NIGHT-GAUNT

Terrors of the Night

Out of what crypt they crawl, I cannot tell,

But every night I see the rubbery things,

Black, horned, and slender, with membranous wings,

They come in legions on the north wind’s swell

With obscene clutch that titillates and stings,

Snatching me off on monstrous voyagings

To grey worlds hidden deep in nightmare’s well.

Over the jagged peaks of Thok they sweep,

Heedless of all the cries I try to make,

And down the nether pits to that foul lake

Where the puffed shoggoths splash in doubtful sleep.

But ho! If only they would make some sound,

Or wear a face where faces should be found!

– Night-Gaunts, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, 1939

Night-Gaunts appear as black, faceless creatures with rubbery skin that bear horns on their heads. Their large, membranous wings enable them to carry or take humans and other creatures with them. They seem to enjoy tickling their victims as they carry them away. Ghouls are said to use Night-Gaunts as mounts, using a secret keyword. Night-Gaunts make no sounds, presumably because they have no organs to do so. They are most common in the Dreamlands, though some have been sighted in the Waking World. Some say the Night-Gaunts serve the Great Old One Nodens, but whether they act of their own accord or on behalf of other powers remains the mystery of these grave-silent creatures.

SPECIAL POWERS 

Aura of Darkness: A cloak of unnatural darkness surrounds the body of every Night-Gaunt. This darkness cannot be penetrated by light sources or night vision devices. As a result, attacks on a Night-Gaunt always receive a -20% penalty due to poor vision. This penalty is also applied to vigilance checks to detect the creature.

Flight: The creature can move effortlessly through the air.

Silent: Night-Gaunts are silent hunters, able to approach their victims in complete silence. Only the beating of their wings creates a barely perceptible hiss.

Yog-Sothothery: Little is known about this race: Where they come from, where they live, whether they inhabit cities or similar dwellings, and the like. It is also unknown whether they have free will or are merely creatures conjured in dark rituals. The fact that they are mainly found in deserted places suggests that they have been banished and expelled. For example, they seem to guard Mount Ngranek on the island of Oriab.

On the other hand, a certain affinity to the Ghouls of the Dreamlands cannot be denied. And even humans are said to have been at Night-Gaunt’s service. Perhaps it is a curse attached to these creatures, waiting to be banished in the ages to come.

NIGHT-GAUNT, Terrors of the Night

STR: 30

CON: 20

DEX: 15

INT: 7

POW:12 

HP: 25

Damage Bonus/Lethality: +#D#

Build: Large

Willpower Points: 12

ATTACKS

Attacks per round: 1

Fighting attacks: .

claws 50%, damage 2D6. 

Clinch 65% (On success, the victim is pinned and is mostly taken down into the air by the Night-Gaunt).

Dodge: ##%

Armor: 3 points due to rubbery skin (see Aura of Darkness).

Skills: Athletics 60%, Stealth 70%

Rituals: None

Sanity Loss: 1/1d8

This creature description is translated from the German version published by FHTAGN-RPG.