Monstrous Physique — Balrog and Vega (2E)

Welcome back! After facing off the eight World Warriors, it turns out there are still some fighters to face. Known as the Four Kings of Shadaloo, these are the serious bad guys of Street Fighter II and are actually characters that no one could play initially. We’re going to take a look at these final four before wrapping things up with Street Fighter for the year. This time around, we start with the hotshot boxer Balrog and the handsome Spanish ninja Vega (or M. Bison and Balrog respectively, depending on where you’re from). Let’s have a look!

Balrog (Boxer)                            Creature 6
N, Medium, Humanoid, Human
Perception +14
Languages Common
Skills Acrobatics +15, Athletics +18, Boxing Lore +13, Gambling Lore +13
Str +7, Dex +4, Con +3, Int –1, Wis +0, Cha +2


AC 23; Fort +17, Ref +14, Will +11
HP 120


Speed 30 feet
Melee [one-action] fist +19, Damage 2d10+9 bludgeoning
Throw [two-actions] Balrog attempts an Athletics check to Grapple a creature. On a success, Balrog immediately throws the creature into a space within 10 feet. The creature does not become grabbed and takes 3d12 bludgeoning damage.
Buffalo Headbutt [two-actions] Balrog rushes forward with a dizzying headbutt. He Steps. If he ends his movement within melee reach of at least one creature, he can make a melee Strike against that enemy. Reduce the damage size for this Strike. The creature is knocked prone a hit.
Dash Punch 
[two-actions] Balrog Strides twice. If he ends his movement within melee reach of at least one creature, he can make a melee Strike against that enemy.
Turn Punch [three-actions] Balrog Strides. If he ends his movement within melee reach of at least one creature, he can make a melee Strike against that enemy. Increase the damage dice size for this Strike. Balrog becomes stunned 1.

Balrog was once a great boxing champion and prize fighter. He was banned from boxing for permanently injuring his opponents (as well as for his illegal maneuvers, particularly his headbutt), so he joined the Shadoloo criminal organization, and worked his way up from the bottom, eventually becoming Bison’s enforcer. While running errands for M. Bison, he killed Dhalsim’s elephant with a single Gigaton Punch. He is a notorious gambler and puts his love of money ahead of most other things in his life.

Vega (Claw)                            Creature 6
N, Medium, Humanoid, Human
Perception +14
Languages Common
Skills Acrobatics +18, Athletics +15, Bullfighting Lore +13
Str +4, Dex +7, Con +3, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +5


AC 24; Fort +14, Ref +17, Will +12
HP 110
Backflip [reaction] Trigger Vega is hit with an attack and he is aware of the attacker. Effect Vega attempts a Reflex save against the creature’s attack DC. On a success, Vega takes only half of the damage from the attack and Steps away from the attacker. On a critical success, he takes no damage.


Speed 30 feet, climb 10 feet.
Melee [one-action] fist +19 (agile), Damage 2d8+9 bludgeoning
Melee [one-action] claw +19, Damage 2d12+10 slashing
Throw [two-actions] Vega attempts an Athletics check to Grapple a creature. On a success, Vega immediately throws the creature into a space within 10 feet. The creature does not become grabbed and takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage.
Flying Barcelona Attack [three-actions] Requirements Vega is adjacent to a climbable surface. Effect Vega Climbs twice up a nearby fence, wall, or other suitable surface. He then jumps out from the surface, landing in a space within 15 feet. Vega does not take damage from the fall in this way. If he ends his movement within melee reach of at least one creature, he can make a claw Strike against that enemy. The claw deals an additional 1d6 bleed damage on a hit. Vega becomes stunned 1.
Rolling Crystal Flash [three-actions] Vega tumbles forward and Strides twice. This movement does not trigger reactions. If he ends his movement within melee reach of at least one creature, he can make a melee Strike against that enemy. Vega becomes stunned 1.
Scarlet Terror [two-actions] Vega makes a leaping backflip and bashes a foe harshly in the process. Vega Leaps 5 feet vertically and 5 feet horizontally in any direction. He makes a Strike against a single creature adjacent to him at any point during this movement. If he Strikes a flying creature, Vega uses the outcome of one degree of success better than the result of his attack roll.

Vega was born to a privileged Catalonian family in Spain. For reasons undisclosed, their status dwindled, causing Vega’s mother to remarry for financial security. As he matured, Vega studied bullfighting, a cultural tradition. Afterward, he went to Japan and learned ninjutsu, a style he believed meshed well with his natural grace and agility. Combining bullfighting with ninjutsu, Vega went into an underground cage fighting circuit, and quickly became one of the best. His stepfather murdered his mother because he felt she did not respect him, and Vega killed him in return. The incident warped his mind, and he developed a dual personality: honorable nobleman by day, sadistic murderer by night. Due to Vega’s superb fighting ability and remorseless nature, the criminal leader known as M. Bison instated Vega as one of his three personal grand master bodyguards in the Shadoloo organization. Ever the narcissist, Vega takes to wearing a mask to protect his beautiful face during fights. Any attempts that could harm his beauty are met with swift and deadly retribution.

That’s it for this week! If you end up introducing Balrog and Vega into your game or you have any request for a future Monstrous Physique, please drop me a line at KnowDirection@hotmail.com.

Luis Loza

Luis Loza is a developer at Paizo, working on the Pathfinder Lost Omens line and formerly on Campaign Setting and Player Companion lines. He's done freelance for Paizo Inc, Legendary Games, Rogue Genius Games, and more third-party publishers. His hobbies include gaming both tabletop and video, making jokes, obsessing over time travel, taking naps with Nova his cat, and walks with his wife. He is eternally plagued with a hunger for tacos. Consider checking his material on his Patreon at patreon.com/luisloza