New OSR 'Zine: Wizards, Mutants, Laser Pistols

Now THIS is old school -- an honest-to-God, handcrafted, mailed-to-your-home, made-of-PAPER fanzine. Eyes right, folks.

Wizards, Mutants, Laser Pistols Issue 1 is now available from "Alexey" for $3.50 which includes shipping. Here is the 'zine's description direct from the creator:

Do you like mutants?  How about wizards?  Oh, really...laser pistols? Sweet!  Have we got the zine for you!  Wizards Mutants Laser Pistols is about to blast radioactive plasma straight through your brain!  This exciting first issue offers:

A new spellcasting character class, complete with unique spell lists and descriptions!

The first level of the dreaded megadungeon Kihago!

Old school pen and paper RPG trivia!

The Web Walker, Carnivorous Yeast Puddle, Chitinous Monstrosity, and a slew of other fierce creatures from the deep!

All compatible with Labyrinth Lord or your favorite Old School Fantasy RPG. 

Sounds like it could be great for some Mutant Future-related ideas. And with a title like "Wizards, Mutants, Laser Pistols," I get a Thundarr the Barbarian vibe from these pages!

Issue 12 of Wisdom From the Wastelands Now Out

Issue 12 of Wisdom From the Wastelands has been released. Beginning this week, the Mutant Future-themed supplement goes to a bi-weekly format.

Issue 12 - Parasite Mutations and Transformations: Gut worms and intestinal bacteria, athlete’s foot fungus, toxoplasmosis protozoa, lycanthropy and Rage and vampire viruses. Whether biological fact or fictional terror, we are surrounded (and colonized) by parasitic lifeforms, some of which evolved to become a necessary part of us — while others affect our behavior, or become our nightmares. Parasite mutations were originally introduced in the Skirmisher Publishing LLC sourcebook Creatures of the Wastelands, but transformations are a new evolutionary step regarding the concept of symbionts bonding with hosts.

The issue is only 99 cents and available at Drive Thru RPG.

Savage Menagerie: Taser Thistle

No. Enc.: 1d10
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: None

Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 1
Damage: 1d4 + 4d6 (electrical)
Save: F1
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None

The Taser Thistle is a flowering plant found scattered on hillsides and open fields in the Mutant Future. Although it is pretty to look at, it is the essence of "look, but do not touch." A Taser Thistle appears as a 2-to-3-foot-tall fibrous stalk topped by a brushy purple flower. Just underneath the flower's head is a thorny sphere about the size of a golf ball. Within this sphere, a Taser Thistle can generate a powerful static electricity charge, which is stores like a capacitor. If a creature comes within range, the Thistle will whip itself at the victim, attempting to strike with the thorny growth. If hit, the victim will initially take 1d4 hit points of damage from the spiny growth. The victim then takes a carry-over attack as the Thistle discharges its stored electrical current for another 4d6 hit points of electrical damage. If the victim makes a successful save versus Energy Attacks, he takes half-damage from the electrical attack.

Mutations: spiny growth, electric charge generation

Metamorphosis Alpha Kickstarter Successful!

The Starship Warden is officially in the launch bay as the Metamorphosis Alpha Kickstarter hits its $10,000 goal! There are still 8 more days to get in on the relaunch of this classic mutants-and-mayhem sci fi classic, so act fast or miss out! I for one am really excited to be a part of the next generation of Warden residents! 

And congrats to Jim Ward, Jamie Chambers, and Signal Fire Studios on their success! 

Ancient Armory: Subterranean Toxin Delivery Module

Weapon: Subterranean Toxin Delivery Module
(AKA "Gopherchoke")

Damage: As grenade type

Normal Range: 300 ft.
Maximum Range: 600 ft.
Speed: 100 ft./round
Blast Radius: As grenade type

Weight: 1 lb.
Battery: Power cell

The Subterranean Toxin Delivery Module (STDM) is a small, burrowing, underground, gas-delivery system used for surprise underground attacks on an unsuspecting foe. The Module is about the size of a cola can, topped with a large rotating screwhead. Ringing the outside of the Module is a series of small tank-like treads which pushes it forward as it drills underground. The STDM can burrow through most soils and surfaces, although it cannot penetrate stone, concrete or most metals.

The STDM has a large chamber that is filled with the gas of the attacker's choice (i.e., Blood agent, Irritant gas, Nerve gas, Poison gas, Smoke). The amount of gas the STDM holds is the same amount found in a standard grenade. Under a panel on the side of the Module is a keypad which allows the user to program the direction and distance to the target. Once programmed and placed on the ground, the STDM will start burrowing in a straight line to its target. The STDM moves at a depth of 5 feet and at a rate of 100 feet per round.  As it reaches its destination, it will start to resurface, coming to a depth of 1 foot to 6 inches. (A wary target may see an approaching "tunnel ridge" on a roll of 1 in 6.) When the STDM arrives, it will release its gas cargo directly under the target. Although the STDM can be retrieved and reused, the Module's power cell will be depleted after the attack and must be replaced. The gas chamber must also be refilled as well.

The STDM is sometimes referred to as a "Gopherchoke" for its underground system of travel combined with the toxin it delivers.

Coming Soon To The Savage AfterWorld...

Every time I have an interesting idea...or concept...or spark of inspiration for The Savage AfterWorld, I jot a word or two down on a Post-it which eventually finds its way into my "Notebook of Damn Fine Ideas." Over the months, I have accumulated a stack of Mutant Future-inspired "key words" that will one day find their way onto this blog or a physical supplement. Want a sneak peek? Here you go:

webworm-splinter-knotweed-brainblabla-swarmingbird-trilobite-hummingator-suburbanites-rotgut-fizzle-carbonburn-gopherchoke-omniputer-goliathawaits-livingconsciousness-outlander-aquatic-gadgeteer-upfromthedepths-goodhousekeeping-thescuttlingmenace-atomicarnival-deviantdatabase-deadinthewater-weedworld

Stay tuned!

The Savage AfterWorld As A 1984 Zine

The newest meme racing through the RPG blogging universe is to imagine what your blog would look like if it had originally been created as a paper 'zine back in the 1980s. Several blogs have posted their decidedly low-tech concepts, so I thought I'd jump on in. It was a fairly easy matter, as I actually had an RPG 'zine back in 1984 named "AQ - Adventurer's Quarterly." I think I put out one or two, distributed free at the local game store. Anyway, here is what TSAW would look like if created in the same manner as AQ:

Savage Menagerie: Schleprock

No. Enc.: 1d2 (1d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90' (30'),

Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 3 (claw/claw/bite)
Damage: 1d4/1d4/1d4
Save: F3
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None

Even in the Mutant Future, having a black cat cross your path can lead to all kinds of mischief and calamity. One of the most feared creatures stalking the wastelands is the dreaded Schleprock, as this animal can warp the very Laws of Probability, causing untold havok.

A Schleprock appears as a normal-sized black cat (because, technically, that's what it is). The Schleprock has developed four eyes, giving it increased sight. It can also control light waves, which it uses to hide its presence. A Schleprock's true menace comes from its probability manipulation mutation, which causes bad things to happen to the unwary.

A Schleprock will often begin following an individual it has taken a liking to. It will use its invisibility to hide from its new "owner." As long as the Schleprock is following this person, the "victim" will begin to suffer bad luck and misfortune. Once per day while in the Schleprock's presence, the person will have a 20% chance of something catastrophic occurring. A weapon could jam or malfunction; their gold purse could end up missing; they could coincidentally run into an enemy long thought dead. The Mutant Lord should roll % die each morning to see if anything "interesting" happens that day. The probability manipulation also extends to any combat the mutant engages in. Unknown to the combatant, he will suffer from a 1d4 To Hit penalty when entering combat (the ML should roll randomly at the beginning of combat and apply the penalty in secret).

Schleprocks are very shy and skitterish around people, as they are often attacked or driven away once discovered and their true nature surfaces. So they'll follow their new "owner" in secret, surviving off scraps and curling up nearby without making actual contact. But if discovered, it is up to the mutant to decide what to do with the creature. In actuality, Schleprocks can be trained to be loyal pets through a process that can take up to two months. At the end of that time (if the new pet owner has survived a soul-crushing string of bad luck), the Schleprock's probability manipulation will REVERSE for its owner. The new "rightful" owner of the Schleprock will gain a 20% daily chance of one event of good fortune and they will gain a random 1d4 To Hit bonus when in combat.

Mutations: increased sight, control light waves (invisibility), probability manipulation

NOTE FROM SNIDERMAN: HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH!

Issues 10 and 11 of Wisdom From the Wastelands Now Out

Issue 10 and Issue 11 of Wisdom From the Wastelands, the new weekly Mutant Future missive from Skirmisher Publishing, have been released. Here are the themes from the past two weeks' issues:

Issue 10 - Monsters That Improve With Age 2: Though the first Age Charts article (Wisdom from the Wastelands, Issue 2) introduced the basic idea and structure, there are still plenty of other possibilities that go far beyond that starting point. This issue presents example charts for creatures that weaken during the last stages of life, giant creatures (kaiju), plants, and truly odd creatures that go through metamorphoses as they age..

Issue 11 - Optional Combat Rules: In almost every roleplaying game, one of the biggest aspects is combat. Mutant Future is no exception, for, in many ways, combat could be considered one of the game’s most crucial aspects — next to mutations! In this spirit, this issue offers several new optional rules a Mutant Lord can use to expand the combat possibilities in his or her game.

Both issues are only 99 cents each and available at Drive Thru RPG.

Notorious NPC: YO-0-0, The Cobalt Corsair

Serial Number: YO-0-0
(AKA "The Cobalt Corsair")
5th Level Basic Android

STR: 14 --- INT: 18
DEX: 19 --- WIL: 9
CON: 13 --- CHA: 16
HPs: 50 --- AC: 2
Mutations: accumulated resistance (electrical); mental barrier; know direction

"Arrr! Beware when ye be sailin' the polluted seas of the Blasted Wastelands, for ye may cross paths with The Silvery Sea Dog! The Bolted Buccaneer! The Cobalt Corsair himself -- YO-0-0!"

YO-0-0 (pronounced "Yo-oh-oh") once was an Ancient navigational 'bot used on a cruise ship. After the Apocalygeddon, the ship was grounded, the passengers either fled into the Hellscape or died on board, and YO-0-0 was left alone on board. He spent decades wandering the decks of the abandoned liner, trying to rediscover a sense of purpose. A chance discovery of an old "Captain Blood" DVD in the ship's library resparked his "primary function" subroutine, and he spent the next few years watching every nautical holovid and reading every pirate-themed book he could find. He eventually remade himself as the greatest corsair ever to sail the Nine Seas. He rebuilt and relaunched the ocean liner (with the help of the remaining functional ship's 'bots -- reprogrammed by YO-0-0 to be his pirate crew) and now he plunders and pillages as he pleases. Everyone fears the approach of the pirate ship "Disney Magic."

YO-0-0's navigational programming allows him to know direction at all times. His pre-Apocalygeddon internal mapping software also allows him to travel the oceans with ease. His electrical accumulated resistance (a high-voltage capacitor) gives him a 30 hit point reserve against electrical attacks and damage. After he takes 30 HP of electrical damage, further shocks would then be applied toward his primary hit point count. Finally, he has specialized shielding around his positronic brain, giving him a fairly strong mental barrier against mental attacks. YO-0-0 is superhumanly fast and this, along with his metal body, gives him his 2 AC. He also receives bonuses of +1 to hit and +2 to damage in hand-to-hand combat. He prefers to use a vibrosabre in combat (2d12 hit points damage), although he is well versed with a variety of weapons. And before anyone gets any ideas, he is completely watertight and waterproof. He cannot swim on the surface, but he can walk underwater and shimmy up ropes and chains to get back on board without penalty.

YO-0-0 fancies himself as a "gentleman pirate," rather than a bloodthirsty cutthroat. (Think of Errol Flynn or Jack Sparrow.) Although he is devious, manipulative, and a first-rate liar, he is always polite and never cruel. Although his primary function is "loot and plunder" -- plundering and robbing ships and ports for years -- he really has no plans for the loot he's accumulated (all stored in cabins and rooms on the lower decks). He has buried random caches on islands throughout the seas (as that's what pirates do), and many maps of these locations are kept in his primary cabin. (Which could lead to some good old-fashioned Mutant Future treasure hunting!) His crew of nearly 200 reprogrammed 'bots are unwaveringly loyal to him and will defend YO-0-0 and the Good Ship Disney Magic to the death.

Metamorphosis Alpha Kickstarter Launched

(Tip of the hazmat helmet to Needles of Swords & Stitchery for cluing me in on this development!)

Signal Fire Studios in collaboration with game guru James Ward has kicked off a Kickstarter campaign to fund and release the newly revamped and redesigned Metamorphosis Alpha RPG! The new version is designed around the System 26 game engine by Jamie Chambers.

I mentioned this project-in-planning back in January, and I'm super-pumped to see it getting the Kickstarter treatment. It gives us all a chance to get in on the ground floor and help support a great classic Old School game (still simplified, but updated for today's tastes as well).

Please visit the Kickstarter page for the new Metamorphosis Alpha RPG and kick in a few bucks to help make this happen. I plan to go place my order as soon as I finish this blog post. After all, it's the least I can for the man who melted off my face.

Savage Menagerie: Guardbark

No. Enc.: 1d4
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 180' (60')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: 2 (bite/sonic bark)
Damage: 1d8/2d6
Save: F3
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: None

The Guardbark is a mutated, hairless, multi-limbed canine which stands about 3 feet tall. Usually green-skinned, a Guardbark can also be pale tan, beige, dark brown, or albino (treat as having the albinism mutation). Guardbarks hardly look like their Ancient dog cousins though, as their mouths take up nearly half their body size, and their eyes are bulbous spheres found sitting in the middle of their backs. Guardbarks usually have 6 to 8 legs, giving them a higher movement rate than other creatures their size. (It's fairly tough to outrun a pursuing Guardbark)

If a Guardbark attacks, it will usually do so with its incredibly large mouth, which bites for 1d8 hit point of damage. If a Guardbark barks however, its highly developed mutant vocal cords will blast out a deafening sonic bark. All within 20 feet need to save versus stun attacks or take 2d6 hit points of ear-splitting damage. Mutants with sensitive hearing or mutations such as echolocation could take double damage (at the discretion of the Mutant Lord). This single bark can be heard by creatures up to 2 miles away. Some bandits and wasteland marauders catch and train Guardbark pups to act as guardians for their lairs and other locations, which is how the Guardbark got its moniker. If the ne'er-do-well hears the signal bark, he knows he will probably encounter a deafened and disoriented intruder when he arrives. Some clever bandits will have both Guardbarks and Eye Dogs (MF rulebook, pg. 70) working in tandem as protectors of their territory.


Mutations: aberrant form, sonic bark

Issue 9 of Wisdom From the Wastelands Released

Issue 9 of Wisdom From the Wastelands, the new weekly Mutant Future missive from Skirmisher Publishing, has been released. This issue's theme is "High-Tech Weapons 2." From the press release:

The second installment of their weapon-themed series, this issue picks up where "Wisdom from the Wastelands Issue #3: High-Tech Weapons" left off and presents more than a half-dozen new sorts of combat systems for both players’ and Mutant Lords’ enjoyment! Armaments covered include Antimatter Bombs, Bead Guns, Desiccators, EMP Weapons, Grenade Launchers, Plasma Projectors, and Screamers, along with one new associated condition.

Issue 8 is only 99 cents and available at Drive Thru RPG.

P.S. And don't forget to make a donation to the Bail Out The Warden Fund and receive souvenir Savage AfterWorld dice as a Thank You!