Derriphan. Those familiar with the history and lore regarding the Force will tell you that never has a single word been more able to evoke a sense of mystery and terror. While many may dismiss the Derriphan as mere legends – myths created by early dabblers unable to fully understand the nature of the Force – those who are wise will also give words of caution: Just because something is considered a legend, it does not mean that it may not exist. This is the nature of the Derriphan; shrouded in darkness, origins lost to history, but filled with an insatiable hunger that can only be sated through the power of the Dark Side.
The name Derriphan has its origins in the Sith word for “devourer.” Though the earliest references to these creatures appear among Sith lore, there is some debate over what the relationship was between the Sith and the Derriphan. Some have speculated that the Sith created the Derriphan, or merely discovered them, and then exploited them to increase their knowledge and mastery of the dark side. Warnings appearing in some ancient Sith tomes and written in Sith temples seem to indicate otherwise. These describe Derriphan as attacking Force users, Sith and Jedi alike, with no allegiance to either. Therefore, it seems far more likely that in their explorations of the Dark Side the Sith conjured and created vergeances that attracted the Derriphan as the Derriphan feed off Dark Side energy. At first, the Sith may have thought that these new creatures – living balls of raw Force energy crackling with the power of the Dark Side – were going to enhance them symbiotically, but the truth was far different.
At the very least, Derriphan are Force-sensitive parasites which live and grow at the expense of their hapless hosts. Here again the legends disagree about the nature of the creatures: are they parasites acting on primal instincts or intelligent beings working with dark purpose? Tales describe Derriphan leaving the empty, catatonic husks of their victims and moving to find their next random host; just part of one continuous life cycle. Other stories have Derriphan taking control of weak-minded individuals, using them to find powerful Force-sensitives, and then lying in ambush to take a Jedi Master by surprise; leaving its former host with no memory of what has happened while it wreaks havoc in its new host. The truth is probably someplace in the middle and this is the conclusion of many scholars: the Derriphan are cunning creatures which use the power of the Force to instinctively plot their necessary course for survival. Woe to those they use along the way!
Derriphan [Nemesis]
The Derriphan is a truly challenging adversary whether found in its pure, Dark Side energy state or within a living host. In its energy state, the Derriphan is immune to physical and energy damage. When connected to a host, the Derriphan can be hampered through damage to its host, but it can only be truly fought through the power of the Force. It is fortunate for the beings of the galaxy that encounters with Derriphan are exceedingly rare. They are, typically, solitary creatures and tend to avoid others of their kind. This may be a primal, territorial instinct; marking their hunting grounds and asserting dominance over it.
Feeding off the Dark Side
Derriphan are creatures of the Dark Side and feed exclusively upon Dark Side energy. When hunting for living hosts Derriphan instinctively seek Force sensitives, especially those of the Dark Side, so that they may feed off the Dark Side energies created by their actions. The process by which a Derriphan seeks a suitable host, links with a host, and then feeds can be broken down into three steps; Probing, Hosting, and Feeding.
Step 1 – Probing
When in its pure energy form a Derriphan will use its natural instincts to remain hidden and search for suitable prey. It will use its Force Power of Sense to detect living beings and determine which is best for it to attempt to gain as a host. For a host, the Derriphan will always seek a being that is Force-sensitive over one who is not Force-sensitive. Among Force-sensitives, the Derriphan will be attracted to the being with the highest Force rating and the lowest Morality.
Once the Derriphan has identified a suitable host, it will wait until its prey is asleep or alone and then move to engage the target. It will use its Force Powers of Bind, Influence, and Harm to chip away at its intended victim’s Wounds and Strain until it can bring one of the two scores to 0. At this point, the Derriphan will enter the mind of its new host body and the host will awaken with complaints of fatigue and a headache; its Wound and Strain Thresholds restored and no seeming memory of the previous struggle with the dark entity.
A Force-sensitive who uses the Force Power of Sense to detect the host creature’s emotional state will detect Dark Side emotions of fear, anger, and hate within the host.
Step 2 – Hosting
The Derriphan immediately enters into a symbiotic relationship with its host. The external appearance of the host will not change in any way and neither will the host’s actions or mannerisms except that the host will feel simmering rage and an overpowering urge to commit malicious acts of evil. The host will not engage in foolish acts of wanton destruction, but will instead seek to engage in coldly calculated actions that create Conflict.
Any being which becomes the host for a Derriphan will immediately become a Dark Side Force User regardless of their actual Morality score and even if their current score qualifies the being to be a Light Side Paragon. This represents the overwhelming influence of the intelligent, Dark Side energy now dwelling within them. If the host did not previously have a Morality score, they will now acquire a Morality of 40 and should choose an Emotional Strength and an Emotional Weakness. The host being will continue to gain Conflict and will roll to adjust Morality as normal at the end of each game session.
In addition, the hosted Derriphan will have the following stats:
Derriphan (hosted)
Brawn (same as host)
Agility (same as host)
Intellect 2 (or same as host; whichever is greater)
Cunning 4 (or same as host; whichever is greater)
Willpower 3 (or same as host; whichever is greater)
Presence 5 (or same as host; whichever is greater)
Wound Threshold: (same as host)
Strain Threshold: (Willpower + 20)
Soak Value: (same as host)
Melee/Ranged Defense: (same as host)
Skills: same as host except the following skills which will be at the higher score of the host or the Derriphan (Coordination 3, Discipline 2, Perception 3, Resilience 5, Stealth 4, Survival 4, Vigilance 3)
Talents: Adversary 3 (upgrade difficulty of all combat checks targeting this character three times), Fearsome 2 (The Derriphan forces any creature engaged with it for the first time to make a Fear check against an Average difficulty), Force Rating (3 + Force Rating of the host), any Talents of the host
Abilities:
- Dark Side Force User (Uses Dark Side results instead of Light Side results)
- Force Power: Bind (The Derriphan may spend 1 Force point to immobilize a target at short range with target taking 1 wound (ignoring soak) for each Dark SideForce point used to make the check; may spend 1 additional Force point to cause target of Bind to suffer strain equal to Willpower if target attempts any action; may spend 1 Force point to disorient target of Bind for 2 rounds)
- Force Power: Harm (The Derriphan may spend 1 Force point to inflict wounds equal to Intellect (ignoring soak) on an engaged living target; if Dark Side Force point was used the Derriphan regains strain equal to wounds inflicted), Force Power: Influence (The Derriphan may spend 1 Force point to stress the mind of an engaged living target and inflict 1 strain)
- Force Power: Protect (The Derriphan makes a check for this power along with an Average Discipline check. On a successful check, spends 2 Force points to reduce damage from an energy-based attack by an amount equal to Willpower plus 1 per success; may spend 1 additional Force point to protect from all types of damage; may spend advantage to gain Defense equal to advantage spent)
- Force Power: Sense (The Derriphan may spend 1 Force point to detect all living things within short range; may spend 1 additional Force point per living sentient being within short range to determine if being is Force-sensitive or not, their Force rating, and Morality)
- Silhouette (same as host)
- Any Force Powers of the host.
Step 3 – Feeding
The Derriphan will compel its host to commit acts that generate Conflict in order to push its Morality lower and lower. Once the Morality score drops to 0, the Derriphan will be reach a state of euphoria as its hunger for the Dark Side has been sated. This is when certain changes will occur that will be readily noticeable by other beings around the host; the host will begin to refer to himself in the third person using a name which the Derriphan has given itself (Example: Ziakas), will revel in the power of the Dark Side, and will attempt to assert its superiority over “lesser” beings.
At this point, a Force-sensitive who uses the Force Power of Sense on the host creature will make a chilling discovery: two intelligent beings inhabit the body. One creature filled with the Dark Side and the other in an almost catatonic state.
Fighting and Defeating a Derriphan
If a Derriphan can be detected prior to entering a host body, this is the best time for direct attacks to be used against the creature. Otherwise, once it has entered a host the Derriphan can take advantage of the host’s strengths to augment its own formidable powers. Attacks then have to be made against the host to render it unconscious or dead.
As the Derriphan feels a constant need to feed on the Dark Side, a host that is rendered unconscious will be instantly vacated. This will leave the Derriphan vulnerable to direct attacks. Concentrated efforts of energy, physical, and Force attacks may be necessary to finish off the fearsome predator. Should the creature escape it will seek a new host body and the cycle will begin again.
Anyone who survives being the host body for a Derriphan will, when restored to consciousness, remember their time as a host much like a waking nightmare. While abilities, skills, derived statistics, and Force Ratings will return to normal their spirit will continue to carry scars. Morality will be unaffected by the departure of the creature and the character may feel they have much to atone for. Depending on the actions taken by the character while a host for the Derriphan there may be wider-ranging consequences as well such as bounties and arrest orders by authorities seeking the character for questioning related to crimes committed by the Derriphan. It may take a long time for the character to recover such a tarnished reputation.
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