AKTROXIK

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Init +4

Melee Atk
 • Claw +11 (1d8)
 • Bite +9 (1d8 + 1d4 Stamina Drain)
Spellcasting
 • +8 (see below)
AC 13
HD 8d6
MV 35, Fly 40
Act 2d20
SP only hit by magic, spell-abilities, doppelganger
Fort +5
Ref +9
Will +4
AL C

Cast out from the Realm of Faerie, Aktroxik resembles a medium-sized, hairless dog with a vile, human head. His manner is invariably obsequious, but with a sickly air of immanent threat.

Aktroxik is an angler, ever-looking for what he can get from travelers and wanderers. Most are so afraid of just the sight of him that they will give him whatever he asks for, if he will leave them be. Never doubt that he takes advantage of their fright.

Additionally, he is formidably powerful. He can only be harmed by magic, so most of those he crosses paths with never have any hope of driving him off, should the idea strike them. He also has several abilities to call upon, which for convenience are handled similarly to Wizard spells. While they are based on spells from the Rulebook, he cannot lose them from a low casting check, and does not suffer corruption, misfire or taint of any kind, suffering merely from failing to initiate the powers instead. These abilities are:

• Enlarge (pg 139) -- While Aktroxik is less than three feet from head to tail, the results should be calculated as if he were man-sized.

• Fire Resistance (pg 169)

• Invisibility (pg 172)

• Water Breathing (pg 235)

Additionally, when he is flying, the twitching, insect-like appendages over his shoulders shiver slightly, like a rattlesnake's tail. Were these limbs to be damaged or severed, it might limit his ability to fly, or eliminate it altogether.

Aktroxik can summon a weak simulacrum of himself, most commonly to create additional fear, but it can also fight alongside himself. This lesser-powered, ersatz self will last until destroyed or until dawn, whichever comes first. He can summon it with the following results of a casting check:

9-15 - Failure

16-17 - Init (acts simultaneously with Atroxik),  Claw +3 (1d6), Bite +3 (1d6), AC 13, HD 8d3, MV 30, Fly 20, Act 1d20, SP -, Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +1

18-21 - Init (acts simultaneously with Atroxik),  Claw +5 (1d8), Bite +5 (1d8 + 1d4-3 Stamina Drain), AC 13, HD 8d4, MV 30, Fly 30, Act 1d20, SP only half-damage from non-magic, Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +2

22-23 - Init (acts simultaneously with Atroxik),  Claw +6 (1d8), Bite +6 (1d8 + 1d4-2 Stamina Drain), AC 13, HD 8d5, MV 35, Fly 35, Act 1d20, SP only hit by magic, Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +2

24-26 - Init (acts simultaneously with Atroxik),  Claw +6 (1d8), Bite +6 (1d8 + 1d4-2 Stamina Drain), AC 13, HD 8d5, MV 35, Fly 35, Act 1d20, SP only hit by magic, spell abilities, Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +3

27-28 - Init (acts simultaneously with Atroxik),  Claw +9 (1d8), Bite +9 (1d8 + 1d4-2 Stamina Drain), AC 13, HD 8d5, MV 35, Fly 35, Act 1d20, SP only hit by magic, spell abilities, Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +4

LUMINION

Init +6
Melee Atk
 • Swipe +9 (5d6)
Ranged Atk
 • Energy Ray +4 (5d6; 30'; 1d10 damage to Luminon)
AC 16
HD 6d8
MV 40
Act 1d20
SP non-physical, teleport, half-damage from physical, double damage from light-based, immune to heat and cold, immune to mental effects
Fort +2
Ref +3
Will +3
AL N

A luminion is a remnant of ages past, a guardian creature with a shape that flickers from radiant human, to vaguely human-shaped and into a swirling vortex of light and colors and back again.

It lacks a coherent physical form and cannot effectively interact with the world around it, beyond speech and gesture. It can be disrupted by physical attacks, but at a reduced impact. It can attack by projecting part of it's own energy at a target. A similar damaging effect occurs if the luminion and a physical creature intersect, but this does not drain the luminion as the projected attack does.

It will generally first warn intruders away verbally, doing so with increasing insistence and clearly spelling out the threat intruders face for their transgressions. However, it's language may be completely lost to time.

Within the building, corridor, or room the luminion was originally designed to protect in the dim past, it can teleport instantly from one spot to another. It cannot leave the area it was created within, though it can 'retract' itself into apparent nothingness. It will only do so when unable to effectively defend it's area and if being damaged. A destroyed luminion may be able to re-manifest within (1d30)d30 hours.

Astute delvers may find that areas patrolled by one or more luminions have a small black box mounted near their ceiling. Made of a rigid, unknown substance, these boxes are not impossible to destroy, and when destroyed seem to banish the luminion from that general area. Extremely clever and crafty individuals may find the means to remove such a box and place it elsewhere, using the luminion(s) for their own purposes...

This is a "luminion variant" based on the original Luminion -- sourced from The Savage AfterWorld -- and further details can be found there.

They are also featured in One Year In The Savage AfterWorld by Tim Snider -- "short adventures through radioactive wastes designed to be run over the course of a few hours." Do check it out!

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...

SKEEVLINGS

Init +6
Melee Atk
 • Sword +7 (1d5)
 • Tail +10 (1d6)
AC 21
HD 2d8
MV 40, Phase 35
Act 1d20+1d16
SP immunity to acid & force, invisibility, regeneration, chill touch
Fort +3
Ref +5
Will +2
AL C

The tales told to make children behave say that skeevlings are the living shadows cast by evil magic's pale light. These minute devils (two-feet tall, at the most) are steeped in abilities that could only have a magical origin, and they live for nothing but plunder, raiding everything from village grain stores to massive treasure hordes of the deepest, darkest dungeons.

Skeevlings travel abroad in large numbers, easily 20-68 at a minimum, and usually above ground, unless they are bearing a treasure horde back to their homes. They speak very broken Common, and a gibberish-sounding dialect of their own.

They are not overly hearty creatures individually, but what they lack in fortitude, they make up for in mind-boggling magical power and single-minded group mentality. They can move through solid matter almost as fast as they can run upon the ground, bearing with them whatever they can carry as well. They regenerate damage (12 hp per round) such that if you don't manage to kill them with one blow, they are just as mighty as if you had not hit them at all. They are immune to the effects of acids and of force magic. They can turn invisible for 1d4 rounds at a time, but must 'rest' and cannot turn invisible again until another 1d4 rounds have passed. They can charge up their tails with magical energy, creating an effect similar to a Chill Touch spell, with a casting check of 1d20+7; each successful use of this spell reduces the initiative of the group by 1 point, drawing energy from their party to power it. They cannot lose this special ability, though it can fail to 'cast' (or they could run out of energy to manifest for it).

They are clever and crafty, using their powers to keep their opponents off-balance. They are proud of sniping foes by phasing out of a wall, striking and using their second action die to phase away back into a wall. They will use their invisibility power to conceal their numbers and observe any competitors for treasure. Though they may squabble among themselves, once one of them has been killed, they become a multitudinous force of vengeance. Even so, a few who have encountered them have discovered they can be bought off, though even fewer are willing to pay the price the skeevlings demand.

NOTE: Don't let the Hit Dice fool you; Skeevlings played to the hilt are a mid- to high-level threat.