Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Spawn Of Devastation Drive-In — 'Curuçu, Beast of The Amazon' (1956)




Curuçu

No. Enc.:  1 (1)
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement:  120' (40')
    —Swim:  45' (15')
Armor Class:  7
Hit Dice:  8
Attacks:  5 (2 claws, 2 tusks, 1 bite)
Damage:  1d8 / 1d8 / 1d6 / 1d6 / 2d6
Save:  L8
Morale:  8
Hoard Class:  XIV
XP:  2,060

The deepest, darkest jungles of the Mutant Future hide bizarre beings that have existed in secret since the times of the Ancients themselves...

...AND NONE IS MORE HORRIFYING, MORE DEADLY, MORE DEVIOUS THAN THE ACCURSED CURUÇU, THE SHAPE-SHIFTING BIRD-BEAST THAT MAKES MEALS OF MEN!!!

The elusive, tropic-dwelling curuçu is a feathered biped equally at home in water and on land. It stalks jungles, rivers, and lagoons...and favors Pure Humans over all other prey.

Curuçus lash out with razored claws, pointed tusks, and massive, fang-lined beaks.  A successful hit with both claws in the same round causes the victim to suffer an automatic 1d6 damage for 1d4 subsequent rounds, due to blood loss from deep lacerations.  And an attack roll of 19-20 with either claw results in the target's armor being shredded into uselessness. (This ability has no effect on Ancient powered armors.)

A curuçu can assume the form of a dark-complected Pure Human, and communicate in languages appropriate to the region.  It never feeds in this guise, but can use weapons, set traps, and foster deceit and treachery.

Mutations:  Aberrant Form (Gills and Lungs), Metamorph









(Unused Production Art by Reynold Brown, 1956)

Designer's Notes:  This film was released in black and white and color, but all available prints are in terrible condition...and the color version is so blurry as to be unwatchable, hence the b&w stills.

3 comments:

  1. Reynold Brown quit poster art due to Dunwich Horror - he lost interest in movies and did cowboy art from then on - great doco on him i saw once. The painting here is so much better than the film.

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  2. @Miss V: Thank you! Yeah, every kid wants a carnivorous bird-beast for Christmas!

    @Mr/Ms K: I had no idea about the artist. Thanks for sharing! (And I've added your blog to my list of Apocalyptic links. Great stuff!)

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