Soul Hunters (Babylon 5) in the Campaign

Soul Hunters
(As requested by Brutorz Bill from the Green Skeleton Gaming Guild)

Soul Hunters are a humanoid construct from an unknown sector of space. Even so, they have been known to the oldest space-faring peoples across the galaxy for as long as any can remember. They have human-like faces, but their craniums are much larger and are typically bald or only have hair growing on the side of their heads and on their faces as standard beards and moustaches as many other humanoid species. In the center of their foreheads is what looks like a mineral growth. These “gems” are typically yellow in color. Soul Hunter flesh is typically pale and their eyes are usually steel gray or light blue in color. Hair color is usually gray.

Soul Hunters are a mysterious species that illicit a variety of reactions from other species when they learn of their “mission.” Soul Hunters can sense the impending deaths of those around them with a certain level of knowledge and awareness. They seek out these individuals to absorb their mental energies at the time of death or very shortly thereafter in order to have the being live on in a virtual paradise. Among many species with religious traditions that revolve around a spiritual afterlife, this practice of absorbing mental energies is abhorrent and blasphemous as it is seen as keeping the person’s soul from being able to be with its god or gods or what-have-you. Other less spiritual species either scoff at the idea or see the strange beings as morbid. Many don’t believe that they can sense the deaths of others, but instead choose a target and either set up their deaths or kill them themselves. As far as the technology of capturing mental energy, the technology of imprinting a person’s mind and behavior patterns does exist, but it is a long and difficult process, not something that can be accomplished in a few seconds and on a corpse.

Soul Hunters use small devices of unknown make placed on the recently deceased’s foreheads to collect that person’s mental energy. The target cannot be more than 10-15 minutes dead, so Soul Hunters make others nervous when they are known to be in the area. Once a person’s mental energy is captured, they take them back to their starships and leave the area. They claim that the deceased live on in virtually constructed paradises where the deceased can “live” on to continue to create and a “thrive” so that the galaxy does not lose their genius. Most of the targets of Soul Hunters are obvious: political leaders, scientists, military commanders, religious leaders, innovators, etc., but some of the targets aren’t well known, some are even downright common or lowly beings. Soul Hunters say that just because society does not know of a being’s genius doesn’t mean that their genius should be lost forever. This only solidify the skepticism as to if the Soul Hunters are doing anything really at all, making them eccentric and morbid, but largely harmless galactic travelers.

Virtually nothing is known about Soul Hunters beyond what the beings have said of themselves. Their homeworld, society, and technology are a mystery. What is known is that they are a very advanced sort of android, but who created them is a mystery as well. They are beyond the technology of all other known forms of android intelligence. They are constructed in a way that they are like living beings in nearly every way, though they have no need to eat, breathe, and drink and they are immune to all forms of toxins and disease. They do not register as a mechanical being on scanners and they have psionic powers. One flaw in their make-up is that they cannot heal damage. They must return to their starships to repair damage, and must do so once every seven days to recharge.

The Minbari have gathered the most information on the Soul Hunters, who see the beings as a great threat to any Minbari who draws their attention. They attack Soul Hunter ships on sight and they are considered among the most heinous of monsters to inhabit the galaxy as they can keep the dead from attaining peace described by the great Minbari prophet, Valen. When a Minbari is taken by a Soul Hunter, they stop at nothing to regain the device the deceased’s mind is stored on in order to free it. Few Soul Hunters have escaped with a Minbari mind, but some have and it is for that reason that the Minbari have a task force dedicated to discovering where the Soul Hunters congregate. They suspect that they have a centralized location where all the soul devices are stored since Soul Hunters that have escaped initially have been captured at later times, but without the soul device that the Minbari were wanting to free. However, it is possible that each Soul Hunter has his own base of operations.

Soul Hunters are generally peaceful. They do not attack without provocation unless they are being kept from getting to their deceased target. In such cases, they will eliminate anyone that attempts to impede their progress, especially those that they deem as “inconsequential” to the galaxy. They understand their reputation and take pains to conceal their presence in areas where beings are hostile to them, even to the point of sneaking about or disguising their appearance. They see their task as one of galactic importance, one that must be completed even if other species fear them or do not understand. They also seem to work alone unless the target is one of great importance and they expect more resistance that a single Soul Hunter can handle, but such cooperation between Soul Hunter is rare. If they miss their opportunity to collect a soul, they appear distraught for a moment, but then leave the area (unless there is another soul in the vicinity to collect).

It is surmised that Soul Hunters can psychically sense when someone of great importance is about to die. This is a power that is so far beyond that of even the most powerful precognizant psychic. (For game purposes, the effects of this power are left up to the GM. Essentially, if a Soul Hunter is sulking about, someone is in serious danger.)

Soul Hunter
AC: 14 or 12/10 (Woven Body armor or Leather Jack)
HD: 4
Atk Bonus: +4
Damage: 1d6 (laser pistol)
No. Appearing: 1
Saving Throw: 13+
Movement: 30’
Morale: 14
Skill: +2

Soul Hunters have access to the Precognition Psionic powers up to Level 3. They have 20 power points to spend on their powers.
Soul Hunters typically have the Computer and Stealth skills, some of them are very, very old and could have access to any number of skills the GM sees fit.