Rust and Redemption
Cannibals come in a variety of different forms, depending on their situation. Some seem like normal and perhaps even charming survivors, except to their targets. These "nice" cannibals may eat human flesh when desperate or to take advantage of meat that would otherwise go to waste. Or maybe they've developed a taste for human flesh.
Others look the part, having descended into the kind of bestial, erratic behavior that cannibalism can inflict on long term practitioners.
Some are part of a crazed settlement of raiders always looking for more sweet meats, and others hide in plain sight, pretending friendship and offering aid to strangers until their prey lowers their guard. Some cannibals like their prey raw; others delight in elaborate preparations.
Whether becoming an eater of human flesh was forced by circumstance or out of some secret, maladaptive urge, cannibals are dangerous.
Motive: Hunger for human flesh
Environment: In areas where food is scarce; alone, or in groups of four to ten
Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: Minor wound (3 points)
Movement: Short
Modifications: Deception, persuasion, intimidation, and friendly interaction as level 6
Combat: Cannibals use improvised weapons, like ropes, chair legs, and jagged pieces of broken glass. A few cannibals with more resources rely on long range firearms and rifles until they run out of ammunition.
In any group of four or more cannibals, there's probably one (revealed as a GM Intrusion) who has filed their teeth and can make a horrific bite attack once every minute or two. This attack inflicts damage and requires the target to succeed on a Might defense roll. On a failure, the cannibal bites off a bit of the target, who is stunned and loses their next turn. See the Cannibal Severing Bite Effects table.
| d6 | Effects |
|---|---|
| 1 | End of nose |
| 2 | Little finger |
| 3 | Chunk from forearm |
| 4 | Chunk from leg |
| 5 | Ear; target's perception task that rely on hearing are hindered until target adapts |
| 6 | Throat; target descends on step on damage track each round until ally succeeds on a difficulty 5 healing task |
Interaction: A friendly and charming cannibal may remain so indefinitely, unless they decide a PC is perfect for dinner.
Use: Characters looking for a place to sleep, hide, or stay for the night are invited in by one or more cannibals. A group of raiders the PCs must negotiate with are also revealed to be cannibals.
Loot: A cannibal has currency equivalent to an expensive item.
GM Intrusion: The cannibal reveals their filed teeth and makes a severing bite attack.