Minions, Inc.

[Ezram]

Thank you, mouthymerc  . I would add some Damage Reduction to the Inostrancevia, but otherwise, stellar work.

Also, it it true animals usually have sharper senses to compensate for their primitive minds? I've read that our evolutionary ancestors had better eyesight and hearing.

[mouthymerc]

Thank you, mouthymerc  . I would add some Damage Reduction to the Inostrancevia, but otherwise, stellar work.

Certainly, I'll adjust for that.  If they are very tough then it fits.  As does the Tough quality.

Also, it it true animals usually have sharper senses to compensate for their primitive minds? I've read that our evolutionary ancestors had better eyesight and hearing.

Most, if not all animals, I would think, have better olfactory abilities than we humans.  I would leave them with improved scent.  As to whether their sight or hearing was better is anyones guess.  If you think it fits the creature, then by all means I would include it.  Most of the time, I tend to give the creatures I make a fairly decent Notice check to account for their senses.  This tends to make up for the fact that they may have other drawbacks like colour-blindness or bad hearing or something else.  If they really display an enhanced sense. like bats with hearing or hawks with sight, then I include it.

If you feel they need another enhanced sense, then add it.  These stat blocks are easily adjusted.

Enjoy.

[Krensky]

Thank you, mouthymerc  . I would add some Damage Reduction to the Inostrancevia, but otherwise, stellar work.

Also, it it true animals usually have sharper senses to compensate for their primitive minds? I've read that our evolutionary ancestors had better eyesight and hearing.

It's more correct to say that humans lack the sensory extremes of a number of other because our brain burns so many calories and that because of it we haven't had a need for extreme senses. Additionally, much of the thought that humans have weaker senses then the rest of the animal kingdom ignores what we do have. Our hearing is fairly typical, although we don't use it so much because we don't need to. Our eyesight is very impressive we lack the range or low light abilities of some other animals but what we do have is quite effective, more effective then the other members of the hominid family. Our focal length, the range of distances we can bring into focus, is among the best in the animal kingdom, we're very sensitive to movement in both the primary and peripheral areas of our sight, and the depth of our color sense is, if I remember right, the best in mammals. The general sensitivity of sense of smell and taste isn't anything special, but it is very good at noticing things that are... off. Dogs and pigs have much more sensitive and discerning noses, yet they still play in garbage. Admittedly, part of this is because both can eat things that will make a human boith figuratively and literally sick.  Lastly, our sense of touch. While not a fine tuned to vibrations as some animals is still very highly ranked in terms of the amount and type of information it provides to us. See braille for an example.

We haven't had a need for extreme senses due to the a number of factors, but that we don't need to hunt the way an obligate carnivore does and that we live in groups meant that the 'weaknesses' of our senses were compensated for. This was only enhanced once we started co-oping the senses of canines and other animals via domestication.

[Ezram]

That makes sense, and I suppose it's also why those "super soldier" plots are so popular.

[XRay]

After seeing the Christmas NPCs I thought this would not be a bad add to this thread.

I was just reading over the second printing and was inspired as I was thinking about the movie Austin Powers. I created a couple standard NPCs in a humorous light. They are meant to be weak. I thought I would post this here in case it might inspire a humorous mission for your campaign. 

Militant Wing of the Salvation Army

Guard      Standard NPC      XP: 18
Init: II; Atk: II; Def: VI; Resilience: II; Danger Save: IV; Competence: II; Skills: None;
Wealth: I; Qualities: All Thumbs (Spycraft 2.0 Second Print Page: 446)
Weapon: Ruger 10/22 Error Range 1-4 (Spycraft 2.0 Second Print Page: 259)

The militant wing of the Salvation Army’s guards might not be too bright but they can take a beating.

Strike Team   Standard NPC      XP: 16
Init: II; Atk: V; Def: III; Resilience: II; Danger Save: II; Competence: II; Skills: None;
Wealth: I; Qualities: Uncoordinated  (Spycraft 2.0 Second Print Page: 451)
Weapon: Ruger 10/22 (Spycraft 2.0 Second Print Page: 259)

The militant wing of the Salvation Army’s strike teams might not take a beating but they can sting like a bumbling bee.

Spy   Standard NPC      XP: 20
Init: II; Atk: II; Def: II; Resilience: II; Danger Save: II; Competence: II; Skills: Blend IV, Sneak IV;
Wealth: I; Qualities: Meek II  (Spycraft 2.0 Second Print Page: 448) Resolve/Morale -8
Weapon: Ruger Mark III .22LR (Spycraft 2.0 Second Print Page: 254)

The militant wing of the Salvation Army’s spies are easy to kill if you can just see them. These guys avoid combat if at all possible. They generally die with a bullet in the back as that is the only target they offer.

[mouthymerc]

Militant Wing of the Salvation Army

Fun stuff.  I like the little blurbs.

[Ezram]

Poison Headcrab (Animal — 42 XP): Init II; Atk IV; Def VI; Resilience V; Damage Save: IV; Skills: Acrobatics IV, Notice III, Sneak IV; SZ T; Spd 10 ft.; Qualities: damage resistance 5 (contagion), feats (Ghost Basics), inferior attribute (Str 7), low-light vision, natural attack (bite I, poison III [necrotizing poison]), sluggish (-20 ft), superior attributes (Dex 13, Con 12), undersized (Tiny), unnerving.

---

The tricky part is emulating their night-vision: should I base it off of a device, and if so, which one?

[OverNinja]

The tricky part is emulating their night-vision: should I base it off of a device, and if so, which one?

Low-Light Vision (+2 XP) (page 448 [450 in PDF]) will not do it for you?
Having not played HL or HL2 (lame, I know) I'm not quite sure of their visual capabilities.

[Ezram]

Interesting, I was aware of the ability, but the title appeared to be a bit of a misnomer. I'll amend that now.  They do have eyes, they're just very tiny and blend in well, making them difficult to see from a distance.

I chose necrotizing poison, because in spite of them being listed as injecting their victims with neurotoxin, it's actual effects lower the health of the victim, not cause slowed movement or paralysis.

Statting up their ability to control humans via a parasitic effect will be much harder...but giving them a bonus on grappling would be a good start.

[OverNinja]

Statting up their ability to control humans via a parasitic effect will be much harder...but giving them a bonus on grappling would be a good start.

Take Puppeteer (+10 XP) from Fragile Minds PDF (page 17 in full version and page 22 in print version).

[Ezram]

Have any advice on this critter's final XP amount, mouthymerc?

[mouthymerc]

Poison Headcrab (Animal — ? XP): Init II; Atk IV; Def VI; Resilience V; Damage Save: III; Skills: Athletics IV, Notice III, Sneak III; SZ T; Spd 10 ft.; Qualities: feats (Ghost Basics), inferior attribute (Str 5), low-light vision, natural attack (bite I, poison III [necrotizing poison]), sluggish (-20 ft), superior attributes (Dex 15, Con 12), undersized (Tiny), unnerving.

If the unnerving quality is only one grade (1d4), then your cost is 37 XP as is.  If it is of higher grade then the cost will need to be adjusted.  If you add the puppeteer quality this will bring up the XP, of course.  Although, being unfamiliar with the creature, I find it odd that a creature with animal intelligence could take over another creature.  Do they become zombie-like or something else?

[Ezram]

I'm not sure "animal" is the right term for them.

Once they've covered the head of the victim, they remove part of the skull and control the host body via parasitic means similar to the Emerald cockroach wasp

The new creature is a headcrab zombie (in all cases, the hands elongate to claws and their durability increases) that essentially exists for two reasons: to catch/kill other living humans in order to propogate their species (you can see what look like eggs budding on the bodies) or preventing other species of headcrabs / zombies from propogating.

[mouthymerc]

Once they've covered the head of the victim, they remove part of the skull and control the host body via parasitic means similar to the Emerald cockroach wasp

I'm not familiar with this creature either.  I separate stat block to represent the "zombie" would do the job.

[mouthymerc]

Anyways, speaking of zombies, I found these little numbers in a file.  The first is a revamp of my zombie from the main book.  The second was an attempt to reproduce the Gray Blades from Shadowforce Archer which I slightly updated with Fragile Minds.

Zombie (Standard Animal NPC — 71 XP): Init II; Atk V; Def VI; Resilience VII; Damage Save: III; Skills: Athletics III, Notice I; SZ M; Spd 20 ft.; Qualities: Achilles heel (called shot or threat), clumsy, damage reduction 8, fearless (+20), fearsome, feat ( Horde Basics, Horde Mastery, Horde Supremacy, Night Training), feral, horde, inferior attributes (Dex 8, Cha 1), minion, natural attack (slam II), sluggish (-10 ft.), superior attributes (Str 12), swarm, uncoordinated, undead.

Gray Blades (Standard NPC — 143 XP): Init X; Atk VII; Def VII; Resilience VII; Damage Save: VII; Competence: V; Skills: Acrobatics V, Poltergeist IX, Sneak X; SZ M; Spd 35 ft.; Wealth: None; Weapons: Caliber III-Long knife (Upgrades-deadly precision, razor sharp); Gear: None; Vehicle: None; Qualities: Fearsome, feat (Telekinetic Basics), from beyond II,  luminous III, natural attack (Slam II), ooze, superior attributes (Dex 12, Wis 14, Cha 14), synchronized, tough (1 save), treacherous, undead.