Tuesday, November 30, 2010

B/X Predator

ALIEN PREDATOR

Armor Class: -1
Hit Dice: 10**
Move: 150’ (50’)
Attacks: 1
Damage: Special (see below)
No. Appearing: 1-3 (1-6)
Save As: Fighter 10
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: G
Alignment: Chaotic


Huntsmen from another planet or dimension, these creatures specialize in tracking and killing the most dangerous game they can, as a method of proving their worth and acquiring prestige among their own kind. Prey can be large monsters or sentient combatants, but there must be some element of danger for the predator for the hunt to be worth their while. Unarmed opponents are considered poor sport unless having already proven themselves dangerous to the predator.

Alien predators are large (generally over 7’) and immensely strong, yet quick and acrobatic; they may climb or move through trees and rooftop environments at their normal movement rate. They wear high-tech armor that, coupled with their speed, provides an excellent armor class. This armor also has a light-bending device that allows them to become invisible at will, though immersion in water or excessive damage (more than 50% of hit points) will render it inoperable. Predators have a 5 in 6 chance of achieving surprise when camouflage system is functioning.

The monsters carry a variety of weapons for their hunt, choosing the one they feel most suitable depending on their prey. All predators have a pair of large, retractable blades built into the right forearm of their armor, allowing them to do 2D8 damage in melee combat. They also carry a shoulder-mounted plasma caster that can do 3D10 damage at a range of 300’; its laser tracking system removes all penalties for range.

In addition, each predator will carry 1D4 of the following weapons (roll D6 to determine which):
  1. Razor-wire net (range 120’): prevents movement and does 1D6 damage per round until freed (usually by cutting with a magical or hi-tech weapon).
  2. Edged projectile (range 240’): damage 1D10; stealthier than plasma caster
  3. Slay-Spear: damage 2D6; telescoping (1’ to 12’); can be thrown or set versus charge
  4. Saw-disk (range 50’, thrown): damage 3D6; returns when thrown, may be used in melee
  5. Throwing blades (range 40’; thrown): damage 1D6 each (may three up to 3 per round)
  6. Normal D&D weapon: damage +3 due to great (18) strength

A predator alien does 1D10 damage in unarmed combat.

Predator aliens have excellent infravision but are unable to see in the normal visible light spectrum. Their armor allows them the rough equivalent of human sight (due to filters that help distinguish heat differential) but extreme heat or masking of body heat can render their foes effectively invisible in combat (-4 to the predator’s attack rolls). The predator armor has the ability to record, synthesize, and project voices (as a ventriloquism spell). They are fire resistant, taking only half damage from all normal or magical fire. Their armor also has a self-destruct mechanism with a three-round time delay which they will activate if captured or reduced to less than 10 hit points; the resulting explosion does 10D10 damage to all within 60’ and 5D10 to all within 120’ (save versus dragon breath for half damage).

All predators are obsessed with taking trophies from their prey. This will generally be the creature’s skull and/or hide, but often weapons from an especially honored foe will be kept. Magic items in the monsters’ treasure hoard will ONLY be of the magical weapon variety. In addition, all predators aliens carry the equivalent of a double-strength potion of healing, which they will use if severely damaged during safari.

3 comments:

  1. I like it a lot. You might want to add something about those rare occasions in which they respect powerful opponents, particularly if said opponent beats one of their own; think of the gift given to Danny Glover at the end of Predator II, or the way the protagonist is made an honorary member of the tribe in the original Aliens vs Predator comic.

    It is not easy to win the predators' respect -- Danny Glover gets beaten up quite badly, and Machiko ends up as the only survivor on an entire planet! -- and the gift is usually a minor and often mundane item.

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  2. Very nice...

    Have you seen Batman: Dead End? http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7257032451176616508#

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