Mythos Society Guide to New England: Bonus Monster - The Demon Whale

Profession (Counterfeiter)

(Wis; Trained Only)

You are skilled at producing phony copies of the coins of the realm and passing them off as the real thing. Used by crooks, forgers, and rogues of many stripes, a character with this skill can make money while other professionals make money.

Check: As with all other Profession skills, you earn half your Profession (counterfeiter) check result in gold pieces per week of dedicated work. However, unlike other Profession skills any monies gained in this way are in fact clever forgeries.

Other Denominations: A professional counterfeiter need not limit himself to producing faux gold coins. If the counterfeiter wishes to produce false coins in other denominations, apply one of the following appropriate modifiers to the skill check:
Copper +10
Silver +5
Gold +0
Platinum -10

Special: A counterfeiter may forge paper money and letters of credit in settings where such things exist. Specific bonuses and penalties are left to the GM's discretion, though the monetary value of the paper money should be in keeping with the value of coinage used on most fantasy campaigns.

Special: You may use Profession (counterfeiter) in place of Bluff to pass counterfeit money off as the real thing. Likewise, you may use Profession (counterfeiter) in place of Appraise to identify counterfeit money.

Spotting Counterfeit Money: Anyone who suspects they may have been passed funny money may make an Appraise Skill Check (DC 10 + counterfeiter's skill rating) to spot the forgery.

Convincing Forgeries: At the GM's discretion, a counterfeiter may choose to make particularly convincing forgeries, accepting a -1 penalty on the Profession (counterfeiter) Skill Check for every +1 he wishes to add to the DC of identifying the true nature of any false money produced.

Rate of fire: Single shot
Weight: 5.5 lbs
Range: Effective 150’, Maximum 500’ (MF Range 150’/300’)
Magazine capacity: 8
Inherit Accuracy: 0
Base Damage: 3d6 / 1d6
Condition Level Damage Resistance: -2 to saves.
Possible Accessories: 

-       ARMAT B15 Timed Explosive: This gives the weapon a 10’ burst radius. Anything within the target is subjected to 3d6 explosive damage and is allowed a saving throw versus energy. If it succeeds, those in the burst radius take half damage.

-       ARMAT R1 Flechette Rounds: This shotgun round is filled with tightly packed needles, rather than round shot. It is not very effective against heavy armor (such as metal, Kevlar, and any monster AC of 2 or better), inflicting -3 damage per die. But against soft armor or unarmoured targets, the round does +3 damage per die. Range is reduced by 50%. This type of ammunition can be made Toxic as well. Also the inherit accuracy increases to +1

-       ARMAT B3 Barrel Choke Tube: This new barrel threads into the M37A2 regular barrel and ensures a more efficient release of gas, resulting in tighter spread. + 1 to hit, and Condition level damage resistance saving throw is increased to +1

-       AMRAT C8 Custom Loading Port: Weapon modification consisting increases the reloading rate of the weapon and allows for one additional shot per round.

-       ARMAT M37A2 Stock Iron Sight: Standard configuration ARMAT M37A2 iron sight gives a +1 to hit.

-       Laser Targeting System: Side-mounted red LED targeting laser attachment for under-barrel weapon. + 2 to hit with launcher or shotgun.

-       ARMAT S11 Expanding Shot: An anti-personnel solid slug that is designed to mushroom upon impact. The result is that the weapon damage is increased by +2 per dice against unarmoured or organic targets, but suffer a -1 per dice against armored (AC 5 or better) or non-organic targets. 

Number Encountered: 1d6
Movement: 90' (30')
30’ Vertical jump
AC: -1
HD: 10
Attacks: 1 (weapon) or 2 punches
Damage: By weapon (if a melee weapon add 3d6) or 1d8 + 3d6 / 1d8 + 3d6
Save: L10
Morale: 7

Colossal Hill Giant

Hit Dice: 36d8+432 (594 hp)

Initiative: –2

Speed: 30 ft. in hide armor (6 squares); base speed 40 ft.

Armor Class: 21 (–8 size, –2 Dex, +21 natural), touch 0, flat-footed 23

Base Attack/Grapple: +27/+55

Attack: Slam +39 melee (2d6+19) or rock +27 ranged (4d8+19)

Full Attack: Two slams +39 melee (2d6+19) or rock +27 ranged (4d8+19)

Space/Reach: 30 ft./30 ft.

Special Attacks: Rock Throwing, Tremors

Special Qualities: Damage Reduction, Low-Light Vision, Resistance to Energy, Rock Catching

Saves: Fort +26, Ref +6, Will +8

Abilities: Str 49, Dex 6, Con 35, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 7

Skills: Balance -4, Climb +25, Escape Artist -4, Jump +25, Listen +9, Move Silently -4, Sleight of Hand -4, Spot +12, Swim +15, Tumble -4

Feats: Awesome Blow, Cleave, Diehard, Endurance, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Rock), Weapon Focus (Greatclub), Weapon Focus (Slam)

Defects: Fat, Obese

Environment: Temperate hills

Organization: Solitary, chain (2–5), or range (6–9)

Challenge Rating: 16

Treasure: Standard

Alignment: Often chaotic evil

Advancement: —

Level Adjustment: —

Obelisk/Rune DragonNo. Enc. d6 (d6)Alignment variableMovement 90' (30)fly 300' (100')AC 0HD 9 (11)Attacks 3 (claw, claw, bite)Damage d6/d6/3d10 (d8/d8/4d10)Save F9 (F11)Morale 10Hoard Class XVHabitat any land% Sleep 20%% Speech 100%Breath Weapon Range/Shape 100' long X 5' wide lineBreath Weapon Type forceSpells 1 2 3 4 55 5 5 5 4

This horrific spell is one of the ways that ogres, ghouls and other Cacodaemon cultists manage to remain undetected in human society. It also serves as a terrible rite of communion within the Cacodaemon cult, where Priests transform human flesh to scones upon the unholy altar of the daemon, which are then shared amongst the other ogres and cultists present. In such rites, living human flesh is preferred.

Rune Spell: [One Use, Reusable for Priests of Cacodaemon]

Flesh to Scone [Man, Magic]                        Range – touch                       POW Check – Yes?

Cost to Learn – Initiation, 1 Permanent POWer per level

Materials – any added flavourings to the dough [raisins are common]         

Magnitude – Variable 

Duration – 15 Minutes if living flesh, Permanent if dead flesh

Each level of the spell affects one 1d6 SIZ of flesh, alive or dead, instantly transforming it into an identical volume of spongy biscuit, with or without raisins, cheese, or other oddments added at the time of casting. If cast upon a living creature, the Target’s SIZ must be equaled by the rolled SIZ of the Spell, AND the target’s POW must be overcome. If cast upon dead flesh, the spell simply transforms the rolled SIZ worth of flesh. The taste of the transformed flesh is unchanged. Living flesh tastes like flesh, complete with [so the author is told] the burst of blood on the palate at first bite, the tang of confusion and fear, etc. Only the senses of sight, smell and touch are fooled by the change.

While a living target is transformed they are blind, deaf and paralyzed, but aware. They can take purely mental actions, but cannot move or speak. They also will experience no physical sensation while transformed. Whether this is a mercy or not is debatable. Should a living target be dispelled or survive the duration of the spell, any SIZ removed while ensconed remains gone. Only a Heal 6 or greater will restore SIZ lost in this way.

WIll Thrasher's Minor Haunting is too good to keep to Pathfinder alone. Here is a Runequest version, just for the Shaman in the audience.

MINOR HAUNTING [Spirit]                          Range - 10 metres                              Cost to learn - 500 Lunars

POW Cost -1

Type of magic - Shamanic

Casting Time 1 Action

Target None

Duration special (see description)

With the exception of certain specific places, such as the Infamous Dead Place in Prax, just about everywhere on Glorantha has spiritual energy and the spirits that generate it. Many such spirits are nothing more than tiny remnants of what they once were. Barely able to manifest, and without any sense of purpose, or even a shadow of intellect, they exists until the animus that holds them together fades entirely, whereupon they are absorbed into the spiritual energy of an area. Until that happens however, they may be called by someone who knows how, and set a simple task. They cannot truly manifest, or enter spirit combat, but they can act on the instructions of their summoner, if they are capable.

By summoning a spiritual remnant, a shaman can manifest a minor supernatural phenomenon. When cast, you create one of the following magical effects within range:

• A moaning, mournful voice echoes through a room within range.
• A musical instrument plays a vague, distant or discordant tune of your choosing for 1 minute.
• A cadaverous face appears in a mirror or other reflective surface for 1 round. This face can resemble a specific person, provided you have seen that person of had them described to you in detail.
• You cause a deathly chill in the air within range for 1 minute.
• You cause an unsecured object to move 1d10 ft. as if thrown by an unseen hand. The object does not move with enough force to cause injury.
• Carry a whispered message up to the caster's POW x10 metres away and repeat it to a specified target.
• You cause an indistinct, ghostly image to float through an area within range for up to 1 minute.
• You cause all shadows to lengthen for up to 1 minute.
• With the Gms permission, other minor effects of similar nature and extent.

If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have up to three of its 1-minute effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect as an action.

Since these phenomena are obtained through the services of a real spirit, albeit a fragmentary one, they will detect as spirits if detect ghost is cast, or if a spirit walker is nearby. The remnant cannot fight, nor can its effects harm anyone directly. If attacked by something capable of harming it, it is immediately destroyed as a remnant, its essence dispersing into the ambient energy of the spirit plane.

Do you want to run more exciting BASH encounters, hurling your heroes against hordes of minions, dastardly villains and awesome monsters? The Skill Modifier Method is the way to encourage your players to fuller description, to use the things their heroes do best, and to think tactically at the same time that they stay in character.

BASH is a great game as written! And the method that I am outlining here is already mostly in the core rules presented in Bash Ultimate Edition! I have just interpreted things in a generous way that encourage the players to avoid the rut of 'I'm gonna hit him again.'

It is a simple method. I allow players to use skills in combat to set up modifiers for themselves, by rolling the skill and taking the roll/ 10 [ignore remainders] as a positive dice modifier to their action roll. So:

- Want to make yourself harder to hit as you handspring across the warehouse? roll Athletics / Acrobatics - for every full 10 points of your roll, gain a +1 Dice bonus to Defense for the action.
- Want to attack from Ambush? Roll Stealth/ Hiding, apply the same bonus as above to your chance to hit for your next shot.
- Want to arrange your team to improve tactical advantage before a fight, roll Military/ Tactics - apply bonus to each team member's Priority.
 

My players love it, except when the bad guys do the same thing back, which is only fair of course.

It also makes for more fun if you are not using figures and a battlemat or terrain, which we only pull out for big set piece battles.

Here are a few examples:

- Falcata runs up a wall, backflips and positions herself behind Blademaster. Her player rolls Athletics/ Acrobatics and gets a 26. Falcata can choose to add a +2 Dice Modifier [26 divided by 10, drop the remainder 6 = 2] to next attack roll, or next defense roll, against Blademaster.

- Hazard lurks in the shadowed catwalk of a warehouse, overlooking a gang of gunthugs [minions], waiting for the moment to strike. His player rolls Stealth/ Hiding, getting a 41! Hazard can take a +4 Dice modifier to his ambush attack against the gangsters as he drops into their midst swinging. Since BASH treats the minions as a gang, a single entity in game terms, he gets the bonus against all the gunthugs for his ambush turn.

You can do the same thing with Power rolls:

-Shimyr teleports to a point in the air over the head of the Chessmaster's Mechanical monster - the Rook. Her player rolls her Teleport power, just as you would a skill, and gets 33. The GM tells the players that Shimyr can add a +3 Dive modifier to her attempt to hit the tiny 'over ride' switch on the back of Rooks robotic skull.

Give it a shot. LMK what you think! Maybe you have a BASH GM trick yourself. I would love to hear it.

The art is by John Becaro. he does commissions. Check him out here.

ABSORB TEXT                   

Magnitude/ POW - 3            Range - Touch            

Cost to Learn - 2000 Lunar

Note: Lankhor Mhy teaches this spell to its Initiates at half price, which may be paid for in cult credit.

Casting Time 1 Turn

Casting Procedure  The spellcaster must take up the book and riffle its pages through his fingers from front to back.

Target one book or scroll.

Duration instant

Misshipesha

The Lake Lurker, Dweller in Mist, 'The Great Under-Water Panther'

STR 45

CON 60

SIZ 70

INT 15

POW 43

DEX 20
Move 8/ 10 Swimming

HP 65

Damage Bonus: +5d6

Weapons:

Spines – 75%, 6d3; When successfully attacked in Melee, Misshipesha’s spines almost invariably strike the attacker in return. This happens automatically, regardless of how often the beast is struck.

Bite – 95%, 1d10 + Damage Bonus

Overturn – Misshipesha can match its total of STR and SIZ against the HP of the boat, to overturn it. Use the HP of vehicles of equivalent size in the rulebook to give you an idea of the siz of your boat.

Armor: Composed of equal parts inky mist and rigid spikes and scales, Misshipesha ignores the first 10 points of damage each round, and subtracts 8 Points from each damaging attack thereafter. At Zero Hit Points, Misshipesha’s physical form collapses into the water in a flood of foul, inky ichor. It cannot reform for 1d8 Hours.

Skills: Watery Stealth 85%, Hide 80%.

Spells - All at 100%: Attract Fish, Breath of the Deep, Command Spawn of Misshipesha [As Command Shark but specific to the offspring of Mishipesha.], Dream Vision, Raise Night Fog,

Occasionally, Misshipesha might grant spells to those who serve it on some way.

Sanity Loss: Lose 1d6/1d20 Sanity Points on seeing Misshipesha.

Demon Whale

STR 100

CON 90

SIZ 130

INT 15

POW 30

DEX 10
Move 14 Swimming

HP 110

Damage Bonus: +13d6

Weapons:

Bite – 95%, 3d10 + Damage Bonus

Armor: 10 points. The Demon Whale regenerates 5 HP per round.

Skills: Watery Stealth 85%, Spot 75%, Listen 90%.

Spells – At 100%: Alter Weather, Attract Fish.

Sanity Loss: Lose 1d4/1d20 Sanity Points on seeing A Demon Whale.

Swallow Whole – A Demon Whale can swallow whole any creature or item that it successfully bites which is up to half of its size in Hit Points. If the item swallowed is a boat, crew may avoid being swallowed with a success against DEX x3. They are then deposited nearby, probably in the water. If it suits the Keeper’s purpose, individuals swallowed whole may be undamaged or only slightly so, having passed the teeth and jaws without greater mishaps. In the gullet, they may be kept by the Demon Whale for as long as it chooses, unless they should find some way out on their own. This is how the witch Goodie Hallet travels in the belly of her pet Demon Whale. Of course, she knows the secret to escape at will.

          Use the Vehicle Table, p. 285, of the Core Book – Call of Cthulhu, 6^th Edition, to determine Hit Points for any boats or ships, as needed. For simplicity, you may assume that a dingy has 25 HP, a whaling boat 30, a small tug 60, A small freighter 100 or more. Allow a boat or ship Armour equal to 1/10^th of its starting Hit Points.

Capsize – A Demon Whale can match its total of STR and SIZ against the SIZ of the any watercraft, to capsize it. If it succeeds, the ship is overturned.

Hull Breach – the Demon Whale may choose to breach the hull, doing its rolled Bite damage to the ships HP. If the ship sustains more than half of its HP in a single attack of this kind, a breach as occurred. If the ship loses all HP, it breaks up under the tremendous force of the attack.