Lost Company Press
Shriekers are ghastly entities composed of translucent, whisper-thin tendrils that tremble with the echoes of the damned. They float through areas thick with psychic residue from great tragedies. Their mournful wails ripple the air, causing unease and dread in those who hear them. Shriekers are drawn to fear and suffering, feeding off the psychic energy generated by terrified victims.
Motive: Feeds on fear and psychic distress
Environment: Haunted locations, ancient battlefields, sites of mass sorrow (Underground)
Health: 6
Damage: 2 points
Armor: 2
Movement: Short when floating, immediate when phasing
Modifications: Will defense as level 5; Stealth as level 6 when phasing, undetectable by normal vision; Intimidation as level 5 due to eerie presence
Combat: A Shrieker's main form of attack is its Piercing Wail. Every other round, it can release a shrill cry that forces all targets within immediate range to make an Intellect defense roll. Those who fail lose their next action from disorientation and take 5 points of Intellect damage (ignores armor). Piercing Wail: Can be used every other round to potentially stun and deal Intellect damage to all targets within immediate range. Phasing: Can move through solid objects and appear/disappear at will, making it hard to target with anything other than area effects. Echoes of the Damned: Once per encounter, a Shrieker can cause one target who fails their Intellect defense roll against Piercing Wail to be overwhelmed with the echoes of others' past agonies, inflicting a long-term debilitating effect (GM's discretion) until sufficiently recovered or treated.
Interactions: Shriekers rarely communicate and seem to focus purely on instilling and absorbing terror. Attempts to reason or connect with them typically fall flat, lost amidst their haunting screams.
Uses: A cataclysmic event has left a veil between worlds torn, and Shriekers slip through, turning a once peaceful village into a nexus of horror.
GM Intrusion: The Shrieker's wail resonates with the character's past fears, paralyzing them with vivid hallucinations of their worst nightmares for one round.