Wingéd Zingers [creature]

Discussion of GMing 1879. Warning: Here there be spoilers!
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Slimcreeper
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Wingéd Zingers [creature]

Post by Slimcreeper » Wed Apr 29, 2020 7:04 pm

Spoiler for my game!

Rough Draft, what do you think?

Wingéd Zinger
Small, bird-like saurians. About the size of a raven, they are mostly covered in lovely brown feathers, with bright red bars. Their mouth consists of a long, needle-like beak. They can open their beak, which they use to weave ornate nests from twigs, pine needles, and whatever they can scavenge. To feed, however, they grab onto an animal and jab their beak through into its flesh. They inject their venomous saliva, which breaks down the tissue. Then they suck out the resulting pulpy slime. They have a sack located below their neck that swells as they feed. Once full, or if they are forced away, they return to their nest to feed their young and digest their meal.

DEX: 8 Initiative: 8 Unconsciousness: 18
STR: 4 Physical Defense: 11 Death Rating: 20
TOU: 5 Mystic Defense: 7 Wound Threshold: 8
PER: 5 Social Defense: 7 Knockdown: 8
WIL: 5 Physical Armor: 0 Recovery Tests: 2
CHA: 5 Mystic Armor: 1
Movement: 3/10
Attack: 11
Actions: 1; Beak Jab 6. Blood Veins (4+Str=8 damage, no armor protects, 1 per minute)
Powers:
Enhanced Sense: Heat Sight
Blood Veins. If it causes damage with beak jab, it can automatically inflict Blood Veins damage until it is forced off by beating it in a Contested Strength test. No Zinger can do more damage than it’s Uncon Rating through Blood Veins, though it can continue to attack with Beak Jab.

Sapphire-Throated Wingéd Zinger
These Wingéd Zingers have been corrupted by a mal-functioning Annanuki device. Their life force is blended with a kind of wasp, and something else ...

DEX: 8 Initiative: 8 Unconsciousness: 22
STR: 5 Physical Defense: 11 Death Rating: 27
TOU: 5 Mystic Defense: 7 Wound Threshold: 8
PER: 5 Social Defense: 7 Knockdown: 8
WIL: 5 Physical Armor: 0 Recovery Tests: 2
CHA: 5 Mystic Armor: 1
Movement: 3/10
Attack: 11
Actions: 1; Beak Jab 10. Blood Veins (4+Str=8 damage, no armor protects, 1 per round)
Powers:
Enhanced Sense: Heat Sight
Blood Veins. If it causes damage with beak jab, it can automatically inflict Blood Veins damage until it is forced off by beating it in a Contested Strength test. No Zinger can do more damage than it’s Uncon Rating through Blood Veins, though it can continue to attack with Beak Jab.
Grab and Bite. It has a prehensile tentacle or tail that it uses to grab onto its victim as a Simple Action. It makes an attack test. If it gets an extra success, it has grabbed on. The result is the TN to dislodge the Zinger. It will then try to use its beak Jab and then Blood Veins power.

Queen Sapphire-Throated Wingéd Zinger
These are goat-sized with vestigial wings. They lay all of the eggs for the nest, and in exchange the worker zingers bring it food. It is in a symbiotic relationship with a parasitic worm. It can inject the worm using Blood Veins. The worm changes the victim’s motivations to protect and feed the queen before all else. Once the queen has drained nearly all of the victim’s life, it seeks out another to serve as her meal.
They avoid combat, but if attacked, all winged zingers in the area will aggressively attack its attacker.

DEX: 8 Initiative: 8 Unconsciousness: 34
STR: 4 Physical Defense: 8 Death Rating: 41
TOU: 5 Mystic Defense: 7 Wound Threshold: 11
PER: 5 Social Defense: 7 Knockdown: 8
WIL: 5 Physical Armor: 0 Recovery Tests: 3
CHA: 5 Mystic Armor: 1
Movement: 3
Attack: 11
Actions: 1; Beak Jab 8. Blood Veins (4+Str=8 damage, no armor protects)
Powers:
Enhanced Sense: Heat Sight
Pheromones (14). Pheromones will only affect one target at a time, and are most powerful against a sleeping creature.
Draw - The pheromones are released, causing the target to rise and move towards the queen. The target will do nearly anything to get to the queen, but is in a fugue state.
Docile - A target under the influence of the pheromones will not attack any zinger, but simply sit near the queen, who will waddle over, inject the parasite, and begin to feed. She will feed until she has inflicted one less than the victim’s wound threshold.
Parasitic Worm (14). The worm takes 1d4 hours to make it to the victim’s brain. Then it makes a Parasitic Worm test against the target’s Toughness step. If successful, the victim will be motivated to feed and protect the queen, and also to bring the queen a new food source before dying. If the Parasitic Worm doesn’t succeed in controlling the victim, they suffer from a fever and minor illness that can be treated with the Physician skill (6) as their immune system destroys the parasite. When the Worm exerts control, the victim must make Willpower tests against the result of the Parasitic Worm test. If the queen is attacked, the victim must make a willpower each round or it will attack to defend the queen. When the Queen is hungry, it must make a willpower test or it will let her feed. The queen might use Pheromones to attract her servant in these situations. Treating the Worm once it is implanted in the brain requires Physician tests against the Parasitic Worm effect test result. One Physician test can be made per day, and requires experimental medicines at the GMs discretion. Each success reduces the Worm test result by 5. When it reaches 0, the worm is destroyed and the victim suffers a fever and minor illness as described above.
Blood Veins. If it causes damage with beak jab, it can automatically inflict Blood Veins damage until it is forced off by beating it in a Contested Strength test. No Zinger can do more damage than it’s Uncon Rating through Blood Veins, though it can continue to attack with Beak Jab.
Acid Spray (4, Step 12). Range 24 yards. If hit, target makes will test vs acid spray. If fails, target is incapacitated for 4 rounds. May make will test each round to recover. -1 each round to TN to resist. The spray is her partially digested meal. When encountered, the queen has 1d4 acid sprays.
Last edited by Slimcreeper on Thu Apr 30, 2020 2:16 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Libby
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Re: Wingéd Zingers [creature]

Post by Libby » Wed Apr 29, 2020 7:49 pm

I suppose with firearms present, these won’t be as threatening as the would in Earthdawn. They are like stirges in ‘roids. Could another player be able to Called Shot an attack to remove one?

Slimcreeper
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Re: Wingéd Zingers [creature]

Post by Slimcreeper » Thu Apr 30, 2020 1:42 pm

I would let anyone make a test to grab a Sapphire-Throated Wingéd Zinger and pull it off. No Called Shot, but you still have to beat the Zinger's attack test to get it off.

There maybe should be a limit to how much damage they can do with blood veins. After all, they can only hold so much dissolved tissue!

Edited for clarity on the Parasitic Worm Power and to add the damage limit on blood veins.

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Andrew1879
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Re: Wingéd Zingers [creature]

Post by Andrew1879 » Thu Apr 30, 2020 2:10 pm

Stirges!

cherriesonce
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Re: Wingéd Zingers [creature]

Post by cherriesonce » Mon Jul 17, 2023 9:37 am

In these circumstances, the queen might utilize pheromones to entice her worker. Physician tests against the results of the parasitic worm effect test are necessary for treating the worm once it has been implanted in the brain. One physician test can be performed each day, and the GM may decide to use experimental medications. Each victory lowers the Worm test result by 5 points. When it hits 0, the worm is eliminated, and the sufferer experiences the above-mentioned fever and slight sickness. penalty kick online

adamusa
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Re: Wingéd Zingers [creature]

Post by adamusa » Fri Sep 22, 2023 2:52 am

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Miaksli
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Re: Wingéd Zingers [creature]

Post by Miaksli » Tue Nov 21, 2023 9:29 am

Pheromones may be used by the queen in these situations to lure her worker in. Once the worm is implanted in the brain, treatment requires physician testing against the findings of the parasitic worm effect test.
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namdosan1409
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Re: Wingéd Zingers [creature]

Post by namdosan1409 » Wed Dec 27, 2023 1:41 am

Your rough draft provides a vivid description of the Wingéd Zinger, creating a clear image of their appearance and behavior. The inclusion of details such as their feeding habits and venomous saliva adds depth to their characterization. Additionally, the provided stats offer a concise overview of their attributes for potential use in a game or retro bowl college narrative setting.

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