New "Things" sighted!

[seneschal]

"(NOTE: There are many varieties of Wendigo in the myths and legends. This was the version that I thought was a good monstrous fit for Cryptworld!)"

Didn't want to have to stat out the Hulk and Wolverine, eh?

On second thought, their abilities and temperaments are perfectly appropriate for a Cryptworld foe.

[sniderman]

REDCAP
STR: 3 (45) --- WPR: 3 (45)
DEX: 4 (60) --- PER: 2 (30)
AGL: 4 (60) --- PCN: 7 (105)
STA: 3 (45) --- PWR: NA
ATT: 1/53% --- WND: 12
MV: L 200†

Experience: 600

A Redcap is a demonic goblin who is murderously territorial. A Redcap stands 2 to 3 feet tall, has shining red eyes, pointed nose and ears, and hawk talons for hands. A Redcap is usually dressed in tunic and leggings as well as two traditional items of clothing: iron-shod boots and a long cloth cap that he stains red with the blood of his victims, giving the creature its name. A Redcap community usually contains 2d10 of the creatures.

Redcaps are xenophobic creatures, making their homes in isolated areas far from any society. Favored locations include long-abandoned manors and castles, and cavernous cave systems. Redcaps are fiercely protective of their privacy and violently territorial if they feel their boundaries have been broached, an area of a 10-mile radius. Anyone who enters the Redcaps' domain will find themselves stalked and hunted by the wily goblins who will attack to kill the invaders at the first opportunity. Considering a Redcap wears heavy iron boots, it is surprisingly quiet as well as quick, moving as fast as a dog or wolf when sprinting. A Redcap can track a victim within its domain with 100% accuracy, breaking off the pursuit only when its prey once again leaves the area as a Redcap will steadfastly refuse to cross the border to The Outside Lands. A Redcap prefers to attacks it victims with a long iron pikestaff, aiming to pierce the heart, or major vein or artery. The Redcaps will gather around a victim as he bleeds to death, taking turns dying their caps in the flowing blood as they celebrate their "victory" over the invader.

A Redcap can be held at bay by the reciting of Bible verses, as reciting the Holy Word causes the creature great pain and discomfort. Because of this, it is thought that Redcaps are an offshoot of Demon (Cryptworld rulebook, page 57) but this theory has not been confirmed.

[Agrippa]

Would you like to try giving Cryptworld stats to one of these?

The bloody hands are a race of shapshifting earthly gods who stalk dark and crowded city streets in human guise. Then they wait for a murder to occur and watch, or in some even participate in. Few know why they do this. Likely it began as a mission to witness such crimes and report them to their Divine Ministers of Justice and to bring the guilty party to justice. Perhaps even to protect the would be victim when possible and slay the evil doer. Unfortunately many of them just like to watch people get shanked, bludgeoned to death or otherwise brutally murdered. They also have a tendancy to bless and protect their favored killers regardless of their motives.

In physical appearance bloody hands are tall (8'), painfully thin humanoid creatures with large razor-sharp claws. Their skin, aside from their carmine colored lips, is a deep dark red. The eyes of these warped, blood-lusting gods glow a harsh ghoulish yellow with red orange slits for pupils. Also, these bloody hands seem to have flame coming from the tops of their heads, adding to the nightmarish appearance of these horrific minor gods. For protection bloody hands favor reinforced knee length buff coats, or leather jerkins with plate armor sewn on to them. Bloody hands possess enlarged canines, frequently with blood dripping from their mouths. Regardless of the form the bloody hand chooses its right hand always drips with its own blood.

[sniderman]

MANANANGGAL
STR: 6 (90) --- WPR: 5 (75)
DEX: 4 (60) --- PER: 3 (45)
AGL: 7 (105) --- PCN: 6 (90)
STA: 6 (90) --- PWR: NA
ATT: 2/98% --- WND: 16
MV: L 75† F 75

Experience: 1,500

The Manananggal is a legendary vampire from the Philippines that feeds solely on sleeping, pregnant women. The Manananggal is capable of severing its upper torso from the rest of its body, sprouting wings to fly into the night, trailing its internal organs underneath. In fact, manananggal literally means "one who separates himself" in the Tagalog language.

A manananggal can be either male or female, and appears quite normal during the daylight hours -- perhaps even passing as a respected member of the community. At night, however, the manananggal will return to its lair where it will literally tear the top half of its torso from the rest of its body. While its lower half remains immobile, the upper half will fly into the night, looking for prey. The manananggal will find a sleeping, pregnant woman (usually someone they've encountered during the day) and will feed on both mother and unborn child. The manananggal does not have fangs like a traditional vampire, rather it uses a long, barbed, hollow tongue to pierce the flesh and feed directly from the hearts of first the mother, then the unborn child. After the first successful attack versus a victim, the manananggal will begin to feed, automatically dealing damage as per a heavy wound each consecutive round to the victim. Once sated, the manananggal returns to its lower half and rejoins with it, becoming whole once again.

Although a manananggal doesn't have the traditional powers of a vampire, it does have similar weaknesses. It is repelled by the smell of garlic and cannot cross an unbroken line of salt if it fails a general WPR check. Thorny branches are traditionally draped around windows and doorways as a deterrent, as the manananggal will avoid snagging and tearing its exposed entrails on them. Sprinkling salt, crushed garlic, or ashes on the severed lower half will kill a manananggal as it takes two wound boxes of damage for every 10 minutes it is unable to rejoin once the sun rises. Other symbolic, regional weaknesses the manananggal may have include daggers, vinegar, and certain spices (CM's discretion).

After feeding, the manananggal will usually leave the mother alive, however the child will be "touched" by the manananggal's venom and will become one of the creatures once it reaches adulthood. But convincing the victim that her unborn child will grow up to become a monster and should be destroyed is not often fruitful.

[baran_i_kanu]

Okay this thread finally did it.
Cryptworld ordered and downloaded.

[sniderman]

Okay this thread finally did it.
Cryptworld ordered and downloaded.

Welcome to the Crypt! And there are more Things to come....many MANY more.

/mwah-ha-ha-ha...

[sniderman]

SEWER GATOR
STR: 7 (105) --- WPR: 2 (30)
DEX: NA --- PER: NA
AGL: 5 (75) --- PCN: 3 (45)
STA: 6 (90) --- PWR: NA
ATT: 1/90% --- WND: 16
MV: L 75 W 125

Experience: 500

A Sewer Gator is a monstrously large mutant alligator found living deep within urban sewer systems. It is theorized that Sewer Gators were smaller pet gators when they were younger that were "flushed" into the sewer systems by neglectful owners. A combination of fetid pollutants, human waste products, and possible illegal chemical dumping have mutated these originally harmless pets into gargantuan maneaters lurking in the depths under the city streets.

A Sewer Gator measures 25 feet to 40 feet in length from tip of snout to tip of tail with a height of between 7 to 10 feet. It normally feeds on whatever it can find in the sewers, though a Sewer Gator will come to the surface to feed if it becomes hungry enough. A motivated and hungry Sewer Gator can pop off manhole covers and lunge out at a victim, as well as drain grates and other access portals. Truly monstrous Sewer Gators have exploded from the street itself, landing with a thud on the pavement before devouring everything within reach. Once sated, the Sewer Gator will re-enter its subterranean lair. A sudden decrease in the homeless population could point to a possible Sewer Gator infestation.

Although Sewer Gators are normally found in urban sewer systems, it's also possible to find them lurking in remote swamps and bogs as well as some large fresh-water lakes.

[sniderman]

DJINN

STR: NA --- WPR: 8 (120)
DEX: NA --- PER: 8 (120)
AGL: NA --- PCN: 9 (135)
STA: NA --- PWR: 150
ATT: 1/* --- WND: 0*
MV: teleport anywhere instantly

Experience: 1,500

A Djinn is a supernatural creature who can bend and warp the fabric of reality to grant the inner-most wishes of its "master." However, it does this as a means to an end, as the Djinn collects the wisher's soul as "payment" for services rendered.

A Djinn is actually a form of Demon (see Cryptworld rulebook, page 57) who uses its powers to unleash humanity's baser instincts. A Djinn is initially encountered trapped within a vessel of some kind: a bottle, a lamp, a mystical jewel, and even a book has held the malevolent spirit. Once released, the Djinn will grant its "master" one wish in exchange for their eternal soul. The Djinn makes it clear that he will collect the soul only upon the wisher's natural death. What the wisher doesn't realize is that all Djinn wish-magic grants the wish in the most unfortunate -- and deadly -- means possible.

* "I wish for $50 million." = A drug lord's bank account is re-routed to the wisher's account along with an easily-followed paper trail.
* "I wish for women to throw themselves at me." = A gun-toting jilted lover will be knocking at the wisher's door very soon.
* "I wish for so-and-so to die." = They die of food poisoning, along with everyone else who ate at that restaurant, including the wisher.
* "I wish for my enemy to end up in prison." = And he will...after being convicted of the wisher's murder.
* Even something as innocent as "I wish I were taller" will see the victim's skeleton stretch and grow, while his muscles, skin, and organs stay the same size, shredding his body from the inside-out.

Once its "master" is dead, the Djinn absorbs the victim's soul, growing even more powerful. It then wanders the earth, looking for new victims to tempt with "their heart's desire." A Djinn can instantly teleport to where it feels the "desire" is greatest. It will then make the offer to a new victim, offering them one wish in exchange for their soul. It will continue these diabolical deals until stopped or until it reaches its goal of 1,000,000 human souls.

When encountered, a Djinn is actually a slave to the wish-granting contract, i.e., it cannot cast any magic of its own choosing, and can only cast magic at the behest of a wisher. Although it cannot cast magic of its own, the Djinn is not powerless! It is a cunning deceiver and very charismatic, able to talk the weak-willed into doing his bidding. He may hold back someone's wish until they do a "favor" for him first. ("I shall grant your heart's desire, but first you need to do something for me...") Once a Djinn has collected and absorbed 1,000,000 human souls, it is freed from the its wish-granting contract and will be free to cast magic of its own desire -- and the world will bow and call HIM "master"! The Djinn has been collecting souls for millennia, so it is left to the CM as to how close the Djinn is to achieving this world-ending goal!)

Stopping a Djinn is incredibly difficult as the creature does not have a physical form. The Djinn's weakness and the method of stopping him is left to the CM depending on the campaign he wishes to run:

* The Djinn's essense could be tied to his vessel. If the vessel is destroyed, the Djinn will also be destroyed.
* The Djinn will be trapped in its vessel again if it comes into contact with it. The Djinn will have taken steps to hide it away from those who might interfere.
* An obscure ritual may need to be performed to undo all of the magic the Djinn has unleashed. The PCs will need to do some investigating in esoteric texts and ancient manuscripts. Meanwhile, the Djinn will manipulate its victims into stopping the PCs!
* Someone could wish for the Djinn's destruction. This would require an act of self-sacrifice, as granted wishes always end with the death of the wisher. (The Djinn and the wisher could both "wink" out of existence.)

The CM is warned that introducing a Djinn could be campaign-altering as the creature has the ability to warp and bend the laws of reality. If you wish to "soften" the nature of the chaos, you could determine that reality returns back to normal upon the wisher's death, and whatever they wished for vanishes. Or, upon the capture/destruction of the Djinn, "everything goes back to normal." (With the exception of any deaths caused by the Djinn's wish-magic. Victims remain dead and their souls destroyed.)

Djinn Powers

Grant Wish: The Djinn can look into the heart of anyone and instantly know what they truly desire. Once they see this, they begin to cajole and prod their victim, telling them that they can have that desire in exchange for their soul. The wisher MUST say "I wish..." during his request for the magical contract to take effect. The wish is immediately granted, but the CM should alter the nature of the wish so it is granted in the most diabolical of ways, ending in the death of the wisher. (See some wish examples and their results in the creature description above.) Granting a wish costs the Djinn 100 points of WPR. Although the wish contract is fulfilled, the Djinn will stick around until the wisher's inevitable end, so it can consume the released soul.

[seneschal]

Killer Ape

Ferocious apes feature in so many B-movies from the 1930s and ‘40s that they almost comprise their own sub-genre. While an encounter with an angry ape in the wild can be terrifying, specimens met closer to home are often more than mere brutes. Laboratory gorillas (less commonly, orangutans) are cunning urban killers capable of scaling the walls of secluded mansions and moonlit skyscrapers in order to reach their victims at the behest of a scheming mad scientist or sinister jungle queen. The doctor’s experiments have enhanced the gorilla mentally, either by transplanting a human brain into the ape’s skull (or vice versa) or by injecting simian hormones into an unwilling human patient until he transforms (ditto). Perhaps this explains why B-movie apes are more likely to walk upright like a human than on their knuckles like their brethren in the wild. Cosmetic alterations are not unheard of. That taciturn manservant or sensuous female ward may be something other than he or she appears. Sometimes the ape is hypnotized or under some sort of electronic mind control. Should that control be broken, the gorilla may vent his terrible wrath upon his erstwhile master.

Adult male gorillas can grow slightly over 6 feet tall and weigh up to 500 pounds, although most are less than 5 feet tall and weigh slightly more then 400 pounds. Adult male orangutans can reach almost 6 feet tall and weight nearly 300 pounds. Movie apes tend to be taller (because of their upright stance) and heavier (less exercise, poor diet). Both gorillas and orangutans use tools in the wild; in the lab they’ve got access to better ones.

STR: 8 (120) WPR: 3 (45)
DEX: 2 (30) PER: 3 (45)
AGL: 4 (60) PCN: 3 (45)
STA: 5 (75) PWR: NA
ATT: 2/90% WND: 15
MV: L 150 Trees 75
Experience: 400

Viewing suggestions:

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), Universal Studios
House of Mystery (1934), Paul Malvern Productions
The Gorilla (1939), 20th Century Fox
The Ape (1940), Monogram Pictures
The Monster and the Girl (1941), Paramount Studios
Doctor Renault’s Secret (1942), 20th Century Fox
Captive Wild Woman (1943), Universal Studios
The Ape Man (1943), Monogram Pictures

[sniderman]

It's been a while since I posted some new THINGs here. So here are a few that recently appeared at my blog, The Savage AfterWorld:



GRAVEDIGGER
STR: NA --- WPR: 7 (105)
DEX: NA --- PER: 6 (90)
AGL: NA --- PCN: 9 (135)
STA: NA --- PWR: 100
ATT: 1/* --- WND: 0*
MV: F 75 (incorporeal)

Experience: 1,000

The Gravedigger is a spiritual entity that closely resembles the classical Spectre of Death, appearing as a faceless hooded figure with bony skeletal hands. However, the Gravedigger wields a shovel rather than a scythe. It is theorized that a Gravedigger is a death harbinger, called forth to collect when someone "cheats death".

When someone has a nearly-fatal close call with death but somehow survives, a Gravedigger is summoned to the earthly plane. The Gravedigger will initially appear to the individual within 1-10 months of their close call. Upon the first appearance, the Gravedigger will be seen at a distance, quietly staring at its summoner. Once seen, it will beckon to that person with one crooked finger, urging them to follow, before vanishing. The next month, the Gravedigger will be seen again, this time standing next to an open grave. The Gravedigger will point to the hole, then to the person, before vanishing again. If investigated, there will be no open grave at the location witnessed. On the third month, the Gravedigger will appear to its victim a final time -- this time to correct Death's oversight.

Wielding its shovel as a weapon, the Gravedigger will strike out with it, using its final internment power to bury the victim where they stand. If successful, the victim will vanish and a freshly-filled grave will appear in their place. A tombstone with the name of the victim and that day's date will appear at the head of the grave. Satisfied that Death has been appeased, the Gravedigger will vanish, never to return. If the Gravedigger's final internment is unsuccessful, the thing will vanish and the victim will never again encounter a Gravedigger.

Gravedigger Powers

Final Internment: The Gravedigger will lash out with its shovel, causing its target to be "teleported" into a new grave right where they once stood. The final internment costs 50 WPR and can be attempted only once per victim. If successfully buried, the victim suffers suffocation damage of 2d10 Stamina points and one wound box per round until freed from their premature burial. Keep in mind the victim's suffocation damage begins the moment they are subjected to the final internment. The results below determine how dire their situation is:
S = The victim's grave is one foot deep in loose earth. The victim can claw their own way out in a round.
L = The victim's grave is two feet deep in loose earth. The victim can claw their own way out in 1d10 rounds.
M = The victim's grave is four feet deep in loose earth. The victim cannot move to free themselves, but others can dig them up with bare hands in 1d10 rounds.
H = The victim's grave is five feet deep in compacted earth. The victim cannot move to free themselves, but others can dig them up in 1d10 rounds with tools or 2d10 rounds with bare hands.
C = The victim's grave is six feet deep in compacted earth. The victim cannot move to free themselves, but others can dig them up in 3d10 rounds with tools or 4d10 rounds with bare hands.