These seemingly near-innocuous (until they attack) and easily-slain creatures are so-dubbed on account of their appearance: these alien creatures bear some resemblance to plucked, headless chicken or turkey bodies, crawling on "all fours", each one of them slightly larger than a human head. The underside of the body is split in a vertical "mouth" slit which contains two rows of sharp fangs, behind which are visible a morass of what looks like tangled intestines.

These creatures found their way into this world at the Red Mesa Research Facility, where an experiment gone wrong resulted in temporary "bubble rifts" forming in the air, and creatures from some alien world teleporting in, much to the dismay of the largely defenseless researchers at the facility. They waddle along the ground at a deceptively slow pace, but are capable of scampering at a fast click when they smell prey, and they can leap high enough to land atop their victims -- swallowing a human head whole.

Oddly enough, "head-chickens" have no discernable digestive system, despite the mouth-like structure on the underside. They are born with fatty deposits that might last them for up to a week after being spawned, until they can find a host to latch onto. A head-chicken is a parasitic creature, seeking out a human (or humanoid) host, then latching onto its head. Tendrils burrow into the head of the living victim, paralyzing it, and then slowly taking over the nervous system and consuming the unneeded parts of the brain. The host's body is altered on a genetic level, as the muscles become tight and cord-like, the hands elongate into sharp claws, and the chest cavity splits up into a vertical, mouth-like orifice. The creature then enters a stage of life where it acts as a "zombie" controlled by the parasite, seeking out meat in whatever form it can find it. It is not known what final form this creature might take in advanced stages.

Appearance:

An alien creature, a little larger than a human head, with a body that looks remotely like that of a plucked, headless chicken, crawling on four legs. The underside splits in a vertical "mouth" lined with razor-sharp teeth, capable of engulfing a human head.

Special Rules:

Hard to Hit: The Head-Chicken is about the size of a human head. Use the appropriate penalty to hit, as if the attacker were making a Called Shot to the head. Conversely, any hit to a Head-Chicken is treated as if it hit the "head" of the creature. Once actually hit, they tend to go down quickly.

Blind/Deaf: Head-Chickens have no sense of hearing or of sight. They track their prey wholly by scent.

Leap: Head-Chickens can leap up to 3 yards vertically, and 6 yards horizontally. When a Head-Chicken attacks in melee combat, it does so by leaping at the target. Due to the Head-Chicken's specialty in aiming for the head, add +8 to the Hit Location roll.

Fearless: Head-Chickens are mindless, and are driven only by a desire to find a host to latch onto. They will follow a scent trail by the most direct means possible, leaping as soon as they are within range. This does mean that it may be possible to trick the creature into crossing some sort of hazard -- such as flame -- in order to reach its prey.

Immunity: This creature is immune to radiation and gas, but it is still susceptible to poisons and disease-based attacks. It does not need to breathe.

Natural Weapons: The Head-Chicken inflicts 1d6 + STR damage with its claws and fangs. If it makes a successful strike to the head, it has engulfed the victim's head and latched on. The Head-Chicken is incapable of defending itself, so its Brawlin' level is not added to the TN required to hit it in close combat, and the TN drops to zero once it is on a host's head (provided the host is not thrashing about, which may be assuming too much).

Possession: Once a Head-Chicken successfully latches on to a host's head, it will try to burrow into the head with its internal tendrils. It may do nothing per turn except spend an action to attempt to do this, and there is no need to roll to hit. It inflicts 1d6 + STR damage automatically to the head (which becomes 3d6 + STR, thanks to the bonus for a head hit). If a Wound is scored, the victim must make a Vigor check against a TN of 9, or suffer an additional 2d6 Wind from paralyzation. If the victim loses Wind this way, he cannot regain it while the Head-Chicken is on his head, and is, in essence, paralyzed and helpless. If the target takes enough damage to the head for it to be Maimed, the victim is dead, and over the course of the next approximately 24 hours, the host's body will be transformed into a Head-Chicken Zombie.

Removal: Removing a Head-Chicken can be very traumatic for the individual whose head is stuck inside. Provided that the Head-Chicken has not consumed the host's head yet, it can be pulled off by an opposing Strength roll that beats the Head-Chicken's roll; the Head-Chicken is counted as having a Strength of 4d6 while it is on a host's head. Pulling the Head-Chicken off inflicts 1d6 + STR damage to the victim's head (again, this becomes 3d6 + STR due to the head hit location).

---

---

Dead Lands, Dead Lands: Hell on Earth and Dead Lands: The Weird West and characters and features thereof are trademarks of Pinnacle Games, and their use here does not constitute a challenge of trademark status. This site is by no means official, and should not be considered representative of the quality of the products of Pinnacle Games. With the exception of the "Dead Lands" logo, and except where otherwise noted, all artwork and all articles on this page are (c) by T. Jordan "Greywolf" Peacock, and may not be reproduced without permission.