Non Monster
From SCross
Contents |
Introduction
Non Monsters are the creation of the church. By focusing the soul of a willing(usually) person to a specific task, the mind and body follows, and what is left is a creature that excels sharply at what it is set to do. Originally created, and named, for their monster hunting ability, non monsters are now utilized for other tasks, most often bodyguarding important church officials. Non Monsters are usually born human, though some animal kin sign up as well, though it makes little difference afterwards. The creature's appearance more accurately reflects basic nature and their decided task than anything else.
Back to Races of the World
Archetypes
All Non Monsters are bred to aspire to specific archetypes. As time and research allows, the church unearths new techniques, allowing new archetypes to be persued(Which is to say staff is free to invent new ones when the urge or inspiration strikes). Unfortunately, the soul can only be honed to a point, and it is a one way street. Once a non monster has selected a refinement of his soul of any given maturity level, it cannot be changed without extreme effort.
Humanity
The process of refining the immortal soul is an inherently dehumanizing action. Each maturity step(see below) taken causes the Non Monster to lose 2 points of humanity. Only one point is regained in the case of scrubbing a maturity away. Non Monsters do not hear Gaia in the case of low humanity, instead they simply become mentally closer to their archetype, losing individuality in favor of playing their part.
The church quietly favors this result.
A Non Monster who wishes to refuse the order of their master must roll 26-Humanity and Willpower(With no special skill assistance) seperately. If the lack of humanity wins, the choice of refusing the master's order is removed for that command. In the cast of ongoing command, a reroll may be allowed daily, weekly in the case of humanity 15 or lower, monthly if humanity drops below 6.
Maturity
At certain levels, a Non Monster may decide to mature along their current archetype, gaining ability as is appropriate for it. This process is taxing and draining(And requires the maturity level X 50 in JP). Once a Non Monster gains any given maturity level, they may not change it without undergoing an extreme purification ritual that scrubs the focus from their soul. This is equally draining(And costs the same).
A Non Monster may change archetypes at any time, provided they have at least one maturity from their current archetype. This process is relatively easy(And costs 15 JP).
Amount of JP needed for each Maturity Level
- 50
- 200
- 400
- 600
- 1000
- 1400
Archetypes
Tanks
Tonberry Archetype
Known as the silent guardian, Tonberries are tough, reslient, but murderously accurate when they decide to act. Non Monsters who follow this archetype tend to develop large yellow eyes and a quiet voice. Green skin is also common and usually a finned tail follows as they progress to maturity.
Inherent: When wielding a dagger, gain +10 on all intimidate rolls. May intimidate an opponent once per round as a free action. If successful, opponent is at +2 difficulty to actions until the Non Monster's next action.
- Tonberries are tough, and it shows. Movement rate is reduced by half, but so is all physical damage taken.
- The light of a tonberry illuminates karma. Lies told in the light the tonberry creates(by holding a lantern or by magic or other method) are revealed to all who look.
- Tonberries are tireless, and now so is the character, becoming immune to sleep effects and requiring none.
- Becomes immune to haste and quick. Melee attacks cause double damage and can penetrate through an additional health level.
- Masters of karma, a tonberry Non Monster may cause all the harm caused on their protected person, place, or thing to be reflected back on one of those responsible. Only injuries/damage caused in the last hour are reflected. Damage is considered 'Other' type.
- May spend 30 MP for a death blow. Target must +resist/stamina against 15 or lose a health level in addition to usual melee damage. If the roll fails, roll again against 10 or lose another. If that fails as well, roll once more against 10 or lose one more health level, for a possible three additional health levels lost.
Adamantoise Archetype
(Note by Blusa: Not yet wiz-approved.) (Nuku Note: The maturities don't seem to work like the others?? Modified the inherent, archetype still unapproved.)
No other creature is as well armored as the Adamantoise. This breed of creature similar to a turtle gathers Adamant in trace amounts throughout it's life, and grows them within its shell. An adult Adamantoise's shell may be over eighty percent Adamant! Non-monsters that follow this archetype tend to steadily grow bony plates over their torso, eventually a full shell, and eventually as the non-monster grows, they add more and more trace elements of Adamant into their own bodies, growing heavy, slow, and incredibly armored.
Inherent: Adamantoise move at half their listed speed. However, they start with 30% additional physical soak to all attacks, and gain an additional 10% per maturity level reached. Adamantoise may extend this protection to magical assault for 10 mp per round as a free action. This protection may not raise soak above 100%.
- The Adamantoise may sacrifice all physical actions that round (pulling all limbs and head into the shell) for an additional 20% soak to physical and magical damage(max 100%). If hasted or quicked, one spell may be cast that round if desired, but MP cost is +50%.
- Adamantoise non-monsters can slam their armored bodies into foes as an attack (Brawl/Shell). Because of the incrible hardness of their body, reduce the opponent's soak percentile by 10% per level of maturity of the Adamantoise non-monster. Damage is 50+Stamina+Strength.
- Stamina increases by 10, as does its maximum. When Raise-HP of 25 is reached, increase to 30.
- May selectively abandon main, haste, or quick actions for greater defense. +10% resistance to all per each, stacks with total defense option offered in maturity 1 if possessed and used.
- May match opponents cost(5 MP minimum) for any given status inflicting ability to avoid gaining the status as a free action. If defense action is available, may be used to cut price in half(Round up). Ignore first 20 damage taken AFTER soak per hit.
- At the end of any round, the non monster may expend 1/3rd of their MP(total MP, not current) to regain all health levels lost that round, shrug off all statuses lost that round, and even negate GW gained. Can not be used if dead. Causes non monster to become [Slow] for two rounds.
Guardian Soldiers
Lobo
Canine companions have long been looked upon kindly, and lobo Non Monsters are no exception. Covered in fur with short curled tails and large floppy ears, Lobos are adorable, and sharp toothed.
Inherent: +1 success to any perception roll. Can always determine any given person's general emotion towards themself if within 10 feet.
- If specifically watching over an area they are within, they will be aware of the presence and location of anything entering, leaving, or moving through the area. The maximum area covered is perception feet in diameter. Enhanced-Senses adds to perception for this effect.
- When acting under their owner's direction, lobo characters do everything a little better(+10% effect/succs/etc).
- Movement increases by 10%. Gains Karmic Tie to anyone they deem as an owner or that they are guarding. May have up to five such ties at any given time. This DOES include any purchased via merit. Lobo may unerringly track anyone they have a tie to. Subject must be physically present to form a tie.
- When any person to which the lobo has a karmic tie with is in danger, the lobo becomes a machine of efficiency, an unstoppable force. All actions are at +20%(+30% if maturity 2 is had and is applicable).
- May form karmic ties with two additional people. Karmic ties may be forged with anyone whose scent is available, otherwise this operates similiarly to maturity three(Though it only grants two, not five). Lobos are master of cooperation. Anyone doing the same thing the lobo is doing(lifting something, tilling a field, attacking someone) enjoys 25% of the lobo's successes added to their own.
- Lobo may die to ressurect any and all persons that they have a tie with that died within 48 hours. Such people are returned to life without any harm or negative effect except for a small lobo shaped scar over the heart. The lobo may not be ressurected, reincarnated, or in other way be interfered with in death after using this ability.
Behemoth
Growing larger, purple, and shaggy. The great horns, teeth and claws set Behemoth apart quickly as they mature. Behemoths are fearsome in battle, often set loose into a frey with a simple command to destroy all present.
Inherent': Every round of battle past the first that the behemoth attacks in, the behemeoth ignores 5% more soak(even below 0). If a behemoth ignores 20% or more soak in this way, all offensive actions are as if confused, with random target, excluding themselves or other behemoth non monsters.
- Growing huge claws, a behemoth immediately enjoys martial-arts 25. Claw attacks ignore 5% soak.
- When attacking a single target, you become quite focused and deadly. Every attack or defense made against a chosen target(Must be announced as part of your action, can be changed once per round during your main phase action), gives you +2% effect to all actions involving that target.
- Behemoths are not afraid to be sorrounded, and neither are you. Gain haste if outnumbered two to one. Gain quick AND haste if outnumbered four to one or greater. These effects cannot be countered via dispelling magic, but slow or stop will counter haste or quick respectively for their duration.
- Those attacking you find your affinity to space quite startling. You may +cast meteo whenever physically attacked, though you do need to have the meteo special for this to be effective. If you do not have meteo, you may expend 10 MP to inflict 100 earth damage as a defensive action, otherwise this is a free action.
- Gain +5 Stamina, +5 Strength, maximum of both increase by 10.
- Health level penetrating attacks against you are reduced by one level of penetration, this includes effects that directly damage your health levels.
Magic Users
Mage
In a dark alleyway, they may appear human, but the differences are reasonably stark. Decorated with arcane glyphs across their entire body that glow with a uniform hue, with proportions that defy usual biology, usually gaunt and lean, Mages exemplify their human counterparts to an extreme. Most are either hairless or possessing of extreme amounts of wizzened white.
Inherent: All physical attacks done by a mage are reduced to half effectiveness. Magic is increased by 10%.
- May convert any physical special skill into a spell. Spell works as normal, but gains an element of the mages choice that they possess an affinity in. If the ability had no MP cost, it now costs 5 MP. Such abilities may be countered, resisted, and affected as per any spell. Physical resistances do not apply. If a weapon or other physical focus is required, they remain required.
- Mage gains 5 magery, magery maximum also increases by 5(usually 25). Lose 2 points of stamina and strength and lose equal amount of maximum. May spend MP to counter a spell by spending an half that amount. Original caster may up the ante by spending more MP. If the mage cannot or will not match the MP spent, the spell continues. All spent mp is lost. This is considered a defensive action and can be done on any spell targetted or cast within 30 ft of the mage.
- Mages know magic, and it shows. A mage may analyze any ongoing effect or a spell's fresh remnants(charred bits for example) and determine who cast the magic(If they have seen their magic before), the component(s) involved, and the general skill of the user. With a sacrifice of gaining a point of lower-MP, they may gain a snapshot of the minute before and after the spell, allowing them to watch what happened. +2 willpower, +2 magery, within maximums. -1 strength, -2 dexterity.
- For +50% cost, any spell can be made elementless(other), bypassing elemental resistances. For +100% cost, any spell can be made into any element the mage desires. This applies only to spells the mage casts. Gain 1 point of Any-Magic.
- For +50% cost, any spell can be temporarily given war enhancement for the duration of the spell. War enhancement value equal to number of mage maturities possessed or lower, as the mage's choice. +3 magery, maximum increases by 5.
- Spell cost reduced by 25% after all other modifiers. May cut cost TO 25% by reducing effect/succs/damage by half. May forsake MP discount for 10% increase in effect/succs/damage. Whenever the mage should gain improvement mastery of 25, increase it to 30. Group you belong to may waive 50% of gold to gain Mage improvements.
Back to Races of the World

