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I’ve been doing a lot of Halo recently, but there’s still work to be done! I’ve covered most of the basic enemies in the original Halo trilogy, but there’s still some heavy hitters we need to look at. So, without further ado, let’s look at the hunter and the brute!
Hunter CR 7
XP 3,200
N Large humanoid (mgalekgolo)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +14
DEFENSE
hp 105
EAC 19; KAC 21
Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +6
Defensive Abilities unique physiology; DR 10/—; Immunities critical hits
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +17 slam (2d6+12 B)
Ranged assault cannon +17 (2d6+7)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
STATISTICS
Str +5, Dex +2, Con +4, Int +1, Wis +2, Cha +0
Skills Athletics +19, Intimidate +14, Perception +14
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or squad (3–6)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Unique Physiology (Ex) A hunter does not gain the benefits of its damage reduction while flat-footed or against creatures that are flanking it.
Within the Covenant, the mgalekgolo are arguably the strongest and most resilient species. They are unique among the Covenant species in that they are a gestalt of different creatures called the lekgolo. The lekgolo are small, orange, worm-like creatures that are unintelligent at the most basic level, but can combine with others of its kind to create complex beings capable of thoughts and consciousness, much like a single individual. These beings take on different forms depending on the goals and number of the lekgolo present. The mgalekgolo are a combat form of the species, though they are actual quite rare in proper lekgolo society. Maglekgolo, known as hunters by humans, wear armor over their forms to protect the innumerable lekgolo that make up their bodies. They are large beings standing up to 13 feet tall, though they crouch down while in combat to protect their usually unarmored stomachs and necks.
Brute CR 8
XP 4,800
N Large humanoid (jiralhanae)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +16
DEFENSE
hp 125
EAC 20; KAC 22
Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +7
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +18 gravity hammer (2d10+15)
Ranged plasma rifle +16 (2d8+8)
STATISTICS
Str +6, Dex +2, Con +4, Int +0, Wis +2, Cha +1
Skills Athletics +21, Intimidate +16, Perception +16
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or troop (3–10)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Gravity Hammer (Ex) A brute’s gravity hammer pushes its target away 10 feet on a critical hit.
The jiralhanae are a large, ape-like species that are the most recent members of the covenant. Known as brutes by humans, they serve as heavy shock troopers and temple guards among the Covenant. They tend to place a greater emphasis on brutality over wisdom, earning them a reputation as a savage species overall. Brutes tend to favor overwhelming force in combat, using only basic tactics to close the gap against their enemies. Once in close quarters, they are exceptionally deadly. Unlike their Elite counterparts, they don’t follow a code of honor, which enables them to think outside of standard tactics when required.
Monstrous Origins
As with most of the enemies in the Halo series, the hunter and brute are quite simple. The species in the series are all actually quite interesting and have very compelling history attached to them. This doesn’t really show up in their actual attacks and abilities, however. The hunter’s weak points are something I wanted to bring over from the game, but it’s something that’s a bit difficult to do without resorting to a “called shot” system. I considered granting a character bonus damage in the right situation, but it’s possible that a good roll or critical hit could cause more damage than I would want, which could lead to a short fight. Instead, I added the damage reduction to the hunter and gave instances where the DR didn’t apply. I feel that this has a similar effect to bonus damage, but it wouldn’t cause a massive jump in damage if I implemented a “double damage” feature. The brute is even simpler. It’s just, well, a big brute. I gave him an iconic weapon from the series (which I’m sure we’ll see again very soon), but I didn’t want to cause it to be complicated at all. I used the new push critical property from Armory to try to replicate the gravity hammer’s fun knock back ability.
That’s it for this week! I realized there’s a lot of equipment I want to provide, but this article would run too long if I implemented all of it, so instead I’ll save it for a final entry next week. If you end up introducing any of this Halo content into your game or you have any request for a future Monstrous Physique, please drop me a line at KnowDirection@hotmail.com.
