The Kreptch is an ambusher/pouncer that inhabits the planet(s) of your choice.
It prefers wet/dry climates with lots of rocks and/or vegetation.
The kreptch ranges in size from the size of a small dog to the size of a tank. The creatures ST and EN attributes vary accordingly. Kreptch are estimated to be about as intelligent as a dog or a pig. The creature has 4-8 legs (depending on species/sub-species and stage of development). The kreptch has a thick roughly ball-shaped thorax with a long tubular abdomen of a mantodea. Its body is protected by a chitinous exo-skeleton that is capable of deflecting even large caliber rounds (Striker Armor value of 10-14!)
Like a praying-mantis the kreptch is able to remain motionless for very long periods of time (weeks/months). In addition to its ability to remain motionless, the kreptch is able to change its color to match its surroundings like a chameleon. These two abilities make the kreptch's ability to camouflage itself and to surprise its prey quite exceptional to say the least.
2-4 of the kreptch's legs are inverse grabber-legs with sharp chitinous spikes for catching and holding prey. Soft-targets will suffer impaling damage from the kreptch's legs, but for all their vice-like holding power they are usually incapable of penetrating hard-armored targets.It is quite hard to extricate oneself from the gripper-legs even if the kreptch is killed and often a cutting saw is required to free trapped victims.
Typically, the kreptch waits for and then pounces on its prey in one lightning-fast crushing bound. A 6+ indicates a hit. Only characters with a DX of A+ (10+) may modify this adding a -1drm to hit for every DX attribute point over 10, i.e. DX12 = a hit on an 8+ instead of a 6+.
Once its prey is held fast the creature fires its barbed needle-like fang/stinger from its head into its victim. The fang has a penetration value high enough to pass through a flak jacket or combat environment suit with no problems. There are reports of kreptch fangs penetrating even combat armor, but these must have been fearsome beasts that were quite large. The kreptch then shortens the several meter-long, resilient ligament attached to the barbed fang and draws its prey toward its biting/crushing mouth-parts. Some sub-species of the kreptch are poisonous and inject a necrotic poison that causes cell-lysis and is capable of causing extensive damage to surrounding tissues.
The kreptch typically hunts large prey (cow-,ox-,hippo-,rhino-sized), but humans are also targets and a hungry kreptch will attack anything it thinks it can eat.
As if all this wasn't bad enough the adult kreptch is capable of flying! Like a praying mantis the kreptch has a set of four wings that enable it to fly straight up in a sudden thunderous burst of energy and then glide. The kreptch's pattern of flight is typically a repetition of several cycles of sputtering climb followed by gliding flight. The kreptch can easily cover distances of up to 3 km in this manner. Fortunately, few sub-species of kreptch are known to hunt on the wing, instead most prefer to surprise their prey on the ground.
As one would expect their have been a number of fatalities as a result of kreptch attacks (if your PCs are not the first contact team to encounter them). As a result there are often campaigns underway to eradicate the populations of kreptch on worlds intended for human habitation. Kreptch are classfied as a class 5 (very dangerous) xeno-hazard.
If the kreptch misses its prey on the first lunge it will often take its time before striking again. This instinct is probably related to catching large somewhat obtuse ruminants that make-up the majority of the kreptch's prey animals. Several indigenous species of ruminant have been observed to calm quickly after a failed attack instead of defending themselves or running away. The kreptch has probably adapted this tactic so as not to scare its victims and thus enable a second catch attempt. Several intended human victims were able to survive attacks by a kreptch, because it missed them the first time and then tried to "hide" gathering itself up for a second pounce attempt.
In most cases involving human victims the kreptch was not spotted before the attack. In several cases it has been reported that the kreptch could not be detected even after the initial assault failed and the intended victim survived by promptly fleeing the area.
Personnel visiting planets inhabited by kreptch are advised to wear armor, chemical repellent (some are rumored to work well) and carry lasers or large caliber weapons.
For the Referee:
There can be as many sub-species of the kreptch as you like. They may inhabit only one world, one part of one world or perhaps even many worlds in one cluster/system. Interesting encounters could include but not be limited to:
First contact - Whether an official survey team of the imperial scouts, PCs exploring an unknown planet, pirates setting up a new hide-out or settlers/prospectors pursuing profit, liberty and happiness in the depths of space, first contact with these fearsome xenos is bound to be a grizzly affair!
Hunting - The PCs are hunters or are accompanying a group of hunters, whose prey turns out to be more challenging than they expected.
Xeno-Cleansing Ticket - A platoon of mercs is hired by a mega-corporation to cleanse the area of their latest business/settlement/mining/industrial venture of class 5 xenos! The twist here could be that the mercs find out the kreptch are more intelligent than they were told! (Intelligent sub-species with a semi-organized primitive culture!)
Stowaway! - Something has "kreptched" on-board during a brief forced landing resulting from mechanical problems.
Chance animal encounters - Just to add a sudden bit of flare to any adventure - one of the PCs suddenly disappears or encounters a kreptch during the course of doing whatever else they are doing at the time.
It prefers wet/dry climates with lots of rocks and/or vegetation.
The kreptch ranges in size from the size of a small dog to the size of a tank. The creatures ST and EN attributes vary accordingly. Kreptch are estimated to be about as intelligent as a dog or a pig. The creature has 4-8 legs (depending on species/sub-species and stage of development). The kreptch has a thick roughly ball-shaped thorax with a long tubular abdomen of a mantodea. Its body is protected by a chitinous exo-skeleton that is capable of deflecting even large caliber rounds (Striker Armor value of 10-14!)
Like a praying-mantis the kreptch is able to remain motionless for very long periods of time (weeks/months). In addition to its ability to remain motionless, the kreptch is able to change its color to match its surroundings like a chameleon. These two abilities make the kreptch's ability to camouflage itself and to surprise its prey quite exceptional to say the least.
2-4 of the kreptch's legs are inverse grabber-legs with sharp chitinous spikes for catching and holding prey. Soft-targets will suffer impaling damage from the kreptch's legs, but for all their vice-like holding power they are usually incapable of penetrating hard-armored targets.It is quite hard to extricate oneself from the gripper-legs even if the kreptch is killed and often a cutting saw is required to free trapped victims.
Typically, the kreptch waits for and then pounces on its prey in one lightning-fast crushing bound. A 6+ indicates a hit. Only characters with a DX of A+ (10+) may modify this adding a -1drm to hit for every DX attribute point over 10, i.e. DX12 = a hit on an 8+ instead of a 6+.
Once its prey is held fast the creature fires its barbed needle-like fang/stinger from its head into its victim. The fang has a penetration value high enough to pass through a flak jacket or combat environment suit with no problems. There are reports of kreptch fangs penetrating even combat armor, but these must have been fearsome beasts that were quite large. The kreptch then shortens the several meter-long, resilient ligament attached to the barbed fang and draws its prey toward its biting/crushing mouth-parts. Some sub-species of the kreptch are poisonous and inject a necrotic poison that causes cell-lysis and is capable of causing extensive damage to surrounding tissues.
The kreptch typically hunts large prey (cow-,ox-,hippo-,rhino-sized), but humans are also targets and a hungry kreptch will attack anything it thinks it can eat.
As if all this wasn't bad enough the adult kreptch is capable of flying! Like a praying mantis the kreptch has a set of four wings that enable it to fly straight up in a sudden thunderous burst of energy and then glide. The kreptch's pattern of flight is typically a repetition of several cycles of sputtering climb followed by gliding flight. The kreptch can easily cover distances of up to 3 km in this manner. Fortunately, few sub-species of kreptch are known to hunt on the wing, instead most prefer to surprise their prey on the ground.
As one would expect their have been a number of fatalities as a result of kreptch attacks (if your PCs are not the first contact team to encounter them). As a result there are often campaigns underway to eradicate the populations of kreptch on worlds intended for human habitation. Kreptch are classfied as a class 5 (very dangerous) xeno-hazard.
If the kreptch misses its prey on the first lunge it will often take its time before striking again. This instinct is probably related to catching large somewhat obtuse ruminants that make-up the majority of the kreptch's prey animals. Several indigenous species of ruminant have been observed to calm quickly after a failed attack instead of defending themselves or running away. The kreptch has probably adapted this tactic so as not to scare its victims and thus enable a second catch attempt. Several intended human victims were able to survive attacks by a kreptch, because it missed them the first time and then tried to "hide" gathering itself up for a second pounce attempt.
In most cases involving human victims the kreptch was not spotted before the attack. In several cases it has been reported that the kreptch could not be detected even after the initial assault failed and the intended victim survived by promptly fleeing the area.
Personnel visiting planets inhabited by kreptch are advised to wear armor, chemical repellent (some are rumored to work well) and carry lasers or large caliber weapons.
For the Referee:
There can be as many sub-species of the kreptch as you like. They may inhabit only one world, one part of one world or perhaps even many worlds in one cluster/system. Interesting encounters could include but not be limited to:
First contact - Whether an official survey team of the imperial scouts, PCs exploring an unknown planet, pirates setting up a new hide-out or settlers/prospectors pursuing profit, liberty and happiness in the depths of space, first contact with these fearsome xenos is bound to be a grizzly affair!
Hunting - The PCs are hunters or are accompanying a group of hunters, whose prey turns out to be more challenging than they expected.
Xeno-Cleansing Ticket - A platoon of mercs is hired by a mega-corporation to cleanse the area of their latest business/settlement/mining/industrial venture of class 5 xenos! The twist here could be that the mercs find out the kreptch are more intelligent than they were told! (Intelligent sub-species with a semi-organized primitive culture!)
Stowaway! - Something has "kreptched" on-board during a brief forced landing resulting from mechanical problems.
Chance animal encounters - Just to add a sudden bit of flare to any adventure - one of the PCs suddenly disappears or encounters a kreptch during the course of doing whatever else they are doing at the time.
