New Creatures for GURPS

Bronze Skeletons
Magical Monsters or Machines?
by Robert Collins
Bronze skeletons look like actual human (or other) skeletons formed of solid bronze
darkly glinting, or greenish and corroded, as the case may be. Typically, they are used
as guardians of great treasures or dangerous items. They can also be used as menial
servants, carrying or moving things. They may occur either in science fiction or fantasy
campaigns. In a fantasy situation, they are magical, created by a variation on the Golem
spell. In a SF scenario, they are elaborately-designed robots.
They may be "programmed" either for combat or for simple work, but not for both.
Combat-programmed skeletons can be set either to attack anything within range (no
more than five yards), or to attack specific targets. They can carry one weapon and a
shield, or two weapons. Fantasy skeletons won't use missile weapons; robotic skeletons
are usually not programmed for anything but primitive hand weapons, but occasionally
there are surprises!
Skeletons may also be set for menial labor, following very simple instructions, like "Push
that," or "Pick that up and carry it over there." They may be set to follow any
instructions, any instructions prefaced with a code word, any instructions gi ven by a
certain person . . . If labor skeletons are ordered to attack, they will, but the attack will
be clumsy (see below) and weaponless.
Fantasy skeletons will continue to fight until destroyed, or unless hit with a Dispel Magic
spell.
SF skeletons will fight until destroyed, but can be slowed by jamming a joint or joints
with a small metal object, like a small knife or a nail. This requires a DX-4 roll in close
combat. There may also be special gadgets that can halt or disable them.
Skeletons of all types can be knocked down; if downed, a combat skeleton will flail at
anything "hostile" that comes close, but will be unable to stand easily. A skeleton must
make a DX-4 roll to stand, and will try to stand on any turn that there is no target within
range.
Because of their open structure, bronze skeletons are immune to impaling damage from
primitive weapons. Even bullets bounce off without effect unless the skull is targeted,
then PD is 6. Lasers and other impaling beam weapons can attack them, but their PD
against such weapons is 6.
Bronze Skeleton Statistics
ST 16, DX 10, HT 13, IQ 8 (for sense rolls).
Metal body has PD 3, DR 2; PD 6 against fire, laser and similar damage; skull PD
against bullets is also 6. The "brain" of a metal skeleton may be either in the skull or the
chest; if it is the skull, decapitation, or 7 hits of head damage, will immobilize the
skeleton. If it is in the chest, 10 hits of torso damage will destroy it.
Base weapon skill 14; second weapon or shield 12.
Weaponless skeletons strike at DX level for 1d-1 crushing damage. Some have also
been known to bite with sharpened or even poisoned teeth; this is up to the GM!
Bestiary: The Yrl-Tree
An Enlightening Encounter
by Scott Maykrantz
Yrl-Trees, also known as World Trees, are incredibly old, solitary plants. No one has yet
discovered more than one Yrl-Tree on a single planet, nor have any Yrl-Trees smaller
than 500 feet tall been found. No one knows how Yrl-Trees are born. Very, very few
people have ever encountered an Yrl-Tree; the experience is said to be of an almost
religious quality.
ST: n/a Move/Dodge: / Size: 75 (1,000' tall)
DX: n/a PD/DR: 7/45 Weight: Huge
IQ: 20-35 Damage: Origin: SF
HT: 21/400 Reach: Habitat: Forest
Each Yrl-Tree is incredibly intelligent, but its thought pattern is radically different from
that of humans, or any kind of animal life. Yrl-Trees "think" slowly and fully, with a
perception of the universe much like that of a Zen master who has reached the highest
level of consciousness. An Yrl-Tree may be located at the center of a village of
primitives, who worship and protect it. In turn, the Tree will use its powers to protect the
primitives.
Yrl-Trees need rich soil, sunshine and water like normal plants. They do not have
mouths, faces, or brains, and cannot move their limbs or walk on their roots. An Yrl-Tree
looks like nothing more than an unbelievably huge, old tree. Each Yrl-Tree can live as
long as the planet on which it makes its home.
Each Yrl-Tree is highly telepathic. Each has Telepathy Power 23 (see pp. B 165-171,
and pp. 46-49 of GURPS Supers) and the following telepathic skills: Emotion Sense,
Illusion, Mental Blow, Psi Sense, Suggest, Sleep, Telereceive, Telesend, Telescan. All
skill levels are equal to the Yrl-Tree's IQ.
The Yrl-Tree can use its telepathic ability to protect itself. Illusions, Mental Blows,
Suggestions and Sleep can persuade or deter characters or animals that can damage
an Yrl-Tree.
But the Yrl-Tree also uses its telepathic abilities to contact and enlighten other intelligent
beings. When intelligent creatures approach, the plant will scan their minds and get an
idea of the basic nature of each individual. This lets the Yrl-Tree know if the visitors
intend to do it harm or if they come in peace. If they are violent or may cause harm to
the Yrl-Tree, it will try to protect itself using its telepathic abilities. Or, if it detects the
intruders before they see it, it will hide by creating an Illusion that it is not there.
If the visitors do not intend to harm the Yrl-Tree, it may decide to telepathically contact
them, initiating a mind-to-mind conversation. Because of the "higher" thought processes
of the Yrl-Tree, anyone with an IQ less than 21 will be mentally stunned during this
telepathic contact. The Yrl-Tree will ask the visitors about themselves; it will not say
anything about itself except "I am the Yrl-Tree."
The Yrl-Tree then tells them about the planet they are on, giving them some helpful
information. For example, it may tell them where to find a place they are searching for,
or it may tell them about dangerous people or animals nearby. The visitor will sense,
through the telepathy, that the Yrl-Tree has great knowledge, much more than it is
willing to tell them.
If they ask for more information or harm the Yrl-Tree, it will break the contact and then
use its telepathic abilities to send them away. If they thank the Yrl-Tree for the
information but do not ask anything of it, it will enlighten them.
Enlightenment from the Yrl-Tree will give the enlightened character some insight into
himself and the world around him. This enlightenment is a sort of awakening of the inner
senses, allowing the character to see his life a little differently and to tap into special,
previously unknown reserves in the soul.
The game effect is this: each player, after his character is enlightened by the Yrl -Tree,
has 20 character points which can be used to buy off a mental disadvantage or to buy a
new mental (or mind-related) advantage. The player cannot spend the points on more
than one advantage or disadvantage.
For example, someone suffering from an Addiction may find himself able to control his
urges as a result of being enlightened he buys off an Addiction worth 20 (or less)
points. Or perhaps one of the characters establishes a mind-body link as a result of the
enlightenment, allowing him to make better use of his senses he gains 4 levels of
Alertness. The most common use of the points is to buy two levels of the Telepathy
Power. If the player cannot decide how to spend the points, the GM can let the
character "discover" some new abilities later.
Each Yrl-Tree can sense if a visitor has made contact with another Yrl-Tree in the past;
if so, the Yrl-Tree will not enlighten them again. However, it would be very unlikely for
anyone to meet more than one Yrl-Tree in a lifetime.
Of course, giving each character 20 free points is not recommended for every game
session! Keep in mind that an encounter with an Yrl-Tree is a rare, highly significant
event in a person's life, and does not always result in enlightenment.
("Yrl" is pronounced "eer-ull," beginning with the same sound as "eerie." This article was
inspired by Viking folklore.)
Norse Trolls
Monstrous Foes for Viking Adventure
by Graeme Davis
In GURPS Vikings (rush out and buy it now!) I made the conscious decision to restrict
myself to sources from the Viking Age. This cuts out a lot of wonderful stories from later
Scandinavian folklore and literature, right up to Peer Gynt and The Three Billy-Goats
Gruff.
This article presents a miscellany of information and ideas based on post-Viking
Scandinavian folklore, which can easily be incorporated into a Vikings campaign. Most
of it could be used in a GURPS Fantasy campaign, as well.
Troll Types
The Troll race seems to have undergone a period of great diversification shortly after
Christianity became widespread in their homelands. This may be the effect of
Christianity driving them to the edge of extinction, or a depleted gene-pool causing wild-
card mutations, or it may be that the word "Troll" was erroneously applied to other
creatures. Be that as it may, here are a few possible sub-races:
Cliff Trolls
Cliff Trolls vary in size, but are little seen; possibly they have some kind of natural or
magical camouflage, or have developed great stealth and hiding skills. They are also
highly skilled climbers, as might be expected. They specialize in throwing people off
cliffs; their favorite tactic is to cut the ropes of egg-collectors, although they will also
seize people who wander too close to a cliff-edge, and throw them to their doom on the
rocks below.
No one has ever had a close look at a Cliff Troll; the most that anyone ever sees is a
hairy arm reaching out from behind a rock. They will avoid cliffs which have been
blessed by a Christian priest, but it is wise to leave them one area of cliffs which they
can call their own; if they are entirely robbed of their home, they become vicious and the
situation can end up in outright war. With their stealth and concealment skills, Cliff Trolls
make deadly terrorists.
Sea Trolls
Sea Trolls generally live in sea-caves, and lay claim to a stretch of water surrounding
their homes. They are fully amphibious, and can grow to immense size; some tales tell
of a pair of arms reaching out of the water and crushing the hull of an eight-oared
faering, or dragging it under with a single pull. Like the Cliff Trolls, Sea Trolls avoid
being seen, and most people will only see a pair of huge, hairy arms reaching up out of
the water.
Lesser Trolls
These vicious little creatures were mentioned in passing in GURPS Vikings. Much like
Goblins, they are small, individually weak and cowardly, and prefer to attack in large
numbers (and, if possible, from ambush), overwhelming a single victim. Their precise
size and shape varies widely: some have tails and/or animal legs, some look like ugly
little humans, and some can have multiple forms, often masquerading as a child or farm
animal to cause chaos.
Greater Trolls
Some of the Trolls of folklore grow to enormous size at least as big as the true Giants
of Norse mythology. These Greater Trolls tend to be rather slow and stupid, but their
strength is immense. They can pick up buildings (especially churches) and throw them
several miles, and they can do the same with building-size boulders. They can drink a
whole lake at a single draught, or create a new one by leaving a footprint across the
course of a river. They are mainly used in folklore to explain geographical features, but
could make a deadly opponent for Viking PCs in a mythic campaign
Advantages and Disadvantages
GURPS Fantasy Folk lists several new racial advantages which would be appropriate
for folklore Trolls. Because of the extreme diversity of the race, however, not all of them
are suitable for all Trolls this is the reason for omitting any Fantasy Folk-style listing
of advantages and disadvantages. Weaknesses are discussed in detail below; the rest
can be listed in two categories those which most Trolls will have, and those which
some Trolls will have.
Common advantages include Damage Resistance, Dark Vision, Claws (+2) and Early
Maturation (9 years).
Occasional advantages include Regeneration and Re-growth (see below), and
Increased Strength.
Common disadvantages include Dying Race, Phobia (Christianity), Reduced IQ, Ugly
Appearance and Weakness (Sunlight).
An occasional disadvantage is Inconvenient Size; this is most common among trolls
with Increased Strength. Some Trolls have an actual Weakness with respect to
Christianity.
A Note on Regeneration
Ever since the first days of roleplaying, it has been an accepted truth that Trolls always
regenerate. This, along with the green skin, impressive warts and three-foot nose with
which Trolls are commonly depicted, seems to have originated in Poul Anderson's
fantasy novel The Broken Sword, better known as Three Hearts and Three Lions.
Some Trolls from Scandinavian myth and folklore do have rapid healing abilities, but
more often they have phenomenally high DR and PD scores. Regeneration and
Regrowth are suitable advantages for some Trolls, to be sure, but the GM should be
aware that, in Scandinavian tradition at least, they are optional rather than mandatory.
Weaknesses
In post-Viking folklore, Trolls have two outstanding weaknesses sunlight and
Christianity. The precise effects vary from individual to individual; sometimes a Troll can
actually enter a church without suffering more than a little discomfort, while other Trolls
are turned to stone by the sound of church bells. Similarly, some Trolls are wounded by
sunlight, while others are petrified or killed. GURPS Fantasy Folk covers the Weakness
disadvantage on a racial basis, but Trolls are a diverse lot, and the GM might decide
that although the race as a whole invariably suffers from one or both of these
weaknesses, the level can vary from Troll to Troll.
For readers without GURPS Fantasy Folk, here's a summary of Weakness:
A creature with a Weakness suffers actual damage through exposure to a certain
substance or condition. The value of the disadvantage is a function of the amount of
damage (or the rate at which damage is accrued) and the rarity of the cause. 1d per
minute is worth -20 points, 1d per 5 minutes is worth -10, and 1d per 30 minutes is
worth -5. This base value is halved if the damage caused is Fa-tigue rather than hit
points. It is also halved if the cause is very rare, and doubled or even tripled if the cause
is common. The amount of damage, and whether it comes from Fatigue or hit points, is
a matter for the GM to determine, and will vary from Troll to Troll.
Sunlight is pretty common, but can be avoided by adopting a nocturnal lifestyle, so a
doubling of the base disadvantage value would be appropriate.
Christianity spreads over time it is very rare (half value) prior to about AD 900, and
moderately common (normal value) between 900-1000. After 1000 it becomes very
common (double value). A rarer weakness is to the sound of one's own name. This
would appear to be a terrible disadvantage, but it only seems to take effect when the
name is pronounced by a Christian. A whole adventure could revolve around the task of
finding out the name of a Troll who is terrorizing a community.
Troll Magic
Several stories feature Trollish magic, giving a rather mixed set of spells to work from.
I've made no attempt here to integrate these effects into the GURPS magic system; this
is up to the individual GM. In many cases they are better used as major plot elements
rather than as day-to-day NPC magic.
Lure
This spell can be used to draw a victim to the Troll's lair from a distance of several
miles. The caster must have some idea of the victim's identity (e.g. Rolf Gunnarson, or
the farmer by Gudbrandsdal, or the priest of Slingsby). If the victim is a devout
Christian, or if prayers are said for the victim by a devout Christian (and note that
devoutness has only a slight connection with Clerical Investment!) the victim has a
bonus to resist the spell. This bonus should be in proportion to the Troll's magical ability
and the GM's estimation of the devoutness of the Christians involved. If the spell is not
resisted successfully, the victim enters a kind of trance, and makes his way to the Troll's
lair unless forcibly restrained until dawn.
Curse
A Troll with magical ability can curse a place or person to barrenness. A cursed field will
bear no crops (in extreme cases, nothing at all will grow there not even weeds), a
cursed lake or stream will become empty of fish, and a cursed person or animal will
become completely sterile. This spell is also available to hedge-wizards, wise women
and mystics.
Fog
Trolls can call down a fog so thick that visibility is literally zero. It covers a comparatively
small area no larger than a single field, usually but the fog is so dense that they can
approach a cart under its cover and abduct someone from a cart without anyone in the
cart noticing until the fog clears.
Stocks
Trolls are very fond of kidnapping humans especially children (for eating) and young
women (for a worse fate). Some species of Trolls, like the Kunal-Trow of Norse Orkney,
must actually take a human wife, because the troll-wives are infertile. A favorite trick to
delay discovery and pursuit is to leave a stock behind in place of the victim. This is a
cunningly-carved wooden replica of the victim, which is good enough to fool most
humans although priests can sometimes recognize them for what they are.
The victim is abducted at night. The stock is found and assumed to be their corpse.
Funeral arrangements are made for the person who "died in the night," and it is not
usually until the stock is about to be buried that the officiating priest notices that it is
made of wood. This gives the Trolls a good head start (up to a couple of days) before
any rescue attempts are made.
(To recognize a stock, roll vs. any medical skill, or its default, at a -6. A Christian gets a
+2. A modern physician would get no extra bonus; this is magic, not science! Anyone
with Magery would have their normal chance to detect the stock as an enchanted item,
but the only thing they would be likely to think would be "That corpse is enchanted."
They still wouldn't realize it wasn't real unless they made the medical roll.)
Errata from Roleplayer #25: The article on Norse Trolls states that The Broken
Sword is also known as Three Hearts and Three Lions. This proves not to be the
case; they're different books. The regenerating troll appears in the latter.
The Snagger
A Surprise for Science Fiction or Fantasy Campaigns
by Charles Oines
ST: 15-20 Move/Dodge: 0/3* Size: 7
DX: 12 PD/DR: 1/1 Wt: 150-200 lbs.
IQ: 3 Damage: * Origin: SF
HT: 12/20 Reach: C, 1 Habitats: F, J
Snaggers resemble large bushes, though they are not plants. They are sessile,
carnivorous animals, consisting of one radial three-toed foot planted firmly in the
ground, a large, round body covered with extended leaf-like scales, and three radially
placed triple-jointed claw, each ending in a single scimitar-like poison claw. The arms
fold into grooves under the scales.
A snagger can attack any target within 3 hexes of its center hex with either one or two
arms. Each claw attack does Thrust-1 impaling damage. If the claw penetrates armor, a
very quick-acting blood agent is injected, inflicting 3d damage, or 1d if the victim makes
his HT roll. The effects take 2d seconds to appear. Once the victim is incapacitated, the
snagger will drag the victim underneath its fronds and inject it with a digestive
substance that breaks down the bones and tissues. Within a week, the snagger's roots
will have "drunk" all the remains except for indigestible clothing, armor, bionics and so
on.
Snaggers can "uproot" themselves and move about very slowly (an hour to root or
uproot, and a hopping movement of less than one foot per second). They will plant
themselves by game trails or water holes, and usually move after a few good kills or a
week without success. They will mimic the local vegetation, and they don't all look like
the same kind of bushes, so constant care is necessary to identify them, rolling on
Survival or Naturalist skill at a penalty determined by the GM.
Snaggers may appear in either a fantasy or SF background. In a fantasy background,
they are a good source for spell components and a useful poison. In a SF background
they are still a poison source, and the enzyme that breaks down the victim's flesh may
have medical uses (legitimate or otherwise). In any background, a snagger is edible
though not particularly tasty.
Baby snaggers, one hex in size, may also be seen. They will not attack human-sized
prey unless molested, but chopping one down, or just pushing roughly past it, is enough
to invite a poison claw. The baby would do only Thrust or Thrust-1 damage, and the
victim resists with a HT +1 roll, but the effects are otherwise the same.
The Wolfmaster
A Feral Fiend from French Folklore
by Andrea Sfiligoi
A Wolfmaster is a human being with the ability to call wolves and mind-control them. He
usually lives in a rural area or small village, under a fairly normal identity usually
someone who works at night, like a baker. He is the one and only wolfmaster in his
area, and won't tolerate any intrusion by other wolfmasters, or by werewolves. He is
likely to have a family, who may know about his secret identity; upon his death, his son
will take on his role as a Wolfmaster.
His true nature is a well-guarded secret, since wolfmasters are universally considered
evil creatures who can only be killed in their human form. In the Middle Ages, a person
suspected of being one was often cast out of the village or sentenced to death. They
are powerful, but the rumors about their invulnerability are false they can be killed,
albeit with difficulty.
The wolfmaster's powers come from a small bottle of unknown (demonic?) origin. The
bottle produces a potion that the wolfmaster drinks every night the liquid is magically
formed every morning. It will work for anyone; if a person finds the bottle and drinks the
potion even once, he becomes a wolfmaster. (A Remove Curse would dispel the ability,
with its attendant drawbacks, but it would be harder or impossible to remove the curse
from one who had deliberately become a wolfmaster, or who had drunk the potion
repeatedly.) If the potion is taken out of the bottle and stored, it becomes clear water
with no powers. The bottle can be detected as magic, but any attempt to identify it is at -
2.
If the wolfmaster fails to drink his potion for a week, he will lose his powers, but will
regain them as soon as he takes another drink. If he fails to drink his potion for a year,
he will soon be attacked and killed by wolves. Of course, he's not likely to forget for a
year . . . but if his magic bottle is lost or stolen, the result is the same.
From sundown to dawn, a Wolfmaster is able to summon all the wolves living in the
area, generally numbering from six to 36. He usually leads the wolves around a big
bonfire located somewhere in a forest, and they all "dance" in a circle around the fire,
awaiting their master's orders. Wolves under his command are somehow more
intelligent than normal ones the telepathic link with their master enhances their IQ to
8. They are absolutely loyal to him. If he is killed, they will try to avenge his death.
Once per month, a Wolfmaster can attempt to summon "special" wolves with demonic
powers. To do so, he must roll vs. IQ; he gets one special wolf for each point by which
the roll is made. These may be treated as Shadow Wolves (see Fantasy Bestiary, p.
65) with IQ 8 and no venom, but invulnerable to all damage except to magic spells,
enchanted weapons and silver blades. They are able to cast Breathe Fire (skill 15, no
energy cost, 1d+1 fire damage hitting on a DX-2 roll). They vanish at dawn.
Wolfmasters have normal human statistics, but often have high IQ and Magery. They all
have the Night Vision and Doesn't Sleep advantages. They cannot directly attack
anyone with "holy" status, but have been known to kidnap and kill innocent children.
They are sometimes shapeshifters as well, with the ability to become a large wolf, but
only after midnight; in some cases, their transformation is uncontrollable. They all revert
to human form if their blood (even a few drops of it) is drawn.
They usually force those unfortunate enough to meet them, to "feed the wolves." An
unlucky traveler who stumbles upon a wolfmaster must run home without stumbling; if
he falls to the ground the wolves will be on him. If he reaches home, the traveler must
feed the wolves that have followed him. He must also give them a gift for their master
perhaps a basket full of French bread, or a small sum of money. If he fails to do so, he
will be killed by a wolf pack attack within one year.
The French word for wolfmaster is "meneur des loups," and the legend is still believed
in some rural parts of France making the wolfmaster a perfect addition to a present-
day Horror campaign, as well as to a fantasy game.