Revision as of 23:14, 10 December 2004

Shambling Horror

Exotic Components: Among the corpses that make up the Shambling Horror, there must be at least one family of five members or more. If more than thirty corpses are used, two such families are required. If more than forty are used, the corpses of a pair of true lovers must be used as well.
Successes Needed to Assemble: 1 per 5 corpses used (round up)(Difficulty: 3 )
Mote Cost to Animate: 5-50 motes

Shambling Horrors are not graceful like Spine Chains, nor do they have an alternate use as do Corpse Grinders. Their purposes is to sow destruction and chaos on that battlefield, and at that, they are very, very good. A Shambling Horror is a group of corpses fused together through Necromantic magic--a juggernaut designed to crush all in its path. Their appearance varies greatly, based on the corpses used, but they usually have two enormous arms (some have four, or several sets of smaller arms), pillar-like legs, and a head that is only a hole filled with razor-sharp teeth.

Attributes: Strength (number of corpses/4), Dexterity 2, Stamina (number of corpses/3). No social attributes. Perception 2, Intelligence 1, Wits 2.
Virtues: Not applicable. Never fails Valor rolls, never succeeds on any other rolls.
Abilities: Athletics 1, Awareness 2, Brawl 4, Endurance 5, Melee 3, Presence 3, Resistance 5, Survival 2
Base Initiative: 4
Attack:
Fists: Accuracy 6, Damage Varies, Defense 6, Rate 5
Bite: Accuracy 7(+1), Damage Varies(+5L), Defense: 4(-2), Rate 2
>Some Shambling Horrors wield enormous weapons made out of bone and sinew. Use the rules for Warstrider weapons for these monstrous creations.
Dodge Pool: 2, Soak: Varies (+3L/3B gristle and fat)
Willpower: 10, Health Levels: Two -0's, Two -1's, and Two -2's per ten corpses, in addition to -4 and Destroyed.
Essence: 1
Other Notes and Powers:

• Size: Shambling Horrors may be created with any number of corpses between 10 and 50. It's Strength and Stamina are determined by the number of corpses used to make it. The Difficulty of the proces is also determined by the number (rounded up to the nearest 10).
• Variable Construction: A Shambling Horror may be equipped with a number of features--one may be chosen for every ten corpses included in its creation. Sample features are listed below:
  • Secondary Arms: The Shambling Horror is equipped with a second pair of massive arms. This reduces the penalty for multiple actions by 2, though it cannot bring the penalty below zero.
  • Secondary Legs: The Shambling Horror is quadrupedal. All movement rates are doubled.
  • Forest of Grasping Arms: The Shambling Horror has up to a dozen small arms, usually centered in its chest. These arms allow it to make a free clinch attack against anyone within reach, without multiple action penalites.
  • Monstrous Weapon: The Shambling Horror is equipped with an enormous weapon, designed to increase its killing capacity. Any close-range weapon may be chosen--its statistics are the same as the equivalent warstrider weapon. Only non-artifact weapons may be chosen.
  • Spines: The Shambling Horror is covered in bony spines. Anyone attacking it in close combat suffers their own strength + 2 lethal damage, soaked as normal. If it also has the Forest of Grasping Arms feature, then its clinches do an additional + 2 damage, and its clinch damage is lethal.
  • Howdah: The Shambling Horror has a fenced-in hollow carved out on its back, which may carry five troops for every 10 corpses used in its making.

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Comments, Suggestions, or Flames

I really like this one, I think we've needed a good massive undead nasty for a long while, and this seems to fit the bill. It's a bit hard for a twilight necromancer to make one of these, at least without killing an entire family. Although I suppose you could just about manage. Anyway, nicely done!
-- Darloth

Killing an entire family is the point--it helps bind the finished product together ^_~ And thank you! -Dorchadas