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Horror Rules / Horror Characters / Fleshwarping

Fleshwarp Mutations

Source Horror Adventures pg. 170
Not all fleshwarping is intentional. On occasion, creatures are exposed to environmental hazards that replicate the adverse results of fleshwarping with less grace and precision than the alchemical and magical process of true fleshwarping. Areas of intense magical radiation, alchemical pollution, wild magic, and corrupted ley lines all might cause spontaneous fleshwarp mutations, and in the presence of supremely alien creatures such as the Great Old Ones, the laws of reality can break down and sometimes create a similar effect, resulting in severe mutation and disfigurement.

Fleshwarp mutations come at an even higher cost to the target’s health, sanity, and life span than intentional fleshwarping. Fleshwarp mutations become more severe with greater exposure. Early mutations are typically cosmetic and act as a sign of something unnatural. Advanced fleshwarp mutations are always detrimental, causing physical and mental trauma to the creature.

Fleshwarp mutations progress similarly to corruptions, so at the GM’s discretion, spells or effects that help against corruptions might also apply to them.

Acquiring Fleshwarp Mutations: Any long-term magical hazard can potentially carry the risk of fleshwarp mutation. Exposure to polluted alchemical labs, vile curses, bizarre rituals, wild magic zones, and cursed magic items are all good examples of fleshwarp mutations sources. A source of fleshwarp mutation is a hazard and is assigned a corresponding CR that reflects its relative severity.

For every hour a living creature is exposed to a fleshwarp mutation source, that creature must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC = 15 + the CR of the corruptive source). Success means the creature has fought off the fleshwarping effects for the time being. On the first failed save, the exposed creature immediate gains an early fleshwarp mutation (see Table 5–1) and takes 1d3 points of Wisdom damage (or 1d6 points of sanity damage, if using the sanity system) due to the sudden and horrific nature of the metamorphosis. The second failed saving throw while the creature is within the same area increases the severity of the mutation. The creature gains an advanced mutation (see Table 5–2), and takes 1d6 points of Wisdom damage (or 2d4 points of sanity damage). Once a creature has at least one advanced mutation, further exposure within the same area causes another advanced mutation on a failed save. However, this level of physical deformity is extremely taxing on a mutated creature, and each subsequent new mutation imposes a cumulative –2 penalty to the creature’s Constitution score as long as the fleshwarped creature has the mutation. If the total penalties from mutations are greater than or equal to a character’s normal Constitution score, its body can’t support all the conflicting mutations, and it either dies or spontaneously warps into a mad, horrific creature.

Fleshwarp mutation effects are transmutation effects, and may also be poison effects based on the nature of the corruption causing the mutations. All mutations are extraordinary abilities. Fleshwarp mutations can be healed with curative magic. Lesser restoration, restoration, or greater healing magic can remove all early fleshwarp mutations. Greater restoration, heal, or restoration can remove all advanced fleshwarp mutations.

Table 5-1: Early Fleshwarp Mutations

d%Mutation
1-4Animal Traits: Fur or scales grow all over the creature’s body.
5-8Bloated Neck: The creature’s neck becomes inflated and toadlike.
9-12Bone Protrusions: Bony protrusions grow across the creature’s body.
13-16Bulbous Cranium: Misshapen lumps and nodules cover the creature’s head.
17-20Elongated Tongue: The creature’s tongue elongates and cannot fit inside its mouth properly.
21-24Eye Stalks: The creature’s eyes protrude from their sockets on short stalks.
25-28Forked Tongue: The creature’s tongue becomes forked like a snake’s.
29-32Gnarled: The creature’s flesh takes on knotty, whorled patterns all over the body.
33-36Hair Loss: Hair falls out in clumpy patches across the creature’s body.
37-40Huge Ears: The creature’s ears become large and floppy, like those of an elephant.
41-44Lidless Eyes: The creature’s eyes become saucerlike and lidless.
45-48Lipless Mouth: The creature’s mouth becomes lipless, with exposed teeth and gums.
49-52Long Fingers: The creature’s digits elongate and gain additional joints.
53-56Lurching: The creature grows a few inches taller, becomes gaunter, and walks with a lurching and ponderous gait.
57-60Molten Flesh: The creature’s skin sags, appearing to run like a melted candle.
61-64Noseless: The creature’s nose rots away, exposing its sinus cavity.
65-68Pallid: The creature’s flesh becomes translucent, revealing the veins and muscle beneath.
69-72Ridges: Prominent ridged protrusions grow on the creature’s forehead.
73-76Sores: Painful blisters and sores erupt all over the creature’s body.
77-80Tumors: Tumorous growths appear across the creature’s body.
81-84Unnatural Eyes: The creature’s pupils become unnaturally shaped or colored.
85-88Vertical Eyelids: The creature’s eyelids now form vertical slits that open and close from side to side.
89-92Vestigial Digits: Additional vestigial digits grow from the creature’s hands and feet.
93-96Webbing: Webbing grows between the creature’s fingers and toes.
97-100Wide Eyes: The creature’s eyes subtly migrate toward the sides of its head.


Table 5-2: Advanced Fleshwarp Mutations

d%Mutation
1-5Bioluminescent: The creature’s flesh sheds an eerie light, the strength of a candle’s. The creature takes a –4 penalty on Stealth checks.
6-11Clogged Ears: The creature’s ears close up and become useless. The creature is deafened.
12-17Crooked Spine: Strange ridges and dislocations mar the creature’s spine. Reduce its carrying capacity by half.
18-25Deformed Joints: The creature’s joints are knobby and twisted. It takes a –4 penalty on Dexterity-based skill checks.
26-30Deformed Legs: The creature’s legs are warped or misshapen in some fashion. Reduce its land speed by half.
31-37Dermal Fissures: The creature’s flesh painfully splits in dry cracks and exposes tender tissue beneath. Double the armor check penalty of any armor it wears and increases any bleed damage it takes by 1 point.
38-43Elongated Limbs: The creature’s limbs elongate slightly, causing bone aches. It takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls and Strength-based skill checks.
44-59Eye Clusters: The creature’s eyes divide and cluster into multiple, smaller eyes contained in each socket. It takes a –4 penalty on visual Perception checks.
60-62Frail: The creature’s organs fail easily. It takes a –2 penalty on Fortitude saves and on Constitution checks to stabilize while dying.
63-68Light Sensitivity: The creature’s eyes take on a reflective sheen, and it gains the light sensitivity universal monster ability.
69-74Malformed Gills: The creature gains nonfunctional gills that don’t allow it to breathe water, but it also has difficulty breathing air and develops a wet, labored breathing. Additionally, it becomes fatigued for 1 hour anytime it runs or charges on land, though this condition ends if it submerges itself in water for 1 minute.
75-80Misshapen Mouth: The creature’s mouth is warped and deformed. All spells with verbal components suffer a 10% spell-failure chance and the creature takes a –4 penalty on checks that require it to speak, such as Diplomacy or Perform (oratory) checks.
81-87Rubbery Flesh: Thick, rubbery hide replaces the creature’s skin. It takes a –2 penalty on Dexteritybased skill checks and Reflex saves.
88-94Tumorous Brain: Large tumors form in the creature’s brain, causing its skull to deform. Anytime the creature casts a spell or attempts an Intelligence-based skill check, it becomes staggered for 1 round.
95-100Weeping Sores: Open sores weep strange fluids down the creature’s body. The creature takes a –4 penalty on Fortitude saves to resist diseases.