Some plant-tending robots.

This motley assortment of robots was encountered by my PCs in the alien spaceship that turned out to be nearly filled with a powerful plant organism.  The robots, designed by the plant organism and created using the ship's science labs, tended to a small forest of young flowering bodies (small Death's Head Trees, with little severed heads as fruit).   The sketches are lifted out of my notes from running the game, and are pretty hasty to say the least.

Sensor Balls:

All of these robots can be controlled by little flying balls called "Sensor Balls", one of which is depicted flying over robot 2 below.  These little flyers usually take no actions beyond hovering in a position that gives them a good field of view (and they can see in all directions and spectrums) and directing the other robots. They will take evasive maneuvers if necessary and can use a short range laser meant for precision trimming and pruning work in combat as a last resort.  As long as any one Sensor Ball is in the vicinity, it commands the other kinds of robots with great intelligence.  Left to their own devices, the robots can only respond with pre-programmed aggressions to anyone disrupting their routine.

Movement: Flight (35 MPH), instant acceleration, perfect maneuvering including the ability to hover
HP: 12
AC: 1
Attack:  2' Laser Beam, attacks as a 14 HD monster (these little balls have amazing processing power and when they combine it with their terrific sensory inputs they can attack with cold precision), 4d6 damage, can cut through metal slowly.

Forcefield: 20 HP per round (the Sensor Ball ignores the first twenty damage it takes every round, this refreshes at the beginning of the Sensor Ball's next turn).
Each Sensor Ball has 6 "eyes" that have 2 HP each; one eye is lost for every 2 damage the ball takes.

The Plant-Tending Robots:

All the robots below share at least one common design element: the ball shaped "fingertip" at the end of each "finger" and "toe".  Each of these balls is covered with a multitude of tiny manipulators that can fold upon themselves to create attraction much like a gecko's foot.  These fingertip balls are capable of firmly grasping almost any surface, and when five of them on the ends of opposable fingers are combined, these robots are extremely nimble and dexterous when it comes to fine manipulation of objects.  This feature means that all robots that possess it can walk on walls and ceilings just as easily as the floor.  Use this to your advantage!  PCs often forget to look up...


The numbers refer to the numbers next to the robots on the drawings above.

Robot 1:  This is a mobile vacuum cleaner, essentially.  It stands four feet off the ground with a neck that can extend out to ten feet.

Movement:  This thing cannot go faster than a slow jogging pace, and its normal movement speed is a slow walking pace as it snuffles up debris and keeps the plant chambers clean.
Attacks: As an 8 HD monster, it can attack with its powerful suction hose to a range of 15'.  This attack causes no damage but holds objects weighing less than 2,000 lbs firmly suctioned against the hose mouth as if it had a strength of 20.  It can carry 500 pounds and drag up to 2,000 pounds at half its normal speed.
HP and AC:
           Main Body (the vacuum bag, which can expand out more than twice as wide as the robot is tall, and the disc shaped power source and legs): HP: 100, AC: 5

             Neck/Vacuum: HP:30, AC: 3

Disabling the body destroys the robot; disabling the neck or vacuum eliminates its only effective means of defending itself.

Robot 2:  This is a flying plant trimmer.  The main body is 14" across and each arm is a smooth plastic that can extend out to 3 feet.  It has a hand that can gently manipulate a plant and a wicked pruner that can slice straight through a ten inch tree trunk if the blades are fully extended.

Movement:  Flight up to 30 MPH, excellent maneuverability
HP: 30
AC: 3
Attacks as a 7 HD monster.  AT:1, DMG: 2d6 pruner, 2d10 if pruner fully extended (takes 1 round to extend)
Can grab and carry an object in its hand as if it had a strength of 18.  It can fly with up to 200 pounds and drag up to 400 at half its normal movement.

Robot 3:  This is a robot plant mister and fertilizer and insecticide dispenser.  Your general all in one watering can swiss army knife type robot.  It can stand anywhere from 2 feet (the height of its reservoir tank and power disc) to over 7' tall when all five segments are extended on each leg.
Movement: as a human
Attacks: The robot attacks as a 8 HD monster. See spray attacks below.
HP and AC:
        Reservoir Tank: unless otherwise specified, all attacks are directed at this area.  HP: 60  AC:4 - if the Reservoir Tank is destroyed, the pressurized gases inside explode for 5d6 damage in a 10' radius.
         Legs (4):  Each leg has HP:20 and AC:3  At least two legs are required for the robot to effectively move, although it can certainly drag and hop along on one leg.
         Misters (2) Each mister has HP:10 and AC:4.  At least one mister is required to for the robot to make a spray attack.

Spray Attacks: 2 sprays (15' range, single target each) or one area attack spray that automatically hits any opponent within 6' (or close melee range).

Damage: (many different sprays) 2d6 acid (ongoing 1d6 damage for two rounds unless washed off), or save vs. poison for 5d6 damage (poison gas lingers in the same area for another round, anyone still in the area a turn later must save again if they have not taken any damage), or save vs. poison or fall unconscious for 1d4 rounds or no damage (special): smoke cloud, limits visibility to 5'

Robot 4:  This is a mobile plant nursery capable of transporting up to a 3' tall baby Death's Head Tree (or your choice of other valuable plant type thing).  It is a beefy robot designed to be able to traverse rugged environments.  It also can act as a controller for the other robots, although it is not as intelligent as several Sensor Balls acting in concert.

The section of the drawing above labelled "4B" shows how each large metal sphere that independently powers two of the robots legs can descend downwards on a pole up to 15'.  If any one of these three two-legged balls survives, it can maneuver the robot around at full speed if not full agility.  4B also shows how each leg can itself extend out to a total of five jointed segments (only two are pictured extended in the main drawing, and none of the three balls that mount the six legs are pictured extended down at all).

The five circles that appear around the edge of the main disc like body of the robot are portals through which eye-tentacles can emerge.  There are ten of these eye tentacles in total.  The very front of the robot is a multi-purpose panel that can serve as a monitor for displaying images and also functions as a forward facing viewpoint.

Movement:  Can run up to 50 MPH over even terrain, and up to 30 MPH over broken terrain and even up a cliff.  These are extremely powerful and rugged robots.
HP and AC:
               Everything but the dome (the main body, the extendable balls and the legs): HP: 150  AC: 0
               The Dome: HP: 50  AC: 0

Forcefield: The dome is surrounded by a 50 HP forcefield (the dome ignores the first 50 HP of damage it receives each round).
Attacks: as a 20 HD monster: 2 kicks for 4d6 damage each.  If a kick does more than 12 damage, it knocks the victim backwards 10' and requires a dexterity check to remain standing.

Destroying the main body of the robot does not disable the forcefield around the dome or make it any easier to penetrate the incredibly hard clear plastic surface of the dome.  The interior of the dome will maintain a livable environment for its plant for up to 7 days after the robot is destroyed with the tanks of compressed gases and stores of water and nutrients inside the dome.

2e Tuesday - Seps

That's right, Gamma World 2d edition... what 2e did you think I meant?  Every Tuesday I will pick one of my favorite monsters from the fully illustrated bestiary included in the 2d edition Gamma World Basic Rules Booklet and convert it to Mutant Future.  Today's monster is...

Seps (Land Sharks)

No. Enc: 1d6

Alignment:  Neutral

Movement: 120' (40')

Armor Class: 4

Hit Dice: 13

Attacks: 1 (bite)

Damage:  9d6

Save:  L7

Morale: 8

Hoard Class: none

Swimming through the earth with a special telekinetic mutation that moves earth and loose stones out of their way, Seps or Land Sharks are vicious predators of the Mutant Future.  Locating prey on the surface with their prey sense mutation that allows them to detect sound and motion from 180' away even when underground, they leap into the air to attack with their savage bite.  After each bite, they dive back into the ground and attack from a different direction two rounds later.  If they kill a victim, they drag it back underground to consume it at their leisure.

Mutations:  Special (earthswim, prey sense)

2e Tuesday - Hoops

That's right, Gamma World 2d edition... what 2e did you think I meant?  Every Tuesday I will pick one of my favorite monsters from the fully illustrated bestiary included in the 2d edition Gamma World Basic Rules Booklet and convert it to Mutant Future.  Today's monster is...

Hoops (Floppsies)

No. Enc: 1d20

Alignment:  Neutral

Movement: 180' (60')

Armor Class: 9 (or by armor value)

Hit Dice:  11 + 2

Attacks:  1 (weapon)

Damage:  by weapon

Save:  L10

Morale: 6

Hoard Class:XVI (see Hoard Note below)

Hoops, also known as Floppsies, are 7 1/2' tall bipedal humanoid jackrabbits capable of leaping twice as far as a human.  They are of average intelligence (3-18) but they have exceptional willpower (12-18).  While not inherently evil, they are extremely enamored of technological artifacts and would think nothing of stealing that cool looking gizmo from a party member.  If expecting danger they will usually be geared up for the occasion, wearing studded leather or chainmail armor and wielding swords and spears.  Hoops are very social creatures, and all possess the ability to link minds with other Hoops to plan coordinated actions.  Hoops also possess the bizarre ability to turn metal objects into rubber by touch, affecting up to a 3' radius per touch.  They can also (much less reliably) turn such rubber objects back to their original forms (base 50% chance, less 10% for each hour that has elapsed since the transformation down to a minimum of 10% after four hours).  Hoops use this ability to render objects that they covet useless, hoping that their owners will discard them so that the opportunistic rabbit-men can scavenge them later for their own use.

Hoard Note: The Mutant Lord should roll for the hoard possessed by the Hoops before using them in an encounter, giving each Hoop a 30% chance of having one artifact rather than rolling just once for the whole group to have a 30% chance of having five artifacts.  The total number of artifacts is still limited to five, so large groups will have several members without artifacts (and small groups may have individuals with more than one artifact).  A Hoop with an artifact has a 20% chance of knowing how to use it, and will do so as appropriate. All groups have one gizmo as per the XVI hoard class.

Mutations:  Metaconcert, Neural Telepathy, Special (Rubberize Object)

I decided I had to do the Hoops because Gamma World had a very noticeable gonzo element to it, and the rubberizing rabbits seem to personify that aspect of the game quite nicely.  I love that a race of man-bunnies known as Floppsies manage to look so badass!  I also imagine that these guys could really piss a party off with their rubberizing ability.  I decided to include the chance to turn rubberized objects back to metal because it seemed in keeping with the Hoops' obsession with artifacts.

There are several challenges facing anyone converting Gamma World creatures to the Mutant Future.  Two of the seemingly more straightforward elements of a monster's stat block, the HD and Movement, are handled differently between the two games.  Gamma World uses a variety of different dice for monster HD, while Mutant Future uses the d8 exclusively.  This is why you will see more HD entries in the form X HD + Y HP in these 2e Tuesday entries; for example, the Gamma World Hoops/Floppsies have 15d6 HP, giving a range of 15-90.  By  turning that into 11 + 2 I generated a range of 13-90, which is as close as I could come using the d8.  Movement is even more complicated, because Gamma World uses a tripartite system that divides movement into Slow, Fast and Normal rates, and these can vary considerably - in the case of the Jagets, a mutated jaguar now inhabiting a cheetah-like ecological niche, its slow speed is half that of the Hoops, its fast speed is identical, but its normal speed is four times faster!

2e Tuesday - Fens

That's right, Gamma World 2d edition... what 2e did you think I meant?  Every Tuesday I will pick one of my favorite monsters from the fully illustrated bestiary included in the 2d edition Gamma World Basic Rules Booklet and convert it to Mutant Future.  Today's monster is...

Fens (Man-Fish)

No. Enc: 1d10
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement:
                Fly (bird-form only): 240' (80')
                Swim: 240' (80')
                Land: 30' (10')
Armor Class: 7 (fish-scale armor)
Hit Dice:  8
Attacks:  1 (tailslap or weapon)
Damage:  6d6 or by weapon
Save:  L4
Morale: 7
Hoard Class:XIII

Fens are intelligent fish-men who blast through their underwater world propelled by their powerful tails.  They can survive on land for up to 24 hours but move clumsily on their stubby legs.  They exude a protective slime that protects them against heat and lasers - they ignore the first five instances that such attacks would have damaged them.  On land Fens sometimes wield low-tech weapons such as swords, clubs and spears, but in general they prefer the brutal efficacy of their tailslap in hand to fin combat.  Underwater the Fens often use their spears to ram at high speed (doing double normal weapon damage) before engaging up close with their tail.

Interestingly, all Fens possess the ability to transform into a bird of their own size.  In bird form their tailslap is replaced with two talon rakes for 2d6 damage each and a beak attack for 1d6.  If a Fen stays in bird form for longer than a day it risks permanently becoming trapped in that form, although it will always long for the water and the companionship of its own kind.  This leads to poignant moments as the other Fens return to Man-Fish form and slip back into the water as a forlorn giant bird runs up and down the shore...

Mutations: Metamorph, Special (protective slime)




The Fens intrigue me.  A Man-Fish makes as much sense as any other mutant hybrid, but a Man-Fish that can change into a Bird?  I think the Fens are a sort of swiss-army creature - you could literally run into them anywhere.  I think it would be amusing to have a recurring Fen NPC (I am envisioning a big bumbling oaf, good natured but always messing things up) that the PCs keep meeting in the oddest places.  They first meet him in the river, then run into him in the forest, and after commandeering a helicopter and flying to a floating cloud city, who do they run into but mister Fen!

(Fens illustration from the Gamma World 2d edition Basic Rules Booklet, bird silhouette added by myself)

2e Tuesday - Obbs

That's right, Gamma World 2d edition... what 2e did you think I meant?  Every Tuesday I will pick one of my favorite monsters from the fully illustrated bestiary included in the 2d edition Gamma World Basic Rules Booklet and convert it to Mutant Future.  Today's monster is...

Obbs (Flying Eyes)

No. Enc.:  1d4

Alignment:  Chaotic

Movement:

                Land: 9' (3')

                Air: 210' (70')

Armor Class: 9

Hit Dice:5 + 8

Attacks: 1-4 (See Description)

Damage: 2d6

Save: L5

Morale: 7

Hoard Class: none

The terrifying mutated fungi known as Obbs are voracious carnivores who hunt on the wing but are vulnerable and nearly immobile on the ground.  Each has 1d4 razor sharp claws that it can attack with each round and a single large black eye that emits blasts of radiation (30' range, 3d6 damage, save vs. radiation for half).  Obbs only devour half of each kill, leaving spores in the other half which grow into 1d6 young obbs within 24 hours (young Obbs only have 1 claw).  Obbs are of average intelligence and have a Willpower score between 9-18 (1d10+8).

Mutations: Optic Emissions (Gamma Eyes), Reflective Epidermis (immune to radiation, heat, light and laser damage)

I had to pick the Obbs for my first entry in the 2e Tuesday series because of the inspiring illustration.  That vicious little one eyed bat graces the inside back cover of the 2e Basic Rules Booklet, and I have always loved it.

Amazing Blown Glass Monster

I think this is a candidate for the "coolest monster ever" award.  Local artist and glass blower Hamm crafted it out of one piece of blown glass, with the exception of the tongue, white teeth, and eyeballs, which were added in separately.  I commissioned this piece as a birthday present for my girlfriend a few years ago, and I just told Hamm to "create some kind of cool monster" and left it up to him.  I am sure it was a welcome break from all the requests for custom pipes that he normally gets!

I have been waiting for a chance to sick this bad boy on my players, and I have a feeling that they may run into it very soon if they follow the course of action that they have been discussing.  Game statistics will have to wait until they actually run into it.  If anyone wants to stat this thing up for other systems besides Mutant Future, be my guest and feel free to use these images (please give a credit or link to my blog if you do so).

Nameless Alien Creature:

Bestiary part the third - Alien Critters

I mentioned in my last post that when the choking alien atmosphere was filling the complex, only robots and alien creatures were moving around.  Here are two of the alien creatures the party encountered.  Please check out this amazing series of posts at rpg.net by DMH, he created the Hell Slug and has made literally hundreds if not thousands of creatures for Mutant Future!  Thanks, DMH!

Gas Jelly:

These floating monstrosities are native to the homeworld of the Oozyxphg.  Gas Jellies resemble the jelly fish of earth, but are filled with buoyant gases which enable them to float in the air.  They direct themselves with jet blasts squeezed from special cavities that ring their body. They are capable of generating intense electrical pulses that are transmitted through their tendrils to shock and stun unsuspecting prey.  Gas Jellies spend much of their time in a dormant state, nearly invisible in the thick atmosphere, drifting along dangling their 50' long tendrils just above the ground.  When aroused by the presence of prey (they can sense electromagnetic fields) bright green and blue lights course through the center of their body, indicating the build up of electric charge.  Like many other creatures from their planet the Gas Jellies reproduce asexually, splitting into two smaller Jellies when they reach the upper limit of their size.  They are solitary hunters but on occasion congregate together in great numbers to exchange eerily beautiful displays of rippling light.  Despite their potentially lethal tentacles, the most dangerous thing about a Gas Jelly is the tremendous explosion that can result from overheating their hydrogen filled body.

Number Encountered: Solitary or 10d10 congregation

Movement: 120'

Armor Class: 7 (body), 5 (tendrils)

Hit Dice: 10 (body), each tendril has 10 HP

Tendrils: A Gas Jelly has 4d6 tendrils

Attacks: 1/2 the total number of remaining tendrils (rounded up) may attack in any given round.

Damage: 1d10 electrical shock damage and if three or more tendrils hit a single target in a round, the target is grappled and takes automatic damage from each grappling tendril until a strength check at a -2 penalty is made to escape or the grappling tendrils are destroyed.  During the duration of the grapple the Gas Jelly gets +2 to hit the grappled character and each subsequent tendril that hits is considered to be grappling the character as well for purposes of automatic grappling damage in subsequent rounds.

Save: L5

Morale: Fearless

Hoard Class: None

Special:  The Gas Jelly's body is 30' in diameter and is mostly filled with hydrogen.  Every time the body is hit with a laser, fire, bullet, plasma blast, or any other form of attack that might cause it to explode, there is a 15% chance of a massive explosion resulting.  If the Gas Jelly is killed with such an attack, the chance of explosion rises to 50%.  Those within 60' of the explosion take 20d6 damage, between 60' and 100' take 15d6 damage, between 100' and 300' take 10d6 damage, and within 300' to 1000' take 5d6 damage from the force of the blast - a save vs. Energy Attacks halves this damage.  Every time a Gas Jelly consumes a creature of medium size, it gains 1d8 HP (1d4 for a creature of small size or 1d12 for a creature of large size).  When the Gas Jelly reaches 80 HP it fissions into two 40 HP Gas Jellies which go their separate ways.


Hell Slug (created by DMH and posted at rpg.net; my presentation of this creature here is merely in the interest of illustrating the monsters that the party found lurking in the alien mist, and is not in any way a challenge to DMH's ownership of the rights to said monster.  I will remove it at the author's request)

No. Enc. 1 (10)
Movement 30' (10')
AC 4
HD 6
Attacks 1 (tentacles)
Damage 2d4
Save L3
Morale 12
Hoard Class none

Made of strange muscle fibers, hell slugs are aliens (it is not know if they are from another planet or universe). The slug is 2' long and very fast for its size. It uses 4 tentacles on its head to rip and crush prey. The name comes from its defensive ability- a 10' diameter cloud of acid that inflicts 3d6 points of damage per round. As the slug travels, it leaves a melted landscape behind.


Gas Jellies in play:

The party has encountered three gas jellies.  The first time they just saw barely visible tentacles dangling through the mist and the dim outline of a huge shape floating above... and they ran.

The next time they ran into one of these guys, it was at the tail end of a long session of exploration in the complex that had not involved any combat.  Dataan the robot was feeling ornery and, despite being a complete coward in most situations, decided that he felt safe enough blowing the thing up from a distance and tried out his new plasma rifle on it.  I described the giant gaseous body expanding with each blast, and mentioned how the area that got hit glowed as if superheated before slowly cooling after each shot.  He got extremely lucky and killed the thing without setting of an explosion and never picked up on my warnings.

This may have contributed to what happened the following session, when Danny (who is now playing Logan the teleporting shrinking man) was playing a character named Rhaco who could fly at a ridiculous speed.  He was zooming through the mists in the wide open hangar level, scouting around looking for any vehicles that did not seem too badly damaged.  He literally flew straight into a gas jelly and in the ensuing tussle he blasted it with a plasma rifle one too many times (again ignoring the ominous warning signs that I was making sure to give him with each shot).  It blew up in his face, and he barely survived after making his save.  The explosion also caught several other party members in its blast radius, and the damage that Ramses the goat headed man took led to his death later that session (along with Rhaco, may they rest in pieces... tiny, tiny pieces, thanks to a grenade lobbed by a Deathbot, coming soon to a Bestiary post near you!).

Bestiary part the second - Robots and Apes

In this second installment of my Mutant Future bestiary, I will present another military robot developed by the resistance using alien technology, as well as two of the genetically engineered ape super soldiers that the party encountered in the ruins of the military complex they spent several sessions exploring.

Illustrations are still in the works for these entries; I will add them as soon as I finish them up.

MR1200 "Jumping Jack"

This military robot represented the pinnacle of human understanding of Oozyxphgian technology.  Utilizing force-field generation, repulsor beams, and an organic computer "brain" capable of telepathically contacting nearby sentient organisms and hijacking control of their bodies, the Jumping Jacks were ideal security bots for sensitive areas that could ill afford to be strafed with the kind of explosive firepower that earlier security bots were equipped with.  They resemble a large iron ball from which protrude four rods tipped with repulsor disks.  These four rods are arrayed in similar fashion to the points of a caltrop so that when the Jumping Jack is at rest it sits on three of the rods with the fourth pointing straight up into the air.

They were the first robots to be built with no electronic circuitry at all, instead relying entirely on the artificial neural network and organic computers copied from the Oozies.  They use a form of sonar (70' range) to sense their surroundings and also use their telepathic ability to detect the presence of sentient beings.  They are incredibly maneuverable, capable of changing directions almost instantly by virtue of their four opposed repulsor beams. While utilizing their telepathic possession ability, they enter "defensive mode", spinning and bouncing around so rapidly in place that it is nearly impossible to hit them.  While they are quite smart in their own way, most Jumping Jacks were given a set of directives at creation that they cannot override - the human scientists responsible for reverse engineering the alien technology never fully understood the process of "programming" the organic computers, so these directives must be relatively simple (guard this chamber and attack anyone who does not present a gold key card, for instance).  Within the bounds prescribed by these directives, the Jumping Jacks demonstrate amazing creativity and a keen mind for tactical maneuvers.  Over the centuries, some have managed to break free from their directives and it is possible that there are rogue Jumping Jacks wandering the land, following their own inscrutable whimsy.  Jumping Jacks need no food or fuel, subsisting on the nutrients provided by the wormhole generating tissues inside their metal shell (in fact, a Jumping Jack may have a much larger physical body than one might imagine, but the bulk of it resides far away on an alien planet, soaking in a nutrient rich environment and transmitting the energy gathered back to its metal-shelled brain through these tiny wormholes).

HD:10 (50 HP)
Movement: 240' (repulsors allow it to fly up to 40' in the air)
AC: 2 (or -2 in defensive mode,see below)
Forcefield: Ignore the first 25 damage each round (ignore the first 40 damage each round in defensive mode)

Attacks:  4 repulsor blasts (range 40'), or possession (range 50', requires a successful mental attack roll)

Damage: repulsor blast: 2d6 and pushes target backwards 2d20' - if this causes the target to slam into an obstacle, they take 1d6 more damage for every 5' traveled.

Save: L8

Intelligence:14

Willpower:14
Mutations (these are actually innate properties of the particular tissue cultured for use as organic computers in the Jumping Jacks):  Neural Telepathy, Possession

Special:  defensive mode - the Jumping Jack diverts energy from the repulsors to the force field, increasing its strength, and begins spinning and hopping wildly in place to make it extremely difficult to land a solid hit.  No attacks can be made while in defensive mode, but the Jumping Jack can maintain a possession.


The Ultrasimianus Project:


The Ultrasimianus project was an attempt by the resistance movement to genetically engineer supersoldiers using the great apes as a starting point.  After achieving a great deal of success in creating apes that were both incredibly strong and as smart as the average human, the resistance went farther by grafting robotic implants into the skulls of the apes, replacing one eye with a sophisticated camera directly connected to the brain.  These implants also allowed the resistance scientists to control their experimental soldiers by remotely regulating bodily functions such as heart rate, adrenaline output, etc.  A genetic aptitude and predisposition for combat was a primary goal of the genetic engineering; in this regard, the project was an unqualified success.  Some populations of these apes have survived; most no longer have the robotic implants, but some have persisted for centuries in the military complexes where they were created, and if the automated equipment of the facility is intact, apes that enter the surgery chambers could still be outfitted with the robotic sensory device.


Ultrasimianus Pan Troglodyte (War Chimp)


War Chimps are quite intelligent and always display an innate understanding of tactics and strategy in combat. They will attempt to engage when the conditions favor them, and will often use their superior climbing abilities to ambush foes when they least expect it.  However, once injured they tend to abandon strategy and enter a terrifying frenzy, wading in to hand to hand combat without fear of death.  Unlike an ordinary chimpanzee, the War Chimps are capable of fully articulate human speech and most speak and understand a human language in addition to having a complicated sign language for silent communication between war band members during an attack.

Number Encountered: 3d6+2 (war band)
Movement: 180' (climb 120')
HD: 13
AC: 5 (unarmored, reflecting -2 from tough hide and -2 from dexterity bonus - most war bands wear armor)

Attacks: 2 (blows from arms, legs or weapon - all melee attacks at +5 to hit, all ranged attacks at +2)

Damage: 1d8+5 or by weapon+5

Save: L12

All adult War Chimps have at least a 22 Strength and a 16 Dexterity.  Intelligence and Willpower should be determined as normal with a roll of 3d6.

Most war bands will be led by an alpha male with 18 HD and 24 Strength (+6 to hit and damage) who saves as a level 13 monster.

Special:  If a War Chimp is outfitted with a robotic implant, it gets an additional +2 to hit on all attacks, and the camera acts as a 16 X telescope and 64 X microscope, seeing into the infrared spectrum (heat vision)  and allowing the War Chimp to operate in low light situations (night vision).

Ultrasimianus Pongo Pygmaeus (Warangutan)


Warangutans tend to operate in smaller bands than the War Chimps.  They are just as intelligent and always display an innate understanding of tactics and strategy in combat. They will attempt to engage when the conditions favor them, and will often use their superior climbing abilities to ambush foes when they least expect it.  They are highly disciplined fighters and will maintain their ranks and follow orders even unto death.  Unlike an ordinary orangutan, the Warangutans are capable of fully articulate human speech and most speak and understand a human language in addition to having a complicated sign language for silent communication between war band members during an attack.

Number Encountered: 1d8+3 (war band)
Movement: 180' (climb 130', brachiation 200')
HD: 15
AC: 6 (unarmored, reflecting -2 from tough hide and -1 from dexterity bonus - most war bands wear armor)

Attacks: 2 (blows from arms, legs or weapon - all melee attacks at +6 to hit, all ranged attacks at +1)

Damage: 1d10+6 or by weapon+6

Save: L13

All adult Warangutans have at least a 24 Strength and a 14 Dexterity.  Intelligence and Willpower should be determined as normal with a roll of 3d6.

Most war bands will be led by an alpha male with 20 HD and 26 Strength (+7 to hit and damage) who saves as a level 14 monster.

Special:  If a Warangutan is outfitted with a robotic implant, it gets an additional +2 to hit on all attacks, and the camera acts as a 16 X telescope and 64 X microscope, seeing into the infrared spectrum (heat vision)  and allowing the Warangutan to operate in low light situations (night vision).

Bestiary part the first - Robots

Here are a couple of the robotic guardians the party ran into in the ancient military complex.  After hacking into the defense network, the party successfully reprogrammed several Spiderbots to follow their commands and have used them to great effect in subsequent adventures.  The Scorpion provided the first two character deaths in my campaign, as well as polishing off three NPCs.

MR7000 "Scorpion"

An early attempt at military robotics, the MR7000's rolled off the production lines before the force-field generating tissue utilized by the Oozyxphg was fully understood and cultivated.  As a result, the Scorpions are relatively easy to destroy (compared to the later military robots), but the considerable firepower they pack make them a deadly adversary.  Coupled with a few Spiderbots (see below) to assist with targeting, these bad boys could be your party's worst nightmare.  The body measures 3' long, with a 3 1/2' leg span.  The Scorpion has a very limited artificial intelligence and cameras and microphones in its head are its only sensory inputs.
HP:60   (10 HD)
AC: 5


Attacks: 2 mini-missiles (2 mini-missile launchers on right claw, each with 12 missiles) or 2 grenades (2 grenade launchers on right claw, the Scorpion has a total of 20 grenades in an internal magazine) or 1 grenade (stinger) or 6 machine gun (left claw) or 2 lasers (left claw)


Damage: mini-missiles 7d6, 30' radius explosion, 3000' range, grenades 10d6, 15' radius explosion, 600' range (-2 to hit from 200-400', -4 to hit from 401-600'), machine gun 2d8, laser 10d6, 200' range (these powerful beams can be used to cut through metal at the rate of 1" per round)

If a single Spiderbot is assisting the Scorpion with targeting, the Scorpion may use two of its attack options in a single round (as long as they are on different appendages - left claw and right claw, or either claw and stinger).

If two or more Spiderbots are assisting with targeting, the Scorpion may use three of its attack options as long as they are on different appendages (stinger, left claw and right claw).

If the Scorpion chooses to use only a single attack option while one or more Spiderbots are assisting with targeting, the Scorpion gets a +2 to all attack rolls for each assisting Spiderbot up to a +6 bonus.

When a Scorpion is destroyed by gunfire or explosion, there is a 30% chance that any remaining grenades or missiles will explode (for their regular damage and radius of explosion).


MR9000 "Spiderbot"


The first real success in reverse engineering Oozyxphigian technology, the Spiderbots were essentially copied whole cloth from the small robots that emerged from the Oozies' powered suits.  Some alien materials could not be duplicated on Earth, so the MR9000 is slightly weaker than the real deal, but they still represent the first military use of force-field generating tissue.  The military recognized the potential in the organic computers used by the Oozies and cultured the "brain tissue" used for this purpose, so the Spiderbots are just as smart (wily might be a better word) as their alien counterparts.  This organic intelligence along with the incredible dexterity of their 8 limbs allows a Spiderbot to be used for many purposes, from maintenance and repair of other robots to scouting missions.  The sensory apparatus loaded into the small frame (8" body, 1' legspan) of these robots are incredibly sensitive, picking up minute vibrations and seeing far beyond the spectrum of light visible to humans.  Laser sighting built into the raised "abdomen" of the Spiderbots enable them to assist other military robots in targeting intruders, but the Spiderbots have no real weaponry of their own (besides miniscule torches, blades and screwdrivers built into their legs and used in maintenance and repair work).  Spiderbots can move at full speed on any surface (including ceilings).

HP:15  (3 HD)
AC: 4
Force Field: Ignores the first 15 HP of damage taken each round
Attack: torch or screwdriver or blade
Damage:1d3