The Creature from 'The Creature from the Black Lagoon' (1954)

There are many strange legends in the Amazon. Even I, Lucas, have heard the legend of a man-fish.
 

The Creature from the Black Lagoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Creature, Gill-man

F: Ex (20)
A: Ex (20) (In Water), Gd (10) on land
S: Rm (30)
E: Rm (30)
R: Typ (6)
I: Ex (20) (in Water), Gd (10) on land
P: Gd (10)

Health: 100/90
Karma: 36/26
Resources: Pr (4)
Popularity: 10/-10 (As attraction/Scientific Curiosity and as Rampaging Monster)

Talents:
Underwater Combat
Underwater Survival
Area Knowledge: Amazon River
Hunting

Powers:
Amphibious Nature: The Gill-Man is an amphibious creature, capable of living on both land and water, being adapted for life as necessary. It is believed the Gill-Man's physiology is standard for its species, but no evidence has been supported to provide such one way or another. As such, the Gill-Man's physiology allows him the following:

• Armor skin: Typ (6) protection against physical attacks (all though not bulletproof), as well as pr (4) protection against energy attacks
• Body Adaptation: Pr (4): The Gill-Man's body adapts to its environment, from growing new lungs to support a life out of the water to shedding damaged scales and other parts of itself.
• Hyper-Swimming: Ex (20)
• Water Freedom
• Water Breathing
• Natural Weaponry: Claws: Ex (20)
• Resist: Temperatures: Gd (10) protection against temperature damage, such as heat and cold

Contacts:
Theoretically None, although different individuals have attempted to help the creature in later movies.

Limitations:

• Unusual Looks: -2cs when dealing with individuals due to its visage for all social FEATs.
• Water Dependency: The Gill-Man must hydrate himself or begin to suffer accordingly if not given opportunity to adapt.

The Rage Virus from '28 Days Later' (2002)

It started as rioting. But right from the beginning you knew this was different. Because it was happening in small villages, market towns. And then it wasn't on the TV any more. It was in the street outside. It was coming in through your windows. It was a virus. An infection. You didn't need a doctor to tell you that. It was the blood. It was something in the blood. By the time they tried to evacuate the cities it was already too late. Army blockades were overrun. And that's when the exodus started. Before the TV and radio stopped broadcasting there were reports of infection in Paris and New York. We didn't hear anything more after that.

The Rage Virus

How the Virus works: The virus is based on Ebola and operates like an enhanced strain of Rabies. The victim becomes infected through fluidic contact, either by a bite, exposure to blood, saliva, or what have you. The victim immediately must make an Endurance FEAT of Rm (30) or better, requiring a yellow. If the FEAT is made, then the victim may have an opportunity to resist the effects of the virus. Enhanced healing, such as Regeneration or Recovery will also assist in combatting the virus, but most normal humans immediately succumb.

Once infected, the victim will begin to show signs within three combat rounds as the virus spreads inhumanly quickly. The virus immediately does the following:

• Grants a +1cs to Strength and Endurance as the brain is constantly flooding the body with biochemicals and eliminating toxic build-up, locking the victim in a perpetual 'on' mode.
• Reduces Reason to Fe (2), placing the character in a feral animalistic state.
• Removes reasoning and language skills. Once infected, a character is little more than an animal who seeks to maim and murder. Simple thing such as feeding, operating tools, and what have you will disappear.
•  Due to the release of biochemicals from the brain, the character will not feel the effects of pain and will not be slowed down by damage. They can be killed or maimed, but the massive amounts of endorphins released will prevent them from registering pain.
• The eyes change color to an unusual reddish-orange
• Oddly, the infected do not attack one another. They will seek out uninfected to attack.
• The infected will swarm and attempt to kill or infect anyone they find.

The Rage Virus, unlike the Marvel Zombie plague is not uncurable. The idea that a natural immunity might exist was explored in 28 Weeks Later, and could be created with proper research and the right intelligence. A hero seeking to cure the Rage Virus could do so if they had a proper lab, the proper skills, and a reason of Ex (20) or better to compensate for the ever mutating strains.

The most common methods of dealing with the Rage Virus is to simply wait the infected out, as the victims no longer can feed themselves nor do they care to. It was believed as the victims could not survive starvation that would be enough to end the threat of the violence....

Victor Frankenstein from 'Frankenstein' (Literary Version)

Too often the monster Adam is promoted within fiction, and rarely is the tragic figure of its creator featured. A man obsessed with cheating death and the knowledge of god's power that he succeeds in granting life, although the cost is clearly beyond his ability to comprehend and bear. It is the neglect of Frankenstein which spurns the monster Adam's anger and hatred, and ultimately, it is the resolve of Frankenstein that forces a showdown in the frigid wastes of the Arctic.

Ironically enough, Frankenstein when originally presented was not a mad scientist, a doctor, or even a Baron; The modern attachment to the iconic aspects of the good doctor have fundamentally changed the scientist to several things that he was not. Undoubtedly, in every adaptation, Victor Frankenstein is beyond brilliant, and ultimately, the more tragic for it.


This write-up is a combination of all the sources, leaning most heavily on the original and the later 'Mary Shelly's Frankenstein' adaptation.

Victor Frankenstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baron Victor Von Frankenstein

F: Gd (10)
A: Gd (10)
S: Typ (6)
E: Ex (20)
R: In (40)
I: Rm (30)
P: Rm (30)

Health: 46
Karma: 100
Popularity: 10/-20 (as the creator of the monster)
Resources: Rm (30)

Talents:
Medicine*
Physics
Alchemy
Electrical Research
Surgeon
Multi-Lingual
Firearms
Marksman*
Chemistry*
Knowledge: Philosophy
Knowledge: Education
Knowledge: Biochemistry

Powers:
None

Contacts:
Ultimately, None

Limitations:
Insanity: Frankenstein becomes obsessed easily, first in creating the creature, then destroying it.

The Blob from 'The Blob' (1958, 1988)

Kate, there's a man here with some sort of a parasite on his arm, assimilating his flesh at a frightening speed. I may have to get ahead of it and amputate. No... I don't know what it is or where it came from.

Originally conceived as a particle of outer space matter, The Blob represented a different sort of movie monster: Unlike monsters of the era who were aliens bent on world domination or creatures on rampage against mankind, The Blob simply existed and devoured.


The Blob

F: Pr (4)
A: Pr (4)
S: Sh X (150) (representing the Blob under full strength and mass)
E: Sh X (150) (representing the Blob under full size and mass)
R: Fe (2)
I: Fe (2)
P: Fe (2)

Health: 308
Karma: 6
Popularity: - 10
Resources: N/A

Talents:
None

Powers:
Amorphous Physiology: The Blob's biomass is one central organism that grows and gains strength through the absorption of organic material. The Blob initially begins as a small mass, then latches onto a larger organism devouring it and increasing its own mass. Ultimately, The Blob will continue to absorb and convert organic material until there is none left. Essentially, The Blob exists only to feed and grow. The larger The Blob is, the faster it consumes material. As such, The Blob has the following abilities:
- Consume organic material: The Blob is permeable, and as such is capable of enveloping large prey with ease. The Blob's ability to consume organic prey is akin to acidic consumption, utilizing a organic acid whose strength is based on size. The larger The Blob is, the stronger the acid. The Blob can dissolve organic material up to it's strength score per round, doing damage accordingly.
- Binding: The Blob attaches to a victim, requiring an appropriate Strength FEAT to detach it, depending on size and scale. The Blob can then pull victims into the center mass with a simple FEAT, allowing it to absorb and digest.
- Growth: For every 100 pounds of organic material The Blob absorbs, it can grow by 1 point. Initially, the Blob starts very small, then absorbs organic material accordingly. Theoretically the Blob's actual limit of growth is uncharted. The Blob's strength and endurance is directly tied to the amount of mass it takes on.
- Movement: The Blob moves similarly to a snail, using a 'foot' to maneuver and occasionally lash out. The Blob's movement rate is tied directly to its size, and while deceptively slow, The Blob is capable of quick moves
- Invulnerability*: The Blob is invulnerable to all forms of physical attacks, disease, toxins, and some energies. As such, attempts to attack the blob are often met with disastrous results, causing The Blob to separate. The Blob cannot be stunned or slammed, causing it instead to break into pieces when red FEATs are made against it.

Contacts:
None

Limitations:
Despite the abilities of The Blob, it has several key weaknesses:
Inability to digest inorganic material:The Blobcannot consume inorganic material, such as metals, glass, or plastics. As such, defenses can be constructed to prevent The Blob from moving forward, allowing it to be contained.
Fire: Fire will affect the The Blob, causing it 'pain' as it were, and doing superficial damage to it. Fire does a -2cs damage to the Blob.
Cold: Cold is the real weakness to the Blob, causing it +2cs damage and freezing it. The Blob can be contained indefinitely with cold and ice.

Xena, Warrior Princess

Xena, Warrior Princess

Xena

F: In (40)
A: In (40)
S: Gd (10)
E: In (40)
R: Ty (6)
I: Rm (30)
P: Rm (30)
Health: 130
Karma: 66
Popularity: 15/-15 (Due in part to her prior actions as a warlord)
Resources: Typ (6)

Talents:
From the Series, Xena’s talents are too numerous and extensive to properly
list, so here is a quick overview:
Weapons Mistress*
Weapon Specialist* (Chakram)
Oriental Weapons*
Occult Lore*
Ancient Medicine*
Martial Arts A, B, C, D, E,
Acrobatics
Tumbling
Multi-Lingual: Latin, Hellenic, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Egyptian, and Minoan
Leadership*
Horseback
Knowledge: Other Cultures
Seafaring
Astrology
Resist: Domination
Escape Artist*
Crime

Poweres:
Xena possesses several “Pseudo-Powers”. Outside of her normal skills, which are quite impressive.
- Hyper Leaping: Pr (4)
- Martial Supremacy: D: Rm (30):
- Martial Supremacy: A: Rm (30)
- Iron Will: IN (40): She’s had her back broken, both legs, and put to death twice......You tell me she doesn’t have Iron Will
- Recovery: Ex (20)
- Incarnation Awareness: UN (100): Xena seems to have the uncanny ability to remember her life as Xena, despite what time she resides in.

Equipment:
Body Armor: Xena’s leather “Armor” provides Gd (10) Protection against Physical, Typ (6) vs. Energy, and it makes her look good.
Sword: Xena’s Sword is made of Rm (30) Material, and can cause Ex (20) Slashing damage
Chakram: Xena’s signature weapon, the Chakram is made of Un (100) Mat, can be thrown for Rm (30) damage, and be utilized intrick shots up to three areas away. The Chakram can be thrown to return to Xena’s hand, and outside of Callisto, Xena seems to be the only person to have mastered it. The Chakram is unique and has been stated within the canon of the series as being made of a mysterious metal, and took great effort to reforge.
Whip: Though Gabrielle traded the original whip away for a frying pan (I am not kidding), Xena probably replaced the whip. The whip is made of Gd (10) mat, and can strike for Pr (4) damage. On a Green Agility FEAT, Xena can entangle or trip opponents.

Contacts:
Xena knows so many people, I thought I would take a moment to
just go over the big ones:
Gabrielle
Joxer
Eve: Warrior and Daughter:
Autoclys: King of Thieves
Argo (I+II): Loyal Horses

Limitations:
Bloodthirsty Past: Xena's past continues to plague her attempts to redeem herself, as she was responsible for great evil. People are initially very distrustful of her, with good reason.
Enemies: Too numerous to mention, they include the gods, the dead, devils, demons, former lovers, and former associates. Xena's enemies rarely give her a moment's peace.

The Kothoga from 'The Relic' (1997)

Never thought there'd be a worse way to die than a shark attack. Having my head ripped off never occurred to me.

Brought to life as the Mbwun in the very excellent novel The Relic, the movie counterpart in the form of the Kothoga was an amalgamation of nature gone wrong,  that was a chimera in the best sense of the word. While the Mbwun had a very different look and the movie did not follow the excellent pacing or revelations that The Relic and the follow-up Reliquary did, the look of the Kothoga for the movie has replaced in many minds how the Mbwun should have looked.

For those not familiar, I strong recommend the novel and as a curiosity the movie. While the movie is a good B-movie, the characters and sprawling feel of the New York Natural History museum are lost, and that is part of what makes the modern monster very dangerous indeed: Knowledge of the museum as it was once one of the scientists.

For the purposes of this write-up, I'm focusing on the novel's aspects of the Mbwun with a liberal interpretation of the Kothoga.

The Kothoga

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Julian Whittlesey

F: Ex (20)
A: Ex (20)
S: In (40)
E: Am (50)
R: Pr (4)
I: Am (50)
P: Pr (4)


Health: 130
Karma: 58
Popularity: As the Museum Murder: -15, as a creature of myth, -10.
Resources: Fe (2)


Talents:
Area Knowledge: New York Museum of Natural History

Powers:
Blessed by Kothoga: By undergoing the ritual of Kothoga, Dr. Whittlesey ingested rare leaves which included a retrovirus capable of massive mutations. The retrovirus was filled with reptilian, mammalian, and amphibian DNA, which altered Dr. Whittlesey permanently into the Kothoga, a creature worshiped by distant aboriginal tribes in South America. The leaves also provide a source of nourishment for the Kothoga, which is essential for its continued existence (See Limitations). As such, the Kothoga has the following attributes:

- Armor Skin: Ex (20), requiring machine guns to truly slow it down, explosives to do harm to it.
- Heightened Senses: Rm (30), with the exception of In (40) sense of smell
-Tracking: Rm (30)
- Darkvision: Rm (30)
- Stealth: Despite it's size (9' with enough mass to be described as a small rhino in the novel), the Kothoga is extraordinary stealthy, granting it an Ex (20) stealth
- Natural Weaponry: Claws: Rm (30)
- Natural Weaponry: Bite: Capable of severing bone and steel easily with In (40) ability.
- Recovery: Gd (10)
- Regeneration: Ex (20)
- Hyper Running: Gd (10), capable of charging for 1 area with no build-up.

Contacts:
None

Limitations:

• Need to Feed: The Kothoga's natural diet includes the leaves which caused its transformation. Denied this, the Kothoga's next source is the human hypothalamus gland, making it a dangerous and unpredictable opponent. The Kothoga begins to weaken without a food source at a rate of -1cs a day to start, then after 2 days -2cs, etc until it either feeds or dies. The Kothoga must consume upward of two persons a day to start, but as the need grows, the body count increases.
• Unusual Looks: The Kothoga looks nothing like human, and must use the shadows to hunt.
• Nocturnal: The Kothoga is mostly a night hunter, suffering -2cs for actions while in bright daylight.
• Animal Intellect: There is nothing of Dr. Whittlesey left within the Kothoga, outside of the knowledge to return to the museum for the leaves and knowledge of it. The Kothoga is not mindless, but has an animal instinct and cunning.

Note:
Read The Relic if you have not, it truly is a great book and the science isn't bad.

The Invisible Man from 'The Invisible Man' (1933)

Suddenly I realized the power I held, the power to rule, to make the world grovel at my feet.

The Invisible Man

Dr. Jack Griffen


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

Health: 50
Karma: 60
Popularity: -15 as the Invisible Man
Resources: Varies, but usually around Gd (10) average, as high as Ex (20) or as low as Pr (4)


Talents:
Medicine*
Biochemistry
Chemistry
Engineering
Physics


Powers:
Invisiblity: Through the use of Monocane, Dr. Griffin has rendered himself permanently invisible. While permanently invisible, the good doctor has the following benefits and drawbacks:
- Invisible: Griffin cannot be seen via the visual spectrum, although possesses mass, the ability to see (even with the color rods in the eyes rendered clear), and the ability to decern depth and color. Griffin can be seen with infra-red/Ultraviolet, and can be picked up with heightened senses or tracking. Griffin is concered to have Rm (30) invisibility.


Contacts:
Dr. Kemp: Associate and fellow scientist, prior to his death


Limitations:
Insane: Due to the amount of Monocane and the permanency of his invisible state, Dr. Griffin is quite mad, suffering from delusional grandeur and paranoia at the very least, making him very unstable.
Permanently Invisible: Griffin is permanently invisible, and remains such until his death with no way to reverse his condition.