[Let's Make A Cryptworld Module] Part 2: Our Villain--Sheriff Larry Pratt, Werejackal

[[This is the next in a series of blog posts where I plan to take The Covetous Poet's Adventure Creator and Solo GM Guidebook for a spin. Over the coming months, I'll be generating an adventure module for the Pacesetter horror RPG Cryptworld using the book's Adventure Creator. And you can follow along with the creation process...]]

In our first outing with the Adventure Creator, we generated the overarching plot of our narrative, our villain, and his motivation. Today, I wanted to get our monstrous manipulator fleshed out, which will allow us to better envision his machinations in the background as the adventure takes shape. (Our Bad Guy's name and stats were all randomly generated using dice and an online name generator.) And since it's germane to the plot, I'll also present the "powerful artifact" Sheriff Pratt's using to further his goals...

SHERIFF LARRY PRATT, WEREJACKAL
STR: 78 --- WPR: 60
DEX: 55 --- PER: 62
AGL: 85 --- PCN: 92
STA: 72 --- PWR: NA
ATT: 3/90% --- WND: 15
MV: L 225† (75† when human)

Experience: 1,000

Larry Pratt grew up in the small town of Coldcreek, Kansas, where he was elected to the position of sheriff. Throughout the years, Pratt was a well-respected and liked member of the community, even acting as club president of the town’s fraternal organization, “The Mystical Order of the All-Seeing Eye.” But all that changed about a year ago.

While on patrol in an isolated part of the county on the night of a full moon, Pratt was ambushed by a large “coyote” that managed to bite him during the attack. While wrestling with the animal, Pratt grabbed the silver sheriff’s badge from his shirt and stabbed the creature in the eye with one of the star’s points. As the coyote staggered away from the defense, Pratt drew his pistol and shot and killed the feral animal. He was horrified when the animal’s corpse transformed into the body of an unidentified adult male. The man was nude with the exception of a small medallion hanging around his neck. In fear and panic, Pratt buried the body in an unmarked grave, taking the bauble in case it could be later used to ID the body.

Thirty days later, Pratt was horrified to find himself wracked with pain as the lycanthropic curse surfaced. Horror turned to acceptance as he embraced his new-found power as a Werejackal. He converted his two deputies, and the three of them have kept the citizens of Coldcreek subjugated for months. Pratt’s bloodlust and thirst for power has grown, and – with the help of the Eye of Anubis medallion taken from his attacker – Pratt plans to convert the townspeople to Werejackals under his command. Pratt sees himself as the reincarnation of the Egyptian god “Anubis,” and the “All-Seeing Eye” club building is his temple. Over the past few weeks, Pratt has begun a covert operation to infect others with the curse, bringing his new minions under his sway.

As a lycanthrope, Pratt has all of the abilities of a typical Werewolf (see Cryptworld rules, page 72). However, as a Werejackal, his transformed shape is that of a large humanoid dog-like creature rather than a wolf. Pratt is susceptible to attacks from a silver weapon, and takes +5 wound boxes of damage from such an attack.


THE EYE OF ANUBIS
The Eye of Anubis is a simple, round medallion that allows its possessor to control lycanthropes. The medallion has an Egyptian “eye of Horus” etched on the surface, which is coated in a blackened tint. The medallion is warm to the touch, but otherwise non-descript.

When worn by someone tainted by the lycanthropic curse, the wearer can mentally control all others cursed with lycanthropy within 20 miles. If the minion is in his human form, they should be allowed a save versus their Willpower at +20% penalty to fight the mental control. If the minion is in their wolf or wolf-humanoid form, the control is automatic with no save. The possessor is also able to see through the eyes of any of its thralls. In essence, the Eye of Anubis gives the owner a lycanthrope army at his command.

If the medallion is removed from the wearer, the mental control will be severed. Also, all lycanthropes previously controlled will be aware of their manipulation as well as the identity of who was controlling them. (It often ends badly for the medallion’s former owner at that point.)