Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 30 STR 20 15- Lift 1600 kg; 6d6 HTH Damage [3] 21 DEX 33 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7 23 CON 26 14- 18 BODY 16 13- 15 INT 5 12- PER Roll 12- 10 EGO 0 11- ECV: 3 20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6 0 COM -5 9- 20 PD 6 Total: 20 PD (8 rPD) 18 ED 5 Total: 18 ED (8 rED) 6 SPD 29 Phases: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 11 REC 0 50 END 2 45 STUN 0 Total Characteristic Cost: 147 Movement: Running: 1"/2" Leaping: 0" Swimming: 0" Cost Powers & Skills 22 Bite: HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) 60 Weakness: Drain STR 3d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Continuous (+1); Must Follow a Grab (-1/4) 24 Thick Hide: Armor (8 PD/8 ED) 30 Invulnerability: Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75%; Only Versus Electricity (-1) 15 Invulnerability: Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50%; Only Versus Cold (-1) 4 Heavy: Knockback Resistance -2" -10 No Legs: Running -5" -2 No Legs: Swimming -2" 6 Multible Tentacles: Extra Limbs (4), Inherent (+1/4) 24 Shape Shift: Shape Shift (Sight Group, limited group of shapes), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Limited Effect - Normal Sight (-1/4) 34 Long Tentacles: Stretching 8", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Limited Body Parts (tentacles; -1/4), No Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), No Velocity Damage (-1/4) Skills 20 +4 with HTH Combat 3 Climbing 13- 3 Concealment 12- 3 Stealth 13- 3 Tracking 12- Total Powers & Skill Cost: 239 Total Cost: 386 75+ Disadvantages 5 Physical Limitation: Reduced Leap, cannot leap (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 5 Physical Limitation: Large, up to twice human size (4m, or 2"; -2 DCV, +2 to PER Rolls to perceive) Infrequently, Slightly Impairing 15 Psychological Limitation: Voratious Appetite (Common, Strong) 20 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Fire (Common) 20 Vulnerability: 2 x BODY Fire (Common) 246 Experience Points Total Disadvantage Points: 386
Ecology: Ropers are normally subterranean creatures, but they are also found in dank and dismal forests and swamps. Aggressive carnivores, they prey on anything smaller than themselves. As they are very intelligent and very powerful, ropers are known to be quite fearless and will even assault groups of well-armed individuals.
Persoanlity/Motivations: Normal animal motivations. Ropers, like many creatures, desire a consistent source of food. As they are highly intelligent, ropers will try to place themselves where they can easily access a replenish-able food source. Some will bargain with other subterranean creatures to set up a cohabited relationship where the roper gets food in exchange for guarding something of the other creature's.
Powers/Tactics: Normally, ropers inhabit large caverns where they try to disguise themselves as a stalagmites or pillars of rock. They will also flatten themselves if needed or otherwise attempt to appear as some type of smooth rock formation. Once available prey comes into range, the roper will lash out with its powerful tentacles, grappling with its victim and dragging the target to its mouth to be devoured. As roper's tentacles secrete a substance that weakens its targets, this is usually a very effective form of attack. Ropers are very resistant to spells of all sorts, and this makes them especially fierce combatants.
There have been stories of a roper who's touch turn its victims to stone.
Appearance: A roper is a large pliable creature that stands a full 9' tall and 3' wide at the base. It has a single central eye, 6 whip-like tentacles, and a large toothy maw. Ropers are yellowish-gray in color, but this tends to vary depending on the roper's environment.
Designer's Notes: The AD&D roper was a creature who's true power was fairly hidden until I began to adapt it to HERO System. 10+ hit dice, weakness attack, a good armor class, magic resistance... the roper had it all. Of course, I have no idea why it has all these powers, and like most creatures in the Monster Manual, it likes to eat people. As it stands the roper is a very nasty opponent and would almost certainly eat (literally) the seven sample characters from Fantasy Hero 2nd Edition with ease.
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