One of my favorite games is
Leagues of Adventure along with the
Leagues of Gothic Horror setting. It is a Ubiquity power game and it gives me the same feeling I get from Cinematic Unisystem. So I was quite pleased to see three more books are coming out for it;
Guides to Faeries, Hags, and Walking Dead.
I'll post more about this later in the week, but today I wanted to update a monster I have used in the past, but have not featured here before. Since I am on a Basic-era kick, let's do stats for Basic D&D (esp. as presented by
Blumeholme and
B/X Essentials) and Ubiquity.
Poludnitsa, Lady Midday
The Poludnitsa or Poludnica, also known as Lady Miday, is a relative of the more common Hag races. She is a creature of faerie (like all hags). Unlike the more common hags, Lady Midday is very beautiful, unearthly so, and is only encountered on midday on hot summer days (thus her name). She appears as a very tall, beautiful pale woman with long white hair wearing a long white dress. Though it is said her true form is that a sundried corpse.
She will often appear in the middle of fields of wheat, barley or rye carrying a large set of antique looking shears or a scythe. She will stop to ask anyone working in the field a question. If they fail to answer to it or answer incorrectly she will cut off their heads with the shears.
She is also known to kidnap girls under the age of 12 to take them back to her lair where she teaches them witchcraft if she doesn't eat them first.
Those she doesn't kill she can curse with madness or the "Heat Sickness". Those that are not treated will die.
Poludnitsa lives in vast underground complexes, filled with ovens and roaring fires. Her captured slaves fulfill her wishes, roasting sheep and baking bread for her, all day long. Poludnitsa exits her underground lair only during sunlight hours. She usually perches in the immediate vicinity of her lair, waiting for unwary travelers to pass.
She is not commonly encountered, but parents of children commonly warn about her. Any child that wanders off, especially into fields of rye, run the risk of being captured by Poludnitsa. Parents will often warn “Don’t go to the rye, Poludnitsa will eat you!” or “Poludnitsa will burn you up!”
It is unknown if she is a unique creature or if there are many such creatures, but very, very rare.
Poludnica’s Sheep
The sheep Poludnitsa keeps are anything but ordinary. Each is a Large sized monstrosity, with wool the color of fresh blood.
Poludnitsa Basic-era stats
AC: 5
HD: 6d8 + 12hp
Move: 30'
Attacks: 1 weapon + Heat Madness
Damage: 1d8* (beheading on a natural 20) + Special
Alignment: CE
Treasure: none
XP: 1,280
Abilities: Strength +1, Intelligence +1, Charisma +2
Poludnitsa can only appear during the hour before and the hour after midday. During the Sumer Solstice though she can appear during all hours of daylight.
She may only attack those that refuse her questions or answer them incorrectly. Once that has happened she will attack with her shears or scythe. They are treated as "vorpal" weapons in her hands (treated as normal weapons in anyone else's).
Once per day, usually at the height of noon or moment of greatest temperature, she can curse one humanoid creature with heat madness. They must make a saving throw vs. Death or be strickened. A successful save means the creature is dazed and cannot attack for two round. If the save is failed then the victim suffers the full effect of the heat madness. They are treated as if they had a combination of Slow and Feeblemind spells cast on them. Failing the first save means they will need to make another Death save in one full day or die. Failing the first save and making the second means the victim is bedridden for four (4) days, minus their Con adjustment. A Bless, Heal or Remove Curse spell will remove the heat madness.
Poludnitsa is immune to all heat and fire based attacks. She takes double damage from any cold-based attack.
A witch or cleric can "turn" (but not destroy) Poludnitsa as a Vampire if they present a
Moonstone.
Poludnitsa Ubiquity Stats
Patron 1
Archetype: Hag
Motivation: Survival
Style: 1
Primary Attributes:
Body 3, Dexterity 3, Strength 3, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Willpower 3
Secondary Attributes:
Size 0, Move 6, Perception 4 (8), Initiative 4, Defense 6, Stun 3, Health 8, Horror n/a (human form) or 4 (corpse visage form)
Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 5 (Grapple 6), Intimidation 8, Stealth 5 (Hiding 6)
Talents: Fearsome 2 (Can temporarily frighten foes)
Resources: None
Powers: Madness, Immune to Fire and Heat based attacks.
Weaknesses: Cold vulnerability (She takes x2 damage from any cold-based attack.)
Flaws: Thirst for Flesh (+1 Style point when its unholy appetite reveals its true nature)
Weapons: Shears 7L
