Monster (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

A monster is not sapient and cannot understand the complex social relations in a society. This resembles a very intelligent animal, able to solve problems and even capable of rudimentary speech, but needs a guide and interpreter to interact with many people at once. In terms of the Mind power, a monster is intelligent rather than sapient. In terms of Attune powers, you are a monster, that is an elemental or a creature with powers.

Trauma Condition—Non-Sapient

Powers come very easy to you, triggered by simple gestures and natural exertions such as breathing. What is difficult to you is understanding society. You are Intelligent but not Sapient. You can deal with up to half a dozen strangers at once without major effort, but beyond that you get anxious and annoyed. This is dangerous, to avoid harm you place your trust in a Sapient member of your crew to be your guide. This person understand you better than most others and keeps you calm.

Your use of the Consort action is limited to other monsters of your own kind, your crew and to using powers. Consort has another use to you, it is the action you use to remain rational in pressing social situations. Success allows you to act rationally, but consequences causes some monstrous behavior: in escalating order grunts, growls, roaring, and demonstrations of power. A failure means you don't act except as consequences dictate. A fumble will cause you to run of or rage.

Your physical form is different from a human's, which means you have trouble using human clothes and equipment. You need to use equipment slots to have clothes.

Special Abilities

1. Daredevil: When you roll a desperate action, you get +1d to your roll.
2. Invulnerability: You are highly resistant to damage. When you take physical harm that is not potent, make a Wreck roll. 1-3: Nothing. 4-5: Reduce level of harm by one. 6: Reduce level of harm by two. Crit: Negate all harm and recover 1 stress. This stacks with the basic skirmish ability of many powers to absorb damage when both are relevant.
3. Instant Change:. You can quickly change forms, assuming a normal humanoid form when you have your emotions under control and later revert to monster form. Humanoid form prevents you from using monster special abilities (except this one) but also frees you from Trauma Condition—Non-Sapient.
4. Natural Weapons: You have one or more fine and potent natural weapons, such as monstrous claws, a mighty bite, a crushing hug, a powerful stomp and such. Select abilities appropriate to your form.
5. Resilience: You may expend your special armor to reduce physical harm or to push yourself on a Prowl or Wreck action.
6. Special Movement: You have some unusual movement ability, such as flight, amazing leaps, rapid swimming and the ability to breathe water, very fast running, and the like. You gain +1d and additional outcome on Prowl actions using this movement.
7. Unusual Size: You are either much smaller or much larger than typical, less than half a meter or more than three meters in height. In either case, you suffer one less level of physical harm either by rolling with blows or simply being tough. A large creature can use Wreck with additional outcome but has less effect on Prowl actions, a small creature is the opposite. If you plan to take this special ability but don't have the special ability picks to spend, you can start off with this size but gain none of its effects until you take the ability.
8. Powers: Air, Animal, Barrier, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, and Water.

Dramatic Encounters

˄ ˅ Casey, a carnie

˄ ˅ Alex, a child

˄ ˅ Pete, a police officer

˄ ˅ Jordan, a survivalist

˄ ˅ Riley, a scientist

Items

☐-☐ Fine Heavy Melee Weapon.

☐-☐ Fine Heavy Tools.

☐ Fine Monster Lure.

☐ Light Camping Gear.

◯ Memento.

☐ Monster Clothes.

• Fine Heavy Melee Weapon ☐-☐: A masterwork melee weapon that fits you perfectly, improving your effect. This is a two-handed melee weapon such as a maul, greataxe, greatsword, or pole-arm. This refers to one particular weapon, if lost you have to find a new one.
• Fine Heavy Tools ☐-☐: Tools for heavy construction work, like that of a , blacksmith,, carpenter, , lumberjack, , mason, or, miner. Fine Quality improves your effect. Playbook.
• Fine Monster Lure ☐ or ☐-☐: Something enticing to unsophisticated creatures like a decoy, glass beads, strong drink, food, or a scent lure. Fine quality and insight into monster nature gives increased effect. Playbook.
• Light Camping Gear ☐: Bedroll, cooking pot, tarpaulin, fishing line, snares, all personalized and chosen to be lightweight. Roughing it out with this gear allows a single downtime action to remove stress. Lacking camping gear does not allow any effective rest. Playbook.
• Memento ◯: A small personal item reminding you of your goals and passions. Reduces the stress cost of a power by one. One use per score. Playbook.
• Monster Clothes ☐: Monsters and spirits only come with the minimum clothes required for decency. These clothes cover you up and are adapted to your physique. This does not disguise your monstrous nature, it makes you presentable or even well-dressed to people willing to accept that you are a monster. Playbook.

XP

• Every time you roll a desperate action, mark xp in that action's attribute.

At the end of each session, for each item below, mark 1 xp (in your playbook or an attribute) or 2 xp if that item occurred multiple times.

• You addressed a challenge using brawn or by not being a hindrance.
• You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background.
• You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas during the session.

Starting Actions

Prowl 1

Wreck 2

4 points by choice, no higher than 2 in any one.