Bessie the Hellcow

In a continuation of yesterday's bovine-themed NPCs, I would like to present my adaptation of Bessie the Hellcow from Marvel Comics.

Bessie the Hellcow
Large Undead
Init +0; Senses: Listen +8, Spot +7, Darkvision 60’, Low-Light Vision, Scent
Languages: Understands Common
AC: 21 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +12 Natural); t: 9, ff: 21
Hp: 28 (4HD)
Immune: - -
Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +2

Spd: 40’ (8 squares), Fly 50’ (average) w/ cape

Melee +5 Gore: 1d8+6
Melee +0 Bite: 1d8+3*

* A cow’s bite is treated as a secondary attack and only adds up to half of animal’s Strength bonus to the damage roll.

Combat Gear: Vampire’s Cape

Str 22, Dex 12, Con - -, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 10

SA: Blood Drain, Create Spawn, Energy Drain, Stampede
SQ: DR10/Silver and Magic, Fast Healing 5, Gaseous Form, Resistances, Turn Resistance +4, Low Light Vision, Scent, Undead Traits

Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes (b), Endurance, Improved Initiative (b), Lightning Reflexes (b)

Skills: Bluff +8, Hide +8, Listen +14, Move Silently +8, Search +8, Sense Motive +8, Spot +13

Height: 4’6” (at the shoulder)     Weight: 575 lbs     Hair: Brown     Eyes: Red
Appearance: Hellcow wears a black and red cape draped across her back which can metamorphosize into a pair of leathery bat wings attached to her back. Whether the cape is an extension of Hellcow's physical body or an independent piece of clothing is unknown. Where she acquired the cape and learned of its properties is likewise unknown.

Undead Tratis: An undead creature possesses the following traits: No Constitution score; Darkvision 60’, Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects, Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength and Dexterity), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects, Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures, Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless), Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks, Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed, Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.

Gaseous Form: The Hellcow possesses limited degrees of shape-shifting. She can transform her entire body into a fine mist, which enabled her to avoid all physical attacks.

Vampirism: Bessie is capable of transforming an individual into a vampire by biting them. A special enzyme found only within vampire saliva is responsible for this transformation. After draining all of the blood from a victim, the victim enters a death-like state and returns to life three days later.

Weaknesses

Although never demonstrated, it is reasonable to assume that the various vulnerabilities that affect traditional vampires affected the Hellcow as well. As such, the Hellcow was vulnerable to the rays of the sun and required a darkened room or coffin in which to sleep. Where the Hellcow managed to conceal herself for three-hundred years remains a mystery. 

The presence of religious symbols, or even reasonable facsimiles are sufficient to drive the Hellcow away. She is unable to attack a potential victim who is in possession of a cross of other similar icons of worship.  Whether the consumption of garlic has the same affect on Hellcow as it does other vampires has never been revealed.

Although Hellcow's body was impervious to most physical damage, a sharpened object impaled into her heart is sufficient enough to at least incapacitate her.  Hellcow wore a black and red cape draped across her back which could metamorphosize into a pair of leathery bat wings attached to her back. Whether the cape was an extension of Hellcow's physical body or an independent piece of clothing is unknown. Where she acquired the cape and learned of its properties is likewise unknown.

Bessie the Hellcow: Vampiric Cow

Climate/Terrain: Any land
Frequency: Unique
Orgainzation: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Night
Diet: Blood
Intelligence: Semi- (2-4)
Treasure: Nil
Align: N
No. Appearing: 1
AC: 7
Movement: 15, fly 18 (C)
HD: 4 (20hp)
THAC0: 17
No. of Attacks: 1

Dmg/Att: 1d4

SA: Energy Drain, Stampede

SD: +1 of better magical weapon to hit

Magic Resistance: See below
Size: L (8’ long)
Morale: Champion (15-16)
XP Value: 15-120

Most herd animal attack by biting.  Cattle generally flee from danger but will fight if cornered or threatened.  If frightened by intruders, there is a 25% chance that Bessie will stampede.  If she stampedes, each creature in the path who does not take cover (such as hiding in a tree or behind a rock pile or wall) is trampled for 1d4 damage.

Like all undead creatures, vampires exist in both the Positive and Negative Material Planes  at the same time.  Their powerful negative essence allows them to drain two life energy levels from anyone they strike.

Weapons of less than +1 enchantment pass through vampires without harming them in any way.  Even if attacked with and harmed by magical weapons, vampires regenerate 3 hit points per round.  If reduced to 0 hp, a vampire is not destroyed, but is forced to assume gaseous form.  Once in this state, it will attempt to flee and return to its coffin where, after eight hours of rest, it regains its corporeal form.  If the defeated vampire is unable to reach its coffin within 12 turns, however, its essence breaks up and the creature is truly destroyed.

Sleep, Charm, and Hold spells do not affect vampires.  Similarly, they are unharmed by poisons and are immune to paralysis.  Spells that are based on cold or electricity cause only half damage.

As will, vampires are able to disperse their bodies into clouds of elemental vapor and assume gaseous form.  In this state, they are immune to attack and can escape almost any confinement.  In addition, vampires can shapechange so as to take on the form of a large bat.

Despite the great powers which vampires obviously possess, they are not without weaknesses of their own. The odor of strong garlic repels them and they will not approach it. Further, they will recoil from the face of a mirror or lawful good holy symbol if either of these is presented to them with courage and conviction. It is important to understand, however, that this will not actually harm the vampire in any way nor drive it off. Garlic will prevent the creature from attacking or entering the area, while mirrors and holy symbols force the vampire to find some means of removing the offending object before it can be bypassed. In most cases, the vampire will seek to overcome these hazards with the aid of its minions. For example, a charmed person might be called upon to attack someone who is holding the vampire at bay with a holy symbol. Another important point to keep in mind is that a lawful good holy symbol will affect the vampire regardless of the vampire’s original religious background. Vampires which are splashed with a vial of holy water or struck with lawful good holy symbols are burned by them, suffering 2-7 points of damage.

Just as vampires can be kept at bay, so too can they be slain by those who have the knowledge to do so. Any vampire which is exposed to direct sunlight is instantly rendered powerless and, after one round, utterly annihilated. If the vampire can be immersed in running water, it loses one-third of its hit points each round, until destroyed on the third round. Last, a vampire can be killed by having a wooden stake driven through its heart. In this case, however, the creature can be restored simply by removing the stake if further measures are not taken to ensure the fate of the vampire. In order for it to be completely destroyed, the vampire’s head must be cut off and its mouth stuffed with holy wafers (or their equivalent).

In addition to its aversion to items like garlic and holy symbols, the vampire acts under many other limitations. One of the most powerful of these is the creature’s inability to enter a home without being first invited to do so by a resident of the dwelling. This does not apply to public buildings and places of business which, by their very nature, extend an “invitation” to all. Once a vampire has been invited to enter a residence, it may come and go freely afterward. Any human or humanoid creature slain by the life energy drain of a vampire is doomed to become a vampire himself. Thus, those who would hunt these lords of the undead must be very careful lest they find themselves condemned to a fate far worse than death. The transformation takes place one day after the burial of the creature. Those who are not actually buried, however, do not become undead and it is thus traditional that the bodies of a vampire’s victims be burned or similarly destroyed. Once they become undead, the new vampire is under the complete control of its killer. If that vampire is destroyed, the controlled undead are freed from its power and become self-willed creatures.

(Being a comic book character, death didn't "stick" to Bessie and she came back to eventually team up with Deadpool).