Re: [DL] Here be spoilers

[Kirk Monsen <munchwolf@yahoo.com>]

--- "Matthew M. DeForrest"
<mmdeforrest@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> 
> Here
> 
> 
> Be
> 
> 
> Spoilers
> 
> 
> 
> So, get.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> OK, an interesting question from the session before
> last.  The posse had
> defeated a scarecrow (standard model from RVC) and
> noticed the kernels along
> its belly popping in the fire.  The budding
> alchemist in the party suddenly
> wondered if these would be a good addition for a
> formulae and the mad
> scientist wondered if this was something that should
> be studied more.
> Another posse member considered trying to feed part
> of a popped kernel to
> her horse (which, although she doesn't know it, is
> undead...part of her
> critter companion's mysterious background).  While
> the kernel was, in the
> end, tossed in the fire, I thought the situation
> posed an interesting
> question -- what would such a kernel do and what
> would an undead horse's
> reaction should have been?
> 

My two cents (however much that's worth):

It all depends on how you see corn stalkers.  Are the
dead or alive, animal or vegetable?  Being
supernatural they don't easily fall into either
catagories, but closest resemble dead/vegetable.  Now
an undead horse is most likely a zombie that craves
fresh meat.  It would spurn the idea of eating a dead
plant and would turn its head at the offer.

On the other side of the coin (there I used up one of
my 2 cents already) if you chose for the horse to eat
the kernel, or it was forced to eat it, I would have
the horses belly swell within a days time, and the
horse would appear ill.  The parties first reaction
might be to think it had a prairie tick.  Before the
party can form a concrete plan in how to handle it,
have the Corn Stalker burst forth from the beast. 
Being undead it would survive, but the party doesn't
know this right now.  Similarly, you could not have
the horse appear pregnant, and have the Corn Stalker
lie dormant in the beasts stomach for the perfect time
to pop out (preferably when the party is running from
another abomination).

My view is that each abomination should be slightly
unique, so if the above suggestion is used, alter the
corn stalker to aquire some of the horse's traits
(maybe a leathery skin, or a centaurish appearance?).

Be dramatic, or hold off until you can be dramatic.

Although you didn't ask, if the alchemist decided to
'harvest' the kernels for potions have it add a little
of the Scarecrow to whatever potion it is added to. 
Maybe it reduces wind loss and gives bonuses to
physical rolls, while at the same time giving a bigger
penalty to mental rolls.  Maybe it makes the potion
more flammable.  Maybe it's poisonous to living
things, but gives harrowed a greenish tinge.  Since
it's a creation of evil, it should do more harm than
good, but you alchemist would have to make the potion
and test it to find out.

I am curious about your undead horse.  Information
about zombie animals can be found in RV&C2 (pg 54-56)
and BotD (pg 36-37).  Where did the horse come from? 
Is it a Hellbeast that wandered from it's owner?  If
so there's a harrowed looking for his mount.  If the
harrowed dies so does the horse (course he could kill
it anytime, but only when it would be dramatic :). 
Was it raised by black magicians?  Is it really
undead, or is it a supernatural creature that's taken
physical manifistation (like a nightmare, or a nature
spirit)?  Maybe it's an old friend of the character
who owns it and he died, but he could not continue on
to the next world.  He feels obligied to aid the
character.

What thought have you put into this creature?

-Munch "Inky minds want to know" Wolf

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