"M" is for "Matterpus"

Matterpus

No. Enc.:  1d2 (1d4)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  60' (20')
      —Swim:  60' (20')
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  5+2
Attacks:  3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage:  1d6 / 1d6 / 1d4
Save:  L5
Morale:  11
Hoard Class:  X, XIII
XP:  860

A matterpus is a 3'-4' long, duckbilled creature that dwells near polluted bodies of water.  Its oily, luminous fur coruscates with strange energies, as do the two fleshy growths sprouting from its head.

Surly beasts, matterpodes are highly aggressive and territorial.  Not only do their claws inject a Class 8 venom, but their antennae project beams of atomic force that deal Class 5 radiation damage.  Furthermore, anyone struck by such beams must make a successful Saving Throw Versus Energy or suffer the following additional effects (determined by rolling 1d8):

1) Target (but not possessions) is transformed into unmoving stone for 1d4 days.
2) Target's possessions (weapons, clothing, armor, artifacts, etc) become vaporous and dissipate into nothingness.
3) Target's armor transmogrifies into a softer material, acquiring a +3 Armor Class penalty.
4) Target's ammunition is rendered inert.  Bullets/shells on person decrease in number by 2d8, and batteries/power cells lose 2d8 charges.
5) Target acquires the Bizarre Appearance Physical Mutation Drawback (specifics determined by the Mutant Lord)
6) Target's blood turns to acid, doing 10d10 damage.
7) Target's teeth, skeleton, and nails transmute into metal, gaining +3d6 damage to unarmed melee attacks and +2d6 Hit Points
8) Target's weapons and equipment rendered into brittle—but valuable—gemstone crystals worth 1d20x1000 GP.

Matterpus lairs are always littered with precious metals and minerals.  And their pelts are highly valued, both for their beauty and for their ability to provide complete immunity to radiation.

Mutations:  Energy Ray (Radiation) (Modified), Reflective Epidermis (Radiation), Toxic Weapon (Venom)

"G" is for "GenCon" and "V" is for "Vacation"

I'm heading out bright and early for Indianpolis, so the blog is gonna go dim for a few days.  I'll post a colorful critter later tonight to tide everyone over until Monday.

I'm really excited about this trip.  Not only do I plan on playing some Mutant Future at the table of the esteemed Tim Snider, but this is the first GenCon where The Woman is embracing her geekery with a vengeance.  Yes, this is technically her third trip to the show, but she visited local friends while I slang dice during Year 1, and Year 2 involved her shyly taking everything in and hanging out in the "gamer spouse" areas.  But thanks to playing in Theron's Castles & Crusades-turned-D&D campaign and my own MF game, she's been infected by the roleplaying bug; in fact, she's even participating in some events without li'l ol' me.  *Sniff*, *sob*...my gal's all growed up!

Her transformation truly began last year, when she picked out her very first dice and requisite pouch:

See y'all soon.

"V" is for "Virid"

Virid

No. Enc.:  1d6 (3d6)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  165' (55') 
Armor Class:  7
Hit Dice:  3
Attacks:  1 (stinger)
Damage:  1d6 + special
Save:  L4
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  170

Found in even the harshest environs, virids are freakish, 6' tall pack hunters with crystalline "heads", iridescent shells, and spindly legs.  They are spry and agile, and can move nimbly over any terrain.  Virids are so hardy that they possess maximum Hit Points per Hit Die.
 
With a successful hit of its needle-like barb, a virid injects a syrupy goo into its chosen victim, then moves on to another target.  Such an attack does 1d6 piercing damage, and an additional Class 3 poison damage from the fluid.  There are no other immediate effects...

...until 1d6 weeks later, when the injected victim is wracked with unimaginable agony as 1d4+1 infant virids burst explode from its body.  The host is killed instantly, with no Saving Throw allowed.  Only specialized machinery of the Ancients can eradicate the larval virid infestation before its too late.

The virids' unique physiologies make them wholly immune to Mental Mutations that impact psyches directly, such as Empathy, Mental Phantasm, Mind Thrust, Neural Telepathy, Possession, and the like.  And lacking obvious sensory organs, they are immune to optical effects, inhalants, and auditory attacks.

What virids actually consume for sustenance is unknown.

Mutations:  Toxic Weapon (Infectious Agent), Unique Sense ("Detect Lifeforms")

"C" is for "Craniac"

Craniac

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d8)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  75' (25') 
Armor Class:  6
Hit Dice:  9
Attacks:  2 or 1 (2 claws, or 1 weapon)
Damage:  1d6 / 1d6, or by weapon)
Save:  L9
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  XXII
XP:  5,900

From the skies they descended...for your women!!!  (And your water, and your cattle, and your minerals, and your....)

In Ancient times, the cyclopean Craniacs visited Earth for all manner of nefarious purposes:  resource theft, livestock mutilations, assorted probings, etc., and they have returned to the Mutant Future to continue their foul deeds.  They possess greenish-yellow skin, stand 6' tall, and often wear shiny suits with enormous domed helmets.

Craniacs feed off of the psychic energies and emotions of their victims, and fear is their favorite delicacy.  They terrorize isolated communities for a few weeks with "strange lights and sounds from the skies" (their spacecraft) and assorted mayhem (usually animal butchery, and kidnappings), and when the population is suitably terrified, they descend en masse for a raygun-fueled rampage.

Any given Craniac has a 50% chance of carrying either a force screen belt (p. 122 of the Mutant Future Core Rules), or x-ray goggles (p. 123).

Mutations:  Dual Cerebellum, Empathy, Mental Phantasm, Metaconcert, Neural Telepathy, Quick Mind, Reduced Immune System [D]

"B" is for "Burstworm"

Burstworm

No. Enc.:  2d4 (3d12)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  3' (1')
Armor Class:  5
Hit Dice:  1d4 hit points
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  1d3
Save:  L1
Morale:  12
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  7

Burstworms are bizarre, 3"-6" long annelids that feed off of gunpowder and volatile compounds.  They infest Ancient armories, bunkers, and weapons caches, and nest in rigid, cylindrical structures...meaning firearm barrels are their ideal habitats.

A burstworm is a patient hunter, and usually waits for someone to pick up the gun it calls home.  Then, like an eel of old, it lunges forth with snapping fangs.  With an attack roll of a natural 20, the burstworm bites off its victim's finger, thumb, or nose (whichever is closest).

Burstworms are even more dangerous dead than alive.  When killed, a burstworm explodes, doing 1d8 damage to all creatures and items in a 5' radius.  Other burstworms are not immune to this effect.  Entire scavenging parties have been wiped out when one specimen detonated, igniting a chain reaction throughout a worm- and munitions-filled stockpile...!

There is evidence that a burstworm's size is directly related to the dimensions of its enclosure, as burstworms that live in handguns are usually smaller than those that live in rifles.  Theoretically, there could be burstworms of freakishly massive size dwelling in tank turrets, torpedo tubes, or even missile silos....

Mutations:  Aberrant Form ("Combustible Body")

"S" is for "Scrounge Hound"

Scrounge Hound

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d6)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40') 
Armor Class:  6
Hit Dice:  2
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  1d4
Save:  L2
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  74

Scrounge hounds, average-sized canines with brown fur, six legs, and forked tails, are one of the most prized animals in the Mutant Future.  They are loyal, affectionate, and protective, and immune to parasites and illnesses.

And with their highly honed senses, they can sniff out Ancient artifacts to an uncanny degree.  If a group of PCs has a scrounge hound in their midst, the Mutant Lord should add an additional +25% chance of finding Technological Artifacts on any roll of the Treasure Hoard Classes table [see p. 106 of the Mutant Future Core Rules].  These bonuses stack atop any percentages already listed.

Due to their sensitive snouts, scrounge hounds suffer an additional +1 damage per die / +1d4 rounds of effect from gaseous-, particulate-, and pollen-based irritants and poisons.

Mutations:  Frailty (Olfactory Sensitivity) [D], Increased Sense (Smell), Know Direction, Unique Sense (Detect Artifacts)

Scrounge Hound — Ol' Blue

No. Enc.:  1 (1)
Alignment:  Any
Movement:  120' (40')
Armor Class:  6
Hit Dice:  3+1
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  1d6
Save:  L3
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  345

Ol' blues are the rarest of scrounge hounds, and appear in only 3% of any given litter.  They have a deep cerulean coloration, and are highly intelligent.

If born close to humanoid settlements, an ol' blue puppy chooses a "master" with which to bond on a psychic level.  This mental linking grants continuous telepathic communication between the two, and also bestows the Increased Willpower mutation upon the "owner".

This connection comes at a price.  Every Hit Point of damage done to an ol' blue is also suffered by its bonded companion, and if an ol' blue dies of any cause other than natural old age, said companion permanently loses 2d10 Hit Points and 3d4 points of Willpower.  Those reduced to 0 Willpower enter into a vegetative state.

Ol' blues and their partners tend to share the same Alignments.

Mutations:  Frailty (Olfactory Sensitivity) [D], Increased Sense (Smell), Increased Willpower (Modified), Know Direction, Neural Telepathy (Modified), Unique Sense (Detect Artifacts)

Mutants In The News — Gammarauders Edition

The bioborgs are coming!!!  The bioborgs are here!!!

A tortoise named Gamera (of course) received a highly advanced cybernetic limb.

"The tortoise was able to move across pavement, lawn, and even bark. 

'He's an ATT, an all-terrain tortoise,' said Charlie Powell, spokesman for the veterinary hospital."

Truly, science at its most mad!!!

This is just the beginning.  Before you know it, they'll add tank treads, a gattling gun, a harmonic disruptor, and a boss tie-dyed paint scheme.

If your mind can handle the brain-blasting trauma, there's even a video of the mechanized horror in action!!!

"A" is for "Apephibian"

Apephibian

No. Enc.:  1d4 (3d4)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40') 
Armor Class:  6
Hit Dice:  4+1
Attacks:  3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage:  1d4 / 1d4 / 1d6
Save:  L3
Morale:  8
Hoard Class:  VI
XP:  365

Apephibians are 4' tall creatures that dwell in tropical jungles, humid forests, and mangrove swamps.  They form loose-knit tribes led by the strongest female, and are particularly aggressive during spawning season.  The more colorful an apephibian's hide, the more toxic its secretions.

The collective croaking of groups of 3 or more apephibians generates hypnotic, soporific frequencies, inducing Paralysis to all targets that fail a Saving Throw Versus Stun within a 40' radius.

Apephibians will gobble anything they can cram into their greedy mouths, and are particularly fond of plastics, power cells, and batteries.

Mutations:  Dermal Poison Slime, Increased Balance

"G" is for "Glotus"

Glotus

No. Enc.:  0 (1d6)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  None 
Armor Class:  9
Hit Dice:  3
Attacks:  See Below
Damage:  See Below
Save:  L5
Morale:  None
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  95

The glotus is one of the most beautiful—and deadly—plants in the Mutant Future.  It floats atop both freshwater and polluted ponds and lakes, absorbing nutrients and energy.

Glotuses glow brighter when approached, and unleash their Energy Rays when other creatures get within 30'.  A glotus' Energy Ray is always Radiation Class 6-10 (determined randomly on a 1d6:  1=Class 6, 2=Class 7, etc.), but its Radioactive Emissions are of a randomly determined Class 1-10.

Glotus ponds are often treated as holy sites by Radioactivists.

Mutations:  Energy Ray (Radiation), Radioactive Emissions, Reflective Cellular Structure (Radiation)

"R" is for "Razorex"

Razorex

No. Enc.:  1 (1)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40') 
Armor Class:  3
Hit Dice:  20
Attacks:  3 or 1 (2 claws, 1 bite, or 1 volley)
Damage:  2d10 / 2d10 / 6d6, or 4d6
Save:  L10
Morale:  11
Hoard Class:  VII (x3)
XP:  7,250

Standing 20'-30' tall, reaching lengths of 50' long, and weighing over 7 tons, razorexes are the apex predators of the frigid wastes.  Bony spurs and jagged icicles adorn their heads and necks, and a frosty crust ("Force Screen" ) protects their hides.  They relentlessly stalk prey across the tundra, sometimes venturing into cave networks and Ancient complexes large enough to contain their bulk.

A razorex is an engine of carnage, delivering savage melee attacks and launching deadly ranged assaults.  They can hurl icy shards up to 120', which do 4d6 damage to every target in a 10' radius.

There are rumors that some razorexes have been seen with cybernetic implants and mechanized accessories.  Who—or what—would perform such modifications is unknown.

Mutations:  Force Screen (Modified), Increased Sense (Smell), Increased Sense (Vision), Reflective Epidermis (Cold), Spiny Growth (Modified)

"S" is for "Sanguid"

Sanguid  ("Sucker From Space")

No. Enc.:  1d4 (2d4)
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement:  150' (50')
         —Fly:  60' (20')
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  8+2
Attacks:  3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage:  1d8 / 1d8 / 1d6
Save:  L9
Morale:  8
Hoard Class:  XXII
XP:  7,220

From the depths of space they came...for the blood of the living!!!

Traveling from world to world in their giant "coffin-saucers", Sanguids are palid, 5' tall humanoids with bulbous skulls, poxy skin, tapered fangs, and elongated, suckered digits.  Their scrawny, sickly frames belie fantastic strength and endurance.  They cling to even the smoothest, slickest surfaces, and Surprise on a roll of 1-4 on 1d6 when attacking upside-down.

If a Sanguid successfully strikes with both claws in the same round, the target suffers automatic biting damage plus 1d8 blood-leeching damage each successive round.  Escaping a Sanguid's clutches requires an Ability Check Versus Willpower, at a +3 penalty.  All that's left of a drained victim is a desiccated husk.

Sanguids hate bright light, and suffer an additional +1 damage per die from light-based attacks.  And their alien physiology makes them highly allergic to chlorophyllic compounds, so they take an additional +2 damage per die from plant-based attacks.

Stories of the Sanguid homeworld tell of a planet awash in blood, with crimson rains, gory geysers, lymph waterfalls, and clotted clouds.

Mutations:  Control Weather, Echolocation, Empathy, Epidermal Susceptibility (Light-Based Attacks) [D], Epidermal Susceptibility (Plant-Based Attacks) [D], Increased Balance, Night Vision, Psionic Flight

"M" is for "Mechano-Mummy"

Mechano-Mummy  ("Pharoid")

No. Enc.:  1 (1d4)
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement:  45' (15') 
Armor Class:  2
Hit Dice:  13
Attacks:  2 (2 fists)
Damage:  1d8 + 3d6 / 1d8 + 3d6
Save:  L13
Morale:  11
Hoard Class:  XXI, XXII
XP:  6,900

Tremble as the Ancient Astronauts arise from their techno-tombs!!!

In times considered ancient by The Ancients themselves, metallic beings descended from the skies in golden "sarcopha-saucers" and enslaved the planet.  They ruled for thousands of years, but their secret power sources eventually faded, and the native populace buried their inert masters in hidden crypts in the bowels of the earth.  But, lo...thanks to the strange radiations of the Mutant Future...the gauze-garbed automatons have awakened.  The dawn of the mechano-mummies is at hand!!!

Mechano-mummies are 7' tall, nigh-indestructable, skeletal robots wrapped in dingy bandages.  They are mighty conquerors, equipped with earth-shattering fists and elaborate high-tech headdresses capable of firing a variety of destructive beams.

Mechano-mummies are adept with unlocking the secrets of Ancient artifacts; in fact, they can interface with—and usurp—the programming of all robots, Androids, and AIs.  Taking control requires physical contact, and Android PCs can escape such domination with a successful Ability Check Versus Intelligence.

Their sarcopha-saucers are large enough to carry several hundred individuals into deep space.

Mutations:  Energy Ray (Cold, Heat, Radiation) (Implants), Disintegration (Implants), Increased Physical Attribute (Strength) (Implants), Unique Mutation (Cybernetic Control) (Implants)

"U" is for "Urchillo"

Urchillo

No. Enc.:  1d2 (1d4)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  105' (35')
  —Burrow:  75' (25')
Armor Class:  2
Hit Dice:  7
Attacks:  3 or 1 (2 claws, 1 bite, or 1 volley)
Damage:  1d6 / 1d6 / 1d4, or 1d10
Save:  L4
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  VII, VIII
XP:  2,540

The territorial urchillos are solid, bovine-sized beasts that weigh between 1-2 tons.  They are surprisingly spry given their bulk, and can bound across rocky and rubble-strewn terrain with ease, and scramble up near-vertical surfaces.  Urchillos also burrow rapidly beneath the ground, with nothing visible topside but their blade-like, electricity-arcing, armored plates.

They can launch these large plates at a range up to 50', which do 1d10 damage each, plus an additional 1d8 electrical damage.

Urchillos vocalize with gravelly snarls and bellows, and some claim that they not only understand common tongues, but can also speak them.

Mutations:  Echolocation, Energy Ray (Electricity), Energy-Retaining Cell Structure, Increased Balance, Reflective Epidermis (Electricity), Spiny Growth (Modified)

"High Fashion Is Where Her Money Goes" — Prince

I've commented before that, even as a kid, I never liked the Domar-based economy of Gamma World.  It seemed silly to me that an Ancient, hard-plastic currency would still be in use, when the post-apocalyptic residents should be melting it down for armor and weapons.

In my current campaign, I've played a bit loose with the economics, and the barter system reigns supreme.  The closest analogs to "hard currency" I use are scratched-up Ancient CDs / DVDs and credit cards, with values fluctuating based on color, logo, text, holographic embossing, etc....

...but after seeing these pics of the "Colour Chiefs", I may have to revise my system.  I want ALL my Mutant Future future mutants to dress like this.

(Images first seen at How To Be A Retronaut, but originally designed by The Library.)

Mutants In The News — Double-Header Edition

Mutant snake wows visitors at Ukranian zoo.  Kinda says it all.

The hythons are coming...!

"B" is for "Belcher"

Belcher

Hit Dice:  12
Frame:  Armature
Locomotion:  Treads
Manipulators:  Pincers
Armor:  Duralloy (AC 3)
Sensors:  Class II
Mental Programming:  Programming
Accessories:  Tool Mount
Weaponry:  see below
XP:  2,000

The robots now known as belchers were amongst the first generation of commercial domesti-droids, and mass-marketed as Vacuu-Trak Home Cyclones.  Designed with "retro" sensibilities to appeal to the "hip" consumer, they were man-sized 'bots with bulky frames, treads, grasping pincers, and chest-mounted, telescoping suction-cleaners.  The Vacuu-Tracks would methodically move through a home, lift the heavy furniture, and vacuum underneath.

But after hundreds of unfortunate...incidents...involving toddlers and pets, the Vacuu-Traks were quickly recalled.  Desperate to recoup their losses, the manufacturer converted them for battlefield use by reversing the suction units, enabling the Vacuu-Traks to spew crowd-controlling agents and chemical weapons.  Belchers were born.

Belchers are immensely strong, and attack twice per round with pincers that do 1d10 damage each.  And the robots can spray any number of gaseous substances—nerve toxins, sensory irritants, obscurring smokes, hyper-allergic pollens, acidic sprays, etc.—in both clouds (that surround the robot) and cones (that project away).  [The Mutant Lord should create the specifics of each chemical, including size-radius and specific combat effects.]

"H" is for "Headhunger"

Headhunger

No. Enc.:  1 (1)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  60' (20') 
Armor Class:  7
Hit Dice:  12
Attacks:  3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage:  1d8 / 1d8 / 2d10 + special
Save:  L6
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  VII
XP:  3,600 (+ 800 per extra Mutation)

Headhungers are nightmarish, headless, 10' tall beasts with broad, powerful bodies covered in shaggy, gore-streaked fur.   All limbs and teeth, they lack any obvious sensory organs.  Headhungers prowl near caravan routes, oases, and Ancient ruins, always on the hunt for their favorite prey:  Mutant Humans.

If a headhunger successfully hits a Mutant Human target with both claws in the same round, it shoves the victim head-first into its maw to follow up with a biting attack.  If the bite succeeds with a To Hit roll of 14 or higher, the victim must immediately make a Saving Throw Versus Death, with failure indicating that it is killed instantly by having its head bitten off...

...and that's when things get really terrifying. 

The very next round (after the beast has a chance to chew and swallow the cranium), the headhunger gains all of the Mental Mutations of the deceased...and the instincts to use them effectively.  These duplicated mutations only last for 1d4 days, but the more heads a headhunger consumes, the more Mental Mutations it has at its disposal.  [Mutant Lords should increase the XP values of a headhunger based on the number of mimicked Mutations it has upon death.]

Headhungers gain no benefits from the heads of Pure Humans or Mutant Animals, but will certainly eat them if  those victims are available.  And, interestingly, headhungers consume only heads; they casually discard the decapitated remains, leaving them for scavengers.

Mutations:  Unique Sense (Detect Mutant Humans)