Monday, October 31, 2011

[Festival of Fright] Contest: The Stars Are Right!

For the Halloween edition of this year's Festival of Fright, I'm giving away a softback print copy of Goblinoid Games' Realms of Crawling Chaos. This Cthulhuesque supplement is fully compatible with Mutant Future, with new races, creatures, and rules for psionics. What better way to frighten your mutant PCs than by having a Great Old One stomping through the ruins!

To enter, just post in a Comment to this thread with your email contact in the Comment. Feel free to "de-Spambot" it in any way you wish, ie, name (at) whatever (dot) com or something. (See my email address over there in the right-hand column.) That's all it takes. Sometime later today, I'll take everyone who commented and will randomly draw a winner from the list. It's that simple. To keep things fair, only one Comment/entry per person. If I see a dupe entry, I toss 'em both, so reply only once. Also, don't enter multiple times under different names/accounts. That's just an ass thing to do. Next up, this is open to folks worldwide, as I'm happy to ship globally. I'll update this thread when the contest has ended and when a winner has been drawn and contacted.

EDITED TO ADD: And we have a winner! Of the 12 folks who entered, the lucky winner chosen by random d12 die roll is...well...I'm not sure how to pronounce "8afec12a-040d-11e1-8cfb-000bcdcb5194" so we;ll just use the first bits of his email address and claim "Stephan.LH" as the winner! Stephan, I've sent you an email telling you how to claim your prize. And thanks to everyone else for playing!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

[Festival of Fright] Dangerous Encounter: Dusk Of The Dead

This encounter best takes place on the road as the PCs travel to their next adventure. They should hear gunfire coming from up ahead. When they arrive on the scene, they'll find a man standing over another man laying face-up in the road. The standing man will be seen shooting the prone one in the head. There will be another victim laying nearby, a spreading pool of blood forming under their head. The man, panting heavily will look up when he hears the party approaching. When he sees their weapons (or if they make any noise), he'll wave them silent, trying to keep them quiet.

"Shhhh! You'll attract more of those!" he'll say, pointing to the dead men. "The dead walk in this area, and you need to be alert for them!" The two dead men are covered in blood with several obvious bite wounds on their arms and neck.

If the PCs ask, the man will explain that his name is Darion and that he and his family live in a nearby farmhouse. He was out gathering firewood when he says he heard groaning nearby. He says he stumbled across two of the Walking Dead (MF rulebook, pg. 101) and was just finishing them off when the party arrived.

"And where there's two, there must be more nearby! C'mon! My home is this way!" He'll point to an overgrown trail leading off the road while he also checks the ammo in his pistol. Satisfied that he's got plenty left, he'll begin running up the trail, motioning for the party to follow.

Darion is only telling half the truth. Yes, there are Walking Dead in the area. It just happens to be Darion and his family. Darion and his "family" are Walking Dead who happened to retain their human intelligence after they turned. Knowing they would be destroyed when discovered, Darion moved his small zombie clan to the isolated farmhouse. To keep the zombie virus from spreading out of his control, he and his family feed, then shoot their victims in the head to keep them from rising. When the party arrived, Darion had just finished off two unfortunate victims he had attacked on the road. And the PCs arrived just in time to feed the rest of his family.

Darion plans to lead the PCs back to the house where his clan lies waiting. They have not fed in a while and are borderline feral with hunger. However, the Mutant Lord should keep in mind that these are intelligent Walking Dead who have managed to survive this long through guile and subterfuge. When the party arrives, the the "family" will be seen cautiously looking out of the home's windows. "They're with me!" Darion will shout. "Let us in! There are Dead about!" The family (his "wife", "brother", "uncle" and two teen "sons") will eagerly unbolt the door and welcome the party.

Walking Dead (6) (AL C, MV 120' (40'), AC 8, HD 5, #AT 2 (rend/bite), DG 1d6/2d6, SV L4, ML 7, mutations: none)

Darion and the family will make a big production of barring the door and watching out the windows for other "zombies in the area." The family will try to separate the party. ("You stay here at the front window, and you come upstairs with me.") When the PC's guard is down, that's where they will attack. Darion is the only one armed with a pistol, but he will hesitate to use it as his ammo is running low and he plans to use the bullets on the PCs once they've been defeated, eaten, and before they turn as well.

This encounter could potentially turn very deadly, so the Mutant Lord is encouraged to give the PCs every opportunity for heroic life-saving actions. Perhaps one of the family could snap under the pressure and attack the party prematurely before they are separated. Or the party could hear moaning and groaning from the basement and, upon inspection, they find a future victim tied up for future feeding.

If things go badly, Darion will abandon his family and escape. He could become a threat if not tracked down as he may create a massive Walking Dead army just for revenge upon the PCs. These newly created zombies may not have Darion's intelligence, meaning the zombie plague could run wildly unchecked throughout the Mutant Future!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

[Festival of Fright] Notorius NPC: "Mort" the Mortician Bot

"Mort" the Mortician Bot
4th Level Synthetic

STR: 13 --- INT: 14
DEX: 15 --- WIL: 15
CON: 9 --- CHA: 16
HPs: 50 --- AC: 6
Mutations: increased sense (smell), force screen, quick mind

Somewhere on the outskirts of a ruined city is a long-ago-forgotten funeral home -- dilapidated and run down. Its caretaker -- a mortician bot named "Mort" -- sat silently for decades, waiting to be of use again. A few months ago, Mort's circuitry reactivated for a self-diagnostic and something went wrong. When Mort's circuitry reactivated, a small electrical spike caused a causal loop in his programming. He now views every living thing as a potential "client."

Mort's back in business.

Mort initially kept himself busy by embalming and mounting birds and small animals. As he became bolder, he "serviced" larger creatures and the occasional traveler he'd encounter on the nearby trails. Mort is now lurking near villages and towns close by, catching folks tilling the fields or tending their herds and bringing them back to his funeral home for processing. But Mort's not evil; he just has a job to do.

Mort is very hard to attack head-on as his increased smell enables him to detect when he's about to have company. He can also use this sense to detect and find hidden clients. His quick mind gives him a 100% chance to determine if someone is lying to him. And mental attacks are difficult as an attacker must successfully roll three times to have a mental attack succeed. He also has a built-in force screen that he can raise if he feels the "dearly departed" is being particularly troublesome. Mort has a +1 to hit/damage bonus due to his STR and his CHA gives him a -1 Reaction Adjustment.

Mort is not a skulking villain looking to kill villagers. He sees himself as providing a much-needed community service. He takes pride in his work and will be highly insulted if his motivations are brought into question. He may even show off his "displays" to anyone interested. Little do they know that he has already selected them as the next clients who will benefit from his services.

Mort should come across as creepy, but initially harmless. He's charismatic, pragmatic and fairly straightforward when discussing what he used to do for The Ancients. "But I no longer prepare the Dearly Departed for their final destination," he'll sadly tell the party. He'll then sweep back a curtain, revealing his collection. "I prepare those who have not yet departed," he'll state as he reaches for a scalpel and embalming needle. "So who's first?"

2011 NaGaDeMon Website Updated

After stumbling across this post at The Free RPG Blog, I discovered that there was a new website for the 2011 NaGaDeMon event. (I was afraid it had been cancelled as last year's site hadn't been updated.) But it appears that Nathan Russell, NaGaDeMon overlord and coordinator, simply moved the site to his primary account. So for those who want more info on National Game Design Month, what it is, how to participate, and if you can tie this into your 2011 NaNoWriMo project, simply click this year's banner (over yonder to the left) or click on this link.

As for me, I'll still be using my combination NaNo/NaGa logo to tag any news and announcements as I plan to combine both events into this year's maniacal writing push.

[Festival of Fright] Ancient Armory: Silver Shamrock Masks

Silver Shamrock masks are simple rubber face-coverings that come in three styles: a pumpkin head, a skull, and a green-faced witch. These disguises were used by The Ancients during the Festival of Fright to frighten others and hide their identities while they extorted "treats" from the community. But these masks are even more sinister than originally realized, as the creator of the masks had a much more nefarious purpose for them. The masks -- created by Conal Cochran, president of Silver Shamrock Novelties -- were designed to bring about the End of the World.

Each Silver Shamrock mask has a small label located on the back of the head. Underneath this label is a small microchip with a small sliver of Stonehenge embedded in the circuitry. This combination of high science and occult witchcraft will cause the wearer of the mask to suffer ahorrid fate when a specific signal is sent to the chip. When this signal is sent via radio waves or broadcast signal, the chip sends out a transformative ray directly into the wearer's skull. The brain dissolves into a festering pile of goo, pus, and ichor. Within this fetid mass will hatch a swarm of deadly insects and vermin which will pour out of the mask, attacking all within range. Cochran wished to bring about the End of the World via the masks, but was stopped before he could put his plan into effect.

In the Mutant Future, the true nature of these masks is still unrealized. Some of the pumpkin masks may be kept by and worshiped by Pumpkin Men (MF rules, pg. 90). The party may encounter Tricker Treaters wearing them on their nefarious rounds. Regardless, the true nature may indeed be known by these villains. Picture a Pumpkin Man ritual where they sacrifice a victim to their Pumpkin God using one of these masks and a tape recorder with an Ancient recording of the signal...

Five more days 'til Halloween... Halloween... Halloween... Five more days 'til Halloween... Silver Shamrock!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

19th Century Post-Apocalyptic American Fiction

Blog-meister JDJarvis over at Aeons & Augaries has discovered something far too cool not to mention. He discovered a book titled The Last American, which is a post-apocalyptic view of the United States written in 1889 -- more than a century ago!

Written by John Ames Mitchell (co-founder of LIFE Magazine), the short book offers a twisted view of what life in the long-ago-fallen U.S. as seen through the eyes of Persian archaeologists visiting the ruins of the crumbling continent. I'll hush up now about the book (I don't want to steal his thunder) and will point you to JDJarvis's entry over at his blog for more info on this fascinating piece of fiction. But I will post a couple of eerie pictures from the book which set the mood:"The Great Temple" in Washington, indeed...

[Festival of Fright] Savage Menagerie: Gill-Man

No. Enc.: 1 (1d6)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120' (40'); Swimming 120' (40')
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: 2 (claw/claw)
Damage: 2d6/2d6
Save: L3
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: IV

Gill-men are amphibious humanoids thought to be the so-called "missing link" -- the point at which water-breathing creatures evolved the ability to breathe air and survive on land. They are fully amphibious, able to breathe both water (through a set of large gills on their necks) and air (with a fully developed set of lungs). Gill-men possess superhuman strength, so they can lift heavy objects with ease as well as throwing around a foe they're fighting. They possess large webbed claws and feet, allowing them to swim underwater as fast as they can run on land. Their claws are quite sharp, and with their increased strength, will do 2d6 points of rending damage in combat.

Gill-men are solitary creatures; only one is usually encountered at any given time. However, rumors circulate of small "nests" or lairs of Gill-men in which 1d6 lay in wait. These lairs are found in underwater caves or grottos, accessible only through an underwater entrance in a freshwater lake, river, or lagoon. Gill-men do not usually attack interlopers unless they fell threatened or are attacked themselves. They may lurk and silently watch the strangers, but will make no motion to interfere as long as they are not molested. However, if they feel threatened, they will use their knowledge of the area to cut off the party from the outside world before starting their attack.

Mutations: water breathing, increased strength

Friday, October 21, 2011

Roll Versus Perception - Thoughts On A New Ability Score

"Release me! I've told you everything I know!" the captive pigman spat. Goldar considered the bound creature's words before leaning forward with a sneer. "You're lying," he said matter-of-factly. "You stink of deception."

-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-

As they entered the warehouse, Snaxix held his hand up, motioning for the group behind him to stop. As they stood in silence, he swept his eyes across the open area. "We're being watched," Snaxix said. "I think we're walking right into an ambush."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Where'd he go?" Dr. Faustion asked as he glanced around the library. "I though we saw him dart into here!" Cygus-14 clanked over to a rug on the wooden floor. Reaching down, she pulled it away, revealing a hidden trapdoor. "Open sesame," the cyborg stated with just a touch of humor.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It's a situation that often surfaces in your games -- An NPC is telling a bold-face lie. An enemy lies in wait for the PCs. An important MacGuffin is hidden from the party. In each case, it is important for the party to deduce the nature of the deception, but how do you role-play these events? Well, I've seen this handled in a few ways:

AD&D - My DM had two methods: If it was a "find the hidden thing" roll, he'd have us roll the standard "Detect Secret Doors" check (1 out of 6). If it was a "detect the lie/make a leap of deductive logic," it'd be a check versus Wisdom (d20 versus your ability score). So either you had a straight 16% chance of finding a hidden thing (crazy low chance) or, with an 18 WIS, you had a 90% chance of catching someone in a lie/detecting an ambush (crazy high chance). Both of these seemed wildly out of balance.

Villains and Vigilantes - This superhero RPG was unusual in that it had a specific check specifically for these events. There is both a "Detect Hidden" and "Detect Danger" score given to each PC based upon his INT score. Higher the ability score, the higher the percent chance for your "Spidey Sense" to kick in. It was elegant, although it seemed like it skewed low. With an 18 INT, a PC had a 14% chance to Detect Hidden and an 18% chance to Detect Danger. A hero had to have some kind of super-mega-ultra senses to keep from stumbling around oblivious to dangerous situations or to find anything that's been concealed.

Mutant Future - Many Mutant Lords I've encountered use a roll versus a PC's Intelligence score to notice something amiss or to discover something hidden. But I always thought of INT as a measure of how smart the character is, not how observant the character is. Smart people aren't necessarily the most observant. There is no "Wisdom" equivalent to work with in Mutant Future, as Willpower is in play now. And that is a measure of a PC's internal fortitude and mental strength. So we're a bit stuck...

As you can see, I've given this a LOT of thought.

Mutant Future really doesn't have a system in place to role-play these "flashes of intuition." So I've endeavored to try to work out something to simulate those sudden moments of intellectual clarity. As I see it, everyone's ability to notice minutiae is different. Some are more observant than others. Also, some folks have a more intuned "sixth sense" when it comes to intuition. They pay attention to that prickly feeling on the back of their necks when something is wrong. To reflect this, I offer a new PC ability score -- the attribute we'll call "Perception." This score -- unique to each PC -- comes into play when the PC has a chance to intuitively notice when something is amiss, or when he and the party are in great danger.

*** Perception As An Ability ***
Just as a character's physical and mental prowess are given ability scores (STR, DEX, INT, CON, WIL, CHA), a PC's Perception (PER) should also be graded. When a PC is first generated, he should also roll for his PER using the same 3d6 method as his other scores. Once generated, refer to the Perception Ability Table to determine the PC's Insight % score and To Hit/Damage modifier:

PER --- Insight % --- To hit/damage modifier
3 --- 5% --- 0
4-5 --- 9% --- 0
6-8 --- 12% --- 0
9-12 --- 15% --- 0
13-15 --- 18% --- +1
16-17 --- 21% --- +1
18 --- 25% --- +2
19 --- 28% --- +2
20 --- 30% --- +2
21 --- 33% --- +3

Any time a PC is trying to locate a concealed item or enemy, or if immediate danger is in the area, the ML should call for a roll versus his Insight % score. Average scores (9-12) reflect percentage chance that's close to the 1 in 6 Secret Doors detection chance. Using that as a base, those PCs higher than average are more observant, and thus have a higher Insight %. And, conversely, lower PER scores equal a lower Insight %.

Standard Perception checks on a d20 can be made for fairly obvious observations. ("Which of these mutants is the tribal leader?" (PER roll) You're fairly sure it's the guy with the top hat everyone is gathered around.") I would also use a standard PER check if the PC is trying to recall a bit of information. ("Which direction did the trader say to go? (PER roll) "You remember that he said to go west, staying on the trails.")

In my opinion, a character with a high PER is probably very observant during combat. He intuitively knows a foe's weaknesses, giving him a slight advantage during combat. This is reflected in the To Hit/Damage bonus for high PER scores. However, there is no combat penalty for lower PER scores, as the PC just doesn't pick up on those subtle "tells" in a fight.

To wrap up my thoughts on this, the ML is encouraged to adjust the PER score of any PC who has a mutation giving them enhanced senses. To keep things simple, any mutation that enhances any of a PC's physical senses should be reflected in a +1 to his PER score. Certain mental mutations could also increase this score as well at the ML's discretion. (This is why the table goes up to 21, although I suggest that this score is the uppermost limits of perceptive ability.)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

NEW MATERIAL BEGINS HERE: I had it pointed out to me that an article appearing in Dragon Magazine Issue 133 discussed a similar concept. I found the article mentioned and -- I'll be damned -- "Notice Anything Different? The Perception Score: A New Way of Looking at Things." Nearly identical to my post too. So, here's another idea:

*** Perception As An All-Encompassing Average ***
A character's ability to "sense" the unseen could be said to encompass all of his senses. What he sees, hears, smells, and feels all contribute to his perception of the world around him. Therefore, a person's Perception as an all-encompassing heightened ability could be said to derive from all of his other abilities, ie, his Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Willpower, Intelligence, and Charisma.

To reflect this, the PC should calculate an average of all of his scores (rounded up), then multiply it by 1.5 for his final Insight % score. So:
STR -14
DEX -12
WIL -12
DEX -9
CON -17
+ CHA -16
------------
TOTAL = 80
80/6 = 13.333 = 14
14 x 1.5 = 21% Insight score

Rather than a new ability score, this quick calculation will give each PC his individual Insight percentage chance. Not as cumbersome as a new ability score, and the better a PC is at everything else, the better his chances of being in touch with the world around him.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The band of nomads walked nervously along the bottom of the canyon. Suddenly, the scout riding at the front of the caravan sat up in his mount's saddle. He brought his blaster pistol up and, without a word, fired a shot into a nearby tree. A hidden sniper tumbled from the upper branches and hit the ground with a thud. Still silent, the scout re-holstered his gun and motioned for the caravan to keep up with him.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Nuclear Evolution Marches On

Discovered this nifty image at Zazzle a few weeks back. Took advantage of a recent 50% sale and got it transferred to a "fallout shelter sign-gold" t-shirt. Just got it today. It's awesome-sauce. It's what all the better-dressed mutants are wearing!

EDIT: This may help too: Use code DEALONSHIRTS for 20% off!

Friday, October 14, 2011

The Festival Of Fright Returns On October 25

A broken moon stares down at the Blasted Earth like a shattered eye. The spidergoats bleat in the darkened distance and a chill wind whistles through the barren scorched trees. There are whispered rumors that the Ancient Dead walk the lands at this time of year. The rumors are correct.

The Festival of Fright returns on October 25 this year for one week. Lock the door to your bomb shelter. Arm yourself with garlic, silver bullets, pitchforks, and torches. And wait for the cleansing sun of November 1 to wash away the terror.

BOO!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Donate To The "Bail Out The Warden" Fund

Jim Ward, game designer and father of the gonzo post-apocalypse RPG genre (author/co-author of Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World), has been fighting a serious illness for some time now. Although he is in good spirits and still active in the community, his medical expenses are continuously on the increase as he deals with his condition.

Game designing stalwart Tim Kask has set up the "Bail Out the Warden" Fund which accepts donations toward Jim's medical expenses. I'd like to encourage all of my readers as well as fans of the genre Jim created to please make a donation by clicking the header image above. I have also placed a permanent donation button over there in the right-hand column. This blog wouldn't exist without Jim's mutated vision and warped sense of humorous adventure, so please take a sec and toss a few plasteel coins in the fund. Thank you.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Savage Menagerie: Flynoceros

No. Enc.: 0 (1d8)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: Fly: 210' (70')
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 7
Attacks: 1 (butt)
Damage: 3d6
Save: L4
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None

The Flynoceros is a legless winged mutation of the common rhinoceros (MF rulebook, page 92). Just like its notorious cousin, a Flynoceros also has an ill temper and a willingness to charge and gore intruders. A Flynoceros attacks by swooping in at its full movement rate. If a PC is butted while a Flynoceros is at full speed, he will take double damage from the attack (6d6 hit points). All other butting attacks are only 3d6 hit points of damage.

Because it has no legs, a Flynoceros spends all of its time in flight, never landing. It feeds, drinks, sleeps, and even mates while in flight. It is assumed that the Flynoceros has an increased stamina mutation allowing it to remain in flight indefinitely. If one is "grounded" during combat or by accident, it will have difficulty righting itself to take flight again, succeeding on a 1 on a 1d4 roll. If a party stumbles across a grounded Flynoceros, there will probably be others in the air protecting their fallen herdmate.

Mutations: complete wing development, increased stamina

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Why NaNoWriMo When You Can NaGaDeMon?

(NaNoWriMo logo shamelessly lifted and tweaked...)

As many of you know, November marks National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. (I won't bore you with a lengthy explanation as I figure you either know about it, or can follow the previous link for details if you're not.) I've thrown my hat into the ring for the last 4 years, "winning" only once. (Got bored with my plot half-way through on two occasions, and just dropped the ball a third time.)

However, last year, I stumbled across another November-long writing blitzkrieg known as National Game Design Month, or NaGaDeMon. In 30 days, create, write, and play a game of your own creation, whether it's an RPG, board game, choose-your-own adventure book or whatever. For those folks who have a sourcebook or an adventure or other project peculating in the inner reaches of their brains, this is a great 30-day drive to getting that idea out and on paper.

I kinda missed the boat last year as I discovered NaGaDeMon shortly after NaNoWriMo 2010 launched. But I planned to revisit it in 2011. Upon first look, it seems that the NaGaDeMon site hasn't been updated since last year. So I'll take point this year and invite readers of The Savage AfterWorld to pick up the banner and run with it. Spread the word throughout the forums and blogs that November 2011 is the month of unbridled gaming creativity and construction. I challenge you to get that epic adventure module written and printed. Create that new gonzo western RPG and run a party through it. Whatever you've been mulling over creating, November is the month to make it a reality.

For those committed to NaNoWriMo, how's about becoming a NaNo Rebel and treat your NaGaDeMon project as your 50,000-word project? NaNo encourages participants to churn out a novel-length work of fiction, but NaNo Rebels take liberties with the established "rules" of the event and write what they want, when they want, how they want.

For me, November is MutFutWriMo as I have a handful of projects I plan to tackle and flesh out before the month is up. I may post updates as we go, but my goal is to have some exciting announcements by year's end.

So, you have 3 weeks to prepare before we launch. Time to get that Ennie-award-winning opus in the public eye. Or, at least, time to create that TPK dungeon grind to run your PCs through. Who's with me?

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Notorious NPC: Mr. Moore

Mr. Moore
15th Level Android (Special)

STR: N/A --- INT: 18
DEX: N/A --- WIL: 15
CON: 20 --- CHA: 21
HPs: 200 --- AC: 1

Mutations: none

Somewhere in the remote western hills of the Mutant Future lives a god. Rumors abound of a gargantuan being a mile tall whose knowledge and wisdom is surpassed only by his height. Those who seek his advice are given enlightenment and guidance in these toxic times. Nomads and pilgrims wander the wastelands, searching for him. Those who have heard the tales know him by several names: Jorge, Dom, or Theo. But the stone giant prefers "Mr. Moore."

Simply put: Mr. Moore is Mount Rushmore come to life. Shortly before the Final Wars, a nearby military installation was working on a new version of its medical nanomite, trying to develop one that would assist with android and AI repair. The World-Ending Blast released these microscopic repair bots which later rained down upon the American icon. Recognizing the faces of the monument as humanoid but non-biological, they began work at "repairing" the unfunctional android. Over the centuries, they rebuilt and transformed the very granite structure of the monument into a silicon-based AI. About 5 years ago, Jorge (George Washington's head) blinked, looked about, and began to speak. Dom (Thomas Jefferson) and Theo (Theodore Roosevelt) became animated 4 and 2 years ago, respectively. Abraham Lincoln has yet to move at this time.

The three heads that make up Mr. Moore know nothing of the Mutant Future and what has become of the world. (Their knowledge base ends around the year 2050.) The nanomites bestowed a separate database and personality to each head: Jorge's knowledge base encompasses leadership and diplomacy, and he is viewed as the de facto "leader" of the trio. Dom's specialty is law and justice, and he is considered the intellectual of the group. Whereas Theo's focus is military science and strategy, and he is the tactician of the three. (In fact, the nanomites based their personalities on Ancient records and biographies of the three, and they will act and speak very much in a manner typically envisioned for each former U.S. leader.)

A medium-sized town of devout followers has formed at the foot of the mountain, and Mr. Moore is worshiped as an oracle and deity. Mr. Moore doesn't care one way or the other for the devotion, although he does feel it's his duty to watch over his "charges" in the valley below. He offers them advice and guidance on a myriad of subjects including agriculture, societal law, and combat strategy, among other fields. The town (known as "Black Hill") is beginning to thrive and prosper, although the townsfolk try to keep themselves isolated from the outside world lest others arrive to exploit Mr. Moore's benevolent guidance. (There are some fanatic villagers who whisper that the world will end the day that "Honestabe" comes to life. These doomsayers are feared by the townspeople as they are almost cult-like in their doomsday faith.)

Proving the rumors of Mr. Moore's existence as truth could be an adventure in itself. Once discovered, it is up to the Mutant Lord's discretion as to what the townspeople will do to the intruders. Will Mr. Moore charge the PCs will helping the village to prosper? Does Mr. Moore know more about the area before the Final Wars than he lets on? What will Honestabe say when he comes to life? Will he be as benevolent as his peers, or will his intentions be more sinister? And what of the doomsday cult lurking in the shadows? Many plot threads lead from the foothills of this living goliath...