Savage Menagerie: Fear Feeder (AKA "Boogeyman")

No. Enc.: 1d2
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: 2 (claws plus special)
Damage: 1d8, 1d8, WIL drain
Save: F6
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: None

A Fear Feeder is a formless, shapeless mutant who feeds on fear and terror. Because of this requirement, they delight in terrorizing and tormenting children - hence the fear most child have of "The Boogeyman."

Feed Feeders are rumored to have come from another plane of existence, perhaps a miscalculated plane shift opened a portal to their home. Regardless, they have no real "form" on this plane. They, however, have a unique mental phantasm ability. They are able to reach into a viewer's mind and take on the form of what scares them the most. Ex: If a character is deathly afraid of spiders, it shall appear to be a giant spider. (This illusion manifests only as a creature/individual. If a character is afraid of heights, a Fear Feeder cannot take the form of a bottomless pit, for example.) Note that each PC will see the Fear Feeder in a different horrifying form since the illusion is mental rather than physical. Any character seeing a Fear Feeder in this illusionary form must save vs. stun attack or be terrorized by the image. If a save is failed, the Fear Feeder will immediately use its emotional vampirism ability, "draining" off 2d4 hit points from the terrorized individual, who will also be frozen in fear for 3 rounds. Any who make the save will see that is an illusion, but the "real" form of the Fear Feeder will remain undefined, shadowy, and nebulous at best.

Fear Feeders attack with a claw/claw attack (even if their illusionary form does not have claws or appears with a weapon). These claws hit for 1d8 hit points of damage. However, on a successful hit, a character must save vs. stun attack or lose a point of Willpower. This Willpower loss can be gained after one week's uninterrupted rest. Fear Feeders are nearly fearless themselves, hence the high morale score.

Fear Feeders have been known to kidnap children from their beds and spirit them away to some distant location where it can torment the child, feeding on his/her fear until the child is so drained and numb to the terrorizing illusions that they no longer feel anything. At that point, the Fear Feeder releases the child, emotionless, cold, distant, with dead unseeing eyes.

Mutations: mental phantasm (unique), emotional vampirsm (fear)

NOTE: This creature originally started out as a magical creature for Labyrinth Lord. But a little tinkering made it a grand other-planar menace for Mutant Future. Happy Halloween everyone!

[Thundarr Thursday] Savage Menagerie: Swamp Worm

No. Enc.: 1 (0)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 210' (70')
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 12
Attacks: 3 (claw, claw, bite)
Damage: 1d6, 1d6, 3d8
Save: L6
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: None

Swamp worms (properly known as "hydroids") are not natural mutants or animals, but are rather created through magical forces. They appear to be grotesquely large snakes (between 30-40 feet long) with the head and front claws of an alligator. They have pupil-less red eyes and a bony fin protruding from its head. Since they are brought into existence by wizards specifically to do their bidding, they will never be found "in the wild" or "in a lair." They are blindly obedient to the one who created them.

A swamp worm attacks with its two claws for 1d6 hit points of damage each and with its toothy maw for 3d8 hit points of biting damage. A swamp worm's true magical nature is revealed when it uses its special regenerative capability. When a swamp worm is taken down to one-half of its original hit point total, the worm splits into two halves. These halves then immediately regenerate into a whole swamp worm, each with the remaining hit point total. (For example, a 100-hit point swamp worm is taken down to 50 hit points. It splits, and the two new swamp worms each have 50 hit points.) The new swamp worms will not divide further. Once the swamp worms are defeated, they will curl upon themselves and disappear in a flash of light and acrid smoke.

In the show, Thundarr was able to defeat the swamp worms by tricking them into biting each other. When they made contact with each other, they exploded into non-existence. This method may also work for your PCs, but I have no idea how they'd manage such a trick. If they think of it, let them do it!

Mutations: regenerative capability (one-time duplication)

NOTE: This creature is inspired by the episode “Trial By Terror” from the classic Ruby Spears post-apocalyptic cartoon “Thundarr the Barbarian.” Stay tuned each week for “Thundarr Thursday”!

Savage Menagerie: Daggerhare

No. Enc.: 1d6 (2d6)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 150' (50'), Fly: 240' (80')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 1 (bite or stab)
Damage: 1d4 or 1d8
Save: L2
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None

Daggerhares are rumored to be decendents of the legendary jackalope, appearing as winged, flying rabbits with a single sharp horn growing out of the center of its forehead. They are not timid, docile creatures like their ancestors, but rather vicious, ravenous brutes.

Daggerhares are fairly agile on the ground like most rabbits. When on the ground, they will bite at its prey for 1d4 hit points of damage. But when airborne, daggerhares are truly fast - and truly dangerous. When in flight, a daggerhare will attempt to use its horn for a slashing attack for 1d8 hit points of damage. On a natural 20, the daggerhare has impaled its horn into its victim where it will remain lodged until removed. A daggerhare cannot use its horn as a weapon when grounded.

Mutations: complete wing development, aberrant form (natural weapon - horn)

Radiation Clock Giveaway To Mark 1,500 Visitors to TSAW

Over the weekend, The Savage AfterWorld surpassed 1,500 unique visitors. One-thousand-and-a-half different individuals throughout the world have dropped by the blog, and I am pretty overwhelmed by that number. There must be a lot of folks interested in Mutant Future. Or in post-apocalyptic RPGs. Or in Thundarr the Barbarian.

As my way of saying "Thanks" to everyone, I'm giving away one of my custom-made radiation symbol clocks to one of the regular readers of this blog. Sometime on November 2, I'll toss the names of all of The Savage AfterWorld's "Mutant Minions" ("Followers" as seen to the right) into a hat. I'll then randomly draw the name of the winner. That's all there is to it. Thanks again for your support and good luck!

Other Blogs' Coverage of Mutant Future This Week

Several other blogs posted some very interesting material for Mutant Future over the past week. Thought I'd quickly run them down in case you missed them:

A new Mutant Future-focused blog is gaining steam! The blog, Mutagenic Substance, has blogmeister Carl Nash overseeing the content and generating new material. This week, Carl tackled one subject that gained a lot of attention in the blogosphere last week: megadungeons. Carl's thoughts on the matter is in two parts and can be found here: The Megadungeon in the Mutant Future and The Megadungeon in the Mutant Future, Part Two. Carl's most recent post examines whether Mutant Future has too many or too few rules. I encourage all "Future Mutants" to visit!

At the blog Troll and Flame, blogmeister Norman Harman had A Post Apocalyptic Thought. He feels that a massive "city world" would be a much more interesting setting than the typical blasted, flattened, wilderness landscape. He sees huge ruins stretching into the sky; miles of underground tunnels; and city ruins that stretch as far as the eye can see. A very interesting thought indeed - and one that could potentially tie into the heated "megadungeon" conversations now ongoing elsewhere.

Since blogmeister Jeff Rients runs a regular Mutant Future campaign, his blog Jeff's Gameblog is always good for the occasional Mutant Future-related post. Two recent posts recapped a Mutant Future session he ran with incredibly amusing results. Check them out: We Had to Destroy the Bridge To Save It and Like This, But With More Filth.

Now A Member Of The Role Play Media Network

With the future fate of RPG Bloggers network as of yet unknown and unannounced, Berin Kinsman took the reins and created a new social network: the Role Play Media Network. This new endeavour is described by its creator as "a social network for RPG bloggers and RPG blog readers, where things can be discussed, tips can be traded, events can be coordinated, and more." Blogs, forums, chats, calendars, and even more features are provided to members. I'm not happy about the situation that led to this, but I'm very pleased that the established blogger community has been effectively salvaged regardless of the outcome. Many thanks to Berin for stepping up, helping out, and putting it all together. And my gratitude to the founders of the RPG Bloggers network: Danny, Dave, Graham, and Phil. RPG Bloggers prompted me to start and maintain this lil' blog o' mine. I wish the four of your well with my thanks.

[Thundarr Thursday] New Character Race: Barbarian

Hit Dice: 1d8 per point of CON
Mutations: none

Barbarians are the uncivilized nomads of the Thundarr universe. Trained since birth in the ways of combat and self-sufficiency, Barbarians are the natural survivors of the future Earth. It is assumed that Barbarians are part of a larger tribal race, but it is very rare to encounter more than one or two Barbarians at a time. They are usually dressed in animal hides and furs, which are decorated with bones and teeth of past hunting victories.

Barbarians appear to be an offshoot of Pure Strain Humans although, unlike the typical humans encountered, they are muscular and in good physical condition. Due to a lifetime of physical training, Barbarians gain +2 when rolling for both Strength and Constitution. Because of their "hardiness," Barbarians roll 1d8 per point of Constitution for their hit point totals. A Barbarian's true abilities lie within his acrobatic skills and heightened agility, enabling him to commit almost superhuman feats. This is due to the +3 Dexterity bonus gained when rolling up a Barbarian. Barbarians will never be encountered with any mutations. (In the Thundarr universe, mutations are usually limited to wizard deformities or the dangerous monsters that roam the wastelands.)

Because of their savage outward appearance and primitive way of speaking, a Barbarian may be viewed as not very intelligent. In fact, the opposite is true: A Barbarian is incredibly clever and quick-witted. They do not receive a a bonus or penalty when rolling for Intelligence. However, since Barbarians have not had much exposure to Ancient history, artifacts, and technology, they have a permanent -10% Technology Roll Modifier.

But even though they may be ignorant of Ancient history and devices, a Barbarian is not distrustful of technology and may even be found using an Ancient device comfortably. (For example, Zogar's cyborg arm.) Barbarians are usually armed with a special weapon that they prefer in combat. The Mutant Lord may wish to present the PC with a unique weapon to wield, i.e., Thundarr's Sun Sword, Zogar's Flaming Trident, or Shara's Skull Mace.

Barbarians can be of either lawful or chaotic alignment, but because of their driving passions and goals, Barbarians will never be of Neutral alignment. Barbarians are usually arrogant and stubborn, refusing to listen to reason until the situation requires it. Barbarians are quick to action as well, almost reckless in nature, as they quickly grow impatient. They will be the first to enter combat, which - to them - is usually the most direct course of action for any situation.

In spite of their hot-headed shortcomings, Barbarians can be fairly friendly and helpful once you get to know them and once they have given you their trust. Barbarians are fiercely loyal to their friends, seeing the value of traveling in numbers with a like-minded group. Any Barbarians encountered who are traveling alone are usually of a self-serving chaotic nature and should be viewed with caution.

Barbarians are very vocal, preferring to let loose with a war-cry when entering battle. ("Ahhhhhhhh-hee!") They may also have a few catchphrases they will utter when surprised or angered. ("Lords of Light! Demon Dogs!") The player should be encouraged to come up with one of two "catchphrases" to endlessly shout out while playing. ("By the Ancients!")

NOTE: This character race is inspired by the classic Ruby Spears post-apocalyptic cartoon “Thundarr the Barbarian.” Stay tuned each week for “Thundarr Thursday”!

The Mutak - New Character Race at Aeons & Augauries

At the site Aeons & Augauries, blogmeister JDJarvis has posted a new character race for Mutant Future. Unlike other mutants who patrol the blasted wastelands, the "Mutak" is a wholly unstable being whose DNA continues to mutate, warp, and bend in unpredictable ways. A Mutak's mutations are never stabilized. They can change, increase, or even disappear as the years wane on. In fact, even minor exposure to radiation can trigger yet another mutational outburst! Check out this new twisted denizen of the Mutant Future here: New Character Race: Mutak. (This is also a first draft, so please share your thoughts and input!)

Savage Menagerie: Great White Gull

No. Enc.: 1d2 (1d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: Fly: 240' (80')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 3
Attacks: 1
Damage: 2d8
Save: L2
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None

Great White Gulls are large white-and-gray-feathered birds with the unmistakable head and jaws of a shark. They are quite large with a 4-foot wingspan. Although their feet are fairly useless for grasping, it is not unusual to see a Great White Gull (or “gullshark”) flying away with small prey grasped in its teeth.

From a distance, a flock of great white gulls could be mistaken for a flock of crocotinae (“snapping waddlers”). But whereas the crocotinae is found in swamp/fresh-water areas, the Great White Gull is found near large bodies of salt water (seas, oceans, etc.). (But both carnivorous birds are incredibly dangerous to an adventuring party.) Great White Gulls are tenacious hunters, having developed both the abilities of echolocation and know direction. The echolocation mutation gives it the ability to locate and track even invisible and hidden prey with ease (it also grants a +2 to hit in combat). Its know direction mutation means that it can never be shaken or lost by a fleeing victim.

Great White Gulls can be driven into a blood-induced feeding frenzy. Once its prey has been injured (more than 5 hit points of damage taken with one attack), a Great White Gull’s morale is effectively raised to an 11. It will rarely break off its attack at this stage.

Mutations: echolocation, know direction

Savage Menagerie: Laser Bear

No. Enc.: 1 (1d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: 3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage: 1d3, 1d3, 1d6
Save: L2
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: VI

From a distance, laser bears look like an Ancient grizzly bear. They have either red or brown fur and average about 9 feet tall when standing on their rear legs. They rarely eat nuts and berries – preferring a carnivorous diet of fish and meat. It has developed two mutations over time which allows it to attack its prey from a distance rather than the aggressive up-close-and-personal attacks of its Ancient ancestors.

Laser bears have laser eyes, enabling it to fire a searing beam of light at a foe once every 5 rounds. If hit, the beam will do 6d6 hit points of damage. Laser bears also have developed a vampiric field that draws 2d4 hit points per round from all with 30 feet. This absorbed point total goes into a reserve. All damage taken by the laser bear is removed from this total first before the creature’s primary hit points are affected. Once the prey is defeated from a distance, the laser bear will approach to feed.

A laser bear’s mutations are useful for long-distance combat effects, so it rarely needs to enter close quarters combat with its prey. If attacked up close, the laser bear will retreat in order to attack with its ranged abilities again.

Mutations: energy ray (laser eyes), vampiric field

NOTE: I saw this creature’s name as the title on a post at Alec Schroeder’s blog and it immediately popped into my head.

Dangerous Encounter: Where The Deer And The Spidergoats Play

While passing through a quiet peaceful valley, the party will see what looks like a farmhouse in the distance. There appear to be many animals grazing near it and some cultivated crops as well. (Hopefully, the opportunity for a hot meal and a good night’s rest will prompt the PCs to approach the ranch.) As they get near, the PCs may be horrified to see that the grazing animals are actually Spidergoats (MF rulebook, pg. 98)! It appears that 18 of them have surrounded the farmhouse.

Spidergoats (18) (AL N, MV 120’ (40’), AC 6, HD 4, #AT 1 (gore, kick, or bite), DG 2d4, 2d6, or 1d4, SV L3, ML 8, mutations: toxic weapon, webs)

If the party watches the scene for a while, they’ll see that the Spidergoats don’t seem to be threatening the house. In fact, they seem to be quietly grazing and/or wandering about. If the party approaches, the Spidergoats regard them with disinterest, as they’re quite tame. (Have one or two of them trot up out of curiosity, but don’t have them attack the PCs.) If the PCs do attack the Spidergoats, they will viciously defend themselves as only Spidergoats can.

The Spidergoats at this ranch are actually farm animals being raised for their meat and milk by the ranch’s owners Bubbo and his wife, Leenzy (both Pure Strain Humans). Bubbo and Leenzy are genuinely happy to have visitors (no one ever comes along this road and those that do are scared off by the Spidergoat herd). They will offer to feed the party and let them rest for the night in one of the spare rooms. Starved for entertainment, Bubbo will encourage the visitors to tell them of their adventures and of any news they may have heard about the local area. They may also try to engage the party in some parlor games. (The PCs may feel there is something creepy going on, but it has been a LONG time since they have had visitors and are a little overenthusiastic for the company.)

After the evening’s entertainment and after everyone has bedded down for the night, the party should be startled awake by shouts outside from Bubbo and Leenzy; the bleating of frightened Spidergoats; and loud grunting gibberish in some unintelligible language. If the party runs outside, they’ll see Bubbo and Leenzy trying to defend their herd from a band of marauding Homo Erectus (MF rulebook, pg. 75). They have discovered the tame Spidergoat herd and have decided to help themselves to the fresh meat they’ll provide.

Homo Erectus (5) (AL N, MV 120’ (40’), AC 8, HD 6, #AT 1, DG 2d4, SV L2, ML 7, mutations: none)

The fence penning in the Spidergoats has been breached, and the Spidergoats have run off into the night. The Homo Erectus have stopped chasing them, deciding that they’d rather deal with Bubbo and Leenzy first. All five have engaged in combat with the ranch hands who are horribly outmatched. It is assumed the PCs will come to their defense.

Once the fight has ended, Bubbo will thank the PCs for their assistance. “But what about the herd?” Leenzy will ask. Bubbo and Leenzy will begin rounding up the Spidergoats in the nearby fields and crops. The party is welcome to assist if they wish. (The Mutant Lord can play up the “Midnight Hunt For Spidergoats” as comedic in nature. Or maybe some wild untamed Spidergoats have come down out of the hills and are now intermingled with the tame herd animals. The possibilities are endless!)

The next morning, the ranchers will reward the party for their help. If they defended the ranchers from the Homo Erectus clan, they will be given as much Spidergoat jerky as they can carry. If they also helped round up the herd, the ranchers will give the party their life's savings of 133 gp as their way of saying "Thanks."

Savage Menagerie: Sharks With Frickin' Laser Beams Attached To Their Heads

No. Enc.: 0 (1d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: Swim, 180' (60')
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 8
Attacks: 1 (bite or frickin’ laser beam)
Damage: 2d10 or 6d6
Save: L4
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: None

Sharks With Frickin' Laser Beams Attached To Their Heads are just that - Sharks With Frickin' Laser Beams Attached To Their Heads. However, over the course of time, the frickin’ laser beam assembly has been “absorbed” into the shark’s cranial structure, becoming a biological part of the creature’s anatomy.

Sharks With Frickin' Laser Beams Attached To Their Heads are rumored to have been created by an Ancient genius named Dr. Evil (AKA Dougie Powers) who simply wanted “frickin’ sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their frickin’ heads.” (His minions were only able to provide ill-tempered sea bass, however.) Eventually his son, Scott, was able to attach the frickin’ laser beams to some sharks and evolution eventually took care of the rest.

A Shark With A Frickin' Laser Beam Attached To Its Head has one attack in a round. It can either bite for 2d10 hit points of damage or it can use its frickin’ laser beam mutation, firing a frickin’ laser beam at its target for 6d6 hit points of frickin’ laser beam damage.

Mutations: energy ray (frickin’ laser beam)

NOTE: I’m so frickin’ sorry. Once I started, I couldn’t frickin’ stop myself.

[Thundarr Thursday] Ancient Armory: War Machines

War Machines are the gargantuan, death-dealing transports of evil wizards. (For more on wizards and their mindset, please read this earlier Thundarr Thursday post.) They are monstrously huge and bristling with highly destructive weapons. A wizard often uses a War Machines in one of three ways: as an impressive and intimidating show of his power; to utterly decimate a village or town with minimal effort; or to attack another wizard. In the cartoon, War Machines have been wildly varied with respect to size, armament, weaponry, and crew. But all War Machines have one thing in common – they are pretty much unstoppable short of the interference of another, larger War Machine.

It is difficult, if not impossible, for the Mutant Lord to come up with statistics for a War Machine since the device’s size itself is staggering. They can be as small as a skyscraper, or as big as a several city blocks. As an example, one of Mindok’s War Machines – seen above – dwarfed the multilevel building complex it was parked next to.

War Machines also have a wizard’s most powerful weapons. Entire Ancient buildings have crumbled into dust with only one shot of a disintegrator beam. It could have a huge set of robotic claws that can pick up and thrown buildings. It could be covered with lasers that fire out simultaneously in a multitude of directions. If the Mutant Lord can imagine it, a War Machine could be armed with it.

War Machines are also versatile as far as to where they can go. They have been shown traveling underwater, trundling across the wastelands, and flying through the skies and even into space. They’ve been seen running on huge tires, tank treads, hover jets, rocket engines, or other modes of transport. War Machines are often crewed and defended by either a robot army or a wizard’s mutant minions (see Groundlings, Carrocs, or Feloids from previous Thundarr Thursday posts). However, some War Machines are fully automated, either being run by the wizard himself on the bridge or remotely from a distance.

Once a War Machine is underway, nothing short of a tactical nuke will slow it down. So how are the PCs supposed to go up against a fortress on wheels? Well, if a War Machine has a weakness, it would be its size. They are not able to move very quickly; a fast horse can keep up with one. In addition, due its size, they are very difficult to defend from intruders and boarders. A wizard may be watching for a massive army to attack, but is not prepared for one mutant with a crowbar to open up a hatch to gain entrance. Once access is gained to the inside, the Mutant Lord could run the exploration as a kind of mobile “dungeon crawl” with the War Machine taking on the qualities of a large building or even town.

If the War Machine is headed toward that small village a few miles away, the PCs will need to find out how to stop it in time. There are several ways to stop a War Machine (left to the Mutant Lord’s discretion):

• The War Machine’s power source could be removed or destroyed.
• If access is gained to the control room, the War Machine could be steered off a cliff, into the ocean, or – if it flies – crashed into the ground or into the depths of space.
• The War Machine may be heavily armored on the outside, but the interior is not. Enough damage to the controls and mechanics will cause it to grind to a halt.
• One of the minions operating the controls could be “convinced” to share the self-destruct codes.
• The PCs may be able to defeat the wizard, convincing him to stop the War Machine in exchange for his life.

Bringing a War Machine into a Mutant Future campaign should not be done lightly since the power of one is potentially campaign-breaking. (You're introducing an unstoppable machine with unimaginable weapons into your game. What happens if the PCs take control of it?) A War Machine should be introduced as something akin to a force of nature - and one that must be utterly destroyed before it completes its mission of doom.

New Character Race: Mastermind

Hit Dice: 1d4 per point of CON
Mutations: 1d4 + 2 mental, no physical

Masterminds are the mysterious - though civilized - intellectuals of the Mutant Future. They feel that only through education and knowledge can the civilizations of The Ancients be reachieved. It’s fairly easy to identify a Mastermind. They appear to be as Pure Strain Humans, except for a enlarged, bald cranium which houses his or her overdeveloped brain. They can be aloof, egotistical, and haughty, though they are not malicious. They often feel they know the correct thing to do in any situation, though they may overanalyze things to the point of near inaction.

Masterminds are physically weak and frail. They have a penalty of -2 when rolling for Strength. They also roll 1d4 per point of CON for their hit point total instead of the usual 1d6. However, due to their advanced mental capacities, Masterminds receive a +2 bonus when rolling for their Intelligence and Willpower scores.

Though weak, Masterminds can thrive in the Mutant Future due to their highly developed brains which have unlocked powerful psychic abilities. Masterminds receive 1d4 + 2 mental mutations. If any mental mutation is rolled twice, the Mutant Lord is encouraged to “supercharge” the ability by doubling its range, increasing its damage potential, or otherwise improving on the mutation in some way. Masterminds will never possess any physical mutations (except for, you know, the big head). One interesting characteristic: Masterminds do not speak. Rather they communicate through an innate Neural Telepathy ability. (This ability is not to be counted as one of the Mastermind’s mental mutations.)

Masterminds are usually a fairly isolated race, preferring to form small communities called “Think Tanks” where they silently commune with each other and try to formulate a plan for reviving the civilizations of Old Earth. However, a Mastermind may be sent out into the world to gather data, do research, and interact with the denizens of the world.

NOTE: I'd like to thank Malcadon for his help in naming this new race!

Creatures of the Wastelands: Habitats Now Out For Mutant Future

Sorry if I sound like a shill for Skirmisher Publishing LLC, but I have been very pleased with the flood of Mutant Future-compatible material they have released this month. And the goodness continues with the recent release of Creatures of the Wasteland: Habitats. This 20-page supplement describes 44 different locations and lairs you may encounter in the blasted lands. How will your mutant minions fare as they explore regions like Honeycomb Mountains, Tropical Permafrost, and Skeleton Galleries? Creatures of the Wastelands: Habitats is now available as a digital download for $1.99 at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.

All Creatures of the Wastelands Products 20% Off Through Oct. 11

Interesting. I just got an RPGNow newsletter and they're running a "Movie Mayhem" 20% off sale through Oct. 11 on selected products. And it looks like the entire Creatures of the Wastelands line for Mutant Future is on sale.

Creatures of the Wastelands - $6.39
Creatures of the Wastelands: Mutational Evolution - $4.79
Creatures of the Wastelands: Thrasher Gang - $2.39
And Creatures of the Wastelands: Random Encounters is still free.

This 20% off offer is also going on at DriveThruRPG, so choose your favorite RPG outlet and get to downloading!

[Thundarr Thursday] Savage Menagerie: The Sleeping Demon

No. Enc.: 1
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90' (30'); flying 240’ (80’)
Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 13
Attacks: 3 (2 claws, bite)
Damage: 1d10, 1d10, 1d12
Save: L11
Morale: 11
Hoard Class: none

The Sleeping Demon is a unique creature in the Thundarr universe as it is not a natural denizen of the ruined Earth of the future. Nor is the creature mystical, magical, or demonic in nature. Rather it is an Ancient genetic experiment revived from suspended animation by the wanna-be wizard Judag.

The Sleeping Demon appears to be a cross between a hawk, an owl, and a gorilla. It has hawk-like talons for both hands and feet as well as a fully-developed set of wings powerful enough to carry both itself and a victim aloft. The exact name of the creature as well as the experiment which spawned it are lost to the sands of time.

The Sleeping Demon is incredibly strong. It attacks with its talon "hands" for 1d10 hit points of damage for each claw and it can bite with its powerful beak for 1d12 hit points of damage. It has a ravenous appetite and it will feed on any mutant it can get its claws into. Due to its hunger, The Sleeping Demon has a very high morale. It will not stop or retreat until it has fed.

In Thundarr's time, the legend of The Sleeping Demon is well-known. Its exact nature and background is still steeped in mystery and myth though. It is said that whosoever awakens The Sleeping Demon will be granted the powers of a wizard. The truth is that the awakener will most likely be the first victim the "Demon" will feed upon. (After all, it hasn't eaten in more than 1,000 years.) After feeding, the Demon will then fly to the nearest village and continue its feast.

Mutations: complete wing development

NOTE: This creature is inspired by the episode “The Den of the Sleeping Demon” from the classic Ruby Spears post-apocalyptic cartoon “Thundarr the Barbarian.” Stay tuned each week for “Thundarr Thursday”!

[Thundarr Thursday] Savage Menagerie: Devil Rat

No. Enc.: 2d6 (2d10)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 3
Attacks: 1 (bite or claw)
Damage: 1d8 or 1d6
Save: L2
Morale: 6
Hoard Class: XIII

Devil rats are vicious beasts who have evolved from common rats. They are fairly large due to gigantism, running from 7 to 14 feet from head to tail. When they stand upon their hind legs, they can tower over most normal-sized mutants. Devil rats are found in very dimly lit locations such as caves, caverns, and sewers. Though they are not blind, they have developed severe light sensitivity and will be unable to see if the light is brighter than a torch or flashlight.

Devil rats have a natural armor. They are covered in bony horns and plates, the most obvious is the bony fin along its spine, the horns on its head, and the jutting tusks thrust from its mouth. However, the devil rat does not use these horns and tusks for attacking. Devil rats attack by biting for 1d8 hit points of damage. If they sit up on their haunches, they can lash out with a claw attack for 1d6 hit points of damage. However, they are fairly slow when attacking this way and get only one claw attack in a round. (Devil rats rear up like this to frighten and intimidate its victim, not because it's a better way of attacking.)

Mutations: gigantism, natural armor, vision impairment (severe light sensitivity)

NOTE: This creature is inspired by the episode “The Den of the Sleeping Demon” from the classic Ruby Spears post-apocalyptic cartoon “Thundarr the Barbarian.” Stay tuned each week for “Thundarr Thursday”!

[Thundarr Thursday] Savage Menagerie: Feloid

No. Enc.: 1d10 (3d10)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 150' (50')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 8
Attacks: 3 or 1 (2 claws and bite, or weapon)
Damage: 1d6, 1d6, 1d8 or weapon type
Save: L7
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: V

Feloids are mutant felines often found working as muscle for wizards. Upon first glance, Feloids could be mistaken for Tigrisoids (MF rulebook, pg. 87). However, whereas Tigrisoids are mutant descendants of Ancient tigers, Feloids have descended from domesticated felines, i.e., housecats. Because of this, Feloids are slightly smaller and less courageous than their larger cousins. Since they are descended from domesticated stock, Feloids are often found working for humans, especially wizards who appreciate their relative obedience. Feloids have also evolved without any mutations.

Feloids usually attack with whatever weapon they have been provided - often stun or laser pistols. However, in close combat, they will lash out with their claws for 1d6 hit points damage each and a fanged bite for 1d8 hit points damage. Feloids are fairly dexterous and cunning, though they will often retreat once combat has turned against them.

Mutations: none

NOTE: This creature is inspired by the episode “The Den of the Sleeping Demon” from the classic Ruby Spears post-apocalyptic cartoon “Thundarr the Barbarian.” Stay tuned each week for “Thundarr Thursday”!

Mutant Future Review On All Games Considered Podcast

This week's episode of the podcast All Games Considered has a lot of old school and retroclone RPG discussion. Of note to readers of The Savage AfterWorld: Ben Balestra dedicated his segment, "Games You May Never Have Heard Of," to a review of Mutant Future! Ben's rather complimentary review begins at the 20:15 mark of the podcast. To hear "Episode 114: Gaming From The Past In The Future," go to the AGC Web site or grab the file here.

Skirmisher Support For MF Explodes With Three New Supplements!

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has really thrown its support behind Mutant Future! They have released three new supplements for our favorite radioactive RPG!

Creatures of the Wastelands: Mutational Evolution is one step beyond a creature compendium. Author Derek Holland reveals how evolution and mutation creates the monsters of the blighted future. Using his experience as a zoologist, he shows the Mutant Lord how to create descending generations from the original creature family. Considering their mutational history, what will the seventh generation of giant yellowjacket be like? The book contains more than 100 new creatures, several new mutations, detailed family trees, and illustrations by Dragan Ciric and William T. Thrasher. The book is $5.99 and is available as a PDF download at sites such as RPGNow and DriveThruRPG.

Creatures of the Wastelands: Random Encounters contains 15 random encounter tables for use with Mutant Future. These tables update and expand upon the random encounter tables in the original rulebook by also incorporating creatures from the original Creatures of the Wastelands supplement as well as from CotW: Mutational Evolution. The book is a free download and is available at RPGNow and DriveThruRPG.

Creatures of the Wastelands: The Thrasher Gang is a downloadable set of 30mm Cardstock Characters miniatures compatible with Skirmisher's line of CotW supplements. The set consists of nine full-color mutants, villains, and rogues your PCs may encounter during their adventures in the Mutant Future. If you need some quick minis for your tabletop battle, this set is $2.99 and is available at RPGNow and DriveThruRPG.

Savage Menagerie: Cannibal Robot

No. Enc.: 1
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: varies, but usually 120' (40')
Armor Class: 6 or better
Hit Dice: 50 + 1d20 hit points
Attacks: varies
Damage: varies
Save: L6
Morale: 5
Hoard Class: VIII

A cannibal robot is any kind of artificial intelligence that has overridden its programming to make survival and self-preservation its only priority. To do this, a cannibal robot salvages materials, parts, and other items of use from other AI machines and grafts them into its own hardware. A cannibal robot will attack and destroy other forms of robotic life in order to supply itself with the parts it feels it needs to carry on. Because of the cannibalistic nature of these 'bots, only one will ever be encountered at a time since two or more will attack each other for the valuable parts they contain.

A cannibal robot (nicknamed "crankenstein" by some) can be identified by its hodge-podge assembly. They may have multiple limbs and weapons, varying modes of mobility, and an odd assortment of sensors. Cannibal robots are as close to "insane" as an AI construct can get due to the copious amounts of conflicting hardware and software programming it may have implemented into its systems. Because a cannibal robot can have any number of random limbs and systems, it is suggested that the stats discussed here be used only as a guideline for their construction. The Mutant Lord is encouraged to randomly roll and/or choose parts for the cannibal robot as each is wildly different from another. For more information on the variations of robots and androids, refer to the Mutant Future rulebook, pgs. 126-132.

Because a cannibal robot may have welded extra armor plating and protection to itself, its armor class should start at a base AC of 7 + 1d4 extra levels of armor protection. (A roll of 3 equals a final AC of 4.) Along the same lines, a cannibal robot starts with a base of 50 hit points plus 1d20 extra hit points due to "self-improvement."

Cannibal robots usually have bipedal locomotion (120'/40' movement rate) though there have been rare instances of wheeled or flying 'bots. (Mutant Lord's discretion.) They have 2 primary manipulator limbs with 1d4 extra limbs attached. At least one of these ends with an arc welder or riveter to allow for the attachment of new salvage. The other limbs can end with any other robotic manipulator or weapon imaginable. (Again, Mutant Lord's discretion.) Because of the overwhelming sense of survival these robots have, they have a comparatively low morale and will retreat the moment they feel threatened. Cannibal robots are also cowardly and will often attack in a guerrilla style or with ranged weapons. They also have a "lair" of sorts where they stockpile supplies, tools, scrap, and other items they may need for future upgrades and repairs.

Cannibal robots will always attack any AI construct it encounters. Its secondary target will be any Ancient technology it can take and graft onto itself. All adventuring parties will have something a cannibal robot will covet and kill to possess.

Dangerous Encounter: The Treasure of Dri'in Hill - Part 2

This adventure picks up after the events of The Treasure of Dri'in Hill - Part 1 and assumes the PCs are entering the Mant hill. Refer to the map above for a map of the Mant lair. (Click for a larger version.) Upon entering the hill, PCs will descend a long sloping tunnel leading deep underground. PCs will enter the map from the north where indicated. Since it’s a new colony, there are not many Mants lurking about yet. The Mants in the underground colony have the same mutations and stats as the ones above ground. For convenience's sake, here are the stats for all Mants (MF rulebook, pg. 82) encountered in the Mant hill (rather than repeating them with each encounter):

Mants (AL C, MV 120' (40'), AC 5, HD 7, #AT 3 (2 claws, 1 bite), DG 1d8, 1d8, 2d8, SV L9, ML 11, Mutations: control light waves, body adjustment)

1. To help guard the entrance and deter intruders, the Mants have set up a rolling boulder trap shortly after the entrance tunnel levels out. A small thin tripwire is stretched across the tunnel. If the tripwire is broken, a large boulder will tumble out of a tunnel to the east. In 3 rounds, it will crash out of the alcove, crushing anyone in its way for 6d10 hit points of damage. The boulder will also completely seal off the entrance.

2. There are two Mant guards patrolling the entrance here. They will come running if they hear the boulder trap tripped.

3. This dead end is a new tunnel complex the Mants were working on. However they realized the earth was far too loose to be safely excavated so they abandoned the project. The earth should be described as very unstable, and dust and grit should constantly rain on the characters. There is very little chance of a cave-in (5%) unless the characters are actively disturbing the fragile ceiling. Make them squirm thinking that they may be buried alive. There is nothing of interest here.

4. This is a rookery where the Mant eggs being laid by the Queen (area 5) are being deposited. There are currently 47 large, orange, leathery eggs lining the walls and columns of this area. Three trained Giant Ants (MF rulebook, pg. 59) are patrolling this maze-like area. They are trained to attack any non-Mant.

Giant Ants (3) (AL N, MV 180' (60'), AC 3, HD 4, #AT 1, DG 2d6, SV L2, ML 7, Mutations: gigantism)

5. The Queen of the Mant colony is here (MF rulebook, pg. 82). She is being guarded by three Mant drones. She is monstrously bloated and is incapable of attacking or moving. If the Queen is attacked, she will release a monstrous hissing shriek that will reverberate throughout the complex. All other Mants in the complex will come running to her defense. She also has the mutations of control light waves and body adjustment like all other Mants in this colony have. NOTE: One of the Mant drones in this area has the keys to both the prisoner’s chains in area 6 and the treasure cage in area 8.

6. A prisoner is being held here to feed the Queen later. The mutated animal (beaver) is half-crazed with fright and will assume the PCs are there to drag him to his doom. He has fashioned a crude flint knife (1d4 hit points damage) that he will use to defend himself. If the PC calm him down, he will explain that his name is Siqve, and he came looking for the treasure as well. He was captured by the Mant patrol outside nearly 3 weeks ago. Siqve will tell the PCs he has a scroll proving the existence of the treasure. He'll unroll the "scroll" pictured to the right. “It says right there that it’s being kept in some kind of cage!” he'll say. Siqve knows that the treasure is being kept in the northwest area of the tunnel complex. If freed, he will fight alongside the PCs.

7. Four Mant guards are patrolling the entrance to the treasure area here.

8. The treasure of Dri'in Hill is here deep within this curling tunnel area. Surprisingly, the treasure is locked in an old cage (as a deterrent to keep the Mant drones from helping themselves to it). Siqve's personal possessions (weapon, tools) are here as well as the following: a fully charged hologram projector, a set of LazAb armor, a pair of infra-red goggles, and a survival kit. There is also 4,165 silver coins and 4,599 gold coins in a large aluminum strongbox. (If the Mutant Lord is feeling goofy, feel free to toss in a whole bunch of Ancient movie-related promotional stuff the Mants scavenged from the Snack Shack. That's also where Siqve found his "evidence" of the treasure.)

NOTE: The map of the Mant lair was generated using the Random Cave Map Creator at Gozzy’s.com.

Ancient Armory: Megalert

This drug is found in capsule form and is one of the strongest stimulants ever developed by the Ancients. The drug was used for those times when a sudden burst of superhuman strength and stamina were needed. One capsule will increase a PC's Strength by 1 and his Constitution by 2. This effect can be increased for each pill taken, up to 3 capsules. (2 pills = +2 STR and +4 CON; 3 pills = +3 STR and +6 CON) This effect will last 1d6 X 10 turns per pill consumed. However, after the pills wear off, the character will "crash." Both their Strength and Constitution scores will drop by half during this period. Only if the character rests for a full 24 hours for each pill consumed can they negate this decrease in ability. (3 pills = 72 hours of uninterrupted rest) If a character is unfortunate enough to consume 4 or more capsules, the "crash" takes place immediately, and they will be at half-STR/CON until they are able to rest as previously described. One bottle of Megalert typically contains 2d6 capsules.