Thursday, June 27, 2013

Radioactive Review — 'Wisdom From The Wastelands #19: Robots, Part 4'



If the prior robot-centric Wisdom From The Wastelands supplements (#15, #16, and #18) make up a decadent sundae of murderous mechanical goodness, then WFTW #19:  Robots, Part 4 serves as the  sprinkles.  It's not essential, but nonetheless provides plenty of color and crunch and texture, and makes everything better.

And it's sure goes down tastier than gummy worms.  Just who the hell are those people that genuinely like gummy worms as a topping?!  Freaks me out, man.

NO.

This issue is a hodge-pot and mush-podge of assorted robo-tidbits.

You get a chart on how to apply the standard Mutant Future artifact condition rules to robots: the worse the condition = the shoddier the 'bot.  Not exactly inspired, but it's over in an eyeblink.

There's alternative energy sources, which turn your usual nuke-powered deathbots into coal-belchin', solar-slurpin', mechano-vampire'n monstrosities out of John Henry's fevered nightmares.  I liked this section.

Then come the robo-remoras, and all I could think of were certain Transformers toys and their li'l accessories that are ALSO robots.

And you get three whole pages of new gear and weapons, so a Mutant Lord can trick out his killborgs with nanites and drug-generators and tractor beams and wormhole drives and bubble-guns and giganto-rays and necro-beams.  Great, great stuff.

I've faulted author Derek Holland before for his...thoroughness...but the guy really does think of everything.  And with his robot supplements, he truly goes above and beyond putting the science-fantasy in your science-fantasy rpgs.

Still the best 99¢ value on the PDF market.  Buy it here.

1 comment:

  1. I thought the conditions were an important addition considering there is nothing even hinting at it in the MF core book. My favorite part is the remoras even if they are just another version of parasite mutations. What I should have added are those that don't inflict drawbacks or provide mutations. They just have their own tiny foodweb on much larger machines.

    For even more thoroughness, see the weapons and robot ideas here: http://d-infinity.net/game-content/hi-tech-weapons-and-weapon-modifications

    I believe there is another WW issue coming up on robots written by Chris. So you will all get even more roboty goodness.

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