Night Creepers

Melee
RV 20
Coordination
RV 10
Brawn
RV 6
Fortitude
RV 20
Intellect
RV 10
Awareness
RV 30
Willpower
RV 20
Lifestyle
RV 30
Repute
RV -5

Health:
Fortune:
56
60

Origin:

Night Creepers, depsite rumors to the contrary, are simply normal humans - albeit highly skilled ones. Sure, each is a criminal mastermind in his or her own right, and is typically armed to the teeth even while sleeping, but Night Creepers have no special powers to speak of.

Known Powers:

(none)

Limitations / Enhancements:

(none)

Equipment:

Bullet-Resistant Vest: those large pads on the Night Creepers' chest aren't just decorative. They transmute Piercing damage into Bashing damage, reducing the incoming damage by 1 RS in the process of doing so, greatly improving the Night Creepers' odds of survival.

Crossbow: though they're packing literal ray guns, Night Creepers still carry this intimidating ranged weapon. It can fire a bolt that inflicts rank value 10 Piercing damage, and the Night Creepers typically carry seven of them ready on the weapon itself.

Helmet: the armor-plated helmet worn by Night Creepers provides them rank value 10 protection against physical attacks striking them in the cranium. They are also equipped with visors featuring infrared-capable goggles, providing them that sense with like ability.

Knives: supplementing their swords, Night Creepers have at least two blades on their person at all times. They may wield these implements, of m.v. 40, to either inflict Slashing damage in melee or to cut through items of up to a like m.v., given enough time.

Laser Pistols: when they're looking for something a bit more advanced than traditional ninja weaponry, Night Creepers can whip out their laser pistols and go to town! Each blast from this weapon inflicts rank value 6 Armor Piercing Energy damage, and it can fire six per charge.

Masks: the masks worn by Night Creepers filter out particulate matter with rank value 30 ability, greatly reducing the danger of smoke and other airborne hazards. Furthermore, they feature rank value 2 transceivers, letting Night Creepers coordinate their actions.

Shuriken: when their other ranged weaponry fails them, Night Creepers always carry these standbys. These bladed implements can be flung by their wielder to inflict their Brawn value in Thrown Slashing damage, and Night Creepers usually have several of these things on hand.

Swords: the Night Creepers usually have at least two swords on them while working, and sometimes even when they aren't. They may wield these long bladed implements, of m.v. 40, to inflict their Brawn value +1 RS in Slashing damage with each deadly assault.

Quirks:

High Pain Threshold: the rigorous training of the Night Creepers imparts a high tolerance for pain in its survivors. Those who are accepted into the Night Creepers can resist the effects of pain and Stunning assaults as if their Fortitude was +2 RS in value.

Skills:

Advanced Guns: sure, they have their crossbows and throwing stars and even daggers in a pinch, but Night Creepers like to embrace the future. As such, they're well-versed in the use of most directed energy weapons, and should receive a +1 RS bonus when wielding them.

Business / Finance: sharks in the board room as well as on the field of battle, Night Creepers constantly research the world's corporations, the better to raid them at a later date! Their Intellect in such matters should be considered +1 RS, whether for legal or illegal purposes.

Crime: picking locks, sneaking about, disguising themselves, and a whole lot more are skills of the trade where Night Creepers are concerned. Experts in all things illicit, Night Creepers may add a +1 RS when attempting such actions, for they truly are professional criminals.

Detective / Espionage: where press releases fail, espionage work begins! Night Creepers are proficient in all modern espionage tactics, and excel at digging up secrets others would prefer to remain, well, secret. They should gain a +1 RS on ACTION rolls applicable to such work.

Martial Arts styles A, B, and E: being ninjas, Night Creepers are master martial artists. They gain a +1 RS to hit and a +1 initiative bonus when attempting unarmed attacks, and may Pound or Concuss foes regardless of their comparative Brawn or Fortitude traits.

Martial Arts Weapons: supplementing their unarmed fighting prowess, Night Creepers can readily bring numerous martial arts weapons to bear with competence. Whether wielding katanas, nunchaku, kris, sais, staves, or even wakizashi, a Night Creeper may do so without penalty.

Stealth: whether or not they are aided by advanced technology, Night Creepers excel at remaining unnoticed - they often do so even while wearing garish and conspicuous clothing! While attempting stealth, a Night Creeper inflicts a -1 RS penalty on others trying to find them.

Contacts:

The Night Creepers are a tightly-knit organization, and can rely upon their fellows for aid for the most part - unless it would benefit the group as a whole not to. Night Creepers are also closely associated with a number of their larger clients, such as Cobra.

Costume:

The original Night Creeper uniform is comprised of a magenta and grape shirt under a silver bullet-resistant vest, white trousers with gray and magenta tiger stripes, grape gloves, grape wrapped boots, steel belts, a steel visored helmet, a grape mask, and a grape veil.

Notes:

The origins of the Night Creepers are an enigma. Most ninjas known to be involved in global events hail from either the Arashikage or Koga clans, but no one has claimed the Night Creepers thus far. Furthermore, anyone attempting to discern their origins tends to disappear quickly.

Regardless of their background, the Night Creepers are no ordinary band of martial artists. Each is highly skilled in various financial and subversive arts on top of their prowess in battle, and all Night Creepers can work in mundane business circles or act as criminal masterminds.

Amoral to the extreme, Night Creepers will work for anyone. Even those who have crossed the Night Creepers can secure their services anew upon paying them a high enough fee. And while they'll ply their trade for any party, the one most infamous for utilizing their services is Cobra.

Having been on the wrong end of ninja violence on multiple occasions, Cobra Commander leapt at the chance to secure a contract with the Night Creepers when it presented itself. Utilizing ninjas to perform all of his covert ops, whether passive or defensive? Who could argue with that?

Sure, the relationship between these ninja financiers and Cobra's terrorist legions has always been tense, but money talks. Since Cobra's coffers are seemingly endless, the Night Creepers will always come back for more, even after occasionally violent differences of opinion.

1993 Variations

Equipment:

Compound Bow: replacing their usual crossbows, these even quieter weapons allow a Night Creeper to inflict superior damage to their foes - assuming they're strong enough. Each arrow shot from these weapons can inflict their operator's Brawn +1 RS in Piercing damage.

Hito-Washi Cape: this 'human eagle' implement, built from cloth and bamboo, can be straightened into a small glider. Only useful for short glides, it allows a Night Creeper to soar through the air with rank value 2 ability, though it lacks the ability to gain altitude altogether.

Sickle: a nice middle ground between their swords and their knives, some Night Creepers began carrying these implements in 1993. In addition to their use as an impromptu climbing aid, a Night Creeper can inflict their Brawn +1 RS in Slashing damage with a sickle when necessary.

XJ-2 Baseball Grenades: carried on a bandoiler for easy access, these weapons are handy when stealth is no longer a concern. They can be tossed by Night Creepers to inflict rank value 30 Slashing damage upon all uncovered targets within the sector they explode inside.

Costume:

The second Night Creeper ensemble is... brilliant. It includes a skin-tight magenta shirt, cyan gloves, magenta trousers with cyan padding on the outside legs, a gray belt, bandoiler, knife sheath, canteen, boots, elbow wraps, and pouches, and a cyan helmet with a red visor.

1994 Variations

Equipment:

Compound Bow: replacing their usual crossbows, these even quieter weapons allow a Night Creeper to inflict superior damage to their foes - assuming they're strong enough. Each arrow shot from these weapons can inflict their operator's Brawn +1 RS in Piercing damage.

Hito-Washi Cape: this 'human eagle' implement, built from cloth and bamboo, can be straightened into a small glider. Only useful for short glides, it allows a Night Creeper to soar through the air with rank value 2 ability, though it lacks the ability to gain altitude altogether.

Inviso-Power Suit: a seriously expensive upgrade to the Night Creeper uniform, this unit allows its wearer to achieve effective invisibility, doing so with rank value 30 ability. It is unknown where this technology originates, but it may well be based on Zartan's designs.

Sickle: a nice middle ground between their swords and their knives, some Night Creepers continued to carry these implements in '94. In addition to their use as an impromptu climbing aid, a Night Creeper can inflict their Brawn +1 RS in Slashing damage with a sickle when necessary.

XJ-2 Baseball Grenades: carried on a bandoiler for easy access, these weapons are handy when stealth is no longer a concern. They can be tossed by Night Creepers to inflict rank value 30 Slashing damage upon all uncovered targets within the sector they explode inside.

Costume:

The third Night Creeper outfit is conspicuous. It consists of a skin-tight magenta shirt, white trousers and elbow wraps, a gray belt, canteen, gloves, and pouches, grape boots, a magenta bandoiler, a white knife sheath, and a white helmet with a red visor.

1998 Variations

Costume:

The fourth Night Creeper uniform is a cold weather variation on the first. It is comprised of a white long-sleeved shirt, white trousers, blue gloves, blue boots under gray wraps, a gray belt, a gray bullet-resistant vest, a white helmet under a white veil, a white mask, and a blue visor.

2003 Variations

Equipment:

Diving Gear: occasionally, the Night Creepers make use of equipment that allows them to stalk their prey even underwater! This gear includes a wet suit, an air tank, underwater breathing mask, and flippers, allowing them to function for up to eight hours beneath the waves.

Costume:

The fifth Night Creeper outfit is an all-new affair. It consists primarily of a long-sleeved shirt, helmet, trousers, boots, and gloves in a deep blue coloration, accented with steel plating on the upper and lower legs, the chest, and the head, and brown belts, knee pads, and web gear.

2004 Variations

Equipment:

Drone (v2): this inexplicable device can be used by Night Creepers to climb along considerable lengths of line, avoiding wearing themselves out before a fight. It can move with rank value 2 speeds, or up to fifteen miles per hour, making forward progress via four robotic tentacles.

Handling
RV 10
Velocity
RV 2
Durability
RV 20
Protection
n/a

Rifle (v2): when they just can't get close to their targets, Night Creepers often rely upon a powerful rifle to dispatch them at range. They can fire a single round at a time from this weapon to inflict rank value 10 Piercing damage, utilizing a scope for a +1 RS bonus to ambushes.

Uzi 9mm (v3): if stealth is of minimal concern, Night Creepers can discharge a single round from this weapon to inflict rank value 6 Piercing damage, a short burst of such to inflict rank value 10 Piercing damage, or a magazine-busting blast to inflict rank value 20 Piercing damage.

Costume:

The sixth Night Creeper uniform is a variation on the first. It includes a black, gray, and blue camouflage long-sleeved shirt and trousers, black boots, brown gloves, gray belts, a steel bullet-resistant vest, and a black helmet, visor, and mask under a black veil.

Their seventh field outfit is a variation on their fifth. It consists primarily of a long-sleeved shirt, helmet, trousers, boots, and gloves in a gray coloration, accented with brown metal plates on the upper and lower legs, the chest, and the head, and brown belts, knee pads, and web gear.

The eighth Night Creeper uniform is another variation on the fifth. It consists of a long-sleeved shirt, helmet, trousers, boots, and gloves in a green coloration, accented with bronze plating on the upper and lower legs, the chest, and the head, and brown belts, knee pads, and web gear.

2005 Variations

Equipment:

HISS, Mark 1b (v2): though it goes against the grain of their skill set to assault their enemies with armor, some Night Creepers were given Mark 1b HISS tanks to dispatch their enemies in '05! These hybrid HISS vehicles are described more fully in their own entries.

Uzi 9mm (v1): if stealth is of minimal concern, Night Creepers can discharge a single round from this weapon to inflict rank value 6 Piercing damage, a short burst of such to inflict rank value 10 Piercing damage, or a magazine-busting blast to inflict rank value 20 Piercing damage.

Costume:

The ninth Night Creeper ensemble is another variation on the fifth, and includes a Cobra blue long-sleeved shirt, helmet, trousers, boots, and gloves, accented with gold plating on the upper and lower legs, the chest, and the head, and black belts, knee pads, and web gear.

Their tenth field outfit is yet another variation on their fifth, and consists of a long-sleeved shirt, helmet, trousers, boots, and gloves in a red coloration, accented with steel plating on the upper and lower legs, the chest, and the head, and black belts, knee pads, and web gear.

2009 Variations

Costume:

The eleventh Night Creeper uniform is like their first, comprised of a magenta and grape shirt under a silver bullet-resistant vest, white trousers with gray and magenta tiger stripes, magenta gloves, grape-wrapped magenta boots, a steel belt, visor, and helmet, and a grape mask and veil.

2016 Variations

Costume:

The twelfth Night Creeper uniform is like their fourth. It includes a white long-sleeved shirt, trousers, cape, and mask, blue gloves, boots, elbow pads, and knee pads, a gray belt, bullet-resistant vest, ankle wraps, and shoulder pads, a gray helmet under a white veil, and a blue visor.

Extra Goodies:

Night Creepers 4C System: Edition 13 Text File Download

Cobra directories featuring a version of Night Creepers:

  1990 1993 1994 1998 2003 2004 2005 2009 2016  

* Note: 2004 saw three versions of the Night Creeper (Versions 6, 7, and 8), while 2005 saw two (Versions 9 and 10).

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