Skinwigs
There isn’t a curse in the English language that can describe what it feels like to fall victim to these creatures. Those left without suitable cover overnight in the Great Dust Bowl can expect to wake up with several of these parasites attached to them. Without proper medical treatment, they are extremely painful and difficult to remove.
In their larval stage they are not much bigger than a man’s pinky. They are born into the sands and can only survive above the surface at night where they seek a host to begin the next stage of their life cycle. Their bites carry a powerful acid and anesthetic that allows them to work their way just underneath the skin without alerting their victim.
This deception is usually realized once the host wakes up, however by this point the creepy crawler has already fixed itself onto their nervous system. Any attempts to remove the bug cause pain severe enough to cause loss of consciousness, and can also rupture a pouch of acid that will cause permanent nerve damage. The only course of action outside finding a professional doctor is to let the insect mature, in which case it will leave on its own to lay its eggs and die within a few months. Those afflicted can usually be identified by the wriggling tails that protrude from the sores that form at their burrowing sites.
Stats
Use Radroach stats on page 350 of the core rulebook with the following changes.
Skinwigs cannot take a Sprint major action. They gain the Burrow ability on page 348, but instead of adding 1cd of damage for an AP they may treat their next attack as a Sneak Attack when surfacing.
If a skinwig succeeds on a Sneak Attack that deals three or more damage, they may attach themselves onto a new host and begin leeching energy from them. This requires an INT + Medicine check at Difficulty two with a Complication Range of 18-20 to remove. For each skinwig attached to a character, reduce their Endurance by one until the creature is dealt with.
Skinwigs will not target hosts with two Endurance or less. If a skinwig is killed before being removed, immediately take 3cd of Poison damage with the Radioactive damage effect to the affected area and make a check to resist gaining a Disease from page 193 of the core rulebook at Difficulty 3.
Skinwigs cannot take a Sprint major action. They gain the Burrow ability on page 348, but instead of adding 1cd of damage for an AP they may treat their next attack as a Sneak Attack when surfacing.
If a skinwig succeeds on a Sneak Attack that deals three or more damage, they may attach themselves onto a new host and begin leeching energy from them. This requires an INT + Medicine check at Difficulty two with a Complication Range of 18-20 to remove. For each skinwig attached to a character, reduce their Endurance by one until the creature is dealt with.
Skinwigs will not target hosts with two Endurance or less. If a skinwig is killed before being removed, immediately take 3cd of Poison damage with the Radioactive damage effect to the affected area and make a check to resist gaining a Disease from page 193 of the core rulebook at Difficulty 3.
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