Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Pĕnanggalan and Pernicon

As we launch into the “P”s, we start with two of the Fiend Folio’s coolest creatures, but also two creatures that need a lot of reworking. The Pĕnanggalan presented in the tome is an un-dead creature living in dungeons. The Pĕnanggalan from folklore is a bit different, and could easily lend itself to some non-dungeon horror stories. I have tried to go the folklore route, and present a creature wildly different in some aspects from that in the Fiend Folio. The Pĕnanggalan itself is Malaysian, with the alternate creatures mentioned herein being found throughout southeast Asia. Knowing where these creatures come from may, or may not, inform the prospective judge when placing them in their worlds.

The Pernicon is a great idea, and makes complete sense within the context of a fantasy world, but the Pernicon described in the Fiend Folio is a two-inch grasshopper-like insect that has as many hit points, and a far better Armor Class, than the average rutabaga farmer in Dungeon Crawl Classics. Building the creature instead from the insect swarm in the core rulebook creates a creature that scales far better with the world and, individually, won’t go around slaying the local blacksmith. I increased the range at which the Pernicon can detect water as well, because when you are lost in the scrubland or desert, a 120-foot range isn’t going to help all that much. Finally, I tied the damage from removing the things to having actually captured some, because Pernicons find their greatest use in the campaign milieu when people in the campaign milieu can actually use them!

 

Pĕnanggalan

Pĕnanggalan: Init +3; Atk Bite +1 melee (1d3 plus latch and paralysis); AC 16; HD 3d12; MV 5’ or fly 40’; Act 1d20; SP infravision 60’, consume blood for power, stealth +6, latch, paralysis, drain blood, hideous separation; SV Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +5; AL C.

The pĕnanggalan begins life as a normal human woman, but through the study of black magic and pacts with demons, she learns to remove her head and internal organs from her body in order to seek blood and perform mischief. The pĕnanggalan has other names – balan-balan, leyak, kuyang, palasik, kra-sue, kasu, ahp, and manananggal – and this last version may also be male. Part of the ritual magic involves soaking in a tub of vinegar, which loosens the creature’s bowels enough to detach from its body, and later to allow the creature to rejoin into its human form. The statistics here are for the pĕnanggalan in its monstrous form; as a human, it may be an (almost) common villager, a witch, a magician, or a wizard – but she will always carry at least a faint scent of vinegar, by which she may be recognized. In her human form, the pĕnanggalan has no exception powers, except as noted below.

A separated pĕnanggalan is able to fly quietly using its long hair as though it were wings, and will hide if it can below the floorboards when a woman is menstruating or a child is being born. It gains power by consuming this blood, and on an evening where the pĕnanggalan has fed well, it gains 3d3 which it can use to increase attack rolls, saving throws, or skill checks – and this ability is retaining in human form. In human form, these dice can also be used for spell checks. The pĕnanggalan gains a similar power by draining human children of blood, but this is even stronger – the creature gains 1d5 per child killed in this manner.

The blood of others is of lesser value to the pĕnanggalan, so that it will try to avoid combat if it can. Nonetheless, if it is in danger of having its human identity exposed, these creatures will do their best to destroy their enemies, whether through the community as a human, or through direct action as a monster. Their bite allows them to latch on, and automatically drain 1d5 points of Stamina damage each round. The victim of the bite must succeed in a DC 15 Will save or be paralyzed until the creature stops feeding, and for 1d6 rounds thereafter. Each point of Stamina damage drained heals the pĕnanggalan of 1 hp damage. The creature can be removed with an opposed Strength check (vs. +2) or a successful Mighty Deed. Any melee attack against a latched pĕnanggalan which misses must be re-rolled against the creature’s victim, however.

According to some sources, the pĕnanggalan is an un-dead creature. This is not true, although they are hideous when detached. In fact, so terrible is the separation process that those who witness it take 1d5 points of Intelligence damage and must succeed in a DC 10 Will save or die on the spot.

 

Pernicon

Pernicon Swarm: Init +5; Atk Swarming pincers +1 melee (1 plus moisture drain); AC 13; HD 4d10; MV fly 40’; Act Special; SP Swam traits (attack all targets in 20’ x 20’ space, half damage from non-area attacks), moisture drain, damage upon removal; SV Fort +1, Ref +8, Will -1; AL N.

The pernicon is a brightly-colored insect related to grasshoppers and locusts, which inhabits the dry lands near the edges of deserts. These two-inch long insects are prized by those who dwell in such areas, because it can divine the presence of water with its antennae, which vibrate and hum when within 10 miles of a large quantity of water, and can be used to indicate the direction of the water, growing in pitch and intensity until within 120’.

These creatures are harmless individually, but in a swarm they can grip exposed flesh with the pincers at the rear of their abdomens. A single such pinch is negligible, but in numbers (as with a swarm attack), pernicons drain body fluids from the victim (Fort DC 10 to avoid 1 Stamina damage), and once this damage starts it continues each round until the swarm is dispersed. No matter how many times a victim is hit, damage never exceeds 1 Stamina per round, and there is no additional Fort save once one has failed.

Even when the pernicon swarm is dispersed, 1d5 pernicons continue to grip fast, causing 1 point of subdual damage when removed (Fort DC 10 negates), but allowing the insects to be captured and used as water diviners.