The ritual was apparently working perfectly, but the summoning circle not so much. The electric candles flared and one after another flickered out. Ariman'ja looked over the suddenly darkened room, fear quickly blooming in her stomach.
It was hiding behind the cupboard, although she knew there was no space where its tall, inhuman body could fit. It was impossible to look at directly, but always there in her peripheral vision, even as she turned to run. It didn't bother to walk around all the alchemical equipment and tables with spelling components, it flowed up the wall and into the shadows of the ceiling.
She only had seconds, she knew. Couldn't really escape, but didn't need to. Three steps to the door, open the door, then press the emergency button to enter a lockup mode. The laboratory will be encased in phasic fields, the spiral king trapped inside. She'll have time to think, to try a new binding or maybe banishment...
It stepped out of the keyhole right in front of her. Crouched just to get into the room and still out of her eyes' focus. Tentacles struck from all around her, not even ruffling her shirt as they went through seams and buttonholes. She tried to scream, but it grabbed her by the throat and pulled. The world swam before her eyes as she was folded sideways and dragged to and through a corner of the room, elsewhere.
Only a few droplets of blood remained splattered on the floor as the candles lit up again.
It was hiding behind the cupboard, although she knew there was no space where its tall, inhuman body could fit. It was impossible to look at directly, but always there in her peripheral vision, even as she turned to run. It didn't bother to walk around all the alchemical equipment and tables with spelling components, it flowed up the wall and into the shadows of the ceiling.
She only had seconds, she knew. Couldn't really escape, but didn't need to. Three steps to the door, open the door, then press the emergency button to enter a lockup mode. The laboratory will be encased in phasic fields, the spiral king trapped inside. She'll have time to think, to try a new binding or maybe banishment...
It stepped out of the keyhole right in front of her. Crouched just to get into the room and still out of her eyes' focus. Tentacles struck from all around her, not even ruffling her shirt as they went through seams and buttonholes. She tried to scream, but it grabbed her by the throat and pulled. The world swam before her eyes as she was folded sideways and dragged to and through a corner of the room, elsewhere.
Only a few droplets of blood remained splattered on the floor as the candles lit up again.
 |
| Elona fanwork. |
For those who don't know, Encounter Critical is a gonzo pseudo-70s hoax RPG based on the principles of TRUE SCIENTIFIC REALISM, featuring chainmail bikini clad amazon psionic witches, wookie doxies, robodroid pioneers and Darth Viraxis in his fuchsia armour. I really, really want to play it some day.
Quick Note: I'm using alternate armour rules here, based on the Asteroid 1618 module. Instead of a single Armour Saving Throw, you get Kinetic (KD) and Energy Defense (ED) for physical and elemental damage, respectively. As in basic rules, successful defense roll will half the damage taken, and rolling under half your chance negates all damage.
Spiral King
# Appear: 1
# ATT: 1d4
Melee ATT: 93 %
Damage: 1d4 (fractal tentacles)
Hit points: 113
KD: 42 %
ED: see Command Energy
Psi Resist: 48 %
Command Energy: 71 % (as 10th level Psi Witch)
Edible: 3 %
Lurk: 81 %
$ Value: 312
Fractal Tentacles: Spiral king attacks with a multitude of tentacles coming from all possible and impossible directions. Both the number of attacks each turn and the damage die for each tentacle attack explodes on 4, with no upper limit. Its attacks ignore armour.
Pandimensional: Spiral king doesn't seem to interact with gravity or dimensions in the same way as most creatures. It can walk on water, walls or ceiling, plus through any corner or crack only to emerge from a different cranny. It may also drag a victim through a corner to a different dimension.
Command Energy: Spiral king will use its power over energy to deflect laser attacks and disrupt nearby electronics.
BTW, if anyone has a pdf of the Opponent Opuscule or Phasic Arcanium, two sourcebooks for EC that seem to have disappeared from the face of the internet, I would be very grateful if I could have them. :)
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