Val CHA Cost Roll Notes -8 STR -18 7- Lift 8.2 kg; -1d6 HTH Damage [1] 11 DEX 3 11- OCV: 4/DCV: 4 6 CON -8 10- 5 BODY -10 10- 5 INT -5 10- PER Roll 10- 5 EGO -10 10- ECV: 2 15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6 2 COM -4 9- 3 PD 3 Total: 3 PD (2 rPD) 2 ED 1 Total: 2 ED (2 rED) 2 SPD 0 Phases: 6, 12 3 REC 4 12 END 0 8 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: -39 Movement: Running: 2"/4" Swimming: 0"/0" Cost Powers & Skills 10 Mandibles: HKA 1/2d6, END 1 38 Strong Venom: Drain CON 3d6, Personal Immunity (+1/4), Delayed Return Rate (5 Points per Hour; +1), NND (defense is appropriate LS: Immunity) (Standard; +1); Extra Time (onset time begins 1 Turn after victim is bitten, -1 1/4), 4 Charges (-1), Gradual Effect (3 Minutes; 1d6/Minute; -3/4), HKA Must Do Body (-1/2), Linked (RKA; -1/2) plus RKA 2d6, Personal Immunity (+1/4), NND (defense is appropriate LS: Immunity) (Standard; +1), Does BODY (+1); Extra Time (onset time begins 1 Turn after victim is bitten, -1 1/4), 4 Charges (-1), Gradual Effect (2 Minutes; 1d6/1 minutes; -3/4), No Range (-1/2), HKA Must Do Body (-1/2), [4] 2 Armored Shell: Damage Resistance (2 PD/2 ED) -8 Short Legs: Running -4" (2" total) -2 Can't Swim: Swimming -2" 8 Multi-Legged: Clinging (normal STR); No Ceiling Movement or Angles of Less Than 80 Degrees (-1/4) 5 Multi-Legged: Extra Limbs (50), Inherent (+1/4); Limited Manipulation (-1/4) Skills 4 +2 with Mandibles 10 Hard To Hit: +2 with DCV 7 Climbing 13- 5 Hard To Perceive: Concealment 12-; Self Only (-1/2) 7 Hard To Perceive: Stealth 13- Total Powers & Skill Cost: 86 Total Cost: 47 75+ Disadvantages 20 Physical Limitation: Instinctive Intelligence (All the Time, Greatly Impairing) 5 Physical Limitation: Small (average 1 m long; +3" KB) (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 15 Physical Limitation: Very Limited Manipulation (Frequently, Greatly Impairing) Total Disadvantage Points: 47
Ecology: The term "megapedes" collectively refers to the giant centipedes of Skull Island—some of the largest land invertebrates to have ever lived, second in length only to Arthropleura, a relative of both centipedes and millipedes, known to have reached lengths of 6-10 feet. While Arthropleura was a herbivore, the megapedes of Skull Island have a more varied diet, eating eggs, small mammals (such as rats), small reptiles (lizards are a favorite) and other invertebrates. They dwell among the leaf litter, in rotted logs, and up in the trees—the actual vertical range depends on the size of the megapede.
Personality/Motivation: Typical animal motivations.
Powers/Tactics: Megapedes are fairly active predators, prowling about both day and night, on a constant look out for food to fuel their large bodies. Anything they come across is attacked with their mandibles, usually after the megapede wraps itself around its victim to keep it from escaping. Each bite delivers a dose of potent venom and is strong enough to easily kill rats and small dinosaur chicks.
Appearance: Megapedes look like enormous centipedes, ranging in length from 20 inches to a maximum of 5 feet. Coloration is a mixture of various shades of brown.
Designer's Notes: As the megapedes are all within a few feet of length of each other, I decided to make just one character sheet. Besides, if given the choice, I highly suspect GMs will want to use the 60 inch centipede, not the much smaller 20 inch specimen. In any event, a megapede did appear in King Kong, frightening Ann Darrow when she took refuge in a rotten log.
For those who wish to use specific megapedes, the four ground dwellers are as follows (in order of size):
Centipedes also live in the upper forest canopy. Obviously, these invertebrates are smaller and lighter then their ground-dwelling cousins.
Finally, one species of megapede is found far up in the mountains of the Uplands. It dwells in caves frequented by Terapusmordax, waiting for pups to fall out of the nest and quickly devouring them.
To build canopy dwellers, simply reduce the size class of a megapede and reduce characteristics according. Leave the venom strength alone, as the smaller centipedes use a powerful poisonous bite to disable their prey quickly.
Return to The World of Kong