"D" is for "Dualigator"

Dualigator

No. Enc.:  0 (1d4)

Alignment:  Chaotic

Movement:  90' (30')
      —Swim:  90' (30')

Armor Class:  3

Hit Dice:  4

Attacks:  2 (2 bites)
Damage:  2d8 / 2d8
Save:  L3
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  VI
XP:  630

Dualigators are two-headed, 12' long reptiles with domineering personalities and haughty egos.  They have a particular fondness for the flesh of "lesser" humanoids, and often lurk near settlements, waterways, and oases to snag unlucky victims.  Any given dualigator has an INT score of 7+1d4 and a WIL of 7+1d6, but they fancy themselves the smartest, canniest beings in the vicinity.

While unable to utilize weapons, dualigators can manipulate objects, doors, and some Artifacts with the ape-like paws on their front-most limbs.

Dualigator hides are prized for their brilliant azure hue, and helms made from the scales grant the wearer an immunity to the Mental Phantasm mutation.

Mutations:  Aberrant Form (Hands), Dual Cerebellum (+1 extra Mental Mutation), Extra Parts x2 (Heads, Legs), Increased Willpower, Mind Reflection, Mind Thrust, Neural Telepathy, Possession

"B" is for "Bloat Titan"

Bloat Titan

No. Enc.:  0 (1d6)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40') 
Armor Class:  6
Hit Dice:  10
Attacks:  1 (bite, or trample)
Damage:  2d10+3 + disease, or 4d8+3
Save:  L5
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  3,800

The elephantine bloat titans are swollen, 16' tall, 10 ton arachnids that prowl grasslands and forests in a neverending quest for fresh blood.  When a herd is on the move, the ground quakes and wildlife flees in terror.

A bloat titan's thick carapace is impervious to conventional melee weapons and firearms.  And its deadly jaws transmit Hyper-Lyme Disease upon a failed Saving Throw Versus Death, which acts as the Superflu virus [see p. 48 of the Mutant Future Core Rules] without the communicability aspect...and it lasts 1d2+2 weeks, instead of 2.

Bloat titans dislike open flames, and villages often deter the creatures with bonfires or burn-pits.

Mutations:  Gigantism, Toxic Weapon ("Hyper-Lyme Bite")

"P" is for "Porse"

Porse

No. Enc.:  0 (2d6)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  240' (80') 
Armor Class:  6
Hit Dice:  4
Attacks:  3 (2 kicks, 1 bite)
Damage:  1d4 / 1d4 / 1d6
Save:  L2
Morale:  8
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  245

Porses are sleek, hairless quadrupeds with beak-like snouts and blowholes in place of nostrils.  They gallop across the Mutant Future in familial pods, and spend their days hunting, frolicking, and "playfully" tormenting larger, slower predatory beasts.

The creatures are quite vocal, and communicate with elaborate whistles, clicks, and whines.  Once every 3 rounds, a porse can emit a focused burst of sound in a cone 15' long and 10' wide at its endpoint that Paralyzes targets for 1d4 rounds upon a failed Saving Throw Versus Stun.  Porses primarily use this ability to herd and disorient small game, so man-sized or larger targets get a +2 bonus to the Save roll.

Porses are intelligent enough to cooperate with humanoid trainers, and make excellent steeds.

Mutations:  Echolocation, Regenerative Capability, Unique Mutation ("Sonic Stun")

"S" is for "Shrumak"

Shrumak

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d8)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  150' (50') 
Armor Class:  5
Hit Dice:  13
Attacks:  3 or 1 (2 claws, 1 tendril-bite, or by club)
Damage:  1d8+3 / 1d8+3 / 1d10+3, or 1d12+3
Save:  L7
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  XV
XP:  7,800

Shrumaks are towering, 12' tall beasts that lair in swamps, caverns, sewers, and Ancient ruins.  Though technically blind, they are active hunters, and chase down prey with surprising strength, speed, and agility.  Shrumaks often use stalagtites, logs, or debris as clubs, but (seemingly) lack any other hallmarks of intelligence.

A shrumak's spores act as the Mental Phantasm mutation when inhaled, and affect everyone within a 10' radius upon a failed Saving Throw Versus Poison.  The effects last 1d6 turns.

There is no evidence to suggest that shrumaks associate with either fungal groves [see p. 72 of the Mutant Future Core Rules] or fungoids [p. 73], though some speculate they may be the hyper-mutated forms of either.

Shrumaks and quarillas are mortal enemies.

Mutations:  Combat Empathy, Control Weather, Echolocation, Energy Ray (Cold), Free Movement, Nocturnal [D], Poisonous Spores

"J" is for "Jaman"

Jaman

No. Enc.:  1d2 (1d6)
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement:  120' (40') 
Armor Class:  6
Hit Dice:  7
Attacks:  1 (kick, or weapon)
Damage:  1d6, or by weapon
Save:  L7
Morale:  7
Hoard Class:  XVI
XP:  2,540

While slight of build and lacking in physicality, the 8' tall, lanky, wooly Jamen more than make up for their shortcomings with sheer dastardliness.  They are well known throughout the Mutant Future as grifters, flesh-peddlers, pushers, fences, assassins, and all-around scoundrels. 

A Jaman's thick wool—which ranges in coloration from dark brown, to off-white, to even lavender—resists the effects of radiation, and can be woven into protective garments.  Though they view it as demeaning, Jamen down on their luck will sell their hair for hard coin.

A Jaman always "knows a guy who knows a guy," as is an excellent resource for PCs needing to walk on the shadier side.  Jamen never stray far from their urban vice dens, and always have a minimum of 1d4 goons (usually Crules, Karkhans, Manacondas, Mantipedes, and/or Pigmen [see p. 88 of the Mutant Future Core Rules]) in their employ.

Mutations:  Control Light Waves, Damage Turning, Intellectual Affinity (Bartering), Mental Phantasm, Reduced Oxygen Efficiency [D], Reflective Epidermis (Radiation) 

"G" is for "Gheelid"

Gheelid

No. Enc.:  1d6 (3d8)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  60' (20')
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  5+6
Attacks:  3 or 1 (2 claws, 1 bite, or 1 weapon)
Damage:  1d4 / 1d4 / 1d8 + poison, or by weapon
Save:  L6
Morale:  11
Hoard Class:  VI, XV
XP:  1,060

Gheelids are lumpy, ponderous, 4' tall reptoids that inhabit the harshest wastes of the Mutant Future.  They spend their days underground, and hunt under the cover of darkness.  Their stamina is uncanny.

Gheelids are dogged combatants.  With a successful bite attack, a Gheelid clamps on and does automatic damage each subsequent round until it or its target is dead.  Furthermore, Gheelid saliva is highly toxic (Class 8), but the creature must gnaw for 3 consecutive rounds before the poison works into the victim's wounds.

As they share biomes and compete for the same sparse resources, Gheelids and the Quelagar are in perpetual conflict.  Desert communities sometimes suffer collateral damage from the two warring lizard peoples, and require outside Player Character intervention....

Mutations:  Enhanced Vision (Night Vision), Increased Physical Attribute (Constitution), Precognition, Toxic Weapon (Venom)

"B" is for "Blitzfin"

Blitzfin

No. Enc.:  0 (2d6)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  0' (0')
     —Swim:  165' (55')
Armor Class:  7
Hit Dice:  2
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  1d6 (+1d8)
Save:  L1
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  65

Blitzfins are 3'-4' long, silvery, carnivorous fish found in bodies of fresh- and saltwater (particularly near ruined dams and power plants).  Electricity continuously arcs along their bodies, and their teeth crackle with energy.

Anyone bitten by a blitzfin suffers the initial bite damage, and takes an additional 1d8 jolting damage (unless otherwise immune).  Furthermore, those immersed in water and targeted by a blitzfin's Energy Ray or Energy-Retaining Cell Structure take an additional 1d6 conductivity damage per attack.

Like shockroaches and drearwigs, blitzfins can be used as "living dynamos" by those with the technical expertise.

Mutations:  Energy Ray (Electricity), Energy-Retaining Cell Structure, Reflective Epidermis (Electricity)

"X" is for "Xerix"

Xerix

No. Enc.:  1 (1d4)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  105' (35')
Armor Class:  5
Hit Dice:  5+1
Attacks:  1 (gore)
Damage:  1d10
Save:  L4
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  VI
XP:  1,260

Xerices are 20' serpents that inhabit scrublands and savannahs, lurking in pits, craters, and abandoned animal dens.  They gore their prey with antlers, and with a successful hit, follow up with constriction for an additional 2d8 damage.  This damage continues on subsequent rounds.

And from the nodules on its head, a xerix can expel a cloud of acrid blue gas 20' in diameter that hyper-dehydrates all matter within its confines.  Against wooden weapons, items, armor, and "ordinary" plantlife, the gas acts as the Disintegration Mental Mutation (with the xerix having an effective WIL score of 8+1d4).  Mutant Plants and plant-based creatures take 8d6 damage, but may make a Saving Throw Versus Poison for half damage; Pure Humans, Mutant Humans, and Mutant Animals suffer 4d6 damage, and make the same Save.  Androids are completely immune to the gas.  The cloud lasts 1d4 rounds, and the effects are continuous until it dissipates.

A xerix's multiple eyes are highly sensitive.  While xerices are Surprised only on a roll of 1 on 1d6, they are also terrified by the flashiness of laser pistols, blaster rifles, and similar weaponry.

Mutations:  Aberrant Form (Natural Weapon—Antlers), Extra Parts (Multiple Eyes), Phobia (Ranged Energy Weapons) [D], Toxic Weapon ("Desiccating Cloud")

"S" is for "Stymphalian Turkey"

Stymphalian Turkey

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d4)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40')
Armor Class:  2
Hit Dice:  16
Attacks:  3 or 1 (2 claws, 1 bite, or 1 trample, or 1 volley)
Damage:  2d8 / 2d8 / 2d6, or 4d8, or See Below
Save:  L8
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  XXI
XP:  6,900

The 20' tall, flightless monstrosities known as Stymphalian turkeys owe their origins to the most demented of Ancient experimentation.  Instead of natural tailfeathers, they possess serrated metallic facsimiles 8'-10' in length.  Ocular implants and diamond-tipped cyber-claws add to their freakishness.

Stymphalian turkeys can launch their oversized feathers up to distances of 150', with an area of effect radius of 20'.  Each volley fires 1d6+1 feathers that do 3d6 damage each.  Those struck in the impact radius can make a Saving Throw Versus Death for half damage.  The birds also Trample those underfoot.

A Stymphalian turkey's Hoard Class represents the alloys and electronic components salvageable from its corpse.  And a deceased specimen can feed a medium-sized village for 1d4 months.

Mutations:  Energy Ray (Implants), Gigantism, Increased Sense (Vision) (Implants), Spiny Growth (Extra-Large) (Implants)

—

Designer's Notes:  I dusted these beasties off from my longest-running Champions campaign.  The Stymphalian turkeys were the crazed creations of a team-up most terrible between supervillains The Cassowary, that feathery femme fatale, and The Gourmand, the corpulent culinary crook.  The demented duo unleashed the baleful birds during Fair City's annual Thanksgiving parade, and only the valiant heroes of Vanguard could stop them!  From that battle,  The Gourmand became one of Troubadour's  most hated foes!

"Q" is for "Quelagar"

Quelagar

No. Enc.:  1d6 (2d8)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  120' (40') 
Armor Class:  4
Hit Dice:  6
Attacks:  2 or 1 (2 claws, or 1 weapon)
Damage:  1d4 / 1d4, or by weapon
Save:  L6
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  VII, VIII, XIV
XP:  1,820

The Quelagar (both singular and plural) are a race of bipedal, 5' tall reptoids with rounded, hunched, spiky bodies and narrow tails.  They favor arid climes, hunting and scavenging in desert wastes and dry cavern complexes.  Though they will trade with outsiders, quelagar are amongst the most dour, gruff, and altogether crabby peoples of the Mutant Future.

When provoked, a quelagar can squirt a jet of blood from its tearducts at a distance of 15'.  This acrid fluid causes those struck to suffer -3 on all To Hit rolls for 1d6 rounds on a failed Saving Throw Versus Stun...and a -1 penalty if successful.

A quelagar can also revert into a previous stage of evolutionary development, taking the shape of a giant, 10' long horned lizard [use the statistics for the giant tuatara from p. 81 of the Mutant Future Core Rules].  Its Toxic Weapon is usable in this form, and there is a 25% chance that any given specimen possesses the Energy Ray mutation while metamorphed.

Due to their coloration, quelagar are nigh-invisible in sandy and rocky environs, and Surprise foes on a 1-4 on 1d6.

Mutations:  Force Screen (Greater), Mental Barrier, Metamorph, Spiny Growth (Medium), Toxic Weapon ("Blood-Burst")

"E" is for "Eyemoth"

Eyemoth

No. Enc.:  1d4 (1d6)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  30' (10')
         —Fly:  180' (60')
Armor Class:  5
Hit Dice:  8
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  1d8
Save:  L4
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  VII
XP:  4,560

Eyemoths, ravenous and indescriminate carnivores and scavengers, are nauseating, 6' long insects found in ruins, cave systems, and sewers.  Their moist, fleshy wings reach 15' across...and each is covered in 2d6 bulbous, leaking eyeballs.  Eyemoths are never surprised.

While flying, eyemoths can sling their optic fluids in a 20' long, 15' wide cone, and anyone caught in the spray must make a Saving Throw Versus Stun or be both Blinded and Paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds.

Eyemoths suffer an extra +1 damage per die from cold-based attacks.

Mutations:  Combat Empathy, Enhanced Vision (Night Vision), Epidermal Susceptibility (Cold-Based Attacks) [D], Extra Parts (Multiple Eyes), Force Screen, Toxic Weapon ("Mucilage"), Weak Will [D]

"B" is for "Benthak"

Benthak

No. Enc.:  0 (1d8)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  45' (15')
  —Swim:  75' (25')
Armor Class:  2
Hit Dice:  8
Attacks:  3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage:  2d8 / 2d8 / 1d8
Save:  L4
Morale:  11
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  1,060

Benthaks are chitinous, multi-legged, ill-tempered crustaceans the size of Ancient rhinoceroses.  They prowl the floors of the deepest oceans, devouring anything they encounter.

Benthaks employ their claws with blinding speed, stabbing and smashing their prey to pieces.  And said claws secrete a chemical that disrupts metal at the atomic level, providing +2 To Hit and Damage against submersible vehicles, robots, and targets encased in metallic armor.

There are tales of great Ancient undersea bases being overrun with benthaks.  The beasts sheared their way through steel and duralloy once thought impregnable to get at the occupants inside...whose horrifying final fates involved swirling vortices of crushing waters, snapping jaws, and gore.

Mutations:  Toxic Weapon ("Subatomic Claws")

"R" is for "Robostrich"

Robostrich

Hit Dice:  10
Frame:  Biomorph
Locomotion:  Legs (Pair)
Manipulators:  Jaws
Armor:  Duralloy Armor (AC 3)
Sensors:  Class II
Mental Programming:  Programming
Accessories:  None
Weaponry:  See Below
XP:  1,700

Robostriches are 9' tall robots that resemble nothing less than Ancient flightless birds, with long necks, powerful legs, and insulating rubber feathers (making them immune to electricity-based attacks).  They are powered by minifusion cells housed in their sternums.

Designed for combat, robostriches dash nimbly across the landscape at speeds up to 100 mph, biting (1d8 damage), kicking (2d10), and/or Charging all in their path.  And powerful gyroscopes ensure they never stumble, even over the most unforgiving terrain.

Rogue A.I.s with a sadistic sense of humor often dispatch "flocks" of robostriches against their foes.

—

*Inspired by current advances in Gamma World-ian studies!!!

"B" is for "Blastodon"

Blastodon

No. Enc.:  0 (2d8)
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement:  120' (40')
Armor Class:  3
Hit Dice:  14
Attacks:  2 (2 projectiles, or 1 bite, 1 trample)
Damage:  3d6 / 3d6, or 1d6 / 4d8
Save:  L7
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  5,100

The massive blastodons are belligerent, cruel, and destructive pachyderms with a seething ancestral hatred for humanity.  Wrathful herds often lay siege to Pure Human and Mutant Human settlements, or ambush caravans and military convoys.

Once every other round, a blastodon can launch 2 balls of explosive plasma (one from each hollow tusk) up to a range of 100'.  Each does 4d6 damage in a blast radius of 15', and deafens those caught in the explosion for 1d4+1 rounds upon a failed Saving Throw Versus Stun.  Different targets may be chosen for each attack.  In close combat, blastodons Trample with abandon.

Blastodons feed by lapping up their victims' obliterated remains with their trunk-maws.

As a side effect of their thunderous abilities, blastodons' ears have scarred over into cartilagineous lumps.  This renders the beasts effectively deaf, but their footpads and snouts remain highly sensitive to vibrations.

Mutations:  Sensory Deficiency (Deafness) [D], Unique Mutation ("Plasma Pulses"), Unique Sense (Detect Vibrations)

I've Bought Super-Bouncy Balls, Press-On Tattoos, And Rubber Monsters From Gumball Machines That Cost More

While prowling the knickknack tables at Houston's annual Arcade Expo on Saturday, I found this:

The staples are rusty, the top of the cover has slight water staining (but, strangely, no wrinkling), and the page edges have turned "gamer-grubby brown" from extensive handling...but it's otherwise in dandy shape. 

The 45-something guy in the X-Wing Pilot uniform and helmet who sold it to me clearly loved—and, even better, used—the book.

This is the best 50 cents I've ever spent.  Score!

PS:  Gamer-Grubby Brown needs to be an official Crayola color.

"W" is for "Warpwolf"

Warpwolf

No. Enc.:  2d4 (3d4)
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:  180' (60')
Armor Class:  3
Hit Dice:  3
Attacks:  1 (bite)
Damage:  2d6
Save:  L2
Morale:  10
Hoard Class:  None
XP:  110

Warpwolves are deep indigo canines that stalk the radioactive wastes of the Mutant Future.  They are cunning pack hunters, and doggedly pursue prey over any distance.

Packs of warpwolves use their teleportation to maximum effect in combat, blinking in and out of existence around the target to disorient it; consequently, groups of 3 or more warpwolves collectively receive +2 To Hit when attacking the same foe.  And their bites are particularly savage, as they clamp down and teleport a short distance away...tearing away large chunks of flesh in the process.

Raising and training warpwolf cubs is extremely difficult, but the beasts are highly prized as loyal companions.

Mutations:  Enhanced Vision (Night Vision), Reflective Epidermis (Radiation), Teleport

"Ratzen-snitzen-fratzen-ratzen...!!!" — Muttley

I noticed a glaring error in my Devastation Drive-In document:  a blank page where Robot Monster stuff should've been.

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

So, I fixed that, and tweaked a mutation or two to bring them in line with my modified versions (changing Night Vision to Enhanced Vision (Night Vision), for example.)  I also added a few extra stills.

The new version is already uploaded.

Sorry, all.  How humiliating.

Secret Scrawlings and Wasteland Writings (or, PDF = Pretty Danged Fancy)

Credit where credit is due:  Cyborg Trucker clued me into a dandy little widget that lets you download documents directly from your blog.

That lit the fire to get my assorted charts and lists all PDF'd and ready for use, as there have been kind people (like Messrs. Brutorz Bill and Radioactive Ape) who've asked for my material in a less-bloggy format.

So, this is for you, dear readers!

And not only that, but...

...I compiled all of the Devastation Drive-In material into one convenient movie mutant manual.

So take a gander at my behind the scenes screen scribblings over on the Field Guide Documentation sidebar, and tell me what you think.

Next project?  Getting the rest of this blog's muties done up in similar fashion.  Only about 80% more to go!

Mutants In The News — Animal-Hybrid-Robo-Nazi-Dino-Man Edition

This is the kind of thing that makes me glad to be alive.

"M" is for "Manataur"

Manataur  ("Slomad")

No. Enc.:  1d4 (2d6)
Alignment:  Any
Movement:  60' (20')
     —Swim:  60' (20')
Armor Class:  6
Hit Dice:  10+2
Attacks:  2 or 1 (2 fists, or 1 weapon)
Damage:  1d8 / 1d8, or by weapon
Save:  L10
Morale:  9
Hoard Class:  XXII
XP:  5,200

The husky, hardy Manataur (both singular and plural) are a race of 10' tall, half-ton humanoids with smooth, rubbery gray hides.  Due to their unique suite of mutations, they can be found in any environment, locale, and/or structure across the Mutant Future.

The Manataur possess a collective penchant for travel, exploration, and discovery.  Those of Lawful dispositions act as ethnographers, historians, and philosopher-missionaries, while the more Evil are mercenaries, zealots, spies, and conquerors.  No matter their leanings, all Manataur are methodical planners who delight in new cultural experiences, particularly of the culinary varieties.

Some Manataur have been known to permanently reside in the bodies of those they Possess, and live out their days in the ultimate, most intimate research quest of all:  the journey into the true depths of another person's being.

Mutations:  Body Adjustment, Extra Parts (Dual Hearts; +2 HP per HD), Know Direction, Plane Shift, Possession, Slow Mutant [D]