A monster for Steampunk Hero: Caleon

[Jkeown]

I'm gonna post a beastie in the next message, a large hulking creature that recharges its END reserve by draining the BODY of its victims. I want to add one more attack or defense power, but I'd like comments on the basic creature and the Soul Burner powerplant it uses.

 

This guy was built some time ago, and now that his creator is dead, he seeks to understand his existance and create, maybe, an army of necromechanical critters to serve as his buffer against a cruel and intolerant world. He knows he's evil, but he sees the rest of the world as much worse than he is. Kinda like a Frankenstein's Monster, without the little girl and the flowers.

 

So what kinda spells should he have? I was thinking some sort of Zombie summoning abilty based around machinery and some other necromantic effects.

[Jkeown]

Rust LordRust LordPlayer: NPC

Val	Char	Cost
55	STR	45
15	DEX	15
20	CON	20
19	BODY	18
15	INT	5
0	EGO	0
30	PRE	5
7	COM	-1
17	PD	39
15	ED	42
4	SPD	15
15	REC	0
40	END	0

24" RUN02" SWIM011" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 203

Cost	Power	END
25	Jaws: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1 1/2d6 (3d6+1 w/STR)	2
37	Claws: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1 1/2d6 (3d6+1 w/STR), Armor Piercing x2 (+1/2) (37 Active Points)	4
59	Ennervation: (Total: 115 Active Cost, 59 Real Cost) Transfer 0d6+1 (BODY to END Reserve), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (10 Active Points); Only Against Entangled Target (-1/2) (Real Cost: 7) plus Entangle 5d6, 8 DEF (Stops A Given Sense: Normal Hearing), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (105 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Must Follow a Successful Grab (-1/2) (Real Cost: 52)
54	Heavy: Knockback Resistance -9"
5	Life Sense: IR Perception (Sight Group)
36	Long Legs: Running +18" (24" total)	4
15	More Impressive: +15 PRE
17	Reach: Stretching 4", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); Always Direct (-1/4), No Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), No Velocity Damage (-1/4)
1	Soul Burner: Endurance Reserve (35 END, 0 REC) Reserve: (3 Active Points); Recovers only via Ennervation (-1)
60	Standing Tank Body: Automaton (Takes No STUN)
45	Standing Tank Body: Damage Resistance (15 PD/15 ED)
15	Standing Tank Body: Does Not Bleed
10	Standing Tank Body: No Hit Locations
75	Points In Reserve: Spells (75 Active Points)

Powers Cost: 454

Cost	Skill
5	AK: Chalasyan (Chalkcliff, B'nye's Stand, Southern Blasarka) 14-
25	+5 with HTH Combat
4	KS: Necromechanics 13-
3	Streetwise 15-
0	WF: Unarmed Combat
3	Mechanics 12-
3	Inventor 12-
3	Demolitions 12-
9	Magic 14-

Skills Cost: 55

Val	Disadvantages
20	Reputation: Ravening Necromechanical Beast, 14- (Extreme)
20	Psychological Limitation: Ravening (Common, Total)
15	Physical Limitation: Huge (Frequently, Greatly Impairing)
25	Distinctive Features: "Look out! Its RUST LORD! Run for your lives!" (Not Concealable; Extreme Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
20	Social Limitation: Machine (Very Frequently, Severe, Not Limiting In Some Cultures)

Disadvantage Points: 100

Base Points: 75Experience Required: 537Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 712

Height: 5.50 m
Weight: 1000.00 kg

[Lord Liaden]

Hmm... very interesting concept, and the idea of the Soul Burner and Enervation power are clever and appropriate. There are a number of mechanical issues about this design that you should be aware of, though:

 

First, as an Automaton this character would lack free will and the ability to think and act for itself. Since that's what you seem to want you should buy a "computer brain" for it (an AI would give it full freedom of volition).

 

Second, you've given the creature both personal END and an END Reserve - not illegal for an automaton, although unusual. But it's not clear what each source of END is supposed to power, Strength, Powers, Running, etc. If you want the END Reserve to power everything, you'll save some Character Points buying personal END and Recovery down to 0. Othewise you'll need to define which uses which, or else buy the "Draws From Both" Advantage on all those things (+1/4).

 

I'm guessing the Ennervation Transfer "0d6+1" is a typo, unless you just want a 1-pip Transfer. In either case, remember that any Characteristic gained from a Transfer fades at the normal rate, so unless you buy the Fade Rate much longer, your creature won't be able to "recharge" this way more than briefly.

 

Also, I'm not sure I'd make the "Recovers only by Ennervation" Limitation on the Soul Burner as high as -1; since it has no innate Recovery, there are precious few ways it could recover. I would suggest giving the Soul Burner a normal Recovery with that Limitation - that would deal with the problem with the Ennervation power mentioned above.

 

I hope that's useful. As always YMMV.

[Jkeown]

Let's see if I got this right...Taking all of your suggestions to heart... he's what I came up with... A question remains... does Rust Lord use the body's DEX or the AI's? My thought is, the AI's DEX. And I was thinking of allowing him to possess other machines, basically through tthe Ferrokenesis power, below, but maybe there's a more elegant method? Thanks again.Rust LordPlayer:

Val	Char	Cost
55	STR	45
15	DEX	15
20	CON	20
19	BODY	18
0	INT	-10
0	EGO	0
30	PRE	5
7	COM	-1
17	PD	39
15	ED	42
4	SPD	15
0	REC	-30
0	END	-20

24" RUN02" SWIM011" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 138

Cost	Power	END
25	Jaws: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1 1/2d6 (3d6+1 w/STR)	2
37	Claws: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1 1/2d6 (3d6+1 w/STR), Armor Piercing x2 (+1/2) (37 Active Points)	4
63	Ennervation: (Total: 121 Active Cost, 63 Real Cost) Transfer 0d6+1 (BODY to END Reserve), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per 6 Hours; +1 1/4) (16 Active Points); Only Against Entangled Target (-1/2) (Real Cost: 11) plus Entangle 5d6, 8 DEF (Stops A Given Sense: Normal Sight), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (105 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Must Follow a Successful Grab (-1/2) (Real Cost: 52)
5	Soul Burner: Endurance Reserve (35 END, 4 REC) Reserve: (7 Active Points) REC: (4 Active Points); Recovers only via Ennervation (-1) [Notes: Soul Burner powers Everything.]
54	Heavy: Knockback Resistance -9"
5	Life Sense: IR Perception (Sight Group)
36	Long Legs: Running +18" (24" total)	4
15	More Impressive: +15 PRE
17	Reach: Stretching 4", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); Always Direct (-1/4), No Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), No Velocity Damage (-1/4)
60	Standing Tank Body: Automaton (Takes No STUN)
45	Standing Tank Body: Damage Resistance (15 PD/15 ED)
15	Standing Tank Body: Does Not Bleed
10	Standing Tank Body: No Hit Locations
50	Rust Lord's Animating Spirit: Computer (50 Active Points)	5

Powers Cost: 437

Val	Disadvantages
20	Reputation: Ravening Necromechanical Beast, 14- (Extreme)
20	Psychological Limitation: Ravening (Common, Total)
15	Physical Limitation: Huge (Frequently, Greatly Impairing)
25	Distinctive Features: "Look out! Its RUST LORD! Run for your lives!" (Not Concealable; Extreme Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
20	Social Limitation: Machine (Very Frequently, Severe, Not Limiting In Some Cultures)
15	Physical Limitation: Mechanical - Does Not Heal Except By Repair Skills (Frequently, Greatly Impairing)

Disadvantage Points: 115

Rust Lord's SpiritPlayer:

Val	Char	Cost
15	DEX	15
20	INT	10
20	EGO	20
4	SPD	15

Characteristics Cost: 60

Cost	Power	END
9	Ferrosense: Detect Metals A Class Of Things 13- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Analyze, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Range, Sense (27 Active Points)
14	Whirling Death: HKA 2 1/2d6, Autofire (3 shots; +1/4), Armor Piercing (+1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Damage Shield (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1) (150 Active Points); Activation Roll 11- (-1), No STR Bonus (-1/2), OIF (Spare Parts; -1/2), Spell (-1/2)
16	Summon Necrothrall: Summon 4 300-point Necromechanical Creatures, Expanded Class of Beings Very Limited Group (+1/4), Slavishly Devoted (+1) (157 Active Points); OAF (Spare Parts, Dead Bodies; -1), Arrangement (-1/4), Spell (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)	16
14	Ferrokinesis: Telekinesis (55 STR), Fine Manipulation (93 Active Points); Only Works On Limited Types Of Objects Limited Group of Objects (Mechanical Parts or Vehicles; -1/2), Spell (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4)	9
20	Ferrus Barrier: FW (8 PD/8 ED; 8" long and 2" tall) (Opaque: Normal Sight) (61 Active Points); Spell (-1/2), Must have metal objects nearby (Spare Parts; -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Physical Manifestation (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4)	6
10	Sense Life: IR Perception (Sight Group), Discriminatory

Powers Cost: 83

Cost	Skill
30	+6 with HTH Combat
2	AK: Chalasyan 11-
3	Conversation 9-
3	Deduction 13-
3	Demolitions 13-
3	Interrogation 9-
3	Inventor 13-
5	KS: NecroMechanics 14-
9	Magic 14-
3	Mechanics 13-
0	WF: Unarmed Combat

Skills Cost: 64

Cost	Perk
20	Follower

Perks Cost: 20

Cost	Talent
3	Absolute Range Sense
3	Absolute Time Sense
14	Fearless

Talents Cost: 20

Val	Disadvantages
25	Enraged: Berserk When his Hull is Damaged (Uncommon), go 11-, recover 11-, Berserk
15	Physical Limitation: Hunger (Frequently, Greatly Impairing)

Disadvantage Points: 40

Base Points: 75Experience Required: 132Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 247

Base Points: 75Experience Required: 385Total Experience Available: 0Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 575

Height: 5.50 m	Hair: N/A
Weight: 1000.00 kg	Eyes: N/A

Appearance: 5 meters of rusting metal and steaming hoses. Personality: Self-styled Wizard, Necromancer and aspirant ruler of all of Chalasyan. Quote:I have died a thousand times, and I am done with it. It is your turn.Background: Created by the legendary Necromancer Kastaboondarfanak (We blame his parents for his fall to the Dark Side, BTW), Rust Lord is the ultimate Death Machine. Built of oxidized Standing Tank parts and animated by a dark spirit out of Chaos, this masterpiece of Steampunk Necromechanical Design can withstand an armed assault by nearly any group of Puppy Kickers Chalkcliff has ever produced. With Kastaboondarfanak's death in 582, Rust Lord has sat silent, awaiting a time when he can again manifest and create an army of Necrothralls to do his bidding. Powers/Tactics: Grab, Bite, Ennervate, Blast, Destroy, Collect spare parts. Campaign Use: Consumate Dark Lord in Training.

[Chris Goodwin]

A couple of things I noticed about your Ennervation Power. First off, you probably want to buy it Constant.

 

Secondly, note that you're only transferring not 1 BODY but 1 Character Point worth of BODY per Phase. That's 2 END, and removes 1 BODY every other Phase.

 

On the Soul Burner, knock off the Only Recovers Via Ennervation Limitation. You were right to not buy any REC the first time, but either you recover by Transferring END in (and note that you'll lose points from it, so eventually you're going to have a 0 point END Reserve into which you occasionally transfer points) or you have a REC. What I'd do if I were you would be to transfer BODY to the END Reserve's REC, then buy up the Transfer to 1d6.

 

Finally, the Whirling Death, Summon Necrothrall, Ferrus Barrier, and Ferrokinesis Powers on the Computer seem to be there only for the purposes of reducing their overall cost (the base Rust Lord character gets them at an 80% cost break).

[Jkeown]

You know I wasn't sure...

 

Whether the Rust Lord or his spirit should get the Spells...

 

 

Hmmm....I'll fix that.