Friday, April 20, 2012

Let's Go To Gamma World. Meet... The Obb.


Obb

No. Enc.:  1d4
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  9' (3')
        —Fly:  180' (60')
Armor Class:  9 or 3
Hit Dice:  6
Attacks:  1d4 (claws)
Damage:  2d6 per claw
Save:  L3
Morale:  8
Hoard Class:  VII
XP:  1,570

The cunning obbs are 3' long fungal clusters with spongy bodies and leathery wings.  Each possesses a soulless cyclopean eye and 1d4 scythe-like claws.  Nearly immobile on the ground (AC 9), they are agile and swift when airborne (attaining an AC of 3 in flight).

Obbs are carnivorous, but only devour half of any given kill.  They deposit spores in the uneaten portions, from which sprout 1d6 3 HD "obblings" after a period of 4d6 hours.

Possessed of alien intelligence and logic, obbs have been known to work with other sentient beings for reasons all their own.  And they can be recruited, assuming the PCs can both communicate with them and decipher their inscrutable motivations....

Mutations:  Optic Emissions (Gamma Eyes), Reflective Epidermis (Heat, Lasers/Light, Radiation)






Not-The-Designer's Notes:  The Obb first appeared in 1978 in the 1st edition of Gamma World, by James M. Ward and Gary Jaquet, and again in the 2nd edition of Gamma World from 1983, by Ward, Jaquet, and David James Ritchie.  Illustrations by Larry Elmore from the 2e set, and the cover of 1992's 4th edition by Eric Olsen .  This adaptation combines both the 1e and 2e versions.


Not-The-Designer's Notes Addendum:  Both versions of the obb had the worst Armor Classes (AC 10!) in the entire Gamma World bestiary, yet were compared to hawks for being "deadly-swift in the air".  I tried to reconcile this contradiction.

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