Aberration (Voidspawn) Canine, 105 points (Tier 3)
Howlers are about the size and shape of a large hunting dog. Their front legs are short, making them appear to hop when they move. The most notable and disturbing feature is their head, which is oversized for their body and nearly round. Their mouths are nearly always open, revealing a ring of shark like teeth. When they howl their bodies shudder with the force of their sound, which is shaped and amplified by their toothy maw.
Howlers stand 1m tall and weigh 35kg. They have mangy brown tufts of fur and no eyes.
Ecology. Howlers live in the ruins of the Cataclysm, although at times they will range out of the ruins in search of food. They associate in packs of 5-11 animals, although only about a third of those will be in a hunting pack. While there is an “alpha male” of the pack, the pack association is not as strong or stable as that of a wolf pack.
Personality/Motivation. Howlers behave more or less like a pack of wild dogs. If half the pack is incapacitated the rest will flee.
Campaign Use. Howlers are common to any ruin or voidwarped area. It is possible to encounter a loner or a pair, but usually a fair challenge is about one per character.
Success with KS: Voidspawn at a -0 penalty will immediately identify the howlers and their dangerous Howl. Success by 2 will reveal that they are blind, although they can “see” with Echolocation, and work in packs to take down larger prey. Special Success will reveal they must execute a full move before howling a second time and that they can be scared off if the attacking pack suffers 50% casualties.
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CHARACTERISTICS STR 8 DEX 10 CON 10 INT 8 EGO 5 PRE 20 SPD 3 PD 3 ED 2 REC 4 EREC 4 END 20 STUN 26 BODY 7 ESS 10
COMPLICATIONS Mundane Class Of Minds. Physical Complication (Infrequently; Not Impairing) Aberrant (Voidspawn) Creature Class. Physical Complication (Infrequently; Not Impairing) Animal Intelligence. Physical Complication (Frequently; Greatly Impairing) Small. 1m tall, +6m Knockback; Physical Complication (Infrequently; Slightly Impairing) Very Limited Manipulation. Physical Complication (Frequently; Greatly Impairing)
PERCEPTION 14- Blind. No Sight Group Senses; Howlers use their hearing and smell to determine the general area of their prey and then Howl. If they no longer hear their target after the Howl is finished, they use their Tracking scent to find the prey and proceed to eat it. Limited Echolocation. Active Sonar (Hearing Group), Not Discriminatory Canine Senses. +3 PER with all Sense Groups Canine Nose. Tracking with Normal Smell Canine Ears. Ultrasonic Perception (Hearing Group), Telescopic: +4
MOVEMENT Running 12m (24m) Leaping 1m (2m) |
DEFENSE DCV 6 DMCV 2 Total Physical (PD) 4 (Resistant 1) Total Energy (ED) 3 (Resistant 1) Hard To Hit. +2 DCV; Already added into DCV Howler Ears. Hearing Group Flash Defense (9 points) Mangy Hide. Resistant Protection (1 PD/1 ED) Chaotic Essence. Power Defense (3 points) Voidspawn Mien. +10 PRE; Only To Protect Against Presence Attacks Voidspawn Mind. Mental Defense (5 points total); Not Versus Attackers Of Same Creature Class OFFENSE OCV 3 OMCV 2 Toothy Maw. HKA 1 1/2d6 (2d6 w/STR; 25 Active Points); RP; END 2 Howl. Sonic Concussion: Blast 6d6, AOE (18m Cone Explosion), Does Knockback, Constant, Red. END (0 END); plus Temporary Deafness: Hearing Group Flash 6d6, AOE (18m Cone Explosion), Personal Immunity, Constant, Red. END (0 END); plus Permanent Deafness: Minor Transform 3d6 (Cause Deafness, REC per Day; If deafened, CON Roll required to avoid permanent -1 Hearing PER; Magical healing equal to BODY/2 heals all effects), AVAD (Flash Defense (Hearing); +0), AOE (18m Cone Explosion), Personal Immunity, Constant, Red. END (0 END); All Howl Component Powers have the following Limitations: Extra Time (Extra Phase), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV), No Range, Unified Power, Must Make Full Move Before Using Again, Perceivable (+4 Hearing PER to Perceive); If the Howler senses the target is larger than it is, it will use Teamwork to Coordinate a Howl on the area containing the target. For each doubling of size relative to the Howler, double the number of Howlers that will coordinate. Powers/Tactics. A Howler will move directly toward the target when it senses prey, stop about 8m from the target, and begin to build its Howl. They work as a team to bring down larger targets, and three or more of them will instinctively surround their prey which often causes the prey to hesitate for 1 Phase (Presence Attack), just long enough for the Howlers to Howl. Once a target is stunned or unconscious they will move in to use their Toothy Maws. The Howler’s DCV is not halved due to blindness as long as its targets can be actively perceived with Limited Echolocation (Active Sonar). SKILLS Hard To Perceive. +2 to Avoid Being Perceived (Stealth, Concealment (self), or as a penalty to other’s PER to perceive the character) Stealth 11- Teamwork 12- TALENTS Lightsleep Lightning Reflexes (+5 DEX to act first with Howl) |