Copyright 1996 S.D. Anderson Hugh ap Grahame Description: 7'8" humanoid apparently made of solid shadow ST 20 [110] DX 15 [60] IQ 13 [30] HT: 13 [30] 230 points Formori Blood -3 [30] Formori Shadestalker war lore style {cinematic} [22] High Pain Threshold [10] Monstrosity {-1} [35] Shadow Form [50] Trained by a Master [40] Unusual Background: Access to cinematic MA style [15] (this includes having the hypnotism skill, which is a prerequisite for Invisibility Art) total: 203 points Martial skills: Primary: Acrobatics 16 [8], Brawling 18 [8], Spear 16 [4], Spear Throwing 16 [2], Shortsword (Shillelagh) 16 [8], Wrestling 16 [4], Seondary: Broadsword 15 [2], Knife 15 [1], Knife Throwing 15 [1], Optional: Staff 15 [2 - default aided from spear] Maneuvers: Arm Lock 18 [1], Drop Kick 14 [1], Neck Snap 17 [1], Rabbit Punch 17 [1] Cinematic Skills: Blind Fighting 15 [16], Invisibility Art 15 [16], Cinematic Maneuver: Shadow Ambush (no level) [10] total: 82 pts Regular Skills: Bard 12 [1], Climbing 15 [2], Hypnotism 16 [10], Intimidation 15 [0], Naturalist 12 [1], Philosophy: Formori 13 [4], Savoir-Faire 13 [1], Shield 15 [1], Stealth 16 [4], Survival: Moors 13 [2], Survival: Other 10 [0], Tactics 11 [1]. total: 27 points Disadvantages: Overconfidence [-10] Enemy: Sidhe King's forces 6- [-15] Vow: Slay the Sidhe King [-15] total: -40 points Quirks: Breaking necks is fun! Enjoys emerging from shadow form in fog Likes his meat rare Quick to point out how the Sidhe wronged his people Rarely acknowledges the wrongs his people have done New Cinematic Maneuver: Shadow Ambush. By use of Chi, a character with the Shadow form advantage can speed up the transformation process. This is the "special" effect for adding the "Instantaneous" enhancement to shadow form. Cost is the same. Damage: Brawling: 2d-2 Drop Kick: 2d+3 Rabbit Punch: 3d+3 Shileleagh: (same stats for baton) 2d-1 cr thrust 3d+2 cr swing On the river where Deidre lost her red dress, perhaps an hours walk downstream from the tributary where Mac Benn was foully drowned, there is a small creek that runs into the river. Now, should you follow that creek to it's source and you're a lucky one, you'll find a small vale at the top with a village called Morganhand or somesuch. If you're luck is something different, you'll find a place that is not quite a place. Dark and misty it is, rarely if ever touched by the sun. But it belongs to the children of Formor now and ever so. The gifts the Gods gave the Formori are fewer than those the Tuatha recieved. But this place is one of them and nothing, not the Tuatha, the Milesans, the saints of Jesu or the reason of science has taken it from them. Yet at the time of the Sidhe victory over Formor this place's true nature was unknown, and long did the Sidhe wage a final assault against it. This allowed many of the formor the chance to flee to the islands. Finally the geas of the place was divined and the Sidhe forces, badly diminished, brought home. Hugh is the child of two formorii "tainted" families and has more formorii blood in him than his parents or siblings. He is a huge humanoid shaped being made of solid darkness. Frightening enough, but one can see things in the shadow. Things that are not meant to be known by man, often, almost always, things that cannot be remembered. Mortals looking at it react to this in much the manner of the death vision spell. Hugh was trained in the shadow fighting style taught by the gods to the first guardians of Shadowvale. His sister journeyed out past Morganhand and was taken by the local Sidhe King's men. The king at first tried to court her, then capriciously killed her because of a remark she made. Word of her death finally reached him. He intends to get vengeance. Hugh is an NPC suitable for a highly cinematic Celtic Myths campaign, either as an enemy or an ally to the PCs. Though a Formorii, there is little "inately" evil about him, and little "inately" good either. If his enemy (or the allies of his enemy are the foes of the PCs it's quite possible they could join forces. Conversely, the PCs could allies/agents of this king or just be in the wrong place. Tactics: The "instantaneous" aspect of his shadow form lets him pop out of it and attack via hth the same round, or attack and avoid counter attacks by assuming the intangible form of a two dimensional shadow. Breaking the neck of an opponent is pretty effective with a 20 ST and he makes good use of that maneuver to take out a foe. As an alternative attack, his rabbit punch does very good damage. Please note: as was clarified by GURPS line editor Sean (Dr. Kromm) Punch recently, the number of attacks made in cinematic combat is based on the underlying skill a maneuver stems from. Hugh's 18 brawling means he can make 3 rabbit punch attacks a turn! (Swings out, brings his double fist back in a reverse strike, then swings out for the 3rd blow.) This will be very annoying to Sidhe with the "alternate blows" advantage as he will see the effects and leave the target in a damaged condition. retaliation.