Fair warning, this is a long entry!

Now that we’ve had a chance to go over the basics like Character Creation, Paranormal Abilities, The Sea of Corruption, and Flying Vehicles let’s talk about the opposition. These are the things Characters will have to overcome, flee, or potentially be eaten by as they make their way through NPbF. It’s a harsh world and these are the blades that poke at your character’s weaknesses and bring out their strengths.

Threats come in three general flavors: Forest Insects, Humanity, and Gifts of the Crypt.

Some Mechanics of Note

Instinct: Some creatures have an Instinct Aspect. This reflects an overpowering drive that pushes that creature in all things. This drive is so important and all consuming that invoking it grants a +3 bonus instead of the standard +2. This is so important that’s it’s usually the only aspect that creature has!

Scale: A full write-up for Scale in NPbF can be found in the Sea of Corruption entry. Quick and dirty is that when things of differing scales come into conflict the higher scale combatant receives benefits based on the difference in scale. Equal scale conflicts provide no benefits for either side.

Stress: Forest insects tend to be encountered in large groups or mobs and are assumed to have [1] stress each unless otherwise noted. Smaller insects like Land Grubs travel in large swarms which can contain dozens of insects per stress box.

Forest Insects

These are the giant bugs of the Sea of Corruption. Their motives are a mystery to most and they attack for arbitrary reasons. If you want to not be eaten you just stay out of the forest. That being said, Ohmu shell and the ruins of lost cities can be mighty tempting for the brave or the foolish.

Land Grub (Average – Mob)

Land Grubs represent the teaming masses of smaller insects that inhabit the Sea of Corruption. They digest forest and consume anything that the forest cannot use. They also function as an immune system of sorts and will swarm intruders if alerted.

Aspects: There’s a million of em!, Squishy

Scale: +0; Land Grubs are typically the size of a human child.

Skills: Provoke +1, Fight +1

Stunts:

Disgusting: Land Grubs are large maggots filled with a pus like fluid. They cause immediate revulsion in most humans and receive a +2 to provoke checks if a member of their mob is taken out.

Hebikera (Fair – Solo or Mob)

These long, segmented, many winged monstrosities fly above the Sea of Corruption. They typically form in shoals but lone Hebikera can sometimes be found acting as scouts for larger groups.

Instinct: Massive flying blade

Scale: +1; They range in length but can be as short as a gunship to as long as as an old world jet liner.

Skills: Bite +2; Fly +1

Stunts:

Telepathic Link: All Hebikera in a shoal are connected in a psychic link. If any are attacked the whole shoal instantly goes into a frenzy of revenge if they’re within at least 2 zones.

Cut off the Head: Are simple creatures and will keep trying to bite their target for up to one round after being taken out.

Royal Yanma (Fair – Mob)

These relatively small forest insects cannot travel far from their trees or large Ohmu. They act as alarm systems and react violently to any who damage the Sea of Corruption or insects within their sight. If you see one you are certain to find a pack nearby.

Instinct: Sentinel of the Forest

Scale: +0; typically the size of a large dog.

Skills: Notice +2; Bite +1

Stunts:

Alert the Swarm : The Yanma are aggressive fliers who issue loud warning cries when they sense an intruder near their roosts. Any insect within 2 zones is automatically roused by a Yanma’s cries.

Wing Worm (Good – Solo)

These massive flies are the muscle of the Sea of Corruption and usually travel in small groups. They have a fast reproductive cycle, are territorial around their eggs, and will eat anything smaller than themselves if given half a chance.

Aspects: Tough bugger!, Always hungry

Scale: +1; typically the size of an old world car

Skills: Bite +3; Claw +2, Notice +2; Empathy +1

Stunts:

Eat: The Wing Worm’s massive jaws can reach out and consume anything human sized or smaller in a single gulp. Anything of smaller scale than the Wing Worm that’s successfully attacked via Bite gains the Eaten aspect in addition to taking shifts of harm. While this aspect is in place the target has been consumed takes 2 shifts of harm each turn while the Worm tries to chew and digest it. The target can Overcome this aspect via a contest between the target’s Physique (or Fight if armed) and the Wing Worm’s Eat. Only one target can be Eaten at a time.

Stress: [1][2][3]

Ohmu (Main NPC)

Ohmu are the true face of the Sea of Corruption. They protect the forest and all her insects. They carry forest spores upon them wherever they go and will spread the forest if they venture forth. They are inscrutable creatures that act on their own whims that are unfathomable to most of humanity.

Instinct: Red is the Attack Color!*

Aspects: Guardian of the forest, All are one, The Heart of Ohmu

Scale: +2; they range in size from keep to castle.

Skills: Physique +5; Secrets +4, Empathy +4; Rapport +3, Will +3, Notice +3

Stunts:

Unstoppable : Ohmu contain more raw strength than anything save for the mighty God Warriors of the Seven Days of Fire. As such they can bull their way through any obstacle and can charge with devastating force by using Physique in place of Fight when attacking.

: Ohmu contain more raw strength than anything save for the mighty God Warriors of the Seven Days of Fire. As such they can bull their way through any obstacle and can charge with devastating force by using Physique in place of Fight when attacking. Force of Nature : The Ohmu are awesome and terrible creatures that shake even the strongest of warriors. Use Physique in place of Provoke against those who do not respect or understand the forest and her insects.

: The Ohmu are awesome and terrible creatures that shake even the strongest of warriors. Use Physique in place of Provoke against those who do not respect or understand the forest and her insects. Armor Protects: Ohmu can move quickly but they never dodge. Instead they depend on their impressive armor to protect them. Use Physique to defend against all melee and ranged attacks. They cannot defend against fire, cold, or other energetic based attacks this way.

Extras:

Hardened Shell : The shell of an Ohmu is one of the toughest substances in existence and can be re-purposed with enough skill to replace hardened ceramic blades, aircraft components, and general armor. Armor: 3

: The shell of an Ohmu is one of the toughest substances in existence and can be re-purposed with enough skill to replace hardened ceramic blades, aircraft components, and general armor. Armor: 3 Piercing Limbs : An unknowable number of incredibly strong legs serve the great Ohmu for mobility, feeding, and defence. Weapon: 2

: An unknowable number of incredibly strong legs serve the great Ohmu for mobility, feeding, and defence. Weapon: 2 Hive Mind: All Ohmu are connected and, while they may appear to be individual creatures, all are Ohmu. They all count as Paranormal and have a psychically active hive mind to those sensitive enough to see. But beware, for those who look too deeply into the Heart of the Ohmu risk being forever lost.

Physical Stress: [1][2][3][4] + Additional Mild Physical Consequence

Mental Stress: [1][2][3][4]

* Unlike most monsters Ohmu have Aspects AND an Instinct. In normal situations Ohmu use their aspects alone but if they get angered their eyes go bright red and they can act only on Instinct. It is said that flash grenades and a calm heart can cause their eyes to shift back to blue but only the most insane would try such a thing.

Humanity

NPbF’s world is, in the end, still populated by people. These people are all trying to survive and while some will be allies others will be enemies. The players will have a chance to make both. Most Humanity based threats are built like typical Fate NPCs and use NPC Types from Fate Core as a guide

Wormhandler (Average)

Aspects: Creature of the forest, Filthy forest folk

Skills: Notice +1

Stunts:

Slugworm Handler: Thanks to the psychic bond between a Wormhander and his worm they gain a +2 to Notice rolls while tracking as the worms detect lingering psychic impressions.

Warrior Monk (Fair)

Aspects: For the glory of Dorok, Obedience or death

Skills: Fight +2, Shoot +1, Ride +1

Stress: []

Imperial Soldier (Fair)

Aspects: Crush the weak, The viper’s eats its own

Skills: Shoot +2, Ride +1, Fight +1

Stunts:

Armor: All Imperial Soldiers are kitted out with ceramic armor given them Armor 2

Stress: []

Forest Person (Good)

Aspects: In harmony with the forest, Disconnected from human needs

Skills: Secrets +3, Rapport +2, Empathy +1, Athletics +1

Stunts:

Forest Kin: You can use use Rapport to speak directly to giant insects. They understand you and can be convinced of things but they only reply with basic emotions and drives.

Extras:

Forest Survival: Forest People know how to use insect parts to make masks, food, and shelter and can survive indefinitely in the forest.

Stress: [][]

Gifts of the Crypt

The Crypt of Shuwa has created unspeakable horrors over the last thousand years. Immortal monsters, paranormal bloodlines, and still unknowable abominations all came courtesy of the Master of the Crypt. Luckily most of these things stay away from humanity…most of the time.

Heedra (Supporting NPC)

The strange, cactus skinned, creatures known as Heedra are immortal monsters in humanoid form. It is said that the last Emperor of the Dorok came to the city with a handful of Heedra and used them to become ruler of all he could see.

Instinct: Implacable foe

Aspect: Unswerving loyalty to handler, Follows orders to the letter

Scale: +1; Heedra are significantly larger than humans though they can still function in human scale environments.

Skills: Physique +4, Athletics +3, Notice +2

Stunts:

Leverage: Because Heedra are so strong they use their Physique instead of Fight to attack.

Extras:

Immortal Creature : As long as the Heedra’s core (typical its head) is still intact it will keep coming back. Whenever a Heedra is Taken Out it will immediately start to regenerate. Each turn it will recover its lowest consequence and downgrade any remaining consequences by one level. Once all consequences are removed in this way it awakens and is fully functional.

: As long as the Heedra’s core (typical its head) is still intact it will keep coming back. Whenever a Heedra is Taken Out it will immediately start to regenerate. Each turn it will recover its lowest consequence and downgrade any remaining consequences by one level. Once all consequences are removed in this way it awakens and is fully functional. Rapid Recovery: Unless Taken Out a Heedra can spend one Fate point to remove all Physical Stress it currently has. Typically this is limited to once per turn per Heedra though that’s just a suggestion.

Major Weakness – Knowledge of the Core: Knowledge of the core’s existence, or how the Heedra even work, requires a Great (+4) Secret roll to Overcome. If an opponent knows about the Core, Rapid Recovery cannot be used and any Taken Out result against the Heedra utterly destroys it.

Stress: [][][][]

God Warrior (Main NPC)

God Warriors are plot devices instead of characters. Even thousands of Ohmu cannot stand against a single God Warrior’s poisonous light.

Aspects: Adjudicate all things, Protect tiny mother, Time is short

Scale: +3; They’re the largest creatures to ever walk the face of the world.

Skills: Physique +4, Will +3, Notice +3, Shoot +2, Notice +2, Empathy +2

Extras:

Immunity: God Warriors are just straight up immune to physical violence save for attacks from things on the same Scale. They break the rules. Period.

World Ending Firepower: When a God Warrior decides to blast a target with its poisonous light everything is Taken Out. They fire nuke level destruction in energy beam form. Flee if you can or be VERY VERY POLITE if you cannot. PC’s Taken Out this way often discover convenient hiding places or cover from the God Warrior’s attack instead of being turned to ash.

Imprinting: A God Warrior imprints on the holder of their control stone when they’re activated. They see this person as their creator and parent. This connection cannot be changed or severed. Additionally a God Warrior has a sense of the location of their imprinted parent and can find them anywhere.

Stress: [][][][]