Grasping Claws

Grasping Claws

◊Descriptors – preternatural, weapon

◊Effect – Damage 2 and linked Weaken Fortitude 9; Enhanced Advantages 3 • 20 points

Grasping Claws (Strength-based Damage 6 with linked Weaken 9 and Enhanced Traits 3)

◊Modifiers – dangerous 4: 4 flat points, innate: 1 flat point, linked: +0/rank, Strength-based: 0 points (Damage and Weaken); innate: 1 flat point (Enhanced Advantages)

◊Action – standard (Damage and Weaken); free (Enhanced Advantages)

◊Range – close

◊Duration – instant (Damage and Weaken); sustained (Enhanced Advantages)

◊Results – dangerous Damage Rank 2 plus Strength and free grab action; not vulnerable while grabbing; targets suffer a -5 penalty to escape; target subjected to Weaken Fortitude effect

◊Resist – Toughness (Damage) and Fortitude (Weaken)

Description

Drink a glass of milk; 2.6% of grues are lactose intolerant so you can be safe in the knowledge that the grue might get diarrhea when it finally gets round to eating you, which is very soon.

The cruel claws of a grue endeavor to shred flesh and engorge the dripping remnants thereof into its gaping maw. When a grue attacks with its claws, it must succeed with a Close Attack: Unarmed check. If this attack hits, the target must resist the damage effect with a Toughness check (DC 26). The target must also make a Fortitude check (DC 19) and loses one point from their Fortitude defense for each point by which this check fails (see Weaken for more information).

A grue’s claws can score a critical hit on a natural 16, 17, 18, or 19 (if the attack hits).

In addition, the grue immediately makes a grab check against a hit target as a free action (see Grab). If the grue succeeds in grabbing the target, it can maintain the grab with one claw free to perform actions. The grue is also not vulnerable while grabbing. Targets suffer a –5 circumstance penalty on checks to escape the grue’s hold.

Notes:
•This power includes the benefits of the Fast Grab, Improved Grab and Improved Hold advantages.

•This power represents three distinct effects packaged together for thematic reasons; two of the effects are linked, while the Enhanced Advantages are not. If the cost of these separate effects becomes important (due to a power stunt or Weaken effect, for example) they are respectively a 16 point effect and a 4 point effect.

•Grasping Claws exists primarily to enable the grue’s Gaping Maw power, although it too could slay the careless adventurer. It should only be used if the gamemaster has decided to “play fair” with Gaping Maw. Gamemasters who find themselves with the perversity of concern for fair play are advised to give up the hobby, perhaps in favor of adult coloring books…