Saturday, January 22, 2011

Friday, January 14, 2011

Capt. Rufus' Houserules for GW 4E

Captain Rufus over at Wargame Dork has a nice set of house rules to take some of the silliness out of the 4E version of Gamma World. Having played the game, I love the silly aspect, but I would also want at least the option to play it more as a traditional RPG, without the constant mutations (i.e., the Alpha Mutation card deck).

The result adds a more stability to the game and allows the GM to put more emphasis on the setting itself and not have to worry about the cards taking the spotlight.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Randomize with the Junkulator!


Oh man, this thing is awesome! You'd think that a guy like me who's loves random tables would have heard about the JUNKULATOR from CriticalHits.com. IT'S FULL OF WIN!

Basically, it's a web script generator that will spit out random junk finds for a post-apocalyptic/Gamma World setting. You can set it for 1d4+1 pieces or just a single piece of junk. There's also options for item condition and PICTURES!!

Here's a few snapshots of stuff I "found". Click to embiggen:


Aw, man, the things you can do with an "intact rototiller"!!

It's a riot, give the Junkulatator a whirl!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

RACES: New Evolutionaries

Art by Ken Kelly

New Evolutionaries are highly-advanced mutants that bear little if any resemblance to previous lifeforms found on Earth. They seem to have jumped eons ahead in the evolutionary ladder, and hence, come in a variety of alien-like appearances. One thing they all have in common is the innate ability to generate and access raw bio-energies to fuel powers, abilities, and integrated organic weapons never before encountered by terran-based lifeforms.

Valids, in particular have an obsessive fascination with NEs. It's thought they could be the product of alien interference in Earth-based genomes. Time will tell if they hold allegiance to extra terrestrial influences or their native homeworld.

New Evolutionaries are allowed for PC and NPC use.

RACES: Inhuma

Many breeds of canines, felines, apes, amphibians, insectoids, etc. that have evolved into humanoid form make up the catchall category simply called "Inhuma". Often these beastmen are highly developed, even civilized humanoids. Some more exotic strains are actually new species, seemingly spliced by the mutant gods from several, disparate species, such as the Sarborians--a race of plant-ape hybrids.

Piercing green gaze of a moss-skinned Sarborian Tree Warden

Lepidoptrens often live solitary lives, shunned by humans and other mutant strains


Inhuma are allowed for PC and NPC use.

RACES: Unmended

Zombified, undead, and grotesque, the Unmended are former "living" matter, reanimated by some otherworldly glow. They are a mindless horde--sometimes not even resembling their former selves--that have no interest in civilization, just an insatiable hunger for chaos and destruction. Often fought-off, into the dark corners of the map by more intelligent tribes, they can still overwhelm with numbers.

Unlike the zombies of lore, Unmended are reanimated by strange energies that began firing from deep within the Earth around the time of the cataclysm--not a viral plague that spreads through feral biting or voracious cannibalism. It's not clear if they were "awoken" by psychic energy flowing from ley lines, cosmic radiation, or mystic curse, but the armies of the dead walk the wasted Earth dismantling all outsiders who cross their path.

Unmended come in several varieties, including:


Glopies, near liquified corpses covered in toxic--sometimes irradiated--sludge and so called for the sickening sound they make when advancing on prey. If the oppressive, pungent stench or deafening moans don't get to you, their clobbering, slobber will. Oh, and they can gestalt into larger masses of walking slop if so inclined.



Withers, are barely skin on bone, and are particularly vicious. Withers tend to be extremely dexterous and lithe in melee combat. They come in irradiated or just plain varieties. Unlike other re-animates, withers retain the ability to speak and reason, though they have no recall of their former lives.



Fossilgeists
These long-forgotten remains of dead animals, mutants, monsters, etc., are often found near outcroppings of giant crystals, behind waterfalls, and half-buried in psionically charged sands. They remain in a dormant state, decomposing among the wastes of the Earth...until some unlucky interloper (usually a sentient one) enters its paranormal perimeter. The proximity of a living mind acts like a battery for these puppeteering poltergeists.

Withers and Glopies are allowed for PCs, but all three are intended for NPC use.

Vintage Mars Attacks Cards Scans!


If there's a patient zero in post-modern America that fed the "gamma strain" into the pop culture mileu, the Mars Attacks collectible cards are a prime suspect.

Here's a few juicy scans posted on Flickr (hat tip to Boing Boing, BTW) of the set, as released in the 60s. They were, of course, the guiding inspiration behind Tim Burton's 1996 film.



Enjoy!

RACES: RePrimatives


These cast offs from humankind's family tree retained (some) sentience and/or humanoid appearance and battle for tribal territory as well as prized, ancient "magic" (technology), which they worship. Some tribes are sullen-faced troglodytes that seek dark caverns, while others may hew closer to their human kin in appearance.

RePrimatives run the gamut of pre-homo sapien-like hominids, to full on troglodyte deviations. Some species are cannibals and procreate through partial consumption of victims who then mutate into new offspring (those inadvertently killed will not become offspring). Others procreate as nature intended. All RePrimative types seem to possess a highly malleable, yet hardy genetic make-up that renders them extremely susceptible to further mutation.

A Trigore hunting party on the move.
Tribes can vary in size from a few dozen to hundreds, often armed with spears, slings, axes, or other pronged weapons fashioned from sharpened animal tooth or claws.

Most RePrimative races are after the same thing: to overwhelm, eliminate, or control opposing tribes (strains)--as well as one another--using found "magical gifts from the gods" (ancient technology). Firearms, laser swords, and beam weapons are often favored by chieftains for showy displays of raw power. While medicine men prize just about any type of technology that can help the success of the tribe (or boost their personal prominence within it).

As a result of this simple-minded fascination, RePrimatives are likely candidates for manipulation by less scrupulous higher beings (wizards, warlords of the wastes, etc.) and are ripe to be bullied or bribed into make-ready assault squads.

Were it not for the enticement of magic, RePrimatives would destroy anyone who looks different from their tribe. Valids in particular have much to fear should they be low on ammo if/when they stumble upon a clan of RePrimatives...

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

RACES: Mechloks

Mechloks are artificial or artificially-enhanced humanoid beings of which three are three distinct types: Cybornas (half biological, half mechanical/electronic), Syndrones (completely artificial, biologic androids), and Golthans (giant androids).

Cyborna clans roam the ruins of fallen cities and industrial sites in search of tools, fuel, or tech to enhance their motley features. They can range from highly-sophisticated composites to hack-n-slash monstrosities (in the wilds, the latter are usually more prominent). About half of all cyborna have some sort of enhanced  if not totally mechanical means of locomotion.

Syndrones are grown from genetically spliced pods that act as spawning plants. After the cataclysm, their mental development seemed to accelerate, allowing them to form highly-advanced colonies. They're descendants of ancient androids that--in the quest for self perfection--began modifying their own manufacturing. The result is something akin to a synthetic humanoid made from organic-based polymers. Some factions have been known to associate with Valids, providing intelligence in return for certain, raw materials found only underground. They appear as exceptionally graceful beings with an enlightened sensibility. Make no mistake though, they will do anything to acquire the resources needed to keep their birth/sleep pods in peak performance.


Golthans are giant, mute androids that range in size between 3 and 10 meters and appear in a variety of humanoid forms. They were built as artificially intelligent combat units by Goliath Robotics International in the late 21st century, but an attack by a radical sect of hackers turned Goliath's best-selling products into an army of curious, robot children. The hackers uploaded a virus into a GRI server that provided realtime updates to all model types located throughout the world. The virus included an algorithm that would allow their positronic brains to develop highly-emotive personalities (originally intended by the virus authors to be passive). Around the time of the cataclysm they all simultaneously lost the ability to speak. Whether by misunderstanding or the simple fact of their unusual size, Golthans are usually loners, living for centuries at a time in the wilds, where they can observe nature away from the rest of mutant society. As they tend not to comprehend their own size and strength compared with lesser beings, those that encounter them should exercise extreme caution.

Cyborna are allowed for PCs, Golthans and Syndrones maybe permitted later on (but not yet). All three are intended for NPC use.