GURPSよろず

　Fear seekers are astral vermin that most often lurk across the dimensional barrier from locales where mortals suffer regular Fright Checks: graveyards, torture chambers, lairs of creatures with the Terror advantage, tax offices, etc. They’re attracted by psionic activity, too, sometimes appearing in place of astral piranha (Psi, p. 37) or psionic parasites (Psi,p. 39). Finally, they’re common wandering monsters in Elder Thing dungeons.

　If seekers are present, then any botched Fright Check or failure to resist supernatural fear (including psionic Fear, terrifying uses of bardic Enthrallment skills, and spells such as Fear, Nightmare, Panic, and Terror) provokes them. They school around their prey to feed off his dread. To facilitate this, they introduce an “emotional anticoagulant” which prevents the psyche from recovering. Though not psionic, these ministrations affect only conscious, sapient minds; in desperate straits, knocking out the victim may be necessary.

　Treat fear seekers as a swarm (p. B461) that flies at Move 6 and is dispersed by 12 HP, with some special rules:

●The seekers attack fear victims only. If several people qualify, choose randomly. If multiple swarms are present (1d swarms are common), only one can attack each target at a time ―― but the rest will lurk nearby to take the place of their dispersed fellows.

●Instead of inflicting injury, the swarm worsens fear: durations become indefinite, any fear-related penalties are doubled, and the victim loses 1 FP/second. This continues until the swarm is dispersed or its target gets a dose of expunge (Psi, p. 25), falls unconscious, or dies. For instance, someone hit by a Panic spell (usual duration one minute) or stunned by a Fright Check would flee or stand stunned, losing 1 FP/second, until unconscious. There’s no active defense or resistance roll against this beyond not succumbing to fear, so Mental Strength, Mind Shield, Resistant, etc. are of no value.
Psionic DR (Psychic Armor or a psiphobic helmet) doesn’t protect, either.

●Only damaging effects that affect the insubstantial, like Psychic Sword and weapons bearing the Affect Spirits spell, can disperse the swarm. This normally requires an attack roll at the -4 for attacking an invisible foe whose exact location is known (p. B394), with misses having a 9 or less chance of hitting the victim. An attacker with Transdimensional Sight, the Astral Vision spell, or an equivalent ability need not roll to hit.
Either way, the swarm never defends. Each successful blow inflicts a mere 1 HP if impaling or piercing, or 2 HP otherwise, regardless of its damage roll.

Class: Spirit (Extradimensional).

Notes: Seekers are functionally brainless and mindless, and unaffected by most Psionics abilities (e.g., Battlesense, Fear, Madness, Mind Blast, Mind Control, and Mind Stab), pslay (Psi, p. 25), psychic poison (Psi, p. 27), and all Animal and Mind Control spells. However, they cannot enter or remain in an area clouded by Fear bloque (Psi, p. 25) or protected by the Astral Block spell.