Spook Templates for Esoteric Enterprises

Armadoodle

After playing Esoteric Enterprises for several months, I found I'm less than thrilled with the Spook as-written than I was at the start.

1. I am not a fan of "and now you have spontaneously developed a radical new skill", especially when it's something you should already have had. 
2. The pacing of powers at 1 per level means that you'll be missing ones you should have at the start, and spontaneously gaining more than you need at the end.
3. Both characters I played in this particular campaign died before reaching level 2.

So here's some changes that I'm going to be instituting in the future.

Change 1: A Spook starts with up to four powers at level 1. They can start with fewer, but the sweet spot is 4. (The Lithic Court gets an exception here, just because of how alien they are.)

Change 2: At all levels after 1, a Spook may take the level up bonus from any other class. (Ex: a spook can gain the skill points of a criminal, but not any of the other features.) These bonuses start at the equivalent of level 1 (Ex: Spook 3 is really Spook 1, Criminal 1, Mystic 1). Alternatively, they may forgo this benefit in exchange for 1 point of Resources.

Change 3: Having starting resources as a human spook now costs two power slots, instead of a decrease in HD size.

Flesh / Grit, saves, and being off the books by default all remain intact.

For those making their own who would like powers or aesthetics beyond those in the Esoteric Enterprises book, I recommend Skerples' list of 1000 mutations

Core Book Templates

Dero
Blue-tinged morlock subspecies. Minds work perpendicular to reality.

• Mad Insight - Forensics +2, Translation +2, can make Forensics check to ask DM a question.
• Slippery Mind - Automatically shrug off supernatural mental influence. Causes 1 round of extreme disorientation as brain reboots.
• Dream Manipulation - Can manipulate and direct the dreams of a sleeping target. If they are made terrifying, target gains no benefit from resting.
• Darkvision - Can see in the dark as if it were in light.

Djinn
A spirit of smokeless fire

• Invisible Hand - Magically manipulate objects within 5' as if by ordinary hand.
• Flame - Unarmed attack for d6, or +1 damage if their unarmed attack is already higher.
• Lie Detector - Automatically detect lies. Bias, misleading but technically truthful information, and fast talk still slips through.
• Spirit Form - Intangible. Cannot interact with or be touched by material objects (cannot carry equipment, be injured by mundane weapons). Interact with magical items as normal. Sudden dissipation and reformation deals 1 damage.

Eloi
Frail enlightened necromancers. Leadership caste of the morlocks.

• Magical Prodigy - Charm +1 for blessing rolls, Translate +1 for reading scrolls, can copy spell scrolls like an occultist.
• Spell Warper - Charm +1 for blessing rolls, Translate +1 for reading scrolls, can cast spells experimentally like an occultist.
• Darkvision - Can see in the dark as if it were in light.
• Undead Nature - Immune to poison, disease, hunger, thirst, suffocation, cold. Double damage from holy weapons. Regains only 1 point of Flesh at a time, cannot receive Medicine checks.

Fair Folk
Spirits from the dreams and fears of men.

• Fairy Form - Immune to hunger, thirst, poison, disease. Take double damage from cold iron, cannot carry cold iron items.
• Inhuman Beauty -Reaction rolls +1, Charm +1
• Mesmerizing Gaze - Target makes save vs magic; failure grants user Charm +2 against victim.
• Mental Communication - Can communicate with others it can sense through mind alone.

Lithic Courtier
A representative of the geologic governments in the deep crust and upper mantle.

• Mineral Form - Immune to poison, sickness, suffocation, cold, bleeding. Unique mineral diet. Double damage from electricity, automatically fail saves to resist. Move as if one step up encumbered.Cannot regain Flesh from Medicine checks.
• Immune to Fire - No damage from nonmagical fire or heat. Magical fire damage reduced by number of HD.
• Painless - Cannot feel pain. One die of Grit is now a die of Flesh.
• Resilience - AC +2
• Huge Size - +1 HP per HD
• Tremor Sense - Can detect minute vibrations through solid objects.

Morlock
Subterranean australopithecines, long abused by the serpent folk.

• Darkvision - Can see in the dark as if it were in light.
• Smell Magic - Can detect if supernatural powers are nearby or active, Perception roll for pinpoint detection.
• Wall Crawling - Traverse walls and ceilings as easy as floors.
• Magical Prodigy - Charm +1 for blessing rolls, Translate +1 for reading scrolls, can copy spell scrolls like an occultist.

Swarm in a Skin Suit
HELLO YES I AM HUMAN I AM MOST ASSUREDLY HUMAN

• Detach Body Parts - Any part might separate from the whole, taking with it 1/2/3 Flesh points and keeping all skills, saves, and abilities.
• Venom - Target makes a savE vs poison against an unarmed attack. d12 damage on failure.
• Putrify - Touch causes flesh to rot away. Grappled enemies take 1 Flesh damage / turn.
• Fluid Form - Pass through any gap coin-size or larger, escape any bindings, +1 to grapple.

Troll / Ogre
The two most corruptive elements to the soul are gold and human flesh. They partake in both.

• Unnatural Strength - Strength bonus +2
• Hoard - Resources increase with level
• Huge Size - +1 HP per HD
• Resistance - AC +2

Vampire
The pale, slinking things with the vague shape of a human and the soul of a tick.

• Blood Drinking - Can drain 1 Flesh point from target / turn, healing 1 Flesh if damaged. Target begins bleeding out after feeding ends.
• Intoxicating Blood - Gain +2 charm against any who have tasted their blood, target vulnerable to suggestions outside normal behavior.
• Creature of the Night - +1 to all skills, damage, and +2 on d20 rolls in darkness. +2/+2/+4 in total darkness. -1/-1/-2 in sunlight or bright artificial light.
  
• Bite Attack - d4 damage, can be made alongside a primary melee attack.

Werewolf
A wolf that has eaten the flesh of a human that has practiced magic.

• Bite Attack - d4 damage, can be made alongside a primary melee attack.
• War Form - Damage +2, to-hit +2 while in form. Lose manual dexterity and speech.
• Claws - Can make two d4 unarmed attacks
• Animal Speech - Can talk to animals. +2 Charm when doing so.

New Templates

Vessel Knight
An empty shell that has been filled.

• Armored Exoskeleton - You cannot wear armor, but your body counts as non-encumbering riot armor (AC 16). You cannot regain Flesh except through repair. You can go into negative health, but will not take grievous wounds.
• Inner Essence - If you hit 0 Flesh, your shell breaks and your shade emerges. This form has all typical properties of a ghost, and cannot re-enter its shell until it has at least 1 Flesh.
• Mothwing Cloak - You may close a 10' gap, in any direction, instantaneously.
• Bound Nail -You are sworn to a single weapon (as sword, d10 damage), but it does not encumber and it will never leave your side.

Combat Cyborg
The cruelty is the point.

• Darkvision (Augmented Eyes) - Can see in the dark as if it were in light.
• Mental Communication (Tacnet Module) - Can communicate with others on the tacnet through mind alone.
• Lightning Speed - Double movement speed, always rolls 6 for initiative.
• Unnatural Strength - Strength bonus +2

Grey
The abductors.

• Mental Communication - Can communicate with others it can sense through mind alone.
• Mesmerizing Gaze - Target makes save vs magic; failure grants user Charm +2 against victim.
• Paralyzing Touch - Target makes save vs stun, else stunned for 1 turn.
• Memory Worm - Observers must make save vs magic to recall specific details.

Mothman
Eyes like rubies. Followers of the sun they cannot bear.

• Darkvision - Can see in the dark as if it were in light.
• Silent Flight - Can fly silently, but slowly.
• Insect Speech - Can speak with insects, +2 Charm when doing so.
• One Single Boon - You can ask one thing, any thing, of Indrid Cold. Only once.

Azure Benthonaut
Someone who was pulled out of the echoing depths before they were consumed completely.

• Azure Regeneration - Heals 1 point of damage / turn, so long as the suit is intact.
• Containment Suit - Cannot be removed or replaced. AC 14. Will crack and lose healing waters if reduced to 0 Flesh

Sphinx
A great cat with a woman's face. An inhabitant of the Stygian Library.

• Magical Prodigy - Charm +1 for blessing rolls, Translate +1 for reading scrolls, can copy spell scrolls like an occultist.
• Bookspeak - Can cast at will.
• Claws - Can make two d4 unarmed attacks
• Library Card - Can exchange an owned grimoire for a random replacement.

Penitent
The crime is forgiven, but the reformation is arduous. 

• Healing Stigmata - Can heal d6 Flesh damage, taking the same amount themselves.
• Thief's Brand - A mark declaring their crime.

Charnel-Pit Ghoul
Born of corpses in battlefield mud, and the catacombs below the revolution's abattoirs.

• Undead Nature - Immune to poison, disease, hunger, thirst, suffocation, cold. Double damage from holy weapons. Regains only 1 point of Flesh at a time, cannot receive Medicine checks.
• Claws - Can make two d4 unarmed attacks
• Putrifying Bite - d4 bite attack, can be made alongside a primary melee attack. Causes flesh to rot away at 1 Flesh damage / turn.
• The Chained Coffin - An impervious iron sarcophagus. Any being placed inside cannot be harmed by any force, even time, but cannot get out on their own. Can be used as a d6+6 damage weapon, attacks at -4

Cambion
Misfortunate offspring of a cubus and two humans. Often targets of undeserved hate.

• Heritage Infernale - No damage from nonmagical fire, half damage from embodied demons, immune to possession and seduction.
• The Gitchy Feeling - Sensitivity to nearby spiritual beings. Can determine number and strength, but needs a Perception roll for specific location.
• Lead Foot - Incredibly heavy, as if made of stone. Sinks in water, cannot be knocked over unless enemy HD > 1/2 CON.
• Ember Eyes - Greyscale darkvision. Eyes glow like burning coals.