[DL] Rascally Varmit... Take 2

["sam.desmith" <sam.desmith@ntlworld.com>]

I tried posting this about a week ago, and managed to spew HTML all over the
list, for which I apologise. But now, in all its g(l)ory, is the critter
that I'm intending to torment my posse with next - all thoughts gratefully
received (hearty thanks already to Max and Allan).








Spoiler Space - git!
















THE BABY TAKER
Born of the frustrated dreams of the childless, of women who can never bear
offspring, the Baby Taker is a peculiar entity that has some similarities
with Night Haunts. A Baby Taker seeks out children of less than a year, to
care for, nurture, and treat as its own. Its soft, fleshy body belies its
great strength and agility; at the same time, the great accretion of flesh
helps to comfort and calm its prizes.

Description
A Baby Taker has four fleshy limbs, which can move with serpentine fluidity.
Each limb ends in a claw, bone close to the surface, but with leathery pads
which are capable of holding with great gentleness. Two over-fat dugs hang
from its chest, seeping milk and blood from the cracked, dry nipples. In
contrast to the rest of its body, the face is thin, gaunt, with a haunted
expression, with needle-sharp teeth, matted, straggly hair; its visage is
that of its creator. Otherwise, the body is hairless, and lacks any
orifices. It is capable of communicating only in "baby talk", a strange,
hypnotic babble, which has a soporific effect on those who hear it. Its
instinct is to protect its "child" - it will only fight if it feels its
prize is threatened, preferring to run, but, like any mother, will fight
with no sense of self preservation.

Profile - The Baby Taker
Corp: Deft 3d12 Nimb 3d12 Quick 3d12 Str 4d10 Vig 3d8
Climbin' 5d12 Dodge 3d12 Fightin' - Brawlin' 4d12 Sneak 4d12
Ment: Cogn 3d8 Know 1d4 Mien 1d12 Smarts 5d4 Spirit * (equal to that of
"creator") Persuasion 4d12 [See Baby Talk, below] Search 4d8 Trackin' 5d8
Special Abilities -
Terror: 5
Claws: Str+2d6 Damage
Teeth: Str+1d8 Damage.
Fearless.
Anti-Coagulant: Wounds caused by a Baby Taker may not be healed with Fate
Chips.
Baby Talk: The billing and cooing of the Baby Taker is enough to calm the
rowdiest cowpoke, and is its first line of defence. Anyone who can hear the
"Baby Talk" must make an opposed Spirit Test versus the Baby Taker's
Persuasion. Characters with the Bad Ears hindrances gain an automatic +4/+8
to their tests respectively.
Immunity: All - Whilst holding a child. Note that it doesn't necessarily
realise this. This immunity includes supernatural attacks, Miracles - even
Protection (it's not evil per se, more of a misguided spiritual entity.)
Progeny: A child suckled by the Baby Taker for a week becomes one also; its
first act will be to attempt to consume its "natural" mother. A Progeny
looks like a miniature Baby Taker, but with an oversized baby's head and
lacks a full-grown Baby Taker's breasts (in other words, it doesn't actually
look that different from a regular, albeit slightly large baby, until seen
up close). If it successfully consumes its natural mother, it becomes a full
grown Baby Taker. The Progeny Profile is listed at the end.
Siren Spawn: A woman who takes damage from a Baby Taker has trouble on her
hands - or rather, in her belly. Any time a Progeny successfully deals a
wound to a woman, draw a card - if it's a Heart, then she's been "infected".
Her first-born child acts a magnet for any Baby Taker in the area.
Vulnerability: Convincing the woman who spawned the Baby Taker to come to
terms with her condition instantly dispels it, and reverts the child to
normal if it is not yet Progeny. Note that Baby Takers that evolve from
Progeny do not suffer from this.

Profile - Progeny
Corp: Deft 2d12 Nimb 5d12 Quick 5d12 Str 5d6 Vig 2d8
Climbin' 4d12 Dodge 4d12 Fightin' - Brawlin' 2d12 Sneak 6d12
Ment: Cogn 2d8 Know 1d4 Mien 4d6 (cute factor) Smarts 3d4 Spirit 2d4
Special Abilities
Terror: 7
Claws: Str+1d6 Damage
Teeth: Str+2d4 Damage
Fearless.
Anti-Coagulant: Wounds caused by a Progeny may not be healed with Fate
Chips.
Vulnerability: Tears cause Progeny great pain: each tear that touches its
skin does 1d20 damage to that location. Progeny that successfully evolve
carry this weakness with them into "adulthood". If the damage is sufficient
to destroy the Progeny/evolved Baby Taker, it reverts to being a baby of the
age when it was first taken.

Notes
The Baby Taker is not you run-of-the-mill nasty; sure it's big and strong,
but remember, the Baby Taker is a defensive, rather than aggressive,
creature. It's also not particularly scary, at least in the Terror sense -
it's designed to be more of a weird, disturbing and ultimately pathetic
creature. It's suitable for either isolated rural communities or big, slum
city districts, Weird West or Hell on Earth.

Sam de Smith