Creature: Horned Ghosts

[Susano]

HORNED GHOSTS

Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes
15	STR	5	12-	Lift 200kg; 3d6 HTH Damage
16	DEX	18	12-	OCV:  5/DCV:  5
15	CON	10	12-
10	BODY	0	11-
8	INT	-2	11-	PER Roll 11-
8	EGO	-4	11-	ECV:  3
15	PRE	5	12-	PRE Attack:  3d6
8	COM	-1	11-

5	PD	2		Total:  5 PD (1 rPD)
5	ED	2		Total:  5 ED (1 rED)
3	SPD	4		Phases:  4, 8, 12
6	REC	0
30	END	0
26	STUN	0		Total Characteristics Cost:  39

Movement:	Running:	8"/16"
Swimming:	2"/4"

Cost	Powers & Skills
17	Horns:  HKA 2d6; No STR Bonus (-1/2), Reduced Penetration (-1/4), END 3
4	Bite:  HKA 1 point (1/2d6 with STR); Reduced Penetration (-1/4), END 1
1	Leathery Hide:  Damage Resistance (1 PD/1 ED); Does Not Protect Hit Locations 
5 and 12 (-1/4)
4	Goat-Like Legs:  Running +2" (8" total), END 2
1	Splay Footed:  Usable As Running on up to 2" of Swimming (+1/4); Surface Only (-1), 
Only On Marshy Ground (-1)
3	Sharp Senses:  +1 PER with all Sense Groups
1	Can eat Anything:  Life Support (Diminished Eating:  can digest virtually any kind of 
protein)

Skills:
9	Combat Skill Levels:  +3 with Move By, Move Through, Strike

0	AK:  Marshes of Nevia Valley 8-
0	Analyze Animal 8-
0	Concealment 8-
0	Language:  Horned Ghost (native)
0	PS:  Horned Ghost Abilities 8-
0	Shadowing 8-
0	Stealth 8-
0	Survival (Marsh/Swamp) 8-
40	Total Powers & Skills Cost
79	Total Character Cost

75+	Disadvantages
10	Physical Limitation: Near Human Intelligence (F, S)
10	Physical Limitation: Limited Manipulation (F, S)
15	Psychological Limitation: Always Hungry; will eat anything, including each 
other (C, S)
5	Vulnerability:  1 1/2 x BODY to Location 5 (UC)
79	Total Disadvantage Points

 

Ecology:

Horned Ghosts are swamp and marsh-dwelling humanoids. They live in large herds, numbering in the dozens, and are true omnivores, capable of eating virtually anything (up to and including each other). In order to digest what they eat, Horned Ghosts will swallow nuggets of gold, and an old Ghost has been known to have between 20 to 30 pounds of gold in their gizzards.

 

Personality/Motivation:

Normal animal motivations. If a Horned Ghost has one weakness, it is far too much appetite and too little brain to direct it. Even in the midst of battle, Ghosts have been known to fall upon slain herd members and begin eat them. Wise adventures can use this to their advantage, by dropping attacking Ghosts with arrows and making good their escape in the feeding frenzy that follows.

 

Powers/Tactics:

Horned Ghosts have fairly simply hunting tactics. They will change anything that looks like prey, performing a Move Through with their horns. They will then pull the (presumed) corpse off of their horns and begin eating. In close combat they will usually thrust and slash with their horns, although some will try and grapple in order to deliver a painful bite. Due to their overpowering hunger, it is rare for Horned Ghosts to flee from a fight.

 

Appearance:

A Horned Ghost has a humanoid form, with the upper body of a minotaur, and the lower body of a satyr. They get their name from their horns, which are similar in size and shape to a Texas Longhorn's but stand up and forward from the top of the had (looking down onto a mob of Horned Ghosts has been described as resembling an asparagus patch of bayonets). Their teeth are sharply pointed (the better to tear with), while their short arms end in four-finger hands (they have no thumbs). A Horned Ghost's legs are splayfooted, and enable them to travel fairly well across mash and swamp. Physically, their only real weakness is a soft spot between the horns. A blow here will almost always kill the Horned Ghost instantly.

 

Designer's Notes:

Horned Ghosts are found in the novel Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein. One could easily make then into a sentient race -- give them thumbs and tools and you have carnivorous cannibalistic satyrs! -- and they make a good swamp-dwelling race to go along with the traditional lizard and frog men. In the same novel Heinlein also mentions the Cold Water Gang. These creatures never actually make an appearance and are said to resemble a man who's been drowned for a week.

 

(Horned Ghosts created by Robert A. Heinlein, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)

[Curufea]

Re: Creature: Horned Ghosts

 

I also think they may make a good cursed race. Some race of people/slaves angered some powerful sorcerer and turned into non-sentient, eternally hungry animals.

[Susano]

Re: Creature: Horned Ghosts

 

I also think they may make a good cursed race. Some race of people/slaves angered some powerful sorcerer and turned into non-sentient' date=' eternally hungry animals.[/quote']

 

Good idea!

[Susano]

Re: Creature: Horned Ghosts

 

It was pointed out that the "Splay Footed" power was bought incorrectly. Use this instead:

 

1 Splay Footed: Usable As Swimming on up to 8" of Running (+1/4); Surface Only (-1), Only On Marshy Ground (-1)

[Curufea]

Re: Creature: Horned Ghosts

 

I'm definitely thinking of populating the Grey Bogs of my world with them - interlopers into the necromancer's realm that have been punished. Possibly with the nice etchical connundrum of reversion to original innocent farmer after death

[Savinien]

Re: Creature: Horned Ghosts

 

I'm going to use this creature in my Star Hero game!

[Alibear]

Re: Creature: Horned Ghosts

 

You might consider giving them a Hunted as people would definately target the contents of their stomachs.

[Susano]

Re: Creature: Horned Ghosts

 

You might consider giving them a Hunted as people would definately target the contents of their stomachs.

 

Hmm.... I think the older Bestiary had "Hunted by Poachers" for some animals. In the case of Horned Ghosts, I think their natural ferocity offsets any material gain one would get from their gullets.

[Seraphym]

Creature: Horned Ghosts

 

The name gave me a great image.

[Savinien]

Re: Creature: Horned Ghosts

 

I got to use the Horned Ghosts last night in my Depths of Space: Crashlanding! game last night. Even though the character engaging the creatures had a Gauss Pistol, she was still ****ting bricks when it came at her galloping across the swamp.

 

She dropped it after three or four shots and sat down immediately, breathing a sigh of relief. That's when she heard the rest of them coming...

 

[PRICELESS]

 

Thanks again!