Thursday, October 9, 2014

Devastation Drive-In: The Final Cut — 'Empire Of The Ants' (1977)



Tyrænt

No. Enc.:  5d10 (12d12)
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement:  180' (60')
Armor Class:  3
Hit Dice:  4
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  2d6
Save:  L4
Morale:  12
Hoard Class:  VII x3
XP:  245

Self-proclaimed masters of the Earth, The Ancients wantonly polluted their environs, foolishly disposing of nuclear waste in the most haphazard manners possible...

...but their carelessness proved their undoing, as a new atomic-spawned species—a superior species—arose to challenge not only humanity for food and resources...

...BUT FOR COMPLETE AND TOTAL DOMINATION OF THE PLANET ITSELF!!!

Tyrænts are radioactive, ursine-sized insects found in tropical environs.  Their screeches sound eerily like human screams.  Territorial and aggressive, tyrænts wage war on local giant bug populations.

Tyrænts avoid open flame, and a moderate-sized campfire is enough to keep them at bay. Fire-based attacks inflict an additional +3 damage per die, and drop Morale to 6.

The creatures are highly intelligent.  Upon encountering a group of PCs, tyrænts stealthily observe from afar, picking off stragglers and loners.  And then, when the time is right, tyrænts attack en masse, destroying vehicles and slaughtering mounts to demoralize their victims into fleeing.  Survivors don't get away easy, though, as tyrænts herd their quarry over miles of terrain until reaching their nesting grounds, where the most terrible of fates awaits!

Mutations:  Frailty (Fire) [D], Gigantism, Metaconcert















Turf War!

—

Tyrænt Queen

No. Enc.:  1
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement:  180' (60')
Armor Class:  3
Hit Dice:  7
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  2d8
Save:  L7
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  XXII x3
XP:  2,190

Tyrænt queens are the megalomaniacal masterminds that rule over their respective colonies.  They seek to conquer all local sentient populations and force them to "work for the ants, feed them...for they are superior."¹

Tyrænt queens possess an insidious variant of the Fragrance Development mutation.  They discharge 15' radius clouds of vaporous pheromones that dominate those with 16 CON or less.  Tyrænt queens can use this ability every 3 rounds, with no limit on the total number of victims affected.  Enslavement lasts one full week(!), and at the end of the duration, a tyrænt queen lines up her minions like chattel for "re-indoctrination", which can take a considerable length of time.  [Forgiving Mutant Lords may allow certain Ability Checks and / or Saving Throws to break free of the pheromonal control.]  Androids, Mutant Plants, those with appropriate life support capabilities, and  ordinary animals are immune to the effects.

Frighteningly intelligent, tyrænt queens possess the insight and guile to control entire towns, and they specifically target locales that produce great quantities of food (farming communities, plantations, sugar refineries, etc.).  Queens  telepathically command enslaved officials to maintain outside business / trade relationships so as to keep things running smoothly, and ensure a steady influx of resources.  Tyrænt queens arm their most powerful and capable thralls with weapons, armor, and equipment, and grant ordinary citizens enough autonomy to go about their daily lives in the presence of outsiders.

Not only do tyrænt queens suffer the same fire damage as above, but if attacked for 3 consecutive rounds with flame, they lose control over their brain-slaves.  Those thus freed are disoriented for 1d6 rounds, and are generally inclined to flee, though they may make attacks at -3 To Hit.  Furthermore, all tyrænts in the area go into a panicked frenzy, and attack anything and everything until the queen eliminates the threat.

Mutations:  Fragrance Development (Modified), Frailty (Fire) [D], Gigantism, Metaconcert, Neural Telepathy













1:  Actual Film Dialogue

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Devastation Drive-In: The Final Cut — 'Killer Condom' (1996)


Bloodrubber

No. Enc.:  1 (2d12)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  180' (60')
      —Swim:  60' (20')
Armor Class:  -1
Hit Dice:  1d2 HP
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  2d4 + Special
Save:  L1
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  8

Some of the ugliest wars The Ancients fought weren't over territory or resources, but morality and culture...

...and certain unhinged scientists waged a crazed crusade on "immoral coitus" with living, bio-engineered birth control...

...THAT CURTAILED SEXUAL ACTIVITY IN THE MOST BRUTAL WAY POSSIBLE:    CASTRATION!!!

In the resource-deprived, health-deficient Mutant Future, family planning is almost as important as sustenance and shelter...and that makes bloodrubbers amongst the most terrifying creatures in existence.  The worm-like monstrosities appear as ordinary, coin-sized prophylactic artifacts (with chameleonic camouflage so convincing, they Surprise on a 1-5 on 1d6)...but upon being rolled onto male genitalia, they sprout needle fangs and bite with savage ferocity.  Anyone wearing a bloodrubber must make a Saving Throw Vs Death at a -6 penalty or be immediately castrated, suffering the initial bite damage and an additional 2d6 damage per round until treated...usually via cauterization!

Bloodrubbers are also active hunters, zipping at amazing speeds and leaping up to 20'. They can detect and target male reproductive organs at a range of at least 100'.  The creatures lack digestive systems, however, and don't feed on the penises they sever; no, they simply disgorge prey right in front of their victims, and race away to hide to be worn again and again and again....

Bloodrubbers are usually found boxed in medical caches and ruined pharmacies.  However, some escape their packaging to congregate in sewers, stagnant water, and trash receptacles.  These "wild" bloodrubbers target males and females alike, biting any jutting anatomy (noses, fingers, etc).  Such attacks sever as above, but with only 1d4 rounds of extra blood loss.

As if the standard variety wasn't horrible enough, there are larger—and toothier—bloodrubbers engineered for males of more...prodigious...proportions.  These "magnum" specimens have 2 HD, and bite for 2d8 damage, castrating as above.

Bloodrubbers are so tiny and fast, they are nearly impossible to strike in combat.  The most effective way to kill one is lure it onto a rubber hose, then inflate with air, gas, or liquid until bursting.

Thankfully, bloodrubbers are unable to breed on their own, and can only be created via complicated Ancient genetic machines.  Woe be to the planet if a genocidal cryptic alliance got their hands on such a device!

Bloodrubbers and fuckslugs are natural enemies.

Mutations:  Enhanced Sense ("Genitalia-Detection Sense")




Magnum variety














(Totally a picture of a guy with a giant condom-monster on his face.
The lighting is TERRIBLE.)





They're an unholy genetic "cross between a giant worm,
a jellyfish, and a piranha...[or] latex with a centipede!"¹

1:  Actual film dialogue

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Devastation Drive-In: The Final Cut — 'The Hideous Sun Demon' (1959)



Sun Demon

No. Enc.:  1 (1)
Alignment:  Chaotic (See Below)
Movement:  150' (50')
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  15 (See Below)
Attacks:  2 or 1 (2 claws, or 1 bludgeon of opportunity)
Damage:  1d10+2 / 1d10+2, or 3d6
Save:  L15 (See Below)
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  XX
XP:  3,900

As the ancients unleashed the wondrous powers of the atom, they innovated technology, warfare, and medicine...

...AND ALSO CREATED HERETOFORE UNKNOWN ISOTOPES THAT TRANSFORMED MEN INTO DAYLIGHT-POWERED DEVILS!!!

Sun demons are Pure Humans afflicted with a bizarre, radiation-based affliction.  By night, they are by all appearances normal individuals of any ethnicity and Alignment, and they don't register as "abnormal" on medical devices.  However, when exposed to the sun's rays, they transform into reptilian, carnivorous brutes of savage strength, fury, and appetites!  This transformation takes 1d4 rounds, and requires direct sun to trigger; artificial lighting has no effect.  Once metamorphosed, the effect lasts until nightfall.  Active sun demons that enter darkened areas or structures still retain their beastly visage for the duration.

The hides of sun demons are thick and resilient, making the creatures impervious to all missile attacks (no matter the weapon) fired from Medium or Long Ranges.  Only shots made at Short Range have an effect, and damage is reduced by half.  Point-blank (within 3') missile strikes do full damage.  Melee damage also reduces by half.

The default sun demon is detailed above, based on an "average" Pure Human NPC.  To customize one based on a specific NPC, just add an additional +4 HD to the CON score (plus requisite HP) and +4 STR, subtract 5 from INT and WIL, and add the listed attacks to represent the bestial form.

Player Character Pure Humans have a 40% chance of becoming sun demons if they fail both 1 Saving Throw Vs. Energy and 1 Saving Throw Vs. Radiation in the same 4 hour span. That percentage increases by 15% for every consecutive failed Saving Throw Vs. Radiation over the duration.  Those affected gain the same HD / HP bonuses and stat penalties as above when changed.

Some sufferers of the sun demon curse become recluses, shielding the world at large from their monstrousness.  Others of a more wicked temperament relish the terror and destruction wrought by their savage halves.

Mutations:  Reflective Epidermis (Laser / Light, Fire / Heat, Radiation)