Erasmus1966

Have to agree with Atgxtg on this. There's not a lot out there.... but I'd take a look at GURPS Space 4th Edition, which contains much useful information that, while biased towards its own game system, can be adapted for use with other rules. As an aside, the best fun I ever had with Spacecraft combat was Full Thrust, so I'd check that out too... it doesn't adhere to any system but its own, but is fast, simple, and adaptable with a little work...

Oh dear

The Roc STR: 70 CON: 30 SIZ: 70 INT: 8 POW: 20 DEX: 13 Move: 3/12 Flying HP: 50

Ah, the age-old battle between analogue and digital I'm not suggesting at all that the major role in our hobby can and must remain printed literature. I'm a book lover anyway, and while I enjoy being able to use my kobo to read 700 free classic Sci-Fi novels, the complete works of HPL etc, I still believe that real books, made of pulped trees, are better... Conversely, I think software-based tools have their place, at the very least in the development stage of an adventure or setting. I build Solar Systems using programs, worlds are mapped using Fractal Terrains. I store my creatures in a custom-designed database, which also has coded the GURPS Space creature creation rules. This is not for some, I know, and I respect that. All roads lead to Rome, but there are many paths to the same destination. I too lament the loss of the stores that supported the birth of Roleplaying. I'm lucky I live near enough to London to visit The Orc's Nest, though even that isn't how it used to be. We lose potential players to WoW and other online games. We lost some to just the standalone Computer RPGs. CCGs make my teeth grind, because years ago they had the same effect as computer-based roleplaying. Whilst I don't think the hobby will die, I think it's been diluted, and therefore is not as profitable as it once was. The bottom line is that the future of RPGs lies in our hands. We write, we GM, we get our kids to play, our families.... we proselitize to show people that sit-down, face-to-face, gamemastered games are so much more immersive than computer-based games or CCGs... it's up to us to establish the market that will help the hobby grow again. Many of us remember the stigma of being a 'geek' or a 'nerd' at school. That stigma is almost dead these days, and I embrace the labels proudly... The Geek shall inherit the Earth!! Err... bit preachy, there, sorry Rant over

Love books though I do (and I firmly believe that a game book can be a damn good read in and of itself), I agree that the 'book-style' format probably hampers Game-running. I'm sure many of us use utilities to assist us in GMing or writing our adventures, but I'm aware that not everyone has the technology to use, for example, a netbook or laptop as a GMing tool. I am extremely lucky to have access to such technology. I guess the ideal would be a game that has true integration with the modern tools and devices we have available to us, but formatted in such a way that the game itself would be readable if it were printed. I feel we are lucky that BRP requires a lot less tables than most RPGs. I built my own GM screen and gave some thought as to what would be useful to have on the GM-side, and all I could firmly agree with myself on was the Resistance Table. Hmm... I may start another thread about what a GM would want in a BRP-supporting GM app. Given the logical construction of BRP, I don't think such a thing would be that difficult... of course, just because such a thing is possible, doesn't mean it's desirable Damn it... I just built a dice tower and it makes such a lovely noise when you roll dice through it... I'm so torn

This what happens when you look in the wrong place on the Chaosium website I'll get me coat....

I'd also think that keeping the current version available while the new one is in development would be a good way of maintaining visibility... maybe its a contractual thing?

As well as V'ger, the Whale probe from Star Trek IV, the mothership and saucers from Independence Day, Mothra, Ghidorah, Gamera (if you like turtles), and the asteroid from Armageddon.... I was trying to work out the SIZ of Apokalips from the last episode of Smallville, just to work out quite how strong Superman actually is... (for reference, Superman actually pushed the whole damn planet out of the Solar System)

The geometric rate described in Atgxtg's post above works for me. It allows upscale beasties with enough granularity to distinguish between them, AND allows Cthulhu (210) to beat the snot out of Gojira (170). Continuing the progression to the nth degree (because I could ), allows us to the size of planets and stars without exceeding 1000 SIZ (Sol itself is SIZ 768 (assuming I got my formulae right). For reference (like anyone would even care ), the mass of the Universe has an estimated upper limit of SIZ 1566...

According to 'The Official Godzilla Compendium' by J.D. Lees and Marc Cerasini, the Big G (as at 1995) weighs in at 60,000 tonnes, Mothra at 22,000 tonnes, and King Ghidorah at 88,000 tonnes. Biollante beats the lot, weighing 200,000 tonnes! Maybe we should start talking in units like KiloSiz? It'd make the numbers easier when they go one on one, but allow us to equate the SIZ correctly when we scale down to people-size... I'm not sure I have enough D6's for Godzilla's DB if we were to use 2000 as a SIZ

This is probably a bit rich coming from me, given the general level of 'Ick' ( seneschal 2012) I build into my beasties.... but ewwww

Thanks for the info... look forward to the new release

Speaking of Cthulhu Rising, it doesn't appear to be available from the Chaosium Monograph pages anymore... Sad, as from its dedicated website it appeared to be a nice product

Can we beat this guy by pointing out that he's not in a closed system???

That's just nasty at the conceptual level, let alone in reality Persuade her to brew beer instead

Thanks for the feedback The multiple attacks of the Wumpus are a little OTT, I'll admit (yes, okay, VERY OTT) , but the idea was to make the attack more granular, in that it could spatter a person all over the landscape, but you could kill it if you drove over it with a tank or bulldozer without them being heavily damaged. I'm sure for a more formal write-up some kind of halfway house could be achieved... Funnily enough my wife said the BedCat write-up was one of the nastiest things she'd ever read, and as she has a degree in Corrections and Criminal Justice, and an academic interest in Forensic Pathology, she knows all about nasty. I always try to figure the logic behind creatures. It makes for a more believable beasty. I love monster movies, but a little part of my brain has difficulty suspending disbelief if the creature isn't at least a little plausible...

Beasty number 3: The BedCat (another from American Folklore) Description: A BedCat is an insect the size of a housecat, that feeds on the blood of sleeping victims. It originally evolved as a specialist Hematophage that fed on hibernating bears, but with the encroachment of human logging camps into its territory it has modified its behaviour to enable feeding on man. In appearance, an unfed Bedcat looks like a huge version of its smaller brethren, with a very flattened bodyform. Short black sensory hairs sprout from the joints in its cartilagenous brown skeleton, giving it a patchy, furry appearance. Its feeding apparatus consists of a large extensible maw at the anterior end, which houses a feeding tube. The feeding tube grows continuously, as it breaks fairly easily. This gives its end a jagged appearance. Method of feeding The BedCat secretes itself in the mattress of the victim, at approximately the position of the neck in a reclining human. When the victim is soundly asleep, it bites through the mattress fabric, removing a sizeable chunk of the victim's flesh. 25% of the time, this is a part of the victim's neck and spinal column, and thus the bite instantly paralyses the prey. 75% of the time, another part of the victim is bitten, causing less damage, but it should be borne in mind that this bite can still easily remove an arm. The attack wakes its victim 100% of the time unless they are completely unconscious, though those victims bitten in the spine have no ability to do anything about it anyway. It then feeds on the blood exuding (or more often squirting) from the hole at a rate of 1 litre per minute. This means that an average man would be completely exsanguinated in 5 or so minutes. Removing the BedCat from a bitten victim requires a STR roll against 10 on the resistance table, and causes an additional 1D3 damage. The BedCat is an extremely fecund creature. It mates in a similar fashion to a normal-sized bedbug, with males using a sharp genital spike to impale its potential mate somewhere in the abdomen, at which point it deposits sperm. However, the bedbug, and its larger relative the BedCat, is not fussy. Smaller bedbugs will attempt to impregnate any well-fed member of its own species, and BedCats are even less discerning. They will attempt to impregnate any animal that is similar to its own size, including cats, small dogs, raccoons etc. This usually severely injures or kills the potential 'mate'. Luckily this attack can be easily dodged by a victim that's not asleep (Dodge successful on a standard Agility roll). If a successful mating (with another BedCat, of course) has occurred, the female of the species lays a number of pinhead-sized eggs, that cling to fur and clothing, thus transferring the species from location to location. The young are almost indistinguishable from ordinary bedbugs at birth, with a similar feeding pattern. They progress to larger prey as they grow, reaching full size in about a year. They rarely manage to reach even half-growth, given their slow movement and the advent of powerful insecticides. Potential for additional nastiness: In a less than realistic campaign or scenario, the mating may produce hybrids. It is up to individual GM to determine their nature. Stats: Roll Avg STR 1D3 2 CON 2D6 7 SIZ 1 1 POW 3D6 10-11 DEX 1D6 3-4 Mov: 2 HP: 4 DB: -1D6 Armour: 1 point thick chitin Attacks: Bite Skill: 100% Dam: 3D6-DB Notes: 25% to paralyse victim completely. Only usable on sleeping victim. Causes an additional 1 point of damage through blood-loss every round it remains attached Sperm Duct Skill: 50% Dam: 1D6 Notes: The deposited sperm is slightly toxic (Pot 5) Skills: Hide in Mattress 90% Identify member of own species 5% Heavily based on the biology and habits of actual bedbugs, this may be the most unpleasant creature I've ever built . I tried to make it at least a little plausible, but one has to work with what one has Opinions, as always, gratefully received (be gentle with me )

Beasty Number 2: The Whirling Wumpus (this is a very weird one, and most of it's characteristics are really not my fault ) Whirling Wumpus (Wimpus) Synonyms: Whirling Wimpus, Turbinocissus nebuloides '...Lives along the hardwood ridges of the Southern Appalachians, and is doubtless responsible for the occasional complete disappearance of hikers in that area. A chunky beast, some seven feet tall, with a body about the size of a coal-oil drum and roughly furred. The equine hind legs unite at the fetlock, terminating in one broad hoof. The front legs, disproportionately long, sinewy and powerful, end in broad paddles. When standing at ease, the Whimpus usually rests these on the ground. The Whimpus is wholly carnivorous. Deer, bear, oxen, turkeys, humans---they're all grist to his mill. About sundown time he will take stand by a bend in the trail and begin to whirl on his single hoof. The maximum speed (2150 r.p.m.) is quickly reached and is accompanied by a peculiar droning sound. At top speed the Whimpus is practically invisible, a little dust or a few leaves eddying about being the only indications of his presence. The unwary, home-bound hiker, on hearing the odd droning, usually starts to investigate it. The instant he steps within the circle of those flying, flailing bony paddles he is deposited thereon in the form of an unctuous treacle. The Whimpus then promptly cuts his throttle, slows down, and crawls under a nearby patch of rhododendron to lick off his syrupy supper. A Whimpus was recently reported from Nebraska by a chap whose name, age, and previous condition of veracitude are unknown to us. He swears that he saw one at precisely 11:32 P.M., on June 23, 1935, just as he was emerging from a roadside gin-mill. We are dilligently seeking confirmation of this report…' From Henry H. Tryon's “ Fearsome Critters ” http://www.lumberwoods.com/p65.htm Description: Additional to the description above, the upper body, head and limbs of the Wumpus are very similar in structure to that of a large anthropoid ape, with the exception of the already-mentioned fore-feet. It is unknown whether the Wumpus is a naturally evolved creature but this is considered highly unlikely. It is more likely that it is the creation of a deranged geneticist/insane magical practitioner with a particularly warped sense of humour. Special Attacks: Assuming that the 2150 r.p.m. above is accurate, and that the Wumpus can make two strikes per revolution, this equates to (in a 12 second combat round) 860 attacks! However, these attacks can only occur in a 6 foot radius from the body of the Wumpus. The Wumpus is largely stationary while revolving, but can move slowly by hopping when it is not. Special defenses: The Wumpus bobs and weaves slightly while revolving, which results is it being almost invisible at full speed. This is reflected in it's high 'Hide (While Spinning) ' skill. It would be even higher were it not for the droning sound made during spinning. The spinning predation strategy gives the Wumpus an interesting defense mechanism while spinning. Any attack with a melee weapon on a spinning Wumpus has a 75% chance of knocking the weapon used from the user's grasp. If this occurs, there is a 1 in 4 chance that the weapon will hit that user, doing normal damage plus half the Wampus's DB. Missile weapons are deflected 75% of the time, and on a 1D12 roll of 12 will be send back in the direction they came from (i.e.: directly at the attacker). If it hits the attacker, the missile does normal damage plus a quarter of the Wumpus's DB. Effects on the Wumpus of magical or psychic attacks are normal. Energy-weapon attacks on a Wumpus are normal 75% of the time. The other 25% they strike the wampu's swirling fore-feet and do minimum damage. Note: Whirling Wumpus is a term used for a number of differing creatures. The creature depicted above should not be confused with the creature also known as a Wumpus-cat, which will be covered under a separate entry. Stats Roll Avg STR 4D6+18 32 CON 3D6 10-11 SIZ 2D6+18 25 INT 1D6+3 6-7 POW 3D6 10-11 DEX 3D6 10-11 Armour: 3 points of thick hide and fur MOV: 2 (Hopping) HP: 17-18 DB: +3D6 Attacks Attack: Fist (Spinning) Skill: 50% Note: 1D10+DB The Wumpus can attack 860 times per combat round, but cannot move while spinning. Skills Hide (While Spinning) 90% Hide (Not Spinning) 75%

Glad you liked it. I was aiming for icky Regarding your other questions, while I believe an awful lot of pretty much everything in the world can be blamed on hysteria (interestingly the Chupacabras seems to be culturally aligned to the Hispanic population), I'd suggest that the Puerto Rican population is a small percentage of the whole, possibly a relict population that came to notice due to the growth of the island's population, whereas the mainland population has a wider range of places to hide. The write-up I've done assumes a naturally evolved creature, as opposed to a mutation or genetically engineered creation. The longevity and geographical spread of the reports indicates to me that we are seeing a species of elusive cryptid, rather than a small, widely dispersed population of deliberately 'made' animals. This was also behind my decision to make the Chupacabras a mammal rather than a reptile. The bare skin of the face was an attempt to make a more squamous-looking mammal. Quite why the mainland population would favour the west coast I don't know. Perhaps they were deliberately transplanted by person, persons or entities unknown. Conversely, the fact that the reports come from the arid areas may indicate that they are simply easier to spot in that environment? This may also be the reason for its diet now including household pets. Assuming I am correct in my assumption that it's a mammal, the Chupacabras too could be susceptible to mange, which would not only make it even more 'icky' (I love technical terms - did they ever use that term in the Malleus Monstrorum? ) but also make it match some of the other descriptions. Other stories refer to wildly divergent creatures, so it appears that the term has become a catch-all for any mysterious entity of sufficient 'ick'.

Okay, first beasty, El Chupacabras: Roll Avg STR 1D6+6 9-10 CON 3D6 10-11 SIZ 1D6+3 6-7 INT 1D6+2 5-6 POW 3D6 10-11 DEX 3D6+6 16-17 Move: 28 HP: 8-9 DB: 0 Attack Skill Damage Notes: Claw 50% 1D3 Bite 25% 1D2 Not used in combat Spines 75% Contact Poison: POT 15 Effects: Paralysis and Anticoagulant Poison Skill Percentage Sneak 75% Listen 60% Hide 90% Description: The Goatsucker is a ground-dwelling biped approximately 3-4 feet tall, distantly related to Genus Ateles (Spider Monkeys) but significantly larger. The arms are elongated as one would expect from a monkey, but the legs are longer. The Chupacabras walks digitigrade on feet which, unusually for a primate, have only three toes. The hands have three fingers and a semi-opposable thumb, all of which have claws used for clinging to prey and for self-grooming. The Chupacabras has a covering of short, well-groomed grey hair, but its head is largely naked. The tail too is naked, with an unpleasant resemblance to that of a huge rat. All areas of bare skin are grey, though a lighter shade than the fur. As befits a nocturnal creature, it has large eyes with excellent night-vision, that flash reddishly when they catch the light. It's nostrils are simply holes in the face below the eyes, and it's mouth is a slit that contains only two incisors in the upper jaw, which are used to penetrate the skin of prey in the throat or genital area in order to drink it's blood. A row of unbarbed quills runs down the spine from the back of the head to the base of the tail. These normally lie flat but can be erected when the creature is agitated or executing it's unique method of predation (see below). El Chupacabras has evolved an interesting method of predation. It waits in ambush near game trails, until another animal passes. This creature is usually of similar mass, in order to supply a large enough meal to last the Chupacabras for several days. As the prey animal passes, the Chupacabras erects its caudal quills and rushes past the prey, ensuring that the quills come in contact with the prey's skin. At the base of each quill is a modified sweat-gland that secretes a fast-acting contact-venom with paralytic and anticoagulant properties. This is carried up narrow channels in the quills by capillary action. Once the contact poison takes effect, the prey becomes torpid and then collapses, though the venom does not affect the autonomic nervous system. Thus the prey is still alive and semi-conscious when the Chupacabras begins to feed. The Chupacabras uses its overdeveloped incisors to cut its way to the nearest large vein (usually in the throat or more rarely the genitalia), at which point it begins to drink the blood of the prey. Feeding is assisted by the continued circulatory action of the prey animal. The Chupacabras is a solitary animal much of the time, meeting only to mate. After a 2 month gestation period, the female gives birth to 1-2 offspring. If twins are born, the larger or more aggressive of the two will usually kill the weaker. Offspring stay with the mother for a year or more, at which point they can fend for themselves by preying on smaller animals. It is impossible to distinguish visually between Chupacabras genders, as the genitalia is small and retracted in the male and fully internal in the female. Since man began to impinge upon the Chupacabras territory, they have adopted a semi-urban lifestyle, using their abilities to hide during the day and emerging at night to attack domesticated animals or pets. Constructive opinions, if any, gratefully received. Bear in mind this is just my take on this creature, trying to fit it into a semi-real-world context.

Interesting and feasible choices, seneschal, thanks I'll assume each is a species rather than an unique creature unless research says otherwise...

Err... I was thinking of starting with two or three and working my way up from there I almost started doing stats for some of the more obscure monsters from the Godzilla franchise but the standard player response is the famous battlecry of 'Run Away!!'

For mysterious places, such as exploring the interior of a derelict alien spacecraft, may I recommend the old fallback of Holst's 'Saturn' and 'Neptune' from the Planet's Suite? 'Mars' is quite suitable for scene-setting, and for some reason 'Uranus' always makes me think of giant spiders.... listen to it and you'll see what I mean... Bruckner's 6th Symphony has a certain charm for Fantasy settings too.....

Hello folks, I've been browsing the forum for a few months now and thought I'd have a go at making a proper contribution, given how many ideas and worthwhile bits of advice I've found on here. My Question is this: Which creatures from cryptozoology and legend would you like to see statted and described for BRP? I plan to attempt these and I'll post the results for critique and feedback. Regards, Erasmus