Devastation Drive-In — 'Uninvited' (1988)

Skintruder

No. Enc.:  1 (1)
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement:  90' (30') 
Armor Class:  3
Hit Dice:  3
Attacks:  3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage:  1d6 / 1d6 / 1d8
Save:  L3
Morale:  12
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  70

The Mutant Future gives rise to all manner of deadly viruses and illnesses...

...and they sometimes mutate so wildly as to take on hideous lives of their own!!!

A skintruder is a living—and altogether malevolent—tumorous mass that dwells inside the abdominal cavity of a domestic feline.  When angry or hungry, it attacks by slithering forth from the mouth and assuming the shape of a shaggier, toothier, bipedal version of its host, somehow expanding to almost double said host's original size.  When done rampaging, it compresses and wriggles back inside the slack flesh-shell, resuming the guise of an innocuous pet once again.

Skintruders are strong enough to rend their way through solid steel, possessing a 20 STR for the purposes of breaking doors, gates, and machinery.  And their bites are fatal, as their saliva contains a Class 20 toxin that causes a victim's blood cells to replicate a thousandfold, resulting in throbbing, overinflated veins that erupt in an agonizing geyser of gore 3d4 rounds after a failed Saving Throw Versus Poison.

The horrid beasts are wantonly destructive, as they relish gnawing into foodstores and medical supplies to contaminate them.  Even the smallest crumbs and scraps are rendered deadly.

While skintruders usually manifest within housecats, they could theoretically form inside the bodies of larger, more dangerous animals...or even human beings.  The Mutant Lord should adjust accordingly the Hit Dice, Attacks, Damage, etc. of such atypical specimens.

Mutations:  Metamorph (Modified), Toxic Weapon (Venom)

 

Devastation Drive-In — 'The Boogens' (1981)

Boogen

No. Enc.:  1d3 (1d6)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  75' (25')
  —Burrow:  15' (5')
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  5
Attacks:  5 (4 tentacles, bite)
Damage:  1d4 / 1d4 / 1d4 / 1d4 / 1d8
Save:  L3
Morale:  11
Hoard Class:  VI, XII
XP:  1,250

Deep within the frigid earth, strange creatures have been sealed away since the time of The Ancients...

...and now they've broken out...

...AND THEY'RE HUNGRY!!!

The boogens are subterranean beasts the size of hogs that dwell deep within mines and natural caves, but they surface (often burrowing up through the floors of residences) when deprived of food.  They possess squat, round bodies encased in hard carapaces, toothy maws, and multiple flailing tentacles.

Of a boogen's tentacles, the front 4 end in piercing spikes, and they can lash targets up to 15' away.  If any 2 tentacles successfully strike the same target in the same round, said target is grappled and drawn into the boogen's mouth for an automatic biting attack.

The boogens take only half damage from melee weapons and conventional firearms.

Mutations:  Echolocation, Extra Parts (Tentacles), Increased Caloric Needs [D], Natural Armor (Extreme), Reflective Epidermis (Cold)

Devastation Drive-In — 'It's Alive III: Island Of The Alive' (1987)

Fangfreak

No. Enc.:  1d4+1 (1d4+1)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40') 
Armor Class:  5
Hit Dice:  12
Attacks:  3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage:  1d12 / 1d12 / 2d8
Save:  L12
Morale:  11
Hoard Class:  VII
XP:  3,600

Some communities are known to abandon their fangbabies into the wilderness, to let Nature run its course...

...but, against all odds, not only do they survive, they thrive...

...AND MULTIPLY!!!

Wild fangbabies congregate in small groups for protection, and in a mere 4-5 years, grow into fully mature fangfreaks.  These primitive, hulking beings are ferocious when threatened, and have no compunction against devouring their fallen foes.  They are also brutally cunning, which is only enhanced by their mind-reading abilities.

In any group of fangfiends, there will be 1d2 fangbaby infants.  And fangfreaks recognize that the harsh, cruel wastelands of the Mutant Future are no place to rear children...so in an ironic and tragic twist, they often leave their own monstrous offspring on the doorsteps of the very same Pure Human villages in which they themselves were born, hoping the little ones will be adopted and accepted by their grandparents....

Mutations:  Know Direction (Modified), Mental Telepathy, Negative Empathy [D]

Devastation Drive-In — 'Piranha II: Flying Killers' (1981)

All-Terrain Piranha

No. Enc.:  2d6 (4d10)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  3' (1')
        —Fly: 105' (35')
     —Swim:  150' (50')
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  1
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  1d8
Save:  L2
Morale:  12
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  16

In times of war, The Ancients flooded the rivers and lakes of their foes with all manner of baleful beasts...

...BUT THEY DIDN'T ALWAYS STAY IN THE WATER!!!

An unholy blend of piraña, grunion, and flying fish, the 2' long all-terrain piranha is yet another aquatic abomination unleashed by the Ancient bioweapons program known as  Operation: Razorteeth.

While perfectly at home in any type of water—fresh, salt, and even polluted—they often take to the air to hunt terrestrial prey.  All-terrain piranhas can survive indefinitely on land, and often lurk in ambush from inside the carcasses of half-devoured victims.

Ancient canisters of all-terrain piranha eggs may still be buried in the murk and mire of the Mutant Future.  Woe be to any settlement whose waterways become infested....

Mutations:  Aberrant Form (Gills and Lungs), Complete Wing Development

Devastation Drive-In — 'It's Alive' (1974)

Fangbaby

No. Enc.:  1 (1d3)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40')
Armor Class:  2
Hit Dice:  4
Attacks:  3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage:  1d6+2 / 1d6+2 / 1d10
Save:  L4
Morale:  11
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  245

Even in the forlorn Mutant Future, the arrival of a newborn is a blessed event...

...UNLESS THE INFANT IS A MALIGNANT MACHINE OF MURDEROUS MALEVOLENCE!!!

Fangbabies are some of the most tragic—and horrific—denizens of the Mutant Future.  These creatures have bulbous heads, pallid skin stretched too tightly over their frames, razored claws, and needle teeth.  They are agile and spry, and can leap and pounce like primates.

Fangbabies are born to those exposed to overwhelming environmental hazards.  If a pregnant Pure Human fails any 3 Saving Throws Versus Radiation, Poison, Energy, or combination thereof in the same day, there is a 30% chance that the offspring will be born as a fangbaby.

Most authorities attempt to slay newborn fangbabies the instant they're delivered, but the confused, frightened creatures always fight back...and gain +3 To Hit and +3 Damage per attack within the first hour of birth.  They are never a threat to their parents.

If a fangbaby is forcibly separated from its parents (whether to be caged, sent off for study, or banished into the wilds), the creature will unfailingly escape, and relentlessly—and murderously—make its way home.  Their Know Direction mutations always lead them directly to their sires.

And as if fangbabies weren't terrible enough, just wait until they grow up....

Mutations:  Know Direction (Modified), Negative Empathy [D]

Devastation Drive-In — 'Blood Freak' (1972)

Blood Freak

No. Enc.:  1 (1)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40')
Armor Class:  5
Hit Dice:  9
Attacks:  3 or 1 (2 fists, 1 peck, or weapon)
Damage:  2d4 / 2d4 / 1d10, or by weapon +2
Save:  L7
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  VI, IX
XP:  1,700

In the Mutant Future, many desperate souls turn to pharmacological agents and illicit substances to dull the pain of their arduous existences.  But those that do...

...FIND THEMSELVES IN THE SANGUINARY SIGHTS OF A BLOOD FREAK!!!

Blood freaks are powerful, 6'-7' tall beings with the bodies of men and the feathered heads of fanged turkeys.  They prowl impoverished communities and slums in search of the only substance that can keep them alive:  the tainted blood of addicts and junkies.  Ordinary, "pure" blood is toxic to a blood freak.

Most blood freaks are intelligent enough to disguise themselves with clothing while hunting, and use melee weapons (particularly power tools).  And their incessant gobbling changes pitch according to their moods and desires.

Any PC that eats poisoned, radioactive, or chemically-treated poultry has a 20% chance of becoming a blood freak themselves.

Mutations:  Unique Sense (Detect Drug-Use)

"Let's All Go To The Lobby...."

We here at A Field Guide To Doomsday are huuuuuuuge fans of the kind of films "they just don't make any more". 

Cheapo creature features, subpar sci-fi, exploitation epics, celluloid sleaze, and anything and everything released under the Something Weird banner bring joy to our demented hearts.

To both celebrate Halloween and to jazz things up around these parts, I'll be posting write-ups of mutants from the movies...but don't expect, you know, GOOD ones.  These monstrosities will be scraped from the bottom of the nuclear waste barrel.

So go get a hotdog, a soda, and some fruit sours, snuggle up with your best guy or girl, and settle in for an apocalyptic, psychotronic shock-show.

Welcome to...

...THE DEVASTATION DRIVE-IN!!!

"R" is for "Riprender"

Riprender

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d6)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  210' (70') 
Armor Class:  6
Hit Dice:  4
Attacks:  3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage:  1d6 / 1d6 / 1d4
Save:  L2
Morale:  8
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  135

Riprenders are quick, nimble insects the size of Ancient drafthorses, with strength to match.  While skittish and ornery in the wild, enterprising ranchers have domesticated them as mounts.  They can carry up to 400 lbs and move at full movement, and a maximum of 800lbs with movement halved.

Due to their speed, a riprender can make a second set of claw attacks if successfully striking with initial claw Attack Rolls of 17-20 on 1d20.

Mutations:  None

"V" is for "Var-King"

Var-King

No. Enc.:  1d6 (3d8)
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement:  75' (25')
  —Burrow:  30' (10')
  —Fly:  60' (20')
Armor Class:  6
Hit Dice:  6
Attacks:  2 or 1 (2 claws, or weapon)
Damage:  1d6 / 1d6, or by weapon
Save:  L6
Morale:  7
Hoard Class:  XVIII, XXI
XP:  1,570

The Var-King are a subterranean race of cunning, nasty, and duplicitous beings that are infamous for their hoarding and greed.  They stand 4' tall, and have long tails, long tongues, and leathery, purplish hides covered in coarse hair.  The Var-King favor arid climates.

Treachery is an institutionalized vice virtue in Var-King society.  One of their favorite schemes is to sell overpriced artifacts to remote villages, and then sneakily tunnel up from below to steal the devices back to sell all over again.  Essentially, the Var-King are the twisted reflections of the Meen'go, and the two races despise—and frequently wage war against—one another.

When venturing to the surface, the Var-King wear protective goggles and sensory gadgets to counteract their Vision Impairments.  And they keep their Psionic Flight and Teleport mutations secret, and spring them on their foes at the most advantageous times.

Racial epithets directed against the Var-King abound in the Mutant Future, including "var-cons", "aardvillains", "sand-swindlers", and "var-crooks".

Mutations:  Intellectual Affinity (Tinkerer), Prehensile Limb (Tongue), Psionic Flight, Teleport, Vision Impairment (Light Sensitivity) [D]

"People Eat Fish, Grogan. Fish Don't Eat People."

A pre-teen girl caught a fish "with a blunt head and a mouth rimmed with razor-sharp, pointed, wedge-shaped teeth" in a lake in a Houston-area park.

—

I already know how this ends.

"J" is for "Jawg"

Jawg

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d4)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  105' (35')
  —Swim:  75' (25')
Armor Class:  6
Hit Dice:  5
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  2d8
Save:  L3
Morale:  8
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  650

Jawgs are amphibious, 10'-12' long beasts with stocky bodies and oversized, toothy, piscine heads.  They appear in a variety of colors and textures, and the most vibrant have a 35% chance of possessing Dermal Poison Slime.  The creatures breathe through their hides, and correspondingly suffer +1 extra damage per die / +1d4 rounds of effect from gaseous-based attacks.

Ravenous carnivores, they snare prey with their 20' tongues.  On a successful hit, they yank  man-sized (or smaller) beings toward their mouths for a biting attack; on a Natural 20, they Swallow their prey whole.  Those swallowed suffer 1d10 damage per round until digested.

Jawgs can be used as mounts by only the most dominant—and foolhardy—individuals.

Mutations:  Frailty (Permeable Skin) [D], Increased Sense (Smell)

—

Designer's Notes:  Credit for the concept goes to Luke H., who is joining the group this weekend.  His character niche is "Cyborg Swamp-Pirate", and since bog-buccaneers need transport, he wanted a snazzy airboat.  Not only is he just 1st level, but the original PCs just got a fancy boat of their own, and I didn't want him biting their style.  I talked him into a mount of his own creation, and his exact words were: "I want a fish or an octopus-thing—no, wait—a shark-frog."

And then came Jawg!

"D" is for "Drearwig"

Drearwig

No. Enc.:  1d6 (2d4)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  150' (50') 
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  3+1
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  1d6
Save:  L4
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  VI
XP:  170

Drearwigs are 3' long, flightless insects that disrupt natural weather patterns with their mere presence.  A lone drearwig can only create vision-obscuring mists and fogs (causing all within the area of effect to suffer a -2 To Hit with all combat rolls), but multiple creatures can generate violent storms, winds, and even blizzards.

Due to their rapacious appetites and turbulent abilities, drearwigs are the bane of farming communities; however, some technical-minded villages utilize the creatures to drive mills and turbines.  And sea captains have been known to use them to "power" sailing vessels.

Drearwigs are immune to the effects of temperature extremes, and take -2 damage per die from mutations like Energy Ray (Heat/Cold), Temperature Control, etc.

Mutations:  Control Weather, Energy Ray (Electricity)