THE GREATER DWS OF VALA

Init +4
Melee Atk
 • ram +13 (4d6)
 • claw +3 (1d8)
AC 16
HD 10d8
MV 35, Swim 15
Act 1d20 + 1d16
SP -
Fort +2
Ref +2
Will +4
AL N

Of course, everyone knows about the multitudinous dws created over recent decades by the fell sorceress Vala. Small, dimwitted creatures all, misshapen and slow, when encountered they are at most annoyances of a minor sort, mainly for their unclean odors and persistent worming and groveling for food.

But the Greater Dws is another matter altogether. Here Vala employed the terrible science of the flesh pits she discovered in the fortress she acquired to fashion something of far greater power than before -- or since, so far as anyone knows. Many have opined that her skill with the unknowable technology is negligible even after all these years, and her tireless experimentation has been a shot in the dark everytime. Hence the foul stream of the minor dws to flow from her fortress. And hence her inability to duplicate the Greater Dws.

The feral beast stands thirteen feet high, a solid mass of muscle and bone, thickly but unevenly covered in mangy fur. Tiny arms hang from it's shoulders. Jagged teeth jut from it's tiny mouth. And it's head is crowned and dominated by a gnarled, massive spread of convoluted bone.

The Greater Dws can effectively ram from even as short a distance as four feet from a target, such is the power of it's legs.

Born in a stone fortress, the creature treats any such environ it wanders into as it's own territory. And there is the fact that shoots fear into the guts of men: the creature wanders the land, and when it finds a ruined castle, ancient tomb, or man-made labyrinth, it considers it to be "home", and defends it fiercely (until it decides to move on).

The Greater Dws of Vala is in part inspired by The Savage Afterworld

BORATUS

Init +8
Mental Atk
 • psychic dagger (2d6, Fort DC 15 negates, 40')
Melee Atk
 • punch +6 (1d6+2)
 • standard weapon +3 (by type+1)
Ranged Atk
 • needle gun +12 (2d6, 40')
 • standard weapon +3 (by type)
AC 17
HD 12d20
MV 40
Act 2d20
SP teleport 50', illusory switch, immune to fire and bludgeoning damage
Fort +3
Ref +6
Will +2
AL C

Boratus has been sent from another world to hunt down a specific target. It could be an NPC, or it could be one of the player characters. He may be sent to simply kill his quarry, or here to bring them back alive to the world of his employer.

He prefers to work alone, but will employ locals if it will help him against tricky or heavily guarded targets. He prefers to strike at range when his target is disadvantaged by circumstances. He will employ local weapons only under duress, preferring his own needle gun and mental strike. If the needle gun is wrested away from him and carried by a local, they will find it has but 3d20 shots left, and the means of recharging it may be beyond them and effectively impossible.

Boratus' bodysuit provides him with immunity to fire and to the strikes of bludgeoning weapons, falls, collisions, and the like, although it may not be obvious that this immunity comes from his suit.

He also has the ability to teleport by giving up one Action Die. Additionally, in conjunction with this ability, he can then appear as a very accurate duplicate of anyone he teleports within 10' of, while they will instantly and exactly resemble him. Their position moves up to 10' away from it's original place, at his discretion. Thus, in the confusion of battle or the bustle of a marketplace, he can confuse pursuers or combatants. He can even mimic voices, provided such information could be gathered beforehand (if the subject of the duplication were speaking at the moment he made the 'switch', he could pull this off). The target will only be able to speak with the voice of Boratus. The effect remains until he drops it, replaces it by again teleporting to a new target, or he and his 'doppelganger' are more than 60' apart. He can pull this stunt twice in a round by using both Action Dice.

It is at the Judge's discretion, whether or not the psychic dagger and/or illusion ability are inherent to Boratus, or whether they are the product(s) of external devices, or cybernetic implants -- for instance, the psychic dagger may be a natural mental power of Boratus, but the illusion ability may come from a small device on his belt.

And somewhere -- not too far away -- he must have the means of returning to his employer's world, hidden away...