Part the Fourth: Creeping Death

(Some) Bugs of Caleon 30 Physical Complication: Instinctive Intelligence

(All the Time; Greatly Impairing)
Despite the middling oxygen level Caleon enjoys, it 10 Physical Complication: Small (1m; +6m KB)
suffers from some very large bugs. (Infrequently; Slightly Impairing)
20 Physical Complication: Very Limited
Blast Bug Manipulation (Frequently; Greatly Impairing)
“Look! A lantern beetle! You don’t normally see them this Complications Points: 60
close to the surface!” Base Points: 175
“Kaldor… I said you don’t see them up here…” Experience: 0
“Kaldor?” Experience Unspent: 0
- Grabber and Kaldor (deceased) Total Character Cost: 133
VAL CHA Cost Roll Notes
10 STR 0 11- HTH 2d6 END [1] Description: This is a 3-foot long beetle with glowing
18 DEX 16 13- orbs on its head, just above the eyes. They seem unlikely
14 CON 4 12- to have evolved on their own. Many a scholar’s surviving
4 INT -6 10- PER Roll 10-
notes suggest they were enhanced in the distant past as a
3 EGO -7 10-
prank on those of us living in their future.
15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6
5 OCV 10 Seems reasonable.
7 DCV 20
2 OMCV -3 Motivation: Things you cook with Essence taste like
2 DMCV -3 chicken.
3 SPD 10 Phases: 4, 8, 12 Magic: Blast Bugs are probably magically provolved
5 PD 3 5 PD (5 rPD) from Lantern Beetles.
4 ED 2 4 ED (4 rED)
6 REC Advancement: As they age, a Blast Bug will grow larger
25 END and all of its attacks grow stronger and its chitin will
8 BODY -2 thicken. Those found underground will lose their wings to
22 STUN atrophy and probably gain the ability to see in darkness.
Movement Cost Meters Notes
RUNNING -8 4m/8m END [1] Adjustments: Increase its RKA, toughen its chitin,
SWIMMING 0 4m/8m END [1] improve its flight speed. With a creature this low-powered
LEAPING -1 2m forward, 1m upward (from my campaign’s view) the only direction is up. Just
FLIGHT 0 16m/32m follow the advice above under Advancement, really.
Characteristics Total: 44
Suggested Equipment: This is a bug, unless it’s being
Cost Powers
10 Sting: HKA½d6 (1d6+1 w/STR) controlled and kitted out by a mad wizard, they won’t be
45 Essence Bolt: RKA 1½d6, +1 Increased STUN encountered with gear.
Multiplier (+¼), Armor Piercing (+¼), Autofire Variants: As Grabber was unfortunate enough to
(2 shots; +¼), Affects Any form of discover, Blast Bugs resemble Lantern Beetles due to
Desolidification (+½) (56 AP); 12 Charges (-¼) evolution being such a jerk.
11 Wings: Flight 16m (16 AP); Restrainable (-½)
8 Insect Feet: Clinging (normal STR) (10 AP); They move in harmless colonies of a few dozen
Cannot Resist Knockback (-¼) individuals. Some races (notably the human sub-race of
4 Chitin: Resistant (+½) applied to PD plus Underlings) keep these penned up in their settlements.
Resistant (+½) (2 AP) applied to ED
5 Six Legs: Extra Limbs (6), Inherent (+¼) (6 AP); Remove Wings, Stinger, and Essence Bolt. Lower the
Limited Manipulation (-¼) DEX to 10 and add Light Generation.
Powers Total: 83 Light Generation: Sight Group Images, Area Of Effect
Cost Skills (3m Radius; +¼), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (17
3 Climbing 13-
AP); Only To Create Light (-1) Real Cost: 8
Skills Total: 3
Cost Talents Now put a couple of Blast Bugs in amongst them.
3 +1/+1d6 Striking Appearance (vs. all characters)
Talents Total: 3
Value Complications
The basic Blast Bug can be used as a template for any 24 Exoskeleton: Resistant Protection (8 PD/8 ED)
number of cool insects. Try these… better yet, bolt on 8 Insect Senses: +4 PER with Smell/Taste Group
several these to a single type of bug. 4 Insect Senses: +2 PER with Hearing Group
8 Insect Feet: Clinging (normal STR) (10 AP);
Chemical Blast: Blast 5d6, Area Of Effect (5m Cone; Cannot Resist Knockback (-¼)
+¼), Penetrating (+½) (44 AP); 4 Charges (-1) Real Cost: 5 Six Legs: Extra Limb (1), Inherent (+¼) (6 AP);
22 Limited Manipulation (-¼)
Flare (No Relation): Sight Group Flash 4d6 (25 AP); 24 Powers Total: 82
Cost Skills
Charges (+¼) Real Cost: 25
6 +2 with Mandibles and Lightning Bolt
Armored: Resistant Protection (8PD/8ED) Real Cost: 24 7 Stealth 15-
Skills Total: 13
Digger: Tunneling 6m through 4 PD material Real Cost: Value Complications
14 30 Physical Complication: Instinctive Intelligence
Frag Bugs have a 3d6 area effect attack that has no range (All the Time; Greatly Impairing)
and probably kills the bug itself. Stupid, but evolution has 10 Physical Complication: Small (.5m Reach, +6m
produced stranger things (I’m looking at you, sea squirts). Knockback) (Infrequently; Slightly Impairing)
Complications Points: 40
Suicide: Killing Attack - Ranged 3d6, Area Of Effect Base Points: 200
(3m Radius; +¼), +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+¼) Experience: 0
(67 AP); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (-4), No Range Experience Unspent: 0
(-½) Real Cost: 12 Total Character Cost: 180

Lightning Bug Description: Lightning bugs (the big ones, not those little
“A lightning bug! I wish Kaldor was here to see this!” buggers skittering the grass and lighting up spring nights)
- Grabber’s last words do not have wings, just bad attitudes. They have striped
VAL CHA Cost Roll Notes bodies, garish heads and huge frills running down their
13 STR 3 12- HTH 2½d6 END [1] abdomen. All of these are signs of their dangerous ability
18 DEX 16 13- to fire lightning out of their ass.
15 CON 5 12-
3 INT -7 10- PER Roll 10-/16- Motivation: Typical insect motivations… but evil,
10 EGO 0 11- nonetheless.
13 PRE 3 12- PRE Attack: 2 ½d6
Advancement: Lightning bugs molt after a few months
6 OCV 15
5 DCV 10 and sprout wings.
3 OMCV 0 Wings: Flight 16m (16 AP); Restrainable (-½) Real
3 DMCV 0 Cost: 11
4 SPD 20 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12
3 PD 1 3/11 PD (0/8 rPD) Adjustments: Add a Large Size template and the ability
3 ED 1 3/11 ED (0/8 rED) to control natural lightning. This transforms their
8 REC 4 Lightning Bolt into and AoE.
30 END 2
A Great Many Lightning Bolts: Killing Attack - Ranged
12 BODY 2
32 STUN 6 3d6-1, Area Of Effect (3m Radius; +¼) (50 AP) Real
Cost: 50
Movement Cost Meters Notes Suggested Equipment: None, but about one in a hundred
RUNNING 4 16m/32m END [2] have a Lightning Shard buried in their thorax.
SWIMMING 0 4m/8m END [1]
LEAPING 0 4m forward, 2m upward
FLIGHT 0 12m/24m
Characteristics Total: 85
Cost Powers
15 Mandibles: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6
(1½d6 w/STR)
18 Lightning Bolt: Killing Attack - Ranged 3d6-1
(40 AP); 3 Charges (-1 ¼)
Rune Bug 18 Exoskeleton: Resistant Protection (6 PD/6 ED)
13 Wings: Flight 20m (20 AP); Restrainable (-½)
“That wizard hat has legs.” 8 Insect Senses: +4 PER with Smell/Taste Group
- Every damn time a Rune Bug crawls into a bar. 55 Hive Mind: Mind Link , Rune Bugs class of
VAL CHA Cost Roll Notes minds, Specific Group of Minds, No LOS
13 STR 3 12- HTH 2 ½d6 END [1] Needed, Number of Minds (x64), Psychic Bond
18 DEX 16 13- 4 Insect Senses: +2 PER with Hearing Group
15 CON 5 12- 12 Insect Feet: Clinging (18 STR)
3 INT -7 10- PER Roll 10-/16- 6 Six Legs: Extra Limb (1), Inherent (+¼) (6 AP)
15 EGO 5 12- Powers Total: 160
13 PRE 3 12- PRE Attack: 2 ½d6 Cost Skills
7 OCV 20 6 +2 with Spell Attacks
5 DCV 10 7 Stealth 15-
3 OMCV 0 13 Instinctual Magic 16-
3 DMCV 0 3 KS: Nearly Useless Arcane Trivia 12-
4 SPD 20 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 Skills Total: 29
3 PD 1 3/9 PD (0/6 rPD) Value Complications
3 ED 1 3/9 ED (0/6 rED) 30 Physical Complication: Instinctive Intelligence
8 REC 4 (All the Time; Greatly Impairing)
30 END 2 10 Physical Complication: Small (.5m Reach, +6m
12 BODY 2 Knockback) (Infrequently; Slightly Impairing)
32 STUN 6 15 Psychological Complication: Seek out (and eat)
Movement Cost Meters Notes Arcane Knowledge (Common; Strong)
RUNNING 4 16m/32m END [2] Complications Points: 55
SWIMMING 0 4m/8m END [1] Base Points: 200
LEAPING 0 4m forward, 2m upward Experience: 0
FLIGHT 0 20m/40m Experience Unspent: 0
TELEPORTATION 20m/40m Total Character Cost: 297
Characteristics Total: 95
Cost Powers
25 Arcaneumon Spell Powers: Multipower, 50- Description: An unusually large (like 3 and a half feet
point reserve, (50 AP); all slots Requires A Roll long, not that huge in light of the rest of this PDF, but
(Instinctual Magic Roll; -½), Incantations (-¼), certainly big as bugs go) insect with a black, rune-carved
Gestures (-¼) conical carapace, the Rune Bug glows with the eerie
2f Essence Bomb: Killing Attack - Ranged 2½d6, radiance of the Essence. The runes glow brighter when
Area Of Effect (2m Radius Explosion; +¼) (50 they weave their spells.
AP); Requires A Roll (Instinctual Magic Roll; -
½), Incantations (-¼), Gestures (-¼) In an age past, Nuffalar the Phantasmiac made a life of
1f Essence Bolt: Killing Attack - Ranged 2d6-1 (25 studying insects. He could summon swarms, clear rooms
AP); Requires A Roll (Instinctual Magic Roll; - of pests, and even direct their movement with a thought.
½), Incantations (-¼), Gestures (-¼) He began a study of the minds of insects when he
2f Force Field: Barrier 6 PD/6 ED/4 Mental vanished without a trace. Many suspect he wandered off
Defense/4 Power Defense, 0 BODY (up to 6m into the Astral to some bug-infested demi-realm. The
long, 2m tall, and ½m thick) (39 AP); Requires A truth is much darker.
Roll (Instinctual Magic Roll; -½), Incantations (-
¼), Gestures (-¼) They seem to be able to communicate at long distance.
2f Snare: Entangle 5d6, 5 PD/5 ED (50 AP); When one bug happens upon a library or wizard’s tower,
Requires A Roll (Instinctual Magic Roll; -½), Rune Bugs from far away converge on the place.
Incantations (-¼), Gestures (-¼) It’s like there are many bugs, and only one brain.
1f Bug's Claw: Telekinesis (20 STR) (30 AP);
Requires A Roll (Instinctual Magic Roll; -½), Magic: It’s a wizard.
Incantations (-¼), Gestures (-¼)
Motivation: Curiously, Rune Bugs seek out arcane lore,
1f Bug-Port: Teleportation 20m (20 AP); Requires
A Roll (Instinctual Magic Roll; -½), Incantations scrolls, spellbooks and other forms of magical
(-¼), Gestures (-¼) knowledge. They go to great lengths to uncover and
10 Mandibles: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand ½d6 devour such things.
(1d6+1 w/STR)
Advancement: Rune Bugs get better at spell casting and Pelkoryadi Toothpick: (Total: 35 Active Cost, 13 Real
magic knowledge as they age. Cost) Killing Attack - Ranged 1½d6, Armor Piercing
(+¼) (31 AP); 3 Charges (-1¼), OAF (-1), Gestures
Adjustments: Add powers to their Arcaneumon spell list
(Swish and Flick; -¼) (Real Cost: 9) plus +2 with Bolt
or thicken their armor. Perhaps one has gain the
(Real Cost: 4) Real Cost: 13
knowledge of how to operate a wand or staff.
Suggested Equipment: Maybe the wand idea is not such
a bad thing:
A Pelkoryadi Toothpick is a wand from an age long past.
Many wizards (and a few other folks) have wielded one
since that great empire of elves and men fell (like, literally
fell, into the ocean). Nuffalar had one.