Legends tell of a royal court, where a mysterious usurper had seized control of the kingdom. To celebrate the usurper’s ascendency a grand carnival and masquerade ball was held. A group of seven assassins smuggled poisoned weapons into the masquerade ball. To better their chances of escape the assassins did not know exactly who the other assassins were. They would only know one another by the masks they wore, which followed a theme – the seven deadly sins (Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth.
The usurper was a powerful and mysterious sorcerer, and instantly saw through the plot. With a wave of his hand their masks came alive. Each died horribly, with the masks ribbons either strangling them, or drawing the masks so firmly to their faces it fractured their skulls. The usurper then hung the masks about their private chambers where it was whispered that they stood as silent bodyguards. Anyone entering these chambers, who harbored ill intent to the usurper, would trigger the masks to attack, moving about with a will of their own. Over the centuries the masks were sold and scattered to the four winds. Other sorcerers studied them, unlocked their secrets, and created such masks of their own.
Assassin masks are sentient magical constructs and therefore immune to poison. They can move about using their mask straps as arms or legs. These straps usually appear to be about six inches long, but can grow to up to three feet long should the mask require it. They attack by reaching out with their straps and grappling themselves over the victim’s face. Once grappled they’ll keep increasing pressure with their incredible strength, firmly blocking airways (see Strangulation) and fracturing bone (1/2 DB per round).
Once attached to a victim it is very hard to remove. Assassin Masks take half damage from non-magical weapons and minimal damage from piercing weapons. If they’ve already attached themselves to a victim’s face, then half the damage from any successful attack made to the mask is transferred to their grappled victim.
Assassin Masks, Mysterious Masks with murderous intent
Char. Averages rolls
STR 140 (8D6 x 5)
CON 120 (3D6+15 x 5)
SIZ 10 (1D3 x 5)
DEX 75 (1D6+12 x 5)
INT 20 (1D3+2 x 5)
POW 80 (3D6+6 x 5)
HP 13
Av. Damage Bonus: +1D4
Average Build: +1
Average Magic Points: 16
Move 8
ATTACKS
Attacks per round: 1
Fighting attacks: Grapple, strangle & crush
Grapple (mnvr): This attack firmly affixes the mask to the victim’s face. This initial attack causes no damage, but causes automatic damage reach round after. To remove an assassin mask it must either been wrestled off (with a successful opposed STR check) or by destroying the mask.
Strangulation: Once an assassin mask successfully grapples itself onto a victim it attempts to cut off their airways. Victims should make a Hard CON check each round. Once they fail the victim loses 1D4 points of CON each round. If reduce to zero CON the victim dies.
Fighting 40% (20/8), damage 1/2+DB
Dodge: 38% (19/7)
Armor: Immune to poison, half damage from non-magical weapons;
Minimal damage from piercing weapons;
Damage caused to them is split between them and any currently grappled victims
Sanity Loss: 1/1D3 to encounter an Assassin Mask.
