Name: Som The Dead
Genotype: Altered Human
Alliance: Empire of the East
Class: Esper
Level: 8
Experience: n/a for NPC
PS:12
DX:13
CN:14
MS:17
IN:18
CH:19
SN:14
THAC melee: 0
THAC ranged: 1
AC:18
MD:21
HP:92
Health: 11
Use Artifacts: 3
Perception: 17
Stealth: 1
Remain Unseen: 3
Walk Speed: 13
Swim Speed: 4
Robot Recognition: 18


Skills
Read/Write: Yes
Swim: No
Ride: Yes
Hypnosis: 9
Identify Mental Power: 13
Photographic Memory: 9
Sense Mental Powers: 13


Physical Mutations (MP) [Description]
Kinetic Absorption (18)
Regeneration (16)
Immunity [Disease/Biological Attacks]
Immunity [Poisons/Chemicals]
Immunity [Corrosives/Acids]
Immunity [Gas Attacks]
Immunity [Sonic Attacks]
Immunity [Paralysis/Neural Attacks]
Anti-Life Leech
Energy Reflection [Radiation] (18)
Energy Reflection [Heat/Fire] (18)
Energy Reflection [Electricity] (18)
Energy Reflection [Cold] (18)
Energy Reflection [Lasers] (18)
Body Change (D) [Sagging Folds of Skin]
Body Change (D) [Rotting Corpulent Stench]
Achilles Heel (D) [Special: See Below]
Anti-Necrobiosis


Mental Mutations (MP) MHAC
Life Leech (23) (+6)


Equipment carried in stronghold
IR Goggles
Binoculars
Long Sword (1d8 damage)
2 Daggers (1d4 damage each)


Life Story


Description:
There are those who say that Som the Dead is a supernatural undead creature. Most simple folk actually do believe he has traded his soul to an evil supernatural entity in return for immortality and invulnerability. Som is quite alive, although he has a previously unknown mutation that has altered him so that he cannot be detected using a Life Force Detector. His image will, however, despite wild legends, be reflected in a mirror.

Although Som now has Anti-Necrobiosis (Dragon #194, page 65), he has not always had the mutation. He gained it from a strong dose of radiation that nearly killed him. This same dose provided him several new immunities (he already possessed several immunities at the time). When he was irradiated, he had already been suffering from other severe physical wounds and flesh-eating bacteria that had essentially begun to rot him alive. As he mutated, his hyper immunity stopped the rot and the bacteria, but there are some parts of his torso and face that will forever resemble leprosy.

This flesh makes him smell like a corpse. He has been unable to counteract this stench of death and simply tries to cover it with strong perfume and hide his hideous appearance with long cloaks, turbans, and veils...further adding to his mystique. His charisma is high because of his aura of power and fear, not his dashing looks.

At least his Anti-Necrobiosis prevents further decay related to aging. Som is at least 150 years old, and if not killed by other means, may live to over 500 before dying of old age.

It is very difficult to inflict damage to Som, but he can be harmed by some mental attacks such as Mental Blast and Stunning Force that do not act physically. Mental mutations like Molecular Disruption, Devolution, or Pyro/Cryokinesis are either ineffective or subject to Som's various energy reflections.

More than once in the heat of battle, energy attacks directed at him have been reflected back to ravage his attacker. While that happens with normal frequency in the random distribution of reflection, even more false legends have evolved that 'every attack directed against Som will be reflected directly back to the foe who attacked him.'

He loves to use his immunites and other protective mutations to wade into battle, sword-waving, to strike fear into the hearts of the foes who cannot harm him, or damage themselves trying to harm him. In a grand melee, you can usually spot Som easily as the warriors (both friend and foe) part before him, giving him a wide berth.

Weakness:
Som is relatively unskilled with weapons, and he is not very strong or dextrous. He provides virtually no physical offensive threat without the use of advanced technology, which he rarely possesses. His one offensive mental mutation is Life Leech.

Som has a figurative Achilles Heel, but it is not a particular body location. His one true weakness is that his hyper immune system has rendered deadly to him what normally would heal other characters. Despite his Immunity to chemicals, any dose of a drug that would heal a normal character will instead do double damage to Som.

For instance, if a foe were to inject Som with an Accelera Dose and roll a 5 on the 1d10 healing roll, then the Acellera Dose would inflict 10 points of damage to Som.

A foe with the Transfusion mutation could use it to inflict 20 + (2 x MP modifier) points of damage to Som. In order to do this, the foe would have to make a mental attack against Som's MD, just as if the foe were using a normally offensive mental mutation. If the foe can get past Som's defenses, however, Som would be in a world of hurt.

Som fears the day his weakness will be discovered. A powerful Esper with Transfusion and a knowledge of his weakness could destroy Som in short order. Also, he has recurring nightmares that someone has stunned him and placed him in a MediBot.

Position:
Som is a Western Satrap of the Empire of the East. The evil Emperor, John Ominor, of the East has confidence in Som's ruthlessness and leadership and has placed him in a satrapy deep in the rebellious West. These freshly conquered lands have not yet totally been pacified. Rebels based in free territories of the seaboard and the Offshore Islands still carry out raids in the areas conquered by the East.

Som has a few powerful Espers to command against the rebels, but is forced to rely mainly on his huge army of humans/humanoids armed with generally low-tech weapons and armor.


Adapted by Tormentor from Fred Saberhagen's novel Empire of the East