Gaping Maw

Gaping Maw

◊Descriptors – preternatural, size

◊Effect – Affliction X • (X2) points +1

Gaping Maw (innate Affliction X with extra degree)

◊Modifiers – extra degree: +1/rank, innate: 1 flat point

◊Action – standard

◊Range – close

◊Duration – instant

◊Results – target’s Fortitude impaired (one degree), target’s Fortitude disabled (two degrees), target dying (three degrees) or devoured (four or more degrees)

◊Resist – Fortitude

Description

Oh, no! A lurking grue slithered into the room and devoured you!

By making a close attack, a grue can try to eat a smaller creature (height 15 feet or less and 12 tons of flesh or less). If the grue’s attack hits, the target attempts a Fortitude resistance check. If this check fails, the target’s Fortitude is impaired (-2 circumstance penalty on checks) or disabled (-5 circumstance penalty on checks) with two degrees of failure. If this check fails by three degrees, the target begins dying instead. Failure by four or more degrees means the target has been swallowed whole (though it may not be immediately dead).

Note: This power can be devastating. If “X” is made equal to the grue’s power level of 5, adventurers are only likely to be eaten by a grue with multiple uses. Since grues are easily evaded with a light source and primarily exist to force adventurers to be thoughtful in this regard it is recommended to set X above the grue’s power level. Matching the series power level seems fair, however to make a grue properly deadly, X could be equal to the series power level +20 (so that adventurers are devoured if they fail a DC 10 Fortitude resistance check).