No. Enc.: 1 (1)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 60' (20')
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 12
Attacks: 3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage: 1d8 / 1d8 / 2d10 + special
Save: L6
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: VII
XP: 3,600 (+ 800 per extra Mutation)
Headhungers are nightmarish, headless, 10' tall beasts with broad, powerful bodies covered in shaggy, gore-streaked fur. All limbs and teeth, they lack any obvious sensory organs. Headhungers prowl near caravan routes, oases, and Ancient ruins, always on the hunt for their favorite prey: Mutant Humans.
If a headhunger successfully hits a Mutant Human target with both claws in the same round, it shoves the victim head-first into its maw to follow up with a biting attack. If the bite succeeds with a To Hit roll of 14 or higher, the victim must immediately make a Saving Throw Versus Death, with failure indicating that it is killed instantly by having its head bitten off...
...and that's when things get really terrifying.
The very next round (after the beast has a chance to chew and swallow the cranium), the headhunger gains all of the Mental Mutations of the deceased...and the instincts to use them effectively. These duplicated mutations only last for 1d4 days, but the more heads a headhunger consumes, the more Mental Mutations it has at its disposal. [Mutant Lords should increase the XP values of a headhunger based on the number of mimicked Mutations it has upon death.]
Headhungers gain no benefits from the heads of Pure Humans or Mutant Animals, but will certainly eat them if those victims are available. And, interestingly, headhungers consume only heads; they casually discard the decapitated remains, leaving them for scavengers.
Mutations: Unique Sense (Detect Mutant Humans)
From the overtoad right through to this, it's been a classic week so far. You've really taken up the challenge you set yourself in the retrospective.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the praise, Mr. Porky. It's always a delight when you pop in.
ReplyDelete