Author Topic: Human-looking non-Fae supernaturals for use in a game.  (Read 1830 times)

Offline razorsmile

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 113
    • View Profile
    • red like smoke
Human-looking non-Fae supernaturals for use in a game.
« on: September 02, 2011, 04:26:17 PM »
I'm looking for mook non-Fae supernaturals that look human (mostly at least) but are physically superhuman. The more listed, the better. Thus far, all I have are Red Court Infectees, lycanthropes and ghouls. Are there others in the books that I'm missing? Hell, creatures you've invented or repurposed from other media are also welcome.
They rose amid the crag as lightning blasted the mountains black against the sky and lashed blue fire over their saddles and along the guns.

Offline wyvern

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1418
    • View Profile
Re: Human-looking non-Fae supernaturals for use in a game.
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2011, 05:15:15 PM »
All the vampire types can manage this, actually.
White court obviously (though they do start going all silver-eyed if they go too far into demon-mode).
Red court, until they take consequences and start losing the flesh mask.
Black court, if recently turned or skilled enough to put up a veil.

The fomori might count - they look at least mostly human anyway.  But they might count as fae; depends on what definition you're using.  On the other hand, they do supposedly sell their work to others, so altered-formerly-human fomori servitors could show up working for just about anybody.

We know that Tengu exist in-setting, and they traditionally have the ability to appear human.  Though we don't really have any more in-setting information than "tengu exist", so...

There's also evidence for some specialized human spellcasters being able to use physical enhancement magics to dramatically increase speed (and possibly other attributes as well), without actually shapeshifting.

Oh, and there are a couple of denarians that tend to look human rather than going all freaky-battle-form.

Zombies.

Rakshasa - we know they exist, but don't know what the DFRPG rakshasa actually looks like.  Probably fairly powerful, though, unless they're a race with gradations from prince down to foot soldier.

That's all I can think of for stuff we've seen in the books.

I could easily see specialized golems that look at least mostly human.

And, hm, what was that lovecraft thing... "worm that walks" or something like that?  Some sort of roughly human-shaped colony of writhing things; requires heavily concealing clothing including gloves and a mask to appear human, though.

Some interpretations of kitsune could work.

Offline ARedthorn

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 278
    • View Profile
Re: Human-looking non-Fae supernaturals for use in a game.
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2011, 05:16:02 PM »
WCVamps.
Brand-spanking-new BCV's... from a distance (haha).
Were-anythings (until they change).
Frankenstienian monsters look human. In fact, they look like several.
Anything powerful enough can pass for human if/when it wants to (demi-gods, etc).

Offline mstorer3772

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 140
  • Nerdier than thou... oh wait. I'm HERE.
    • View Profile
Re: Human-looking non-Fae supernaturals for use in a game.
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2011, 06:03:03 PM »
Conjuring
Binder's critters looked human.  Any conjured ecto-shell could look human with some spirit stuffed into it to animate the thing.  The spirits in question could vary wildly in power.  It's all a matter of getting some spirits willing to work with you (Lets Make A Deal) that are capable of whatever you want the shell to do.

Someone with more talent than Binder could probably vary the shells so they're not all identical.


Scions
The half mortal children of some beast or other could easily look normal while still packing various Inhuman powers.  An entire plot line might revolve around hunting down the parent of this Gaggle Of Doom and putting and end to them.

Shape Shifters
Any number of critters out there might be capable of changing shape to look human.  Make Stuff Up.

The Nagliosshi apparently taught a group of mortals some of their tricks, "Skin Walkers".  Expect these people not to play well with others.

Puppeteer
Mortal body with Something Else calling the shots.

Possession: A demon, ghost, or other spirit takes over.  IIRC, there's a write up for this in OW37.  No stat block, just some guidelines.  The Denarian's qualify. 

Physical take-over: Something physically crawls into a person (star trek 2-style) and runs the show.  Adrenal control and "I don't much care about the body I'm controlling" could add up to some inhuman powers.  Star Gate's Gu'auld are another example of a hyped up body as a direct result of a physical take over.

Remote control:  This probably wouldn't work for a group of thugs, but someone could go all voodoo and literally pull a vanilla mortal's strings.

Amped up mortals
We've already seen the hexenwolf belts in Fool Moon.  Some other Enchanted Gizmo could produce other powers in normal people (almost certainly at some cost).  A retrofitted Lycanthrope would probably have many of the same psychological issues as the hexenwolves.  This retrofit needn't have the "5 days of the month" limitation that the real deal has either.

Hey!

Lycantrhopes
"Shapeshift" the mind instead of the body.  We've already seen a gang of them in Fool Moon, the "Street Wolves".  Perhaps they'll hire themselves out as heavies.  And they can't be the only such group in the world.  They're limited to the 5 days around the full moon, but that can't be too hard to work into your campaign.

And the mind they shift into need not be wolves, or even predators.  Ursanthropes, and, Bovinethropes, and Equinethropes!  Oh my!


Used To Be Something Else
A sufficiently powerful thamaturgist can shape-shift a being against their will.  I suspect this is much easier when the recipient is willing.  So grab a bunch of goblins or what have you, and transform them to look human.  Again, they'd need Deals.


Illusion of mortality
Easier still if its a glamour instead of an actual transformation.  A ritual-based illusion could last quite some time with enough juice.  If the critter in question is supplying the juice, it takes no effort at all on the part of the summoner.
Get off my lawn.

DV 1.2 YR 8 FM <1 BK++ RP++ JB TH+ WG++ CL--- SW BC++ MC+ SH [Murphy++ Molly- Gerd++ Lea+ Lash++]

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12402
    • View Profile
Re: Human-looking non-Fae supernaturals for use in a game.
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2011, 08:26:23 PM »
About lycanthropes: replies #229-252 of the Generic NPC thread are all about various types of thrope. Some of the stats there may be useful to you.

That same thread also has a wide variety of other characters and creatures that could maybe be appropriate. I strongly recommend that you read the whole thing.

/shameless self-promotion
« Last Edit: September 02, 2011, 08:30:53 PM by Sanctaphrax »

Offline zenten

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 376
    • View Profile
Re: Human-looking non-Fae supernaturals for use in a game.
« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2011, 09:10:21 PM »
Renfields.  They're sort of human, but they're also pumped up.  They're also designed to be cannon fodder.

Offline Todjaeger

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 332
  • Dresden Files Alpha Burn Playtester
    • View Profile
    • Butchered New Haven campaign site
Re: Human-looking non-Fae supernaturals for use in a game.
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2011, 02:25:58 AM »
Well, no one seems to have mentioned Choosers of the Slain yet, so I might as well.

Also, there are the Einherjar, which had once been human, and now are something... else?

What sort of power level are you looking for, since skinwalkers can also appear as human, but they are definately in lower reaches of plot device power.
Kill the Child, Doom the World...  Or is it, Kill the Child, Save the World?

Dresden Files Purity test: http://knnn.x10.mx/purity2/purity.html

My results: http://knnn.x10.mx/purity2/purity-result.html?55:70:18:23:6:6:17:26:11:27:11:37:14:41:20:28:3:5:

Offline razorsmile

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 113
    • View Profile
    • red like smoke
Re: Human-looking non-Fae supernaturals for use in a game.
« Reply #7 on: September 03, 2011, 03:02:39 AM »
Definitely low power levels. That rids us of Valkyries and Einherjar right away (although I'm presuming there are mook Einherjar as well as those on Gard's level) and Shagnasty. I was thinking more ghoul-level types. Fomor servitors and Renfields definitely qualify.

I'll look at Sanctaphrax's thread. Thanks Sanctaphrax ;D
They rose amid the crag as lightning blasted the mountains black against the sky and lashed blue fire over their saddles and along the guns.

Offline Quackerjack

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 42
    • View Profile
Re: Human-looking non-Fae supernaturals for use in a game.
« Reply #8 on: September 03, 2011, 09:17:43 PM »
Do we have Ghouls yet?

Offline devonapple

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2165
  • Parkour to YOU!
    • View Profile
    • LiveJournal Account
Re: Human-looking non-Fae supernaturals for use in a game.
« Reply #9 on: September 06, 2011, 05:29:04 PM »
Degenerate humans and/or cannibals who have traded their humanity for other things.
Nevernever-twisted humans who Changed after exposure to that bizarre realm.
Any number of spirits might appear human to attract food and/or conduct business in the mortal realm.
Mimics of lesser or greater intelligence who appear human but are actually large bugs, entire insect colonies, slimes, etc. (Worm that Walks; the Bug from "Men in Black"; a CIFAL from old-school D&D).
Any number of plant-based humanoids could be non-Fae (though unlikely).
Something like the Fungi from Yuggoth (Call of Cthulhu): gifted surgeons who can appear human (and "wear" human parts") but are actually bizarre amalgams of fungus, lobster, and other things).
Humans possessed by any number of creatures from a variety of possible sources (elemental, spiritual, alien, Outsider, Deadite)
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
That echoes on like it’s carpet-bombing feverish white jungles of thought
That I’m positive are not even mine"

Blackout, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets

Offline Silverblaze

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1150
    • View Profile
Re: Human-looking non-Fae supernaturals for use in a game.
« Reply #10 on: September 07, 2011, 05:57:14 PM »
Degenerate humans and/or cannibals who have traded their humanity for other things.
Nevernever-twisted humans who Changed after exposure to that bizarre realm.
Any number of spirits might appear human to attract food and/or conduct business in the mortal realm.
Mimics of lesser or greater intelligence who appear human but are actually large bugs, entire insect colonies, slimes, etc. (Worm that Walks; the Bug from "Men in Black"; a CIFAL from old-school D&D).
Any number of plant-based humanoids could be non-Fae (though unlikely).
Something like the Fungi from Yuggoth (Call of Cthulhu): gifted surgeons who can appear human (and "wear" human parts") but are actually bizarre amalgams of fungus, lobster, and other things).
Humans possessed by any number of creatures from a variety of possible sources (elemental, spiritual, alien, Outsider, Deadite)

Devonapple covered much of what I was thinking.  Essentially add glamours (reflavored to fit the monster) or human guise to...well pretty much anything and you'll get hte desired results...though human guise will fail if the monster uses powers.