SAY YOUR GOODBYES...

...AND PRAY TO YOUR GODS!!!

THERE IS NO TURNING BACK...

...THERE IS NO ESCAPE.

YOU BARELY SURVIVED THE PREVIOUS THREE ENCOUNTERS WITH THE DRIVE-IN...

...BUT THIS YEAR, YOUR FATE IS SEALED!!!

YOU'VE GAZED INTO THE ABYSS FROM THE SAFETY OF YOUR SEATS...

...BUT THIS TIME, IT GAZES INTO YOU!!!

YOU'VE WAITED ALL YEAR...

...BUT AT WHAT TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE PRICE?!!!

"D" is for "Dopteran"

Dopteran

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d4)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40')
      —Fly:  180' (60')
Armor Class:  5
Hit Dice:  12
Attacks:  2 or 1 (2 claws, or 1 proboscis, or 1 weapon)
Damage:  1d6+3 / 1d6+3, or 1d10+3 + Special, or by weapon +3
Save:  L12
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  XIX
XP:  6,000

Dopterans are nocturnal insectoids that stand 7'-9' atop spindly limbs.  Their broad wings leave dustings of pale powder as they flutter.

Dopterans are masters of stealth and martial combat.  When a dopteran attacks with its retractable proboscis, a successful strike means that the target suffers an automatic +1d6 damage per round siphoning damage.  The creatures feed off of liquids, you see...and they favor the internal juices of living things (including mutant plants).  And dopteran raiders target stockpiles of water, liquor, fuel, and Ancient beverages for consumption in fancy tasting parties.

Pulses of light (such as from the Control Light Waves mutation, strobing artifacts, flickering flames, etc.) lull dopterans into a trance-like state for 1d6 rounds upon a failed Saving Throw Vs. Stun.  They suffer a -3 penalty on all such rolls.

Mutations:  Chameleon Epidermis, Combat Empathy, Dual Cerebellum (+ extra Mental Mutation), Energy-Retaining Cell Structure

Mutants In The News — "Google Preps For The Sharkocalypse" Edition

NetworkWorld reports that Google coats its underwater cables with shark-resistant plating material.

It's long-known that those toothy predators target sunken power and telecom lines.

I imagine that the dreaded subterranean seps from Gamma World congregate near Ancient energy plants and ruined communications hubs.  That's a hook certainly worthy of an adventure or three.

Mutants In The News — "I Think That I Shall Never See...Something, Something, Radioactivity" Edition

[This accidentally sat in my drafts cue for months.  Apologies!]

The illustrious Smithsonian reports that, decades after the fact, long-dead trees in the Chernobyl hot zones aren't decomposing properly.  And by "properly", they mean "the fundamental processes underlying ecosystemic function are plum broken, and new stuff ain't growin' cuz old stuff ain't dyin'."

(I may have paraphrased there.)

Scientists suspect that the radiation impacted not only the insects that facilitate rotting, but also the fungi and microbes, leading to an abundance of leaf litter and debris.  The ruined vegetation just won't go away.

It's a fascinating read.  And, clearly, the Mutant Future is full of dead-yet-still-standing trees. Zomboreal forests, perhaps?

"P" is for "Phibbon"

Phibbon

No. Enc.:  1d8 (3d6)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40')
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  2
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  1d6
Save:  L1
Morale:  8
Hoard Class:  II
XP:  47

The arboreal, 2'-tall phibbons possess massive jaws and grinding teeth to better masticate nuts and armored mutant plants. And though their markings render them almost invisible in the treetops, phibbons' incessant hoot-croaks make them considerably less than stealthy (meaning they Surprise on a 1-3 on 1d6).

Phibbons shoot energy beams (type determined at random) from their cyclopean eyes, and their bites inject a powerful hallucinogen which causes Confusion for 1d12 hours upon a failed Saving Throw Versus Poison.  Native tribes use such secretions for medicinal purposes, and in religious rites.

Mutations:  Energy Ray (Any), Toxic Weapon (Venom)

"L" is for "Liposucker"

Liposucker


No. Enc.:  1 (1)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  45' (15')
Armor Class:  7
Hit Dice:  13
Attacks:  1 (barb, or smother)
Damage:  1d12 + Special, or Special
Save:  L13
Morale:  11
Hoard Class:  XXI
XP:  9,600

Lurking in derelict medical facilities and ruined health resorts, liposuckers are pulsating, trundling blobs of sentient fat.  They reach heights of 6' and weights in excess of a ton.  Sandwiched between a liposucker's two sensory nodules is a barbed appendage that stretches up to 20'.  A cavernous, dripping mouth slurps obscenely.

Liposuckers impale their prey to leech out the lipids and fluids within.  Anyone struck by a liposucker's feeding nozzle takes an automatic 2d6 draining damage per round until removed (requiring a successful STR check at a +5 penalty).  Liposuckers also smother adjacent targets with a successful melee attack, and their victims endure 1d20 damage per round until pulled free.

Being comprised of greasy, gelatinous goo, liposuckers are only harmed by electrical-, laser/light-, or acid-based attacks.

Liposuckers flirt telepathically with horrifyingly lascivious come-ons.

Mutations:  Metaconcert, Neural Telepathy 

"F" is for "Frisbee Fungus"

Frisbee Fungus

No. Enc.:  1d6 (1d6)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  3' (1')
         —Fly:  180' (60')
Armor Class:  5
Hit Dice:  2
Attacks:  1d6 (tentacles)
Damage:  1d3 per tentacle
Save:  L1
Morale:  12
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  65

Frisbee fungus is a levitating, bioluminescent organism found in tropical jungles, fetid swamps, and mouldering ruins. It generally floats docilely above the landscape, drifting with the winds...but upon sensing prey, the creature rockets with frightening speed.

Frisbee fungi feed off psychic energies, and target those with 3+ Mental Mutations and/or WIL scores of 15+.  They fixate on the head, lashing out with probing tentacles that invade any and all orifices to leech the brains within.  Those struck by 3 or more frisbee fungus tentacles in any given combat round not only take the appropriate damage, but lose 1d4 WIL points upon a failed Saving Throw Vs. Stun.  Anyone reduced to 0 WIL collapses in a drooling, brain-dead heap.

Lacking minds proper, frisbee fungi are completely immune to Mental attacks.

Mutations:  Flight, Free Movement, Unique Sense ("Cerebro-Sense")

"R" is for "The Rax"

The Rax  ("Webrustler")

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d6)
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement:  180' (60')
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  11
Attacks:  3 (2 claws, 1 bite) or 2 (2 kicks) or 4 (4 spine-volleys) or 1 (lasso)
Damage:  1d3 / 1d3 / 1d8 + poison, or 1d10 / 1d10, or 1d4 / 1d4 / 1d4 / 1d4, or See Below
Save:  L11
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  XXII
XP:  7,800

The Rax (singular and plural) are nightmarish arachnoids that stand 10' tall atop six spindly, spike-festooned legs.  They possess another set of stunted limbs that ends in manipulative digits.

Nocturnal, silent, and terrifyingly fast, The Rax lurch from the darkness (which they often generate themselves...), Surprising on a 1-4 on 1d6 and attacking in a flurry of claws and spines.  They hurl these spines ranges of 60' without penalty.  A rax bite injects Class 11 paralytic poison.

The Rax primarily use their "hands" to weave and hurl lariats made of sticky webbing.  It takes 1 round to spin a lasso, after which it can be tossed up to 45'.  Anyone struck is trussed up on the spot, and falls helpless to the ground.  The web-cords are nigh-unbreakable, and require 15 points of cutting damage from an outside party, or solvents (which invariably damage the prisoner).

The Rax are religious fanatics, and their bizarre faith fixates on "the liquids of life"...so their rituals involve blood, battery acid, gasoline, and android fluids.

Mutations:  Control Light Waves, Enhanced Vision (Night), Mind Thrust, Shriek, Spiny Growth (Small), Toxic Weapon (Venom)

"E" is for "Eyecone"

Eyecone

No. Enc.:  3d12
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40')
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  3 hp
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  1d4
Save:  L1
Morale:  11
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  7

Eyecones are small, parasitic insects that infest larger plants (usually conifers...and often of the killer-mutant variety) to leech the fluids within.  They are virtually indistinguishable from vegetative growths, and Surprise on a 1-5 on 1d6.

Aggressive and opportunistic feeders, eyecones drop on passersby en masse.  If an eyecone makes a successful attack against a target, it burrows into the victim, and does automatic damage each round until removed or killed.   Those wearing metal- or plastic-based armor are resistant to this effect.

Eyecones are also far quicker than they have any right to be, and sprint after foes on spindly "branches".

Mutations:  None

"H" is for "Hippoid" [Metamorphosis Alpha Version]

Hippoid

Number Usually Appearing:  1-3
Armor Class:  3
Movement (Yards / Turn):  8
Hit Dice:  9

Mutations:  Heightened Brain Talent, Heightened Intelligence, New Body Parts (Photosynthetic Skin), No Sensory Nerve Endings [D], Telekinesis

Hippoid (Hippopotamus):  This gregarious, creative biped stands a beefy 7' tall and is wholly immune to pain.  Hippoids are skilled body modification artisans, and each sports numerous tattoos, piercings, implants, and decorative scars / brands.

The creatures are psionically attuned to electrical current, and with minimal concentration, can pinpoint the location of any functional artifacts within a one-mile radius.  Hippoids are also photosynthetic, and heal 4x as quickly in lit environs; conversely, they move 50% slower in the dark, and suffer -2 to Saving Throws versus temperature-related attacks.

"H" is for "Hippoid" [Mutant Future Version]

Hippoid

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d4)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40')
      —Swim:  60' (20')
Armor Class:  3
Hit Dice:  13
Attacks:  1 (bite, punch, or weapon)
Damage:  2d8, 2d6, or by weapon
Save:  L13
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  XVIII
XP:  6,900

The creative and gregarious hippoids are beefy, 7' tall bipeds that are wholly immune to pain.  They are skilled body modification artisans, and each hippoid sports numerous tattoos, piercings, implants, and decorative scars / brands.  They're the only race in the Mutant Future that doesn't blanch at the words "recreational dentistry".

Hippoids are psionically attuned to electrical current, and with minimal concentration, they can pinpoint the location any functional artifacts within a 2-mile radius.

Mutations:  Epidermal Photosynthesis, Increased Willpower, Neural Telekinesis, Quick Mind, Pain Insensitivity [D], Unique Sense ("Electro-Sense")

"C" is for "Czarfish"

Czarfish

No. Enc.:  1 (1d4)
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement:  18' (6')
      —Swim:  60' (20')
Armor Class:  3
Hit Dice:  5
Attacks:  2 (spine-shards)
Damage:  1d6 / 1d6
Save:  L5
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  XXII
XP:  2,300

Czarfish are 1'-diameter echinoderms adorned with glowing, crystalline growths.  They can launch 2 shards per round at a range of 20'.

The megalomaniacal czarfish embed themselves in targets (animals, humanoids, and even sentient plants), then slither headwards to be worn as "crowns".  A czarfish's Parasitic Control requires only 1 round of contact to be effective, instead of the usual 3.  Psychic leeches, czarfish drain 1d3 WIL points from their hosts per day.

In melee combat with a czarfish and its "mount", the Mutant Lord should apply all damage to the host first; only called shots with natural To Hit rolls of 18-20 hit the czarfish.  But mental attacks apply against the parasite first, which has a Willpower score of 15+1d4.

Czarfish ordinarily live marine existences, but can survive on land (attached or otherwise) for 5 days.

Mutations:  Energy Ray (Laser / Light), Force Screen (Greater), Increased Willpower, Metaconcert, Mental Barrier, Mind Reflection, Mind Thrust, Neural Telepathy, Parasitic Control (Modified), Precognition, Spiny Growth (Medium)

"L" is for "Luminoid"

Luminoid

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d4)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  90' (30')
         —Fly:  45' (15')
Armor Class:  -3
Hit Dice:  10
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage:  by weapon
Save:  L10
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  XXII
XP:  5,900

The otherworldly invaders nicknamed "luminoids" are vaporous beings contained within neon-infused membrano-suits.  Other than being nocturnal, almost nothing is known about luminoid biology.

Luminoids require their skeleton-like garb to maintain cohesion, and it's presumed their abilities derive from the tech instead of mutations proper.  Most physical attacks pass harmlessly through the suits' permeable shells, but electricity-based assaults scramble the circuitry and target as if against AC 1.

Feared across the Mutant Future, luminoids capture wildlife and sentients alike for study and experimentation, and plunder all Ancient tech they find.

Mutations:  Control Light Waves, Energy Ray (Laser / Light), Enhanced Vision (Night, Thermal, Ultraviolet), Plane Shift, Teleport

Mutants In The News — "Hungry, Hungry Hippos" Edition

The BBC is reporting that an ever-expanding colony of African hippopotamuses is thriving in rural Colombia.

How'd they get there, you ask?  They're hold-overs from deceased drug lord Pablo Escobar's menagerie.

"For about two decades, they have wallowed in their soupy lake....  Nobody knows how many there are," reports William Kremer.  They're also venturing far and wide, with some being spotted over 150 miles away from their birthplace.

And get this mind-boggling mutato-liciousness:  male hippos in Africa attain sexual maturity in seven to nine years, and females nine to eleven...but thanks their spectacularly perfect living conditions, these South American residents are reaching it in as little as three.  "All the fertile females are reported to be giving birth to a calf every year."

Seriously, the article's a fascinating read, and explains why "they escaped from zoos" isn't so far-fetched an explanation behind the monsters of the post-apocalypse.

"T" is for "Thornhopper"

Thornhopper

No. Enc.:  0 (2d6)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  180' (60')
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  6
Attacks:  1 (gore or kick)
Damage:  2d8 or 2d6
Save:  L3
Morale:  8
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  1,070

Thornhoppers are armored, flightless insects of bison-like proportions that reach lengths of 15' long. Domesticated over the post-apocalyptic centuries, thornhoppers can carry two riders and up to 500 lbs of extra gear.

Thornhoppers often Trample when provoked, or at their riders' insistence.  And they are nigh-invisible in verdant environs, Surprising (even if carrying riders) on 1-5 on 1d6.

Mutations:  Increased Balance

"C" is for "Craydeen"

Craydeen

No. Enc.:  1d8 (2d6)

Alignment:  Chaotic

Movement:  120' (40')
   —Burrow:  15' (5')
      —Swim:  60' (20')
Armor Class:  3

Hit Dice:  11

Attacks:  4 (2 claws, 2 weapons)

Damage:  2d6 / 2d6, and by 2 weapons

Save:  L11

Morale:  11

Hoard Class:  VI, XIV

XP:  5,200

While the Craw are relatively peaceful crustaceanoids, the miliant Craydeen are anything but.  Stronger and nastier than their arthropoidal cousins, The Craydeen are rampant speciesists who bully, torment, and enslave "lesser races" at every opportunity.

The Craydeen are nomadic and semi-aquatic, and live as brigands and pirates.  They are also polyglots who can comprehend and commune with all sentient mutant species.

Craydeen love Ancient carbonated beverages, and will do anything to acquire them.

Mutations:    Aberrant Form (Gills and Lungs), Energy-Retaining Cell Structure, Enhanced Vision (Night), Force Screen, Frailty (Heat) [D]