wherever its grinning rictus-like face leers. Is it thought that a Cut-Up takes on its clownish appearance as a way of spreading a perverse sense of "joy" as it spreads chaos, as well as terrorizing those who have retained a childhood fear of clowns.

Like a Psycho Killer, Cut-Ups are driven by an insatiable bloodlust and need to kill. However, the Cut-Up is manically joyful when committing these foul acts of violence, laughing and joking as it attacks a victim. A Cut-Up is incredibly agile and dexterous, able to perform amazing feats of balance and dexterity. A Cut-Up will often use clowning props, gags, and devices to commit its murders. It may juggle knives shortly before sending all three flying at a victim. A pie in the victim's face may contain a highly corrosive acid. Or the Cut-Up may crush the victim's head with an oversized mallet. The Cut-Up always uses the trappings of comedy while killing as a way of "slaying" his audience..."knocking them dead", so to speak.

Cut-Up Powers

Maniacal Laughter: The high-pitched maniacal laughter of a Cut-Up is so unsettling, it can cause listeners to be paralyzed with fear. Using this power requires a successful PWR check and costs the Cut-Up 10 WPR. All who can hear are required to make general WPR check with a -20% penalty. Failure will paralyze the victim in fright for 3 rounds. The Cut-Up will often attack his frozen victim during this time.

Hammerspace: The Cut-Up can reach into any one of his many pockets and bring out any weapon he desires much like a cartoon or comic book character -- even items that would be impossibly large or improbably problematic for the Cut-Up to carry. For example, the Cut-Up could reach into his pocket and pull out a pitchfork, a rifle, a bomb, anything the Cut-Up can imagine. Using Hammerspace is very taxing for a Cut-Up as he's warping the fabric of reality and bending the laws of physics. It takes one round to pull a weapon from Hammerspace, costs a Cut-Up 50 WPR, and he must make a specific check versus his PWR score. His level of success determines the size of the weapon he would be able to produce from this extradimensional space "behind his back":

S = Small -- The weapon can be something small and handheld with no moving parts, such as a knife or pair of brass knuckles.
L = Little -- The weapon can be something small and handheld with moving parts such as a handgun or stick of lit dynamite.
M = Moderate -- The weapon can be something that fits in two hands with no moving parts such as a sword or pitchfork.
H = Huge -- The weapon can be something that fits in two hands with moving parts such as a rifle or beartrap.
C = Colossal -- The weapon can be something impossibly large with moving parts such as a Civil War cannon or howitzer.

Note that any weapon pulled from Hammerspace is temporary and will fade out of existence and disappear after 5 rounds.

[doctortoc]

The Pumpkin King, Demon of Vengeance

STR: 6(90) WPR: 6(90)
DEX: 5(70) PER: 1(10)
AGL: 4(50) PCN: 6(90)
STA: 6(90) PWR: 90
ATT: 2/70% WND: 0*
MV: L 75†

Experience: 1,000

The Pumpkin King is a grotesque beast, a gangling, tailed humanoid with a swollen, bulbous head and long, spidery talons. The creature has long, bony protrusions under its grey, pallid skin. The beast is approximately nine feet tall, with jutting tusks and a protruding jaw.

The Pumpkin King is the embodiment of vengeance, summoned to act by those who have been grievously wronged. The creature gets its name from the distorted shape of its head, and the pumpkin patch graveyard where it was first raised. The legend of the Pumpkin King permeates backwoods America, and seems most known in the more remote areas of the Appalachian Mountains. There the children taunt each other with macabre nursery rhymes and horror stories, telling of the Pumpkin King's horrible sadism and thirst for revenge.

The legend of the Pumpkin King states that when one man has been terribly wronged by another, the wronged man can call upon dark powers to avenge him. The legend hints at a terrible price for such an act, though so far no source has shed light on what that price might be, other than eternal damnation.
The creature is reportedly raised through a complex ritual performed by a practitioner of dark magic, at the behest of one who feels grievously wronged (the petitioner). The magician bids the petitioner to dig up the desiccated infant demon from its resting place (normally "unholy ground", an unconsecrated burying ground or similarly tainted site), then uses the blood of the petitioner to bring the creature to life. This act creates a born between the demon and the petitioner, and it is the petitioners’ desire for revenge that drives the demon to commit atrocities upon his enemies as well as his life-force that animates it.

Once the demon is animated, it quickly grows to its full size, and sets out in pursuit of its targets. The creature is a skilled and patient hunter, and it stalks its prey with slow deliberation. The Pumpkin King takes its time with its victims, tormenting them with cruel tricks before slowly and methodically tearing them apart. Though demonic in origin, the Pumpkin King has no vulnerability to blessed artifacts, and holy ground provides no refuge from it. The creature is primarily nocturnal due to a mild aversion to daylight, but it is perfectly capable of operating during the day and takes no damage from sunlight.

An unpleasant side effect of the unholy bargain that raises the creature, is that the petitioner is tormented by visions of the creature as it kills its targets. He feels its unholy pleasure at the anguish it causes, seeing and experiencing the killings as if he were actually there. As these visions continue, the petitioner begins to undergo a bizarre transformation, becoming less and less human until he is entirely claimed by the Dark Powers. As the petitioner transforms, so does the demon, its face becoming a hideous mirror of the petitioners.

Though the demon is tasked solely with the torment and death of the petitioners’ enemies, it will happily kill anyone who gets in its way, including anyone who even indirectly attempts to help its prospective victims. Once its task is complete, the demon combusts, burning until nothing is left. At this point the petitioner also dies, though after death his corpse undergoes a strange transformation, withering and distorting, until it becomes a new Pumpkin King husk, waiting to be raised at the hands of another wronged petitioner.

Pumpkin King Powers:

Warp Weather: When active, the creature naturally generates a localised electrical storm, with high winds, random electrical discharges, and a curiously directionless rattling sound that fills the air around it. This weather disruption inflicts a -40 penalty on all Perception Rolls in the vicinity of the creature (the creature itself is not affected). The creature can suppress this effect at a cost of 10 WPR per minute.

Stalking Horror: The creature knows the location of its chosen victim(s) at all times. Moreover, with an expenditure of 25 WPR, the creature can instantaneously travel to within a hundred feet of the victim, appearing out of sight.

Scape Goat: The creature is impervious to normal damage, and is unharmed by fire. The only way to injure it is to hurt the one who summoned it, and whose thirst for vengeance drives it. Even then, the creature only takes damage if the summoner genuinely wants it stopped. If the summoner dies, the creature dies and its body incinerates, leaving no remains.

Dead Stop: Nothing that requires electricity or an electrical spark to function will work in the presence of the creature (an area radius roughly equivalent to its WPR in feet).

[seneschal]

I'm still not sure how Powers work mechanically. Could use some help doping it out.


http://tinyurl.com/pvch6xe

Costumed Kleptomaniac

STR 4 (60) WPR 5 (75)
DEX 6 (90) PER 4 (60)
AGL 5 (75) PCN 5 (75)
STA 4 (60) PWR 80
ATT 1/68% WND 14
MV L 75

Skills: Security Devices 83, Theft 80. Other possible skills, depending on shtick, could include Demolitions, Disguise, Electronics, Mechanics, Stunt Driving, or a specific melee or weapon skill (the more exotic the better).

Experience 800

Not all irredeemably wicked beings are supernatural entities, visitors from other dimensions or invaders from the depths of outer space. Some are otherwise normal humans who possess high intelligence and low morals. These individuals have an urgent need to sate their lust for attention, power and wealth – but ordinary crimes are beneath them. They must demonstrate their superiority by pulling off outrageous, well-publicized thefts while tweaking the noses of the authorities. Their activities inevitably focus upon a theme – a certain type of animal or apparel, a historical period, hobby, or profession. The villain usual adopts a colorful costume consistent with this obsession and gathers a group of henchmen nicknamed and costumed accordingly. Sometimes he feels compelled to leave clues to his future capers, the better to taunt the police. This all would be silly except that the costumed kleptomaniac is a borderline genius, and his (or her) schemes are frequently successful. He is also borderline crazy, unpredictable, usually skilled at fisticuffs and ranged combat, and has a squad of muscular goons to back him up.

Despite their seemingly random nature, the costume kleptomaniac’s individual heists are usually a build-up to the really big score he has in mind. Each one is intended to gather funds, information or materials needed to complete this master plan. Even if they fail to thwart these preparatory crimes, the player-characters may be able to deduce what the villain is up to by their nature.

Powers:

Gimmick of the Week: The costumed kleptomaniac frequently employs special gear or weaponry in the commission of his crimes. It could be knockout gas, a powerful adhesive, a paralysis ray or hypnotic drug, a high-performance vehicle. The gimmick changes with each caper, but its presentation is always consistent with the villain’s chosen theme.

The Escape Clause: Costumed villains have a knack for eluding capture. When they are cornered, there is always a hidden door, a concealed weapon, or a waiting escape vehicle available. Given the choice between being pummeled by the player-characters or retreat, the costumed kleptomaniac chooses to run for it. After all, he can always get his revenge next time.

“No One Could Have Survived That!”: In addition to eluding capture, villains tend to treat death as a temporary condition. If they are shot or stabbed, the body turns up missing at the city morgue. Explosions, fires, floods, long dives into dark water, and avalanches are even better. If the adventurers don’t find the costumed kleptomaniac’s body, they can’t be sure that he’s out of their hair for good.