™ AA SHADOWRUNSHADOWRUN SOURCEBOOKSOURCEBOOK CONTENTS Regeneration 13 Domovoi 26 Search 14 Dour 26 CRITTERS 4 Shadow Cloak 14 Dragons 26 How to Use this Book 5 Silence 14 Dzoo-noo-qua 27 Dual Beings 5 Sonic Projection 14 Each-uisge 27 Spirits 5 Spraying 14 Ekyelebenle 27 Critter Combat 5 Venom 14 Elementals 28 Initiative 5 Weather Control 14 Embracer 28 Actions 5 Weaknesses of the Awakened 14 Enwontzane 28 Critter Dice Pools 5 Allergy 15 European Gargoyle 28 Cyberware for Critters 6 Dietary Requirement 15 Eyekiller 28 Powers of the Awakened 6 Essence Loss 15 Fenrir Wolf 29 Accident 7 Reduced Senses 15 Fideal 29 Adaptive Coloration 7 Vulnerability 15 Firedrake 29 Animal Control 7 Mutant Critters 15 Flame Jackal 29 Astral Armor 8 Size Change 15 Fomorian 29 Binding 8 Physical Characteristics 15 Gabriel Hound 29 Blindness 8 Enhanced Attributes Gargoyle 30 Cold Aura 8 and Abilities 15 Ghede Fly 30 Compulsion 8 Paranormal Abilities 15 Ghoul 30 Concealment 8 Creating Mutant Critters 16 Goblin 31 Confusion 8 Toxic Critters 17 Golden Boar 31 Corrosive Saliva 8 Using Toxic Critters 17 Gomatia 31 Corrosive Secretions 8 AWAKENED CRITTERS 18 Gorgon 31 Desire Reflection 9 Critter Statistics 18 Greater Unicorn 31 Dispelling 9 Critters 19 Griffin 32 Empathy 9 Aardwolf 20 Harpy 32 Engulf 9 Abrams Lobster 20 Hell Hound 32 Enhanced Physical Attributes 9 Afanc 20 Humped Horse 32 Enhanced Reactions 9 Agropelter 21 Hydra Wyrm 33 Enhanced Senses 9 Aitvaras 21 Icedrake 33 Essence Drain 10 Anwuma Bavole 21 Imperial Eagle 33 Essence Drain (Temporary) 10 Asonwu 21 Incubus 33 Fading 10 Baba Yaga 21 Jauchekafer 33 Fear 10 Bandersnatch 22 Juggernaut 33 Flame Aura 10 Bandit 22 King Frost 33 Glamour 10 Banshee 22 Kludde 34 Guard 11 Barghest 22 Knocker 34 Hardened Armor 11 Basilisk 22 Kraken 34 Hypnotic Song 11 Bean Sidhe 22 Lambton Lizard 34 Immunity 11 Behemoth 23 Leshy 34 Infection 11 Birdman 23 Lesser Thunderbird 34 Influence 11 Black Annis 23 Leviathan 35 Innate Spell 11 Blackberry Cat 23 Loup-Garou 35 Magical Guard 12 Blood Kite 23 Mami Wata 35 Magical Skills 12 Bogie 23 Man-of-the-Woods 35 Magic Sense 12 Brocken Bow 24 Martichoras 35 Materialization 12 Centaur 24 Meistersinger 35 Mimicry 12 Cerberus Hound 24 Merlin Hawk 36 Mist Form 12 Chimera 24 Mermaid 36 Movement 12 Chupacabras 24 Merrow 36 Noxious Breath 13 Cockatrice 25 Naga 36 Paralyzing Touch/Howl 13 Corps Cadavre 25 Nature Spirits 37 Pestilence 13 Corpselight 25 Nimue’s Salamander 37 Petrifying Gaze 13 Crested Barbarian 25 Nomad 38 Possession 13 Devil Rat 25 Nosferatu 38 Psychokinesis 13 Devilfish 26 Nova Scorpion 38 2 Critters Nutria 38 CREDITS Art & Production Staff Oracle Owl 39 Art Director Pegasus 39 Written and Compiled by Jim Nelson Peryton 39 Robert Boyle Graphic Design and Layout Phoenix 39 Stephen Kenson Jim Nelson & Fred Hooper Piasma 39 Michael Mulvihill Cover Illustration Protean 39 Dave DeVries Quicksilver Mongoose 40 Original Paranormal Animals Illustrations Rockworm 40 and Powers by Fred Hooper Saber-tooth Cat 40 Rob Boyle, Jennifer Brandes, Bob Jeff Laubenstein Salamander 40 Charrette, Tom Dowd, Nigel Findley, JIm Nelson Sasquatch 40 Chris Hepler, Paul Hume, Steve Mark Nelson Satyr 41 Kenson, Lori Methany, Mike Mulvihill, Ron Spencer Scorpyrine 41 Carl Sargent, Brian Schoner, and Jordan Sea Leech 41 Weisman Copyright© 2004 WizKids Inc. All Rights Sea Serpent 42 Reserved. Critters, Shadowrun and WK Shadowhound 42 Games are registered trademarks and/or Shadowrun Line Developer trademarks of WizKids Inc. in the United Shapeshifter 42 Michael Mulvihill Shasta Deer 43 States and/or other countries. No part of Siberian Bee 43 this work may be reproduced, stored in a Editorial Staff retrieval system, or transmitted in any Siberian Firebird 43 Editorial Director form or by any means, without the prior Siren 43 Donna Ippolito permission in writing of the Copyright Specter 44 Managing Editor Owner, nor be otherwise circulated in any Spider-Beast 44 Sharon Turner Mulvihill form other than that in which it is pub- Spitting Pike 44 Associate Editor lished. Sprite 44 Diane Piron-Gelman Stonebinder 44 Assistant Editors Version 1.0 (December 2004) by FanPro LLC, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Storm Dolphin 45 Robert Boyle Stormcrow 45 Tara Gallagher Stymphalian 45 Find us online: Talis Cat 45 [email protected] Editing (Shadowrun questions) Thunderbird 45 Sharon Turner Mulvihill http://www.shadowrunrpg.com Troglodyte 46 Diane Piron-Gelman (official Shadowrun website) Tungak 46 http://www.fanpro.com Unicorn 46 (FanPro website) Vampire 46 http://www.wizkidsgames.com Vampiric Pawn 46 (WizKids website) Volleying Porcupine 47 Wendigo 47 Wild Minotaur 48 Wodewose 48 Woolly Mammoth 48 Wyrd Mantis 48 Wyvern 48 Critters 3 CRITTERS arth is home to an almost limitless variety of animals. Even in the trying times of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, new species continued to be discovered while E others slipped into extinction. During the Awakening, Homo sapiens was not the only species to undergo Unexplained Genetic Expression (UGE). Animals all over the world began to show the effects of the return of magic, some giving birth to changeling offspring while oth- ers transformed into creatures from myth and legend. Griffins, harpies, hell hounds and even dragons populate the world of the twenty-first century. The explosion of novel and variant life forms led to the development of several new fields of scientific study, often combined under the general heading of “paranaturalism.” Paranaturalists specialize in species identified after 2000 A.D., and many further focus on aspects of the field such as parabiology, parasociology (especially among the various metahu- man and officially recognized sentient species), and paranatural biotechnology. Some researchers have even begun examining the fossil record for evidence of paraspecies. Most paraspecies seem to be a particular expression of DNA in the presence of high levels of magical energy. In these species, one generation gives birth to paraspecies young but remains unaffected itself. In time, the natural species will vanish, replaced completely by the paraspecies. In certain cases, all or part of the natural species undergoes a transformation as the rising tide of magic reaches a specific threshold. Unless the whole species changes en masse, the nat- ural species continues (as in the human species), but will sometimes produce individuals of the paraspecies at later births. Occasionally, an apparently normal individual of such a species will express paranormal traits or capabilities at the species’ equivalent of puberty. A few species consistently produce young that resemble the original natural species but undergo UGE at “puberty.” Most such individuals are hostile and vicious as a result of the transformation. 4 Critters HOW TO USE THIS BOOK SPIRITS This book provides a comprehensive listing of creatures Some paranormal beings live only on the astral plane and that appeared in previous Shadowrun products, including a have no physical body. These beings are collectively known as brief description of each critter and its game statistics. In addi- spirits. Some spirits have the ability (if not the inclination) to tion, this section covers the various rules needed to run critters form a material body for themselves in the physical world using in the game and gives a complete listing and explanation of all the Materialization power (p. 12). A spirit in astral form acts critter powers. and is treated much like an astrally projecting character. A spir- Critters make an exciting addition to any campaign, it in material form is treated like a dual being (see above). For whether serving as guard animals or appearing in random more information on spirits and their interaction with astral encounters throughout the urban or rural jungle. As a result of space, consult the Magic chapter, p. 188 of SR3. smuggling operations, the requirements of research facilities and experimentation (both legal and illegal), any critter can be CRITTER COMBAT found anywhere in the world. Having a wyrd mantis attack a Characters are likely to encounter critters under hostile or team of runners on the streets of downtown Seattle might dangerous circumstances, most often as watch animals for cor- seem like a stretch, but it provides a perfectly plausible start- porations. Whether critters are trained to attack or are simply ing point for a shadowrun to disrupt a smuggling operation defending their young or their territory, critters that attack a funded by a group of bug spirits experimenting with using the runner team use the standard combat rules presented on pp. wyrd mantis as hosts. 100–129 of SR3, except as noted here. After the gamemaster chooses a critter to incorporate into his scenario or campaign, he should review its powers and out- INITIATIVE line how the creature might use them in various encounters. Each critter description includes that creature’s Initiative Keep in mind that, unlike characters, critters are born with their dice. Determine Initiative dice for other critters according to the powers and use them in the most efficient and deadly fashion standard Initiative rules. To calculate a critter’s Initiative Score, necessary, especially in a life-or-death struggle. Next, the roll the Initiative dice and add the result to the animal’s Reaction. gamemaster should craft a “plan of attack” against the crea- Dual beings that engage in astral combat use their stan- ture, then review the combat rules for critters, making sure to dard Initiative. apply the correct dice pools and karma (p. 6). After that—it’s Astrally projecting critters add 20 to their Initiative Score. time to let the chips fall where they may! ACTIONS DUAL BEINGS Sentient creatures may perform the same actions as play- Most paranormal animals are able to manipulate and er characters, assuming they have the physical or paranormal channel mana to fuel their various powers.