The Savage AfterWorld

Doomsday Preppers Premieres February 7

2012-02-02T13:41:00.002-05:00

The newest in a recent line of apocalyptic reality shows (Apocalypse Man and The Colony), National Geographic channel brings us Doomsday Preppers, premiering February 7.

From the website:

Doomsday Preppers explores the lives of otherwise ordinary Americans who are preparing for the end of the world as we know it. Unique in their beliefs, motivations, and strategies, preppers will go to whatever lengths they can to make sure they are prepared for any of life’s uncertainties. And with our expert’s assessment, they will find out their chances of survival if their worst fears become a reality.

I'll be tuning in, hoping for inspiration for future Mutant Future games...

Savage Menagerie: Grindhog

2012-02-02T07:02:00.001-05:00

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

Hyperburrowing: 150' (50')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: 3 (claw/claw/bite)
Damage: 1d8/1d8/1d12
Save: F3
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: None

The Grindhog is a vicious enlarged decedent of the Ancient species of groundhog. However, unlike the intelligent benevolent Wuudchak, Grindhogs are destructive, carnivorous, animalistic, burrowing machines.

The Grindhog moves through the earth using its hyperburrowing mutation. This allows it to travel through loose dirt and sand faster than it would move above ground on foot. When hyperburrowing, treat the Grindhog as moving through the soil as a fish would travel through water. The Grindhog uses this ability to explode up out of the ground from underneath to attack its prey. A Grindhog gains a +1 surprise bonus when attacking in this manner.

While underground, the Grindhog can use its seismic tremor mutation to cause a small localized earthquake within 50' of its location. This tremor's strength is such that victims will be thrown to the ground for 1d4 HP of damage unless a successful DEX save is made. The Grindhog usually uses this moment to attack. Also, the seismic tremor can cause the collapse of unsafe or crumbling ruins. The Grindhog may cause such a collapse to flush its prey out from indoors and out into the open where it can better attack.

Grindhogs cannot dig through stone, so survivors residing in a Grindhog-infested area may relocate to a cave or concrete-reinforced underground shelter for protection. Once the food source dries up, the Grindhogs will move on. Grindhogs often hunt in pairs, so if one is spotted, another will be lurking nearby. When travelling, if a party finds the nearby ground littered with many holes 3 feet in diameter, they may want to pick up the pace as they may have stumbled through a Grindhog warren.

Mutations: hyperburrowing, seismic tremor

This Blog Protected By Wuudchaks!

2012-02-01T12:47:00.005-05:00

:::WARNING:::
WUUDCHAKS HAVE BEEN SPOTTED IN THE AREA.
IF CONFRONTED, DO NOT ENGAGE.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
:::WARNING:::

(Happy One-Day-Early Groundhog Day! )

Mutant Mathematics

2012-01-31T14:51:00.010-05:00

(A very excited Sniderman)

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

TRANSLATION: I'll be playing in a Metamorphosis Alpha game run by James Ward himself at Gary Con in March. Mutant RPG mayhem run by the guy who invented mutant RPG mayhem? Yeah, I'm super-stoked.

I'll Be Wearing This At Gary Con & Gen Con...

2012-01-28T16:44:00.004-05:00

Planning on running a whole host of Mutant Future at both events this year. Decided to spring for a custom-made shirt to identify myself as "The Mutant Future Guy." Just arrived today (pictured at the right.)

I understand that there will be some official Mutant Future apparel in the near future, but I always had this version -- blue logo on sickly yellow -- in mind, so I had it whipped up. Pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Goblinoid Games Apparel Now Available

2012-01-25T08:46:00.005-05:00

Goblinoid Games, home of Mutant Future (and that one game involving "lords and labyrinths," or something...) has opened a new Zazzle store with shirts, hoodies, and other apparel featuring the company's logo. Future plans include other items emblazoned with logos from the company's other products and games, so stay tuned for further announcements about potential Mutant Future products!

For more information or to order, click here to visit the Goblinoid Games Zazzle Store.

A Newly Refurbished Starship Warden Ready For Launch

2012-01-24T07:40:00.005-05:00

Return once again to the Starship Warden! Just as we learned of a new reprint of the original edition of Metamorphosis Alpha, it sounds like they're getting ready to come out a new edition of the classic post-apocalyptic game!

Signal Fire Studios, in collaboration with James Ward, will release a new edition of Metamorphosis Alpha this summer. The reworked setting will feature an all new game system, and promos and demos will be seen at upcoming game shows. Details and info is sparse at this time, but they seem to be taking pre-orders now for the new release ($19.99 for print, $5.00 for PDF eBook).

We'll keep you posted on developments as we learn 'em! (And a tip o' the hat to Needles at Swords & Stitchery who clued me into this news! Thanks Needles!)

Lords of Light! Look Who's Coming To Gen Con!

2012-01-20T12:56:00.008-05:00

Look who's stepping through The Moondial in August 2012...

(I don't plan on repeating last year's mistake.)

That's right, I'll be running a special Mutant Future adventure titled "Thundarr the Barbarian: Across the Dimensional Divide" at Gen Con 2012. (Plus at least three more Mutant Future games...) I even hope to run this on August 16, so The Savage AfterWorld can finally present "Thundarr Thursday: LIVE!"

Stay tuned for more info! Demon Dogs, it will be epic!

Metamorphosis Alpha First Edition Available In Print Again

2012-01-19T07:29:00.003-05:00

The grand-mack-daddy of post-apocalyptic RPGs is available in print again!

Metamorphosis Alpha First Edition has just been posted to Lulu for folks who need a hardcopy version of this classic game in their hands. These reprint offers surface every so often (last time was in 2007, as I recall), so grab them while you can!

Obligatory descriptor:

Metamorphosis Alpha was the world's first sci-fi role-playing game. Metamorphosis Alpha was originally published in 1976, and has since been released in a total of four editions. This old game is the granddaddy of all Post Apocalyptic games and was the inspiration for TSR Hobbies' game Gamma World.

This booklet allows players to choose to play a human, mutant or mutated animal and provides descriptions of mutations and defects. It also provides rules for working out the mysterious and sometimes dangerous technological devices found throughout the Starship Warden.

There are descriptions of all 17 levels of the Starship Warden, a 50 mile long, damaged vessel with some real problems for it's inhabitants. Mutants galore! Weird and wonderful mutated animals, mutated plants and some things that still have a few strands of human DNA in them, somewhere...

This game was state-of-the-art in 1976, and will be of interest to enthusiasts and collectors alike. Forget having to lug half a dozen books around to play this game. Its all here in this little book, without the need for supplements. This is classic Old School gaming from before anyone even knew what "Old School" was.

This revised edition includes grammar and spelling corrections, additional errata, and a short adventure.

The reprint is available at Lulu for $15 (a bargain indeed!) The PDF version is also available at Drive Through RPG for $5.95.

23 Questions And 23 Answers

2012-01-19T01:17:00.005-05:00

Zak Asks 23 Questions of GMs Throughout The Blogosphere.

And here are my answers:

1. If you had to pick a single invention in a game you were most proud of what would it be?

My Apocalyptic Stormfront MEGA-Table. I've heard from a lot of folks that have used in their games as well as basing adventures off it.

2. When was the last time you GMed?

At Gen Con last year. Dear Lord, has it been that long?

3. When was the last time you played?

Played in a pick-up 2e AD&D game about a month ago at my FLGS.

4. Give us a (three)-sentence pitch for an adventure you haven’t run but would like to.

A group of amnesiac PCs find themselves involved in a whirlwind adventure. As the game progresses, they realize they have similar powers and abilities. Eventually, they discover they're the same person, albeit different versions from alternate dimensions and times.

5. What do you do while you wait for players to do things?

Stack my polyhedrals one on top of another. For extra giggles, I start with the d4.

6. What, if anything, do you eat while you play?

I pound energy drinks and coffee.

7. Do you find GMing physically exhausting?

Hell yes. (See previous answer.) I do not sit down behind the screen as I'm usually acting out the NPCs, making updates to the battleboard, etc.

8. What was the last interesting (to you, anyway) thing you remember a PC you were running doing?

Playing a wimpy 2nd level illusionist. Was involved in a combat with a goblin army I had no business entering. Rolled a natural 20 to hit, and killed a goblin. Swung at another. Rolled another nat 20. And again. And with my fourth STRAIGHT natural 20, the DM decreed that my character had been possessed with a bloodlust-infused berzerker rage. When the smoke cleared, I had offed 20 or so goblins with nothing but a dagger and 3 HP remaining. Epic.

9. Do your players take your serious setting and make it unserious? Vice versa? Neither?

I'm all about the gonzo. I don't do "serious," but I do play it straight. But it always gets wacky. Prefer it that way.

10. What do you do with goblins?

Slaughter them by the dozens. (See previous answer.)

11. What was the last non-RPG thing you saw that you converted into game material (background, setting, trap, etc.)?

Been reading a lot of historical trivia as I'm been getting reacquainted with Timemaster. Amazing how one small event could affect major historical occurances. Anyway, I discovered that a purchase at a produce stand saved the lives of millions of people and changed the course of WWII. Will be using that moment in time as a Timemaster adventure base for a game at Gen Con.

12. What’s the funniest table moment you can remember right now?

Friend was playing a kender thief named Willie armed with only a dagger. We met an ogre who swiftly trounced everyone but Willie. As the only one left conscious, he knew he was the only thing standing between us and a TPK.

"I run between the ogre's legs and stab him as I dart through!"

The guy playing Willie meant to say he was stabbing at the ogre's LEG when he ran through, hoping the ogre would drop to the ground where he could fight it better. Instead the DM assumed Willie was stabbing UPWARD as he ran through. The DM rolled the dice.

"OK, you run through his legs and stab up and under his loincloth as you do so. His groin takes 4 points of damage."

Howls of laughter erupt. Willie's player smiles.

"OK, I do it again!"

The ogre takes a swipe at Willie, missing handily, and Willie darts through its legs again with a called shot to the ogre's plumsack.

"You stab it in the nuts again, and it takes double damage. The orge screams, and staggers a bit, but it's still on it feetgr

Half of us are on the floor, laughing ourselves sick due to the absurdity of the fight.

By the time the fight ended, Willie was successful and the ogre was dead due to multiple called shots to its junk. That day, Willie changed his name to "Nadstabber."

13. What was the last game book you looked at–aside from things you referenced in a game–why were you looking at it?

Just nabbed Metamorphosis Alpha 1st edition today, in fact. Primarily to throw some support to James Ward, but also because I hope to play in a game at Gary Con

14. Who’s your idea of the perfect RPG illustrator?

Erol Otus and Jeff Dee.

15. Does your game ever make your players genuinely afraid?

No, I don't think so. Ran a few games of CoC and Chill back in Ye Olde Dayes that were "unnerving," but I'm not really a fearmonger. I like the "overwhelming odds" scenario, so that can be tension-inducing.

16. What was the best time you ever had running an adventure you didn’t write? (If ever)

Games of Paranoia always rock. The canned adventures, specifically Alpha Complexities, are always a hoot to run.

17. What would be the ideal physical set up to run a game in?

Any finished rec room basement with plenty of Funyuns and Mountain Dew, just as we had back in Ye olden Dayes. Nothing wrong with the classics.

18. If you had to think of the two most disparate games or game products that you like what would they be?

Toon and Kult

19. If you had to think of the most disparate influences overall on your game, what would they be?

Saturday morning cartoons (ala Hanna Barbera) and anything directed by Lucio Fulci.

20. As a GM, what kind of player do you want at your table?

Attentive. Contributing. Great improv skills.

21. What’s a real life experience you’ve translated into game terms?

Eeep. I can't think of anything here.

22. Is there an RPG product that you wish existed but doesn’t?

I'm writing it right now, so I'll keep this one private.

23. Is there anyone you know who you talk about RPGs with who doesn’t play? How do those conversations go?

My wife doesn't get RPGs at ALL. But she listens attentively and with feigned interest. I do the same whenever she goes on and on (and ON) about last night's episode of Army Wives.

Post No Bills

2012-01-18T08:03:00.001-05:00

The Mutant Future Begins In 5 Minutes...

2012-01-11T12:58:00.004-05:00

'Doomsday Clock' moves 1 minute closer to midnight

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of scientists that tracks the likelihood of a global cataclysm says the world is moving closer to doomsday.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced Tuesday that it has moved its "Doomsday Clock" to five minutes to midnight.

The group says inadequate progress on stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and continuing inaction on climate change are the reasons for the change.

The clock had been set at six minutes to midnight for the past two years. It was previously set at five minutes to midnight from 2007-2010.

The group says in a statement that two years ago, there was reason for optimism "that world leaders might address the truly global threats we face. In many cases, that trend has not continued or been reversed."

Savage Menagerie: Maircan Iggle

2012-01-09T04:33:00.001-05:00

No. Enc.: 1 (1d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement:450' (150')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: 2 or 1 (claw/bite or slash)
Damage: 1d6/1d8 or 1d12
Save: F2
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: None

The Maircan Iggle (MAIR-cuhn IGG-gull) is a large predatory bird (4 feet long with a 12-foot wing span) descended from the national symbolic avian of an Ancient culture. They can be identified by the white feathers on its head, along with a crest along the top.

The Iggle has developed a set of extremely sharp teeth which it uses to rend its victims. When attacking, the Iggle swoops down and claws and bites its victim for 1d6/1d8 hit points of damage. An Iggle also has developed feathers which have a razor-sharp edge to them. An Iggle may also swoop down and pass next to a victim, slashing them with their wings as they fly by. This slash attack does 1d12 hit points of damage.

An Iggle can also carry up to 300 pounds, and will sometimes grab a victim and take them aloft (to either drop them from a dizzying height, or just to take back to the nest to feed). Smaller animals (and PCs) should be cautious when an Iggle is seen circling overhead.

Complicating things is that some denizens of the Mutant Future view the Iggle as a creature to be protected and respected. Some even feel that the Iggle is the key that will one day lead them back from the Wastelands and into a Land of Prosperity. These zealots will defend the creature to the death as it represents What Once Was.

Mutations: gigantism, aberrant form (natural weapon)

Obligatory Top Ten 2011 Posts At The Savage AfterWorld

2011-12-30T21:13:00.003-05:00

I use Google Analytics to track hits and visitors, as well as which posts are generating the most interest. And, as is customary for bloggers on this date, it's time to review...

The Top Ten Most Popular Savage AfterWorld Blog Posts of 2011!

And here we go, counting down to the most popular post...

10. Mutant Future RPG Stuff Giveaway! (Second Attempt) - My first attempt to give away a bunch of Mutant Future-related prizes was met with a lot of no shows. My second attempt was better received.

9. Ia! Ia! Cthulhu Fhtagn! - The release of Realms of Crawling Chaos was announced. Its compatibility with Mutant future is something I've been itching to try!

8. [Savage Menagerie] Octoshark - Inspired by producer Roger Corman's "Sharktopus," I brought the toothy multi-armed creature into the Mutant Future.

7. [Thundarr Thursday] Thundarr RPGs Found Throughout The Blogosphere - Turns out I'm not the only person inspired by the classic Ruby Spears cartoon!

6. The Savage AfterWorld's Customizable "Do-It-Yourself-You-Cheap-Bastard" Gamemaster's Screen - Tired of looking for instructions on how to create my own GM screen, I cobbled one together and shared the how-to instructions with readers.

5. Giant Mutant Chickens? Call In LEGO Hazmat Guy! - Here's where it gets interesting. This was just a bit of a "throw-off" post, but my guess is that LEGO enthusiasts have been giving me the hits.

4. Gamma World Coming To PSN, XBL, and PC This Fall - Big announcement from E3 on an upcoming videogame based on the Gamma World game system.

3. Notorious NPC: Feldspar the Geologian - A nifty NPC based on my Geologian race. The hits were caused by -- of all things -- the word "golem" embedded in the image's file name. No idea why this term was searched for so much, but that's what made this post so popular. (I've since changed the file name to keep the hits to a normal level.)

2. Hot Post-Apocalyptic Chicks! Elven! Cyborg! And "Other!" - This meme was sweeping the OSR blogosphere as we all basically pandered to the masses offering HOT ELVEN CHIXXX!!!! And whatdya know...it worked!

And the Top Post of 2011:

1. Post-Apocalyptic Ruined City Map Generator - This incredibly useful map generator has just been HAMMERED over the year. There are a lot of folks getting a lot of use out of it as it's my most popular post by far.

And onto 2012!

Mutated Mayhem At Gary Con, March 22-25!

2011-12-28T20:50:00.001-05:00

I'll be attending Gary Con IV in Lake Geneva, WI, on March 22-25! This celebration of gaming's roots looks to be breaking attendance records this year! (OK, technically "next" year...) Gaming legends playing and hosting classic (and more modern) games in the town where it all started? How come you haven't signed up yet?!?

And here is a preview of the games I'm scheduled to run this year. Yup, one Mutant Future game is scheduled (and more pick-up games may occur):

DGS Presents: Ghostbusters - How Dry I Am
Thursday, 2 pm – 6 pm
Several class 5 free-floating vaporous manifestations are tearing up a college kegger. The Ghostbusters are called in to dispatch these Prohibition Poltergeists. But is this a single case of ‘spirits' versus 'spirits,' or is there something more malevolent trying to end drunken debauchery in our dimension?

DGS Presents: It Came From the Late, Late Show - Arbor Day!
Thursday, 8 pm – Midnight
8:00 PM [HOR] MOVIE-Thriller "Arbor Day!" (1968) Horrific axe murders begin to occur in the forested Pacific Northwest similar to those committed by the legendary "Paul Bunyon Killer" 20 years earlier. Has the crazed lumberjack returned from the grave? Hosted by Dr. Phil Mel DeHyde.(CC)

DGS Presents: Timemaster - Postage Due
Friday, 10 am – 2 pm
An undelivered letter in mid-1800 America has thrown the timeline into chaos. What does this single piece of correspondence contain that makes it so critical to future events? Time Corps agents will be dispatched to the point of incursion to ensure the mail goes through!

DGS Presents: Mutant Future - Weed World
Friday, 4 pm – 8 pm
Within the last month, the growth of all forms of vegetation has visibly accelerated, threatening to overrun and choke off your tiny post-apocalyptic village. Does an Ancient children's bedtime story of "The Devil's Greenhouse" and the mutated plantlife lurking within hold the key to surviving this floral horror?

Christmas at Ground Zero - Weird Al Yankovic

2011-12-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

Been waiting most of the year to roll out this radioactive Yuletide video!
Merry Christmas from The Savage AfterWorld!

[Deja Vu Blogfest] Last Chance For Gas / Nanomite Swarm

2011-12-16T03:11:00.000-05:00

(Today's bit of "Haven't I read this before?" is inspired by DL Hammons of Cruising Altitude 2.0 and his idea for the Deja Vu Blogfest - Day of the Do-Over!)

The following are two blog entries that received zero Comments, both of which I was pretty pleased with. So I'm resurrecting both to give folks who may have missed them two years ago a chance to use them.

+++++++

Dangerous Encounter: Last Chance for Gas
(posted June 22, 2009):
This small encounter can be placed alongside any isolated, long-forgotten road or highway. In the distance, the party will see a small building just off to the side of the road they travel. Any party members who are familiar with Ancient Architecture or History will recognize it as a small gas station. But even those unfamiliar with The Ancients should be able to puzzle out that it’s a refueling depot of some kind (especially if gas-powered vehicles and tools are used in your campaign world).

The gas station is now the lair of a pair of Skin Stealers (MF Rulebook, pg. 95) who call this outpost their home. The Stealers can see the approaching party through one of the windows of station. If there are three or more members of the party, one will exit out the back armed with a crowbar (1d6 damage) to get behind the party while the other Stealer arms itself with a sledgehammer (two-handed weapon, 1d8 damage) and lies in wait inside the building. Once the party gets close enough, they’ll spring out and ambush the party.

If, however, there are only one or two party members, the Stealers will instead try to garner the party’s trust. They’ll come out of the building and welcome them to their home, offering them a place to rest and camp. They shall try to get them to lower their guard in hopes of eventually surprising them unaware and skinning them. (The harvested skin on both Stealers is currently wearing out and starting to deteriorate. The Mutant Lord may want to mention to observant players that the two nomads seem to have very dark and leathery hides.)

Skin Stealers (2) (AL C, MV 120' (40'), AC 6, HD 5, #AT 1 (sting or weapon), DG 1d4+poison or weapon, SV L5, ML 7, Mutations: toxic weapon, reflective epidermis (radiation), unique)

Once the Skin Stealers are dealt with, the party is free to explore the station if they wish. Over the years, it has been fairly well picked over and there isn’t much left to scavenge, but there are a few items of note to discover:

Hidden in a toolbox buried under some debris in a corner of the station’s garage are some of the items the Skin Stealers have collected from their victims. Within are 125 silver pieces, a Rad-Purge Shot, and one Healing Pack.
If anyone thinks of it, there is sadly no fuel in holding tanks, having been siphoned away a long time ago.
In a backroom storage area, the players can find two unopened cans of beef stew (someone's long-forgotten lunch) as well as a Visitor to the Area map. This pre-apocalypse map shows all of the roads, towns, and attractions in a 50-mile radius. Some of the attractions listed include things like Old Man's Cave, Mystery Hill, and other tourist traps. The current accuracy of the map is left up to the ML. Also the destinations listed could provide future adventure hooks for the party.
In the garage under one of the automotive racks, there appears to be a deep pit filled with old, filthy, discarded oil. This is not oil but rather a small-sized Black Pudding (MF Rulebook, pg. 62) that has taken up residence in the pit. The Skin Stealers treated it much like a “pet,” feeding it any animals they could trap as well as the discarded bodies of their victims. The Pudding never bothers the Stealers, but it may not take kindly to the strangers poking around the area.

Small Black Pudding (1) (AL N, MV 60' (20'), AC 6, HD 10, AT 1, DG 3d8, SV L5, ML 12, Mutations: toxic weapon)

If the Black Pudding is defeated and the pit is searched, the party will find many undigested bones of animals and humanoid creatures. They will also find a small metal box containing 24 copper pieces, 360 silver pieces, and 165 gold pieces. (The box belonged to one of the Stealers’ victims and was accidentally tossed in along with the owner’s body.)

+++++++

Savage Menagerie: Nanomite Swarm
(posted August 18, 2009):
No. Enc.: 1 swarm

Alignment: Neutral

Movement: Fly: 75’ (25')

Armor Class: 7

Hit Dice: 6

Attacks: 1

Damage: Special (depends on type; see description)

Save: L0

Morale: 11

Hoard Class: None

During the final wars of the Ancients, military scientists were experimenting with nanomites - microscopic robots with limited artificial intelligence. The plan was to program these microscopic automatons to attack the enemy and heal the wounded during a combat situation. The nanomites worked as planned. However, in The Savage AfterWorld, these still-activated rogue machines pose a substantial threat.

A nanomite swarm contains literally millions of cellular-sized bots. Individually too small to be seen, a nanomite swarm appears like a fine black mist or a swirling vortex of smoke. Once engaged, this "mist" will sweep in and engulf the party. (See the Insect Swarm entry in the MF rulebook, pg. 77, for more information on how a swarm may react to the PCs.)

There are two classes of nanomite swarm that may be encountered in the Mutant Future:

Combat nanomite swarm: Combat nanomites were designed to attack an enemy from the inside out. Upon a successful hit, have the PC save vs. poison. If the roll fails, some of the nanomites have burrowed into the PC's flesh. They will attack the character on a cellular level, flaring up and burning out, delivering 3d6 hit points of damage as they destroy themselves to damage the victim. The only way to stop the attack is to escape or destroy the swarm.

Medical nanomite swarm: Medical nanomites were designed for quick healing and repair on the combat front. Now that the wars have ended, they still seek out the injured to assist. But DNA has changed a LOT over the years. Any pure human successfully "attacked" by medical nanomites will instead find that they have been healed for 3d6 hp. However, since the nanomites were not designed for mutant DNA, any mutant PCs successfully attacked should roll 1d4. On 1-2, the nanomites are able to puzzle out enough of the DNA's quirks to heal the mutant PC for 2d6 hp. On a roll of 3, the nanomites instead alter the DNA in some way, bestowing 1 random mutation to the PC. However, on a roll of 4, the medical nanomite does more harm than good. The PC will need to save vs. poison or take 3d6 damage. Since the nanomites were never programmed for artificial life, all androids and robotic PCs are unaffected by medical nanomites.

Just like an insect swarm, a nanomite swarm sustains no damage from weapons. (It'd be like trying to stab, club, or shoot a fog bank.) Attacks from fire, cold, or other energy-based attacks will deliver full damage to the nanomite swarm. Any electrical-based attacks such as from an energy baton, shock gloves, EMP rifle, etc., will deliver double damage upon a successful hit.

Nanomite swarms are typically encountered on Ancient battlegrounds, though a swarm may have "drifted" over the years to nearby areas as well.

Mutations: none

Violent Vehicles: Murder Cycle

2011-12-14T12:26:00.005-05:00

Required crew: Only one rider and one passenger
Top Speed: 70 MPH
Cargo: 300 lbs. (limited cargo space)
Structural HP: 100 HP
Armor: AC 6
Weaponry: None

A "murder cycle" is a mechanical monstrosity made from a set of monster truck tires welded onto a heavily fortified and reinforced motorcycle frame. A murder cycle is about 30 feet long, 15 feet tall, weighing in excess of 15 tons. Due to the size and weight, a murder cycle is not a fast vehicle, topping out at 70 MPH. Its turning radius is also fairly wide, requiring an open berth to turn around. However, where a murder cycle lacks in speed and maneuverability, it makes up for in sheer crushing force. A murder cycle can flatten vehicles and small structures with ease. Few obstacles can hold it back, and it will crush any mutant foolish enough to get in the way. Due to the vehicle's wide tires, low center of gravity, and crushing weight, it is nearly impossible to "tip over". It will take 50 hit points of structural damage before being rendered inoperable. It can comfortably carry a driver and passenger, although it has very little additional cargo space. A murder cycle is more often used as an intimidating form of combat vehicle than as a practical form of transportation.

Dangerous Encounter: Ghosts Of The Ancients

2011-12-06T08:42:00.005-05:00

While traveling, the party should encounter the ruins of a smaller Ancient village. Perhaps it could be the remnants of a small town that was bombed out and abandoned during the Final Wars. They should feel free to poke around and salvage anything they can, but they will not find too much as this town was looted of anything of value long ago.

With enough poking around, they may encounter a small campsite set up on the very edge of town. A group of archeologists have set up a base of operations here. The leader of the expedition is a human named Scribe who, along with two other human archivists (Steff and Rogher), have been exploring and investigating the ruins to get a better understanding of pre-apocalyptic life. They have found several items of “academic interest” (some various hand tools, a TV remote control, a pair of eyeglasses, and perhaps some other items from the Assorted Junk list (MF rulebook, pg. 124). They ask the party if they would like to help with the exploration, promising that they may keep any weapons and items they find, after they catalog and record the item, of course. The day should be getting short at this time, and Scribe suggests they bunk down for the night to get started in the morning.

Late that night, a small band of Feeders (MF rulebook, pg. 71) who have been watching the expedition from the ruins sneaks in to make a meal out of the sleeping victims. Unless someone has been posted as a nightwatch, the Feeders get surprise when they attack.

Feeders (4) (AL C, MV 120' (40'), AC 6, HD 3, #AT 1 (weapon or bite), per weapon or 1d6, SV L3, ML 8, mutations: thermal vision, night vision)

During the heat of combat, the party may notice one of the Feeders suddenly stop fighting, look about confusedly, then drop dead in front of them. After the combat ends, if they inspect the body of the feeder, they will find an Ancient knife (a kitchen steak knife) buried deep in its back. This weapon dealt the death blow. They may also see Steff staring off into the shadows. If asked, she will say she saw what killed the Feeder. “It was a ghost!” Steff exclaims. “I saw a ghost of one of the Ancients who lived here!” If questioned, Steff will say that she saw a ghostly skeleton dressed in Ancient garb step out from the shadows. It threw something and the Feeder dropped. The Ghost then dropped back into the shadows and disappeared. If the area where the “ghost” was spotted is investigated, nothing will be found.

The next morning, Scribe will begin yelling and shouting, as Steff has apparently gone missing. In a panic, he starts throwing out assumptions that more of the Feeders may have returned or, perhaps, Steff's “ghost” came for her during the night. He pleads for the party to help him locate her.

Steff actually left the camp before sunrise to try to locate her “ghost.” An excellent tracker, Steff returned to the scene of the appearance and found some faint footprints and signs that she was able to follow. If the party returns to the scene, they find Steff's footprints scattered about (where she was searching) and a rather obvious trail she left as she chased after the ghost. Her trail leads to a long-forgotten Ancient graveyard. If the party approaches quietly, they may catch a glimpse of a humanoid skeleton wandering about, then entering a open stone tomb. Rather than “ghosts,” the graveyard is inhabited by a small tribe of Vitossein – shy, private humanoids with transparent flesh. From a distance, these creatures look like skeletons as their bones are not transparent.

This band has lived in the area for many months. They have dressed themselves in scavenged Ancient clothing, and their small graveyard location and their appearance keep the curious away due to rumors of hauntings. The Vitossein have been fighting with the Feeders for a while now, as they have been attacked by the little fiends as well. One of them heard last night's combat and “helped” the strangers without becoming personally involved.

Vitossein (6) (AL N, MV 120' (40'), AC 3, HD 8, #AT 1, DG weapon + 1d6, SV L4, ML 5, mutations: chameleon epidermis (limited), reflective epidermis (radiation), intellectual affinity (martial))

Steff has followed the path to the Vitossein encampment and is watching them with interest as her specialty is anthopology. This new humanoid species facinates her and she's trying to make as many notes and observations as she can in private. If the party makes too much noise upon approach, she race up and quiet them, explaining that these creatures are a new humanoid race that she wishes to observe. If the party charges in, the Vitossein will make short work of them, as they have a highly developed martial intellectual affinity as well as being very hard to see. If they are beaten in combat, they will be taken prisoner while the Vitossein leader demands an explanation as to who they are and why they attacked.

During this interrogation (or if the party had remained hidden while observing), a larger party of Feeders makes an attack on the Vitossein base. They realize the Vitossein interloper helped the strangers, costing the Feeders last night's meal. When the Feeders attack, the outnumbered Vitossein will need help. If the party is captured, the Vitossein will release them and ask for help. If the party is hidden, Steff will race in the help, yelling at the party to follow.

Feeders (10) (AL C, MV 120' (40'), AC 6, HD 3, #AT 1 (weapon or bite), per weapon or 1d6, SV L3, ML 8, mutations: thermal vision, night vision)

Once the combat has ended, any Feeders still remaining will abandon the ruins as a base and will run off, never to return. The Vitossein will thank the party as they can now live in peace. Scribe will promise to keep the secret of the Vitossein safe in exchange for their help in cataloging the ruined village. The Vitossein, having explored the area at length, collecting many items of intellectual value, are happy to make the arrangement. The party may also be rewarded with some of the more unusual items discovered, including weapons or valuables.

Savage Menagerie: Slimenoid

2011-12-04T20:15:00.000-05:00

No. Enc.: 1 (0)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 60' (20')
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 3
Attacks: 1
Damage: See below
Save: F2
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None

Green Slime (MF rulebook pg. 75) is a slow, mindless, flesh-melting goo that usually fully consumes its victims. But there are times when a powerful mental mutant's consciousness "lives" on upon absorption. It is then that a Slimenoid is born.

A Slimenoid is a humanoid-shaped creature made entirely out of Green Slime. The creature is formed by the sheer mental willpower of a former victim, giving it its shape and form of locomotion. A Slimenoid no longer has the memories or identity of the former victim -- only the mental energies of the victim is present. But due to the powerful mental energies at play, a Slimenoid will sometimes (50%) still retain the use of one of its mental mutations. The ML should roll randomly on the Mental Mutations table if this is the case. (However, mental attacks are useless against a Slimenoid as no true "brain" is present.)

Like a Green Slime, a Slimenoid only wants to attack and eat. A Slimenoid will shamble forward and attempt to grab and enfold a victim, digesting all clothing and armor in 6 rounds. In 1d4 rounds after that, the slime will coat and dissolve the victim, creating more slime and absorbing it into its own "body. A Slimenoid is impervious to most attacks, although it is susceptable to fire.

Mutations: toxic weapon, special (see description)

NaGaDeMon / NaNoWriMo Winner! (And What's Next)

2011-11-29T14:33:00.011-05:00

At 50,472 words, I officially crossed the finish line of National Novel Writing Month shortly after Thanksgiving. Yay me! And, because I was participating as a Na No Rebel as part of National Game Design Month, I also consider this a "win," as I was able to churn out the following:

A Mutant Future “monster manual” with stats and descriptions of over 80 creatures...
A compendium of 45 one-night Mutant Future adventures for quick pick-up games or for running at conventions (still need seven more)…
An outline of a new RPG to be announced next year...
A good start on TWO full-length adventure modules for Mutant Future…
And fleshed-out outlines for TWO full-length adventure modules for Goblinoid Games' recently acquired Timemaster RPG!

Whew! So, with all of this material now on paper (realistically in electronic ones and zeroes), what's the next step? To actually get some of these laid out, illustrated, and distributed. Zak S, blog-meister of Playing D&D With Porn Stars, inspired me with this post to get something -- anything -- out there into the hands of OSR aficionados. So stay tuned for updates on these projects!

Ancient Armory: Crosscut Gauntlet

2011-11-22T08:47:00.001-05:00

Weapon: Crosscut Gauntlet

Damage: 2d6

Attacks: 1
Range: --

Weight: 3 lbs.
Battery: Minifusion cell

Charges: Can run for 10 minutes before depleting cell

Crosscut gauntlets were used as both a cutting tool and in close quarters combat. It appears as a wristbrace with a large sharpened rotary saw mechanism attached to the back of the hand. When activated, the blade spins when the fist is clenched. The spinning blades do 2d6 hit points of damage when striking, plus any STR bonuses the user may have. The Crosscut (also called a "Reaver") is particularly useful as a normal saw and can be used to cut through obstacles and debris in the user's way. The saw will run for 10 minutes before depleting its minifusion cell.

Notorius NPC: Joey Gills

2011-11-18T12:37:00.002-05:00

Hello Mutant Neighbors. Welcome to the final day of our series highlighting some of the survivors living in my Mutant Future neighborhood. Today's neighbor thinks of himself as a powerful crime lord with designs of controlling the region's black market. Can you say "sadly incompetent?" Sure you can!

******

Joey Gills
3rd Level Mutant Human

STR: 9 --- INT: 7
DEX: 6 --- WIL: 15
CON: 11 --- CHA: 9
HPs: 37 --- AC: 8
Mutations: water breathing, shriek, teleport

Joey Gills is a short, squat mutant human with a fish-like face and delusions of grandeur. Taking his inspiration from old holovids of "Goodfellas," "The Sopranos,"and "The Jersey Shore" (as well as a few Dick Tracy comic strips), Joey Gills has begun setting himself up as the leading crime lord for the city he resides in. However, Joey Gills is neither smart nor strong, is a coward when confronted, and can't formulate a plan to save his life. He runs a small black market operation, trading and dealing in weapons and contraband. However, most of the weapons he has are either junk or underpowered, and his "contraband" are whatever scraps and bits he salvages from ruins and steals from the unwary.

Joey Gills is weak in a fight, receiving a -1 to hit penalty when using a ranged weapon. Most of his wares are misidentified because of his -5% Technology Roll penalty when figuring out devices. However, he does have a fairly strong WIL, as his ego and self-delusion carries him through most social situations. Joey Gills may have two or three "henchmen" that follow him and do his bidding, but they will be even less intelligent and more cowardly than Joey Gills.

As a mutant fish-like being, Joey Gills is able to breath underwater through his water breathing mutation, staying underwater indefinitely. He uses this ability to escape when needed. Joey Gills can also release a piercing shriek if cornered, allowing him time to escape during the confusion. Joey Gills also has the ability to teleport, but because he is cowardly, he only uses it to escape to a well-hidden hideout rather than for any other kind of travel. In other words, Joey Gills uses all of his mutations only to runaway when the going gets tough.

Joey Gills is horrible with names, so he has the habit of giving nicknames to everyone he meets, calling everyone "Joey Something." A mutant plant may be "Joey Greenleaves" or a dual-headed mutant would be "Joey Two-face." Two other speech patterns Joey Gills has is that he talks about himself in the third-person all of the time. He also patterns his speech after Ancient mobsters and wiseguys, speaking with a cliched New Jersey accent. ("Yeah, Joey Gills ain't likin' dis at all. Youze guys better watch it, that's all Joey Gills gotta say 'bout dat.")

Joey Gills will work with the PCs if he feels there's a profit to be made or if it will bolster his reputation. He may have inside info on criminal dealings in the area as well as connections in the underworld (who view him as worthless and laughable). Joey Gills will not befriend the PCs as they aren't worthy to be members of his "crew," but he may be useful as an informant as well as a weapons supplier -- if the PCs aren't too choosy and if they can give him something he wants. Threats don't really work on Joey Gills, as he'll teleport out of the area the second he fells he's in danger. But buttering him up and stroking his ego will work wonders. "Youze guyz are all right. What can Joey Gills do fer youz?"

Hope you enjoyed this visit to...

Notorious NPC: Splinterthorn

2011-11-16T10:06:00.002-05:00

Hello again Mutant Neighbors. Welcome to the third day of our series highlighting some of the survivors living in my Mutant Future neighborhood. Today's neighbor actually resides far from here in a briar-strewn valley where he plots to one day rule over a world without animal life of any kind. Can you say "extinction-level event?" Sure you can!

******

Splinterthorn
9th Level Mutant Plant

STR: 18 --- INT: 10
DEX: 9 --- WIL: 20
CON: 16 --- CHA: 7
HPs: 85 --- AC: 6
Mutations: projectile thorns, abnormal size (12 feet tall), regenerative capability

Splinterthorn is a 12-foot tall tree-like mutant plant composed of hardened saplings and thorn-laden vines. When he's not moving, he appears to be a leafless dead tree. Some unobservant folks could walk right past Splinterthorn without knowing he was "alive" in the truest sense. This would be very dangerous though as Splinterthorn hates all animal and humanoid life and he would not hesitate to attack.

Due to Splinterthorn's abnormal size, he receives a +3 to hit bonus in combat as well as a +2d6 crushing damage bonus with hand-to-hand weapons. Splinterthorn can also fire out a salvo of fist-sized projectile thorns that do 1d8 hit points of damage to the victim. Splinterthorn's regenerative capability allows him to heal 10 extra points of day as well as grow back missing limbs and extremities over time. He is large, powerful, and difficult to harm.

If examined closely, observant PCs will see that Splinterthorn's outer bark is covered with charred and blackened areas. Decades ago, the mutant plant was caught in a sweeping wildfire carelessly started by a neglected campfire. His rage at having nearly died at the hands of humanoids fueled his hatred of all animal lifeforms. Splinterthorn now views all creatures as nothing more than the slaughterers and oppressors of plantdom. Humans and mutants cultivate, cut, burn, consume, and harvest plants. Animals feed on them. Even caretakers and farmers who tend to plants and gardens are viewed as nothing more than horticultural slavemasters. Splinterthorn would like nothing more than eliminate all forms of animal life from the planet -- which is his longterm goal.

Splinterthorn resides in a hard-to-reach valley known as The Devil's Greenhouse. This valley is overgrown with briars, thorns, poisonous plants, and dangerous flora. It is said no animal life can survive in this inhospitable jungle. It is here that Splinterthorn hides, gathering information and supplies needed to carry out his plan of world domination by plantlife via the extinction of humans, mutants, fauna, waterlife, and avians.

Fairly tales and bedtime stories of Splinterthorn's tragic past and his plans for revenge have been passed down amongst generations of mutant plants over the years. Most consider these stories as folklore and fairy tales. But these "fairy tales" are more real than anyone realizes, and Splinterthorn is mere months away from enacting his extinction-level event.

Stop by later and we'll visit another resident of...

NaGaDeMon Midway Status Update

2011-11-16T07:45:00.003-05:00

Just reporting in with a status report on this year's NaGa DeMon project. Thus far, I’ve cranked out/compiled well over 30,000 words towards these projects:

A “monster manual” with stats and descriptions of over 80 creatures for Mutant Future...
A compendium of 32 one-night adventures for quick pick-up games or for running at conventions (Aiming for 52)…
A two full-length adventure modules for Mutant Future…

With this one-month drive, I’m finally getting some real progress accomplished on a myriad of projects I’ve been trying to motivate myself to write. With luck, I’ll have the rough drafts of everything ready by month’s end, with the winter months spent editing, laying out, illustrating, and producing with releases (finally) planned for spring. Will be contacting playtesters, proofreaders, and artists sometime in December.

Notorius NPC: Hazardous Matthew (HazMatt)

2011-11-14T20:20:00.001-05:00

Good afternoon Mutant Neighbors. Welcome to the second day of our series highlighting some of the survivors living in my Mutant Future neighborhood. Today I'll introduce you to a man who is literally "untouchable." Can you say "environmental isolation?" I'll bet you can. Sure.

******

Hazardous Matthew
("HazMatt")
4th Level Pure Human

STR: 10 --- INT: 12
DEX: 16 --- WIL: 18
CON: 11 --- CHA: 13
HPs: 76 --- AC: 2
Mutations: none

Hazardous Matthew ("HazMatt" to his friends) is a pure human who makes a living in the Mutant Future by exploring and scavenging in places others fear to tread. Although HazMatt is of average build and intelligence, he has one thing others in the wastelands do not have -- a very powerful experimental suit of Environmental Armor.

Matt discovered the flexible yellow suit during an expedition to an Ancient research facility. After donning the suit (so he could safely explore the facility's highly toxic radioactive areas), Matt discovered that the suit was actually a powerful set of experimental Environmental Armor. rather than the usual bulky plates and stiff plexisteel mesh, the armor was made of a highly resistant ballistic nylon treated with a special mixture long-forgotten to the ages. This armor effectively protects Matt against radiation through class 6, most known poisons and toxins, as well as other hazardous environments. He is impervious to heat and cold attacks. Additionally, the suit functions underwater, in a vacuum, and in most other deadly environs. The suit also has an air recirculator, waste disposal, and endless nutrient supply. The wearer can stay in the suit without adverse effect indefinitely. Which is good, because Matt hasn't been able to figure out how to remove the suit in more than 5 years.

The suit Matt wears was specifically designed for long-term deep space exploration. The wearer was to be sealed into the suit prior to departure and to keep the suit from being accidentally breached, a timing mechanism was installed which will open the suit in 10 years' time. (So Matt has another 5 years to go, unbeknownst to him.)

Matt (as "HazMatt") eventually figured out the strength of the suit's protection, and he now hires himself out as a soldier of fortune...the ultimate scavenger...the man who can go places others cannot. He can explore places too dangerous for even the hardiest of mutants. And the armor (along with his high DEX) makes him difficult to injure. His nickname is "The Untouchable One." Many have tried to remove the suit for their own usage, but all have failed. Those who tried to harm HazMatt have failed. Matt enjoys the reputation he has garnered, and he has come to accept and enjoy the all-encompassing protection the suit offers.

Stop by later and we'll visit another resident of...

Notorius NPC: The Grim Ripper

2011-11-13T18:29:00.001-05:00

Hello Mutant Neighbors. Welcome to another series of blog posts highlighting some of the survivors living in my Mutant Future neighborhood. Today, we meet a voiceless mountain of a man who likes nothing more than to terrorize weaker folks with a set of very special weapons. Can you say "chainsaw nunchucks?" Very good.

******

The Grim Ripper
7th Level Pure Human

STR: 20 --- INT: 11
DEX: 18 --- WIL: 10
CON: 17 --- CHA: 9
HPs: 72 --- AC: 5
Mutations: none

The ultimate "muscle" in the Mutant Future, The Grim Ripper is usually found in the employee of a local warlord or baron. Used as an enforcer, The Grim Ripper is nearly 8 feet tall, stocky of build, and wearing a full-face hooded mask.

The Grim Ripper doesn't speak; even if severely injured, he will not make a sound. Some say he had his vocal chords removed, whereas others say his willpower is such that he doesn't feel pain. Either way, The Grim Ripper wordlessly goes about his business of enforcing the will of his employer, whether single-handedly destroying a village and its inhabitants, enforcing the will of his "boss," or competing (and winning) in gladiatorial games for others' amusement.

The Grim Ripper can rip a person from limb-to-limb with his bare hands, and he's pretty competent with an assortment of hand-to-hand weapons. But his preferred method of combat is with a pair of chainsaw nunchucks. Once he sets them whizzing and buzzing around his body, he becomes a frightening limb-severing behemoth. Chainsaw nunchucks do 7d6 hit points of damage if he successfully hits. The Grim Ripper gets a +4 to hit/damage bonus as well as a +2 initiative modifier, so entering into combat with him is a foolhardy and dangerous event.

The Grim Ripper will usually be found standing at the side of his employer, to whom he is mindlessly loyal. Other times, he is seen leading the henchmen forces as a type of general. (Would YOU defy his commands?) He cannot be reasoned or bargained with. It is unknown if The Grim Ripper works for financial gain, a display of power, or if he just enjoys spreading destruction and death for the sake of the chaos and fear he sows.

The Grim Ripper is inspired by similar characters such as The Humungus from "The Road Warrior" or Master Blaster from "Max Max: Beyond Thunderdome."

Stop by later and we'll visit another resident of...

Devastation Drive-In: A New Mutant Future Supplement Available!

2011-11-10T08:45:00.009-05:00

*** NOW PLAYING ***

SEE!
...twisted mutated beasts from the worst B-movies come alive!

COWER!
...in terror as these creatures lurch from the silver screen and into your Mutant Future game!

SCREAM!
...in horror as they terrorize your post-apocalyptic wastelands and devastate your players!

Justin Davis, blog-meister of A Field Guide to Doomsday, posted a fantastic series titled "Devastation Drive-In" throughout the month of October wherein he discussed some of the worst B-movies ever to be set to film. He then statted-up the Featured Creature for use in your Mutant Future games. Justin has compiled these abominations into a newly released Mutant Future supplement now available for download at his blog.

Devastation Drive-In is 56 pages long, featuring 21 creatures from some truly horrific films including: Blood Beast, Blood Freak, It's Alive, Octoman, Prophecy, Robot Monster, The Astro-Zombies, Uninvited, and two of my personal favorites, The Stuff and The Incredible Melting Man. The download is free and full of info on these films as well as Mutant Future conversions for each monstrosity.

And remember, Justin will pay for your funeral costs if any reader drops dead of fright while reading the horrific contents of this supplement! MWA-HA-HA-HAAAAAA!

Would You Be Mine, Could You Be Mine, Won't You Be My Neighbor?

2011-11-09T08:30:00.005-05:00

Hello once again genetically altered neighbors. It's been a year since our last visit, and in that time, new citizens have moved into my bombed-out neighborhood. Can you say "toxic-dripping evolutionary freaks?" I knew you could. Sure.

Very soon, you'll meet some of my new neighbors here in the Mutant Future. Some of them are good. Some are bad. Some are just trying to scratch out a living here in the blasted wastelands. Can you say "wastelands?" Of course you can. So be sure to stop back, and we'll visit five of my most interesting neighbors as we return once again to...

Gimme Five!

2011-11-08T10:31:00.005-05:00

...Five followers, that is.

I appreciate each and every one of the 195 folks who have decided to follow this blog over the years, and I humbly thank you for your support. However, I just can't seem to break the 200 follower mark. That next plateau has remained just out of reach for months. It's a personal goal that has remained tantalizingly close, and yet I just can't seem to attract those last 5 folks. So here's my plea:

Since going live in June 2009, I hope I've added some useful material to your games -- whether Mutant Future or something else post-apocalyptic. (Heck, because of the inter-game compatibility, most of the stuff here will also work in games of Labyrinth Lord and similar Ye Olde Fantasy Games.) If you've enjoyed The Savage AfterWorld over the years, but haven't felt the need to click on the little "Join This Site" button to the right, why not take a second and do so today? Heck, if you just stumbled across the site today and you like what you see, do me a favor and sign on the dotted line. Membership is free, and we only accept attractive, successful, intelligent mutants to our ranks. So follow us, and increase your social standing in our apocalyptic community!

EDITED TO ADD: Many thanks to everyone who decided to throw caution to the wind and follow my blog. We hit 200 followers today! Thanks again to everyone!

Savage Menagerie: Skwirm

2011-11-07T14:13:00.001-05:00

No. Enc.: 1d6 (2d6)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120' (40'); Dig: 90' (30')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 8
Attacks: 1 (weapon or constriction)
Damage: per weapon/2d6
Save: F4
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XIV

Skwirm are worms that have developed a hive-like mind, joining together and working in sync to form a roughly humanoid shape with a human-like intelligence. Due to this metaconcert, Skwirm in their humanoid forms can also mentally communicate with each other. Skwirm are incapable of speech and are found in underground locations that are dark, cool, and damp. Skwirm often disguise themselves in robes or loose-fitting clothes and masks, hiding their true nature from outsiders.

Skwirm feel that the world is theirs to exploit as their true worm form far outnumber any other creatures on the planet. And because they feed on rotting, decaying plant and animal life, they feel that they are at the top of the food chain and, thus, are the true masters of the Mutant Future. When a Skwirm assembles itself, it has two worm-bundles within its "chest" which act as a dual cerebellum. Mental attacks must succeed twice to be effective against a Skwirm. Also, a Skwirm is coated with a thin dermal poison slime which does 2d6 points of damage to anyone who comes into contact with it. A Skwirm usually attacks using a weapon of some sort, although it can also form its "arms" into two 10'-long rope-like tendrils that can grasp and constrict a victim for 2d6 hit points of damage per round. Skwirm take half-damage from cutting and slicing weapons, as the blade slips easily between the various wriggling worms that make up its body. However a Skwirm takes double damage from heat- and cold-based attacks.

If a Skwirm feels threatened or is severely injured, it will collapse into a pile of individual worms which will then burrow into the earth using its hyperburrowing ability. Although separate, the worms still remain in contact with each other, and they will reform into its Skwirm form within one week, adding new worms to its "body" and effectively healing itself.

There are rumors of Skwirm made up entirely of Rot Grubs (MF rulebook, pg. 93), but this has not been confirmed.

Mutations: metaconcert, hyperburrowing, dermal poison slime, dual cerebellum

Savage Menagerie: Chronophage (Time Eater)

2011-11-04T13:14:00.002-04:00

No. Enc.: 1d4 (2d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90' (30'); Flying: 150' (50')
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: 1 (bite)
Damage: 1d10 plus special
Save: L3
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None

A Chronophage is a large (1 foot long) locust-like insectoid with large glassy red eyes, sharp teeth, and a hard green shell-like exoskeleton. They are able to fly fairly well due to their complete wing development and their natural armor makes them harder to injure. However, unlike a locust that eats plantlife and crops, the Chronophage devours time.

A Chronophage consumes temporal energies, causing objects and creatures to wither and age as its "future potentiality" is absorbed by the creature. A Chronophage activates its temporal absorption ability in one of two ways. A Chronophage can absorb temporal energy by making constant contact with an object or creature. This "passive" absorption is very slow as the Chronophage may not move while feeding. For every 48 hours a Chronophage feeds in this manner, it will absorb 10d10 years of the object's temporal energy, aging the object in a like manner. It usually does this with inanimate objects or unconscious creatures. Because of this, the area around a Chronophage lair will seem more aged and decrepit as all of the trees and plantlife will be dead and brittle, stone will be crumbling to rubble, ruins will be particularly hazardous, and dusty skeletons of animal life will be found. A few months of exposure will age the area by centuries.

A Chronophage can also feed more directly by latching onto an object with its toothed mouth during combat. Upon a successful bite attack, a PC will need to make a save versus death. Failure means that the Chronophage has absorbed 2d10 years of the victim's temporal energy, aging him by that amount. A lone PC who stumbles into a Chronophage nest may find himself dying of old age within minutes.

If a PC has been aged by a Chronophage, it is suggested that the PC be penalized for extreme aging. If a PC is aged by 30 years, he should roll another save versus death. Failure means that he suffers a catastrophic shock to the system and dies of age-related causes (stroke, heart attack, etc.) This save versus death should then be rolled for every additional 10 years of "aging damage" thereafter. (The ML should determine if a PC simply dies of old age in extreme cases, say, if a Chronophage ages a victim by 60 years or more.) Also, for every 25 years aged, a PC should suffer a -1 penalty to his STR and DEX scores.

Mutations: temporal absorption, complete wing development, natural armor

NOTE: I came up with the concept of a "time eater" as well as the name "chronophage" some time ago. However, when I did a GIS on chronophage, I discovered this critter and the info on the Corpus Clock!

Savage Menagerie: Salvo

2011-11-02T13:45:00.006-04:00

No. Enc.: 1d4 (3d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: 1 (bombardment or bite/rend)
Damage: 4d6 or 2d6/1d6
Save: F3
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: IV

The Salvo is large headless quadruped known for its ability to hurl rocks and gravel at its victims. A Salvo -- also known as a "Bomburst" or "Cannon Creature" -- feeds on stone, preferring granite and marble. It stores the chunks of minerals in a bladder-like appendage at the back of its "throat." When threatened, it spits these deposits out at a high rate of velocity and with deadly accuracy (+2 to hit bonus). Being hit with these projectiles deals 4d6 hit points of damage. A Salvo has only 1d6 of these deposits available to fire at any time, however, entire armies have been decimated when entering a valley lined with hidden Salvo lairs. The crossfire was devastating.

A Salvo can only use its bombardment attack against characters further than 20 feet away. Any who come within that range, the Salvo will attack using its toothed maw and clawed legs, biting for 2d6 and rending for 1d6 hit points of damage. The hide of a Salvo is rubbery in texture, and it takes only half-damage from any blunt or club-like weapon attack.

When attacking a Salvo with a hand-to-hand weapon, a character must be careful that the creature not grab hold of it. If a PC rolls a natural 1 on such an attack, not only do they miss, the Salvo will swallow their weapon and "fire" it out to a distance of 2d6 x 10 feet away! A Salvo cannot digest metals or certain minerals, so cutting a dead one open has a 20% of yielding precious metals or gemstones per Hoard Class IV.

Mutations: none

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

2011-10-31T07:26:00.006-04:00

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!

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

2011-10-30T02:05:00.001-04:00

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!

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

2011-10-26T23:39:00.000-04:00

"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

2011-10-26T13:00:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-26T01:24:00.000-04:00

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!

19th Century Post-Apocalyptic American Fiction

2011-10-25T13:44:00.010-04:00

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

2011-10-25T01:30:00.000-04:00

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

Roll Versus Perception - Thoughts On A New Ability Score

2011-10-21T15:00:00.005-04:00

"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.

Nuclear Evolution Marches On

2011-10-20T17:02:00.004-04:00

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!

The Festival Of Fright Returns On October 25

2011-10-14T11:56:00.000-04:00

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!

Donate To The "Bail Out The Warden" Fund

2011-10-11T09:57:00.006-04:00

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.

Savage Menagerie: Flynoceros

2011-10-10T08:45:00.002-04:00

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

Why NaNoWriMo When You Can NaGaDeMon?

2011-10-05T11:00:00.001-04:00

(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?

Notorious NPC: Mr. Moore

2011-10-04T04:00:00.006-04:00

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...

In 2012, I'm Heading To Where It All Began

2011-09-29T10:43:00.006-04:00

Just put in my lodging reservations today. See you in March 2012.
ETA: And for this event, I won't repeat my Gen Con mistake. Lords of Light, it'll be awesome!

Savage Menagerie: Jacket

2011-09-28T10:30:00.002-04:00

No. Enc.: 1d6 (3d10)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90' (30') Fly: 180' (60')
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: 3 (claw/claw/bite or sting)
Damage: 1d6/1d6/1d8 or 1d6/Special
Save: L3
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XVII

Jackets are 4' tall intelligent humanoid wasps. They may initially be mistaken for a giant bee or hornet, but rather than a set of multifaceted insectoid eyes, they have a pair of large, leering, mammalian eyes. Jackets have four "legs" which hang beneath them in flight. When standing, the limbs are used as clawed arms and legs, respectively. In combat, they can claw for 1d6 hit points of damage, and their mandibles can bite for 1d8 hit points. Jackets also have a poisonous stinger that they can use as well. If stung, a PC takes 1d6 hit points of damage, then must save vs. poison or take an additional 2d6 points of poison damage (half-damage with a successful save).

Jackets live in large beehive-like nests they construct out of any materials they can lay hands on. These cobbled-together abodes are huge -- often 50 to 100 feet tall -- housing 3d10 Jackets within. Jacket colonies work on a hierarchy system, with all Jackets answering to one primary king or queen who makes the decisions for the entire colony.

There are currently four known species of Jackets found in the Mutant Future, each "tribe" acting independently of each other. They can be distinguished by their coloring and personality, as well as the specific additional mutation they have:

Yellow Jacket -- The most aggressive of Jackets, Yellow Jackets will attack any interlopers they encounter near their nesting grounds. They are tinted a dull ochre-yellow and they may be found wearing clothing and trinkets scavenged from those they have killed. Yellow Jackets can fire an electrical energy ray from their eyes once every three rounds. This ray will do 3d6 hit points of electrical damage if struck. Yellow Jackets are usually found in Ancient ruins and other formerly inhabited regions.
Blue Jacket -- Blue Jackets are the only Jackets found to use weapons in combat as well as their own naturally occurring claws and stingers. Any Blue Jackets encountered may be equipped with a club or spear that they will use in combat. (There is a 20% chance that one may have a pistol or rifle at the ML's discretion.) Blue Jackets have a light robin's-egg blue coloring, and they can fire an ice energy ray from their eyes once every three rounds. This ray will do 3d6 hit points of cold damage if struck. Blue Jackets are usually found in icy Arctic tundra areas.
Red Jacket -- Red Jackets are the most intelligent of the Jacket races, speaking fluently and living in a more civilized manner. However, they are more cunning and devious in their dealing with strangers. Red Jackets have been known to befriend a foe against a common enemy before turning around and betraying their "ally" once their usefulness has ended. Red Jackets have a scarlet coloring, and they can fire a heat energy ray every three rounds. This ray will do 3d6 hit points of heat damage if struck. Red Jackets are usually found in arid desert areas and near geothermal pockets.
Black Jacket -- The most secretive and little-seen of the Jacket races, Black Jackets are also the most feared. It is whispered that spying a Black Jacket is an omen of death itself, as the creatures so value their solitude that they will wipe out entire villages to protect their hidden nests. Few have seen a Black Jacket and lived. They are rumored to be an ashen-grey in color, and they use their killing sphere mutation to permanently silence those who stumble upon them. Black Jackets are said to live in rocky, mountainous, inaccessible regions.

The various Jacket colonies do not interact with each other, as each one views its specific color as the "primary" one. All other Jackets are viewed as offshoots or "poor copies of the original." Due to these prejudices, Jacket colonies are often at war with each other. Heaven help the village that finds itself between two warring factions.

Mutations: complete wing development, toxic weapon, energy ray (special), killing sphere (special)

Ancient Armory: Weed of Godly Strength

2011-09-25T03:01:00.000-04:00

Weed of Godly Strength is a much sought-after edible plant in the Mutant Future as it bestows a temporary increased strength mutation upon the consumer. Sometimes referred to by its Ancient name of "spiny itch," Weed of Godly Strength appears as a leafy green plant about 15 cm tall with oval-shaped leaves. Upon eating a handful of the plant, the consumer will feel strength and vitality coursing through his muscles. He will deal an extra 3d6 hit points of damage in hand-to-hand combat for the next 4 rounds. He may also be capable of a single feat of lifting twice his normal maximum carrying capacity at the discretion of the Mutant Lord.

However, this benefit comes at a price. Swelling commonly occurs as the consumer's forearms swell to gargantuan sizes and one of his eyes will swell shut. He may also be afflicted with a speech impediment causing him to add a hard "K" sound to words ending with an "S". (For example: "Hmmm, I thinksk I hearsk some noisesk coming from around the cornersk.") The consumer may also find himself attracted to unhealthily thin women and corn cob pipes.

Ancient Armory: Harvester Bot

2011-09-21T06:00:00.001-04:00

Harvester Bot

Harvester Bots were used for a variety of agricultural uses such as plowing and tilling sod, harvesting crops, baling and raking grains, and other large farming projects. Sturdily built to weather years of rugged outdoor labor, many Harvesters survived the apocalypse and are still out in the fields -- tilling, turning, baling, and harvesting. Their programming is very limited, as they have been instructed to remain working in the same acreage they originally were programmed for. It is not unusual to see these behemoths still cultivating the same fields over many decades.
Hit Dice: 20
Frame: Armature
Locomotion: Wheels
Manipulators: Claws, jaws
Armor: Duralloy Armor (AC 3)
Sensors: Class IV
Mental Programming: Programming
Accessories: Varies; can be any assortment of agricultural attachments
Weaponry: None

Dangerous Encounter: You Should Stay Awhile

2011-09-19T20:00:00.000-04:00

This encounter should be one that "sneaks up" on the unsuspecting PCs. At some point in their travels, let them stumble upon an Ancient apartment complex that has been converted into the self-contained village of "Oakwoodapts". Long ago, the village founders discovered the building containing numerous self-contained living spaces for their people. They moved in, turning the bottom floors into homes for the villagers, whereas the upper floors are the residence of the elders and shopkeepers. With lookouts and armed security on the roof and an easily secured main entrance, Oakwoodapts is a perfect self-contained village.

Oakwoodapts is a bit off the usual paths, but the villagers are welcoming and accommodating to travelers for both information, trading purposes, etc. The PCs should come to view Oakwoodapts as a nice place to stop by and equip themselves, perhaps even performing an occasional job for the elders. They should come to know some of the villagers and they may even consider moving into one of the few remaining apartments as their own base of operations.

The next time they return for a visit, they may notice the villagers seem very excited to see them return. If they haven't already set up a home there, they may start hinting that they should "settle down among friends" and "having a place to come home to is important in this uncertain world." Something should seem "off" though. Some of their closest acquaintances seem to have forgotten details from previous visits. A small child may seem afraid of his own parents. The PCs may notice something scuttling by in the shadows.

During their absence, the village has been invaded by a small group of 10 Soul Riders. These creatures have taken over eight of the villagers already, and are looking for two new hosts for the remaining two Soul Riders.

Soul Rider (10) (AL C, MV 180’ (60’), AC 8, HD 2, #AT Special, DG Special, SV L2, ML 7, mutations: possession, metaconcert, quickness)

The Soul Riders have taken over most of the stronger villagers or those holding leadership positions using possession. They have determined that two of the PCs will make perfect additions to their nest. They hope to take over the PCs while they have their guard down, perhaps as they sleep or if one is separated from the group. If successful, the "ridden" PCs will demand to stay at Oakwoodapts, refusing to leave and offering to become one of the village's sentries.

If the Soul Riders are discovered, they will attack the PCs using the mind-controlled villagers as thralls. They'll use their metaconcert mutation to keep in contact with each other and with their "puppets," coordinating their movements as they try to capture the PCs. Any non-controlled villagers will be deceived by the controlled villagerss, as the PCs will be accused of theft, murder, etc. in hopes that the other villagers will join in the capture. The PCs will have their hands full as they should not want to harm their mind-controlled friends, but they will have to find the Soul Riders hidden somewhere within the village. A tense game of hide-and-seek could ensue as they try to avoid their pursuers while trying to locate their masters.

If more than half of the Soul Riders are found and dispatched, the others will break their control and skitter off using their quickness mutation to make their escape. The PCs will be lauded as heroes and Oakwoodapts will gladly offer them their own upper-level living area to use as a base of operations.

Arrrrrrr...

2011-09-19T14:03:00.001-04:00

Captain Kordon, Queen of the River Pirates, wishes all of you scurvy seadogs a very happy Talk Like A Pirate Day today! Avast! Fosooth! Arrrrrrr...

More Apocalyptic Comics From the Digital Comic Museum

2011-09-11T11:00:00.001-04:00

(A continuation of today's earlier post...)

And while I was reading issues of Whiz Comics (Captain Marvel FTW!) and Plastic Man, I also found these gems in the Digital Comic Museum archives:

Here are the links to get you started:
Atomic War:
Atomic War 001 -fixed
Atomic War 002 -fixed
Atomic War 003 -fixed
Atomic War 004 (missing cf)-32pgs -fixed

World War III:
World War III #01
World War III #02

Prepare For Armageddon With Free Civil Defense Pamphlets

2011-09-11T07:08:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across the Digital Comic Museum archive over the weekend, and I'm really enjoying what they have there. Scans of hundreds upon hundreds of classic public domain Golden Age comics from the 40s and 50s, up to around 1959. Superheroes, horror, romance, westerns, combat, etc. Check this time sink out when you have a sec, and you'll never leave.

One section that caught my eye was the Government Pamphlets section. I poked around for some Civil Defense materials from the 1950, during the height of the Red Scare, and found three pieces that could be used as fodder for your End of Times game sessions. Don't forget to Duck and Cover, kids!

!3781637 ?335

2011-09-10T16:00:00.004-04:00

Nope, we're not discussing leet speak today, but you could consider it a grandfather of sorts. Type in today's title into any handy LED/LCD calculator (ignore the punctuation):

Turn it over, insert the punctuation in its new position, and you'll get:

Ever since I got my first LED Texas Instruments calculator back in the '70s, I've loved "calculator spelling" (apparently called "beghilos"). I'd hammer out various number sequences, turn the screen over and see if I spelled a word on the screen. C'mon, how many times have you spelled out "HELLO" or "BOOBIES"? Thousands of times, I'll bet. Well, a simple calculator screen can spell more than those two words. In fact, when the numbers 0 through 9 are viewed on the upside-down calculator screen, you have access to a 9-letter alphabet:

1 = I
2 = Z
3 = E
4 = h (lower-case)
5 = S
6 = g (lower-case)
7 = L
8 = B
9 = G again (though I prefer the lower-case g)
0 = O

So what can you do with this trick in your Mutant Future games? Well...

1. Your robot/android/cyborg NPCs can have both serial numbers and formal names. I had a bodyguard android with the designation "Model #317537." "But you may call me 'Leslie'," he said. Other good model number/names can include 7718 (Bill), 808 (Bob), 37738 (Belle), 317718 (Billie), 173 (Eli), and 35173 (Elise). Other good ones are Ellis, Eloise, Elsie, Gibbs, Giselle, Hobbes, Isis, and Lee. (I'll leave it up to you to figure out the model numbers on those last ones.)

2. An Ancient password could actually point toward a numeric code instead. Let's assume the PCs are trying to access a blast door sealed with a numeric codepad. They've found a scrap of paper hinting that the code means "honey makers". With a little creativity (and some INT rolls), they may come upon the solution of "BEES" or a numeric code of "5338".

3. Clever characters and NPCs may use the system as a code of sorts. A message that reads "0715 @ 1600" could be a message to meet at the nearby abandoned missile SILO at 1600 hours (or 4 p.m.).

This Blog Is Rated "Red Dawn"

2011-09-08T08:45:00.003-04:00

The first movie to be released in the U.S. with a PG-13 rating was Red Dawn, a movie depicting the onset of World War III. Seems somewhat apropos for this blog then, eh?

"I Think It Says, 'You Should Enter.' C'mon!" ZAP ZAP ZAP ARGH

2011-09-05T17:23:00.005-04:00

One issue that pops up in games of Mutant Future or other post-apocalyptic RPGs is the reading of Ancient signs, manuscripts, books, computer monitors, and texts. It seems like everything is marked and labeled, and whether the adventurers survive an encounter will occasionally hinge on whether they can properly translate an Ancient bit of signage or a long-forgotten map or tome. In the Mutant Future, reading is not only fundamental, it can be life-saving. But the game system for translating and understanding these Ancient bits of text is lacking. So here are some ideas on how I play those "So what's it say?" events.

A character can be proficient in the languages of other races and creatures per the MF rules, pg. 15, but I'd like to think that the Language of the Ancients is a bit more complicated and esoteric. Without going into overly complicated explanations and detail, I imagine that the "common tongue" of the Mutant Future is descended from the Ancient language of the region your games take place in. For instance, my Ancient language is English; yours may vary. Ergo, for roleplaying purposes, Mutant Future survivors have a basic chance of understanding any Ancient texts as their own base language is derived from it. This way, it's not required that someone choose "Ancient" as a language as everyone has the ability to fumble through a translation.

My base chance for a character to attempt an Ancient translation is a d% roll versus triple their INT. Someone with an INT of 10 has a 30% chance of correctly translating a bit of Ancient text. Someone with an INT of 15 has a 45% chance. And so on. A generous ML could also add the character's Tech Roll Modifier, to increase their likelihood of a correct reading. If a roll succeeds, the character should be able to get the general "gist" of the text as well as the major words on the sign/page. (This should only be for a sentence or two. A successful roll doesn't mean the character can suddenly read their way through The Great Gatsby.)

However, what if a character fails? Ah, this is where it gets interesting, and where I take a cue from one of my other favorite RPGs: Toon. Yes, the cartoon game. You see, in Toon, if a character fails a Read roll, they aren't told "You can't make it out." Instead, the character is given a mistranslated bit of text to deal with. "Caution: Danger Ahead!" becomes "Crazy Dances Ahead!" Whenever a PC tries to Read something, I make a secret roll instead of one out in the open. The PC doesn't know if he succeeded, nor does he know if the text I provided is correct or not. The same technique can provide a bit of tense mystery to your Mutant Future games as well.

PC1: "So what's the sign on the steel door say?"
ML: (rolls behind screen) "It says, 'You should enter.'"
PC1: (to the party) "I think it says 'You should enter.' C'mon!"
The characters swing open the door with the "Do Not Enter" sign and are promptly fired upon by laser turrets in the ceiling.

And since everyone has a chance at reading Ancient texts, it's a simple matter to have someone else double-check.

PC1: "So what's the sign on the steel door say?"
ML: (rolls behind screen) "It says, 'You should enter.'"
PC2: "I look at the door's sign too."
ML: (rolls) "You're pretty sure it's a warning to stay out."

I've used this system for years in post-apocalyptic games where the translation of Ancient texts plays a vital role. If you have a similar system in place, I'd love to hear about it.

Savage AfterWorld GM Merit Badges

2011-08-23T19:10:00.009-04:00

Stuart over at Strange Magic started the newest round of blog memes when he posted some GM Merit Badges. GMs can post these to give players a heads-up as to what kind of game they may encounter. Clever fun idea, but I noticed a distinct lack of post-apocalyptic-themed badges. So, I cobbled together a few that would be more apropo for my own games:

Splashing around in radiation will not give you new mutations. Most likely, it will kill you. So stop bathing in every toxic waste drum you discover. You're not going to grow an extra arm or develop telepathy. If you're lucky, you may make your saving throw and die in 10 minutes rather than immediately.

Go ahead and start pushing buttons and flipping switches on that odd piece of Ancient technology you discovered. Go ahead. I dare ya.

Yeah, I'm a sucker for the "It was Earth all along!" twist. You know it's Earth. I know it's Earth. Just try and act surprised when you find the Statue's torch on the beach or stumble across Mount Rushmore in a canyon.

Mutant human/animal hybrids are cool, and you will either encounter them or play them as pre-gens. They are not "furries." Stop calling them that. It's creepy.

At some point, the D30 will come into play. And when it does, the results will be AWESOME.

All of my games take place in "Norleans," "Shykago," "N'York," or some other slightly-altered place name location. Bask in my cleverness when you realize what "Klumbus" actually is.

Mutated Musings From The Blogosphere

2011-08-21T11:50:00.001-04:00

Seems that there are several developments on the post-apocalyptic RPG front recently. I'll try to summarize what I stumbled across in today's post:

Razed: Post-Apocalyptic RPG Coming Soon From Pelgrane Press

The folks who brought you Trail of Cthulhu and Ashen Stars are now working on a post-apocalyptic RPG based on their Gumshoe system. The game, Razed, has been in the works for a while and was playtested at Gen Con 2011. As a Gumshoe system game, the emphasis is on investigation and exploration. The world ended recently, but HOW did it end? WHY did it end? WHO else is out there? WHAT happened? These are the questions the survivors must deal with as they explore the recently-ended world. Pelgrane Press has been posting regular updates on the game's development and creator Will Hindmarch has been posting updates on Razed's progress on his blog as well.

Old School (Apocalyptic) Hack

Apparently, someone hacked a hack of a hack -- if that makes sense! Risus Monkey clued me in that David A. Hill over at the Old School Hack forums had reverse engineered Old School Hack, the recent Ennie Gold Award Winner for Best Free Product. Using the system as a base, Hill created Retrocalypse, a Fallout-inspired old school End Times RPG. Fans of the computer/video game will want to check it out!

Map Your Blasted Earth Landscape

Aeons & Augauries' blog-meister JDJarvis has posted a set of Post-Apocalyptic Hex Map graphics for use by readers as well as encourage input. Plans are to use these for future projects, so he'd like some constructive criticism as well. (Love the terms "Ashmire" and "Rusted Forest.")

Form-Fillable Mutant Future Character Sheet

This is an old bit of news, but a new discovery for me. The Venomous Pao over at Strange Stones created a form-fillable Mutant Future character sheet. Download the PDF, and input your character's stats and facts into the open fields. You can then print out your fully filled-out sheet for that evening's game. (The Mutant Future-specific font is a nice tough too!) He also has a similar form available for Labyrinth Lord. This sheet was instrumental in creating my Gen Con games' pre-gens, so thanks Pao!

Wander the Wastes in This Rogue-like RPG

For any folks who still while away the hours playing Nethack, Rogue, and other "roguelike," computer-based, ASCII-graphics RPGs, you'll be happy to know that there is an apocalyptic survivor roguelike game out on the Interwebs. In Alphaman, you start with two random mutations and then are sent into randomly-generated Blasted Lands. Just as surprisingly complex as its predecessors, Alphaman will have you fighting mutant chickens and badders as you try to determine how the world ended and what can be done before it happens again...permanently. Download it here and have fun!

"Butt Bite"?!?!?!

2011-08-19T20:15:00.003-04:00

Checked today's blog stats and I had three Google hits when someone searched for the phrase "butt bite." Needless to say, I could not for the LIFE of me puzzle out how that could lead folks here. So I clicked on the link to The Savage AfterWorld to see where it led.

Yup, it's a legit hit all right.

Notorious NPC: Barter John

2011-08-19T10:00:00.001-04:00

Barter John
4th Level Mutant Animal (Bear)

STR: 17 --- INT: 15
DEX: 12 --- WIL: 13
CON: 19 --- CHA: 15
HPs: 92 --- AC: 6

Mutations: reflective epidermis (radiation); empathy; intellectual affinity (barterer)

It is said that if you want something -- anything at all -- go see Barter John. If he doesn't have it, he can get it. If he can't get it, it's because it doesn't exist.

Barter John is a 7-foot-tall mutant bear. He has a joking, jovial personality, quick with a wink and a joke -- a cross between your favorite uncle and the favorite bartender. However, if John feels betrayed, crossed, or wronged, his savage nature will explode upon the hapless victim who will find themselves toe-to-toe with an enraged grizzly. It's best to stay on John's good side.

As a bear, John is incredibly strong with a high constitution. Due to this, he has a +2 hit/damage bonus as well as a +1 poison save modifier. His fur has a slight golden sheen to it due to his reflective epidermis mutation, giving Barter John an immunity to all forms of radiation. In his younger days, Barter John used to wander the radioactive ruins and poisoned lands without fear, locating and amassing an incredible hoard of Ancient treasures and wonders. As he got older, he began selling and trading these wares until he became who he is today.

Barter John is a legendary scrounger, trader, and barterer. Over the years, he has achieved a reputation as being the "go to" guy for anyone in the market for the rare and unusual. His ability to have whatever a client needs borders on the uncanny. No one visits John without walking away with some new item or doo-dad they never knew they needed. And his selection of weapons is second to none. In fact, roaming traders and merchants actually visit Barter John for their own supplies. Barter John's bartering intellectual affinity gives him an uncanny edge to convince folks they need whatever he's selling, and folks are willing to sell what they have (at a slight loss) if John wishes it. Barter John is the ultimate salesperson in the wastes.

Barter John has a trading post compound he set up on an Ancient army base he discovered years ago. This post is found on one of the main trading routes in the Mutant Future. But before anyone gets any bright ideas about robbing him, Barter John has his own security force armed with the same weapons found on the military base. They are well-paid, well-armed, and will defend the post to the death. Also, Barter John has made it clear that if he is ever attacked, he will no longer deal as freely with the public. Because he supplies the wasteland's "ne'er-do-wells" as well as the day-to-day survivalists, everyone makes it their duty to help keep things on the level for John, lest the gravy train of Ancient tech and supplies dried up. Barter John's empathy mutation makes him attuned with his customers who also feel that they "owe" john their loyalty and protection -- as good consumers and "friends," of course. In other words, annoy Barter John at your own risk lest you have the entirety of the countryside out for your hide.

Barter John will occasionally hire nomads and wanderers to be part of his “Acquisitions and Recovery department,” as he jokingly calls it. In other words, he tells them where to find stuff, and they go get it. John pays well, treats his "employees" fairly (with the help of empathy), and supplies room and board in one of the many barracks still standing at the base. For many, it's an easier gig than joining a band of marauders and they'll jump at the chance.

Road Trip Cancelled...

2011-08-18T12:53:00.004-04:00

Jumping in the Landmaster for a very special Mutant Future-related trip this weekend. I'm now eating No Doz and washing them down with Red Bull in anticipation of the whirlwind journey about to take place tomorrow morning. Will post about it upon my return...

EDITED TO ADD: Looks like the roadtrip is off. I was planning on driving to Wisconsin to play in a Mutant Future game run by Dan Proctor himself. However, I found out about it on short notice and, try as I might, I can't squeeze the trip into my schedule. It's 9+ hours there and 9+ back. Game runs 4 or 5 hours. So that's nearly 24 hours right there. And I need to be back by Saturday evening for personal stuff. Not gonna happen this time, I'm afraid. But I will make one of those games this year. Oh yes, I shall...

Savage Menagerie: Crumble Mold

2011-08-17T01:24:00.001-04:00

No. Enc.: 1
Alignment: None
Movement: 0
Armor Class: 9
Hit Dice: 1
Attacks: None
Damage: None
Save: F1
Morale: None
Hoard Class: None

Crumble Mold appears as a featureless brown mold in a patch about a foot across. The mold is often found growing in caves and caverns or on statues, stone walls, and other stonework. It is rarely, if ever, found in an outdoor setting. Crumble Mold feels surprisingly dry and dusty to the touch.

However, Crumble Mold grows very aggressively on wood. If Crumble Mold or its spores comes into contact with a wooden surface, it will rapidly spread, encompassing 1 square foot of surface area per round (reaching a maximum area of 2d6 square feet). Once the object is engulfed or the mold reaches maximum size, the mold will begin burrowing into the wood's porous surface, leeching out most of the moisture, tissue, and cellulose. Within a matter of 1d6 turns, the wood has been converted to a grey, brittle, fragile, balsa wood-like material. The mold dies off shortly thereafter. An Ancient house infested with Crumble Mold is a dangerous place to investigate as the unwary could drop through several floors, or even have the entire house collapse upon them.

Crumble Mold does not affect living plants and trees (or mutant plants, for that matter), and the mold and its spores cannot survive long in direct sunlight. Crumble Mold has been nicknamed “Nature's Door Opener” and will often be carried in an airtight, black jar by savvy survivalists for just such a purpose.

Mutations: none

Original Mutant Future Cover Mock-up Located

2011-08-16T10:00:00.001-04:00

My recent post about an as-of-then-unidentified Mutant Future cover raised an interesting question among MutFut fans: "So what DID the original cover look like?" Rarely does the rough draft of any book have a finalized cover image in place. (I should know, being in the book biz.)

I asked Dan Proctor, Goblinoid Games president and co-writer of Mutant Future, about the work-in-progress cover used prior to the first public release. He described the playtest cover, explaining that it was only printed for four initial concept proofs. The set of rules sent to playtesters did not have this cover, rather it had an interior title page with a simplified version of the initial cover design.

As he and I traded emails about what the original Mutant Future cover design entailed, I realized he described an image I had seen before -- but couldn't quite put my finger on where I had seen it. I explained to him that I recalled seeing an advertisement for both Mutant Future and Labyrinth Lord somewhere that had that exact cover concept in place. Dan then confirmed that the ad I remembered appeared in Scribe of Orcus, Vol. 1, Issue 1! The ad featured an earlier version of the Labyrinth Lord cover and the original mock-up for the unreleased-at-the-time Mutant Future rulebook. So, with Dan's OK, here is the ad from Scribe of Orcus 1-1:
And here is the Mutant Future cover from the ad -- the work-in-progress precursor to the first public release:

I always find the earlier days of a game's formation, art design, and construction fascinating, and I appreciate Dan's help in shedding a bit of light on this mystery.

Mutant Future Giveaway Winners Announced

2011-08-16T05:31:00.003-04:00

Time to select our five winners for our Second Anniversary Prize Giveaway! We have 36 valid entries, so I'm using Random.org to generate five random numbers from 1 to 36. And here we go:

Mutant Future rulebook goes to GRANGER44
Realm of the Technomancer goes to JCOOK119
Random Esoteric Creature Generator goes to JEFFERY RUNOVIKI
Q-Workshop Nuke Dice goes to BOB
Nuclear Radiation Dice Bag goes to JAMES MISHLER

I have sent out emails via Gmail to the winners already. If you see your name above, check your email and reply to my message, following the instructions within to claim your prize. Thanks to all who entered and thanks for reading The Savage AfterWorld!

Mutant Future RPG Stuff Giveaway! (Second Attempt)

2011-08-15T03:00:00.000-04:00

Back in June, I held a "Second Anniversary" contest for Followers of The Savage AfterWorld. I had a host of prizes, and I drew six names at random from the Followers who had signed up. And after several weeks of posting and emailing and asking them to come forward, I was only able to give away ONE of the prizes to winners who claimed them.

So here we go again.

I have five Mutant Future-related prizes to give away to readers of this blog. Some are leftovers from the first go-round, and a few are new prizes I picked up at Gen Con 2011 specifically to give away in this new contest. Up for grabs are:

A brand new Mutant Future rulebook (softcover)
A copy of Realm of the Technomancer
A copy of the Random Esoteric Creature Generator
A set of Q-Workshop Nuke Dice
A Nuclear Radiation Dice Bag from Q-Workshop

And here's a picture of the prizes we're givin' away:
To enter, just post in a Comment to this post 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 on Tuesday, August 16, I'll take everyone who commented and will randomly draw five winners 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. Finally, be sure to tune in on Tuesday as I'll be posting the winner's names. I'll also be firing off emails to the winners. But, unlike last time, you'll have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address before I write it off as a no-show and I draw another winner.

So that's the game. Good luck to everyone. The entry list begins...NOW.

Prelim Mutant Future Rulebook Cover Discovered?

2011-08-13T17:02:00.003-04:00

Hmmm...this is an interesting discovery. While Googling around for hidden Mutant Future gems, I came across a rulebook download at one of the many file-sharing sites. You can find the core rulebook (and earlier art-laden free versions) everyplace, but what caught my eye was the cover attached to the rulebook. I have grabbed it and posted it here for your review.

My first thought was that it was a custom fan-made cover. But there are a few details that a fan would not have used. First up -- the original Goblinoid Games logo appears at the bottom of the cover. An odd detail for a homebrew cover designer to add. But what got me curious was the title itself. The font used is very definately Metal Lord, which is the font used for the original cover's title as well as throughout the book. The font is rather obscure, and why would a fan go to the trouble of using the same font as the "official rules" rather than using something different? The artwork though appears to be from a Gamma world product, but I'll be darned if I can put my finger on it...

So my question is this: Is this the preliminary cover that appeared on the Mutant Future rules during the original playtesting? It would make sense if this were the "placeholder" cover used, as the artwork is obviously culled from another source, but indicative of the "feel" of the final rules. So if anyone can shed some light on this mystery, I'd be appreciative!

Savage Menagerie: Apocalypse Cow

2011-08-11T15:00:00.002-04:00

No. Enc.: 4d10
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 240' (80')
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: Special
Damage: Special
Save: L1
Morale: 4
Hoard Class: None

The Apocalypse Cow looks like any other standard bovine beast of burden, except that it has softly glowing eyes and a slight green glow about them. They are incredibly docile and gentle creatures, but--ironically--they are also one of the most dangerous creatures to roam the wastelands. Due to its molecular instability from generations of exposure to radiation and toxins, there is a good chance that an Apocalypse Cow will explode with the force of a fragmentation grenade if frightened, startled, or injured.

The Apocalypse Cow is never found in the wild by itself; rather it is a herd animal found in large roving groups of 4d10 cattle. These herds will be found wandering the plains, quietly grazing, mooing softly. Smart PCs may notice that the herd is surprisingly undisturbed and unhunted by natural predators. An Apocalypse Cow is a very skittish and tense, and stress or a high heart rate could trigger the Cow's explosive reaction mutation. If an Apocalypse Cow is startled, it has a 20% chance of exploding, atomizing the Cow and harming those who are too close to ground zero. This explosion will do 6d6 hit points of damage to all within 60 feet of the explosion. If an Apocalypse Cow is injured, it has a percentage chance of exploding equal to the amount of damage done, or 20%, whichever is higher (i.e., if it takes 30 points of damage from a laser shot, it has a 30% chance of exploding. If it takes 4 points from a thrown dagger, the chance of it exploding is 20% rather than the 4% from the dagger).

An exploding Apocalypse Cow is bad enough. Where the true danger lies is if nearby Cows are harmed when one explodes. When these nearby Cows are startled or injured, a potential chain reaction could be triggered. Example: The initial Cow is injured, and it explodes for 24 points of damage. Those Cows within 60 feet will, in turn, have a 24% chance of exploding. Any of THOSE that explode may trigger other nearby Cows. It is said that Western horizons occasionally light up from the sheer magnitude of a herd of exploding Apocalypse Cows.

Interestingly, the meat of an Apocalypse Cow is very much sought-after as a delicacy and will fetch a hefty price from any food vendor or barterer. Of course, the trick is how to "harvest" the meat without causing a catastrophic explosive chain reaction amongst the herd.

Mutations: explosive reaction NOTE: The Apocalypse Cow is inspired by a number of things: this shirt at Offworld Designs; the radioactive exploding cows found in one level of Destroy All Humans; and the fact that a gentle docile creature like the cow could be a walking timebomb is endlessly funny and terrifying.

Quick Giveaway: Win "Books of the Wastes"

2011-08-11T08:28:00.006-04:00

Hey gang,

Chuck Rice of Vigilance Press was kind enough to offer five free copies of Books of the Wastes to readers of The Savage AfterWorld. Books of the Wastes is a six-page supplement that offers the Mutant Lord a series of long-forgotten texts their Mutant Future PCs might stumble upon in their adventures. What kinds of information can the Ancient Words impart to the wasteland wanderers? A new "learning" rules mechanism is also introduced, giving PCs a reason to seek out these tomes and study their contents.

Chuck will provide a free copy of his new book to the first five people who send me an email with "Books of the Wastes Giveaway" in the subject line. (My email address is over yonder in the right-hand column.) I'll update this message when we have our five "winners."

EDITED TO ADD: Congrats to Rich S., Derek D., Eric C., Brian R., and Robert B. who are the winners of the giveaway. Please watch your email for information from Chuck on how to claim your prize.

For those who didn't win or missed the giveaway, Books of the Wastes is only 99 cents and is now available for download at RPG Now.

Gen Con's "How Dry I Am" For Ghostbusters Now Available For Download

2011-08-10T08:40:00.004-04:00

Last bit of "Gen Con Not-Mutant Future" business to take care of. I had a few folks email me, asking about the Ghostbusters game I ran for Gen Con. For those of you who are fans of the original West End Games RPG, here is a quick one-evening adventure you can run your PCs through. We had fun playing it at Gen Con. Enjoy!EDITED TO ADD: Sorry gang, but I now plan to run this at Gary Con 2012, so I've removed the link to the file. Anyone who stopped by for a sneak peek to the game, well, you're just gonna have to show up at Gary Con and play!

My Gen Con Hernia-Inducing Haul

2011-08-08T17:13:00.007-04:00

Even though it looks like I went nuts with impulse buys, everything pictured here was a planned purchase:Radiation dice bag (two of them) - Q-Workshop

De Profundis - Cubicle 7
Illuminati Deluxe Edition (yes, two copies) - Steve Jackson Games
Part-Time Gods and Apocalypse Prevention, Inc. - Third Eye
Cheers Gary - Gygax Memorial Fund
Tooniversal Tour Guide and Toon Ace Catalog - Steve Jackson Games (Purchased used at Troll and Toad)
A History of Doc Savage - Fantom Press
Fight On! Issue 1-4 Compilation
OSRIC Hardback
Carnival Arcane CD - Midnight Syndicate
The Random Esoteric Creature Generator (two copies) - Goodman Games
Realm of the Technomancer (two copies) - Faster Monkey Games
Re-Energizers - Faster Monkey Games

And here is all things dice-related (some of these are impulse buys and nifty freebies):

Gen Con dice bag
Big ol' bag of scooped-up Chessex dice
My first Zocchihedron (d100)
d7 from Gamescience
Radiation die (gift from Justin over at A Field Guide to Doomsday)
Gen Con Forum "STINK" party d6 promo
Gen Con '11 d6 promo
d-Total from Gamescience (17 dice in one!)

Not pictured are a stack of new t-shirts (Gen Con 2011; Tower of Gygax; Part-Time Gods; and a bunch of general geek wear) and all the nifty free swag found in Ye Olde Swagge Bagge.

Lessons Learned: My Post-Gen Con Wrap-Up

2011-08-08T07:03:00.004-04:00

Staying at The Canterbury Hotel was nice, and I got a hell of a deal by booking my room back in January. But it's about the furthest you can be from the action while still being connected by the Skywalk. So the hike to the ICC and back got real old, real fast. On the plus side, all of the games I ran were at the Crowne Plaza Hotel -- right next to my hotel which was very convenient. So it was a trade-off. I also saw the Crowne was right next to the ICC, so that may be where I end up next year.
Next year, I'll run only Mutant Future as I seemed to be the only one who did. So I'll fully embrace the mantle as "Gen Con's Sole Mutant Future GM." (Unless someone else steps up, in which case I shall totally play in your game.)
And one of those games will be a "Thundarr the Barbarian" Mutant Future game -- I so swear.
Speaking of running games -- next time I won't run so many as I somewhat cheated myself out of two days at Gen Con. I scheduled my games from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. so it'd be most convenient for me. (Nothing too early or too late.) However, the Exhibit Hall is open from, you guessed it, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Plus, by the time 6 p.m. rolled around, I had already been gaming (as a GM) for 8 hours. I was beat, even though I wanted to play in some games of my own and/or participate in the auction. And all of the pick-up games and after-hours funness were held at the ICC. Did I mention the hike? Anyway, next year, I'll run two/three games on one day to get it out of my system, then the rest of the event will be Sniderman Time to enjoy.
BRING. MORE. ASPIRIN. I swear I'm still working out the kinks.
BRING. MORE. THROAT. LOZENGES. Losing my voice Saturday morning was the pits.
Next year, I need to try to work in a round of True Dungeon. I regret not trying that out.
The camera I brought sucked. However, although I saw a lot of cool things to take pictures of, those same cool things were covered pretty well by other bloggers snapping shots and posting pix. I'm not one to take pix for my own personal keep-'em-forever use, so next year, no camera.
But I WILL bring a bigger empty suitcase specifically for the Gen Con Haul. I got so much swag and made so many purchases, I filled the carry-on I brought as well as half my clothes case. (I'll post a list of everything later.)
I hate fighting departing crowds for any event, so I left early Sunday morning, even though the event was wrapping up that morning. But I don't think I really missed anything of importance other one last sweep of the exhibit hall. Or did I? Nagging doubts linger that something cool happened on that final day and I missed it.
Next year, I need to find and attend more of the yearly traditions of Gen Con. Was there for the Tossing Of The First Die, but I didn't build anything at Cardhalla nor participate in its coin-fueled destruction, I didn't play in any pick-up games scattered throughout the area, I missed out on seeing the costume parade, I didn't play Drunken D&D or midnight Illuminati or Are You a Werewolf or NASCRAG, I missed Hickman's Killer Breakfast, I wanted to check out Dead Games Society's games on Wednesday night, etc. I did, however, get to take my turn through The Tower of Gygax with Luke Gygax as a teammate, I had lunch at The Ram one day, and I attended the Gen Con Forum Members' "Stink," so those were fun times.
I need to get all of my rulebooks onto a Tablet PC. Dragging my never-once-used rulesbook for the games I ran sucked. But I'm too nervous to NOT have them on hand for a rules call.
I feel like there were too many things to do, but I don't feel like I did enough, if that makes sense.
I really wish this had been 1986, I was 20-years-old, and I was attending with my old D&D crew from my youth. The tales would be epic.
The tales I have from my first Gen Con as a solo-flying 44-year-old GM are epic anyway. ;)

"Goodnight Gen Con" -- A Children's Tale

2011-08-07T21:58:00.006-04:00

(Just got home, and cobbled this together. Wrap-up to come after the first good night's sleep in four days...)

Gen Con Day 3 -- Voiceless, Crossing The Streams, and Meeting The Media

2011-08-06T06:46:00.012-04:00

As before, these are random musings and impressions as they came to me throughout the day:

Finally figured out the hot water situation at the hotel I'm at. I'm on the 11th floor of a rather old building. When I turn on the hot water at 5:30 a.m., I'm the first one apparently. So the hot water needs to be pumped up from the basement (or wherever) for "the first showerer of the day." Took 10 minutes to get hot. So, for everyone staying on floors 1 through 10 of the Canterbury, I'm the reason you awoke to hot water each morning as I "primed the pump," so to speak. You're welcome.
It was good to finally meet a fellow RPG Blogger "in the wild," so to speak. Justin Davis of A Field Guide to Doomsday and Amy, his Ever-Understandin'-Better-Half, played in both of Friday's Mutant Future games. Justin and I surprised Amy by bringing out her home-played PC as her "pre-gen" for the game. Yup, her Gen Con convention adventure is now part of her character's continuity. Gotta be sure to fire off experience points to her. I hope Penelope the Mutant Crawdad had fun!
Three days of irregular sleep, walking all over God's Green Earth, and eating nothing but crap is really starting to take its toll. I feel like gnomes are mining away my stomach lining.
HOLY CRAP. I just tried to actually talk this morning, and my voice is SHOT. I didn't even realize it, but I'm barely above a whisper this morning. Supposed to run a TOON game in about 2 hours, but I can't see how I'm gonna pull this off. (EDITED TO ADD: I went to GM HQ as early as I could to pull the plug on the game. Hated to do it, but I hope I gave those who signed up enough notice to find something else to do and to ensure they get refunds for the event.)

Later that afternoon after eating an entire roll of Halls, I was able to salvage my voice enough to run the Ghostbusters game "How Dry I Am" I had scheduled for 2 p.m. Only 2 of the 6 registered showed up (Thanks Clifford and Kyle!). I'd say we "made do," but that's inaccurate. We had a GREAT time in the game and much laughter was had by 'Busters and Ghostmaster alike.

Just got back from the Media Meet and Greet. Although I'm a small fish in a big pond, it was nice to meet some of the folks who also write/blog/podcast about the industry. Met the folks from Undergopher Central, Pulp Gamer, and Odd Novelty Productions. Then Justin and I traded Illuminati tales for a few hours over beers. A fine end to the day.

I've decided that I've done what I came to do. Ran some games, met some folks, spent some money, and made some memories. There's nothing scheduled for me on Sunday, and I really have no interest in seeing a closing ceremony or fighting the crowds leaving the city. I'll take my leave early in the morning, so consider this my last live Gen Con update. I'll post some wrap-up thoughts in the days to come. So long Indy. See you next year -- count on it.

Gen Con's "Gimme Shelter" For Mutant Future Available For Download

2011-08-06T05:15:00.000-04:00

Hey gang,

Last night I ran two Mutant Future adventures at Gen Con - "Gimme Shelter" and "Dead in the Water." Here today for download is one of the two adventures - "Gimme Shelter." Feel free to download it and run your PCs through it.

Some notes: Some regular readers may notice that the adventure is a mash-up of two earlier-posted adventures here at The Savage AfterWorld. This is by design. I really liked those adventures and wanted to give them a run as a convention adventure (with a couple of tweaks and changes to keep things interesting). Secondly, the adventure is very short as there was only 3.5-4 hours to run it. Wanted to make sure there was a beginning, middle, and end, so I kept the encounters minimal. Next up, those who actually played it may notice that some of the encounters within didn't occur the way they did at the con. I needed to keep the game on target and moving, so I culled some things on the fly. (The Rot Dogs didn't show up in Scene 3, and the Mant lair wasn't nearly as sprawled out.) Finally, it's my personal hammered-out roughs -- warts and all -- just enough to guide the game. Don't expect a polished product, as that was never the intent.

I ran four 1st-level characters through it, so plan accordingly. Download and enjoy with my compliments. Oh, and what of "Dead in the Water"? Oh, THAT will see the light of day in a more polished form. The Gen Con run was a scaled-down version of...

Ah, but that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it? :)

ETA: Would anyone want the TOON and Ghostbusters modules I plan to run as well? If there's enough interest, I'll post those too.

Gen Con Day 2 -- Raucous Laughter, Giant Ants, and "The Plant With No Name"

2011-08-05T20:38:00.006-04:00

Just got back from running my two Mutant Future games at Gen Con. As before, I'm just hammering out thoughts and opinions on the day's events as they come to me:

The table near mine was playing a Champions game where the team were sidekicks and superpets. It was played for laughs. I know this because the raucous laughter from that table filled the room, and I had to SHOUT over them to run my first game. I don't begrudge them from having a great time, but damn folks...bring it down a friggin' notch for the other 5 tables trying to play in the same 10' X 10' conference room.
Before I get too high on my horse, I played in a Paranoia game at a Con once, complete with airhorns, whistles, and shouts of "YES, FRIEND COMPUTER!" We royally pissed off the Call of Cthulhu game running at the table beside us. Perhaps this is Karma tapping me on the head, saying, "There ya go, jackass. Payback."
Just ate my first Chick-Fil-A sandwich. I truly do not understand the worship these things get. It was a chicken sandwich. Not bad, but not orgasmic.
I had two no-shows for the first game and one for the second game. Shame because they went very well, and we had a great time. Your loss, dudes. Hope you enjoyed whatever it was you did instead.
Note to self: Next year, do NOT schedule your games to run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Those are the hours of the Exhibit Hall. I'm gonna totally miss it Friday and Saturday this year.
Pictures will be sparse, I'm afraid. The digital camera I brought eats batteries like a ravenous spidergoat. I've already swapped out batteries TWICE and the newest ones are down to half-charge already. I'll get what I can, but if these die out, that's it.
Tomorrow I'm running a TOON game and a Ghostbusters game. Hoping for big laughs. But not big enough that I piss off other tables (see previous note).

As for the first game ("Gimme Shelter"), we had the following occur in 3.5 hours:

Pigmen ambush
a giant rock guy hurling a curled-up armadillo into an enemy and missing
an appearance of Medusaweed (I fretted because I forgot it was this morning's blog post, so I was afraid one of the players had seen the post about it)
a PC falling prey to the Medusaweed (he hadn't seen the post)
a fight with a couple of hardy Mants, ending with one of them getting his head crushed in by a thrown two-handed club
the armadillo trying to convey "friend, peace, no attack" to a giant ant via hand motions (the giant ant was befuddled as to what the mime was all about)
Finally, an attack by the Mant Queen which ended quickly when the android character fired his optic beams at the ceiling directly above the Queen. He opted to use the d30, and I decreed anything over a 20 resulted in a damage modifier. He rolled a 27, for a x7 damage modifier. A roll of 11 became 77 points of crushing cave-in damage to the Queen, ending the combat and the game in the EPIC WAY ONLY A D30 CAN BRING. Great game.

The second game was just as epic ("Dead in the Water") with the following scenes occurring:

dead mutants and humans crawling their way out of the sea to attack a fishing village
a crawdad mutant decapitating one of the Drenched with her giant claw
a thorn-throwing plant with Clint Eastwood's spaghetti western mannerisms
a PC uses the shriek mutation, flattening two foes...and two teammates as well
a half-man/half-wasp trying to grapple a Great White G ull in mid-air
Captain Laird, the sentient seaweed fishing boat captain
(cowering behind a computer console) "I'm hiding behind science!"
The PCs win initiative against the Big Bad Thing at the endgame. The half-wasp faces up against it, spits acidic saliva at it, opts for the d30, and does 29 points of damage; followed up by The Plant With No Name firing a thorn into its eye and rolling the (sigh) d30 for ANOTHER 30 POINTS OF DAMAGE. (Note: the Big Bad had 60 hit points.) The killing blow came from, appropriately enough, a sling and stone ala David and Goliath. They totally pwned my biggest, meanest critter within one combat round. The d30 - Love it. Hate it. Game with it.
"Norlins Saints." Heh.

Overall, I consider the two Mutant Future games were successful as everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. I think a few of 'em may pick up a copy or two of the rules over at the OSRG booth (#1541) tomorrow.

And here are shots from the two games:
We had a fifth player in this picture to the left who got cut off. Sorry 'bout that Jeff!

Savage Menagerie: Medusaweed

2011-08-05T05:00:00.002-04:00

No. Enc.: 1d4
Alignment: None
Movement: None
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: Special
Damage: Stun, Special
Save: L2
Morale: None
Hoard Class: None

Medusaweed is an insidious naturally occurring plant found in deep overgrown forests in the Mutant Future. They appear to be the same as any other overgrown vines, snaking up tree trunks, hanging from branches, or laying across the forest floor. A strange sign that a Medusaweed patch is present is the appearance of 1d4 lifelike vine-covered "statues" scattered throughout the area. These are actually the fossilized victims of the 'Weed.

If a character comes into contact with Medusaweed for more than 2 rounds, he should roll a save versus poison attacks. If the save fails, he will be paralyzed by the vine's slowly absorbed dermal poison sap. The slow-acting poison ensures that a victim is unaware of the danger until they are well within the Medusaweed patch. Once paralyzed, the vine will slowly start wrapping itself around the character, which then triggers the Medusaweed's fossilization mutation. The 'Weed will begin "feeding" on the character for 2d4 points of damage each round. As it absorbs the character's life force, the character's flesh will begin to fossilize, turning to a calcified stone-like substance. When the character's hit points are completely absorbed, all that remains is a rock-like "husk" of the dead character. If a character makes the initial save vs. poison, he is able to pull himself away from the Medusaweed, but he takes 2d4 points of damage from the plant's initial attempt to calcify the character.

Medusaweed moves incredibly slowly, so there is no danger to the cautious character. But one who stumbles into a Medusaweed patch alone may find himself as yet another "statue" in the wilderness.

Mutations: dermal poison sap, fossilization

Gen Con Day 1 -- Cold Water, Human Traffic Cones, and Spit Takes

2011-08-04T16:39:00.007-04:00

I started writing this post at 5:30 a.m. I've been adding to it whenever I stopped back at my room to drop off purchases or before heading to some other event. So the following are just thoughts and reactions to Gen Con as they happen:

Woke early so I could take a shower, grab a bite and prep for the day. Shower was short, as there was NO HOT WATER. Took a shower before bed last night. Maybe I used it all up? (j/k - will bitch at the front desk later about it)
Head over to the center about 1.5 hour before official opening. I have never seen more kilts before in my life -- and I've been to a Highland games event. I doubt the Scottish heritage of some of these folks...
While thumbing through the Gen Con program, I got a bit of a thrill seeing my name listed next to the games I'm running. I'm mentioned in the same book as gaming's stalwarts.
There is nothing more annoying than a loud-mouth attention grabber who isn't nearly as funny as he thinks he is. Dude, we weren't laughing at your shouted comments. We were laughing at the braying jackass making a public idiot of himself.
Gen Con attendees are almost universally the nicest big-ass group of folks I've ever encountered. Nearly everyone has been down-to-earth, helpful, and friendly to a fault. And I struck up a 20-minute conversation with a random stranger about Bunnies and Burrows. Try doing THAT at your local mall.
I don't carry a watch, but I do carry a phone so I know what time it is. Left it in the room. I was that "'Scuze me, what time is it?" guy. Sorry for the annoyance.
With all of the inspiration around me, I'm coming up with all kinds of Mutant Future inspiration, jotting furiously in a notebook every 3 minutes. One to share: In my world, the survivors who roam the wastes will now refer to the Final Wars That Ended the World as "Apocalygeddon."
The convention center needs a better AC system. 30,000 gamers = 30,000 BTUs.
Finn just walked by carrying Jake. Missed the photo op.
"Abnormality Atlas," "Deviant Database," or "Miscreation Manual": Which do you prefer?
I swear, the next human traffic cone who stops dead in front of me because he suddenly saw something shiny is gonna get a backpack swung at his head. I've already collided with three of these sudden-stoppers. Please, move to the side of the aisle and out of the traffic lanes before slamming on the brakes.
I'm staying at the Canterbury Hotel. Discovered a door on the third floor that said the Center Mall was right through the door. Walked through, and found myself in the Food Court on the other side! It appears I won't starve for the next four days.
At noon, I zipped over to the JW Marriot to play in The Tower of Gygax - a 24-hour, 4-day, on-going old school adventure. Walked in and was asked to pull up a chair. During the game, I was joking and kidding around with the barbarian player at the table. At some point, one of us said something funny enough to cause the DM to do a good old-fashioned spit-take. The game stopped while everyone laughed their asses off at this. Turns out the barbarian I hit it off with was Luke Gygax -- Gary's son. Good to meet you, Luke!
Hit the OSRG booth and got to talk with Joseph and Suzi for a bit. I think I bought one of everything they were carrying. Joseph said, at the rate he was selling, the booth could be empty by Saturday afternoon! He was also good enough to take a handful of Savage AfterWorld business cards from me to slip into the bags of anyone buying Mutant Future material.
Picked up a copy of Cheers Gary at the OSR booth and had it signed by Gail Gygax and editor Paul Hughes. They were recording testimonials about Gary for their website, so I did that too. I also picked up a Tower of Gygax t-shirt while there, as well as made an additional $20 donation to the Gygax Memorial Fund.
Good lord, I think I'm crippled. It's 4 p.m. and I'm in my room eating a Food Court burrito. I needed to stop by the front desk for aspirin (forgot to pack any) because my back, feet, thighs, and neck are killing me. But after a power nap and drinking three or four 5-Hour Energy shots, I'll go back out tonight to see what's what.

And now, some random pictures of whatever I pointed the camera at:A picture of people taking pictures of the D&D display at one entrance.

Cardhalla is already in full swing this year.

Me shaking hands with a life-size ogre statue. I have named him "Brittany."

Taken 5 minutes before the official opening of the doors to the dealer hall. Picture this mass behind me and to my right as well. A huge mob of folks.

James Ernest of Cheapass games throws the ceremonial first die of Gen Con and we're underway!

"Books Of The Wastes" Review

2011-08-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

While at Gen Con, I also wanted to keep up with the usual Mutant Future posts and news. Before I left for the Con, Chuck Rice of Vigilence Press was kind enough to send me a copy of his latest Mutant Future offering, Books of the Wastes for perusal. Thanks Chuck!

Books of the Wastes is a small six-page micro-tome that offers the Mutant Lord a series of long-forgoten texts their PCs might stumble upon in their adventures. What kinds of information can the Ancient Words impart to the wasteland wanderers?

Books of the Wastes also introduces a new "learning" concept normally seen in RPGs such as Call of Cthulhu; that is, by reading and researching, the PC can expand his own knowledge and skill set. Review robot repair? Watch your tech ID level increase. Read up on gunsmithing, and your To Hit percentage gets better. On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer, but it's a nifty little way to introduce a bit of over-the-long-run character development. Chuck explains in the opening of the piece that it's his way of adding "feat-like" abilities to the game, but under the control of the ML.

The books introduced in this six-page offering (the last two pages are the OGL...) include:

Alice's Gun Almanac
Better Living HIGH Magazine
"Big" Bill Hutchison's Guide to Business Influence and Success
Chairman Mao's Little Red Revolutionary Handbook
Mr. Fixit's Handy Dandy Advanced User Manual
Mr. Fixit's Handy Dandy Robot Repair Manual
The Laze
U.S. Army Robot Combat Manual
U.S. Army Field Medic Guide
Little Pathfinder's Wilderness Survival Guide

Each entry is afforded a paragraph or so describing its contents and there is a nice cross-section covering several subjects that will be of interest to the players. My only complaint is I wish this were bigger! It's a great concept and I wanted to see more Works of Forgotten Lore. But the book-learnin' concept is solid enough to work into your campaign. Sniderman says "Check it out!"(See, it's a pun, because you "check out" books from a library, but it also means... never mind.)

Books of the Wastes is only 99 cents and is available for download at RPG Now.

Here's someone who knows all about
post-apocalyptic book reading.

Newest Thing At Gen Con...?

2011-08-03T14:22:00.006-04:00

That "thing" would be me. :) The photo above was taken about 30 minutes ago from the entrance to The Indy Con Center. Got my badge. Got my tickets. Got my GM stuff in order. And I'm now resting in my room, pouring over the program, and thinking about lunch.

Quick story: This was not going to be my first Gen Con. Back in '86, I was fresh out of high school and seriously into all things AD&D. Gen Con was a pilgramage all 80's gamers wanted to take, and so I and three of my friends planned to hit it in 1986. Took a lot of begging before my parents agreed that I could make the trip. One friend was going to drive, another was taking care of the hotel. I ordered my badge and tickets (through the MAIL, which took 6 to 8 weeks) and began saving up all year for the event. This was to be one of the nerd-cred milestones of my life.

A week before departure, I kept trying to get the guys together so we could hammer out the plan of attack. Does Joe (not his real name) need money for gas? Ralph (not his real name) hadn't told us which hotel he had booked. I was trying to get answers from folks who were hedging.

Of course, I found out 3 days prior to leaving (when I was in a blind panic for lack of info) that the others weren't serious about going. It was nothing more than a "bar fantasy" to them. ("Hey, if we buy a bar, we can run it, and drink there, and it'll be COOL.") Turns out I was the only one who actually committed money and resources to the trip.

Of course, I didn't go as I didn't have a car...or a booked room...or the wherewithall to travel alone. So I threw out the unused badge and tickets. Never really tried again as I was somewhat soured on prepping for a trip of that size that depended on others' participation.

So, January of this year, I bought my badge and booked my room. And right now, as I hammer out this post, I'm sitting in my Gen Con hotel room and looking at my Gen Con badge. It took me 20+ years, but I finally made it here. Time to make up for lost time.

I'll be sharing my adventure with you folks for the next few days. I'll try to keep it "Mutant Futurey," but there will be a lot of general nerdgasms as well.

/80's fist pump

ETA: Walked across the street and hit The Ram for lunch -- a well-known Gen Con gamer hangout. Ate an incredible chicken sandwich (BBQ, onion straws, and cole slaw) while watching Serenity on the big screens throughout the bar. Unlike my under-21 doppleganger from 1986, this Sniderman can drink. And I did. Feelin' fine. ;) Gonna go hit The Gen Con Stink tonight before calling it a night.

Where In Gen Con Is Sniderman Sandiego?

2011-07-29T09:14:00.007-04:00

Everybody else seems to be posting his Gen Con schedule, so here's mine in case anyone is curious, wondering, or wants to meet up. And here we go:

Wednesday:
Noon-ish - Check-in at the Canterbury, grab some lunch, and get my bearings. Visit the Convention Center and swing by Will Call for some last-minute tickets I purchased. Do some general recon so I'm not wandering around like a lost chimp for four days.

Thursday:
9-10 a.m. - Jockey for position of entering Gen Con for the first time. I plan to be part of the running of the bulls.
10 a.m. - ??? - Wander the Dealer Hall and buy many monies worth of stuff. Hang out at The Old School Renaissance Group booth and meet other old school fans. Play demos and make note of future purchases.
Evening - Venturing into The Tower of Gygax at JW Marriott

Friday:
10 a.m. - Running Mutant Future game at Crown Plaza - "Gimme Shelter"
4 p.m. - Running Mutant Future game at Crown Plaza - "Dead in the Water"

Saturday:
10 a.m. - Running TOON game at Crown Plaza - "Hassle in the Castle"
2 p.m. - Running Ghostbusters game at Crown Plaza - "How Dry I Am"
8 p.m. - Media Meet & Greet at Union Station

Sunday:
2 p.m. - Depart for home

On My "Unscheduled But Gonna Happen" Agenda:

Hit the auction and consignment store for a few hours
Play in any pick-up games that'll have me
Perhaps run a pick-up Mutant Future Thundarr game if time allows
Regular posts and pix here at Savage AfterWorld
Catch a few nerdy flix at the Film Fest
Find a use for the handful of Generic Tix I bought
Drinkin'

You'll see I deliberately left my playing schedule open for anything that pops up, although I'm running four games, so it's not like I won't be chuckin' dice. Really looking forward to the MutFut games I'm running. Been writing about the game for two years -- now's my chance to run a few for the readers of the blog.

To ID me, you'll want to look for a few identifying icons: glasses; a mustache; and this tag on my ID lanyard:

EDITED TO ADD: And here's what I look like for those of you looking around for Your Friendly Neighborhood Sniderman:In my secret identity as a mild-mannered editor.

Ready to swing into action. Yes, hat and Hawaiian shirts.

In my natural element with a drink in my hand. Cheers!
See you tomorrow!

Reading Through The Books Of The Wastes

2011-07-28T01:26:00.000-04:00

I was just informed by Chuck Rice of Vigilance Press that a new Mutant Future sourcebook will be released any day now. The sourcebook, titled Books of the Wastes, allows PCs to acquire new abilities from reading and researching pre-war books and tomes scattered throughout the blasted lands. Imagine the knowledge contained within such arcane volumes such as Alice's Gun Almanac, U.S. Army Robot Combat Manual, and Little Pathfinder's Wilderness Survival Guide. Books of the Wastes is expected to have a 99-cent cover price. We'll have an announcement and review upon its release.

So What Else Happens If I Roll a 27 To Hit?

2011-07-27T13:25:00.004-04:00

As a card-carrying member of The Order of the D30, I bring out my golden lump of randomness at each game. The houserule for d30 use as recognized by The Order is as follows:

Once per session, a player may opt to roll the d30 in lieu of whatever die or dice the situation normally calls for. The choice to roll the d30 must be made before the roll, and the d30 cannot be used for generating character statistics or hit points.

So if your character is swinging a dagger for a paltry 1d4 damage, you can instead use the d30 to roll damage upon a successful hit. A dagger stab for 27 hit points of damage? Nice. My players often use the d30 for damage rolls as a potential hit for 30 points of damage to a major villain can be a real game changer. (Allows for those "epic moments" too.)

However, the d30 has been used for those To Hit rolls where the odds are stacked against you. The party is moments away from a TPK, and you need to roll 18 or more to hit the mutant pounding you? Whip out the d30 to increase your odds. However, one player pointed out that I'm usually pretty generous with damage bonuses when a natural 20 is rolled in combat. "But there's never a damage bonus when we roll more than a 20 on the d30," he said. "Shouldn't we get something extra?"

At first I thought it was a bit cheeky to ask as the d30 already increases your odds for a successful combat hit. What more do you want? But then I remembered that those epic moments is precisely why I use the d30 in my games. So here is a new "d30 combat roll" rule I'm mulling over:

If the d30 is used in a To Hit roll, any rolls from 21 through 30 will be considered a critical hit. The amount rolled over 20 (X) will be given as an Xd4 damage bonus, ie, a 21 will grant a +1d4 damage bonus; 22 will grant a +2d4 damage bonus; up to 30 which will grant a +10d4 damage bonus.

Whadya think, sirs?

Remembering Gary Gygax On His 73rd Birthday

2011-07-27T06:14:00.005-04:00

Taking a sec to remember Gary Gygax who would have been 73 today. Happy Birthday Gary, and thanks for getting this whole mess started.

"Head 'Em Off At The Pass!?" I HATE That Cliche!

2011-07-26T23:50:00.004-04:00

A bit ago, I discussed "What Is Gonzo?" in an attempt to wrap my head around the concept as it relates to post-apocalyptic RPGs. The underlying consensus is that "gonzo" is a more madcap and chaotic in tone. Real-life physics don't come into play as often as wild fantasy tropes. Also, "gonzo" is often played for laughs.

Toward the end, I listed a few "gonzo" games in other RPG genres. "Hackmaster," "Stuperpowers," "Paranoia," and "Ghostbusters" -- or "gonzo fantasy," "gonzo superheroes," "gonzo sci fi," and "gonzo horror," respectively.

So where am I going with this? Well, an hour ago, I popped in a DVD while I worked on some Gen Con stuff -- a fairly popular comedy about a black sheriff's attempt to save the town of Rock Ridge. Inspiration hit for a new RPG genre: "the gonzo western."

When I return from Gen Con, I think I may just noodle around with this concept and see what develops. Who knows, maybe at this time next year, you may be able to play in a game of...

And no sidewindin' bushwackin', hornswagglin' cracker croaker is gonna rouin me bishen cutter.

Gen Con Media Meet & Greet on Saturday, Aug. 6

2011-07-25T11:57:00.003-04:00

I've been lamenting that there didn't seem to be any official meetup for RPG bloggers, but I was apparently clueless. After NewbieDM posted his Gen Con schedule, I saw where he mentioned a "Gen Con Media Party." A bit of further research revealed the very meetup I had wanted to attend!

There will be a Media Meet & Greet on Saturday, August 6, at 8 p.m. at Union Station hosted by Pulp Gamer. Here's the blurb:

Come join your favorite podcasters, bloggers, and other guests with an evening of conversation and fun. Share your thoughts with today's most influential personalities. Argue their points and meet other fans of the industry. Bring your friends!

Admission is free too, and there seem to be plenty of tickets. Just ordered mine and plan to attend and meet as many of you folks as I can. Wanted to get the word posted in case there are other blogging/podcasting Gen Con attendees who may be unaware of this event. Hope to see some of you there!

Savage Menagerie: Befuddlelk

2011-07-25T01:36:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Greyhawk Grognard for the inspiration for today's critter. "This noble creature is something that needs stats," eh? Here you go then:

No. Enc.: 1d4 (1d10)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 240' (80')

Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 3
Attacks: 1 (butt)
Damage: 1d6
Save: L2
Morale: 5
Hoard Class: None

Befuddlelk (be-FUHD-uhl-elk) are a herd animal similar in appearance to the deer and elk of Ancient times. However, the Befuddlelk has an amusingly stupid-looking face with perpetually cocked eyes and a tongue that lolls lazily out of one side of its mouth. All Befuddlelk have a formidable rack of antlers which it uses in a headbutt attack for 1d6 hit points of damage. However, the Befuddlelk have developed an unusually effective means of defense by way of its befuddlement mental attack.

If the Befuddlelk makes eye contact with a victim (a successful mental attack; treat Befuddlelk as having a WIL of 12), the target's INT and WIS scores will drop by 5 points for 24 hours. The target's eyes will also become cockeyed and his tongue will also loll out of the corner of his mouth. Treat the PC as having become a "temporary simpleton." If your Mutant Future game is of a gonzo nature, this affliction can be played for laughs. If you run a more serious game, the drop in INT/WIS scores, lack of depth perception, and inability of speak clearly could be incredibly hazardous.

Particular evil Mutant Lords could rule the affliction as having a 5% chance of being permanent. If this happens, give the PC a break and give him the befuddlement mutation which he can them use against other targets. The entire Mutant Future could eventually have a bunch of cross-eyed morons stupiding their way through the ruins. "Idiocracy" anyone?

Mutations: befuddlement

Edited to add: Apparently Garfield has the befuddlement mutation:

Fight On! Issue 12 Is Out With TONS Of Post-Apoc Material!

2011-07-14T23:10:00.004-04:00

Just look at the cover of this quarter's Fight On! and you'll see it's taken quite a mutated turn! Here's the blurb for this exciting issue:

Mutants! Androids! Robots! Pure Strain Humans! Fight On! is back, with another 88 pages of gut-wrenching, laser-pulsing, fist-pounding action! Rules variants, tables, adventures large and small, science fiction and fantasy, races, classes, monsters, spells, magic items, NPCs, history, opinion, and lore can be found herein! Featuring art and articles by Mark Allen, Ian Baggley, Lee Barber, Erin "Taichara" Bisson, Daniel Boggs, David Bowman, Simon Bull, David Coleman, Fat Cotton, Michael Curtis, Liz Danforth, Ndege Diamond, Ron Edwards, Kelvin Green, Tim Kask, John Larrey, John Laviolette, Lester, Gabor Lux, Heron Prior, Jeff Rients, Chris Robert, Zak S., Alex Schroeder, Jason Sholtis, Tim "Sniderman" Snider, Jennifer Weigel, and this issue's dedicatee James M. Ward, alongside many others! If want to take your FRP experience to the next level, don't delay - buy this issue and Fight On!

The print version is available here: http://www.lulu.com/product/16258333

and the PDF is available here: http://www.lulu.com/product/16258563

RIP Sherwood Schwartz 1916-2011

2011-07-12T20:14:00.006-04:00

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip...

Here's a story of a lovely lady who was bringing up three very lovely girls...
TV writer, producer, and creator Sherwood Schwartz died today at the age of 94. I daresay that even if you don't know the man's name, you have more than a passing familiarity with his two biggest contributions to the public consciousness:

I don't have any great tie-in with how his passing affected my role-playing. (Well, there was a great Paranoia game I ran at a convention titled "Gill-I-GAN's Complex," but that'll wait for another day.) Nor is there any great lesson learned from these shows that became a watchword for my day-to-day life. The reason I'm taking a moment to remember him here is thusly:

"Gilligan's Island" is simply my favorite show of all time. I still laugh out loud with each and every viewing, which happens at least once a week. I have been greatly entertained by this show for 40+ years. And anyone who has brought me this much happiness on a nearly weekly basis for most of my life deserves to be honored and remembered. Thanks for the chuckles, Mr. Schwartz.

In honor of this man's contributions, I encourage every Dungeon Master, Game Master, Crypt Keeper, Labyrnth Lord, Mutant Lord, and RPG Referee to take a moment this weekend and strand his PCs on an unchartered desert isle after a three-hour tour.

A three hour tour...

Savage Menagerie: Chronoweasel

2011-07-09T22:00:00.001-04:00

No. Enc.: 1d4 (1d6)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90' (30')

Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 3
Attacks: 2 (claw/bite)
Damage: 1d6/1d6
Save: L2
Morale: 6
Hoard Class: None

Chronoweasels are small (1-2' long) burrowing mammals covered in brown, tan, or white fur. These burrowing creatures live in the tunnels they create in the earth, and will sometimes venture or burrow into ruins. These creatures can see in the dark with a limited 30’ thermal vision, and have a very keen sense of smell that they use to track prey. But these abilities pale when compared with the mutation that gives the creature its name; the Chronoweasel can manipulate time itself.

Once a day, a Chronoweasel can generate two alternate timelines that run concurrent with the primary timeline. To viewers, it appears that the Chronoweasel has split into three separate creatures. In actuality, the Chronoweasel is living out three potential timelines simultaneously. For example, a group of PCs encounter a Chronoweasel and engage it in combat. When it triggers its mutation, the party will see it split into three Chronoweasels. One may attack a party member; another attacks another party member; while the third tries to escape. Each of these three Chronoweasels acts independently, and they will not interact with each other. (Although all three may attack the same target is so desired.)

At the end of 12 rounds (roughly 2 minutes), the Chronoweasel will determine which of the timelines is most beneficial to its survival and that version will continue to exist. The other two will cease to exist, disappearing from the timeline. In the example above, the two creatures which attacked the party members may be badly hurt, whereas the escaping one is successful in running away. The two attackers disappear, while the escaped (and unharmed) Chronoweasel races off. If all three courses of action are equally beneficial (or harmful), the Mutant Lord can roll randomly as to which one sticks around. If one of the Chronoweasels is killed while "split," the ML can randomly determine if it was an alternate timeline Chronoweasel -- which disappears -- or if it is the "prime" Chronoweasel -- which dies, while the other two copies disappear from the timeline. Note that any effect the Chronoweasel "copies" had on the timeline continue to exist even after the copies have ended, ie, any damage they inflicted on a PC.

It can make for an interesting encounter when the nest of 4 Chronoweasels the party stumbled upon suddenly becomes 12 angry attackers! Even more confusing for the party is when 9 of those Chronoweasels suddenly disappear after 2 minutes of combat!

It is unknown if any other creatures have evolved the alternate timeline generation mutation. It is feared what would happen if a powerful creature such as the Brain Lashers were to harness the ability.

Mutations: alternate timeline generation, thermal vision, increased sense (smell)

Creatures Of The Tropical Wastes Now Available

2011-07-06T19:39:00.006-04:00

The folks at Skirmisher Publishing have released their newest creature supplement for Mutant Future. Inspired after a trip to the Philippines, author Chris "Outlander" Van Deelen has written Creatures of the Tropical Wastes. Inside, you'll encounter:

50 new creatures, including the mysterious Ahas Folk, the insidious Egret Puppeteer, and the fearsome War Baboy.
30 new mutations, including numerous Plant mutations.

Also within the book's pages, you'll find

A Foreword by Derek Holland, author of several licensed Mutant Future sourcebooks.
Official Mutant Future Poison and Radiation Tables for convenience of reference.
Original illustrations by fantasy artist Sharon Daugherty

The 64-page PDF supplement is $5.99 and is now available at RPG Now, Drive Thru RPG, Pazio, and Your Games Now.

Can You Survive The Wasteland Weekend On Sept. 23-25?

2011-07-05T23:00:00.000-04:00

For those readers who like their apocalyptic roleplaying a bit more...well...REAL, you'll be interested in the following press release I found in my Inbox:

Correction: The Apocalypse Is Coming September 23-25, 2011

The Judgement Day cultists may have been wrong about May 21st, but the apocalypse IS coming. And it’s going to feature lots of young Californians in mohawks and leather.

Experience the Apocalypse Sept 23rd–25th at Wasteland Weekend 2011, a 3-day post-apocalyptic party in the Southern California desert. Slated to occur in the Mojave desert north of Los Angeles, the costumes-mandatory event promises to build on the success of Wasteland Weekend 2010, an event which brought out some 400 people, was covered by G4 and the Associated Press, and was honored by a special acknowledgement from Mad Max film franchise director, George Miller.

Wasteland Weekend features themed vehicles, post-apocalyptic sports, Bartertown vendors and hundreds of impressively costumed attendees. Nightfall brings live music, stunt shows, metal grinders and fire dancers. This year, the organizers already expect the turn-out to double, and are adding live bands, a Thunderdome for combat, and bigger and better set pieces as they progress towards a 360-degree immersive post-apocalyptic environment. For details, visit www.wastelandweekend.com.

And here are a few photos that were sent along. Looks like an incredibly fun time.

Other RPG Bloggers At Gencon?

2011-07-05T04:00:00.000-04:00

Gencon is now officially less than one month away. I'm really getting fired up for it. I even have a new Countdown Widget in place over there to the right. I'm an old salt when it comes to gaming conventions. I've run games many times in the past and have manned a booth or two in my days. But I'll admit this will be my first Gencon. I really think that the sheer masses of folks there will be overwhelming -- which is why I've scheduled NOTHING on Wednesday and Thursday, just to get my bearings, hit the Dealer Room, catch a few pick-up games, etc.

Anyway, I know of a few other RPG bloggers who have posted that they'd be at Gencon, but I don't think there's been a mention of any kind of informal "meet-up." I'd really like to meet anyone else who's a member of the RPG Bloggers Network, the RPG Blog Alliance, Old School RPG Planet, or who otherwise has a gaming blog presence. Perhaps we could agree to meet on Wednesday or Thursday for a drink or just to shake hands and connect a face to the blog.

So, I thought I'd toss the idea out there. Who's coming? Comment to this post and let's get a head count.

Mutated Musings From The Blogosphere

2011-07-04T16:45:00.001-04:00

While traipsing through the Web, I've stumbled across an interesting cross section of recent Mutant Future blog-posts I think will be of interest to regular readers of TSAW. And here we go:

German Edition Of Mutant Future Underway:

Came across this blog item at Von Der Seifenkiste Herab. I apologize for anything lost in the translation, as I'm using Yahoo Babel Fish to give me a rough idea as to the blog's post. So -- roughly -- it seems there was an earlier attempt to translate the game into German that fell through. However, Marc B. and Moritz feel that Mutant Future is "too cool" to not have a German version. According to the post, Goblinoid Games is aware of the work-in-progress, so it'll be interesting to see what transpires! Good luck with the translation!

Mutant Future Retro Character Sheet Available:

Il Male over at The Yaqqothl Grimoire has designed a new character sheet for Mutant Future which emulates the style and "feel" of the original Gamma World. Love the font used for the game name at the top. And I believe all character sheets should have a mandatory character sketch box. Go grab it here.

Different Mutant Futures

Over at Aeons & Augauries, blog-meister JDJarvis is working on a series of posts describing Different Mutant Futures. The series will examine different ways mankind could fall and the world that occur result from those "other apocalypses." The first new future is "Atomic Zombie Apocalypse" which posits that The End occurred in the late 1950s, and not due to The Bomb, but by The Undead. Go check out Part 1 and Part 2.

It's Not Junk; It's Money!

At Blog of Holding, Paul discussed all of the interesting (and dangerous) Omega Tech found in the Gamma World setting, but asked what of all of the Ancient Artifacts and useless items found strewn all over the landscape? What good is all of this junk? Pauls's solution is simple: "Ancient artifacts are currency." He describes a bartering system used in his game where you can get something you want (say, fuel for your motorcycle or ammunition) if you can get someone sufficiently interested in the Ancient He-Man lunchbox you dug up. I love this idea, as it would give players a chance for some real roleplaying as they try to "sell” the importance of a stapler (a microwire-bender, probably used for electronics repair) or a box of paper clips (a build-it-yourself chain kit).

Savage Menagerie: Glueworm

2011-07-02T23:08:00.005-04:00

No. Enc.: 1-2 (1-6 in a nest)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 10’ (3')
Armor Class: 9
Hit Dice: 1-3 hp
Attacks: 0
Damage: 0
Save: L1
Morale: Not Applicable
Hoard Class: None

A slug-like creature measuring only 1-2 inches in length with a sickly yellow tint, the glueworm is hardly a threat to the usual cautious mutant, having no real attack/damage ability and a minimal hit point total. However, where the glueworm is a danger is that it secretes one of the most aggressive adhesives found naturally. If a mutant steps onto a glueworm “snail trail” and/or crushes or otherwise injures a glueworm, they will find their weapon (or worse, themselves) permanently bonded to the underlying surface unless they make a Save vs. Stun Attacks. This adhesive will bond anything to anything permanently, with one exception: the adhesive does not adhere to glass or crystal. Even picking up a glueworm will leave enough residue on the mutant’s hand to be a hazard. Small bottles of glueworm secretion (called "snailhesive" by traders) will fetch a good price for its many uses.

The adhesive can be dissolved with the use of a strong acid, although anything thus bonded will take the usual damage. The glueworm secretion can also be burned off with fire, though the glue itself is not flammable.

Total Prize Claimants Thus Far: 0

2011-06-29T08:06:00.003-04:00

Nearly two weeks ago, I held a Mutant Future giveaway to celebrate the second year of The Savage AfterWorld. I posted the names of the following winners and sent out emails to the addresses they had registered with:

Mutant Future rulebook goes to "elrics"
Apocalypse Tech Report goes to "Jason"
Set of Nuke Dice goes to "Kev"
Radioactive Waste Dice Cups go to "jmezz382," "AslanC," and "Pete Politis"

And so far the following winners have claimed their prizes:

That's right; no one has yet contacted me to claim their prize. Hmmmm... This was not an issue I expected to have happen, but I suppose I may have randomly drawn six people who don't visit this blog. Or check their emails. Or they used a bogus account when first registering. Or whatever.

Anyway, my goal is to get these items into the hands of regular readers. So consider this a Last Call for the original winners to step forward and claim their prize. Any prizes I still have on-hand in, say, another week or two, I'll give away to a new set of winners through a more targeted method.

So if you won something, step forward today for the clock's running out!

Quick Giveaway: Win "Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest"

2011-06-24T11:55:00.006-04:00

Hey gang,

With the 99 cent sale of Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest underway for another day or so, I thought I'd spring for a few copies for folks who have not yet picked it up. So I'll purchase a gift PDF for the first five people who send me an email with "Nuclear Sunset Giveaway" in the subject line. (My email address is over yonder in the right-hand column.) Put your RPG Now email address in the body of the message. If you don't have one, just send me your primary email address and you can use that to register and claim your PDF at the site. I'll update this message when I have the five "winners."

EDIT TO ADD: OK, WE HAVE OUR FIVE WINNERS. NO MORE ENTRIES ACCEPTED.

Congrats to Zach H., Matt S., Aaron F., Alan K., and Tim DeC.! (And one more out to JDJ!)

"Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest" Review

2011-06-24T02:43:00.000-04:00

Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest is the first of a planned series of Mutant Future campaign books by Vigilance Press. Taking place in the ruined remnants of the United States, The Southwest encompasses what once was Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and the surrounding areas.

The campaign book is 24 pages long and nicely laid out. Each page of the high-rez PDF download is beautifully illustrated with a colorful background image and some really nice artwork is scattered throughout. A few issues with this approach is that it can be difficult to read some text that was overlaid across an image. And printing out the entire book yourself in color could prove to be pricier than a simple black and white product. However, these are small complaints as the quality of the art really is top-notch.

As for the content, The Southwest posits that this region of America fell back into the lawlessness of The Old West after the Great Wars destroyed civilization. Settlements and mining towns have risen from the ruins, and thieves and bandits roam the wastelands. To make matters worse, warring factions like The Cartel and the 88th vie for control; a new Aztec "king" has arisen and begun sacrificing victims; and those rumors of aliens kept at Area 51 were true. Fortunately, there are men like the Marshalls who try to keep the peace in the region, and the Navajo Nation thrives once again. Several other factions are discussed that the PCs might cross or join as they venture through the area.

The various cities found in the region are nicely rounded, with each entry describing the town's government, economic activities, and racial diversity. The settlements have mutated along with its residents, as they changed to meet the needs of the new world. For instance, Vega (Las Vegas) is an industrial society as the culture scavenged the piles of small machines and plastic chips to reuse in other ways. Each town also comes with a set of adventure hooks that could be used as campaign springboards for visiting PCs. There is also a listing of ruins throughout The Southwest -- those places that were destroyed in the exchange that could potentially hide valuable salvage...or twisted savages.

Overall, I'm impressed with this initial effort as the "feel" of the post-apocalyptic American southwest has been nicely realized with just enough gonzo-ness to give it that Mutant Future feel. I can see this being used as a more serious starting point for a new campaign, especially one that wants to focus on six-guns and shootouts. And I look forward to new entries in the series -- The Northeast is the next area we'll be seeing. When completed, I can envision an entire Atlas of the Blasted States of America.

Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest is normally $1.99, but until Saturday, Vigilance Press has it on sale for 99 cents at RPG Now. One buck for a brand new Mutant Future campaign book? Why are you still sitting there reading this review? Go. Purchase. Enjoy.