Skullspook

By John R. Troy
johntroy@tiac.net

Identifier: Undead, Spirit
Habitat: Astral, Netherplanes, Night Material
Size: 1 x human-size
Number Appearing: 1
Modes & Rates of Movement:

Float/Fly: 120 yds/BT

Non-enchanted Weapons

Fire/Heat
Cold/Exposure
Chemicals
Disease
Poison

Sunlight (Forces creature to NPM form)
Incense, d6 SD/BT, Dazing 1/AT
Holy Water, 1 Vial, 2D6 P Damage
Silver Weapons, x1
Gold Weapons, x1

Attacks		BAC	Damage Type		Base	Bonus
Vampiric Touch x2	55	Physical (or Spiritual	2D6	N/A

Assume NPM (Astral) Form

Area of Effect: Skullspook
Delivered by: Thought
Range: Skullspook
Time: 1 CT Duration:
Frequency: At Will (but See Below)
Description: A Skullspook can shift its from from PPM to an invisible NPM utilizing the Astral Plane. In this form, the Skullspook is invisible to normal sight and can't attack save for its Hex Gaze. A Skullspook can only assume PPM once/BT, but it can assume NPM at will. Exposure to sunlight forces the creature to assume NPM for as long as it is present.

Dark Bolts

Area of Effect: 1 Creature
Delivered by: Gaze
Range: Sight to 1 Chain
Time: 1 CT Duration: Instantanious
Frequency: 1/AT, 3/Day
Description: The Skullspook can unleash a bolt of Negative Heka 1/AT, which does 4D6 P (Impact) Damage to the Target.

Dark Seeing

Area of Effect: Skullspook
Delivered by: N/A
Range: Sight
Time: N/A
Duration: Always active
Frequency: N/A
Description: The Skullspook can see in Darkness as if it Sunlight.

Heka Resistance

Area of Effect: Skullspook
Delivered by: N/A
Range: Skullspook
Time: N/A
Duration: N/A
Frequency: Always Active
Description: This power provides a 3 point R-Factor to resist vs. Any casting or power.

Hex Gaze

Area of Effect: 1 Creature or being
Delivered by: Sight
Range: 1 Chain
Time: Same CT (Eyebite)
Duration: See Below
Frequency: 1/Day
Description: A Skullspook has a special ability in its NPM. It has the ability to cast a minor eyebite of the Witchcræft variety. This power encompasses all of the minor Hex and Influence castings found on page 286 of the Mythus Magic book. It may choose any one of these castings per day. The "Seeking" Skullspooks are sometimes called upon to use these powers to slowly curse and afflict a victim and/or its associates from afar.

Summoning Howl

Area of Effect: Skullspook
Delivered by: Word (Howl)
Range: Within 1 Chain
Time: 1 CT
Duration: N/A
Frequency: 1/Day
Description: A "Wild" or "Sentinel" Skullspook has the ability to summon its fellows from the darkness of the Nether. When the Skullspook Howls, it must roll vs. SPCap at DR "Hard". If it is successful, D3 Skullspooks will arrive in the area 1BT later. This occurs no matter what, even if the Skullspook who made the call is destroyed.

Tracking

Area of Effect: 1 Target
Delivered by: Thought (if tasked)
Range: 10 Leagues
Time: Instantaneous
Duration: Until broken by defensive casting/power.
Frequency: 1/hour
Description: A Skullspook conjured to seek a creature/persona has the ability to track its assigned prey anywhere if the target is within 10 Leagues of the creature. This power can be blocked by the proper castings or powers, in which case the creature can make one attempt/hour to re-establish the dweomer.

Vampiric Touch

Area of Effect: 1 Creature
Delivered by: Touch
Range: Touch
Time: Instantaneous
Duration: Permanent
Frequency: At Will
Description: This power is a form of attack by the undead creature. If the creature succeeds with its attack, the victim takes either 2D6 P (Blood Drain) or 2D6 Spiritual Damage per touch. The Skullspook will only attack Spiritually if that is the only way to harm a persona or creature since they crave hot blood rather than spiritual essence.

Castings: None

Statistical Detail:

Base Scheme 
M(Cunning):76 		P:  50     WL:       CL:  		S:	130	EL:104	MM:	34	MR:	34	PM:	25	PN:	25	SM:	65	SP:	65
MMCap:	12	MRCap:	12	PMCap:	16	PNCap:	16	SMCap:	25	SPCap:	25
MMPow:	11	MRPow:	11	PMPow:	4	PNPow:	4	SMPow:	20	SPPow:	20
MMSpd:	11	MRSpd:	11	PMSpd:	12*	PNSpd:	12*	SMSpd:	20	SPSpd:	20
*  Effective Spd is multiplied by 2 (see quirk)

	PIER	CUT	BLUNT	FIRE	CHEM	STUN	ELEC
Ultra	48	36	24	*	*	40	12
Super	24	18	16	*	*	30	8
Vital	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Non	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Average	18	13	10	*	*	17	5

Skullspooks are believed to be created by forces or being from the Netherplanes, such a Great Demons or other beings capable of Supernatural Castings. However, such creatures are summonable, and their are primarily found in the service of some Devilshine practitioner (Necromancy, Witchcraeft, or even Sorcerey), though other practitioners utilize them (various Demonurgists, some powerful Black School Mages). The creatures are also utilized by certain Priests of Darkness (mostly Gloom but not unknown to Shadow), and castings to summon these creatures are known to several sects, including those serving Hectate, Orcus, Dispater, Set, Lovitar, Dadga, The Tibetan Bon, Hel, The Atlantian Ancient Masters and other Dark Dieties.

When manifesting themselves on the Material, Skullspooks appear as in a strange PPM. They appear similar to wraiths, a smokey, translucent form, but of a more vague shape. Two features, however, remain static. The first is a pair of hands, which glow a deep crimson. The second and more prominent one is the Skull, a sickly fulgelinous colored human, clean of all flesh, with sickly mauve pinpricks of light where the eyes should be.

Skullspooks are only of one race, but because of some differences in their powers, they come under "three" categories. The first are "Wild" Skullspooks, which are not serving a being, and are usually seeking prey to devour. There are also "Sentinel" Skullspooks, which are bound to a certain area, as guards for some item/creature/area. Then there are "Seeking" Skullspooks, which are tasked to either spy or assault a target with its powers. The latter two will only serve for short-term unless allowed to feed regularly.

The Skullspook primary attack form is its vampiric touch. Each hand drains 2D6 P from the persona, draining his or her blood. Of course, the hands being non-corporeal, they can penetrate all armor that is not designed to keep out such forms. The creature can also use this ability to drain spiritual energy from a persona or creature, but will only do so if it is unable to drain P from the creature (either due to a protective dweomer vs. Vampirism, attacking another NPM, etc.) since it prefers blood.

Skullspooks also have the power to unleash dark bolts from their eyes, though they can't utilize the power that often. "Wild" and "Sentinel" Skullspooks also have the ability to summon others of their ilk from the Netherplanes, the creatures hearing the unholy howl across the Astral dimension. "Seeking" Skullspooks also have the power to track a specific target, and also are the only Skullspooks seen using the Hex Gaze power.

The Skullspooks PPM prevents most attacks. The Skull, however, is the creatures weak spot. While having some minimal armored "hide" and invulnerabilities, the Skull is susceptible to attacks. In combat, the Skull is treated as either a Super-vital or Ultra-vital location. This makes any blow towards the skull damaging as it is affected by the x3 or x4 multiplier, but the attacker must specifically aim for the skull, and thus make the successful roll on the Strike-Location Table. (The PPM is treated as 1 "Being", since the hands interpose themselves and the Skull is "attached" to the ectoplasmic form). If the JM/Players don't use the Strike Location rules, then to simulate this difficulty all combat rolls vs. A Skullspook are made at -1 DR.

Skullspooks can only operate at night or places shielded from the light of the sun. The Sun does no damage to the creature, but forces it into NPM. Skullspooks take damage from Holy Water, which burns their skulls, and incense. In addition to magickal weapons and electricity, They can be hurt by Silver or Gold weapons, and incense burned in their presence "poisons" their spiritual forms. A Skullspook is immune to mental attacks but not spiritual damage. While in NPM the Skullspook is susceptible to Spirit Traps, it should be noted that, even though there is a PPM form to the Skullspooks material manifestation, a Skullspook can't be Spirit Trapped since the Skull is in FPM.