Bo Diddley, Monster Hunter

Ellas McDaniel, known to the youth culture of Transylvania USA as Bo Diddley, is more than just a musical prodigy and hit songster.  Though he maintains a successful recording career that allows him to tour the country more or less continuously, he has secretly added monster-hunting to his list of endeavors.

Bo Diddley's obsession with destroying creatures of darkness is fed by a deep sense of guilt and regret.  A couple of years ago, his young wife was kidnapped by a purple people eater, and never heard from again.  Worse, the creature taunted him about it for weeks, convincing him that he could have saved her if only he'd not rushed off for his latest out-of-town gig.  Bo tries to hold on to the hope that he'll see his wife again one day, but deep down knows the  truth: she was eaten by the monster, as so many others secretly have been over the years since purple people eaters were first sighted on Earth.

Since that day, Bo has committed himself to confronting the darkness whenever he can.  He uses his music touring as a cover for clandestine investigations into the supernatural, and has cultivated a network of contacts across the country who suspect the truth as he does, and thus aid him in his quest.  It is in this capacity that the PCs will probably encounter him.

Bo Diddley makes an excellent patron for low-level characters.  Perhaps, after their first brush with the supernatural, he recruits them to be the opening act or support crew on his next tour.  Or their paths cross inadvertently when they are pursuing the same prey. Whatever the case, his skills should be impressive enough to them that they would think themselves fools for turning down his offer of alliance.

NOTE ON RACE:  Segregation and casual racism exist in Transylvania USA just as they did in the real world.  DJs (GMs) and  players interested in exploring themes of discrimination and prejudice in their campaign should therefore take note of the fact that despite his fame and influence, there are just some doors that will always be closed to Bo Diddley, thus making his quest more difficult.  Though he has some white contacts in the hunter community, there are none that he trusts with his life.  Perhaps PCs could fill this gap, and thus find themselves facing many purely human monsters in their larger quest.

Bo Diddley
6th level Neutral specialist

Cha 18, Con 12 , Dex 15, Int 11, Str 9, Wis 12

Saves: Paralyze 11, Poison 12, Breath 14, Device 13, Magic 12

AC 13, HP 23

Dance Skill:  The Twist, 3 in 6
Musical Skill: Guitar, 4 in 6

Other Skills:
Search, 3 in 6
Sneak Attack, 2 in 6
Singing, 5 in 6
Songwriting, 5 in 6
Stealth, 2 in 6
Tinker, 3 in 6

Weapons:
Pistol, revolver -- (1d10 damage, Short Range 200 ft, Medium range 400 ft, Long range 800 ft)
Switchblade -- (1d4)

Special: Bo Diddley plays a customized Gretsch G6138 guitar that is, unbeknownst to him, tinged with a bit of magic power (perhaps a remnant of his wife's love).  As long as he wields it, Bo is +2 on all saves vs. Magic, and gets a +1 bonus in musical challenges against alien monsters.  However, he will slowly become addicted to the instrument over time, and must make a save vs. device at -4 penalty to part with it for more than 12 hours. If the guitar is out of his sight for longer than this period, he will display symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia, and suffer -2 on all his rolls until reunited with it.

Musical Menace -- Purple People Eaters

Source: Kiley Beecher

Widely believed to be extraterrestrial in origin, these carnivorous creatures are deceptively innocent upon first glance.  The monsters' simple love of playing music ingratiates them to humans quite easily. And a purple people eater, after all, is famous for only eating purple people, which would seem to put most denizens of Earth in the safe zone.  But do not let their whimsical facade fool you: purple people eaters are among the most dangerous monsters you are ever to encounter... especially if they are hungry.

The beings try to keep their hunting of Earth people a secret, but there is at least one documented incident of a purple people eater kidnapping (and presumably eating) a human: the wife of R&B and rock & roll star Bo Diddley, who has since dedicated his life to hunting the creatures and other monsters [1].


Powers (System Neutral):

• Purple people eaters have several attack forms linked to the horn on their head.  First, they can play a tune that will cause targets to dance uncontrollably until reaching total exhaustion.  Second, they can play another tune that mesmerizes audiences, rendering them more susceptible to surprise attacks or suggestion.
• The great big eye of a purple people eater has a ray attack that immobilizes prey... and alters the biochemistry of their prey's flesh, making it easier to digest (and, not incidentally,  turning it purple in color).
• Purple people eaters are known to fly under their own power, and given some eyewitness accounts of their speed (again, see the testimony of Bo Diddley), may actually possess minor teleportation powers.
• The have natural weaponry in the form of sharp teeth and claws, and are capable of swallowing prey whole. 
• Being intelligent extraterrestrials, purple people eaters can be equipped with energy weapons or other alien technology that aids them.
• Finally, they have also been known to consort with some of Earth's less scrupulous witches and warlocks [2], and so may be in possession of potions, scrolls, staffs, or wands that augment their abilities or effect those of their enemies.

LotFP/OSR Stats:
Armor: as chain (LotFP -- AC 16)  
HD: 10  HP: 63
Speed: As human, or 3x human flying
Intelligence: 18
Musical Challenge: 5 in 6 skill on Horn

ATTACK:
-- 2 attacks per round, or 1 use of power per round
-- Bite: +10 to hit, 1d8 damage
-- Claws (2): +10 to hit, 1d4 damage
-- Charm Person or Mass Charm Person: each is a separate tune played through the horn in its head, cast as 12th level Magic-User
-- Eye Ray:  power word stun as 12th level Magic-User; the ray also alters the target's biochemistry unless a successful save vs. magic is rolled.  Failure  means the victim has been transformed into a creature adapted to the purple people eater's home ecology, and is now bio-available for digestion.  Success means the victim is still stunned, but cannot be digested by the monster. 
-- Grapple: +11 to hit with 14 Str
-- Irresistible Dance: music from the monster's long horn causes one victim within 20 ft. of the creature to dance uncontrollably for 1d4+1 rounds (save vs. magic negates).  The victim cannot do anything else during this time, and suffers -4 to AC as well as loss of ability to make further saving throws.
-- Swallow Whole: on a successful Grapple, victim must save vs. paralyze or be swallowed.  A subsequent save vs. paralyze is required to escape instant death.

DEFENSE:
-- Dimension door 3x/day

[1] Bo Diddley's Testimony about  his encounter with a purple people eater.
[2]The Big Bopper witnesses a purple people eater consorting with witches.