The Untar, Mercenary warriors for your Mutant Future Campaigns

Untar

Untar
No. Enc. 1d6 (usually solitary)
Alignment : Neutral
Movement : 240'(80')
Armor Class : by Armor type (avoid heavy armors that impede their fast movement)
Hit Dice : 7
Attacks : 2
Damage : by weapon (To go without weapons, is to be without honor)
Save : L 5
Morale : 9
Hoard Class : XXII
Mutations: Increased Smell, Rodent Leaping Ability (based on their ancestry can leap 10' height-wise and lengthwise, 40' from a higher point to a lower point without injury), Quickness, Martial Affinity (+4 to hit, +1d6 damage), Damage Turning

     The Untar (the name is believed to be slang from the human word Hunter, but don't let them hear you say that), are a race of humanoid tiger-striped chipmunk warriors. They pride themselves on their combat skills and martial ability. They are never seen without their weapons and they do not believe in concealing their weapons, a weapon is to be seen and respected/appreciated not hidden away. For an Untar to be stripped of his weapons is to suffer the ultimate in disgrace and humiliation. The higher the standing of the Untar amongst his people the better and more ornate (and more high-tech) his weapons will be. Female Untar are never encountered, they are believed to never be permitted to leave the Untar lair (called Base Camps), indeed Untar are very chauvinistic, and are often quite surprised when faced with a competent female warrior of another species. Untar go about the wastelands looking for those in need of competent mercenaries. Often one can be found in the bigger settlements looking for work. The Untar will serve most any warlord if the price is right. They will not however, fight other Untar, at least not for pay, that would be dishonorable.

Please note the Untar are based on the alien Bellidos race in the Timothy Zahn Novel, Night Train to Rigel. No copyright infringement is intended!!

15mm Sci Fi Apes!!

 Ok gang...Go over to the Dropship Horizon blog!.Then come back when your done.  It's ok I'll wait....tap...tap...tap. Your back? Great!  DID YOU SEE!! 15mm Sci Fi Apes! At last!  How cool is that?! They'll go perfect with Mutants and Death Ray Guns or Mutant Future or....yeah I'm a bit excited.  But Sci Fi Apes!!  Whoo Hoo!  So many cool 15mm Sci Fi minis are out or are coming out.  It's amazing to me how the 15mm Sci Fi market has changed in a year or so.  Not too long ago it was hard to find much of anything outside of GZG line (which is a great line), but I wanted variety, I wanted...APES!!
I'm still keeping my 28mm stuff, I've got too much time invested in those guys, being mostly fantasy that won't be an issue.  But for Sci Fi I'm 15mm all the way. When I got home after our last Pathfinder game, I was unpacking my stuff and noticed several of my Ral Partha nicely painted goblins were showing some wear and chipping (that's with several coats of sealant).  15mm will be much easier to take to the FLGS. + terrain will be much cheaper and easier to store and carry. While I'm plugging blogs. Check out D.C. 2150 some cool 15mm Post Apocalyptic stuff.  Well I'm gonna go dig through my unpainted 15mm pile now.  I gotta get some stuff painted up! The Mutie Wars are coming soon!!!

Mutant Future Shout Out!

I wanted to give a shout out to my buddy Eli, he too has been bitten by the Mutant Future bug and over on his Blog: I See Lead People, he has been working up some mutant critters of his own.  So drop in on him, leave a few comments and tell him Brutorz Bill sent ya! 

Wulf the Barbarian (Mutant Future NPC's)

Wulf the Barbarian

     Orphaned a decade ago when his parents, the rulers of the land, were slain in an ambush staged by mutants in the service of the foul wizard Mordek who sought their kingdom for his own, Wulf has spent the last ten years training for the day he would return to claim his birthright. Saved by the loyal warrior Stavro, he is taken out across the wastelands to a distant city, to hide from the wizard and to train! Years later his mentor Stavro is killed by a fearsome mutant known as The Grinner. This mutant an enormous bestial warrior, is the same one that killed Wulf's mother 10 years earlier, Wulf slays The Grinner avenging his mother's death, reclaims his father's sword from the beast; it is a relic of the ancients, and begins his long awaited trip home. As Wulf makes his way to his distant homeland he encounters many obstacles along the way….

Str: 16 (+2)      Dex: 17 (-2AC)   Barbarian (See Savage Afterworld)
Con: 15            Int: 12                  Al:Lawful      Level: 3
Will: 11            Cha: 17                AC: 2 Hit Points: 96
(Due to his barbarian upbringing he is -10% to tech rolls)
Mutations: None

Weapons & Equipment: Vibro Sword (+2 to hit and 1d8+2 damage; when activated +4 to hit, 1d8+18 damage), Dagger (1d4+2), Chainmail (AC 5), Shield, boots, cloak

Please note Wulf could very easily be slightly tweaked to fit in a fantasy setting, such as Labyrinth Lord. In fact the original comic is actually fantasy oriented, I've just been on a Mutant Future kick and wanted to give Wulf a more Thundarr twist. -B

Wulf the Barbarian is from Atlas Comics © 2000, 2002 Gemstone Publishing Inc. Used with permission.

So lame their Cool; Sleestaks for Mutant Future!

I couldn't resist, a short while ago there was a Land of the Lost marathon on T.V., my kids watched it all blasted weekend. I thought I'd never get that *&%$# song out of my head!!

Sleestaks
No. Enc. 3d6 (x10 when deep in their lairs)
Alignment : Chaotic
Movement : 60'/20'
Armor Class : 6
Hit Dice : 7
Attacks : 1
Damage : pincer-claw (1d4) or by weapon (usually Crossbows & Nets)
Save : L 3
Morale : 7
Hoard Class : XX

Mutations: Slow (D), Nocturnal (D), Cold Vulnerability (takes extra 1d6 against cold based attacks), Natural Armor (Scaly Skin AC:6), Night Vision, Accumulated Resistance (Heat)

     Sleestaks are green humanoids with both reptilian and insectoid features. They have scaly skin with frills around the neck, bulbous unblinking eyes, pincer-like hands, stubby tails, and a single blunt horn on top of the head. Sleestaks communicate with a hissing sound that rarely changes in characteristics. They move slowly in an upright and bipedal manner. Running is not necessary to avoid capture. Sleestaks often use crossbows and nets in combat, seeking to capture prey to sacrifice to their god. Sleestaks live underground usually in the ruins of the ancients. Being nocturnal they hate bright light and will only venture out during the day in dire emergencies. Sleestaks hibernate during the cooler months awakening when the temperature rises. Sleestaks hate pure strain humans and will capture and sacrifice any that venture into their territory.

Sleestaks are egg-layers, their eggs are gestated in a communal hatchery. The Sleestaks capture live animals and tie them up there, leaving them for the young to feed on when they hatch. Occasionally, a Sleestak will be hatched that is different from the rest, being born with greater intelligence, quickness and an innate understanding of ancient technology (Tinkerer Affinity). The other Sleestaks regard these mutants as a threat, and are sacrificed to the Sleestak god when detected. The Sleestaks have a Sleestak Council and Leader. The Leader wears a distinctive pendant, possibly based on ancient technology. The Sleestaks also have a Library of Skulls, believed to be their ancient ancestors who are still capable of "speech" despite being long dead. Certain sages believe that the Library of Skulls is in actuality some form of A.I. from the ancients that is controlling the dimwitted Sleestaks. No one has been able to get close enough to determine the truth.

So how do you use these...or maybe the real question is WHY would you use these? Simple.. in spite of or perhaps because of their utter lameness they are somehow cool. I could see them definitely being used in some low level adventures. Having the players explore their underground lair looking for tech, staying just out of reach until they make a wrong turn and then....well you get the idea. Remember zombies are slow moving too!! -B

Sleestaks are taken from the Land of the Lost T.V. Series, no copyright infringement is intended.

Adamant's $1 Sale!!!

Shifting gears from all of my Mutant Future posts...I wanted to let you guys know that Adamant Entertainment has a sale going on (stops tomorrow I think), you can get alot of their pdf products for a $1.
How cool is that?!!
  I picked up Tome of Secrets for Pathfinder (regularly $34.95 for a $1) & Mars: Savage World edition (regularly $34.95 for a $1). I also got Rebels of Mars a new Savage Worlds adventure featuring Civil War Confederates transported to Mars,(being a Southerner I found this to be particularly interesting). 

So just thought I'd pass the info along.  I know everyone is trying to make the most of their budgets; gaming or otherwise. 
Good Gaming!

THE Ultimate Mutant Horror...The PRIZZLY!!

PRIZZLY

When I was but a small child, my mother had a poodle, I still wake up screaming! 'Nuff Said!" -B

Prizzly
No. Enc. : 1 (1d4)
Alignment : Neutral (Some would argue Chaotic)
Movement : 120'(40')
Armor Class : 6
Hit Dice : 8
Attacks : 3 (2 Claws, bite)
Damage : 1d6/1d6/2d8
Save : L5
Morale : 10
Hoard Class : VII
Mutations: Gigantism (+2), Natural Armor (thick fur), Increased Smell, Night Vision, Accumulated Resistance (Cold, Heat & Radiation),

Combine the raw power and hunger of a grizzly with the utterly nasty disposition of a poodle and you've got one of the wastelands most feared beasts! A PRIZZLY!!

Found this picture on the 'net, and the Prizzly concept is the first thing that came to my mind.  : )-B

Art is copyright Richard Corben, no copyright infringement intended.

Song of Mutants and Death Ray Guns!

                                                                                   

I wanted to mention for those of you who are into tabletop wargaming, Mutants and Death Ray Guns by Ganesha Games is a set of skirmish rules that is clearly inspired by Gamma World.  I had the privilege of "talking" with the game's designer Andrea while it was being developed and offered a few VERY minor comments here and there.  It is recommended for use with 15mm miniatures, and now that so many cool new 15mm sci fi minis are coming out, you may just want a rules set to use them with!  It's designed for small bands and the rules are very straightforward and easy to follow.
Good Gaming,
 Brutorz Bill

Colonel Green; Villains for Mutant Future (Star Trek ;Part 2)

Colonel Green

Edward Featherstone Green
Colonel Green was the founder of the Purity Movement, which slowly took power in key positions in the Western World and according to some scholars led to the events that caused World War III. The Knights of Genetic Purity can trace their early ideals and founding to this pre-war organization.


Quotes
"Overwhelm and devastate."
"We must reject the impure and cast it out."
"This is not a time for timidity and second guessing. We cannot afford to doubt ourselves."
"To be human is to be pure."
"Men don't talk peace unless they're ready to back it up with war."
"History tends to exaggerate."
Green is famous for attacking while in the midst of treaty negotiations.

Str: 13                       Pure Strain Human
Con: 17                    Alignment : Chaotic
Will: 12                    AC: 3 Hit Points : 130
Dex: 16 
Int: 17
Cha: 20
(due to his level he gets two attacks per rd.)
Mutations : None (Immune to being mutated)

Weapons & Equipment : ballistic nylon fatigues (AC5), combat boots, force screen belt, geiger counter, communicator, gauss machine pistol (2d6 damage), spare ammo and powercells, various grenades, May have other high-tch equipment )(or even robots) depending on his current needs/access.

*Please note, Green is seldom, if ever, going to put himself in any real danger, that's what his minions are for! And if he's hooked up with the KGP, they will fight to the death for their founder/hero!

     So, how do you use this guy in your campaigns you ask? Simple I envisioned him being still around after the apocalypse. Given his cunning I can see him having several contingency plans in place and going into stasis when everything hit the fan. Locked away in some hidden military vault awaiting to be awakened or maybe he has already been awakened and is putting together an army. If today's KGP could find him, they would no doubt serve him in all out war against mutant kind. Green is nasty enough to even work with Zora; hoping to cook up some bio weapon to kill vast swathes of muties, course he'd kill her first chance he got, not that she wouldn't return the favor in spades! -B

                                        Symbol of the Purity Movement

                                                                                  
Colonel Green was originally seen in the Star Trek (TOS) Episode "The Savage Curtain", Star Trek is copyright Paramount Pictures, no copyright infringement intended).

Ironjaw!! (Villain? for Mutant Future)

 This one isn't a cartoon character, instead he is adapted from a short run series by the comics company; Atlas Comics.  The art and info used here has been used with permission.  While looking for Post Apocalyptic goodies awhile back I came accross this series and thought Ironjaw would make for a cool encounter in a Mutant Future Campaign.  Also while Ironjaw is a Pure Strain Human, I worked him up using the barbarian race from the Savage Afterworld blog.  Ironjaw can be used as a villain or hero (or both) depending on the needs of the campaign. 

     Ironjaw's history is one of suffering and pain. As a baby he was abandoned and left to die. Found by bandits they raised him as one of them. Yet as he matured he found he only wanted to be a travelling minstrel. This only earned him the ire of the bandit band. So to show him that he'd never sing they sliced off his chin and lower jaw with a white hot blade, and left him to die. Found and taken to Soran the Sorceress. Using her mystical skills she saved his life. The minstrel would live, but he would never sing again. Days passed before the minstrel finally awakened. Heavily bandaged, he was not aware of the extent of his injuries. Leaving the cave of the Sorceress, he came across a stream and removed his bandages. To his horror, he discovered that his chin and lower jaw were missing. He returned in despair to Soran's cave. Still weak and distraught over his appearance, he was found by two of the bandits that had originally mutilated him; they attacked him intent on finishing the job that they had started. The sorceress, however, intervened and held the intruders in place with a spell. Soran is not alone however, she had returned with the one called the Forger. He had forged a jaw of iron for the "minstrel". With Soran's sorcerous power the iron jaw is permanently forged to the minstrel's existing bone structure. The entire ordeal awakened a savagery in Ironjaw that lead him on a violent path. He now roams the wastelands, a violent, amoral wanderer who lives only for battle.

Ironjaw
Str: 17 (+2)                Dex: 19 (-4AC)  
Con: 16                      Int: 11                        
Will: 14                      Cha: 10
Race: Barbarian          AC: 4 Hit Points: 112
Al: Chaotic                 Level: 5 (+2 damage, +2 attacks)
(Due to his barbarian upbringing he is -10% to tech rolls)
 (He can use his iron jaw to inflict a bite attack for 1d4+2 damage, although he seldom does this, preferring instead to use melee weapons.)
Due to level benefits he gets 3 attacks per melee round
Mutations: None

Weapons & Equipment: Axe (1d8+4), Long Sword (1d8+4), Dagger (1d4+4), Longbow, Quiver of Arrows (20) (+3 to hit, 1d8 damage), Furs/Skins (AC 8), Boots, Weapon harness.

Ironjaw often rides into battle on his animal companion a Zunicorn (HP: 48). The Zunicorn differs from the rest of its kind in that instead of a glittery black and silver striped hide it is a grayish white. No doubt this difference is what caused its brethren to drive it out from their lands. The Zunicorn is also not quite as vicious as the norm for the species, at least not with Ironjaw; other folk had best not get too close as many have learned over the years.

Ironjaw is from the Atlas Comics series Copyright © 1975 Seaboard Periodicals.

A few new mutations...

 I've had a couple of folks ask me about Zora's mutation Intellectual Affinity: Chemistry.  No its not in the core book. Actually my friend Derek Holland (one of the co-authors of Creatures of the Wastelands) worked it up along with several other new mutations.  He has given me permission to post them here so without further ado here are some new options for your mutants that roll the Intellectual Affinity Mutation. -B

Intellectual Affinity (Chemistry)
The mutant has the knack to make various substances from basic materials. The more complementary mutations he has, the more variety he can create. Among other things he can create fuel, explosives, drugs and industrial chemicals. Some of the mutations that improve this ability are quick mind, increased smell, thermal vision and unique sense.

Intellectual Affinity (Pack Leader)
The mutant can control some sentient creatures in a similar manner to a dog trainer. This does not work on sapient beings nor solitary sentient creatures. It works best on semi intelligent ants, dogs and other social animals and plants. Those targeted by the mutant can save versus poison to disobey.

Intellectual Affinity (Survival Master)
The mutant has an innate understanding of survival. His overland speed is doubled if he is on foot, he gains a +4 to saves versus weather and starvation and an ability to sense which plants and animals are edible.

A bit of Gamma World nostalgia...

Here's an old Gamma World ad from back in the day that was on the back of one of my old White Dwarfs, this was back when White Dwarf actually covered RPG's and wasn't soley focused on Warhammer and such. Anyways with all my Mutant Future posts of late I thought I'd post it. I've seen it elsewhere on the net also, but thought it appropriate to add here. I believe the young lady is Gary Gygax's daughter.

Good Gaming!

Dire Reds for Mutant Future!!

Giant Red Squirrel (aka Dire Reds)

No. Enc. : 1 (on rare occasions 2, a briefly mated pair)
Alignment : Neutral
Movement : 150'(50')
Armor Class : 6
Hit Dice : 5
Attacks : 1 (bite)
Damage : bite (1d8)
Save : L2
Morale : 8
Hoard Class : VI
Mutations: Gigantism, Increased Smell, Increased Balance (natural ability)

     Dire Reds are giant mutant red squirrels found only in the largest forested areas. They are not skittish like their smaller brethren and are not opposed to feasting on humanoid flesh should the opportunity arise. Given their sense of smell they are hard to surprise but skillful hunters (such as the ones pictured above) can ambush them on occasion if they stay down wind. Heaven help them though should the winds shift in the Dire Reds favor. After killing their prey they will often drag it back to their nest to devour at their leisure. Their lair is often a hollowed out massive hole in the largest of trees to be found in the area. Within their nests one can find any treasures their previous victims may have possessed.

I found this picture on the internet and just couldn't resist stating the beastie up! -B

Tiger Squirrels!!! (Another Squirrel Beastie for Mutant Future!)

Tiger Squirrel

No. Enc. : 1d4
Alignment : Neutral
Movement : 150'(50')
Armor Class : 5
Hit Dice : 2
Attacks : 3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage : (claws only do one point of damage, bite attack 1d4)
Save : L2
Morale : 8
Hoard Class : None
Mutations: Increased Balance (natural ability)
(Extremely stealthy like a natural tiger, in wooded surroundings they surprise opponents with a roll result of 1-4 on 1d6.)

     Combine the speed, aggressiveness and bite of a tiger with the agility and climbing abilities of a squirrel and you've got a ferocious package! Tiger Squirrels hunt and act much like their natural tiger relatives, with the exception of spending much of their time in the treetops. They are mostly nocturnal, hiding in the shadows of trees during the hottest part of the day, coming out at dusk to hunt. They prey upon woodland animals, normal squirrels, raccoons, opossums etc. make up the bulk of their diet, but if hungry enough they will attack larger prey. If their night hunt is unsuccessful they will hunt during the day. If more than one is encountered it will either be a mated pair or more likely a female with her young. When her young are present a female will be particularly aggressive. There are some reports of woodland travelers being pounced upon by several Tiger Squirrels at once; coming out of the trees and mauling the travelers, but these have not been confirmed. Most Tiger Squirrels are solitary hunters, or so the sages say…

Statless Critters for Mutant Future

Below are some statless critters and plants for your Mutant Future Campaigns.  As a GM its always nice to have some interesting flora & fauna available to "fill in the gaps".  Stuff that you don't plan on attacking the party with, but things to give the campaign a broader more complete feel. Enjoy!

Chokeweed: This spikey-leafed plant grows wild throughout the wasted plains. The stem and leaves contain a noxious resin which, when ingested, can cause asphyxiation within ten minutes' time (hence the plant's name). Dull-witted beasts sometimes graze on chokeweed, often with fatal results. It is possible to isolate the plant's resin for use as a poison, an arduous practice which is seldom undertaken except by assassins of the Red Death Cryptic Alliance. (Adapted from Talislanta RPG)

GlowFunge: A type of giant fungus native to the Mushroom Forests. These organisms grow in a variety of shades, colors, and sizes, including ; pink puffballs, translucent orb glowfunge (up to ten feet in diameter), branching yellow glowfunge, grey discs, orange fan-shaped glowfunge, and a hundred others. Some are mildly poisonous, though most are benign. All possess phosphorescent properties, and cast an eerie glow by night. (Adapted from Talislanta RPG)

Giant Mushroom: These umbrella-shaped mutant fungi are the heart of the eerie Mushroom Forests. They range in size from the smaller 2-6 foot types, to massive specimens which stand up to eighty feet or more in height. Small creatures often make their home in the stems and caps of these giant fungi, which emit a phosphorescent glow at night. (Adapted from Talislanta RPG)

Mule Beetle - This giant mutant beetle has been successfully domesticated. The beetle has no natural attacks and is quite docile. While trainable for simple plowing and hauling tasks the beasts are neither bright nor fast.

Flutterfly -(Giant Mutant Butterfly) These mutant insects are very beautiful and feed upon the nectar of various mutant flowers. Several attempts have been made to domesticate them, but so far none have succeeded. It is considered bad luck to kill a Flutterfly.

Steak Wurms-These mutant worms are considered to be quite tasty. A large steak wurm can feed a small village. Some Seekers have even become Steak Wurm farmers (ranchers).

MoonBats - These mutant albino bats are very similar to normal brown bats, except under moonlight, their fur takes on an eerie glow. This light attracts insects that the bats feed upon.

Grey Baobab: This variety of fruiting tropical tree grows to a height of abut twenty feet, and has a thick trunk which can measure up to ten feet in diameter. Its squat appearance is such that the grey baobab is commonly known as the Barrel tree; an appropriate name, for the baobab's hollow trunk often contains up to forty gallons of potable water, which the tree absorbs through its roots. Among the other virtues of the grey baobab are its bark (used in the making of rope) and its five-pound fruit (which contains a sweet, nutritious pulp). (Adapted from the Talislanta RPG)

Neurozoid: Neurozoids are a rare and bizarre-looking form of ambulatory (walk 1) fungus found only in giant mushroom forests. These organisms resemble great (1-4 feet in diameter) masses of pulsating brain tissue. Despite appearances. the fungus is not a sentient entity. Neurozoids graze on slimes and molds. moving slowly across the terrain. They are quite harmless. Many Sleeth have been known to use the fungus in their "gardens". (Adapted from the Talislanta RPG)

Unless otherwise noted, the above critters/plants/etc. were created by Brutorz Bill.

From Black...to White! Oracle Squirrels for Mutant Future!

White Squirrel (aka Oracle Squirrels)

No. Enc. :   1d6
Alignment :  Lawful
Movement : 120'(40')
Armor Class : 8
Hit Dice : 1
Attacks : 1
Damage : bite (only does 1 pt. of damage)
Save : L1
Morale : 6
Hoard Class : None
Mutations: Albinism, Increased Balance (natural ability), Neural Telepathy, Metaconcert, Mental Barrier, Control Light Waves

     White Squirrels are a rarely seen species of intelligent mutant squirrels, being sensitive to sunlight they tend to stay in overgrown parts of forests or only come out in the open on cloudy days. They use their Control Light Waves ability to remain invisible unless they want to be seen. Some marauders, unknowingly in White Squirrel territory, have found their laser weapons to inexplicably stop working at key moments, not knowing that a White Squirrel was nearby shutting down the laser. These squirrels are sacred to the grens, who value their wisdom and friendship. White squirrels get along with most creatures of the forest and with their telepathy and metaconcert ability tend to know what is happening in their forests. They warn the grens and other beings they are friendly with of any dangers to the forest or the natural order of things. Death Squirrels however, have an instinctive hatred of White Squirrels and hunt them down, killing them whenever they can. Usually the White Squirrels, with their mental mutations and sharper intellect, are able to slip away, being naturally rather skittish anyway, their first instinct is to flee. grens stay out of this conflict saying it is the natural way of things.  One item of note is that Oracle Squirrels have not been reported to dwell in forests containing Scuirinoids.  The reasons for this is unclear. 
     According to some gren wisemen…in times of great need the elders of the Oracle Squirrels can come together and using their powers in concert can actually channel healing ability that can restore another injured being to health, though the strain on the Oracle Squirrel Elders is said to be great, possibly even fatal to some.

My wife saw the black squirrel entry and said I just had to do a write up for White Squirrels, so this entry is due to her prompting. Enjoy! -B

Here's something to celebrate Black Friday!

Black Squirrel (aka Death Squirrels)

No. Enc. : 1d12
Alignment : Neutral (Chaotic tendencies)
Movement : 120'(40')
Armor Class : 6
Hit Dice : 1
Attacks : 1
Damage : bite (1d4 -1, minimum of 1)
Save : L1
Morale : 7
Hoard Class : Incidental
Mutations: Vampiric Field, Increased Balance (natural ability)

     Death Squirrels are malicious mutant squirrels that have been known to attack weak or helpless creatures passing through their territory. They will kill or drive out any other squirrel species in the area. Although they tend to leave Dire Reds alone.  They will even steal from careless passerby if given the opportunity, taking small, shiny objects (coins, jewelry, etc.) to secrete in their nests. Treasure will be incidental only. If they feel especially threatened they will use their Vampiric Field ability…unfortunately if they are too close together to one another the weaker members will be killed by the stronger members having only one hit dice, they can't take much. Legends say some particularly nasty Black Squirrels have the Killing Sphere mutation, although this has never been verified. Black Squirrels tend to leave Grens alone and vice versa although there are reports that Grens have lured Pigmen slave raiding parties into Death Squirrel territory. The Pigmen's Negative Empathy defect ensuring that every Death Squirrel in range will launch a full attack on them.

Converted from AD&D Monster Manual II. Copyright by Wizard's of the Coast, no copyright infringement is intended.

"It's not easy being Green!" A Gamma World Conversion for Mutant Future

Grens (Green Men)

No. Enc. : 1d4 (2d12)
Alignment : Neutral
Movement : 120'(40')
Armor Class : 6
Hit Dice : 7
Attacks : 1
Damage : By weapon (typically staves & spears, but only in defense)
Save : L2
Morale : 8
Hoard Class : V

Mutations: None (other than their green skin!)

     Grens look like pure strain humans except for their dark green skin. Hair color ranges from brown to green though a few very rare individuals have blonde hair. Grens wear a minimum of clothing, usually something made from leaves and grass.
     Though normally peaceful, grens will defend their homes with spears, staves, and other primitive weapons if necessary. They never wear armor or use advanced equipment. They hate and shun ancient technology blaming technology for the world's woes.
     Gren communities are often guarded by domesticated animals or intelligent plants. Other community defenses include snares and pit traps, and a few settled tribes have primitive catapults. Grens are remarkably adept with animals and can train even the most stubborn of creatures. This training ability also applies to semi-intelligent plants and funguses. Creatures are domesticated solely for the use of the community and are never kept as personal guardians or pets.
     Amongst slavers, Gren females are a hot commodity. Their exotic skin color, yet otherwise perfect resemblance to pure strain human females brings top coin on the slave markets. The pacifist nature of the grens can sometimes lead to a more docile subservient slave this is another thing that puts them in high demand. The fact that they are not pure strains also keeps the Knights of Genetic Purity from caring. For some strange reason female gren slaves are often referred to as Orion Slave Girls, why they are called this is unknown. Male gren slaves are not ever referred to as Orion slaves. Some sages of ancient lore claim that Orion was a hunter in the ancient texts and perhaps this comes from a desire to hunt for the gren women as slaves. Pigmen often stage slave raids into gren territory, although many have learned that while pacifistic creatures the grens are still not easy to capture.
Converted from Gamma World 4th edition. Gamma World is copyrighted by Wizard's of the Coast, no copyright infringement is intended.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

 I don't do alot of posts that aren't gaming related, but I wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!    I'm so thankful for my wonderful wife and family. I have been truly blessed!

                                       Now...Let's Eat!!!

Villains for Mutant Future (Star Trek)!

 Shifting gears a bit here, still on a Mutant Future kick, but this one has nothing to do with cartoons, or the 80's.  Goes back a bit earlier.  I actually had this one sitting in my files before I started on Faker, so I thought I might as well share it with you all.  No short story this time. Just a description of what the character is about.  I hope these entries prove useful to you.  As a Gamemaster myself I have learned over the years that having the right villain makes all the difference in a successful campaign, whatever the genre may be.  So hopefully one or several of these villains I've been posting will worm their way into your Mutant Future Campaigns and make your PC's lives miserable!!!

Zora

Zora is a mutant human, a "Scientist" infamous for her cruel and inhumane experiments on humanoid subjects to test their "body chemistry". Many of the local mutant folk (referred to as subject tribes by her) are in terror of her. She is particularly brutal to mutant animal humanoids as she considers them to be non-sentient and is especially curious about what "makes them tick". However, she is equally merciless to anyone that winds up on her lab table. She is always on the lookout for biological warfare agents of the ancients to experiment with and unleash on the subject tribes (for some twisted cool diseases written up for Mutant Future check out the Skirmisher Forums ). She has served various warlords over the years, though many learn too late that her agenda is often far from their own. Many an overconfident warlord has wound up as one of her lab specimens.

                                                               
Zora

Str: 12 Con: 13 Dex: 13 Int: 16      Al: Chaotic     Mutant Human

Will: 16 Cha: 9 AC: 7 HP: 53

Mutations: Ultraviolet Vision, Increased Sense: Touch, Immunity (Disease), Bizarre Appearance (sallow skin, freaky hair and eyebrows), Empathy, Increased Willpower, Body Adjustment, Intellectual Affinity (Chemistry)
Weapons & Gear : Skins/Furs (AC:8), vibro-dagger (1d4+6), "Healing" kit containing Ready syringes, bandages, and various potions, concoctions, drugs and other disturbing agents that Zora is currently "working" on.

(Zora was originally seen in the Star Trek (TOS) Episode "The Savage Curtain", Star Trek is copyright Paramount Pictures, no copyright infringement intended).

Adapted by Brutorz Bill

Tokka (80's Cartoon Villains for Mutant Future: Part 6)

     Cold eyes watched the Leech depart..Watched it slither away into the muck…watched it shift its mass to squeeze between the submerged rubble that was its lair. He had watched it all; the humans…the skunk beast…the battle and then the feeding. Now he moved…never a fast creature but a powerful one…powerful indeed. Shifting his bulk in the mud and muck he made his way to the shore. Ahh yes fresh raw meat!…just begging to be devoured. Clouds of gnats filled the air, some quite large, but they meant nothing to Tokka…his green hide was thick and his hunger was great. Moss and algae hung from the spikes that covered his shell. His gear would seem odd to the casual traveler, not that this fetid swamp ever had casual travelers. Other than his staff, he wore only a heavy ornate belt, with a few pouches and bits.. but in this belt he carried a masterful sai, and on his back he wore a sheathed scimitar. Both relics he had recovered from a forgotten building of the ancients, deep in the swamp were many old buildings, most destroyed, their contents lost, but in one Tokka had found ancient weapons, ancient armor as well, most was rusted out and ruined but the sai and the scimitar were perfect, so he took them along with an ornate belt from the ancient displays and he used them well. Cautiously he looked about, nothing moved in the shadows around him. Still wary, he prodded the nearest corpse with his staff, a human wearing a torn flak jacket. It was mostly drained of blood, but still tasty. Tokka bent down next to the corpse, lowered his staff beside him and began his task. His massive jaws quickly tore the human corpse to shreds, devouring large pieces of meat in massive gulps. Tokka watched the shadows…never forgetting his mission. The Clan had sent him, he had an important mission. The dark one was here, somewhere within the ruins known as the Bones of Lilith, and the Clan needed to know what the dark one was up too. He would serve them to his dying breath his only will was to only serve the Clan. Tokka would not fail. Finishing his meal..the massive shelled reptile crept off into the night, other than the torn remains of the human, which would be quickly finished off by the swamps other denizens..there was no sign of his passing.

                                                              
Tokka

Str: 16           Mutant Animal : Alligator Snapping Turtle

Con: 17                                          Alignment : Chaotic

Will: 3                                             AC: 3 Hit Points : 109

Dex: 9                                             Bite attack : 1d8+2

Int: 13                                         

Cha: 11

Tokka's base movement rate is 90/30 as opposed to 120/40 due to his heavy shell

Mutations : Nightvision, Increased Physical Attribute (Constitution), Natural Armor (Thick spikey shell; AC 4), Regenerative Capability, Weak Will

Weapons & Equipment : Ornate Armored Belt (-1 to AC), Staff, Masterwork Scimitar (+1 to hit; +3 to hit w/ Str. bonus, 1d8+3 damage), Masterwork Sai (+1 to hit; +3 to hit w/ Str. bonus, 1d4+4 damage)

(Tokka is converted from the TMNT Cartoon series from the 80's.  TMNT is Copyrighted by Mirage Studios, no copyright infringement is intended).

Monkian & Jackal Man (80's Cartoon Villains for Mutant Future; Part 5)

 My wife commented that my last tale was a bit on the dark side, so I thought I'd lighten things up a bit with this post.  I also thought I'd work up two at once in this story and every master villian needs some lackeys! Enjoy!

     The ape-man scratched his head and twisted his mouth a bit as he tried to remember what the symbol on the faded ancient card meant..the weak campfire light made it hard to see..and Monkian's limited intellect made it even harder for him to process…A red diamond with what he thought was the number 10, but sometimes he got confused…the other card had a 2, but he knew the symbol on it stood for Clubs and Monkian liked clubs! So he put down that card, and yelled out a triumphant "Uno"!. Across the rickety table from him, a rather skinny dog man tried, rather poorly, to hide his laughter…."You moron that's a 2, why would you play that card??? And for the last time this isn't Uno!! Monkian scowled, he knew he wasn't that smart, but he didn't like being reminded of the fact, especially by the stupid jackal! Monkian glared at Jackal Man and pounded on his chest and said, "It's Clubs! Two of CLUBS! Which means if you say I didn't win, I club you…uh..Twice!!!" Monkian drew his flail, making a menacing move towards the mutant jackal. Jackal Man, cringed, "All right…all right…you win! Uno it is or whatever…This is a stupid waste of time anyways!'…."Guard Duty…bah..What's the point? No one would ever come out here?"…Monkian snarled back, "Never question the master! He knows what's best! Plus if he ever heard you well…." Monkian made a motion of his hand slicing across his throat. Jackal Man looked about nervously…absently clutching his own club. "I wasn't questioning the dark one at all, just stating the facts." The mutant Jackal then sniffed the air and made an unpleasant face. Monkian looked at him,"what is it?" The dog man with a look of distaste, "The smelly one..he's coming." The monkey man…looked confused…"but the buzzard isn't supposed to be here, he's back at his workshop far from here?"…Jackal Man ever frustrated with the apes limited intellect, but too cowardly to push the issue commented back,"No Monkian, the other smelly one…The Skunk! Stinkor! he approaches."  Jackal Man tilted his head to the left he could now hear Stinkor's approach. Eventually Monkian was aware of an approaching something and soon enough the mutant skunk man came into view. Monkian could see the black and white furred warrior in the dim light. Stinkor clearly had been into something, he had a whole bag of loot slung over his shoulder, and a really nice looking mace tucked into his belt! Monkian wanted that mace! It looked like it might be a weapon of the ancients!

     Monkian leapt in front of Stinkor, his shield held high and flail twirling menacingly, Halt who goes there?" He said with a bellow, all the while greedily eyeing the ancient mace tucked in Stinkor's belt. Jackal Man laughed nearby, but clutched his club at ready just in case…he also made sure he was in easy reach of the spears stacked nearby, if things turned nasty he had no intention of getting within range of the mutant skunk's stench attack. Quickly glancing over his shoulder, the mutant canine also made sure he had a quick escape route....just in case!
     Stinkor had no time for this, he had urgent business with the dark one and this imbecile monkey was in his way! "Fool you know who I am, stop wasting my time! I must see the dark one!" Monkian didn't like Stinkor, he didn't like being called a fool either, and he wanted that mace! Jackal Man nervously looked on..things were not going well..he inched closer to the closest spear..hand at ready. Trying to distract and diffuse the situation Jackal Man asked,"Where did you get all of that loot?"…"looks like a lot of stuff you've got there."..Monkian added apparently distracted from his anger,"and that mace…where did you get that mace?"…
     Stinkor still wary of the two, and noting spear within easy reach of Jackal Man commented,"Humans!…Human raiders not far from here." Both Monkian and Jackal Man looked about as if expecting human warriors to come pouring out of the dark woods that surrounded the ruins. Stinkor feeling smug,"Don't worry I took care of them". Jackal Man seemed surprised,"you defeated them all??"..Stinkor,"I…overpowered them…then left them for… the Leech!"…both Monkian and Jackal Man shuddered thinking to himself..that foul mutant leech that lived in the swamps…a harsh fate even for humans. Why the master let such a dangerous beast live was beyond their undersanding. Stinkor apparently emboldened with himself then added,"Now let me pass, I must see the master!"…Losing interest in the conversation the two let the mutant skunk through. Both cautiously eyeing the shadows, Jackal Man threw more wood on the fire. Human raiders and…the Leech!...

                                                                 
Monkian

Str: 18 (+3) Dex: 15 (-1 AC) Mutant Animal: Monkey

Con: 16 Int: 6 Alignment: Chaotic

Will: 13 Cha: 11 AC: 2 (with shield) Hit Points: 74

Bite Attack: 1d4 +3

When not using a shield he can move his normal movement speed while in the treetops.

Mutations: Increased Physical Attribute: Strength (+3d6 to melee damage), Increased Dexterity (-2 to AC), Increased Balance, Martial Affinity (+4 to hit, +1d6 damage), Atrophied Cerebellum (Defect).

Weapons & Gear: Flail (+7 to hit, damage total is 5d6 +3!!), Studded Leather Armor, Helmet, Projectile-Firing Shield (A creation of Vulture Man, the shield can fire fist-sized rocks that do 1d8+4 damage, long range : 60', can hold 3 rocks before needing to be reloaded).  Sometimes he is allowed to use more advanced gear, although he usually winds up breaking it!
            Monkian's Shield                                                               

                                                                          
Jackal Man


Str: 14 Dex: 14 (-1 AC)  Mutant Animal: Jackal

Con: 13 Int: 15 Alignment: Chaotic

Will: 15 Cha: 13 AC: 5 Hit Points: 59

Bite Attack: 1d4 + 1
Mutations: Increased Sense: Smell, Increased Sense: Taste, Increased Sense: Hearing, Phobia (Special: Cowardice, whenever he feels he may come to true harm he must make a Will save or flee for 1d4 rds.)

Weapons & Gear: Club, Axe, Spear. Studded Leather Armor. Sometimes Jackal Man uses more advanced weapons and gear, although ammo is usually in short supply.


(Monkian & Jackal Man are converted from the 80's Thundercats Cartoon.  ThunderCats is a registered trademark of Warner Bros.  No copyright infringement is intended)

Leech (80's Cartoon Villains for Mutant Future; Part 4)

Continuing the 80's Cartoon Villain series I present a bad guy that really Sucks!!

     Darkness engulfed the paralyzed trio…TwoAxe still couldn't believe what had happened, this was no way for a warrior such as he to go down, defeated by …by a Stench! By a skunk beast??! What madness! Stripped of his axes, his father's beloved axes and helpless lying on the damp ground…he could feel the swamp bugs crawling all over him, the mosquitoes gorging themselves on his blood. He couldn't turn his head to see Markus or Hofud, but he knew they were nearby…suffering the same fate as he. Hofud struggled to move, the stinking beast had taken his energy mace! He still wore his flak jacket but it would do him no good to go weaponless in the swamp at night. Weapons!, Demon Dogs! He couldn't even move much less wield a weapon! 
     He fought his paralysis, sensing he could almost move…almost…his jaw…yes he could tense his jaw a bit..that was a start….Markus lay flat on his back…staring at the heavy dark tree canopy above…a beetle or something had crawled up his nose….he could feel it digging around in his nostril but could do nothing about it…still immobilized from the wretched skunk beasts gas attack.
     Sinister red eyes watched the skunk man depart…lurking just at water level in the muck and mud..it waited…three heat signatures now registered nearby…warm tasty and full of life! It would feed well tonite! It moved cautiously, but quickly toward the heat, the warmth! the blood! They lay helpless on the ground before it…ahh yes time to feed!!!!
     Markus looked up in sheer terror! Above him was one of the most horrifying beasts he had ever seen, a hulking green creature towered above him…with suckers for hands…and in the palms of those hands a hungry lapping tongue….and that mouth ooh by the ancients that horrible sucking mouth!! TwoAxe! Where was TwoAxe..Could his hero save him from this horror! Markus tried to scream…but lay paralyzed…and died..died a cold..painful...death…a tear ran down the side of his face.
     Hofud fought off panic…from where he lay he could see everything that was happening to poor Markus…but the horror spread, not only was the Leech Beast feeding on Markus' blood, Hofud could feel the creature draining his life energy as well…the fiend was some sort of monstrous vampire feeding off blood and drawing away his very life energy without even having to touch him! Hofud struggled…he could blink! Yes his will was strong he could move a finger…fight it..fight it…Hofud would not go down so easily!
     TwoAxe knew something horrible was happening…something was near.. something foul and far more sinister than the skunk man. He could feel his life energy draining away…his axes gone…he was helpless…powerless…he would not die in battle as his father had…he had brought shame to his ancestors…he would die here in the cold mud.
     With Markus dead and drained of life the Leech turned, still hungry for more…it knew it couldn't hold all of the life energy of these humans, but it wanted it all the same…it leaped upon another warrior…seeking to slake its ravenous hunger…then from the side an attack…one of the humans leaped upon Leech pummeling, kicking biting…
     Hofud fought the beast with everything he had…the damned beasts green hide was like rubber…his blows seemed to not affect it at all. TwoAxe felt so weak..Drained of blood and his very life force…he was dimly aware of Hofud fighting the thing…TwoAxe struggled to rise...he must aid his comrade…Markus lay nearby..Dead…and drained of life..poor poor Markus…his only failure was in putting his faith in TwoAxe.  His weapons gone TwoAxe hefted a large rock..a piece of rubble from a forgotten time…a bit of steel metal stuck out of it…using every bit of strength within him…TwoAxe drove the steel rod into the Leech's back…the beast seemed not to notice…not to care…Hofud continued to fight it but he was weakening, more and more every minute. TwoAxe knew he had hurt the beast, but it was drawing on their life force to supplement its own…TwoAxe continued hammering away at the monster…Hofud now lay lifeless below it…The Leech now aware of TwoAxe seemed to just now realize it was even hurt….it rose up and knocked the warrior on his back…locked in mortal combat…TwoAxe threw everything he had into it…it bled from dozens of cuts..Hofud had fought bravely…TwoAxe fought as well…..as everything grew dim…TwoAxe knew he had honoured his ancestors…he would die as a warrior…then darkness overcame him…The beast fed for a time. Drawing the remaining life from TwoAxe…it had been hurt…hurt badly, though it felt no pain. Then finally sated it withdrew…back into the swampy bog from which it had came.

                                                                        

                                                                            

                             Leech

Str: 16 Dex: 16 Mutant Animal: Leech

Con: 17 Int: 7 Alignment: Chaotic

Will: 14 Cha: 6 AC: 4 Hit Points: 89

Blood Sucking: 1d6 hit points per rd.

Mutations: Density Alteration, Natural Armor (Rubbery Skin AC: 6), Thermal Vision, Pain Insensitivity (defect), Vampiric Field.

Weapons & Gear: Sometimes Leech uses a heavy crossbow to bring down foes from a distance so it can get close enough to feed.

                                                 Leech's "Hand"

(Leech is a conversion from the 80's cartoon He-Man. He-man is a registered trademark of Mattel, no copyright infringement is intended)                                                        

Stinkor (80's Cartoon Villains for Mutant Future; Part 3)

 Well seeing as how my Mutant Future Cartoon villain series seems to be popular not to mention I'm having a blast with it, I've done another one.  Notice I've now dropped the "Lame" part, after Eli & Mik felt I was incorrectly categorizing some of their beloved 80's villians as lame.  So how about one that just Stinks!??

TwoAxe, led the small but rugged band of human raiders deeper into the ruins. It was dangerous to be this close to the swamplands, especially so close to dark, but Markus knew to trust TwoAxe. Ever since the dual axe wielding warrior had saved him from the Spidergoats, he'd learned to never doubt the warrior's strength and wisdom, he owed him his life. Hofud the Grim looked about buttoned up his flak jacket and gripped his energy mace a bit tighter; it was the ruins that concerned him the most, the Bones of Lilith a dark ruin of the ancients was said to be the lair of all manner of foul mutant beasts. Still they trod on. Markus swatted at the growing cloud of gnats and bugs that only got worse as dusk approached. They'd need to make camp soon and start a fire.

     As night approached ever closer, yellow eyes watched the group intently, thinking to itself…."humans this deep in the wilds!, exploring the ruins, the master has claimed these ruins as his own! The master must be told, the master must be warned! but first…." the furred mutant stealthily made its way through the ruins, circling around he uncannily knew the direction he was going in relation to the intruders. Finding the perfect spot, the black and white furred mutant lay in wait until the time was right.
     TwoAxe didn't like this, didn't like it at all. His band wasn't equipped to deal with the denizens of the swamp at night; the elder had given him a bag a glow cubes, so what? So that they could see clearly whatever mutant beast was going to devour them? Markus was blindly following him as always, should have left the fool to the spidergoats, but his sister would have never forgiven him. Hofud was a good man; he knew what dangers they faced. Snapping himself to alertness, TwoAxe knew something was wrong, they weren't alone!
   Without warning out of the near darkness a black and white furred humanoid attacked, not with tooth and claw, not with blade nor bullet, but with something TwoAxe was totally unprepared for…
A horrific stench filled the air, apparently it emanating from this beast! A skunk! A large mutant skunk in the shape of a man!! TwoAxe tried to charge the beast, raising his axes in challenge, but the smell was too much…overpowering…no…no..not this way…TwoAxe dropped one axe, then the other…soon he was lying on the ground immobilized watching the events happen around him. Hofud wasted no time launching his attack, he saw TwoAxe fall, some beast had ambushed him from out of the shadowy ruins and attacked! Hofud saw no weapon, the beast had used some attack on the mind no doubt, Hofud had fought such mindwitches before he had a strong will, he'd survive…energizing his mace Hofud charged! Then ran smack into a wall of….STENCH! Hofud gagged, staggered, he was overwhelmed…not a mind attack but an attack on his very senses, his sense of smell. Hofud dropped his energy mace, it fell to the soft muddy ground now useless to him. The valiant warrior tried to fight off the smell…tried to attack the skunk beast, but soon he too was lying on the ground beside TwoAxe…Which left only Markus…in shock Markus saw his hero fall, TwoAxe was on the ground!!! How could this be?! Perhaps had Markus been a different man he would have fled, and survived, but Markus wasn't a coward, call him many things but he was no coward, and he owed TwoAxe his life! Markus, not wasting time to load his crossbow, drew his sword and charged…screaming his war cry he launched an attack on the yellow eyed mutant beast that had downed his comrades, his hero! Markus brought down his sword on the skunk man, but at the last possible second the foul smelling beast raised its own shield, a strong shield made from the metals of the ancients. The blow, came up short glancing off the shield…then Markus was hit by the smell…a wall of stench engulfed him…his eyes watered….he gagged…struggling to hold his sword he swung again…but he was too weak from the smell…he dropped and joined his fallen comrades on the ground.
     Stinkor looked over his handiwork…pleased with himself; he began looting their bodies, searching through their gear…a bag of strange cubes? Odd….a mace of the ancients and other items! The dark one would be pleased, no doubt most of the items would wind up in the buzzard's workshop, but it mattered not, the buzzard man had made the very breather he now wore, as his stench power had grown over the years Stinkor found even himself affected by it unless he wore the special mask and harness. Stinkor pondered for a moment, should he finish off the humans? They weren't dead, merely immobilized for a time by his stench attack. Looking about he realized he was not alone, something stirred in the nearby swamp…no he'd leave the humans…they'd be encountering true terror and agonizing death soon enough…Stinkor quickly stalked off into the ruins to find the Dark One.

Stinkor

Stinkor


Str: 13 Mutant Animal : Skunk

Con: 14 Alignment : Chaotic

Will: 11 AC: 4 Hit Points : 57

Dex: 15 Claw attack : 1d4 (prefers to use his stench attack)

Int: 10

Cha: 9

Mutations : Nightvision, Toxic Weapon (Paralyzing Stench Attack: Paralysis 2d6 rounds/successful save means movement is half for 1d6 rds. 30' range,), Know Direction. Weapons & Equipment : Duralloy Shield, Gas mask/Respirator/Containment Harness (Harness gives AC : 6) Without his harness Stinkor is  impaired by his Stench attack (AC penalty of 1 and -2 to his attack rolls)

(Stinkor is a conversion from the 80's cartoon He-Man. He-man is a registered trademark of Mattel, no copyright infringement is intended)
                                                                                

Vulture Man (Lame 80's Cartoon Villains for Mutant Future; Part 2)

Continuing my series of Lame 80's cartoon villains for Mutant Future I present…Vulture Man!

     The hunched beaked humanoid was bent over a junk filled workbench, muttering quietly to himself. He was carefully working on some bizarre device. Surrounding said bench was a large cluttered room filled with all manner of devices, bits and pieces of wire, computer components, and other sundry odds and ends. Most would call it junk. Flies flitted about the room, no doubt attracted to the buzzard man's foul smell, he had no time for bathing, he had more important things to do… A forgotten half-eaten meal lay on the end of the bench, maggots wiggled about happy to finish it off.
     Then without warning a voice rang out…a voice of power, authority and malice.."CarrinSpawn!"…the buzzard like mutant cringed…he knew that voice…only one called him that…and while he was no doubt descended from the same vulture stock as the Carrins of the desert wastes he was clearly no Carrin. It mattered not, one did not argue with the Dark One! How did he get inside this time?? After the last visit, he'd spent days fine tuning his workshop's sensors, he should have had ample warning of this visitor way ahead of time.. and yet here he was…again..the mutant bird eyed the nearby Mark V blaster for a moment, then kicked himself for disassembling it earlier, it was no use to him in its current condition, not that he wanted to fight this particular visitor anyway, a fight with the cowled one could only have one outcome…Shuddering the vulture man slowly turned to face his "guest" He kept one eye closed, as if that would somehow shield him from whatever was about to come…
     Before him stood a tall well muscled figure, he or perhaps "it" would be more appropriate, bore an ancient staff of power, and clenched it tightly in a gnarled hand, the skin of which shone a sickly purple in the workshops artificial light. A heavy cloak covered the dark ones face, although there was no missing his glowing red eyes, eyes that seemed to burrow into Vulture Man's very soul.
Feebly the mutant carrion bird spoke,"Yes…uh..um..how may I serve you oh powerful one?"…
He kept one eye closed and now squinted with the open eye, cringing all the while. He feared what would come next….but sudden painful death didn't come. Vulture Man opened his eyes a bit more. The dark one reached into his purple robes and pulled out a large bag, he carelessly tossed it to the floor right in front of the foul smelling buzzard man. The mutant bird jumped back fearful of some foul horror emerging from the bag to rend him feather from limb. But instead the bag spilled open and dozens of mini fusion cells spilled out across the floor, a small fortunes worth! Greed quickly overcame his fear, there was enough power here for him to complete several projects and perhaps start a few new ones he'd been dreaming about. Then he remembered his "guest"..Looking quizzically at the dark one he waited.  Beneath the purple cowl it spoke, eyes still glowing red with an unwholesome power,"You have served me well Carrinspawn, for that you may continue to live." Vulture Man was confused, relieved but confused. The dark one spoke again,"Consider this to be a payment if you will, your work has proven to be beneficial to me, be prepared for when I call upon you again!"…Vulture Man looked down at all the power cells, not able to believe it, and then when he looked back up… the dark one was gone, as if he vanished into thin air. He quickly gathered up the power cells, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Not what I expected…not what I expected at all"…then he remembered his earlier meal, reaching over he took a big bite, licking the squirming maggot that had managed to escape onto his beak. "Oh well, back to work…"
                                                                                  

Vulture Man
Str: 14               Con: 12       Dex: 13              Int:   17    Al: Chaotic
Will: 15              Cha: 8        AC: 6       HP: 46
Beak Attack (1d4, but he hates to enter melee)
Mutations: Increased Sense: Touch, Intellectual Affinity : Tinkerer, Increased Willpower
Total Tech roll bonus +50%!
Weapons & Gear : Usually only wears leather armor (heavier armors annoy him, he says they pinch his feathers), Tool kit, + He always has some form of weapon of the ancients that he is tinkering around with, if he has had time to fiddle with it, it will do an additional +4 points of damage in combat.

Thundercats...Hoooo!!
(Vulture Man is converted from the 80's Thundercats Cartoon. ThunderCats is a registered trademark of Warner Bros. No copyright infringement is intended)

Faker (Lame 80's Cartoon Villains for Mutant Future; Part 1)

     Over on the Savage Afterworld Blog, I found a recent post for Mutant Future; the title of the entry Faker, led me to immediately think it would be a cool write-up about a certain evil, blue-skinned clone of a certain muscle-bound Master of the Universe (sorry I'm a child of the 80's I can't help it)! Well, that’s not what the write-up was about, mind you the mutant beastie Sniderman worked up was quite cool, a mutant mimic-type creature that I’ll definitely be using in my Mutant Future Campaigns, but it wasn’t the old He-Man villain from yesteryear. This got me to thinking (dangerous I know) why not see if I could work up my own Mutant Future version of FAKER. So without further ado I present FAKER.

     The cowled figure made its way deeper into the dark recesses of the ancient vault, its gnarled hand gripping an ancient staff of power. Muttering to itself in an evil voice…”The humans must be stopped…too many times have my minions failed me against the humans, I need a better servant, a stronger slave that serves my will and mine alone...This time I will succeed! This time I will create the tool to destroy them all!”…turning down ever darker corridors, scuttling things fled the menacing ones presence, they’d wait for easier prey, and this one was too powerful. The cowled one went deeper into the forgotten compound, machines flared to life, lights sputtered and flickered in a feeble attempt to light the vast room, not that the dark one seemed to care. “So many failures” the dark one looked about at the discarded husks of misshapen humanoid forms that were cast about the vast room…the figure continued purposefully towards a large machine that slowly pulsed to life. “Now this ancient relic holds only enough energy for one last attempt…I must succeed!” The creature’s staff flared to life, bolts of dark energy flared from the ancient staff of power; arcs of power engulfed the machine. Tubes connected to the machine squirmed with a life of their own; they connecting to a dark coffin-like tube which now glowed with the same dark energy as the staff. “Yes…Yes it is working…the Carrinspawn was right, his expertise has proven to be useful after all...This time I will achieve my goal!”Off in the chambers far above, the sounds of a large feline could be heard roaring upon hearing the voice of its master. Minutes or perhaps hours passed and then the machine began a loud hum…the energy faded and with a sinister hiss the tube opened…an eerie mist emerged…strange smells filled the room, but the cowled one cared not, it looked intently at the coffin-like device. Slowly a figure could be made out inside, as the mists receded it stirred, slowly at first then it arose shakily but stronger with each movement it strode into the flickering light of the room before the dark one. It was a large massively muscled humanoid if not for its blue-tinted skin and reddish hair it could pass for a perfect human specimen. Apparently put off by the humanoid’s not quite human appearance the robed one muttered a dark curse under his breath..”so close…so close to success and yet you are tainted, clearly not a pure human in appearance…nonetheless you may still prove useful to me..”Then loudly he spoke with a voice of power and authority,”You will serve me, you are mine..My tool to destroy the humans! You are the Faker!”…with a voice free of any emotion it spoke,”Yes master I will destroy the humans and serve you” and deep in the back of its mind a quiet inner voice added “for now”….

FAKER
Str: 20         Dex: 16                                      Android (Synthetic)
Con: 16       Int: 8                                          Alignment: Chaotic
Will: 9         Cha: 9                                        AC: 2 Hit Points: 50
Immune to poison (including paralytic poisons), +3 to all saves vs. heat and cold based attacks. Affected by radiation as if it is 1 class level lower than its rating (minimum of class 1)
Mutations: Increased Physical Attribute: Increased Strength (+3d6 damage to melee attacks), Increased Dexterity (Dex adjusted by -2), Combat Empathy (+1 to hit, +3 damage)

Weapons & Equipment: Studded Leather Armor, furred boots, two-handed sword (+5 to hit, 1d10 +7+3d6 Damage) (or if you really want to ramp things up a notch give him a Vibro-Sword!). Faker may have other basic gear as needed.

Please note, I've worked Faker up as a 1st level character (he's pretty tough even for a level one dude), fresh out of the "coccoon" so to speak.  If you need to buff him up it shouldn't be too hard to do so, just give him a few level benefits and better weapons.  You could also say his master enhanced him a bit by giving him some more hit points if need be.  Good Gaming! - B

(Faker is a conversion from the 80's cartoon He-Man. He-man is a registered trademark of Mattel, no copyright infringement is intended)