Crunklechops [Construct]

Discussion on game mastering Earthdawn. May contain spoilers; caution is recommended!
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Slimcreeper
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Crunklechops [Construct]

Post by Slimcreeper » Fri Oct 02, 2020 2:08 am

*edited to be scarier*

Crunklechops

Originally a Jehuthra forged by a Crystal Entity, it became ambitious. Crunklechops learned a variety of Nethermantic blood magic rituals and eventually slew its master. It now wears its creator’s corpse on its back like a suit of crystal armor. It is half-convinced that it has in fact become a Horror proper. No one has yet contradicted it and lived.

Crunklechops is quite intelligent. It likes to force Namegivers into extended servitude before killing them. It is gradually accumulating more and more powerful servants, whom it often loads up with Blood Charms, both conventional and of its own design.

The most heinous of its creations is a two-part Blood Charm it calls a Life Debt. After defeating some Namegivers, it will forcibly implant Life Debt charms at the base of their skulls to force them to become its servants. The other part it implants in its own thorax. It can hear everything in the vicinity of the Namegivers, within limits. Furthermore, it can cause the charm implanted in the Namegiver to rupture, causing massive Blood Damage. The construct (or Horror?) can then use Blood Magic to heal itself. It will usually trigger Life Debt on a serventwhen acquiring new servants, so that they know what is on the line.

It’s last known whereabouts is the ruins of Parlainth and the surrounding areas. It conceals itself in a covered wagon as it moves about. Obviously, no natural beast would consent to pull it. It has torn out the floor of the wagon. When it needs to move it sticks its legs through and scuttles along like a hermit crab. When it doesn’t want to reveal itself, it will also force its servants to drag it forwards. Its servants pose as merchants selling Blood Charms and gently-used adventuring gear. They are not usually very good actors, but they do have goods to sell. If Cruncklechops decides it would like a group as its servants, it scuttles backwards out of the wagon and attacks. The servants will usually attack too, activating various blood charms.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p8t ... sp=sharing
Last edited by Slimcreeper on Fri Oct 02, 2020 8:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Michael
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Re: Crunklechops [Construct]

Post by Michael » Fri Oct 02, 2020 1:19 pm

1: I think we both can agree after Mindtrap that CC here is not the equal of 4 7th circle adepts unless they are all troubadours. (Well, I supposed they would all inspire each other and just taunt CC until it had a step 1 for actions tests.) We both know he's well within the range of being knocked out by 1 shot from an archer with flame arrow.
2: Blood Debt: He has to activate the blood charm that does step 20 damage to a servant then makes a RT? Or is that two seperate things?
3: Tummy? Is this a terrifying horror construct or a teddy bear?
4: I'd really like to see some sort of group buff that last in minutes that he casts when spotting potential customers. Like an air armor or something.
5: Finally, I think a list of sample adepts along with the blood charms already implanted put in the description would be great.

I'll let you know next week since the group is in the Smalls.

Slimcreeper
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Re: Crunklechops [Construct]

Post by Slimcreeper » Fri Oct 02, 2020 3:16 pm

1) Your group is has a lot of buffing that stacks up, so I would take that into account. I applied part but not all of the Legendary Mask. The Death and Unconscious rating according to the Legendary Mask should be 5x higher, for example. This is intended to have some servants along with it, but you could still probably double the health ratings if you wanted.
2) They are 2 Free actions, or a single 2-part Free Action.
3) Apply the "why not both" GIF here.
4) Feel free to make one of the servants an caster. Also, CC's first priority is almost certainly going to be to casting its enhanced Iron Web, with karma, isolating them from each other, potentially one-on-one with a servant. And CC gets Ambush as long as it's inside Iron Web, unless it's Harried or something (see Step Into My Parlor). I'd probably have it peeking out from the wagon, not revealing itself, while casting Iron Web. Every time it tries and fails it will need to roll another Stealth Roll, of course, but it's got lots of karma to spend. CC will not be trying to fight everyone at once, adhering to the Queensbury Rules. Actually, its servants should not be suffering penalties from Iron Web either, I'll add that.
5) I'd just use some from Panda's Rogue's Gallery and apply 2 or 3 Blood Charms to them, or some of the GMCs written up as creatures from the Iopos book. Foul Folk would be appropriate.

Of course, I'm running this, one of the servants is a friend of the party that they haven't seen in a while. At the very least, some of the servants are true believers and some will be trying to aid the party without Crunklechops picking up on it.

Michael
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Re: Crunklechops [Construct]

Post by Michael » Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:20 pm

even with iron webs not sure how well CC would do against a 6 attacks a round warrior or a one shot gauntlet

Slimcreeper
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Re: Crunklechops [Construct]

Post by Slimcreeper » Fri Oct 02, 2020 11:02 pm

Well, you know your party. If you need to add another mask, beef up the servants, or boost the health ratings, definitely do so. I did make a few changes, but I think I've messed with it as much as I'm going to, until I get a group to 7th circle.

Lursi
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Re: Crunklechops [Construct]

Post by Lursi » Sat Oct 03, 2020 10:10 am

Well, more of an enhanced breakfast for a group of 7th circle. But I dont think every enemy needs to be potentially deadly. They should add flavor to the scene and not be the target of a dice war. I like the flavor of this one.

The group I play with is 3rd-5th circle and was just confronted with Nebis himself. (Cliffhanger at the end of last adventure) I would have preferred a construct like this to such a super evil horror that can only lead to a total party kill.
Of all things I lost, sanity I held dearest.

ragbasti
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Re: Crunklechops [Construct]

Post by ragbasti » Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:36 am

Having recently gone up against a Jehuthra, this seems like a pretty nice upgrade for a bit more challenge and flavour.
Though I would add something that let's CC grab Karma from it's victims, maybe through Life Debt, or something along that line.
Michael wrote:
Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:20 pm
even with iron webs not sure how well CC would do against a 6 attacks a round warrior or a one shot gauntlet
No creature is balanced around fully min-maxed adepts, that's up the GM to make up for...

Slimcreeper
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Re: Crunklechops [Construct]

Post by Slimcreeper » Fri Oct 09, 2020 12:47 pm

Thanks! Looks like I missed the Harvest Energy power from the Jehuthra, I'll add that in.

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