Graboids from 'Tremors' (1990)

Graboids

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F: Ex (20)
A: Gd (10)
S: Rm (30)
E: In (40)
R: Pr (4)
I: Mn (75)
P: Pr (4)

Health: 100
Karma: 83
Popularity: (At the end of the first movie) -10
Resources: N/A

Talents:
N/A

Powers:
Subterranean adapted physiology: The Graboid is ideally suited to its underground existence, capable of the following powers:

• Armored Skin: Rm (30) resistance to Physical (It is practically immune to small arms fire), Ex (20) vs. energy
• Hyper-Burrowing: Am (50) through rock and porous earth
• Vibration detection: Am (50) - The Graboid can detect the smallest vibration across several miles
• Protected Senses: Sight: The Graboid cannot be blinded, as it is already
• 720 degree "vision": The Graboid cannot be blindsided, although it is capable of being distracted.
• Mouth 'Tentacles': The graboid utilizes several appendages capable of grappling with In (40) ability and doing Ex (20) edge damage, limited to about 6-8 feet. The typical graboid can have between 4 - 6 such tentacles, and uses them to snare prey.
• Natural Weaponry: Bite: A Graboid can tear through obstacles and food with In (40) bite.
• One Area Charge: The graboid's physiology allows it to be able to enact a charge within one area. A graboid's head is reinforced and capable to handling a charge.
• Land Stealth: A graboid is capable of Ex (20) stealth, and can perform a sneak attack if not encountered in the same area.

Contacts:
None

Limitations:

• Limited Senses: A graboid is functionally blind, and is extremely reliant on its vibratory sense. Kinetic or vibration area attacks gain a +2cs bonus to stun a graboid. A graboid suffers an additional 1d10 rounds of stun if it fails its Endurance FEAT.
• Monstrous Size: A graboid is between 15 - 25 feet in length, and as easily spotted when near the surface. If spotted, the Graboid loses its ability to make a sneak attack.

The Ghost and the Darkness from 'The Ghost and the Darkness' (1996)

 They are not lions, they are the Ghost and the Darkness”


The Ghost and the Darkness (movie version)




F: Rm (30)
A: Gd (10)
S: Gd (10)
E: Rm(30)
R: Pr (04)
I: Rm (30)
P: Typ (06)

Health: 80
Karma: 40
Resources: N/A
Popularity: -40 (In Tsavo), -10 (Worldwide)

Talents:
The lions have no talents.

Powers:
The man-eating lions of Tsavo are not typical lions, having killed upwards of 100+ men during their reign of terror. Unlike reality, the Ghost and the Darkness displayed unusual qualities and characteristics that added additional pseudo-like powers to the lions:


More than Lions:

• Increased FASERIP: Unlike regular lions, the Ghost and the Darkness are much more exceptional, being able to rudimentary reason, understand their prey, and avoid traps that would normally be lethal. In addition, the Ghost and the Darkness have greater endurance and intuition, able to continue at full power/ability even when wounded or hampered. The Ghost and the Darkness also seem capable of recognizing their opponents and distinguishing between human prey.
• Stealth: The Ghost and the Darkness have a degree of stealth, capable of avoiding skilled lion hunters and/or targets until the moment of attack. The stealth of the lions is good enough to prevent others from determining that there were actually two lions at the time, and are able to mostly conceal their tracks and trails for some time. As such, the lions are considered to have Gd (10) stealth powers.
• Karma Use: The Ghost and the Darkness are not typical lions in the fact they can spend Karma for effects. As example, The Ghost and the Darkness will always spend karma right before an attack to maximize their stealth efforts. In addition, the Ghost and the Darkness seem to have events occur around them that are unconscious but are beneficial to them: When a hunter as them in their sights, the gun may misfire or efforts to locate them may cause a small rock-slide or any event. This can be done with an expenditure of 100 Karma by the Judge to benefit the Lions in some way.
• Karma Gain: The Ghost and the Darkness gain +15 karma for every kill that they make, which is stored in a karma pool in which they spend from when attacking, defending, or in the process of their unique expenditure (as mentioned above).
• Ambient Fear Level: While the Ghost and the Darkness are active, an ambient effect of fear seems to descend in the area. First, for each week the Ghost and the Darkness are active, anyone with Psyches of Typ (06) or less are affected. This affect forces a Psyche FEAT for any action or activity in the affected area. Success of a Yellow or better means that the individual may proceed normally. A Green success means that the subject may suffer a -1cs to activities, and a failure means that the fear has taken hold and the subject is more willing to flee the area/become hostile and suffers a -2cs to activities that occur within the area. In addition, should the Ghost or the Darkness be seen, the effect goes to Gd (10) intensity and the lions gain +5 karma for every incident.
• Natural Weaponry: claws: The Ghost and the Darkness do Gd (10) damage with their claws, halving effective body armor on the edged table. In addition, The Ghost and the Darkness can attempt an opposed strength check to drag an opponent to the ground or away.

Contacts:
The Ghost and the Darkness have no natural contacts.

Limitations:
The Ghost and the Darkness are considered great examples of lions, but are nothing more than lions…mostly.

Orca from 'Orca' (1977)

It is known that they have great memory and even after many years they will always remember the human being who has tried to harm them.

During the period of ‘Nature Amok’ films that began with Jaws, several key imitators and similar movies appeared. While most featured some sort of giant shark attacking sleepy coast village, Orca went a slightly different route, and that’s probably one of a few reasons it stood out amid the others. At the surface the story is simple: A fisherman kills a pregnant Orca whale and by doing so also kills its offspring. The surviving mate watches in horror and begins a plan of revenge to ultimately bring the fisherman (played by Richard Harris) out into the ocean, to face the revenge-seeking whale. Ultimately, themes of revenge, duality, the nature of the soul, and some fairly standard destruction plays out until in the ice, the two beings finally face each other.

Orca, The Killer Whale

F: Rm (30)

A: Gd (10)

S: In (40)

E: Mn (75)

R: Typ (06)

I:  Rm (30)

P: Rm (30)

Health: 155

Karma: 66

Resources: N/A

Popularity: 0

Talents:

Orca has no talents

Powers:

Orca Physiology

 Orca is an killer whale of large size that has been adapted to its environment sharing many natural abilities with other killer whales. As such, Orca’s natural abilities include:

• Natural Armor – Gd (10) protection due to layers of blubber.
• Natural Weaponry – Bite – Ex (20) edged damage which can effectively halve body armor and material strength effectiveness.
• Reinforced Skull: Orca’s skull is reinforced to give it further protection of Rm (30) for the purposes of blunt and charging damage.
• Adapted to environment – Orca is considered to have Water Freedom, although requires to surface and breathe as he does not have water breathing.
• Hyper-Swimming: Orca is considered to have Ex (20) hyper-swimming, often combining its top speeds with a devastating charge (See below).
• Sonar: Rm (30) ability to navigate and communicate through echolocation.
• Resist: Cold: Due to the blubber, Orca has Ex (20) ability to resist cold.
• Natural camouflage: The patterns of an orca are ideally suited for their environment and are considered to have Pr (4) camouflage.

Orca’s Charge: Orca can charge with ruthless efficiency while in the water, unlike a regular charge, Orca can target specific individuals or locations when doing so. Orca’s preferred charge attack is usually a build-up of two areas and either into objects like building supports or from below to gain advantage.

Contacts:

Orca has no contacts left, his pod has been destroyed.

Limitations:

Orca has the following limitations:

• Vengeful:: Orca will stop at nothing to draw his nemesis, Captain Nolan, out to the sea so that Orca may kill him. Orca will ignore standard behaviors and even plan out and act against Nolan if it will bring Nolan out to him. Orca chased away all the first for instance in the fishing grounds, attacked Nolan’s house, village, and supply area as well as maimed one of Nolan’s crew. Orca will continue to hound Nolan until Nolan either comes to him or leaves the water forever. Orca cannot be reasoned with nor will Orca quit.
• Environmental Dependency: Orca is bound by his environment and cannot leave it. As such, Orca can only act in the ocean (Although, he did fairly well attacking the land by attacking weak-points in infrastructure and locations along the oceanside.
• Enemy: Captain Nolan: As much as Orca hates Nolan for killing his mate and child, Nolan becomes obsessed with ending Orca as well. As such, towards the end of the affair between the two, Nolan becomes as obsessed as Orca is in killing the other and would take steps accordingly.

The Gray Gorillas from 'Congo'

Ugly gorillas. Ugly. Go away.

Although the movie version of Congo was mostly awful, the Michael Crichton novel was outstanding and unique. The gray gorillas, bred for intelligence, ruthlessness, and strength were ideal guardians and enforcers for the ancient city of Zinj. Despite the destruction and loss of the city to the gorillas, the codes and training that were established continued well into the 20th century.

Why the gray gorillas?

First and foremost, I am looking more at the novel, which is probably one of my all-time favorites and definitely my second favorite Crichton novel. I just like the concept and was disappointed with the 1995 film adaptation. I also believe that the gray gorilla concept is a great thing to throw at street level heroes and could adapt well in a variety of situations.



Gray Gorillas

Typical Gray Gorilla

F: Ex (20)
A: Gd (10)
S: Ex (20)
E: Gd (10)
R: Pr (04)
I: Gd (10)
P: Typ (06)

Health: 60
Karma: 20
Popularity: 0
Resources: N/A

Talents:
The gray gorillas have rudimentary skills due to their breeding and instruction. It is assumed that they have the following 'skills'

• Hunting/Gathering
• Animal Training - Gray Gorillas*
• Area Knowledge: Zinj
• Blunt Weapons - Simple

Powers:
Bred Gorilla Species: The gray gorillas of Zinj have been interbred with other apes (and possibly humans) to produce the gray gorillas who act as both protectors and enforcers to the city. As such, the gray gorillas are slightly larger, more humanoid, and more intelligent than a standard large ape. In addition, the gorillas of Zinj have the following natural abilities:

• Stealth: The gray gorillas have a dusky gray coloration which makes them nearly invisible in darkness and difficult to spot amid the jungle foliage. Combined with their natural predator senses and the harsh training from the ancient taskmasters of Zinj, the gorillas have the effect of Ex (20) stealth within the jungle and around Zinj
• Natural Aggression: the gorillas of Zinj are naturally more aggressive than other large apes, as such, they gain a +1 to their initiative score, as well as a +1cs to damage after taking more than 50% health.
• Dark Vision: The gorilla of Zinj are unhindered in the dark, and can see with Gd (10) dark-vision, limited to normal night-time conditions. They cannot see in manufactured darkness or similar abilities/shadows.
• Psychological Advantage: The gorillas of Zinj have adapted their attacks to probe enemy lines and to attack weakened areas. As part of this, the Zinj gorillas do not leave their dead when possible, which combined with the nocturnal assault makes them downright scary. If first encountering a Zinj Gorilla, an opponent must make a Psyche FEAT at Gd (10) intensity or suffer a -1cs reaction bonus during the course of the combat. This is because of the psychological effect on individuals from the tactics. (See notes for additional details).

Contacts:
None

Limitations:
The gorilla of Zinj have the following limitations due to their nature:

• Nocturnal: Unlike most apes, the gorillas of zinj are primarily nocturnal, bred and trained for darkness. While the gray gorillas can operate in daytime, they prefer not to, suffering a -1cs to all F, A, and I actions while in bright daylight.
• Unusual Looks: The gray gorillas of Zinj are an entirely new species which are unusual to say the least. The gorillas suffer a -1cs reaction bonus when fully seen and are considered 'hideous' in appearance.
• Training*: The gorillas of Zinj were trained to use lethal force in all dealings under cruel punishment. Although the city of Zinj has long since disappeared into legend, the training has been continued and passed from gray gorilla to gray gorilla out of instinct. The training also includes several key phrases which are used within the novel to prevent them from attacking. Still, the training enforces strict behavior control, which a gray gorilla would need to make a -4cs Psyche FEAT to resist. Although incapable of understanding the context of the training, the gorillas of Zinj still remember the specifics.
• Location Limited: The gray gorillas of Zinj are found only around the lost city, and are not encountered anywhere else. The gorillas are region bound, and do not migrate or function easily in new environments.

Notes: While I attempted to maintain a version of the gray gorillas more towards the novel, there are enough moments where the 1995 movie did get the gorillas right not to include some of the representative behaviors and appearances. The 'sneak attack' ability I feel is important to address, as it is stressed by Crichton in the book at different points, and was clearly designed to unnerve any would-be attackers by making the gorillas seem like ghosts. I think that it's clear that the training was advanced enough to take the impact of the sneak attack into account.

Finally, I wanted to address the higher FASERIP. Comparative to a standard ape, a gorilla of Zinj is simply superior physically and mentally. The specifics were addressed in the novel and the very unnerving concept of human-ape copulation was suggested. Regardless of the reasons, it's clear that the gorillas are more a threat than a standard Ape per the Judges Book.

The Wolfen Pack from the novel version of 'The Wolfen'

A sub-race of wolves which evolved separately from man, the pack in Whitley Strieber’s The Wolfen represent both a hidden threat to humanity as both predator and intelligent adversary. The novel (far superior than the 1981 movie) gives a real feeling to the ‘monster’ – That is possible that such creatures could exist, and were the basis for the original werewolf legends. There are several tense scenes in the book, from the inadvertent discovery of the pack’s lair to the finale in the high-rise building that really are spine-chilling.

Why The Wolfen?

Simply put, the novel was an awesome and fresh take on the werewolf legend in such a way to represent ‘evolutionary horror’. I enjoyed the book quite a bit as the narrative is both from the human perspective and the pack’s perspective, granting a rare view into the minds of main antagonist(s). Strieber offers a really good horror book without a lot of unnecessary and overt ‘dumbing down’ of the concept – There are questions that are never answered, but it’s a logical reason why those questions are never answered. In other words, the book doesn’t try to neatly explain everything , and that’s kind of cool.
I will say that the movie version with Albert Finney really doesn’t do the book justice at all (rewriting huge sections and changing the nature of the pack completely). In the end, the superior novel is left as a bookmark to the inferior movie.



The Wolfen Pack

Typical Pack Member

F: Ex (20)
A: Gd (10)
S: Gd (10)
E: Ex (20)
R: Typ (06)
I: Rm (30)
P: Gd (10)

Health: 60
Karma: 46
Popularity: 0*
Resources: Fe (2)

Talents:
The Wolfen are essentially evolved wolves, having no real talents or training.

Powers:
Evolved Wolves:
The Wolfen Pack are evolved wolves, slightly large in size with an opposable thumb-like digit, higher cognitive function and evolved sensory abilities. These evolved wolves have existed on the fringes of human society, preying upon the weak, sick, and overlooked. Usually a pack of seven, the Wolfen pack who serve as the main antagonists in the novel have the following abilities:

• Tracking: The wolfen pack can track with Rm (30) ability, being able to find a specific scent in the city of New York without an issue. The Wolfen can follow the scent and/or trail as per the novel across water, through various difficult areas, and including attempts to hide or evasion by their prey. Once the Wolfen have selected a particular prey, they gain an additional +1cs to track that individual.
• Heightened Senses: The Wolfen Pack in the novel have greater than normal sensory abilities, able to see in almost pure darkness, pick up specific sounds that are outside the normal reigstry (even for wolves), and distinguish different scents and smells with greater ability (implied throughout the novel as being superior to wolves). It is assumed they have these senses at Ex (20) ability.
• Hyper-Movement: The Wolfen Pack are faster than normal wolves and/or dogs, able to move four areas a round and keep pace with a police vehicle moving at moderate speed. In addition, the Wolfen Pack and jump and bound longer distances with Pr (04) ability.
• Stealth: The Wolfen Pack move with inhuman stealth, granting them Gd (10) ability. The pack has evaded detection from advanced (1970s advanced) detection systems such as radio-mics, infra-red scanners, and other means.
• Mimicry: Wolfen have the ability to mimic human sounds with Rm (30) ability, often being able to lure unsuspecting prey into areas by posing as hurt children, familiar individuals, ect.
• Bite: Wolfen do Ex (20) edged damage to an opponent, capable of halving effective body armor and severing body parts (such as during the climax of the novel). Once a Wolfen has locked their jaws down, it requires an Ex (20) strength or opposed grapple to get them to let go.
• Pack Mentality: The Wolfen are incapable of speech, but communicate with each through other sensory abilities and low sounds. The Pack seems to share this mentality and are able to understand and communicate silently via line of sight. It is not telepathy, but rather a combination of sounds, scents, and body language.
• Cognitive Awareness: Wolfen seem to have a preternatural ability to determine if someone understands they exist, and can quickly make assumptions about a target accordingly. As seen during the pursuit of the police in the novel, the Wolfen quickly understand which officers know or have guessed about them, and proceed to hunt each down.

Contacts:
The Wolfen have no contacts, although it is suggested, implied, and revealed that during the ancient past, mankind had developed a means to communicate with the Wolfen using hand signals. This has since been forgotten by the Wolfen Pack.

Limitations:
The Wolfen Pack have several key limitations:

• Secrecy: Although not completely reasoning, the Wolfen understand that their existence must be kept secret, and will go to extraordinary lengths to hunt those down who have encountered them and lived. In addition, the Wolfen Pack tends to understand how to avoid detection and will never willingly or openly set up attacks regardless of the benefit and/or cost to do so, including rescuing their own from certain death. The Wolfen Pack will eat their own to destroy evidence of their existence.
• Animal-like intelligence: As stated before, the Wolfen Packs are evolutionary forward of wolves, but are not capable of resisting their instincts or developing past rudimentary concepts. The capacity for reason is there, the cunning is there, but for the most part, they are not revealed to be as cognitive as humans.
• Rare: Wolfen are rare, and it is implied by the author of the novel that they may even been near extinction. The Pack realizes this, having not seen other packs or encountered any others.
• Predator Need: The Wolfen need to feed regularly, taking one or two people who will not be immediately missed at a time.
• Lair: The Wolfen maintain a lair somewhere near their preferred hunting grounds. The lair is usually guarded, and not easily moved.
• Unusual Looks: Close examination of the Wolfen reveals their unusual size, the opposable thumb, and the larger head/brain. As such, those who know what to look for gain a +1cs to spotting the difference between large wolves and Wolfen.

Notes:

I always liked the book. One more 'animal' monster group during this round of Halloween write-ups.

The bats from 'Nightwing' (novel)

The winged animals are Yelaw's messengers

The massive colony of displaced vampire bats that are possibly the agents of ancient bat gods, the Nightwing bats don't just represent the danger of a natural onslaught, but also the possibility of a swarm of creatures representing a supernatural being.

Why the Nightwing Bats?

I have a love/hate relationship with Martin Cruz Smith's Nightwing. On the one hand, it was clearly one of the first 'stand out' horror books I read, mainly based on a recommendation from Stephen King's Danse Macabre and also that I got it at a library paperback sale when I was a young teenager (along with Salem's Lot). I remember reading the book and thinking that bats could be frightening, especially in large numbers and carrying both rabies and bubonic plague. I also liked the ideology of Nightwing being more than just a simple 'nature against man' sort of tale, and that the possibility that the bats could be supernaturally motivated appealed to me.

Nightwing Bats



Nightwing Bats
Individual Bat/Group of Ten (10)
F: Fe (2)/Gd (10)
A: Pr (4)/Gd (10)
S: Fe (2)/Pr(04)
E: Fe(2)/Gd (10)
R: Pr(04)
I: Typ (06)/Gd (10)
P: Pr (04)/Gd(10)

Health: 10/34 (per group of 10)
Karma: 14/24
Popularity: 0/-5 (in supernatural circles as the arm of Yelaw/Zotzilaha/Camazotz)
Resources: N/A

Talents:
None

Powers:
The bats have no powers per say overtly, outside of the standard abilities that all bats have, with three notable differences:

1. The Nightwing bats are more akin to South American vampire bats than the traditional southwestern variety. As such (and specifically in the novel), the bats are larger and more aggressive than their smaller native cousins.
2. Each of the bats is carrying a variety of diseases, specifically mentioned in the movie as Bubonic Plague and in the novels to include Rabies (See Cujo's write-up for more on Rabies effects). As such, the bite from a Nightwing bat requires an Ex (20) intensity Endurance FEAt to avoid contracting any version of the diseases mentioned, as they were stated as being a more virulent strain than normal.
3. Bats normally inflicts Fe (2) to Pr (4) edged damage, while groups of ten (10) inflict up to Gd (10) edged damage. Normally the damage is not lethal or can cause a kill result, but not Nightwing bats. Nightwing bats force kill checks per every Red Edged attack they inflict (within reason to resistance). For every group of twenty (20) bats, the damage and fighting of the swarm goes up by +1cs to a maximum of Incredible (40) representing the sheer numbers of bats. In the novel, it was estimated there were hundreds of bats within the colony easily.

In addition, the Nightwing bats have standard bat radarsense (per the Advanced Judges Book) of Rm (30) intensity, and can move 3 areas per turn.

Supernatural Origins: While openly suggested that the bats were summoned, it is never clearly defined in the novel (although the movie is more overt about it) that the bats are nothing more than a larger species. If the supernatural elements are indeed present, and are suggested by events in the novel, then the bats are in effect the vengeance of older gods upon humanity. As such, it would easy to suggest that the bats cannot be easily controlled or swayed through traditional (and non-traditional means). In other words, the Nightwing bats would probably have the equivalent to Ex (20) protection against Animal Control, and have the ability to use their collective Psyche for the purposes of Psyche FEATS. In addition, it's also safe to assume (based on actions) that the Nightwing bats are willing to sacrifice numbers to bring down opponents or engage in effects that would not be normal (as seen in the movie and during attacks described in the book).

Contacts:
None

Limitations:
The Nightwing Bats have the following limitations, both due to their nature as bats and in some cases, perhaps due to their supernatural origins.

• Sense Dependent: The Nightwing bats are dependent on their radarsense for navigation and echo location. In addition, they suffer +2cs for all sonic-based attacks.
• Blood Dependency: The Nightwing bats require blood to survive, as they are cousins of the South American variety of vampire bat. The Nightwing bats will attack larger groups over individuals, and will swarm in an almost frenzy when feeding (Shown pretty well during the movie).
• Ammonia Scent: Without getting too into the description, as the bats feed they excrete, giving off a strong ammonia smell. The bats can easily be trailed due to this scent and those with Tracking or Heightened Senses gain a +1cs for the purposes of finding their lair.
• Nocturnal: The Nightwing bats are nocturnal and will not venture out during the day.

Cujo from 'Cujo'

It would perhaps not be amiss to point out that he had always tried to be a good dog. He had tried to do all the things his MAN and his WOMAN, and most of all his BOY, had asked or expected of him. He would have died for them, if that had been required. He had never wanted to kill anybody. He had been struck by something, possibly destiny, or fate, or only a degenerative nerve disease called rabies. Free will was not a factor


The massive St. Bernard who ends up a rabid killing machine attacking its own masters, Cujo was a different sort of horror novel for Stephen King, relying on the more mundane elements of possibility rather than the supernatural to drive the suspense. Of course, having a large and rabid dog pin you in a car for some time while in the high heat of summer is pretty scary. It's still one of those scenes I can't watch comfortably for a lot of reasons from the movie version.

Cujo



Cujo the Dog

F: Gd (10)/Ex (20)*
A: Gd (10)
S: Gd (10)*
E: Gd (10)/Ex (20)*
R: Pr (04)/Fe (02)*
I: Gd (10)/Pr (04)*
P: Pr (04)/Fe (02*)

Health: 40/60
Karma: 18/ 8
Popularity: 0/-2 (That large rabid dog up in Castle Rock)
Resources: N/A

Talents:
None

Powers:
None, although Cujo's frenzied state grants him certain power-like effects:
Rabid Dog: Cujo is a rabid St. Bernard, and as such, his mental facilities are failing as the disease begins to take a toll. Ultimate, the rabies will kill Cujo, but as with anything horror-related it will cause him to have certain effects prior to his death:

• 'Iron' Will: Cujo will simply ignore damage, ranging from a simple attack to gunshot wounds with Ex (20) ability. In the novel, Cujo was still attacking after being shot several times, stabbed through the eye, beat with a baseball bat, and other similar effects up to Ex (20) intensity and still keep coming. As such, Cujo takes the damage but takes no stun effects. Cujo can still be slammed for regular intensity. Ironically, if a person has powers such as Animal Communication/Control , Cujo remains silent and may resist their control with a successful Gd (10) intensity FEAT due to his state.
• Diseased: This write-up represents Cujo at his full-blown 'rabid' state, and as such, Cujo is a carrier for rabies. Any individuals who are successfully attacked and bitten by Cujo must make an Endurance FEAT vs. Gd (10) intensity or contract rabies. Rabies treatment is available through most medical centers and hospitals, but it's not a pleasant experience. Individuals who have Gd (10) ranked Resist: Disease or are not able to contract normal disease will not contract rabies.
• Bite: As a dog, Cujo has Ex (20) bite, which inflicts against the Edged Attack Damage as per the rules for normal dogs. Unlike normal dogs, should Cujo successfully get a bite on a target, he begins to grapple them using his Endurance rather than Strength for the purposes of overbearing or taking an opponent down, similar to wrestling. In addition to grappling, Cujo's bite is considered to halve effective body armor up to Ex (20) intensity, and requires opposed strength checks in order to get free.
• Enhanced FASE/Decreased RIP: As you may have noticed, Cujo has two seperate categories of stats, representing the non-rabid/rabid states. Cujo's FASE will increase when at the height of rabies while his RIP decreases. By the time Cujo begins to attack, it is assumed he is beginning the last stages of the disease. As such, Cujo's stats will represent the secondary set of FASERIP (When applicable). In addition, the Judge must make an Endurance FEAT for every day Cujo is active, as the average rabid animal's lifespan is between three days to a week after the 'height' of the disease begins. Cujo's Agility will begin to suffer a -1cs rank every two days after the 'peak', until reaching Fe (2) at which point he will simply stop moving until death.

Contacts:
As an animal, Cujo has no real contacts.

Limitations:
Cujo's animal and rabid state has several key drawbacks:

• Obvious: Cujo is obviously diseased and with the amount of damage done, he's clearly a mess. As such, Cujo is a -2cs reaction bonuses and a +1cs to Intuition to spot something wrong.
• Terminal: Cujo is dying, and as such, has only a short time before rabies kills him.
• vicious: Cujo will seek to attack any creature he encounters, regardless of past connections or affiliations.
• Animal Intelligence: Cujo is very clever for a dog, but still just a dog. As such, Cujo is incapable of certain actions or planning.

Notes:
I used the original write-up for Dogs in the Advanced Judges book as a basis to begin planning Cujo, but with most things Stephen King you need to take things up a little notch. Cujo remains one of the more tragic and frightening antagonists created by King in my opinion.

The Birds from 'The Birds'

The Birds




Game Effect:

The event which drove the birds into a killing frenzy is unknown, but whatever it is, it has united all forms of birds into attacking humanity with no care to themselves. The birds seem to communicate as a single flock: able to spot and coordinate with reach other with no care to individual or traditional flock safety. MSH Advanced Handbook lists a flock of ten birds as having the following attributes:

F: Gd (10) A: TY (06) S: FB (02) E: Ty (06) R: FB (2) I: Pr (04) P: Fb (2)
Health: 24 Karma: 8

With the increased numbers, the flock grows like an organic creature, increasing statistics for every +10 birds in the immediate area. A flock of birds is treated as its own entity, although it is not a group/hive mind or anything like that. The flock simply continues until such time that it is dispersed down to about 10, either by force or choice.

The flock, made up mostly of crows, gulls, sparrows, and other native birds add 10 Health for every 10 Birds within an area, while capable of doing 2 pts per hit with every attack. The larger 'flock' has the following attributes:

F: +1cs per every 20 birds
A: +2cs per every 20 birds
S: +1cs per every 50 birds*
E: +1cs for every 100 birds
R: +1cs for every 20 Birds
I: +1cs for every 20 Birds
P: +1cs for every 20 Birds


Each bird can individually fly 4 areas/round, hence the flock can move at 4 areas per round. Furthermore, the birds seem to communicate with each other, showing a greater than normal intelligence the more birds are present. The more birds in the flock, the greater danger the flock becomes, and with the endless supply of birds and the willingness to sacrifice large numbers to destroy and murder humanity, they can become a formidable enemy.

The birds will attack in upwards of 20 - 30 at a time, doing 2 pts per damage directly (edged) to an opponent. While not necessarily a problem at 2 pts at a time, the birds will also attempt to blind and/or overwhelm an opponent (as they did to Suzanne Pleshette). The Birds will also attempt to attack smaller, easier targets first, showing some degree of selective thinking. In essence, the flock will wear down opponents by overwhelming them, sacrificing numbers to break into hiding places or vehicles, and generally swarm around. The flock seems perfectly willing to wait for appropriate times to attack, as seen in the sequence at the elementary school, as well as the attack in Bodega Bay. At the same time, the reasoning and motives remain mysterious.

The Heap from 'Airboy'

The Heap

Baron Eric von Emmelman

F: Ex (20)
A: Gd (10)
S: In (40)*
E: Am (50)
R: Typ (06)
I: Typ (06)
P: Rm (30)

Health: 120
Karma: 38
Resources: Fe (2)
Popularity: - 5/5

Talents:
Mystic Origin*: (In the later appearances involving the goddess Ceres)
Pilot
Military
Multi-Lingual (Prior to being the Heap) English, German


Powers:
Plant Body: The Heap's entire mass is made of vegtable matter, and is capable of resisting many forms of damage. The Heap is completely immune to natural disease toxins, as well as having other abilities such as:

• Armor Skin: The Heap's bio-mass is considered to give him Am (50) armor skin
• Invulernability: The Heap is invulnerable to natural disease and toxins.
• Increased Strength: The Heap can regenerate its mass and increase its strength to Am (50) through a simple Psyche FEAT. The Heap's health also increases
• Immunity to Stun: The Heap cannot be stunned in conventional means. Any situation that requires a stun effect is ignored by the Heap.
• Amorphous Body: As a being made up of vegatable matter, the Heap ignores certain kinds of attack, such as traditional shooting attacks or thrown weapons (The weapons either pass through the Heap or have a chance to be stuck). The Heap can also grab opponents and 'smother' them in its mass, requiring an opposed strength check or begin the drowning process.
• Regeneration: The Heap can regenerate damage simply by absorbing nutrients from other organic sources, such as plants, nutrients from soil, or animal matter (See Limitation Below)
• Resist: Magic: The Heap has some natural resistance to magic, at Ex (20) ability, brought out in the Aircel revised origin that included the goddess Ceres.

Contacts:
Airboy
Skywolf
The Goddess Ceres
Ricky Wood

Limitations
Despite his powers, the Heap has several key limitations:

1. Vegtable Body: As a plant-based being, attacks specifically against such do an additional +2cs damage to the Heap. In the case of powers based around plant control, the controller must make a power FEAT vs. The Heap's psyche. If the Heap loses the contest, the Heap's form is under the whim of the plant controller.

2. Monstrous Visage: The Heap is a gigantic (7' to 9' tall) monster, which requires anyone encountering the Heap to make a -2cs Psyche check in initial dealings.

3. Mute: The Heap cannot speak.

4. Limited Skills: While the heap has awareness of its previous life, it cannot use the skills of the Baron.

5. Dependency on outside types of Oxygen: The Heap has been shown in the past to need to absorb nutrients and most importantly oxygen from outside sources, usually using cattle or similar herd stockl