Bring out the Imp!

IMP (#28-30/31, #149-151/365) [OOTP IV]

            Blue Imp Grabber Imp Graveyard Imp

SKILL:          6              9                5

STAMINA:     5              2                4

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: 

Blue Imp - Throwing Dagger or Fork (as per Dagger)

Grabber Imp - Small Claw

Graveyard Imp - Dagger

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER:

Blue Imp - -1 to Damage Roll

Grabber Imp - 1 Damage

Graveyard Imp - -1 to Damage Roll

HABITAT:

Blue Imp - Dungeons, Ruins, Caves, Plains, Forests, Hills, Wilderness

Grabber Imp - Dungeons, Ruins, Caves, Towns

Graveyard Imp - Dungeons, Ruins, Caves, Towns

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED:

Blue Imp - 2-7

Grabber Imp - 1-2

Graveyard Imp - 4-24

TYPE: Demon

REACTION: Unfriendly

INTELLIGENCE: High

IMPS are small demonic creatures that inhabit the lower rungs of the highly stratified hierarchy of the Abyssal Pit. Seven types of Imp were previously chronicled in Return to the Pit (pp. 111-115): the Black, Castle, Common, Death, Dragon, Forest and Stygian Imps. Presented below are details of three further kinds of Imp and several associated monsters, that are known at this time.

One demonic menace that occasionally manifests upon Titan and disrupts much in the vicinity is the supremely irritating BLUE IMP. These are blue-skinned, Goblin-like creatures, that run out at intruders, screaming at the top of their lungs. They are no more than a metre tall, and wear red cotton jackets and pants, red pointed hats and red canvas shoes. They have large heads with long pointed noses, and their wide mouths house sharp, jagged teeth and bright red tongues. Their sunken, lizard-like green eyes glare out from under their pointed hats and give them a deranged look, made all the worse by the sight of the big steel forks and long knives they are holding (Blue Imps will stab victims with the forks, and throw the knives like Throwing Daggers). They will cackle maniacally as they rush forward to stab their victim in the leg, and despite the fact their own legs are short and they are small in height, Blue Imps are quick and dextrous creatures.

When on Titan, Blue Imps have been known to grow crops of blueberries which they use as dye to maintain their chosen skin hue. Some claim this also grants them immunity from some magic; certainly Blue Imps have a +1 bonus to any attempts to Test their Luck or Skill or avoid a spell's effects. In at least one incarnation of Baron Sukumvit's Deathtrap Dungeon, Blue Imps infested many of the levels, rushing forth from hidden crevasses to attack adventurers and disturb their challenge whenever possible. On one lower level, Blue Imps even rode in gigantic animated GIANT BOOTS (SKILL 10 STAMINA 10, 2 Attacks, Unarmed Large Damage (test for Skill or kicked backwards 1-3 metres), Light Armour), bouncing around the corridors and attempting to kick adventurers off ledges and into deep pits. If the Giant Boot was destroyed in combat, the Blue Imp could then clamber forth and attack, but more usually would flee, flinging knives and forks at its enemy as it rapidly departed the scene.

The GRABBER IMP is a pernicious little fiend that haunts ruins, dungeons and caves, looking for anything and everything to steal. These are tiny winged demonic humanoids that flit about with larcenous intent, attempting to surprise a victim and make off with their valuables, hopefully undetected. In battle, roll for Attack Strengths as normal; if the Hero wins, they usually will slay the Grabber Imp with a single blow. However, should the Imp win, it will steal something and fly away, too fast for its victim to follow, unless they have access to spells of speed and flight. Grabber Imps typically attempt to pilfer Magic Rings, Potions, and Scrolls in that order; if the victim has none of these things, the Grabber Imp will curse them instead and the victim will suffer a -1 penalty to their Attack Strength for the next three combats that they fight. Grabber Imps are often summoned by a greedy mage eager to acquire the magical paraphernalia of a fellow spellcaster, but sometimes the Grabber Imp will go rogue and just steal whatever it wants, secreting the trinkets away in a safe place like a hollow tree or high cave, where the Imp can admire them undisturbed and at their leisure.

The GRAVEYARD IMP is a small demonic creature that lurks in the places where the dead are interred; graveyards, tombs, crypts, necropolises - all are their habitat. In some places, Graveyard Imps become undertakers of sorts, ensuring that the dead are treated with respect in accordance with their spirit's final departure to the next stage of existence. One such example is a colony of Graveyard Imps that dwells among a burial ground within Trolltooth Pass, at the end of the Corpse Road that links it to the Broken Goddess Fort. In appearance they are half the height of a human, with fat bellies, big heads, big hands (clutching curved daggers), big feet and big teeth, with yellow, warty toad-like skin and small, crafty eyes. Graveyard Imps also have small bat-like wings, but are too heavy to use them to fly, wheezing, grunting, and clacking as they do through their teeth. If more than six Graveyard Imps are encountered, one will be a KING OF IMPS (SKILL 7 STAMINA 7, otherwise identical abilities), wearing a crude crown of sticks and leaves. The King of Imps will have much lore and information about wherever they are, but will demand respect and the completion of important quests before revealing any details!