Description
The Thanid are the tragic remnants of The Gardener’s dark legacy, twisted beings infused with the essence of decay and rot. Once ordinary people, they were transformed by the malevolent spores and creeping vines that The Gardener unleashed upon the world during the height of the Bane War. Now, in the aftermath of the war and the mysterious disappearance of the Witches, the Thanid struggle to find redemption and purpose in a world that fears and shuns them.
The process of becoming a Thanid is believed to begin when an individual is exposed to the cursed spores that some say still linger in the corrupted lands where The Gardener’s influence was strongest. These spores invade the body, spreading through the bloodstream and taking root within flesh and bone. Over time, the host’s body is overtaken by the growth of twisted vines, fungal blooms, and rot, turning them into a grotesque hybrid of plant and human.
During the Bane War, many who were exposed to these spores succumbed to The Gardener’s will, becoming mindless agents of decay. However, a rare few retained enough of their willpower to resist total domination. These individuals have broken free from the mindless thrall of their transformation and seek to atone for the horrors they were forced to commit.
Thanid are a disturbing sight, their bodies a fusion of human and plant. Their skin is overgrown with thorny vines, mushrooms, and patches of moss, and their limbs have hardened into bark-like wood. Their eyes, once human, now glimmer with a strange, otherworldly light, hinting at the unnatural forces that sustain them.
Despite their monstrous appearance, the Penitent Thanid possess a deep awareness of their condition and have learned to harness the powers granted by their transformation. They can manipulate the powers of growth and decay, no longer needing food or drink, but deriving sustenance from the sun, soil, and water. They can release spores to reanimate the recently dead for a short time, subject to their command, release toxic clouds in their immediate area, or release spores that cause confusion and hallucinations. Their plant-like bodies are resilient, able to heal rapidly from injuries. However, they remain vulnerable to fire, which can quickly reduce them to ash.
Thanid Witchbreed Package
Photosynthetic regeneration: While the Thanid has access to fresh water, sunlight, and soil they may make a natural healing roll every day (instead of every 5).
Dependence (Photosynthesis): The Thanid derives sustenance via photosynthesis rather than eating or drinking. They do not eat or drink or suffer Fatigue for lack of access to food, but require access to fresh water, sunlight, and soil, and without these suffer fatigue for each day they are absent as the Dependency Ancestral Ability.
Weakness (Fire): Sources of fire or flame deal +4 damage to the Thanid. Wounds caused by fire subject natural healing rolls to a -2 modifier.
Energy of Decay: They gain access to two innate powers (Energy of Decay and one other below) as per the Arcane Background (Gifted) edge with 15 power points, and the Focus (Spirit) skill.
Energy of Decay
Power points: 1
Range: Touch
Duration: Special
Skill: Focus (Spirit)
In the absence of photosynthetic components the Thanid is able to use its connection to decay and rot to derive sustenance from 10 lbs. of recently living material. The living material rapidly decays as a result and is consumed.
Reanimating Spores
Power points: 3
Range: Spirit
Duration: 10 minutes
Skill: Focus (Spirit)
Reanimating Spores grants animation and basic intelligence to the remains of a recently dead being. The summoned horror is obedient but literal-minded in its duties. It isn’t telepathic and must be controlled by voice.
The being retains the general form it had in life but does not retain skills or abilities of its original form and instead is replaced with the following stat block. It attacks with natural weapons such as bite or claw. (If it didn’t have the anatomy, it grows as needed). For every raise on the activation roll, one trait (skill or attribute, caster’s choice) may be increased by a die type.
This must be cast upon a corpse of a creature that died recently. An undead Incapacitated by damage can’t be raised with this power again.
Animals and other creatures can also be raised with this foul ability. The cost is 2 for a creature of Size -1 or -2, 3 for Size 0, and 1 for a Small Swarm, 2 for a Medium Swarm, or 3 for a Large Swarm.
Larger creatures cost 3 + Size in Power Points. For example, an undead grizzly (Size 2) costs 5 Power Points to raise.
Additional zombie creatures cost half their base cost if raised at once, instead of the +1 listed for Additional Zombies (round up, minimum of 1).
Modifiers
- Additional Zombies (+1): A larger horde can be raised in a single casting by paying an additional 1 Power Point for each extra zombie raised.
- Armed (+1 per Zombie): The reanimated creature has particularly tough natural weapons that deal Str+d4 dmg.
- Armor (+1 per Zombie): The horrors grow a particularly tough hide, the equivalent of 2 points of Armor.
- Mind Rider (+1): The caster can communicate and sense through one of the undead he’s conjured. If it’s destroyed, he may jump to any of the others currently under his control.
Spore Zombie
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d4
Skills: Athletics d4, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4
Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
Edges: —
Special Abilities:
- Bite/Claws: Str.
- Fearless: Spore Zombies are immune to Fear and Intimidation.
Spore Confusion
Treat this as the Confusion Power in SWADE Core, activated by the Focus skill and using the power points allocated for Thanid innate abilities.
Power points: 1
Range: Spirit
Duration: Until end of next turn
Skill: Focus (Spirit)
Confusion confounds all targets in a Medium Blast Template, making them either Distracted or Vulnerable, or both with a raise. The same effect applies to all those affected. These states are removed at the end of the victim’s next turn as usual.
Modifiers
- Area of Effect (+0/+1): The caster can focus the confusion to a Small Blast Template for no extra cost, or a large Blast Template for +1.
Fetid Cloud
Treat this as the Damage Field Power in SWADE Core, activated by the Focus skill and using the power points allocated for Thanid innate abilities.
Damage field creates a dangerous aura around the recipient that harms foes foolish enough to get too close.
At the end of the affected character’s turn, all adjacent beings (including allies!) automatically take 2d4 damage.
Modifiers
- Damage (+2): The damage field causes 2d6 damage.