Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 35 STR 25 16- Lift 3200 kg; 7d6 HTH Damage [3] 17 DEX 21 12- OCV: 6/DCV: 6 25 CON 30 14- 20 BODY 20 13- 10 INT 0 11- PER Roll 13- 10 EGO 0 11- ECV: 3 35 PRE 25 16- PRE Attack: 7d6 2 COM -4 9- 13 PD 6 Total: 13 PD (3 rPD) 11 ED 6 Total: 11 ED (3 rED) 3 SPD 3 Phases: 4, 8, 12 12 REC 0 50 END 0 51 STUN 0 Total Characteristic Cost: 132 Movement: Running: 13"/26" Leaping: 7"/14" Swimming: 7"/14" Cost Powers & Skills 15 Bite: HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR), END 1 15 Hooves: HA +3d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2) 42 Poisonous Breath: RKA 1d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), NND (defense is Life Support [Self-Contained Breathing]; +1), Does BODY (+1); Limited Range (1"; -1/4) 3 Thick Hide: Damage Resistance (3 PD/3 ED) 6 Heavy: Knockback Resistance -3" 14 Horse's Legs: Running +7" (13" total), END 1 5 At Home In The Water: Swimming +5" (7" total), END 1 6 Sharp Senses: +2 PER with all Sense Groups 5 Breathes Air And Water: LS (Expanded Breathing: breathes water) 4 Reach: Stretching 1", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Always Direct (-1/4), No Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), No Velocity Damage (-1/4) Skills 10 +2 with HTH Combat 2 Concealment 11-; Self Only (-1/2) 3 Stealth 12- 3 Tracking 11- Total Powers & Skill Cost: 133 Total Cost: 265 75+ Disadvantages 15 Physical Limitation: Cannot Cross Fresh Water (Infrequently, Fully Impairing) 5 Physical Limitation: Large (3m tall, -2 DCV, +2 to PER Rolls to perceive) (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 20 Psychological Limitation: Casual Killer (Very Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Dislikes Daylight (Common, Strong) 20 Susceptibility: to fresh water 1d6 damage per Phase (Common) 10 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Fresh Water Attacks (Uncommon) 10 Vulnerability: 2 x BODY Fresh Water Attacks (Uncommon) 95 Experience Points Total Disadvantage Points: 265
Ecology: The nuckelavee normally dwells in the sea, but is known to come ashore on dark nights to prey on any living thing it can catch. It will hunt down humans, kill cattle, destroy crops, and generally wreck anything it can get at. The nuckelavee dislikes daylight, however, and will return to the sea once dawn approaches. The nuckelavee also cannot tolerate freshwater and will not come ashore during storms. It also cannot cross freshwater, so anyone being chased by one of these beasts is best advised to seek out a stream or river, as crossing it will stop the nuckelavee's pursuit.
Personality/Motivation: It is not known what drives a nuckelavee to cause such destruction. They seem to be creatures of pure evil, bent on causing pain and misery. It may be the nuckelavee is the agent of another, even darker, power sent forth to the surface to do its master's bidding.
Combat Techniques: In general, the nuckelavee will pursue its prey on foot until its victim is too tired to run any more, or until the nuckelavee is close enough to grapple with its long arms. Once it has grabbed its target, the nuckelavee will lift the hapless victim to its face, in order to bring its poisonous breath into play. If this succeeds in incapacitating its target, the nuckelavee will then bite, attempting to devour its catch. If hard-pressed in combat, the nuckelavee will flee, seeking refuge under the waves. The nuckelavee will also avoid freshwater streams and rivers and can be driven off by rainshowers.
Appearance: A creature of Scottish myth, the nuckelavee is possibly the most horrific creature one could ever hope not to encounter. It has the body of a horse with fins along the leg, rising from the neck is the torso of a man with a monstrous lolling head, a huge mouth, and one enormous eye. The nuckelavee's arms are long and roped with muscle, reaching nearly to the ground. The worst aspect of the this creature, however, is it has no skin. The nuckelavee's red muscles, white sinews, yellow veins, and black coursing blood are exposed for all to see, a sight sure to instill horror even in the most stout-hearted of men.
Designer's Notes: The nuckelavee is—believe it or not—a form of Scottish water fairy. It is possibly the most grotesque creature known, second only to the Malaysian penanggalan. It is also quite an unusual creature, both in appearance and habits, and is sure to confuse Players accustomed to slightly more traditional foes. It is a fairly powerful creature and is sure to make short work of a single Normal-level character (or even a small group of Normals). Against more powerful groups, such as some Fantasy Hero or many Champions characters, the nuckelavee needs a higher DEX, more levels, larger attacks, and better defenses.
As written, the nuckelavee is well suited for a Fantasy Hero campaign. It could also be used in Pulp Hero games featuring the supernatural. It could also be used in a Champions setting, although it might need to be a bit more powerful. It might even be able to be used as an alien in some sort of Space Hero adventure (provided one came up with nice "techno-babble" explanations for its dislike of light and freshwater).
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