The Dresden Files > DFRPG Resource Collection
various more-obscure mythical creatures
Sanctaphrax:
I was thinking of writing up the Einherjar myself, but since you seem to have nailed it. The rules do say that you need a catch, but I personally don't feel it's necessary for anything less than Physical Immunity.
If you want to give the Einherjar a catch, there are a few possibilities. First, you could stipulate that their powers only work in Valhalla. Second, you could say that they only heal at sundown. Third, you could give Loki and his servants (like Jotun) the ability to ignore the toughness of the Eiherjar. The Eiherjar were portrayed as recovering from all wounds every night while training at Valhalla but dying in Ragnorok. These catches are intended to simulate that.
vultur:
(OW-style general writeup first, then some examples...)
Landvaettir
Description: Varies widely. Generally appropriate to the natural feature the landvaettr represents.
What We Know: Landvaettir are spirits of the land. Some embody small areas such as boulders or springs, others whole landscapes, and their power varies accordingly. Landvaettir can be helpful if they are not disturbed, but disturbance of the feature they represent tens to anger them. The form and power of landvaettir is at least as variable as any other broad supernatural category. Their link to the Nevernever is not as strong as many other supernaturals (ghosts, demons, etc.), and if they possess a body, it is made of the appropriate natural substance (water, stone, soil...) rather than ectoplasm.
People living near a powerful landvaettr's territory may sacrifice to it or take other measures to gain its favor, as a potent landvaettr can be a large problem if hostile, but if friendly might help out in a variety of ways -- using its control of the elements to bring rain to thirsty crops, rising up to defend the land from invasion, etc.
Powers: As variable as their appearance. Some have direct control over the element associated with their feature (Channeling [Water] for the landvaettr of a waterfall, Channeling [Fire] for a volcano spirit, etc.); this may even extend to Evocation for those whose features include multiple elements (a geyser spirit might have power over Earth, Fire, and Water). Some -- though not all -- landvaettir can manifest a physical body from the substance of their land; these may have the standard physical powers, depending on their type (watery spirits are more likely to have Recovery or Speed, stony ones Strength or Toughness). Others are inherently immaterial, and have powers like Spirit Form (possibly with upgrades) and maybe even Physical Immunity. Landvaettir of solider substances (boulders, mountains etc.) tend toward physical form; incorporeal landvaettir tend to be the spirits of things like winds. Due to their link to natural environments, landvaettir tend to lack powers from the Nevernever Powers category.
Weaknesses: Also variable. Tend to be appropriate to the feature type; a volcanic landvaettir might be vulnerable to cold or large amounts of water, the landvaettir of a mud flat might be vulnerable to being dried out by fire or other strong heat sources, etc. Some are just tough -- a stony one, for example, might not have an easily exploitable weakness.
vultur:
High Concept: Volcano Spirit
Skills:
Great (+4): Fists, Conviction
Good (+3): Discipline, Endurance
Fair (+2): Alertness, Athletics, Lore
Average (+1): Intimidation, Might, Presence, Survival
Powers:
Breath Weapon -2
Channeling (Fire) -2
Claws -1
Inhuman Recovery -2
Inhuman Toughness -2
The Catch +1: extreme cold or large amounts of water
Inhuman Strength -2
Stress:
Mental OOOO
Physical OOOO(OO) Armor: 1
Social OOO
Total Refresh Cost: -10
Notes: A rather powerful and rare landvaettr, the spirit of an active volcano. Its form tends to be reminiscent of something large and fierce -- a lion, dragon, etc. made out of lava.
High Concept: Embodiment of Earth
Skills:
Great (+4): Might, Endurance
Good (+3): Conviction, Discipline, Fists
Fair (+2): Alertness, Lore, Survival
Average (+1): Athletics, Intimidation, Presence
Powers:
Channeling (Earth) -2
Claws -1
Inhuman Strength -2
Inhuman Toughness -2
The Catch +0: unknown
Stress:
Mental OOOO
Physical OOOO(OO) Armor: 1
Social OOO
Total Refresh Cost: -7
Notes: A landvaettr embodying the deep earth. Its form is a giant burrowing animal -- badger, mole etc. -- made of stone.
High Concept: Geyser Spirit
Skills:
Great (+4): Conviction
Good (+3): Discipline, Lore
Fair (+2): Deceit, Rapport, Presence
Average (+1): Alertness, Athletics, Stealth
Powers:
Evocation -3 (Air, Fire, Water)
Physical Immunity -8
The Catch: +3 Large quantities of cold water or other extreme cold, as well as any magic, ignores the landvaettr's Physical Immunity
Spirit Form -3
Stress:
Mental OOOO
Physical OO
Social OOO
Notes: A less corporeal landvaettr, inhabiting geyser regions
Sanctaphrax:
Nukekubi
Nukekubi are japanese monsters that appear human except for a few discreet marks on the neck. At night their heads seperate from their bodies and fly around. If the head is unable to return to the body by dawn, the Nukekubi dies.
High Concept: Detachable Neck Monster
Other Aspects: Pretends to be Human, Marks on the Neck
Skills:
Good (+3): Deceit
Fair (+2): Alertness, Stealth
Average (+1): Presence, Rapport, Fists
Powers:
Human Form (Rare Change) +2
Diminutive Size -1
Wings -1
Stress:
Mental OO
Physical OO
Social OOO
Total Refresh Cost: -1
Sanctaphrax:
Lich
A lich is a wizard who places his soul in an object called a phylactery and so gains eternal life as long as the phylactery remains intact. This runs up against the laws of magic, but most liches aren’t the sort to care about that anyway.
High Concept: Ancient Undead Wizard
Other Aspects: Life Contained in Phylactery, Terrified of Death, Grasping and Paranoid, Citizen of Ancient Egypt
Skills:
Fantastic (+6): Lore
Superb (+5): Conviction, Discipline, Resources
Great (+4): Scholarship, Presence, Contacts, Deceit
Good (+3): Intimidation, Alertness, Empathy, Rapport, Investigation
Powers:
Evocation [-3]
Thaumaturgy [-3]
The Sight [-1]
Kemmlerian Necromancy [-2]
Lawbreaker (1st) [-2]
Lawbreaker (4th) [-1]
Lawbreaker (5th) [-2]
Refinement [-7]
Item of Power (Phylactery) [+1] granting:
Living Dead [-1]
Supernatural Recovery [-4]
Magic:
Evocation (Air, Earth, Spirit): Power: Air +3, Spirit +1 Control: Spirit +2
Thaumaturgy: +1 Crafting Frequency, +2 Crafting Power, +3 Necromancy Complexity, +4 Necromancy Control
Foci: Staff (+4 Air Power), Crown (+3 Crafting Frequency)
Enchanted Items (All have 5 uses/session): Robes (8 shift block against attack), mummy wrappings (Armour 4), 4 slots remaining (power 8)
Stress:
Mental OOOO, +1 mild consequence
Physical OOO
Social OOOO
Total Refresh Cost: -24
Notes: 12 shift air evocations cast to kill, 9 shift necromancy at the drop of a hat, and a whole bunch of really powerful enchanted items make a lich pretty dangerous. The only way to kill one permanently is to destroy the phylactery, so that’s what the players should do. If you’re worried about a lich killing your entire group, remember that its aspects can be compelled to make it run away from a fight that it can win easily.
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