Devastation Drive-In 3-D — 'The Navy Vs. The Night Monsters' (1966)

Nightcrawler

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d8)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  45' (15')
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  12
Attacks:  1 (acid-grab)
Damage:  4d6
Save:  L6
Morale:  12
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  6,000

Nightcrawlers are 7' tall, woody trees with mossy trunks, leafy foliage, droopy branches, and exposed roots.  They prefer cold and icy climes, but thrive just as well in warm, humid environs.

As per the Nocturnal [D] mutation, nightcrawlers stand dormant during the day, and animate at night (or during the extended sunless months at the poles, or when moved into darkened structures).  They are active predators, and lash out at anyone that gets within 5' range.  A successful To Hit roll means that the plant grabs and restrains its prey, and deals an automatic 4d6 damage per round thereafter from potent acidic secretions. Only the nightcrawler's death, or a successful Ability Check Vs STR at a -5 penalty, allows escape.  Most victims quickly dissolve in its clutches, to be absorbed in mere moments.

While hunting, nightcrawlers emit a high-pitched whine that sounds like the combination of a shrieking teakettle and radio static.   They have a particular fondness for avian prey (particularly as they nest), and feed on other plantlife in the absence of animal sustenance.

Those that survive nightcrawler attacks risk being driven insane by the pain and sheer terror of the encounter.  Upon a failed Ability Check Vs WIL, a victim goes catatonic by day, but then stalks the night in a murderous fugue!  This madness lasts 1d4 weeks.

Nightcrawlers suffer an additional +2 damage per die from fire-based attacks.

Nightcrawlers reproduce by dropping 2d10 fuzzy, 6" diameter, 2 HP pods once per day that crawl under their own power at a rate of 6' (2').  These "young" also hunt and secrete acid (that deals 1d6 damage), and grow into full-sized nightcrawlers in 1d4 weeks.  With such a reproductive rate, a plague of nightcrawlers could destroy the Mutant Future!

Mutations:  Dermal Acid Sap (Modified), Frailty (Fire) [D], Free Movement, Nocturnal [D], Reflective Cellular Structure (Cold)

Devastation Drive-In 3-D — 'Return Of The Living Dead III' (1993) (Part 2)

Artifact:  Brainfreezer

The Ancients spared no effort or expense in researching ways to contain Trioxin-created zombie outbreaks, and cryonic weaponry seemed the perfect method to dispatch the living dead...

...BUT LITTLE DID THEY REALIZE THAT THEIR FAILSAFE WOULD SPECTACULARLY FAIL...AND BE ANYTHING BUT SAFE!!!

A brainfreezer is a propellant-powered rifle that fires "paratic infusion"¹ projectiles that (theoretically) render braindead ghouls inert through cryonic statis.  A laser sight adorns the top of the weapon, and a pressurized canister trails from the back.  It's quite cumbersome and bulky (resulting in a default -2 To Hit modifier), and generally requires two people to operate: one to aim and shoot, and the other to load / reload and keep the hoses attached and untangled.

And speaking of loading, a brainfreezer holds only one paratic projectile at a time, and once fired, it takes a full round to reload and seat the ammo (meaning the weapon can only be used every other round).  A series of red-to-green lights synced with escalating tones (beep-Beep-BEEP-BEEEEP!!!) alerts the wielder that the brainfreezer is ready.

The "paratic acid" inside an active, usable projectile glows an icy blue.  The darts come in padded cases that hold up to 20 units, and any given case found in a cache contains 3d6.

Brainfreezers never made it out of the R&D phase, as they were too unwieldy, too slow, and had too many components to be useful in real-time combat.  Furthermore, the holding times of the paratic chemical were wildly erratic; a braindead could stay rigid for anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes (3d6 rounds) before wearing off...allowing the zombies to revive and attack at full combat readiness.  And any shot that WASN'T a headshot knocked 1d4 rounds off the total.

The Mutant Lord should secretly determine the distinct paralysis duration for each and every braindead shot by a brainfreezer.  The minimum holding duration is 3 rounds with a headshot, 2 rounds without.

Any non-braindead struck by a brainfreezer sustains 2d8 cold damage.

Braindead, Weaponized

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d6)

Alignment:  Chaotic

Movement:  60' (20')

Armor Class:  2

Hit Dice:  16

Attacks:  3 (2 claws, 1 bite)

Damage:  2d8+2 / 2d8+2 / 2d6+2

Save:  L8

Morale:  12

Hoard Class:  XXI

XP:  4,200

Weaponized braindeads, standard braindeads fitted with metal exoskeletons agonizingly drilled straight into their flesh and bone, were intended as "biochemical weapons driven by meat batteries"².  After the failure of the brainfreezer technology, the frames were deemed viable alternatives to control the brain-craving undead via hydraulic "lock / unlock" levers and oral restraints. Weaponized braindeads could be airlifted into enemy territory, activated and unleashed, and then rendered immobile after slaughtering all they encountered.

A mechanized braindead's manual "on / off switch" is located on its backside, and anyone attempting to manipulate it (to either setting) must make a successful Ability Check Vs STR due to general difficulty of use and rust / corrosion.  And a freed weaponized braindead won't passively stand by for deactivation...and they have the tendency to rip out their mouth-guards....

Thanks to their exoskeleons, weaponized braindeads are frightfully strong, and able to bend bars, break doors, and shatter barricades—not to mention puny humans!—with ease. Furthermore, they can still function even if their fleshy components take significant damage; a weaponized braindead still attacks until reduced to -10 HP.

Weaponized braindeads are identical to the standard variety in all other respects.

Mutations:  Toxic Weapon ("Zom-bite")

1,2:  Dialogue from Return Of The Living Dead 3

Devastation Drive-In 3-D — 'Return Of The Living Dead III' (1993) (Part 1)

Artifact:  Trioxin 2-4-5

As part of their bewilderingly inconsistent (and quite hypocritical) crusade against consciousness-altering substances, The Ancients devised an experimental herbicide to eradicate "recreational plantlife" without toxic side effects or environmental harm...

...but the chemical didn't work as planned, and instead of killing greenery and winning the "war on drugs"...

...IT RESURRECTED THE DEAD, AND INFUSED THEM WITH AN INSATIABLE CRAVING FOR THE BRAINS OF THE LIVING!!!

Trioxin 2-4-5 (also known as 2-4-5 Trioxin, or simply Trioxin) is a yellowish gas found in pressurized, rusting drums...and it's a byproduct of the gooey, liquefying corpses also sealed within!

Yes, every tank labeled Trioxin contains the remains of an Ancient tragically exposed to the chemical itself during the original field tests.  Over the centuries, the body exuded enough gas to fill the barrel entirely.

Why seal the bodies in drums?  Because Trioxin brings the dead back to life, with world-shattering consequences.  Any humanoid or animal (including insects) corpse exposed to the substance awakens within 1d4 minutes, and though devoid of biological signs of life (heartbeat, respiration, temperature, etc), all memories, knowledge, and awareness generally remain intact.  Locomotion and tool use are  also usually unimpaired.

But the resultant neurological changes and pains of decomposition drive the revived specimens berserk, and only the electro-synaptic impulses of living brains temper the agony. A fresh brain quells a revenant's hunger for 1d10+10 minutes.

Trioxin-zombies are effectively immortal.  And though they can be dismembered, disposing of their perpetually wriggling parts is a nightmare, as incineration just generates more Trioxin gas.  The Ancients devised elaborate air filtration and purification systems to "safely" dispose of those exposed.

Braindead

No. Enc.:  1d6 (2d10)

Alignment:  Chaotic

Movement:  90' (30')

Armor Class:  6

Hit Dice:  11

Attacks:  3 (2 claws, 1 bite)

Damage:  1d6 / 1d6 / 2d6+2

Save:  L6

Morale:  12

Hoard Class:  None

XP:  2,000

Braindeads are humanoid corpses given life—and an insatiable hunger for living brains!—thanks to Trioxin 2-4-5 gas.  Anyone struck by both claws is considered grabbed, and vulnerable to an automatic bite attack that inflicts 2d6+2 damage.  Braindead bites are infectious (treat as a Class 20 poison), but victims suffer agonizing deaths that take 1d4 hours.

Braindeads come in 3 varieties:  canned, infected, and scourge.

Canned (statted above) are goopy, disintegrating, sickening escapees from Trioxin drums. The flesh of their extremities often fuses to their bodies, then ruptures as the creatures animate.  Enraged and insane after being trapped for centuries without sustenance, canned braindeads fight with unrelenting aggression, and gain a +2 To Hit per claw attack.  They have limited use of tools and technology.

Infected braindeads are the recently-revived victims of other braindeads (any variety) who succumb to toxic bites, or those who animate after direct Trioxin exposure.  They retain the same Movement rate as when alive, and those with WIL scores of 13+ retain the powers of speech and reason for 1d6 hours before turning feral.  Infecteds also Save based on their living forms.  They can use tools and technology.

Scourge braindeads are exceptional infected specimens who manage their decomposition-induced madness through intense pain.  After suffering 1d4 HP (usually through self-inflicted piercings and mutilation), a scourge braindead can make a Saving Throw Vs Stun; success means the creature functions with full cognition and conscience for 1 hour, and has no need to feed. Each hour afterwards, the scourge must make another Saving Throw at a cumulative -2 penalty, with failure indicating the immediate need to feed on brains, or undertaking the pain ritual again.  Eating brains returns the scourge to "normal" for 1d4 hours.

Scourges often use their body modifications in combat, and the assorted hooks, nails, glass, and jagged debris they jam into their flesh raises the damage of their claw attacks to 1d12 / 1d12.  Like infecteds, they Save as if still alive.

Fascinatingly, scourges with intense emotional attachments and/or romantic bonds get a +3 bonus to all Saving Throws related to their mental states.

Mutations:  Toxic Weapon ("Zom-bite")

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Bonus pics from other flicks in the franchise!!!