Path of the Horror Within

By Jack F. Gulick


Friend to Demons----Gaze of the Creature----Claws of the Monster----Releasing the Demon----Vitality of the Demon

       \_ _ _  Mastering the Beast Within


Overall Note

Giving way to one's inner demon is risky. It can result in the demon taking control of your body and sending you on a bestial rampage.Thus, whenever you are in a state where the demon is loosed (when Gaze of the Creature, Claws of the Monster, or Releasing the Demon is activated) and wish to do any action except attack the nearest enemies (or friends if no enemies are within reach) or at least move rapidly toward the nearest such, you must make a Willpower roll against a Difficulty given by the schtick you have active (and modified by the GM based on the exact situation). Failure results in you becoming a rampaging beast for a number of shots equal to the margin of failure. The actions of this beast may include activating higher schticks of this path (thus increasing the Difficulty of future Willpower checks) if time allows, but otherwise will tend to be bloodthirsty attacks.  A Fumble on a Willpower check means you remain under your inner creature's control until the GM chooses to release you! While a beast, the GM may allow you to make Willpower checks to spare your friends and run off after other prey if it comes to that. Other than that (or if you fail the check), the actions of an freed inner demon should be those of a monster that hates everything and everyone, and your GM can go as far as making your character a temporary GMC to make this happen (though it will be better if you play it yourself).

If you think the risk of losing control of your character is too high a price to pay, you would be better to avoid this Path. Almost any sort of non-attack action, including trying to change back to your fully human self, creates a risk of losing control while using this Path's three central schticks.

Other than this Willpower roll requirement, the transformational schticks of this path (Gaze of the Creature, Claws of the Monster and Releasing the Demon) last until reversed via a second use of the schtick.


Friend to Demons

Chi Cost: Special     Shot Cost: Special

You are so used to supernatural creatures and their inhuman appearance that you are no longer are frightened by them. Supernatural Creatures gain no Intimidation bonus due to their Horrific Appearance against you. Your Medicine skill can be used to heal Supernatural Creatures even if not learned in 69 AD. These abilities cost no Chi to use and are always active. Also, you may, as a 0 Shot defensive action, spend X Chi to gain two times X points of additional armor against damage from Brain Shredder attacks.

Prerequsite: None     Path: Gaze of the Creature

Gaze of the Creature

Chi Cost: 1     Shot Cost: 1

By summoning up the hidden creature within, your appearance changes to something visibly unnatural and horrific. You gain the effects (good and bad) of Supernatural Creature Horrific Appearance until you use this schtick again to restore your normal visage. While this schtick is active, you may spend 1 Chi and 3 Shots to make a Brain Shredder (see Creature Schticks) attack using your Intimidation AV and your Fu rating as a third option for your range, but with a base damage of only 5. Base Willpower Check Difficulty: 3

Prerequsite: Friend to Demons    Path: Claws of the Monster

Claws of the Monster

Chi Cost: 3     Shot Cost: 4

By summoning up the hidden creature within, in addition to the effects of Gaze of the Creature above, you grow bony claws or plates, unnaturally long and prehensile hair or any other weaponry you choose as your personal form until such time as you use this schtick again to remove them. You suffer 1 point of Impairment for 3 shots after the transformation to or from this form is complete due to the pain. These unnatural growths allow you to pick two effects (or the same effect twice) from the following list:

Note that you pick the two effects that describe your personal inner demon only once, when you first learn this schtick; its form remains the same from then on. Also note that a target which is immune to damage from Martial Arts attacks and/or Fu Powers will still take full damage from your attack with this schtick active unless they are also immune to Supernatural Creature schticks (any such immunity will do).

If Gaze of the Creature is already active, subtract 1 from the Chi and Shot costs of activating this schtick. There is no discount for partially transforming back to a more human form.  Base Willpower Check Difficulty: 6

Prerequisite: Gaze of the Creature     Path: Releasing the Demon

Releasing the Demon

Chi Cost: 6 Shot Cost: 7

You give yourself over to the creature within, twisting your body to completely match its horrific form. This form has all the effects of Gaze of the Creature and Claws of the Monster as well as the following. You may reassign attributes for your Creature form, moving points from Chi or Reflexes to Body. Be warned... If you move too many points from Chi to Body during the transformation and no longer have the 6 needed to activate this schtick, you will be trapped in this hideous form until you find another source of Chi! In addition, this form is unnatural and so you suffer 3 points of Impairment unless you spend 1 Chi for each point of Impairment at the start of each sequence (or immediately after the transformation completes). This Impairment does not accumulate each sequence; you either suffer 1, 2 or 3 points for not paying the Chi this sequence or you do not. However, it is additive with any Impairment due to other causes (being at 25+ Wound Points, an infestation of Scrappy Kids, etc.). The transformation back to human is likewise painful, though the effects last only for the rest of the sequence in which the transformation completes.

If Gaze of the Creature is already active, subtract 1 from the Chi and Shot costs of activating this schtick. If Claws of the Monster is already active, subtract 3 from the Chi and Shot costs of activating this schtick. These discounts are not cumulative. There is no discount for partially transforming back to a more human form. Base Willpower Check Difficulty: 9

Prerequisite: Claws of the Monster      Path: Vitality of the Demon, Mastering the Beast Within

Vitality of the Demon

Chi Cost: X     Shot Cost: 0

This ability may only be used while transformed via Releasing the Demon. You may, at the beginning of any sequence, reduce your Wound Point total by 1 point for every 2 points of Chi you expend. Your Wound Point total may not be reduced to less than zero. You may not use this ability after failing a Death Check until your Wound Point total has been restored to zero by other means.

Prerequisite: Releasing the Demon     Path: None

Mastering the Beast Within

Chi Cost: X     Shot Cost: 0

You may spend add X to your Willpower for any self-control check required by other schticks of this Path.

Prerequisite: Releasing the Demon     Path: None


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