Jump to content

The Investigators vs. Eternia!


seneschal

Recommended Posts

The intrepid PCs intervene moments too late to stop the cultists' ritual. A gate to elsewhere opens. But things don't turn out exactly as the evil Professor Simonton, the heroes' recurring nemesis, planned. Instead of contacting the Plain of Leng or the Nameless City or Unknown Kadath, the cosmic portal leads to ... Eternia. Yeah, that Eternia. Suddenly Skeletor and his minions are loose in 1920s Boston (or wherever your campaign is set), and it is up to the player-characters to stop him. He-Man's stuck in his own dimension, puzzled but relieved to get a break from the Big Bad's endless schemes.

Skeletor's got high-tech gadgetry, a sorceress, and mutant musclemen on his side. (So far, par for the course for a typical CoC encounter.) His energy weapons and vehicles will eventually run out of juice and ammo, and he'll have difficulty compensating with Twenties Earth tech. As usual, his ambition exceeds his competence and that of his goons, who may have their own agendas. On the other hand, there are surely mouldering tomes and ancient artifacts in the adventurers' world that could prove useful to him.

Could it work? Magical super villains might make an interesting break from the usual Mythos opponents. On the other hand, CoC focuses on suspense and mystery, and subtlety isn't Skeletor's strong suite. Try keeping this one out of the papers, guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You sir, have failed one too many SAN rolls.

So, Skeletor is all about scheming and consolidating power. The problem is he’s about as subtle as a hammer to the skull.

If he shows up, he’s going to assess the scene. If he’s impressed, he’s going to want whoever is present to take them to whoever’s in charge. If he’s unimpressed, he’s going to loudly set up shop. There’s room here for Skeletor to be swept up by a government agency, keyed in conglomerated corporation or a secret society.

It’s very possible he shows up and makes a big noise, resulting in military action. Skeletor’s not above running tail between legs when he’s outclassed, so there might be a big dust up, Skeletor retreats, reassesses the situation, then makes his move.

Skeletor is fine with entering into alliances with those he views as equals or betters as he’s got an angle on betraying them anyway. If Skeletor lands, he’s going to be very loud. A Skeletor event is likely to destroy a large city or two or a small country or two.

Evil Lyn is much more circumspect. She’s more likely to blend in, take stock, and then start with the nasty sorcery. If she lands without Skeletor, she might construct a ritual to bring him through to Earth. Alternatively, she might decide to leave the bonehead and set up shop herself.

If she decides to bring Skeletor over, it’s likely because she wants to use his raw power to consolidate gains herself. There’s plenty of fun to be had with Evil Lyn as the head of a new cult as she pulls together the resources to open a dimensional gate. Should she ignore Skeletor, she’d likely focus on building her power base. She had a few infernal contacts in Eternia, she might want to make some on Earth.

Evil Lyn is powerful and dangerous and Skeletor knows it. Should she disappear, he’s likely to get paranoid and start looking for her. Skeletor might make his way to Earth whether Evil Lyn wants him to know about it or not.

If they come over together, Evil Lyn might get Skeletor to think a bit more before blowing things up. They would likely be a lot more dangerous to the PCs but would also provide an avenue for the PCs to play one against the other.

Also, in the old comics, Evil Lyn was really Evelin Powers, an astronaut that crashed on Eternia in Queen Marlena’s space ship. Evil Lyn would have Earth knowledge and be very dangerous.

Now, if one or more of the goons show up with Skeletor or Evil Lyn, they’re likely to go along with whatever plan is put forth. On their own, they could be a lot of fun too. Much less planning and much more terrorizing. Easier to take down as well.

I would suspect that if I sprung this on a group that hadn’t bought into the premise, I should be very wary of thrown objects. :D

70/420

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I would suspect that if I sprung this on a group that hadn’t bought into the premise, I should be very wary of thrown objects."

The key might be just to have the plot thread begin, confront the PCs with an encounter or two, without naming names but vividly describing their opponents' appearances and the consequences of the baddies' actions (as you would with any unknown CoC monster). See how long it takes for the group to figure it out, if they ever do. >:>

Plus you've got Professor Simonton, the local bad guy, too. Will he join forces with the newcomers, worshiping them as gods? Pretend to be subservient while scheming to gain arcane power from the visitors? Or will he rally his cultists against these unwanted rivals, possibly seeking the PCs as allies against this new, greater threat to his long-term plans?

Yeah, it always occurred to me that Evil-Lyn was powerful enough to have set up shop for herself. Why she always chose to turn over awesomely powerful magic items to Skeletor after first testing them out herself had me scratching my head. Loyalty among thieves? It couldn't have been old Skull Face's good looks. As to the other typical members of the crew:

Beast Man -- He's got bestial strength, senses, and agility as well as the ability to talk to and control animals. Not the brightest tool in the box, he's still an excellent stalker and tracker, uses technology freely, and has plenty of ambition. He tends to react emotionally rather than thinking things through. Although always intimidated by Skeletor, he'd be the minion most likely to turn on his boss and stab him in the back if he thought he could get away with it. Other than Mer-Man, he's the most likely to come off as a typical CoC monster at first ... except he's got plans to make himself Somebody.

Mer-Man -- Typical Deep One type, except he can speak plain English and has pretensions of being King of the Sea (like Aquaman or the Submariner). Like Beast Man, he resents Skeletor's domination. He's less likely to buck the big boss directly however, more liable to run off to the depths and start his own projects. Ironically, although he loves water, he hates mud as he was forever being tossed into deep puddles of it by He-Man. He carries either a trident or a magic sword that can shoot water like a fire hose. Instead of seeking a human mate or sacrifices, Mer-Man is likely to collect some goons of his own and begin to boss folks around and steal things ... like a typical '20s gangster boss.

Trap Jaw -- Cyborg, master inventor and weaponsmith, his missing right forearm is an attachment point for his various devices. He also has heavy metal jaws which presumably could be used to bite people a la the James Bond villain Jaws (although the cartoon never had him attempt this). Despite his genius, he's a follower, subservient and loyal to Skeletor. How he'd make do with local Earth gear would be interesting. He'd be a scary but much more comprehensible opponent for the PCs, sort of a cross between the Terminator and Lex Luthor but with less brains when it came to pulling off his schemes. Plus his gadgets, awesome when they work, don't always function exactly as planned.

Tri-Klops -- A muscular swordsman with a rotating helmet with three lenses that give him super vision and the occasional ability to shoot energy beams. He presumably has dark hair and a normal pair of eyes beneath. Tri-Klops is mere hired muscle, but he is strong enough to toss around boulders and never questions Skeletor.

There were many more evil minions, most of them robotic or animal-like humanoids, but these were the main, original goons. On the other hand, perhaps some of the lesser-known antagonists would make better CoC opponents if you play up the scary and play down the gimmickiness.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Masters_of_the_Universe_characters

Besides, what's truly more scary -- facing the Mythos or re-living your '80s childhood? ;D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, Evil Lyn knows Skeletor's got the raw power. That's why she rolls in skull's crew. She might call him over because she wants to do some strong arming of Earth. She might call him over because it would stretch him too thin and she could then double cross him.

She might be the one contacting the players. Skelemeister could be in transdimensional psychic contact wiht Professor Simonton to set up the Earth end of the portal to bring Skeletor to Earth. Evil Lyn might just be happy being the mystic big dog on Earth and might want this stopped.

Don't get me wrong, I behind your idea all the way. Just be ready for the groans and the hurled objects.

Besides, what's truly more scary -- facing the Mythos or re-living your '80s childhood? ;D

And at the end of the session, you should do a recap stressing the valuable life lesson learned.

70/420

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"And at the end of the session, you should do a recap stressing the valuable life lesson learned."

Heh, heh. Watching some Filmation episodes (He-Man, Bravestarr) back-to-back, even the villains sometimes got into the act, essentially saying, "Don't be like me." I don't know how players would react, but it would be appropriate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and Cartman should really all have cameos if you ever do this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and Cartman should really all have cameos if you ever do this.

Naw, all my campaigns are G-rated, or at least the cleaner side of PG. Besides, isn't Kenny ... dead?

In any event, here's initial flavor text for a Skeletor write-up. I've tried to make him a little more mysterious and menacing as befits a CoC monster. I'll probably use the super powers rules instead of sorcery when building him since he just points and shoots like a Polaroid camera, no incantations, spell books or nasty spell components needed. Even the artifacts he collects act more like technological power tools than magic items. They each do one thing reliably without a lot of fuss or preparation, only they never run out of ammo or battery power.

The Hooded One

The sinister schemer known as The Hooded One is a power-hungry would-be conqueror seeking to enslave whatever worlds and beings he encounters. A master of arcane knowledge, he employs both weird science and sorcery to achieve his ends. He’s equally comfortable turning foes into frogs or sending robotic soldiers against them. Despite the fantastic abilities he has accrued during his long quest for universal dominance, The Hooded One is at heart a bully and a coward. He blithely threatens his minions but hesitates to strike a competent opponent until he can be sure of having an unquestionable advantage. Not content with gathering power a little at a time, The Hooded One is forever in search of the ultimate gadget or magic item which will enable him to seize his target in one fell swoop. He’ll opt for a grand, convoluted master plan when simpler, slower, or quieter methods might serve him better.

The Hooded One rarely tackles opponents one-on-one. He almost always is accompanied by up to five subservient minions, each of whom has powers and ambitions of his (or her) own. This goon squad is occasionally augmented by The Hooded One’s robotic “knights,” squat hovering cylinders equipped with grasping mechanical arms and laser projectors. The Hooded One usually has his minions attack first, stepping in once he’s assessed the situation.

Although he displays numerous abilities, The Hooded One most commonly fires magical blasts from his hands. These can damage or immobilize a foe, or control the victim’s mind. He also can teleport and isn’t ashamed to abandon minions and allies when the tide of battle turns against him. (When in a more generous frame of mind, he can teleport his allies with him.) The Hooded One proudly brandishes a staff as long as he is tall and topped by a ram’s skull, which he is loathe to part with. However, his magic powers seem to function perfectly well whether he has it in his possession or not. He also variously carries a sword, a double-headed axe with a crystal ball embedded in the top, or an energy pistol. The arch-villain inevitably has some sort of hold-out weapon or device hidden upon his person which he can pull out when defeat seems certain. Since he’s normally almost naked, the ability to conceal these items is apparently yet another evidence of his mystic prowess.

A tall, muscular humanoid, The Hooded One possesses the blue skin and clawed fingers and toes of a Hindu divinity. His face is a yellowed skull, which sits within a voluminous hood without visible neck, although his head movements are normal. His Stygian eye sockets glow red when he is excited or angry. In addition to the hood, kept in place by a chest harness, he wears a matching breechcloth. He occasionally complements these with knee-length boots and/or a flowing cloak.

Despite his impressive appearance, The Hooded One’s voice is high-pitched and rather squeaky, possibly as a result of the injuries that destroyed his face. He has a tendency to throw back his head and cackle maniacally when he’s sure he has the upper hand.

Edited by seneschal
Add comment
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No Battlecat???

Skeletor rides a purple great cat called Panthor, Battlecat's evil equivalent (but without the headgear). But he's equally as likely to ride one of Trap Jaw's hover sleds or simply teleport where he wants to go. Apparently he's not fond of aerobic exercise. For my final write-up, I'll probably have to include supplemental write-ups for The Hooded One's feline mount and his robot guards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of the challenges of writing up Skeletor is that he doesn't have a well-defined set of abilities. New ones keep popping up as the plot demands, in addition to the mystic McGuffin of the week. Also, his powers don't fit neatly into one BRP niche. To reflect what The Hooded One can do, I had to raid four of the Big Gold Book's five power suites. Firing off energy blasts from his fingers, freezing foes in place, and mind-controlling opponents are his main schitcks, but he does a few other things regularly, too:

Mutations -- Natural Weapon (Claws), +1D6 to Brawl

They have to be good for something.

Psychic Abilities -- Clairvoyance, Divination, Intuition, Mind Control, Telepathy

Skeletor regularly spies on King Randor and family via crystal ball, originally got his powers from the extra-dimensional entity Hodak, is a better detective than He-Man, and telepathically gives orders to his goons.

Sorcery -- Curse of Sorcery (4), Liken Shape (4), Make Whole (3), Unspeakable Bonds (3), Undo Sorcery (4)

When mind-controlling someone, Skeletor often disfigures them in some way. He also disguises himself via magic, restores ancient magic and technological items to working order, and rarely gets magicked himself. Unspeakable Bonds seemed a better match for how he restrains victims than the super power Snare Projection.

Super Powers -- Armor, Defense, Energy Projection (kinetic, radiation), Extra Energy

His finger blasts are technically magic, but they do regular physical harm. Armor because although he goes around nearly naked, he never seems to get a scratch in his many sword fights and tussles with He-Man. Defense because despite Eternia's bulging arsenals of energy weapons, ancient missile weapons, and magic staves and wands Skeletor never seems to get hit by a ranged attack, ever. The BRP rules for shields and parrying don't appear to model this well.

Although we've chuckled about what a doofus Skeletor is, in CoC terms he's shaping up as a rather dangerous foe. He-Man may be able to beat him up, but will the PC investigators be able to outsmart him, survive his depredations, and ultimately foil his latest harebrained scheme?

What do y'all think?

Next: skills. Skeletor is a Criminal, a Scientist, a Warrior, and a Wizard, and his skills reflect all four of these professions. But will even 500 skill points plus his personal skill bonus enable him to be competent?

Edited by seneschal
Add comment
Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, here's a completed initial write-up for Skeletor (aka The Hooded One for Call of Cthulhu purposes). Let me know what you think. Competent enough to be dangerous but not so competent as to run roughshod over the PCs?

The Hooded One

The sinister schemer known as The Hooded One is a power-hungry would-be conqueror seeking to enslave whatever worlds and beings he encounters. A master of arcane knowledge, he employs both weird science and sorcery to achieve his ends. He’s equally comfortable turning foes into frogs or sending robotic soldiers against them. Despite the fantastic abilities he has accrued during his long quest for universal dominance, The Hooded One is at heart a bully and a coward. He blithely threatens his minions but hesitates to strike a competent opponent until he can be sure of having an unquestionable advantage. Not content with gathering power a little at a time, The Hooded One is forever in search of the ultimate gadget or magic item which will enable him to seize his target in one fell swoop. He’ll opt for a grand, convoluted master plan when simpler, slower, or quieter methods might serve him better.

The Hooded One rarely tackles opponents one-on-one. He almost always is accompanied by up to five subservient minions, each of whom has powers and ambitions of his (or her) own. This goon squad is occasionally augmented by The Hooded One’s robotic “knights,” squat hovering cylinders equipped with grasping mechanical arms and laser projectors. The Hooded One usually has his minions attack first, stepping in once he’s assessed the situation.

Although he displays numerous abilities, The Hooded One most commonly fires magical blasts from his hands. These can damage or immobilize a foe, or control the victim’s mind. He also can teleport and isn’t ashamed to abandon minions and allies when the tide of battle turns against him. The Hooded One proudly brandishes a staff as long as he is tall and topped by a ram’s skull, which he is loathe to part with. However, his magic powers seem to function perfectly well whether he has it in his possession or not. He also carries a sword. The arch-villain inevitably has some sort of hold-out weapon or device hidden upon his person which he can pull out when defeat seems certain. Since he’s normally almost naked, the ability to conceal these items is apparently yet another evidence of his mystic prowess.

A tall, muscular humanoid, The Hooded One possesses the blue skin and clawed fingers and toes of a Hindu divinity. His face is a yellowed skull, which sits within a voluminous hood without visible neck, although his head movements are normal. His Stygian eye sockets glow red when he is excited or angry. In addition to the hood, kept in place by a chest harness, he wears a matching breechcloth. He occasionally complements these with knee-length boots and/or a flowing cloak.

Despite his impressive appearance, The Hooded One’s voice is high-pitched and rather squeaky, possibly as a result of the injuries that destroyed his face. He has a tendency to throw back his head and cackle maniacally when he’s sure he has the upper hand.

STR 17

CON 16

SIZ 15

INT 16

POW 21

DEX 15

APP 9

Move: 10

Hit Points: 16 (or SIZ + CON = 31)

Damage Bonus: +1D4

Armor: 8 (kinetic, heat, radiation); he’s just that tough!

Attacks: Brawl 46%, 1D3+1D6+1D4; Grapple 46%, 1D3+1D4; Energy Projection 51%, 6D6; Staff of Chaos 45%, 1D8+1D4 as staff, 31%, 2D8+3 as blaster rifle; Sword 36%, 1D8+1+1D4

Skills: Appraise 36%, Command 26%, Craft (Electronic Gear) 26%, Dodge 51%, Fast Talk 26%, Fine Manipulation 26%, Heavy Machine 22%, Insight 26%, Jump 46%, Knowledge (The Occult) 26%, Knowledge (Other Dimensions) 26%, Knowledge (Legendary Magical Artifacts) 26%, Language (Etermian) 80%, Language (English) 21%, Listen 46%, Parry 36%, Perform (Rituals) 26%, Persuade 36%, Repair 36%, Research 46%, Ride (Great Cat) 26%, Science (Physics) 22%, Spot 46%, Stealth 31%, Technical (Electronics) 22%, Technical (Robotics) 22%

Powers:

Mutations -- Natural Weapon (Claws), +1D6 to Brawl

Psychic Abilities – Clairvoyance 21%, Divination 21%, Intuition 21%, Mind Control 30%, Telepathy 21%

Sorcery -- Curse of Sorcery (4), Liken Shape (4), Make Whole (3), Unspeakable Bonds (3), Undo Sorcery (4)

Super Powers – Armor 8 (kinetic, heat, radiation, 24 pts.), Energy Projection level 6 (kinetic, 60 pts.), Extra Energy +60 power points (6 pts.), Teleport level 30 (30 pts.)

Failings: Full-time villain identity (+5), megalomaniac (+3), must keep a constant eye on his ambitious, unreliable minions (+3)

Notes:

Skill points were 500 base plus 160 for INT, total 660. These were fairly evenly divided among his skills. Super power points were 109 based on total of unmodified characteristics plus 11 for failings, total 120. The Hooded One can fire a 6D6 kinetic blast up to 90 meters. He can teleport himself 1,000 meters twice, or 2,000 meters once, or himself and a friend of the same SIZ 1,000 meters. Because he has only 81 POW points to fuel his super powers and his sorcery, he uses these abilities sparingly. It explains why he isn’t a walking arsenal and depends so heavily on his minions.

Edited by seneschal
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No Battlecat???

Apollyon (The Hooded One’s ride)

When he needs to travel long distances rather than make a quick getaway via Teleport, The Hooded One employs his mount, Apollyon, a massive dagger-toothed cat so black he appears purple in some lights. Similar species died off on Earth tens of thousands of years ago. Apollyon has equivalent training to a war horse and will not flee in panic at loud noises or become distracted by the smell of blood during battle. Off-duty, the great cat is only too happy to finish off victims or stalk the PCs. Although he’s protective of and faithful to The Hooded One, Apollyon isn’t a familiar as such. He can’t talk, and the sorcerer can’t see or hear through his eyes and ears.

STR 23

CON 18

SIZ 18

INT 8

POW 13

DEX 23

Move: 12

Hit Points: 18 (SIZ + CON option = 36)

Damage Bonus: +2D6

Armor: 7 (2 skin, 5 barding)

Attacks: Bite 50%, 1D10+1D6; Claw 60%, 1D6+2D6; Ripping 80%, 2D6+2D6

Skills: Climb 55%, Dodge 50%, Hide 70%, Jump 60%, Listen 50%, Sense 50%, Spot 55%, Stealth 75%, Track 35%

Notes:

Apollyon's stats were generated using the Mountain Lion template at http://wstryder.org/coccg/. His skills are based on those of a lion in the Big Gold Book. I beefed up his INT a bit and gave him protective barding, as befits a war mount.

Edited by seneschal
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Robot “Knights”

The Hooded One stole the design for his shock troops from some technologically advanced dimension and has since managed to manufacture his own. Since he has to build them by hand instead of mass producing them, no two are exactly alike. Squat off-white cylinders equipped with sinister glowing eyes, grasping arms and integral laser projectors, these mechanical guards are about the size of a standard metal trash can but hover with their “heads” six feet off the ground. They aren’t heavily armored because the weight would interfere with their movement but their metal coverings provide some protection. While their alien design might prove instructive to technically inclined PCs or the campaign’s resident mad scientist, the robots would be difficult to reproduce with 1920s technology. Although the general populace of The Hooded One’s dimension regarded the knights with fear, the heroes of his world treated them as mere mooks. Will the player-characters do so?

STR (3D6+6) 16-17

CON (2D6+12) 19-20

SIZ (3D6) 10-11

INT 10

DEX (3D6) 10-11

Move: 10

Hit Points: 16

Damage Bonus: +1D6

Armor: 3 (metal skin)

Attacks: Brawl 35%, 1D6+1D6; Grapple 46%, 1D6; Heat Ray 55%, 2D8

Skills: Language (Eternian) 65%, Listen 30%, Sense 60%, Spot 30%, Stealth 40%, Strategy 25%, Track 55%

Notes: Since they hover about a yard off the ground, knight robots can’t stumble or trip. However, damage to the lower portion of their torsos might impair their movement or cause them to fall. As electromechanical constructs, they cannot heal damage but must be repaired by a knowledgeable technician.

Edited by seneschal
Changed per reader suggestions
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Love it. Just to let you know, though I'm being quiet I am digging your thread here.

In regards to the Robot 'Knights', if I were stating them up I would drop the POW and APP and give them fixed INT due to their nature as robot constructs. I would also up their Brawl attack from a base of 1d4 to a base of 1d6 due to their robotic nature.

70/420

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the kind words and the suggestions. I'm working on a Cthulhu-ized Beast Man next.

One question for you experienced Call of Cthulhu GM's: How would you assign Sanity penalties to the creatures described so far? They're not exactly folks you'd see on the street (except, perhaps, in Hollywood) but they aren't utterly alien, either.

Also, how effective are they as opponents and monsters? Too powerful? Too weak? Just right?

Edited by seneschal
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Childe Feral

Childe Feral, a hulking fanged humanoid covered in reddish-brown fur, has never forgotten that he was once lord of his own forest realm before The Hooded One forced him into servitude. Although cowed by the arch-villain’s imperious manner and mysterious powers, the man-brute would cheerfully turn upon his master if he thought he could get away with it. Perhaps following the dictum to keep one’s friends close and one’s enemies closer, The Hooded One has made Childe Feral his chief minion.

Feral has the bulky strength of a gorilla and the heightened senses and agility of a jungle cat. Although he is capable of using an energy pistol and flying a hover sled, he is most comfortable in a rural, outdoor setting, doing what comes naturally. Childe Feral is an excellent stalker and tracker. He tends to react emotionally rather than thinking things through, a creature of strong, simple passions: rage, hunger, lust, curiosity. In the heat of battle, he may ignore sword and pistol to attack with teeth and claws.

One reason The Hooded One recruited Childe Feral, in addition to his great strength, is the man-brute’s innate ability to control animals. Feral emits pheromones that inspire the parental protective instinct of the wild creatures around him, causing them to fight on his behalf as long as he remains nearby. In his own dimension, Childe Feral has seduced animals as large as a dragon.

Other than scabbard and holster, Childe Feral usually wears only a breechcloth necessary to protect his modesty. When he is expecting trouble, he dons boiled leather shoulder pads, elbow pads, and kneepads. Although these accessories are too ridiculously small to offer him much protection, he thinks they make him more impressive.

STR 36

CON 15

SIZ 32

INT 11

POW 11

DEX 21

APP 10

Move: 12

Hit Points: 24 (CON + SIZ = 47)

Damage Bonus: +3D6

Armor: 3 (thick fur and hide)

Attacks: Brawl 70%, 1D3+1D6+3D6; Grapple 60%, 1D3+3D6; Sword 45%, 1D8+1+3D6; Blaster Pistol 35%, 1D8+2

Skills: Climb 80%, Dodge 60%, Hide 60%, Jump 70%, Language (Eternian) 55%, Language (English) 45%, Listen 70%, Parry (Sword) 34%, Pilot (Hover Sled) 36%, Sense 70%, Stealth 70%, Track 75%

Mutations: Hardy (1/2 damage from falls); Keen Senses (+20% Listen, +20% Sense of Smell), Natural Armor, Natural Weapon (teeth and claws, +1D6 to Brawl), Pheromones (4D6, parental protection)

Notes: Childe Feral was rolled up using the gorilla template from the Big Gold Book except for his DEX and Move, which are based on those of a lion or tiger. Mutations seemed to fit his ability set better than super powers. He had 500 base skill points plus 110 personal skill points based on his INT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's Mer-Man's Cthulhu makeover:

Aquaticus

Conscripted by The Hooded One for his Napoleon-like mastery of strategy, Aquaticus remains monarch of his own undersea empire. The player-characters might regard him as a ruthless dictator; his own people view his iron-clawed rule as an indicator of strength and security, and he genuinely cares about protecting them and their interests. Because his political duties and his amphibian physiology require him to return home so often, the Sea King is less openly resentful of his master’s arrogant domination than some of the other minions. That doesn’t mean he likes it, however, and Aquaticus is cunning enough to have a few irons in the fire himself. Of all The Hooded One’s servitors, he is the most likely to sneak off by himself and start his own projects: quests for Earth’s mystical artifacts, schemes of conquest, or simple piracy. He occasionally has minions of his own available, either subjects from his home dimension or local recruits.

As a creature of the depths, Aquaticus can breathe underwater and withstand high pressures and intense cold. He can “see” beneath the dark waves via sonar. Thick scales protect his body. The Sea King can also manipulate the very element of water itself: stalling boats and ships by creating air pockets around their screws, blasting foes with jets of water or sending them tumbling like corks, surrounding victims with suffocating liquid bubbles.

Physically, Aquaticus is a B-movie horror, seven and a half feet of teeth, muscle, scales, and fins, his fishy face framed by wide, frilly gills. He isn’t the bestial monster he appears, however, always maintaining his cold dignity and acting with well-planned military precision. Used to commanding others, he is fully capable of defending himself with sword, net, or trident.

Aquaticus will prefer to handle annoying PC heroes on his own rather than turning them over to the Big Boss. He might even be willing to cut deals with them if it furthers his ends. How he will react to Earth’s underwater denizens – Deep Ones, Atlantians, etc. – is up to the Game Master, but his first instinct would be to make them vassals. The resulting wrangling among the briny set could both stir up more trouble for the adventures and give them the break they need.

STR 18

CON 17

SIZ 22

INT 18

POW 12

DEX 14

APP 7

Move: 8/10 swimming

Hit Points: 20 (CON + SIZ = 39)

Damage Bonus: +1D6

Armor: 6 (kinetic, cold, thick scales)

Attacks: Brawl 35%, 1D3+1D6; Grapple 35%, 1D3+1D6; Net 45%, Entangle; Short Sword 50%, 1D6+1+1D6; Trident 55%, 1D6+1+1D6

Skills: Bargain 35%, Climb 40%, Command 45%, Dodge 33%, Insight 35%, Jump 25%, Knowledge (Law) 45%, Knowledge (Military History) 45%, Knowledge (Politics) 35%, Language (Eternian) 90%, Language (English) 50%, Listen 55%, Navigate 35%, Parry 35%, Perform (Oratory) 35%, Persuade 35%, Status 96%, Strategy 60%, Swim 55%, Throw 40%

Powers: Adaption (3 levels, can breathe underwater, withstand high pressures and extreme cold, 9 pts., takes 22 power points to activate then 1 to maintain per turn), Armor 6 (kinetic, cold, 12 pts.), Energy Control (water, 20 levels, 2D6 or 20 SIZ, 60 pts., 40 power points to activate and maintain each combat round); Extra Energy (20 pts. = 200 power pts.); Super Sense (sonar, 15 meters, 3 pts.)

Failings: B-movie horror (+5), Sea King (+3)

Notes: Aquaticus’ stats were rolled up using the Deep One template at http://wstryder.org/coccg/. I opted for brains over brawn. Skill points were 500 base plus 180 for INT. Super power points were 96 based on unmodified characteristics plus 8 for Failings, total 104. Although his Adaption power was being able to breathe water, the sea is his natural environment. He actually pays power points to remain on land and must return to the water when his power points run out or he will “drown” in air. Aquaticus got extra build points for being so ugly (he resembles a certain Fifties B-movie monster) and for the demands that his finny subjects place upon him. Although he is a ruthless despot, he isn’t a nut case like The Hooded One.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

The challenges of real life have delayed my efforts. But I also got stalled on my write-up of Trap-Jaw for mechanical reasons. The Big Gold Book gives us an excellent cyborg template to start from. However, the superpower rules as presented don't have a provision for gadget pools or variable powers or anything like that to represent the villain's Nasty-Weapon-of-the-Week rotating arsenal. Ideas?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

I know continuity has changed among the various Masters of the Universe series, but according to the She-Ra Princess of Power pilot movie Skeletor was originally one of Hordak's henchmen. Hordak, an intergalactic pirate armed with lots of high-tech weaponry, attempted to conquer Eternia but was driven off. He returned via dimensional gate, accompanied by Skeletor, to kidnap the royal twins as revenge but was caught. He escaped with the infant princess, abandoning the boy baby and Skeletor. The latter escaped imprisonment and set up shop in his former boss's old headquarters, seeking to seize Eternia on his own account. Hordak, meanwhile, successfully took over the pastoral planet Etheria and settled down to rule with the aid of his assorted alien goons. He raised the captive girl and trained her to be one of his generals -- a role she was proficient at and content with until He-Man arrived in search of her.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

I'm assuming you are aware that Larry DiTillio, lead writer of "Masks of Nyarlathotep" was also one of the main writers for the He-Man series, and created the character of She-Ra, and her spin-off show.

If not, now you know.

Please don't contact me with Chaosium questions. I'm no longer associated with the company, and have no idea what the new management is doing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm assuming you are aware that Larry DiTillio, lead writer of "Masks of Nyarlathotep" was also one of the main writers for the He-Man series, and created the character of She-Ra, and her spin-off show.

If not, now you know.

"And knowing is half the battle. Yo, Joe!"

;D

Thanks for that fun tidbit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...