RIP "The Deacon"

Farewell to one of my favorite over-the-top villains from one of my favorite over-the-top post-apocalyptic films.

Full-length Mutant Future Adventure Module Released: Re-Energizers!

Faster Monkey Games is the first one out of the gate with the first full-length adventure for Mutant Future! "Re-Energizers" is a 16-page PDF for beginning characters just starting their journey into the Wastelands. From the back cover:

In the mutated post-apocalypse, a man with a laser gun can win an argument. A man with two killer attack robots, though, can rule a whole town–and that’s just what Boss Jarvis does, dominating the little fortified settlement called Xitnine. When Jarvis needs someone to fetch new batteries for his mechanical henchmen, his jaded eye falls on the strangers in town… and that’s you. It sounds like a decent job, so long as you ignore the rumors of swarming mutant beasts, robots gone berserk, and deadly fields of radiation.

As an extra bonus, FMG is holding a Mutational Day Sale from now until Memorial Day. You can pick up this premiere trek into the Blasted Lands for only $3.00! (The sale also extends to FMG's other support materials for Savage Worlds and Labyrinth Lord). Re-Energizers is now available for download at RPGNow.com.

"The Great Cities Have Risen And Fallen..."

If you've enjoyed "Thundar Thursday," you'll enjoy this teaser for an upcoming Mutant Future-related series of blog posts:

[Thundarr Thursday] World of Thundarr Sourcebook Updated

No new entries today, but I did have time to update The World of Thundarr the Barbarian Sourcebook with a ton of recent new material. This month's updates include:

• Aquagill
• Attack of the Amazon Women adventure
• Sky Dragon
• Chatterer
• Grizzly Snake
• Yondo the Wizard
• Oceanbrood
• Spellrender

That brings the contents of the supplement up to:

• 57 pages of Thundarr/Mutant Future goodness
• 3 Character Races
• 5 NPCs
• 9 Dangerous Devices
• 25 Creatures
• And 4 full adventures in the Thundarr world!

As always, my plans are to update the sourcebook once a month with any new material added so this will always be up-to-date. Announcements (like this one) will be made whenever an updated file is posted. The full sourcebook will always remain free and available for download over there in the right-hand column.

One note: I may switch gears off of Thundarr for a bit as I have something else in mind for Thursday for a few weeks. Another barbarian in a post-apocalyptic world is hammering at the door and demanding equal time.

In a dark, future wasteland, the Great Cities have risen and fallen. Civilization's grip on mankind has grown weak and arthritic. Dark forces seek to renew forgotten covenants, and primordial beasts reclaim the wilderness. Out of the frozen north, a man emerges - a man of a barbaric age, whose merciless savagery may be the only key to his survival.

Ancient Armory: Intellipen

At first glance, an Intellipen looks like any other Ancient writing utensil. However, the Intellipen contains an incredibly small robotic AI built into it allowing it to communicate and interact with its owner.

If a clever mutant examines this "pen," he may notice the device is slightly more bulky than a usual pen, and it seems to have a small microphone and pinhole camera built into it. If the Intellipen is activated (by "clicking" the top like a regular ball-point pen), the device's AI will activate. The Intellipen has a built in gyroscope allowing it to remain balanced on its point. By shifting its balance, the Intellipen can actually write, draw, sketch, and otherwise move across a sheet of paper (or any appropriate writing surface).
The uses of an intelligent self-writing device are endless:

• The Intellipen can be left active, monitoring a certain location. When its owner returns, he can ask the pen to sketch the faces of any who entered the area in his absence.
• The Intellipen can record a conversation and write out the dialogue later upon request.
• Any maps, pictures, or drawings recorded by the Intellipen can be accurately re-sketched later.

The Intellipen has no voice function however, so it must communicate only through the written word. The Intellipen can only write upon surfaces an ordinary pen can write on. If no surface exists, the pen will not work properly. Also, the Intellipen can only draw/write as fast as any human hand would be capable of doing, so speed is not an issue. Due to its size, an Intellipen is fairly fragile - it will be permanently damaged if it takes more than 15 hit points of damage.

If the Mutant Lord wishes, the Intellipen could be preloaded with software by the previous owner. Some examples would be:

• Cartography - The pen can accurately sketch out thousands of maps and charts of the countryside and surrounding terrain (pre-apocalyptic).
• Medical - The pen has hundreds of medical books and tomes within allowing it to "guide" the owner through complex diagnoses and/or surgical procedures.
• Statistical - The pen can accurately determine a "best course of action" after a host of appropriate data is input.
• Forgery (criminal) - The pen can accurately create a forged document from the Ancient days and may even be able to forge realistic-looking money as well.

Discovery of an Intellipen's true nature could take days (or even years) before the owner realizes what they have. The extent of the pen's knowledge/intelligence is left to the Mutant Lord. The Intellipen may also be be a great plot device if it were found to be preloaded with a previously recorded map to a great Ancient treasure!

[Thundarr Thursday] Thundarr the Barbarian Opening Credits

Hey gang,

It dawned on me that there may be one or two of you out there who have never seen the opening credits to Thundarr the Barbarian. So, here you go. One note: Watch for the fleeting appearance of the Spellrender - the only time this very cool creature ever appeared in the show. (It shows up between 34 and 37 seconds - yup, only 3-4 seconds was this critter ever on the show.)

[Thundarr Thursday] Savage Menagerie: Spellrender

No. Enc.: 1
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90' (30'); Flying: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 3

Hit Dice: 12
Attacks: 3 (claw/claw/bite)
Damage: 2d8/2d8/4d8
Save: L6
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: None

A Spellrender is not a naturally occurring creature; it is a magical being brought into existence only through very powerful Wizard magics. Because of this, only 1 will ever be encountered at a time and there is no chance of meeting one in its "lair."

A Spellrender looks like a large lizard-like monster with a set of leathery membranous wings (complete wing development) and glowing pupilless yellow eyes. Two sets of two-toed claws are found on its "arms" and "legs" and a serpentine tail rounds out the beast's appearance. The Spellrender is covered in a thick slime coating, but this is harmless and not poisonous in the least. A Spellrender can attack with its claws for 2d8 hit points of damage for each claw that hits and it can also bite for 4d8 hit points of damage. The Spellrender's eyes can also fire out a dazzling bright light which blinds all opponents within 30' for 1d4 rounds. This blindness causes a -4 penalty on attack rolls and increases the victim's armor class by 4 while they stagger around blinded.

The true purpose of a Spellrender is in its mutation/magic sink ability. All Wizards and Sorcerers within 90' of a Spellrender will find that their ability to cast spells and wield magic is gone. The creature radiates a field that just "shuts down" magical ability. Even worse for denizens of the Mutant Future is the mutation/magic sink also shuts down all mental mutations within this same area of effect. (Physical mutations are unaffected.) Many Wizards will bring a Spellrender into being and order it to attack a magic-wielding foe while the Wizard stays out of the range of the magic sink. When the victim finds herself unable to cast spells, the Wizard will hurl magic from afar while the Spellrender moves in for the physical kill. Unless a spell-casting victim is good with weapons as well, the Spellrender will make the fight a short one.

Mutations: mutation/magic sink; complete wing development; optic emissions (bright eyes)

NOTE: This creature was inspired by the opening credits from the Ruby Spears post-apocalyptic cartoon series "Thundarr the Barbarian." This incredibly cool-looking creature NEVER appeared in any episode, so I statted it out based on what it looks like and what I thought would be cool. Stay tuned each week for Thundarr Thursday!

Frank Frazetta: 1928 - 2010

Master fantasy and sci fi artist Frank Frazetta has died of a stroke at the age of 82. Frazetta is most closely associated with Robert E. Howard's "Conan the Barbarian" character. His signature work often featured bare-chested "sword and sorcery" heroes, helpless women, and fantasy creatures. Shown above is my favorite painting of his - The Death Dealer. One of the most iconic, in my opinion. Thanks Frank for fueling my imagination and giving life to my inner-most dreams.

[Thundarr Thursday] Savage Menagerie: Oceanbrood

No. Enc.: 1 (1d2)

Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120' (40'); Swimming: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 5

Hit Dice: 10
Attacks: 3 (claw/claw/bite)
Damage: 3d10/3d10/3d6
Save: L5
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None

The Oceanbrood are an offshoot of the Lobstrosity species (MF rulebook, pg. 81), although they are ten-times larger, more aggressive, and infinitely more dangerous. An Oceanbrood is 20' to 40' long and protected by a flexible outer shell. They are often found in or near large bodies of water. They are as quick in the water as they are on the ground, able to swim at its normal land movement rate.

An Oceanbrood's claws are diamond-hard and razor-sharp. Its claws have been known to pierce and cut through a ship's steel bulkhead! These claws do 3d10 hit points of damage to an unlucky victim. If a single claw attack of an Oceanbrood does more than 20 points of damage at one time, the PC should roll vs. death or they will have a limb severed by the knife-edged claw. A second save vs. death should then be rolled, otherwise the claw severed the PC's head or cut them in half, killing them instantly. The Oceanbrood will also bite an opponent with its mouth of pointed teeth, doing 3d6 hit points of damage.

Although it has very limited intelligence, an Oceanbrood can be trained to obey very simple commands if it is caught when young and trained as it grows. The river pirate Capt. Kordon was able to train an Oceanbrood to come when she blew a high-pitched whistle and to attack when she pointed to a victim. They cannot be trained to do anything more substantial.

Mutations: none

NOTE: This creature was inspired by the episode "Treasure of the Moks" from the Ruby Spears post-apocalyptic cartoon series "Thundarr the Barbarian." Stay tuned each week for Thundarr Thursday!

The Post-Apocalyptic Forums Now Open For Discussion

Just stumbled across a new forum for all things "end-of-the-world-ish." The Post-Apocalyptic Forums invites and encourages discussion on all forms of cataclysmic destruction. End-of-the-world books, movies, and TV shows are discussed right next to helpful survival tips to help you weather The End Times. Helpful links and news items could also be of use to Mutant Lords looking to spice up their campaigns. I've added a link over in my Smoldering Sites section or you could click one of the links above.

Return To The Colony August 2010

Discovery Channel's groundbreaking post-apocalyptic reality show The Colony returns for Season 2 in August 2010. Ten new episodes of the show have been ordered.

For those who missed Season 1 last year, The Colony is a controlled experiment to see if 10 volunteers can survive inside a simulated post-apocalyptic environment for two months. A gritty, urban warehouse in downtown Los Angeles served as the setting for Season 1. In Season 2, we've been told that the series goes to the next level of disaster reality, on location in the South. (Rumor has it that Season 2 is being filmed in a devastated post-Katrina area of Louisiana.)

Here's a link to The Colony's Discovery Channel page. No info on Season 2 has been posted yet, but here's a link to the press release closing out the casting call for Season 2 as well as some basic info on the new season.

Savage Menagerie: Armored Dillo

No. Enc.: 1d4
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120' (40') Rolling: 240' (80')
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 9
Attacks: 2/1 (claw/claw or crushing roll)
Damage: 1d12/1d12 or 2d12
Save: L5
Morale: 11
Hoard Class: VII

The Armored Dillo is a large (7' tall) bipedal mutant with a thick natural armor plating and long iron-like claws. Because of its size, strength, and armor, it's sometimes referred to as a "rolling tank."

The Dillo's natural armor mutation bestows upon it a fairly high armor class rating, making it very difficult to injure. Its claws (natural weapons) are mostly used for digging the burrows in which it lives, as well as digging up the grubs and roots it eats as its main source of food. However, these claws can be used by the Dillo in combat, doing 1d12 damage for each that hits.

The Dillo moves as fast as any other biped, but it has another mode of travel. The Dillo can tuck itself into ball and roll along the ground at twice its normal rate of speed - as if it had the quickness mutation. While in this form, the Dillo can travel uphill at its increased rate of speed without slowing down. It can also determine the best path to take, as it is not "blinded" when travelling in this manner. (It's as if it has some kind of "radar sense" when in ball form which allows it to effectively "see" the terrain and obstacles.) When in its ball form, the Dillo can also use this as a form of attack. It can ram into a PC with a crushing roll attack, doing 2d12 points of damage with the collision.

Dillos are found in desert and arid terrain. They are slightly above most other animals in intelligence, able to problem-solve and use tools (along the same levels as chimps and dolphins). Dillos will normally avoid any kind of confrontation, but will wade into combat without hesitation if threatened of angered.

Mutations: natural armor, natural weaponry, quickness (special form)