Old Gods of Appalachia
Wampus (also known as wampus cats) are feline beasts about the size of a tiger, roughly 4 feet (1 m) high at the shoulder and 9 feet (2.5 m) long. They have fierce yellow or green eyes, and black or dull silver fur that is nearly as thick and stiff as a porcupine's quills. They are nocturnal and equally at home on land, in the trees, or in shallow water. They usually subsist on small prey but prefer larger, heartier meals like deer, cows, and horses, taking them down quickly with strikes to the neck. Although a wampus moves on all four paws, it sometimes crouches, sits, or even stands like a humanoid, leading some folk to believe it's a human shapechanger.
Some witness accounts of a wampus describe it as having a few doglike features. These creatures might have variant forms, or perhaps the person mistook a different beast, such as a hexenwolf or white thing for a wampus.
Some wampus have six legs instead of four. They can move a long distance as their turn and still make one attack, or move a short distance as their
Motive: Hungers for flesh
Environment: Woods, swamps, lakes, and rivers
Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (5 points)
Armor: 1
Movement: Short; short when swimming
Modifications: Attacks, climbing, and jumping as level 6; stealth as level 3 within short range due to stench
Combat: A wampus attacks with a bite and one of its claws. It can move a short distance and make one attack on the same turn, even moving vertically (they're known to hunt large birds, such as eagles, this way). It can walk on its hind legs for a few rounds, reducing its movement to an immediate distance but allowing it to bite and claw twice as its attack.
Once every few minutes, a wampus can emit a horrifying scream. All creatures within long distance must succeed at an Intellect defense roll or be hindered for one minute. Any creature that fails two of these Intellect defense rolls within one hour is hindered until they take a ten-hour rest.
A wampus's foul odor means it's easy for creatures within short range to notice their presence. The wampus seems to be aware of this and always remains farther away until it's ready to attack.
A wampus can see in dim light as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.
Interaction: A wampus has beast-level intelligence but is clever enough to stalk, harry, and ambush its prey. It might follow a creature or circle a campsite for a while, occasionally using its frightening howl to unnerve its quarry before striking.
Use: The area around a half-eaten sheep smells like a skunk and is surrounded by paw prints that don't lead anywhere. Camping characters hear eerie yowling in the darkness and sometimes spot a pair of glowing eyes.
Loot: The hide, fangs, claws, and bones of a wampus can be used as 1d6 cypher materials.
Connection: The character has a family member who claims they once escaped a wampus when out in the woods after dark. A family heirloom includes a carved wampus claw.
GM Intrusion: The wampus howls as part of its attack, forcing one foe to flee in terror for a minute on a failed Intellect defense roll. The wampus's attack strikes a major blood vessel, inflicting 5 points of bleeding damage every round until the character receives healing or uses an action or two to stanch the wound.