(Haunts and Horrors) New Preternatural Ability: Psychokinesis

Psychokinesis

Psychokinesis (New) Range 10 meters, Area of Effect, 2 Meters, Duration 1 Min per point of the users WIP, Initiative Penalty Nil

The ability of psychokinesis enables the user to influence physical items without physically contacting them. A form of Telekinesis it allows a creature to turn handles, operate machines or open doors as if it was physically touching them even when it is not. The ability can be used to operate machinery, pick locks and so forth.

(Haunts and Horrors) New Creature! Angra Mainyu

Today we have a new creature for your Haunts and Horrors game.  It is the first of a series of creatures from the folklore of the middle east, in this case, Persia.  The Angra Mainyu will be appearing in our upcoming H+H Scenario 'The Ahriman Tablets', due for release later this year.

Angra Mainyu

Angra Mainyu are dark spirits of destruction from the Zoroastrian tradition. The oldest Avestan writings seem to use the term as an alternative name for the destructive Deity Ahriman, the Zoroastrian equivalent of Christianity's Satan. Later writings begin to write of Angra Mainyu in the plural, as a range of demonic spirits in the service of Ahriman and his female counterpart Az.

These demons can be formed in various ways, some are the ghostly remains of Usij. Strictly speaking the Deava's in service of Ahriman and Az are a form of Angra Mainyu, but in game terms, the Deava's are the vastly more powerful spirits of destruction while the term Angra Mainyu is used for the lower level demonic and ghostly beings that serve Ahriman.

Due to the fact that there are several ways for an Angra Mainyu to come into being, their attributes and power can vary greatly between one individual and the next, which is reflected in the following profile.

STR: n/a

SIZ: n/a

AGL: n/a

PER: 20-70

LUCK: 20-60

WIP: 10-80

Preternatural Abilities

Different Angra Mainyu have different preternatural powers but what follows is a list of the more common ones. How many preternatural powers any given Angra Mainyu has also seems to vary wildly from 2 to 10.

Curse, Chill, Darken, Drain Strength, Dream Speak, Fright, Inflict Wound, Manipulate Object, Phantom Sound, Phantom Sound, Physic Drain, Pestilence, Plague, Possession, Silence, Strike Blind, Strike Deaf, Strike Mute, Suggestion, Warp.

Angra Mainyu tend to prefer powers that reflect destruction and darkness over all others and cannot use powers that would create something real. Thus they can not use 'The Writing on the Wall' or similar powers, as it would create something ('Writing'). The only exception is the creation of illusions.

Other Abilities

Angra Mainyu can remain invisible in dark places, even when some light is present they may remain invisible so long as there are deep, dark shadows deep enough that a human in dark clothing would be permitted a stealth roll to avoid detection. In sunlight or when trapped directly in a beam of light – or when viewed via 'Mind's Eye' or similar powers, the creatures appear as dark shadows of vaguely human form as if clad in tattered rags. They lack legs and their eyes seem to be pools of even deeper darkness.

Some Angra Mainyu may retain the ability to practice magic.

Destroying Angra Mainyu

These spirits can be driven back to whatever hell spawned them via an Exorcism, although they will use everything at their disposal to prevent themselves from being exorcised.

Sometimes the creatures are 'Bound' to unholy altars or artefacts which are concentrated to Ahriman or Az. When this is the case no exorcism will succeed until the item is found and its consecration to the dark gods is undone. This can be done by blessing it or re-consecrating it to another deity (Usually Ahura Mazda in the Zoroastrian tradition but in truth any deity that isn't tied to Ahriman will suffice just as well).

Other Notes

Angra Mainyu should be considered to belong to the classification 'Demons', even when they were created from the spirits of dead Usij.

(Haunts and Horrors) New Creature - Efreet

As promised, we are continuing our presentations of new creatures for your Haunts and Horrors Games with the Efreet.  From the mythology of the middle east, the Efreet have apeared in the folklore of the Ancinet Persians, Egyptians and bothe pre and post Islamic Arabs.  

Efreet

Aka Efrit. Ifrit, Jan

A type of Djinn in Arabic folklore noted for their strength and cunning.

In their native form the Efreet are enormous winged creature of a vaguely human form but composed entirely of fire. These creatures can be either male or female in appearance.

The Efreet can be found haunting ruins or underground places but according to folklore they may band into tribal societies with social stratification akin to the early Arab tribal societies.

Although their nature is that of fire, making them wild and destructive by nature they also have a strange tendency to seek revenge against murdered when a murder occurs near them or the body is disposed of near them. In this instance the Efrit gains the ability to assume the physical appearance of the victim. Driving an iron nail into the spreading blood or the blood stain of the fatal wound of the murder victim will prevent the Efreet from gaining the ability to take the victims form or from making revenge for the murder.

Efreet can also assume the forms of scorpions or jackals.

When in the form of a jackal, scorpion or murder victim hat form may be harmed by natural means of normal weapons, however this does not harm the Efreet itself which will reform infinite native form within an hour or so.

The djinns natural form is immune to normal weapons or harm but is vulnerable to magic.

The Efreet were spoken of in Islamic mythology and Arabic foklore gut many occult students believe they were also known to the ancient Persians.

According to Egyptian folklore the Efreet were spirits of the desert and could assume the form of a whirlwind. The Egyptians believed these creatures were servants of Set.

Although common in Islamic folklore and even mentioned in the Quran and other Islamic scriptures, Efreet are thought to have been known to both the ancient Egyptians and he ancient Persians.

Burning Man Form

STR 75- 90

SIZ 60-85

AGL 15-55

PER 25-55

WIP 50-80

LUC 10-40

Scorpion Form

RF;5

HP; 5

BI; 9

Armour; 1 point

Nip; 42% KPA; -0- Maximum Injury Level (Mil); Superficial

Sting; 70% KPA -0- Maximum Injury Level (Mil); Superficial Special; Poison.

The “Scorpion's” poison is a potent neurotoxin with an attack of 75 and a POT of 25 which has the following effects.

Level	Effect
W	The victim feels dizzy for 1d10 hours.
L	As W plus the victim looses 1-5 HP
M	The victim suffers 1-10 HP damage and becomes sick and dizzy for 2d10 hours
H	As M, plus the victim is left weak (-1 STR -1 AGL) for 1-5 days.
S	Victim loses 2d10 HP, lapses into unconsciousness for 1d10 hours and then suffers dizziness, sickness and weakness as in M
C	As S but the unconsciousness lasts 2d10 hours.
F	Victim lapses into a coma for 1-5 days.

Jakal Form

STR 30

SIZ 25

AGL 45

PER 40

WIP 40

LUC 20

BI;11

HF 10/15*

Bite 65% KPA 10 Worrying on subsequent rounds

* As a Jackal the Efreet's Horror Factor is 10 if anyone realises that they are actually fighting an Efreet, or believes it to be some other form of shape-shifting supernatural being, then the HF rises to 15.

Preternatural Abilities (Attack at 80% when used offensively)

Burning Touch Range;- Self Area of effect;- Self Duration;- 1 CR per point of the users WIP Initiative penalty;- -1I

Flight Range;-Self Area of effect;- Self Duration;- 1 minute per point of the users WIP Initiative penalty;- -2IL

Invisibility Range;- Self Area of effect;- Self Duration;- 1 min per point of the users WIP. Initiative penalty;--3 IL

Locate Range;- No limit Area of effect; N/A Duration;- Instant Initiative penalty;- N/A

Polymorph (limited) (Jackal, Scorpion, or Murder Victim) Range;-Self Area of effect;-Self Duration;-Unlimited Initiative penalty;--3 I (limited) Range;-Self Area of effect;-Self Duration;-Unlimited Initiative penalty;--3 IL

Phantom Sound Range;-1 meter per point of the users WIP Area of effect;- 1 meter per point of the users WIP Duration;- 5 CR or more Initiative penalty;- N/A

Phantasm Range;- 1 meter per point of the users WIP Area of effect;- 1 meter per point of the users WIP Duration;- As long as the creature continues to concentrate. Initiative penalty;- -1 IL

Summon Wind Range;- 1 meter per point of the users WIP Area of effect;-1 meter per point of the users WIP Duration;- 1 min per point of the users WIP Initiative penalty;- - 2 IL

Psychokinesis (New) Range 10 meters, Area of Effect, 2 Meters, Duration 1 Min per point of the users WIP, Initiative Penalty Nil

Other Abilities

Efreet are immune to normal harm or weapons but are vulnerable to magic. Their manifest forms of Jackal or Scorpion can be harmed by normal weapons but when destroyed, this has no effect on the Efreet itself other than forcing it to turn into a cloud of sand propelled by a whirlwind which then vanishes into the desert for 1d10 hours before the creature returns to normal.

Efreet also have a strange affinity with murder victims, the cause of this is unknown, however is a person is murdered within a mile of them, or the body of a murder victim is disposed of within a mile of he creature, it becomes determined to seek revenge for the murder. The Efreet gains the ability to 'Polymorph (limited) into the image of the victim and will be able to 'Locate' all those involved in or responsible for the victim's murder. I twill become obsessed with trying to avenge the victim.

The only way to prevent this is to drive an iron nail through the blood stain or pool of fresh blood that came form the fatal wound. Doing so severs this connection and the Efreet can no longer assume the victims form, use 'Locate' upon the killers, nor will it be determined to seek revenge for the murder.

Appearance

In it's native form the Efreet appears as a huge humanoid column of fire with bat shaped wings of flame.

Humans that touch or are touched by an Efreet suffer the effects of a 'Burning Touch'.

Special Note

When an Efreet is nearby (within 10 meters) flames begin to act oddly, they dance wildly, change colour or seem to bend and drift against the wind.

Hydrokinesis: A New Preternatural Ability for Haunts and Horrors

Hydrokinesis

(This preternatural ability first appeared in the H+H adventure “Suffer Little Children” and is reproduced here, from that adventure module).

Range;- Creature's WIP in Meters

Area of effect;- 1 individual or 1 litre of water per point of the creatures WIP

Duration;- 1 CR per point of the users WIP

Initiative penalty;- -5IL

Creatures with this ability have power over water, they can manipulate it in a variety of strange ways, or may even create it out of thin air.

There are several ways a creature can use this preternatural ability, such as;-

The creature may change the colour of water, even making it look like other fluids (such as wine, blood or milk, for example).

The creature may create water, up to 1 litre per point of the creatures WIP. This water is real in every way for as long as it lasts, but will only last for a period not exceeding 1cr per point of the creature's WIP. Strangely, however, if a living being drinks the water, the being will gain all the benefits form having done so, regardless of the fact that the water would have vanished in a few scant moments.

The creature can effect the taste of the water, making it taste salty, fresh, brackish, soapy or even making it taste of some other substance such as wine, blood or milk.

The creature may also change the temperature of the water by a few degrees (WIP ÷ 5 in degrees Celsius each round. This costs the creature 1 point of WIP – temporarily – per round it continues to alter the temperature). Once the creature stops actively altering the temperature, it will remain at that temperature until the duration of the preternatural power ends.

The creature can also use the power offensively to try and drown a character. When this is done, the character that is the victim of the attack suffers 1 round of drowning – as per the H+H rules.

Each round thereafter the victim may make a WIP save (Difficult the second and third rounds, standard on the fourth and fifth rounds and easy thereafter). If the character passes one of these saving throws the drowning attack ends immediately, each round they fail, they continue to suffer drowning effects. Whilst using the power in this offensive manner the creature is unable to do anything else without the Hydrokinesis use coming to an end.

The GM may come up with other creative uses of this ability, and should decide if they are possible.