<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><DIV>Razor Shell (Ensis arcuatus incognitus)<BR><BR>Not your regular razor shells that are often fished for in the sea bed and<BR>make a tasty shellfish treat, but a rather more sinister variety.<BR><BR>In the desolate wastes of a dried up sea bed lurk the razor shells. These<BR>are close descendants of the more mundane razor shells found under the<BR>seas sands, but have been forced to evolve as their habitat dried up.<BR><BR>The shells still eke out an existence beneath the harsh wastelands of the<BR>dry seabed and have managed to do so via some remarkable adaptations.<BR>Their original cylindrical, cut throat razor, shaped bodies have grown<BR>longer. The bottom most section which is deepest in the sand sports long<BR>barbs, which help anchor it in place, but still allow it to burrow
forward<BR>(downwards). A denser and harder shell protects the organism from heat and<BR>water loss, allowing it to go for long periods without water, while also<BR>providing internal pockets wherein moisture can be stored in times of<BR>rain.<BR><BR>Its most remarkable and devious adaptation however is the means whereby<BR>the shell is able to sustain itself. Where its ancestor filtered the water<BR>for tiny organisms, no such contemporary nourishment now exists. Instead<BR>the shell has had to become a devious ambush predator. The upward facing<BR>portion of its body has developed a barbed harpoon tongue of razor sharp<BR>hard <SPAN style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed; CURSOR: hand" id=lw_1241724006_1 class=yshortcuts>mother of pearl</SPAN>. This harpoon is held inside the shell waiting for<BR>pressure from above, the Razor Shell having positioned its top end just<BR>below the ground level. When sufficient pressure is applied, coiled<BR>muscles
shoot the harpoon upward. This action is similar to that employed<BR>in the nematocyst of the hydra polyp or jellyfishes stingers.<BR><BR>The razor is not as subtle in subduing its prey as a jellyfish however as<BR>it has no poison. Instead it relies on the devastating damage its harpoon<BR>does as it pierces its preys flesh. This is where the Razors length and<BR>anchoring barbs, as well as its extremely strong muscles, play their role.<BR>The part of the shells body that is attached to the harpoon can stretch to<BR>double its normal length. With the harpoon anchored in place, its prey is<BR>unable to escape and eventually succumbs to exhaustion, blood loss and<BR>shock. This does not mean that the Razor Shell waits for its prey to die;<BR>indeed thin feeding tubes extend through a small hollow at the tip of the<BR>harpoon and start to dissolve and devour the preys living flesh moments<BR>after the harpoon strikes.<BR><BR>While Razor Shells can grow up
to a meter long and project harpoons that<BR>could be lethal to larger animals, their primary prey is smaller animals.<BR>However they do not appear to be able to distinguish potential preys SIZ<BR>and often cause a nuisance as they lacerate feet or damage horses inner<BR>hooves and cause lameness. Most shells encountered are a more manageable<BR>size of roughly thirty centimetres, although there are always travellers’<BR>tales of monstrously sized shells that have skewered horses from beneath<BR>the ground.<BR><BR>Razor Shell<BR>Characteristics Average<BR>STR 2D6 (6D6)* 7-10 (25-30)* Move 1<BR>CON 2D6 7-10 Hit Points
10<BR>SIZ 1D6 + 2 5-6 Fatigue 19<BR>INT 2 3<BR>POW 1D6 + 4 8-9<BR>DEX 1D6 4<BR><BR>Hit Location Melee (D20) Missile (D20) Points<BR>Lower Shell 01-05 01-02 6/3<BR>Upper Shell 06-18 03-19
6/3<BR>Harpoon Tongue 19-20 20 6/5<BR><BR>Weapon SR Attack % Damage<BR>Harpoon 1 75+10 1D4 + 2 (1D4)#<BR><BR>Note: The shell lies in wait just below ground level and will shoot its<BR>harpoon directly upwards as soon as it perceives pressure from above. As<BR>such it has a very high probability to hit. Due to its position in the<BR>ground it will only be able to strike the lower limbs of large prey,<BR>whereas small prey can be struck in most logical hit locations.<BR># Damage is always impale damage. Treat as a regular impale but also note<BR>an additional 1D4 damage per round that the harpoon remains in the wound<BR>where the Razor Shell still lives and starts digesting its
prey.<BR>* The higher STR score is to represent the shell anchoring itself in the<BR>ground should its victim try to match STR on the resistance table in order<BR>to pull the shell from its burrow.<BR>Skills: Hide 100%<BR>Armour: 6 point shell armour.<BR><BR><BR><BR></DIV>
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<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> "strobus@sympatico.ca" <strobus@sympatico..ca><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> runequest@rpgreview.net<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Thursday, May 7, 2009 2:40:09 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: [Runequest] [RQIII]Razor Shells<BR></FONT><BR>
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Hi All,<BR> <BR>Sorry to bother, but Would somebody mind forwarding to me Tony's original e-mail on the razor shells? I'd like to use them for my game tonight, but don't have access to the original.<BR> <BR>Thanks.<BR> <BR>> Date: Thu, 7 May 2009 07:49:53 +0200<BR>> From: postmaster@runequest.za.org<BR>> To: runequest@rpgreview.net<BR>> Subject: Re: [Runequest] [RQIII]Razor Shells<BR>> <BR>> Robert Hoffman wrote:<BR>> > I like it! If the movement is so slow I would imagine the encounter would<BR>> > rely on the player unexpectedly coming across one, which would then<BR>> > translate to a mine field type situation where something like 3D4 of the<BR>> > creatures are spaced through out a lake bed and the players may "trigger"<BR>> > one by chance. I mention this because if this is the nature of the threat<BR>> > you may want to suggest some form of luck roll to indicate when such
an<BR>> > encounter would be triggered, since by the description it sounds like the<BR>> > creature would only have that one initial attack in an encounter unless<BR>> > the<BR>> > player chose to engage it (ie a mission to collect X number of them).<BR>> <BR>> Thanks Bert. Yes I was thinking along these lines, but once they know<BR>> there is a threat. Or perhaps have a kind of battleship game planned, were<BR>> they say where they are walking "I move from B5 to C5" and GM says hit or<BR>> miss:)<BR>> <BR>> Yes, I saw this as a totally specialised creature, so its ambush is<BR>> basically it. If a player somehow sneaks up on one and the harpoon is<BR>> still "cocked" the you never know, on engagement its possible for a hit I<BR>> suppose.<BR>> <BR>> The way I plan to play this initially is have the lads mounted crossing<BR>> the wasteland. Shell strikes and damages one players horses inner
hoof,<BR>> the sensitive part. Horse is lame and may eventually have to be left<BR>> behind to die (or be put out). Either way now there is one non mounted<BR>> character, likley ill equipped for a foot trek across a desert<BR>> environment. Then it happens to another horse......<BR>> <BR>> Not to mention the huge drizzling of players as their characters vastly<BR>> expensive horses are taken out. Cruel I know, but one could wittle an<BR>> adventure of high intentions and morals down to one of the basest<BR>> survival.<BR>> Tony<BR>> <BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> Runequest mailing list<BR>> Runequest@rpgreview.net<BR>> http://rpgreview.net/mailman/listinfo/runequest_rpgreview.net<BR></DIV></DIV></div><br>
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