Apologize beforehand if this has been posted before (I don't "dig" through forums).

Wondering if anyone is using the creature rules in the DH GM's toolkit. I personally don't think "power" would be a factor, with the creatures coming in under the curve, but..

If anyone is using their own creatures/races how is it working out, or any scuttlebutt on something similar for RT?

The Scorasp (Scorpion Wasp)
This creatures was inpsired by the wasplike creatures found in the movie "The Mist" and used as a critter hailing form Dusk. Obviously, it could as well be native to any other planet of your liking. It is based on the GM Kit rules, but some features has been added "for rounding"

A Scorasp is a (rather) large insect creatur which shares many resemblance to a common wasp. Whatsoever, it´s body has the size of a young man´s underarm which ends into a scorpion like tail with a huge stinger. It´s colour is isn´t a bright pattern like that of a common wasp but rather matching to it´s invironment (in the swamps of Dusk, this should be a pale grey-green).

Scorasps start as larva in an animal (or human) carcass. The larva spends most of its lifte time feeding till it is the size of a young man´s underarm. At this stage, the larva pupates and soon a new Scorasp is to emerge. The Scorasp born from the same cadaver normally for small packs of up to six creatures, but solitary Scorasp are not unusual.

While the Scorap will feed on fruit, it is mainly a hunting flesheater. The poison of the Scorasp is paralaysing and it´s normal method of hunting is to repeatedly attack prey with it´sstinger till the amount of venom delivered is enough to paralyze the prey. As the prey is paralyzed, the Scorap is going to feed on it´s meat with it´s strong mandibles, leaving tell-tale open fleshwounds (1w5 damage, no reduction from armour or TB).

Scoraps are aggressive creatures and will attack creaters which are much larger then itself (up to two steps larger on the "Size" table in the core rules), a huge "pack" of them will not shy away from creatures the size of a grown grox.

WS: 25 ST:18 T: 26 AG: 46 INT:10 PER:38 WP:30 Wounds: 3
Move: 6 / 12 / 18 / 36 Damage: 1w5 (Pen: 1; Primitiv)

Traits: Puny (-20 to hit); Venom*; Flyer; Bestial**
Skills: Awareness+10; Dodge+20

*Scoraps Venom [instant/+20/Paralectic]
The Venom is delivered as soon as the stinger hits and armour is overcome. Even if TB reduces the damage to zero, the venom is delivered. Repetitive stings heigthen the amount of venom. Every subsequent toughness check within the same hour is one step hard (+10 for the second, +0 for the third and so on)

**Scoraps are very aggressive creatures. They are hard to fend of (+10 Bonus on "Bestial" role to stay in a fight) but shy away from smoke and flame (-10 if encountering smoke and/or fire).

Norhods (Nightboggarts)
Another creature I intend for Dusk. It will be usefull for any other feral oder frontier world or perhaps even in a hive. In a "proper" imperial world, I would assume that those creatures would have been hunted till extinction. In an RT game, they could be a "close-to-sentient" race of world newly discovered by the RT.

Norhods are pale and impish creatures, resembling a meager human child, but with a large round head, slitted nostrils and a huge maw with many sharklike teeth and sharp talons. The creature do not have any eyes but seem to somehow "sense" their enviroment. Some-one with a the Psyniscience skill can sense a Nightboggart within 30m with a hard (-10) check for said skill (if looking for them. No "passive" detection!)

WS: 35 ST:30 T:35 AG:40 IN:15 Per:36 WP:24
Move: 4 / 8 / 12 / 16 Wounds Damage: 1w10+3 (Prim) [Talons and Teeth]

Traits: Scrawny (-10); Unnatural Senses (30m); Natural Weapons; Fear (1); Bestial;
Skills: Climb; Silent Move (+20); Concealment (+20); Awareness; Dodge

Norhods live in small family groups, between 3 and 12 creatures. They are nocturnal, spending the day in small burrows beneath the earth (often build beneath the roots of huge old trees or ruined structures). During the night, the Norhods leave their burrow on the hunt for food. They are omnivourus, but prefer meat. They catch & kill smaller animals, steal eggs and youngs and are known to rob childern out of houses. If encountered in higher numbers, they will even attack lone humans or creatures of similiar size by sneaking up on them and then dogpiling their prey. They are known for attacking other animals while they sleep.
They are smart and audacious and sometimes sneak into camps and even vehicles. If confronted, they will try to flee. If one gets caught or cornered, it will fight viciously.

[i mainly use this creatures as a nighttime threat: they will steal rations, attack & kill guard dogs or even try their luck on a sleeping person but will back off if some of them are killed or other persons come to help the victim. ]

Talking about the System & the uses:

I would not depend on the generator alone. If you know what you are up to (type, size, general appearance and an idea about the abilites) I find the tool quiet helpfull. But at the point "rolling for special abilities" things get a little...funky. In fact, they can even get a little boring since there aren´t that many results, after all.

Still, if you have a "catch" about what you want and simply need some numbers to fill in the blanks (or give you ideas about them) the tool is usefull... but very pricey if you are not into DH !!

www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp

That's the thread I used (and includes a good deal of the background for, plus an autopsy report!) for creating my Umbra for use in Dark Heresy. The game I used is set on an RT's starship, and so the Umbra feel particularly useful opponents. (And are responsible for an acolyte's semi-death; she'd have properly died if she'd not perilled-of-the-warp-via-vice-versa into a nearby NPC's body [and then I fudged the rules for fate to permit her to 'live on' in someone else's body]), very fun and I found them nicely potent.

You'll note that the psychic rules for them aren't terribly 'accurate' (some suggested using Pyromancy powers and simply changing 'flame' to 'malicious shadow'), but mechanically I find they do just fine in representing someone taking damage from 'living shadows'.

Here's the rules as you might want 'em!...

THAT WHICH LINGERS
The Umbra in Dark Heresy & Rogue Trader

Small black sphere of maybe 80mm diameter, sticks to the shadows. The Umbra are often found near common warp translation points. Where they come from is entirely unkown, but it is noted that they shoal and follow starships, seeming to cluster around the exterior warp engines and stick with the vessel until warp translation. They are drawn to psychic phenomena and are a known pest when it comes to exterior repairs.

The Umbra themselves are rarely encountered directly by starfarers, though they remain a popular myth being purported to literally strike with the shadows. Folklore calls them the shadow-puppets. On the times when they do enter starships, space stations or appear on planet's surfaces, no end of incomprehensible, unbelievable, massivey contradictory stories of abstract horrors floods the reporting.

WS 1
BS 30
S 10 (2)
T 55 (10)
Ag 30
Int 5
Per 30
WP 30
Fel 1
Wounds 8

Traits: The Shadows Live, Amorphous, Fear (2), From Beyond, Hoverer 2, Puny, Strange Physiology, The Stuff of Nightmares, Unnatural Senses (15m)
Skills: Awareness, Climb, Psyniscience, Silent Move
Talents: Natural Armour 4, Psy Rating 4, Unnatural Strength, Unnatural Toughness
Powers: Psychic Scream, Telekinetic Crush, Sensory Deprivation & Void Watcher (Novice)

Threat Rating: Obscuro Minoris

The Shadows Live

When an Umbra is threatened or active against acolytes or explorers, roll for every patch of shadow within 2*WP metre, roll D100. An Umbra in the region may 'tap' any region in range to gain bonus for Focus Power test purposes. Ebon Geists appearing in this way do not Consume Life.

Frightfully small: 1% chance of Ebon Geist manifesting from it, +1 to FP test
Dark recess: 5% chance of Ebon Geist, +3 to FP test
Under the bunk: 25% chance of Ebon Geist, +5 to FP test
Darkened room: 50% chance of Ebon Geist, +10 to FP test
Utter darkness: 80% chance of Ebon Geist, +20 to FP test

Furthermore, Umbra suffer noticeably from extreme broad-spectrum illumination. If subject to a moderately powerful intensity of light (industrial grade or specialist design luminem globe) the Umbra suffers a -10 to WP per source. If three such sources surround the Umbra it loses its Unnatural Toughness ability and is essentially pinned to the spot. If unprovoked or confronted with immense intensity of light, the Umbra will usually flee.

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I find 'em a nice and potent threat. Hard to scale properly, but can be dealt with by (and pose a threat to) both low level and high level acolytes. Indeed, in the Xenology book it has awesome pics of them fighting some Astartes (who look to be having a spot of bother). Good fun!

Using the Creature Creation

It's an interesting opportunity, but as said above; don't rely on it. It's very good for inspiring ideas, but take them and run with them. Add to them, flesh 'em out. As a basic generator it's handy enough too, but it is still quite basic. Gimme a while 'til I figure out the Demiurg at length and then we'll be in business!

So yes, I take it people ARE using the tollkit from DH for RT. BTW, I personally thought it was a good deal (price-wise), so I already have it. Wish the RT NPC section was a little more expansive, but the book IS amazing.