Barrows and Borderlands New Monster - Cultclassic Movie Monster - Pod People From Invasion of the Body Snatchers & The Village of St. Jerome

This Barrows and Borderlands session hits with the party finding a village out in the Borderlands wilderness where there shouldn't be one! The party went to re equipped for further expeditions but something was off.
This session picks up right from 

Borrows and Borderlands New Monster - Cultclassic Without Warning Movie Alien - The Tall One & Session Report

St.Jerome was a perfect village and in point of fact, a bit too perfect. When the PC's figured out what was happening. That in point of fact the villagers were using treasure and weapons to trap adventurers. Then replace with pod people who were sent back to their own home villages with pods to replace others with duplicates. 
The PC's put the entire village to the torch,oil, and gun powder explosions!  

In the context of the Barrows & Borderlands RPG—which leans heavily into procedural horror and gritty, high-crunch mechanics—the Pod People (or Duplicates) function as an existential "slow-burn" threat. They aren't just monsters; they are a replacement of the social fabric.

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The Duplicates (Pod People)

The Duplicates are biological mimics grown from extraterrestrial spores. They possess the memories and mannerisms of the original host but lack all emotional interiority and individuality.

Core Statistics

Attribute	Value	Notes
HD	Equal to Host	Usually 1d8 for commoners
AC	12 (Natural)	Waxy, resilient skin
Attack	By Weapon or Grab	Often use improvised tools
Sorrow Limit	N/A	Immune to Morale and Sorrow checks
Movement	30'	Identical to human gait

Special Traits

• The Pointing Scream: When a Duplicate identifies a "True Human" who has been outed, they emit a high-pitched, discordant shriek. All Duplicates within 300 feet are alerted and must converge on the location.

• The Collective Hush: Duplicates communicate telepathically within a small radius (50 feet). They gain +2 to Initiative and +2 to Hit when fighting in a group of 3 or more against a lone human.

• Emotional Void: They are immune to all charm, fear, or mind-affecting abilities that rely on biological "feelings."

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The Gestation Process (D6 Procedural Table)

When a character sleeps within 10 feet of a ripening Pod, the "Replacement Cycle" begins. Use the following table to track the progress of the duplication during a Long Rest.

D6 Roll	Stage of Duplication	Mechanical Effect
1-2	Dream Siphon	The target suffers -2 to all Mental saves. They feel "hollow" upon waking.
3-4	Physical Blur	The target's fingerprints begin to smooth over. -1 to Dexterity.
5	The Deep Lethargy	Target must pass a Hard Constitution Save or fall into a coma-like sleep.
6	Replacement	The original dies silently. The Pod Person emerges with all the original's gear.

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Detection & Weaknesses

Because Barrows & Borderlands rewards clever play over brute force, players can utilize these specific flaws:

1. The "Eye Spark" Test: Duplicates lack the rapid eye movement (REM) and the natural moisture of human eyes. In direct, harsh light, they do not show a "spark."

2. The Somnambulist Flaw: A Duplicate does not require sleep, but they must "re-sync" with the hive mind every 24 hours. If they are prevented from standing still in silence for 1 hour, they begin to sweat a clear, vegetative sap, giving away their nature.

3. Chemical Sensitivity: They are highly susceptible to concentrated herbicides. An improvised "defoliant grenade" deals 3d6 damage per round to Duplicates, ignoring their natural AC.

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Random Encounter Table: The Infested Settlement

If the party enters a town that has already begun the "Turn," roll a D8 to see how the Duplicates react:

• 1-2: The Stare. The entire market square stops and watches the party in total silence.

• 3-4: The Welcoming Committee. "People" offer the party free food and lodging (the rooms contain hidden pods).

• 5-6: The Midnight Harvest. The party wakes to find 1D4 townspeople dragging pods into their stable/inn.

• 7-8: The Outing. A local child points at a PC and screams; the town immediately turns hostile.

This D100 Table is designed to emphasize the "uncanny valley" and mechanical rigidness of the Duplicates. In a high-crunch system like Barrows & Borderlands, these behaviors can serve as narrative clues for players to roll Perception or Insight checks against the NPC’s Deception (usually a static high floor since they have the host's memories).

D100: Uncanny Behaviors of the Secretly Replaced

D100	Behavior/Observation	Mechanical/Narrative Clue
01-05	The Optical Lag	When the NPC turns their head, their pupils take a fraction of a second longer to adjust to the light than a human's.
06-10	Monotone Sympathy	The NPC expresses concern for a PC’s injury, but their voice has the flat, rehearsed cadence of a weather report.
11-15	The Syntax Error	They use a phrase perfectly, then repeat it exactly 30 seconds later in a slightly different context where it doesn’t fit.
16-20	Vegetative Scent	Within 5 feet, the NPC smells faintly of wet mulch and ozone, rather than human sweat or musk.
21-25	Joint Rigidity	They sit perfectly still for 10+ minutes. No fidgeting, no scratching, no shifting of weight.
26-30	The Food Mimic	They chew food and swallow, but their throat muscles don't ripple naturally. They seem to be "storing" the matter.
31-35	Zero Blink Rate	During a full minute of conversation, the NPC does not blink once.
36-40	The Group Sync	Three NPCs in the room all pick up their mugs and drink at the exact same micro-second.
41-45	Memory Fragmenting	They remember the PC's name but forget an emotional detail (e.g., "How is your dead mother?" spoken without malice).
46-50	Calloused Skin	Their skin feels like high-density foam or soft wood—yielding but lacking the "bounce" of living tissue.
51-55	The "Hollow" Laugh	They laugh at a joke, but the sound starts and stops instantly, with no trailing breath or lingering smile.
56-60	Unnatural Strength	The NPC lifts a heavy iron grate or crate with one hand, showing zero physical strain on their facial muscles.
61-65	The Persistent Lean	When standing, they lean at an angle that should cause a human to lose balance, yet they remain rooted.
66-70	Rapid Scar Healing	A wound the NPC took an hour ago is already "knitted" with a fibrous, pale green substance.
71-75	The Communal Stare	They look toward the town square simultaneously with other NPCs, as if hearing a distant, silent bell.
76-80	Missing Reflexes	A PC drops something loud; the NPC doesn't flinch or even glance toward the sound.
81-85	Thermal Variance	If touched, their skin temperature is exactly the same as the ambient room temperature.
86-90	The Iteration Flaw	The NPC has a physical birthmark or tattoo from the original, but it looks "printed" on or slightly blurry.
91-95	The Sleep Mimicry	Found "sleeping," the NPC is actually wide-eyed, staring at the ceiling in total paralysis.
96-00	The Spore Leak	A tiny, white fibrous thread (rootlet) is visible, growing out of the NPC's ear or nostril.

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Using this in Play

In Barrows & Borderlands, you can use these as Passive Perception Tiers:

• DC 10: The NPC "feels off" or "rude."

• DC 15: Notice one specific behavior from the table above.

• DC 20+: Realize the NPC isn't breathing or has no pulse.

To fit the high-crunch and gritty procedural nature of Barrows & Borderlands, this D100 table focuses on items that are technically functional but carry a biological "taint."

Many of these items interact with the Sorrow Meter or require Constitution Saves to avoid infection. Use these to tempt players with high-value loot that comes at a disturbing physical or mental cost.

The Contaminated Spoils Table

D100	Item Name	Mechanical Benefit	Biological "Taint" / Risk
01-05	Fibrous Rations	Restores full HP on a Long Rest.	CON Save (DC 14) or your teeth feel "loose" for 24 hours.
06-10	Waxy Signet Ring	+1 to Charisma checks with "Townsfolk."	The gold is actually hardened sap; it slowly bonds to the wearer's bone.
11-15	Pulsing Shortsword	Deals +1d6 Acid damage.	On a Natural 1, the hilt pricks the user for 1 DMG; +5 to Sorrow.
16-20	Spore-Dust Pouch	Can be thrown as a Smoke Bomb (10ft Cloud).	Anyone in the cloud (including the user) must save or "drift" into a trance.
21-25	Moist Leather Armor	AC 14; grants Advantage on Stealth.	The armor "breathes" audibly in total silence. -2 to Morale.
26-30	The Mimic’s Map	Shows secret doors/passages in the area.	The ink is living chlorophyll; it "rewrites" itself to lead you toward a Pod.
31-35	Glassy Eye Marble	Can be "attuned" to see through it remotely.	Requires inserting it into an empty socket or holding it against a closed lid.
36-40	Veined Gold Coins	Worth 5x standard value to the right buyer.	The coins have "roots." If left in a purse, they consume other non-organic coins.
41-45	Dormant Pod Husk	Can be used as a one-person sleeping bag.	Advantage on cold saves, but you wake up with 1d4 temporary DEX loss.
46-50	Rubbery Flint & Steel	Produces a green flame that never goes out.	The "steel" is a calcified extraterrestrial rib. The smoke smells like burnt hair.
51-55	The Siphoning Canteen	Water inside never runs out.	The water is slightly viscous and sweet. Prolonged use causes "Emotional Dulling."
56-60	Neural-Link Headband	+2 to Intelligence/Lore checks.	You hear the "Collective Hush" faint whispers at night. +10 to Sorrow.
61-65	Oily Sharpening Stone	Grants weapons the "Vicious" trait (+2 DMG).	Leaves a thin film of "sap" on the blade that slowly eats through scabbards.
66-70	Fibrous Crossbow Bolt	Ignores 2 points of non-natural AC.	On a hit, the bolt "roots" into the target, preventing them from moving.
71-75	The Pale Lantern	Lights up "Duplicates" in a 20ft radius (Red hue).	The fuel is a slurry of human emotions. Costs 1 permanent HP to "refill."
76-80	Gelatinous Health Pot	Heals 2d8+4 HP instantly.	CON Save (DC 16) or your skin turns a pale, translucent green.
81-85	Root-Bound Compass	Always points toward the nearest "Source."	The needle is a twitching, dried finger.
86-90	Calcified Shield	AC +3; can "absorb" one melee attack/turn.	The shield moans when struck.
91-95	The Mother-Spore Vial	Can "infect" a doorway or chest to guard it.	Extremely volatile. If dropped, the user is immediately targeted for Replacement.
96-00	Perfect Human Mask	Flawless disguise as a specific (now dead) NPC.	It’s actual skin kept alive by a root system. It tries to "latch" onto your face.

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Managing Contamination

In Barrows & Borderlands, contamination acts as a ticking clock. If a player carries more than 3 items from this table, they should begin suffering from the "Deep Lethargy" (see the Gestation table) even if they aren't near a Pod.

Grit Tip: If a player sells these items in a "clean" city, the infection will likely follow them, turning the merchant into a Duplicate within 1d6 days.