Shan’tacs are huge, elephantine horse-headed beasts with long sinuous necks and vague bat-like wings. They tend to lair in cold places with lots of caves or darkness (thus accounting for their rime encrusted wings). Shan’tacs and Nightgaunts are natural enemies and always fight if the two find themselves in the same area as the other. Often found either in the wild or serving as aerial mounts for more powerful creatures (typically a powerful caster and other human-like individuals).
For Any Game…
ST: 34 HP: 34 Speed: 6.00
DX: 11 Will: 10 Move: 6 (30/45 Air)
IQ: 4 Per: 14 Weight: 1½ tons
HT: 13 FP: 13 SM: +3
Dodge: 10 Parry: 10 DR: 6
Bite (13): 3d+4 cut. Reach C-2.
Tail Whip (12): 3d+4 cr. Reach C-3. Treat as a weapon (Striker), not as a body part.
Wing Buffet (13): 3d+4 cr. Reach C-2 (either side or front). Treat as a weapon (Striker), not as a body part.
Traits: Acute Vision 2; Appearance (Hideous); Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Hearing; Extra Attack 1; Flight (Winged); Intolerance (Nightgaunts); Mind Shield 2; Nictitating Membrane 2; No Fine Manipulators; Peripheral Vision; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3); Slippery 1; Temperature Tolerance 6 (Cold); Wild Animal;
Skills: Brawling-13; Flight-14; Observation-14; Stealth-12. Add Mount-12 to those who have been trained to carry riders.
Notes: Trained Shan’tac mounts are can fetch quite a price in markets in that sell them, usually up to 10x what a horse costs. If the GM is using Intrinsic Fright Check GURPS Horror, (p. 139) Shan’tacs have a modifier of -3.
For Dungeon Fantasy
ST: 34 HP: 34 Speed: 6.00
DX: 11 Will: 10 Move: 6 (30/45 Air)
IQ: 4 Per: 14 Weight: 1½ tons
HT: 13 FP: 13 SM: +3
Dodge: 10 Parry: 10 DR: 6
Bite (13): 3d+4 cut. Reach C-2.
Tail Whip (12): 3d+4 cr. Reach C-3. Treat as a weapon (Striker), not as a body part.
Wing Buffet (13): 3d+4 cr. Reach C-2 (either side or front). Treat as a weapon (Striker), not as a body part.
Traits: Acute Vision 2; Appearance (Hideous); Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Hearing; Extra Attack 1; Flight (Winged); Intolerance (Nightgaunts);Mind Shield 2; Nictitating Membrane 2; No Fine Manipulators; Peripheral Vision; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3); Slippery 1; Temperature Tolerance 6 (Cold); Wild Animal;
Skills: Brawling-13; Flight-14; Observation-14; Stealth-12. Add Mount-12 to those who have been trained to carry riders.
Class: Dire Animal.
Notes: Shan’tacs have DR 2 on the eye hit location. Per 18 for Hearing rolls. Per 16 for Vision rolls. Trained Shan’tac mounts are can fetch quite a price in markets in that sell them, usually up to 10x what a horse costs. If the GM allows a Shan’tac might become the mount for a powerful delver. If so use the template below.
For Dungeon Fantasy (as an Animal Ally)
Shan’tac
Shan’tacs are huge (the size of an elephant!) and are used mostly as a means of transportation for delvers, carrying loot from a dungeon, or helping them fight in open spaces. It can easily carry a single rider plus gear (BL 231 lbs) for long distances (up to 300 miles, adjusted for encumbrance). A successful Flight roll increases this to 360 miles in a single day.
Built on 229 points. Generally bought as Ally (Shan’tac; Built on 100%; 12 or less; PM, -10%; Summonable, +100%) [19] or (15 or less) [18].
Shapeshifting: 16 to cast, 6 to maintain; or 221 points.
ST: 34 [72]*† HP: 34 [0] Speed: 6.00 [0]
DX: 11 [12]† Will: 10 [20] Move (Ground): 6 [0]
IQ: 6 [-80] Per: 14 [40] Move (Air): 30 [36]
HT: 13 [30] FP: 13 [0] SM: +3
Dodge: 10 Parry: 10 DR: 6 [30]
Bite (13): 3d+4 cut. Reach C-2.
Tail Whip (12): 3d+4 cr. Reach C-3. Treat as a weapon (Striker), not as a body part.
Wing Buffet (13): 3d+4 cr. Reach C-2 (either side or front). Treat as a weapon (Striker), not as a body part.
Advantages: Acute Vision 2 [4]; Combat Reflexes [15]; Discriminatory Hearing [15]; Extra Attack 1 [25]; Flight (Winged, -25%) [30]; Mind Shield 2 [8]; Nictitating Membrane 2 [2]; Peripheral Vision [15]; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3) [10]; Slippery 1 [2]; Striker (Tail; Long, +100%) [10]; Striker (Wings; Limited, Sides or Front only, -20%) [4]; Teeth (Sharp) [1]; Temperature Tolerance 6 (Cold) [6].
Disadvantages: Animal Ally [-44]; Appearance (Hideous) [-16]; Dull [-1]; Intolerance (Nightgaunts); [-5]; No Fine Manipulators [-30].
Skills: Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]-13; Flight (A) HT+1 [4]-14; Mount (A) DX+1 [4]-12; Observation (A) Per [2]-14; Stealth (A) DX+1 [4]-12.
Class: Dire Animal.
* Cost reduced for Size (-30%).
† Cost reduced for No Fine Manipulators (-40%).
For Monster Hunters
ST: 34 HP: 34 Speed: 7.00
DX: 13 Will: 10 Move: 30 (Air) or 6 (Ground)
IQ: 4 Per: 14 Weight: 1½ tons
HT: 15 FP: 15 SM: +3
Dodge: 10 Parry: 10 DR: 9
Fright Check: -4
Bite (13): 3d+4 cut. Reach C-2.
Bite, Swooping (10): 1d+2 cutting; Reach C. Made as a Move and Attack; ignore the skill cap of 9.
Tail Whip (12): 3d+4 cr. Reach C-3. Treat as a weapon (Striker), not as a body part.
Wing Buffet (13): 3d+4 cr. Reach C-2 (either side or front). Treat as a weapon (Striker), not as a body part.
Traits: Acute Vision 2; Appearance (Hideous); Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Hearing; Extra Attack 1; Flight (Winged); Injury Tolerance (Homogenous); Intolerance (Nightgaunts); Mind Shield 2; Nictitating Membrane 2; No Fine Manipulators; Peripheral Vision; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3); Slippery 1; Temperature Tolerance 6 (Cold); Wild Animal;
Skills: Brawling-15; Flight-14; Observation-14; Stealth-14. Add Mount-15 to those who have been trained to carry riders.
Notes: Trained Shan’tac mounts are can fetch quite a price in markets in that sell them, usually up to 10x what a horse costs. Use the skills listed under Cryptids in the Know Thy Enemy box in Monster Hunters 1 (p. 16). Two to three champions should be able to handle a single Shan’tac.
Summon Shan’tac
Spell Effects: Greater Create Crossroads + Greater Control Mind.
Inherent Modifiers: None.
Greater Effects: 2 (x5).
A favorite or rogue witches and cultists this spell summons up a Shan’tac to do the caster’s will. Even though a Shan’tac is not considered sapient they are hard to mentally control thanks to their levels of the Mind Shield advantage. Once cast the spell opens a temporary gateway near the closest Shan’tac (which can be anywhere on Earth or in a nearby dimension) and attempts to take control of their mind. The caster must win a Quick Contest of his skill vs. the shan’tac’s HT (15). If he is successful the shan’tac is under his control for the next day.
Typical Casting: Greater Create Crossroads (6) + Greater Control Mind (5) + Duration, 1 day (7) + Range, 10,000 miles, extradimensional (53) + Subject Weight, 3,000 lbs. (5). 380 energy (76×5).