Leopard Women Of Venus
A Role-Playing Game Inspired by the Works of Fletcher Hanks Written by Leighton Connor and Joshua LH Burnett Inspired by the Works of Fletcher Hanks Edited by Steve Johnson (www.kingyak.com) Ian Engle Ray Forsythe Cover Art by Joshua LH Burnett Cover Layout by Joshua LH Burnett Illustrated by Joshua LH Burnett (stegosaurusstudios.blogspot.com) Lindsay Hornsby (www.merryplatypistudios.com) Leighton Connor Layout by Joshua LH Burnett Happy D20 Crest by Jeffrey Johnson (www.redherringillustration.com) With Acknowledgment to the Works of Otto Binder Edgar Rice Burroughs Edmond Hamilton Fletcher Hanks Frank Thorne Jack Vance
Leopard Women of Venus is ©2011 by Leighton Connor and Joshua LH Burnett. QAGS Second Edition is ©2003 by Steve Johnson and Leighton Connor and is used here with permission. The Hex logo is ™2011 Hex Games. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without permission except for short excerpts used for review purposes. To learn more about QAGS and our other fine products, visit our website at
www.HEXGAMES.com
Table of Contents Introduction.............................................................................................................1 Introduction Chapter 1: Welcome to Venus.........................................................................5 Chapter 2: 2: World Below...................................................................................12 Chapter 3: World Above...................................................................................22 Chapter 4: The Jungle......................................................................................30 Chapter 5: 5: World Beyond................................................................................43 Chapter 6: Character Generation................................................................57 Chapter 7: Playing Leopard Women of Venus........................................62 Chapter 8: How to Be a Fletcher Hanks Game Master.....................69 Appendix 1: Random Tables...........................................................................76 Appendix 2: Sample Adventure: “Menace from Space!”...................81 Appendix 3: 3: Sample PCs.................................................................................87 Appendix 4: 4: Bestiary.........................................................................................90 Appendix 5: 5: Bibliography...............................................................................111
Introduction Somewhere out near the sun, Sam "Space" Smith's rocketship, with its bright red, ray-resistant hull, speeds across the heavens. Space leans back in his plush seat, upholstered with real Earth leather. His right hand firmly grips the steering wheel. His left arm is wrapped around his girl Dianna. He listens to the thrum of the hydrogen-powered pulsar drive and, for the moment, he is content. Not long ago, Space and Dianna were on the surface of Mars, fleeing the mad scientist Skomah VIII and his imp men. The scaly green monstrosities had outnumbered them but, once again, Space had proven that a ray gun and a solid right cross will get a man out of most tricky situations. Afterwards Space and Dianna thwarted Skomah VIII's plan to destroy the Earth, and now they are on their way back to Mars to end the madman's rule once and for all. Though his life sometimes seems to be a non-stop barrage of action, Space enjoys the quiet moments most of all. He finds peace gazing out into the void of space. Because of this, he can't help but be slightly annoyed when Dianna breaks the silence. "We're surely moving, Space!" she says. "There's the planet Venus already!" She points toward a blue dot off to port that grows bigger by the second.
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"Yes!" he says, his annoyance already forgotten. He enjoys the light in Dianna's eyes, the enthusiasm she brings to each new world they visit. "We'll go over there some time and see what kind of people are on it." He hopes she won't hold him to this, because he has no desire to ever go to Venus. What little he has heard about the place leads him to believe it's some kind of insane tropical hell. A light on the console flickers. Space's eyes dart to the radar display. Ten unidentified objects fly rapidly toward them. "Look, Space!" Dianna says. "What are those specks?" "I can't tell yet," Space says, squinting at the read-out. The picture becomes clearer, but he stares even harder, trying to make sense of what he sees. Coming from the direction of Venus, they are women in red, spotted jumpsuits, wearing head guns, standing on spiny lizard creatures. Suddenly, Space remembers a terrifying legend he once heard about the most dangerous inhabitants of Venus. "Good Lord!" Space cries. "Leopard Women on giant saurians!" At terrific speed, the Leopard Women of Venus descend on Space's ship, and from their head guns begin discharging their intensified comet fire... The preceding scene appeared, in comics form, in 1940's Fantastic #3. This story, like the other Space Smith adventures, was written and drawn by Golden Age comics great Fletcher Hanks.
Who Was Fletcher Hanks? Fletcher Hanks produced bizarre and memorable work in the earliest days of American comics. His work is boldly drawn, frequently ugly, and strangely fascinating. Hanks only worked in comics from 1939 to 1941, but during this short time he created Stardust the Super Wizard, a terrifying superman from the stars; Space Smith, an outer space adventurer; Big Red, a lumberjack; Fantomah, the first super-powered comic book heroine; and more. Even though Hanks worked within the common genres of the time, he seemed to approach his subject matter from an odd perspective. Stardust, for instance, was clearly Hanks' take on the newly popular Superman. Like Superman, Stardust is superhumanly powerful and devoted to fighting evil. But while 2
Superman is greeted with cheers by an adoring public, one imagines people screaming in terror at the arrival of Stardust. Stardust watches Earth from his faraway laboratory in outer space. Then, when he sees people on Earth commit evil, he swoops down, grabs those people, and inflicts terrible punishments on them. Though Hanks uses the visual language of super-hero comics, his stories come across more as apocalyptic tales of evil, disaster, and cosmic retribution. Almost nothing was known about Fletcher Hanks until 2006, when comic book historian Paul Karasik tracked down Fletcher Hanks Junior. Fletcher Hanks was, according to his son, a raging alcoholic and a terrible father. Hanks allegedly abandoned his family around 1930, and died homeless and alone on a park bench in 1976. While it may be true that Hanks was a repulsive human being, he left behind some fascinating comic books. The srcinal comics-issues of Fantastic, Fight, Jungle, and Planet--are extremely rare and require quite a bit of time and money to track down. Fortunately, stories by Hanks are available on the Internet, and in a number of high-quality collections. You can find samples of Hanks's work in Supermen! The First Wave of Comic Book Heroes 1936 - 1941, edited by Greg Sadowski and published by Fantagraphics, and in Art Out of Time: Unknown Comics Visionaries, 1900 - 1969, edited by Dan Nadel and published by Abrams. The entirety of Fletcher Hanks's work is reprinted in two volumes, I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets! and You Shall Die By Your Own Evil Creation!, both edited by Paul Karasik and published by Fantagraphics Books. Leopard Women of Venus is inspired by the previously mentioned six page story from Fantastic#3 (reprinted in You Shall Die By Your Own Evil Creation!). You do not need to read that story to enjoy this book, but we urge you to read it anyway, because it is amazing.
What This Book? LeopardisWomen of Venus gives you the tools you need to recreate the magic and lunacy of a Fletcher Hanks comic with your gaming group. Using that "Space Smith" story as a starting point we asked ourselves questions like, "Why are there Leopard Women on Venus?" and "Where did the Leopard Women come from?" and "Who else lives on Venus?" From that we developed our setting, a version of Venus filled with exotic locales, strange cultures, and terrifying monsters.
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Chapter 1 gives you the history of Venus, including the story of how humans settled there and how it all went horribly wrong, as well as an overview of the planet's climate, terrain, and points of interest. Chapters 2-4 describe the people, places, and creatures of Venus in more detail, ranging from the Caverns, to the cities, to the jungles. Chapter 5 explains Venus's place in the cosmos, including dangers that fall from the sky and details on neighboring planets. Chapter 6 tells how to create your character, and Chapter 7 gives more specific information on creating a Leopard Woman. Chapter 8 gives tips on running your Leopard Women of Venus game. If you're intimidated by the thought of running the game, don't worry; the Appendices include random tables, sample PCs, monsters, and an adventure. Leopard Women of Venus uses QAGS, the Quick Ass Game System, for its mechanics. You could adapt the information in this book for use with any other multi-genre cinematic system, but why not give QAGS a try?
What is QAGS? QAGS (pronounced “kwags”) is published by Hex Games. Unlike role-playing games that attempt to simulate reality, QAGS is a cinematic system that recreates the feel of fiction. QAGS players and Game Masters work together to create entertaining stories, using the innovative candy-based mechanic called Yum Yums. You can purchase QAGS Second Edition, and other fine Hex products, at www.hexgames.com, or you can download the free Qik Start Rules.
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Chapter 1: Welcome to Venus Future History In the Future! Humanity has spread out toward the stars, transforming and colonizing planets across the galaxy, but has never forgotten where it came from. Though Earth is past its prime and overcrowded, it is still home to billions of humans. Most humans have moved past the
concept of "religion," embracing instead concepts like "science" or "substance abuse." Still, if one knows where to look, true believers can be found. One hundred fifty years ago a man named Booker "Bible" Briggs united the fringe-dwelling religionists of New America City and forged them into a movement. Briggs wanted nothing less than a Great Awakening, a return to a Bible-based society, and an end to secular authority. Despite his best efforts, Briggs found himself unable to make a difference. Society was too decadent. His only hope, he realized, was to leave Earth and build a true God-fearing utopia elsewhere. Bible Briggs had access to a rocketship, the Napier, but it was an older model, not capable of leaving the solar system. The Moon had been heavily colonized, and Mars was ruled by the sciencecriminal Skomah, so Briggs turned his attention to Venus. In those days no human could set foot on Venus, thanks to the intense pressure, extreme heat, and poisonous atmosphere. But one of Briggs's most ardent followers, an inventor named Spando Polanski, insisted he could change all that. Spando Polanski had long felt rejected by the scientific establishment. He felt he had a mandate from God to transform the sweltering deserts of Venus into a lush paradise. He would do this, he explained, with his Bio-Ray Device. Some of Briggs' followers suggested that the Bio-Ray Device needed more testing. Briggs insisted that this adherence to the scientific method showed a distinct lack of faith; they needed to trust in God to provide. Around that same time Briggs's political activities, which blurred the line between "protest" and "terrorism," had attracted the attention of the authorities, which likely encouraged him to step up his timetable.
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Pilgrims' Progress One hundred forty-five years ago the Pilgrims, as Briggs and his followers became known, set out for Venus in the Napier. They intended to build a paradise in the savage wastelands of the New World, just as their spiritual forefathers had done centuries before. After a long and grueling voyage, they arrived in orbit around Venus. The Bio-Ray Device would take time to work and would require a tremendous amount of energy. Fortunately (or, as Briggs would say, as a sign of God's plan), Venus was rich in Compound-
N, a rare substance that would provide enough energy to transform a dozen planets. The Pilgrims sent a small craft carrying a team of robots down to the planet's surface. These robots had been specially designed by Spando Polanski to function in the harsh climate of Venus. They set to work excavating Compound-N. When they had amassed a sufficient supply, they loaded it into the Energy Conversion Chamber and activated the Bio-Ray Device. For weeks the Device bathed the planet's surface in its eerie purple rays, until Venus was capable of supporting human life. The temperature dropped. Plants sprang up and converted the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into oxygen. The Pilgrims sent down another craft, this one containing animals they had brought with them. An ecosystem began to form. Though the transformation was not complete, the Pilgrims had been confined in their rocket for months and were eager to set foot on the soil of their new home. After they landed they ate a celebratory meal. Bible Briggs declared that they would feast again on this day every year, in memory of the day they came to their new home. Then he blew up the Napier, because his people would never have any reason to leave. No one knows exactly why it all went wrong. Most likely Spando Polanski failed to account for the effects of Compound-N. Compound-N is an unstable, unpredictable, and untrustworthy substance. While it powered the Bio-Ray Device, it also subverted it, warping its effects, creating changes far beyond those intended. Or perhaps Polanski simply programmed the Bio-Ray Device incorrectly in the first place--he had never received any formal scientific training, after all. Or maybe it was all God's will. The changes were small at first. Shortly before the celebration of the first anniversary of the Pilgrims' arrival, a cow with six rows of pointy teeth devoured a child. Then the killer chickens took to the air. Lions began breathing fire. Bible Briggs ordered the Bio-Ray Device turned off but the changes kept coming. 6
The Great Schism Far from a desert, Venus became a sweltering jungle, a wet nightmarish landscape filled with incalculable dangers. Morale was low, but Spando Polanski offered a solution--in his explorations he had discovered a vast underground system of caverns. The caverns would offer shelter from the extreme heat, unpredictable weather, and vicious creatures of the surface world. He proposed that the community should build a permanent settlement in the caverns as soon as possible.
Bible Briggs rejected the idea. He knew his people blamed him for their misfortune, so he passed the blame onto Polanski. If Polanski had only programmed the Bio-Ray Device correctly, he said, they would be living in a natural paradise. There was no way he would take Polanski's advice now, especially when it meant retreating below the ground. Polanski had been Briggs's most devoted follower. Now that his leader had turned on him, he grew furious. He denounced Briggs as a false prophet, claiming that God was punishing them all for Briggs's sins, and gathered his own followers. In less than a week, the Pilgrim community had split in two. Roughly half stayed on the surface, and the other half went below ground. The settlers above ground began work on a city. They called it Otram, a name that came to Briggs in a dream. Briggs boasted that it would someday be the mightiest, most beautiful city in the galaxy. Every day his followers labored, through miserable weather and frequent beast attacks, to make this dream a reality. Others, disgusted with Briggs's leadership, set off into the Jungle, or the mountains, to make their own settlements. Most of these splinter groups did not survive long. Polanski's followers, meanwhile, discovered that life was much more pleasant underground. The caverns were open, airy, and almost comfortable. Veins of Compound-N in the rocks provided natural luminescence. There were pools of clean water and few predators. Polanski set up a lab and got to work finding ways to help his people. He modified five of his robots into Science Robots. These robots were capable of independent thought and programmed with an extensive knowledge of science so that they could help him with his work. With their help, Polanski provided his people with all the comforts that science could provide.
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Everything went smoothly until the Compound-N poisoning began to set in. It mainly manifested as paranoia and occasional psychosis. Because Polanski worked so closely with the strange substance, though, he mutated. His head swelled to enormous size, until he was confined to a chair with a head brace. He continued to work but relied more and more on his Science Robots. On the surface, Bible Briggs continued to lead the people of Otram until his sudden and unexpected death of a heart attack while ministering to six young female followers in various stages of undress. His death launched a power struggle, one that soon turned bloody. After weeks of conflict, Bible Briggs's son Barnabus emerged as Otram's ruler. Barnabus did not share his father's attachment to the Bible; he believed that this harsh new world demanded harsh new beliefs. He rallied his people around a common goal: tracking down and killing the heretic Polanski and his followers. War! The trackers of Otram soon located Polanski and his cave-dwellers, and Barnabus Briggs wasted no time in attacking. Polanski's Security Robots were able to repel the first attack, but not before surface-dwellers invaded the laboratory. Polanski himself was mortally injured. The Science Robots acted swiftly, freezing Polanski in suspended animation so that he could be revived at a later time.
Over the next few months the surface-dwellers continued their attacks on the Caverns. The Security Robots continued to hold them off, but casualties were rising. The Science Robots reassessed their situation. They were programmed to defend the humans in the Caverns and, they decided, this would be easier to do if the humans were subservient to the will of the Science Robots. By carefully deploying addictive drugs and behavior modification techniques, the Science Robots rendered the human population docile in no time.
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Next the Science Robots set out to create a fighting force superior to the robot guards. After some experimentation on their human subjects, the Science Robots learned how to use surgical procedures, irradiated leopard blood, and Compound-N to transform ordinary humans into Leopard Women. The Leopard Women, armed with the Science Robots' cutting-edge weapons, met the surface-dwellers' next attack. The Leopard Women not only defeated the attackers but slaughtered them, ripped them to pieces and incinerated the pieces. Still drenched in the blood of their attackers, the Leopard Women followed their trail back to Otram. They ravaged the city, killing ten Otramites for every cave-dweller who had died in the attacks. They murdered men, women, and children, and left their bodies to rot in the streets. They blew up buildings and set fire to the Governor's Mansion. Then they returned to the Caverns. Soon afterwards, Barnabus Briggs called off his war. And So More than 140 years have passed since the end of the war. Life in the Caverns is peaceful, but the surface of Venus is ravaged by
war. The people of Otram have grown more and more savage, fighting against the inhuman beasts in the wilderness and against other human settlements. Out of the dozens of groups that have split off from Otram, only the settlements of Avrok and Palna can consistently defend themselves. Monsters overrun the planet. New and terrible threats arrive from space and, sometimes, from deep within the planet itself. In the midst of all this chaos, the only people who can save the world from total destruction are the Leopard Women of Venus.
Welcome to Venus! Venus is a savage, primordial planet, with only a few small pockets of civilization what passes for it) carved unexplored, out by human settlers. The vast, vast(or majority of Venus remains and no human settlement is more than a couple of days travel away from another. This close proximity to bitter rivals and enemies no doubt contributes to the violence and animosity between the different factions. Venus is a hot, moist planet--a tropical hell. Temperatures rarely drop below 80 degrees, even at night, and often reach 120 degrees in some of the nastier places. Dense jungles cover most of the surface of Venus. There are no known oceans, but there are numerous lakes and rivers scattered across the rolling landscape, 9
The most complete map of Venus in existence, as found on the remains of the mad cartographer Rip Carson, formerly of the Caverns.
leading to fetid swamps in the lower areas. The people of the Caverns and the Palna can retreat from the in their caves and tunnels, and jungle folk of Avrok runheat around half-naked, while the oppressive heat just makes the people of Otram all the meaner. The rotation and orbit of Venus is quite different from that of Earth. A Venusian year lasts 224 Earth days. The Venusian day, however, lasts approximately 112 Earth days. So, within one year, the sun will rise and set only twice. That's 1344 hours of withering, tropical heat as the sun travels west to east in the pale sky (the sun rises in the west and sets in the east on Venus), followed by 1344 hours of jungle night, haunted by primordial beasts. The human settlers have adapted to this new environment with no small difficulty. Venus is quite seismically active, and venusquakes are a constant threat to the Cavern folk. Only constant vigilance and strict repair schedules keep the tunnels stable. Most of the Venusian landscape is given over to massive basalt mountains and rolling hills. The only large, flat areas are atop the occasional ancient mesa or plateau. Dozens of volcanoes dot the surface of the planet, although many are inactive. The mineral-rich, volcanic soil of Venus is extremely fertile, and hundreds of thousands of varieties of plants and fungi thrive in the swamps and jungles. Crops and orchards would grow well here, if any of the human civilizations were prone to farming (they are not). 10
Much of Venus still remains unexplored, and Venusian maps are filled with the disjointed reports and confused scribblings of lone explorers, many of whom were quite insane upon their return. One can only speculate upon the veracity of their bold claims. Far to the south lies a vast ocean, not of water, but of tar. Its black, toxic tides wash upon shores of shattered bone, or so says "Quite Unwell" Molly-Beth, an unfortunate Leopard Woman scout. To the north, reports Otram's Big Red Jackson, lie ancient, shattered cities older even than the Giant Spiders, filled with stone monuments carved into hideous and uncanny forms not unlike men. To the east, according to Palnan cartographer Gibbering Mad Jake, rises Lucifer Ridge. This line of jagged volcanoes constantly spews fountains of lava that flow into glowing red rivers, carving the scorched Venusian land with weird geometric patters. Far into the western forest, the uniformly-insane Greenblatz tribe of Avrok reports, dwell trees that walk like men and whisper the names of ghosts from outer space. Very few people believe these sorts of things, but it hasn't kept the brave, the bold, and the foolish from setting out to find the truth for themselves.
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Chapter 2: The World Below Only in the Caverns can peace be found, All happy people live underground! Surfacers toil their empty lives away, Burning in the bitter light of day. The people of Otram are unhappy slaves, I'm lucky to live here, here in these caves! -Traditional Cavern work song, author unknown
The Caverns When Spando Polanski srcinally colonized the Caverns, he divided the area into clearly defined sections--the Sleeping Caverns, the Feeding Caverns, the Recreation Caverns, the Procreation Caverns, and the Experimental Caverns. Polanski's lab is located in the Experimental Caverns, as is the Surgery Cave where Leopard Women are created. Since Polanski's time, the human population has greatly increased, so more and more sections have been added. Now the inhabited areas of the Caverns are divided into a grid, and sections are numbered. A Cavern citizen would say, for example, that she hails from Cave 17 in Tunnel 229. While the majority of the tunnels in the Caverns contain only rocks, moss, and the occasional puddle, the Science Robots have constructed gleaming metal rooms and corridors in the area around the Experimental Caverns. They have also added artificial lighting and air purifiers throughout the inhabited areas.
The Caverns Common Cavern Jobs: Carpenter, Cave Farmer, Doctor, Engineer, Factory Worker, Hunter, Janitor, Leopard Woman, Machinist, Miner, Office Worker, Ranger, Scientist, Soldier, Tactician, Weaponsmith Common Cavern Gimmicks: Direction Sense; Forbidden Knowledge; Fungal Healing; Hide in Plain Sight; HighlyEfficient; Nightvision; Take One For the Team; The Science Robots are My Shepherds, I Shall Not Want; Tireless; Valued Member of Society; Well-Prepared Common Cavern Weaknesses: Agoraphobic, Claustrophobic, Delusional, Fanatically Loyal, Light Sensitivity, Greedy, Hallucinations, Hopeless Layabout, Monster Magnet, Old Injury, Plebe, Seditious, The Science Robots Are Watching Me, Unimaginative Common Cavern Skills: Blend in with the Crowd, Cavern Lore, Crossword Puzzles, Disguise, First Aid, Fungus Harvesting, Gossip, Hunt, Paperwork, Toil 12
The Caverns themselves are a winding labyrinth that extends for miles beneath the surface. Not even the Science Robots have mapped all of its twisting branches, and not even they suspect the existence of the menacing Moglugs that lurk deeper below the surface.
Cavern Castes Humans in the Caverns live much like ants. When the Science Robots rule of the Caverns, theyreaches established a rigid system.assumed Whenever a Cavern-born human six years ofcaste age, the Science Robots conduct a number of medical, social, and psychological tests on the child. After recording this data, the Science Robots assign the child to the appropriate caste. Training and education begins immediately, and the human will remain in that caste for the rest of his or her life (unless she becomes a Leopard Woman!) Everyone has a job, and everyone knows their place in society. Under the guidance of the Science Robots, Cavern society runs as smoothly as precision machinery. At the top of the caste system sit the Science Robots themselves. Polanski is technically over them, but as long as their creator remains in suspended animation, the Robots bear the burden of absolute leadership. The Science Robots dictate their orders to the Administrators who in turn make sure that the lower castes complete their assigned tasks. The Administrator caste consists of scientists, engineers, tacticians, and other positions that require a keen intellect mixed with emotional detachment.
Average Cavernite Body: 11 Brain: 9 Nerve: 10 Job: Miner (12) Gimmick: Direction Sense (13) Weakness: (13)+2 Skills: BlendUnimaginative in with the Crowd HP: 11 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: William H. Macy Tagline: "Yes sir!" Dumb Fact: Is quite happy with his lot in life, thank you. Notes: A typical Cavernite usually carries a couple of tools that can be used as improvised weapons with a Damage Bonus of +2 or +3.
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Beneath the Administrators sits the Warrior caste. This caste consists of soldiers who defend the Cavern from mundane enemies, rangers who scour the jungles for food and game, and hunters who patrol the deeper tunnels in the Cavern and kill wayward mutants and other beasts. Warriors are trained in all manner of martial techniques and conditioned to be brave and loyal. Only the Leopard Women are more deadly. Under the Warriors are the Citizens. Citizens are tradesmen and skilled laborers. Weaponsmiths, carpenters, and machinists all belong to the Citizen caste. This caste also includes cave farmers who grow the underground vegetables, fungi, and algae that form the basis of the Caverns' food supply. The lowest caste in the Caverns is the Drone caste. Drones include unskilled laborers like miners and factory workers, as well as cleaning staff and menial office personnel. Drones work long hours for little reward, but little is expected of them.
The Fifth Column Under the Science Robots' benevolent leadership, Cavern society runs smoothly However, not everyone with their placeand andpeacefully. position. These malcontents form is a happy secret society known as the Fifth Column. This group of anarchists covertly sow discord and sedition among the happy citizens of the Caverns via propaganda and disinformation. The Fifth Column also bombs administrative chambers, burglarizes armories and laboratories, and commits other acts of terrorism and espionage. Few people outside of the Fifth Column's inner circle of leadership know that the organization is secretly funded by Otram. Briggs' agents funnel weapons and equipment to Fifth Columnists. In exchange, members of the Column weaken Cavern society from inside and provide Otram with valuable intelligence. Rooting out members of the Fifth Column is one of the most important duties of the Leopard Women.
Leopard Women Now and again, a Cavern-born human will show unusual courage, resourcefulness, and independence. These individuals may be chosen by the Science Robots to become Leopard Women! These elite warriors may be recruited from any caste. In fact, becoming a Leopard Woman is the only way to leave the caste the Science Robots had previously assigned a human. Chosen humans are brought to the Operating Cave in the Experimental Caverns and 14
Fifth Columnist Body: 12 Brain: 14 Nerve: 16 Job: Spy (15) Gimmick: Propaganda (14) Weakness: Cowardly (14) Skills: Disguise +3, Scheming +2 HP: 12 YY: 1 WWPHITM: Sydney Greenstreet Tagline: "Soon the government shall crumble, gentlemen, and then we make our move!" Dumb Fact: The term "Fifth Column" was coined by Spanish general Emilio Mola in 1936. Notes: Every Fifth Columnist carries a secret decoder ring for sending messages to Otram and a bottle of suicide pills.
Propaganda: Fifth Columnists have the insidious ability to turn loyal citizens into scheming traitors through subversive media, pro-Otram slogans, and other forms of brainwashing. Once per day, the Fifth Columnist can make a Gimmick roll resisted by his target's Nerve. After succeeding a number of such Gimmick rolls equal to his chosen victim's Nerve, the subject succumbs to the brainwashing and another traitorous Fifth Columnist is born. Cowardly: The sleazy weasels of the Fifth Column have no real backbone. When confronted with direct force, a Fifth Columnist must make a Weakness roll. If the Weakness takes hold, he will either flee, surrender, or commit suicide.
subjected to a mixture of Compound-N and irradiated leopard blood. While the Science Robots usually recruit females, the gynomorphic formula can even transform men into Leopard Women! The Leopard Women of Venus are a study in contradictions. Though they are, by nature, fiercely independent, they are loyal to their Science Robot masters. While they are fierce warriors, they are warm and friendly to one another. Though in combat they seem almost bestial, they are highly intelligent. Leopard Women's minds and
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bodies are both superhumanly fast. A Leopard Woman can run at 36 MPH, climb a vertical surface, and leap over 20 feet horizontally and up to 10 feet vertically, all while performing complex mathematical calculations in her head. While the transformation process makes subjects harder, better, faster, and stronger, it also causes Leopard Women to forget most of their previous lives. Foggy memories occasionally filter back to them in dreams or during times of stress or excitement. While a Leopard Woman's former family is supposed to cease all association with her, occasional drama and other unpleasantness happens.Leopard Women exist totally outside of the caste system. They take orders directly from the Science Robots and, occasionally, their designated representatives among the Administrators. Leopard Women sleep for 3-6 hours at a time (humans on Venus generally still live on an Earth schedule, treating each 24 hour period as a day) and eat mostly raw meat. When they are not eating or sleeping, they are either training or on assignment. Leopard Women train for hours each day to hone their skills and make sure they can do their best to protect the Caverns. Since Leopard Women are made, not born, Leopard Women mothers give birth to normal human children. Since these children tend to be healthy and useful, and are often suitable for the Administrator or Warrior class, Leopard Women are encouraged to breed at appropriate times. Leopard Women have an estrous cycle lasting about 46 days, and are usually in heat for 6-7 days. Since the 16
Leopard Women are in close quarters, their estrous cycles coincide. During this time, the Science Robots select a few Leopard Women to mate with suitable partners. Leopard Women pregnancies last for 90-105 days. Leopard Women are heavily sedated during birth. Their offspring are swiftly swept away without the mothers ever seeing them. Only a few days after giving birth, Leopard Women are ready to return to duty. Obviously, the Leopard Women have many important duties, so very few are authorized to breed at one time. Leopard Women with pentup sexual energy who are not scheduled to breed may request permission to visit the Pleasure Pit, a place of delirious sapphic bacchanalia where Leopard Women are allowed to let off some steam.
The Science Robots The Science Robots labor night and day to keep life in the Caverns running smoothly. They can often be seen walking through the Caverns, both by themselves and in a group. They generally keep far away from the surface, and are always attended by guards. There are five Science Robots. Spando Polanski referred to each of them by color, and those names have stuck; they are known as Blue, Green, Indigo, Orange, and Violet. The Science Robots fill all five seats of the Ruling Council of the Caverns. Though the Science Robots are, in theory, equal in rank, the others tend to defer to Orange in times of crisis. Orange is the most decisive of the Science Robots, a fact which indicates that the Robots have differences in personalities. None of the humans living in the Caverns could tell you what those differences are. To the humans, the Science Robots are the cold, hollow voice of authority, and their orders are not to be questioned. 17
Since the Science Robots have different personalities, it stands to reason that they must disagree on some matters. Perhaps they even, from time to time, argue. If so, they do it behind closed doors. When the five Science Robots gather to make important decisions, they meet in the Planning Cave. The Planning Cave is locked away behind heavy titanium doors and guarded at all times by Leopard Women, Guard Robots, and Flying Saurians. Rumor has it that inside the Planning Cave is a giant board covered in notes and labeled "The Master Plan" but no organic lifeform has ever read from this board and lived to tell about it. Subversive elements like the Fifth Column see the Science Robots as evil oppressors who place no value on human life. While the evidence indicates that the Science Robots can't have a very high opinion of the human species, they are programmed to defend the human Cavern-dwellers at all costs. In everything they do, the Science Robots must consider the impact on their human charges. Spando Polanski did include some complicated ethical calculus in their programming, though, which allows the Science Robots to sacrifice certain individuals for the greater good of their society. They are capable of ordering the execution of traitors, sending
Science Robot Body: 13 Brain: 16 Nerve: 13 Job: Ruler of the Caverns (16) Gimmick: Bodyguard (Leopard Women) (16) Weakness: Limited by Programming (19) Skills: Science +2, Surgery +1 HP: 20 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Michael Emerson in a metal suit Tagline: "Our captivesWoman." are fine specimens--we should turn the woman into a Leopard Dumb Fact: Has conflicted feelings about Spando Polanski. Notes: Bodyguard (Leopard Women): With a successful Gimmick roll, a Science Robot can ultrasonically summon a nearby Leopard Woman to its side within 1 round.
Limited by Programming: Any time a Science Robot wants to take an action that contradicts its mission to preserve the humans of the Caverns, it must roll against this Weakness. 18
agents on dangerous missions, and performing experiments on living humans, but they could never kill a Cavern-dwelling human without a justifiable cause. The Science Robots must consider the humans' lives and physical well-being but, for whatever reason, Polanski did not include specific instructions regarding civil liberties. The Science Robots learned long ago learned that freedoms only get in way. When the Science Robots are not governing, they spend their time in the Experimental Caverns, performing secretive experiments.
Farther Below Deep, deep down in the Caverns, far below the Leopard Women's home, lurks another race of creatures. These are the Moglugs, native Venusian creatures who inhabited the planet for centuries before Bible Briggs set off from Earth. The Moglugs live in darkness that is only broken by the light of their huge, round, glowing yellow eyes. All Moglugs have these glowing yellow eyes. Aside from that, their bodies vary wildly. Centuries of exposure to Compound-N deposits have turned the Moglugs into a race of mutants with no predictable characteristics. Some are human-shaped; others slither like snakes; still others crawl on dozens of legs, or roll like balls, or fly on leathery wings. The Moglugs live in peace, feeding on worms and insects and passing the days telling stories of their proud history. Every now and then they send a scouting party to spy on the inhabitants of the upper caverns. They gather information and they plan. They hate the invaders who have infested their world, hate them with a cold but undying passion, and wait patiently for the day when they will scour Venus clean again.
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Sample Moglug Because every one is different, there is no "average" Moglug. The example given here is humanoid with tentacles instead of arms. Roll on the "Moglug Body Type Table" below to determine a Moglug's body type. Body: 14 Brain: 12 Nerve: 16 Job: Spy (13) Gimmick: See in the Dark (17); Tentacles (13) Weakness: Bright Light (13); Psychotic Hatred (13) Skills: Sneak +3, Dig +2, Climb +1 HP: 14 YY: 1 WWPHITM?: Sophisticated puppets Tagline: "The wretched outworlders continue to expand their dominion, my brothers. Can we afford to wait much longer before we strike?" Dumb Fact: Always jovial and polite to other Moglugs. Notes: Tentacles: On a successful resisted roll, the Moglug wraps its
opponent in its tentacles. It can then crush its victim for (Gimmick roll/3) HP per round. A successful Body roll by the victim, contested by the Moglug's Gimmick, will allow them to break free. Bright Light: When exposed to anything brighter than candlelight, the Moglug must roll this Weakness. If the Weakness takes effect, the Moglug is blinded for 1d20 minutes. When blinded, the Moglug suffers a -6 penalty to all rolls. Psychotic Hatred: A Moglug will not listen to a non-Moglug's point of view. If cooperating with outworlders seems like a logical necessity, the Moglug must roll against this Weakness. If the Weakness takes effect, the Moglug will choose death before aiding the outworlders in any way.
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Moglug Body Type Table 1d20
BodT yype
1
Humanoid
2
Humanoid with four arms
3 4
Humanoid with four legs Snake-shaped
5
Snake-shaped with 1d20 legs
6
Leopard-shaped
7
Top half humanoid, bottom half leopard-shaped
8
Top half leopard-shaped, bottom half humanoid
9
Humanoid with 1d20 tentacles instead of arms
10
Humanoid with 1d20 tentacles instead of legs
11
Ball-shaped
12
Ball-shaped with arms and legs jutting out all over
13
Bat-shaped
14
Leopard-shaped with bat wings
15
Flat
16
Blob
17
Blob with tentacles
18
Roll on Random Mutant Animal Monstrosity Table (page 76) to determine appearance
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Roll twice, combining results
20
Giant, unspeakable mass of quivering slime, tentacles, limbs, eyes, and teeth
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Chapter 3: The World Above We are surrounded by enemies on all sides. They crawl through the forests. They lurk in the swamps. They hide underground, like cowards, afraid to face us. But we are not afraid. We are not afraid! We are Otram! We are Otram, and we are strong! We are the strongest! And we will conquer our enemies, and we will kill them all, and we will take their land, until there is only one city, and that city is Otram! OTRAM! OTRAM! -Speech given by Briggs, shortly before an attack on Palna
Otram Otram, with its thousands of inhabitants, is the largest human settlement on Venus. Otram is a walled city that sprawls over the countryside. The wall is high enough and thick enough to keep the city's many enemies at bay. Otram is constantly at war with the other human settlements on the surface, particularly Avrok and Palna. Otram is ruled by a king known only as Briggs, a large, brutal man who may or may not be descended from Bible Briggs. The most prominent features in the city are the Barracks, the Slums, the Arena, and the Governor's Mansion. The Barracks are those parts of the city where Otram's soldiers live. Since Otram's culture revolves around war, most of the city's able-bodied young men are soldiers. The Barracks are the buildings near the heart of the city, those least damaged over the decades. These buildings were once hospitals, libraries, and offices, but now all are living quarters. The most comfortable quarters go to the army's elite, the Riflemen. These soldiers are trained in the use of laser rifles, Otram's greatest weapon. The supply of laser rifles is small and dwindling, but the Riflemen guard their weapons with religious zeal. Other soldiers have
less comfortable dwellings, but all soldiers at least live in quarters that provide protection from the elements. The Slums are where the rest of the people of Otram live. These are builders, healers, merchants, farmers, mothers, children, the elderly--anyone who is not a soldier. The Slums are the sections of Otram 22
farther from the center and closer to the wall, those areas that have been burned down, rebuilt, and then torn down again over the turbulent decades of Otram's history. Some city blocks are little more than rubble. The people of the Slums vie for the leastdamaged locations. Most end up in tents or huts. The Arena is where gladiatorial contests are held. Generally those who participate in the games are criminals or prisoners of war, but occasionally an Otramite will voluntarily fight in the Arena. This can
be a good way for a soldier to prove his fighting prowess and thus rise through the ranks. The Arena is the main venue for entertainment in Otram. In particular the crowds come out to see men battle giant mutant beasts brought in from outside the city. The Governor's Mansion is a once-modest building that has been heavily fortified over the years. It is the home of Briggs, his wives and offspring, the King's Guard, and the King's Sorcerers.
Briggs frequently consults his advisers, the King's Sorcerers. The general population believes that the Sorcerers consult the gods through crystal-gazing and by reading entrails. Unbeknownst to them, the King's Sorcerers are actually Otram's scientific elite. Because Otram as a city prizes strength above all things, the people hold science in contempt. Briggs himself has been publicly dismissive of "thinkers" as "weaklings." But Briggs knows that there is no way to maintain, much less expand, his empire without the brilliant minds of the Sorcerers. This secret cabal, consisting of eight men and women, is the last vestige of scientific thought in Otram. They alone have any concept of how the laser rifles work. They consult on matters of engineering, organization, and logistics.
Otram Common Otram Jobs: Builder, Farmer, Gladiator, Healer, Infantry, King's Guard, King's Sorcerer, Merchant, Priest, Rifleman, Thief, Warrior, Whore Common Otram Gimmicks: Berserker Rage, Big and Strong, Cast Iron Stomach, Scary as Hell, Secret Scientific Knowledge, Tough as Nails, Too Mean to Die, Trick Shot, With a Blade in Each Hand Common Otram Weaknesses: Addiction (Human Flesh), A Woman Scorned, Big and Dumb, Hidden Enemies, Overconfidence, Superstitious, War Wound Common Otram Skills: Bludgeon, Brawl, Build Simple Structures, Burn, Chant, Forage, Hunt, Intimidate, Stab, Steal, Weapon Repair 23
They are also responsible for running the Fifth Column efforts to destabilize the Caverns. Otramian religion is a mish-mash of ancestor worship, vaguely remembered snatches of the Old Testament, and witchcraft. More important than religion is Otram's creed, its belief in strength as the greatest virtue. The priests of Otram encourage the men to take on many wives, to better populate the city and swell the ranks of the army. These "wives" are frequently victims of assault and are generally abandoned by their "husbands." The soldiers of Otram provide most of the city's food, both by hunting and by raiding other settlements. Meat is distributed throughout the city, but the soldiers always get first choice, and generally only scraps make it to the farthest reaches of the Slums. There are also small pockets of agriculture throughout the city. Food is scarce enough that most Otramites eat whatever they can get their hands on, sometimes even resorting to cannibalism. Only Briggs, resplendent in his Mansion, occasionally dines on high Earth cuisine, like the fabled cheese coney.
Average Otramite Body: 15 Brain: 7 Nerve: 13 Job: Warrior (15) Gimmick: Berserker Rage (13) Weakness: Superstitious (13) Skills: Forage +2, Chant +1 HP: 15 YY: 0 WWPHITM?Adam Baldwin Tagline: "Kill for Otram! Die for Otram!" Dumb Fact: Doesn't exactly hate the taste of human flesh. Notes: Otramian Riflemen are armed with laser rifles that emit a beam of deadly energy with a Damage Bonus of +5
Berserker Rage: With a successful Gimmick roll, the Otramite can simultaneously attack up to five opponents with no penalty. Superstitious: When confronted with unfamiliar technology, the Otramite must roll this Weakness. If the Weakness succeeds, the Otramite will believe the technology is powerful magic and attempt to flee. If the Otramite is unable to flee, he suffers a -3 penalty to all rolls. 24
Avrok Slink slink slither slither, Wakka-dakka-do. Hiss hiss, baby, I do my snake dance for you. -Traditional Avrok courtship song The people of Avrok live deep in the jungle. Avrok itself is a hazily defined area of land, with no buildings or human-made structures. The Avrokians roam the jungle by day and sleep in the trees at night. Though they have a lower level of language and technology than Otram, the Avrokians are significantly less likely to murder one another for sport. Theirs is a stable society, bound together by custom and ritual. Avrokian society is centered around the Lorbats, enormous purple snakes that infest the jungle. The people of Avrok protect, feed, and care for the Lorbats. Avrokians are raised from birth to love and respect the Lorbats. At the age of 12, each Avrokian must undergo a ceremonial passage to adulthood. At the culmination of the ritual, the Avrokian seeks out a Lorbat and feeds it a special paste. Once the Lorbat eats the potion, it goes into a sexual frenzy. The young Avrokian then engages in sexual intercourse with the Lorbat. The Avrokians eagerly await the day that this process produces half-human, half-snake offspring. So far this has not happened. Though Lorbats are extremely poisonous, most of the people of Avrok are immune to their venom. Humans and snakes fight side by side to defend their territory. To date they have been successful--Otram has never managed to make any inroads into the jungle, despite dozens of attempts.
Avrok Common Avrok Jobs: Chieftain, Herbalist, Hunter, Gatherer, Lorbat Handler, Scout, Shaman, Common Avrok Gimmicks: Green Thumb, Herbal Concoctions, Immune to Lorbat Venom, Psychedelic Visions, Snake Charming, Wild Acrobatics Common Avrok Weaknesses: Monster Magnet, Primitive Superstitions, Poor Hygiene, Sexually Attracted to Lorbats Common Avrok Skills: Dance, Herbs, Healing (Human), Healing (Lorbat), Hide, Lorbat Lore, Poison, Set Traps, Spear, Sneak 25
Average Avrokian Body: 13 Brain: 9 Nerve: 15 Job: Hunter (13) Gimmick: Immune to Lorbat Venom (15) Weakness: Sexually Attracted to Lorbats (15) Skills: Spear +3, Sneak +2, Herbs +1 HP: 13 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Brad Dourif Tagline: "Listen to the Lorbats, child, for they are ancient and wise." Dumb Fact: Enjoys eating psychedelic mushrooms and talking with the jungle.
Lorbat Body: 16 Brain: 3 Nerve: 11 Job: Giant Snake (13) Gimmick: Deadly Venom (15) Weakness: Soft Underbelly (15) Skills: Crush People +2, Sneak +1 HP: 16 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: A boa constrictor painted purple Tagline: "Hiiiissssssssss." Dumb Fact: Thinks the Avrokians are nice and all, but doesn't really want to get intimate with them. Notes: Deadly Venom: On a successful bite attack, roll this Gimmick against the victim's Body. If the Gimmick wins, the victim
takes extra damage equal to the difference in rolls. Armor does not reduce this poison damage. Soft Underbelly: If the Lorbat's underbelly is attacked, roll this Weakness. If the Weakness takes effect, the Lorbat takes double damage from the attack.
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Palna He is the giant golden man-god. His raiment is the color of thunderclouds, Trimmed with the gold of a solar flare. His eyes spark with power. His voice is the howl of a black hole. He will destroy you. -Palnan "prayer" to Stardust Palna is a series of caves, openings, and huts located near the top of Mount Ootavah, the largest mountain within ten days travel of Otram. Though Otram has made many attempts to invade Palna, they have so far been thwarted both by Palna's high altitude and by its inhabitants' lightning guns. The people of Palna are at once more technologically advanced than the people of Otram and more superstitious. With the exception of the Science Robots, they have preserved more of their forebearers' technology than any other settlement on Venus. In addition to their lightning guns they possess electric fences, dynamite, and radio transmitters. Members of Palna's scientific elite do not understand the theories behind their technology, but they know how to keep their devices in good running order and repair them when needed. Every member of Palnan society is focused on defending their home from Otram. Everyone takes their shift on guard duty, or on monitoring the radios, or checking the electric fences, or handcranking the generators to charge up the lightning guns. When they are not occupied with defense, every aspect of their lives is determined by their elaborate belief system. A person's date of
Palna Common Palna Jobs: Astrologer, Demolitionist, Electrician, Lightning Gunner, Lookout, Lorekeeper, Preacher, Soothsayer Common Palna Gimmicks: Guided by Faith, Mad Science, Oracular Visions, Sharp Eyes, Strength of Virtue, Well-Read, WWSD? ("What Would Stardust Do?") Common Palna Weaknesses: Cassandra's Tears; Elaborate, Yet Poorly Defined Religious Code; Insomnia; Just Plain Mad; Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Paranoia; Self-Righteous; Stardust Magnet Common Palna Skills: Climb, Fire Gun, Hide, Mountain Lore, Oratory, Read the Signs, Religious Ritual, Stardust Lore, Technology, Traps 27
birth plays a larger role in determining their occupation than any skills they may possess. Astrologers consult charts comparing the position of the sun, the weather, the time of year, and any recent omens to determine what actions the people should take. In a sense the entire culture is OCD, as each person performs hundreds of tiny rituals (touching a door three times before opening it, never stepping on a crack, raising the left hand every time thunder is heard, etc.) during the course of the average day. Every action taken in Palna is designed to honor a quasi-mythical sky god the people refer to as "Stardust." They claim that this "super wizard" came to Earth long ago, in the 1940s, and that he will one day come to Venus. Their elaborate system of behavior is supposed to purge them of evil, so that they alone will be spared when Stardust arrives. At the top of Mount Ootavah, in the most heavily defended location in Palna, is a massive radio tower. The people of Palna are constantly transmitting messages into space, begging their super wizard to deliver them from evil.
Average Palnan Body: 12 Brain: 13 Nerve: 12 Job: Militia (13) Gimmick: Always Prepared (13) Weakness: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (13) Skills: Religious Ritual +2, Technology +1 HP: 12 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Tony Shalhoub Tagline: "Once the mighty Space Wizard comes to Venus, you’ll all see the error of your ways." Dumb Fact: Secretly wants to be punished. Notes: A Palnan on guard duty will be issued a lightning gun,a silvery, lance-shaped weapon that, as the name implies, fires bolts of electricity. The lightning gun has a Damage Bonus of +5.
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Stardust the Super Wizard Warning! We have, against our better judgment, included stats for Stardust (which only hint at his horrific majesty--can you write up stats for a typhoon or a supernova?), but we urge you to think twice before introducing Stardust into your game. Stardust is not just another enemy; Stardust is the closest thing in the game to God Himself, come to judge the planet and enact terrible retribution. Absolutely nothing is more ominous than the words, "Look! It's Stardust!" Stardust's arrival ongame Venus shouldcenter be thearound culmination of a campaign or, more likely, the should the PCs trying to prevent the coming of Stardust. Stardust cannot be defeated through conventional means. PCs must be extremely resourceful to survive an encounter with the super wizard, must less defeat him. In fact, we recommend you do not even read the stats below until you have plenty of experience running this game. Do not think about Stardust too often, and if possible avoid speaking his name aloud. Body: 25 Brain: 20 Nerve: 20 Job: Galactic Crimebuster (15) Gimmick: Super Wizard (20) Weakness: [Classified] Skills: Crush Evil-Doers with His Bare Hands +5, Dispense Ironic Justice +4, Terrify Onlookers +3 HP: 1000 YY: 100 WWPHITM?: Buster Crabbe Tagline: "In your frozen condition, you'll live forever--to think about your crimes!" Dumb Fact: Resides in a crime-detecting laboratory on his private star. Notes: Galactic Crimebuster: Stardust has knowledge of law enforcement techniques from across dozens of star systems, and access to highly advanced crime-detecting equipment. Super Wizard: Ancient texts tell us that "his scientific use of rays has made him master of space and planetary forces--the gas of a certain star has made him immune to heat or cold--Stardust carries with him artificial lungs, that enable him to breathe safely, under any condition--he uses new spectral rays, that can make him invisible, or as bright as the sun--he wears a flexible, star-metal skin, controlled through rays from a distant sun and rendering him indestructible by chemicals, or by electrical or violent force." In short, Stardust can fly through space, transmute matter, manipulate energy with his mind, and do pretty much anything else he wants. We would refer you to the "Random Hideous Death" table on page 80 to use against those foolish enough to oppose him.
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Chapter 4: The Jungle The Jungle If it hasn't been made clear at this point, let us reiterate it once more. Venus is a tropical hell, and the Jungle is the inner-most circle of damnation. The Jungle teems with life, and most of it is dangerous. Most of those dangers hunger for sweet, soft human flesh and warm, refreshing human blood. Monsters and beasts lurk behind every tree, and even some of the trees likereally to eat people. Whenever a person steps into the jungle, no one expects them to come back. This is why rangers are so respected in the Caverns, why the Avrokians are viewed with such suspicion, and why the Otramites avoid the forests when possible. If the PCs are traveling through the Jungle (and Venus is almost entirely jungle), the GM should feel free to have them encounter some sort of monster. Any monster. Don't bother with "encounter chances" or "wandering monster" tables. Choose a beast that sounds interesting and throw it at them. Just make sure to give the players plenty of Yum Yums for surviving a vicious attack. If you are going to go into the jungle, something is going to try and eat you. It's a Venusian fact of life.
The Hideous Spider Priests Deep within the monster-haunted jungles of Venus live tribes of intelligent Giant Spiders. Each massive and evil-tempered arthropod is the size of an Earth elephant. Their multicolored carapaces bristle with wiry black hair, and lambent green venom drips from their razor-sharp mandibles. These gruesome creatures are lead by a shamanic theocracy of priests that worship the ancient and broken remnants of Polanski's Bio-Ray Device. The device is housed deep within the bowels of a massive ziggurat made of bone. From its reliquary, the malfunctioning machine bathes the surrounding jungle in flickering purple light. The Hideous Spider Priests 30
meditate in this glow for hours on end, believing that the mutagenic radiation is "The Hideous Radiance of the Mighty Dead Ones." When the Bio-Rays create mutation, the priests see it as a sign of favor from their gods. While the Spiders are already disturbing in their foulness, the chosen priests are particularly monstrous collections of freakish mutation. The Giant Spiders are ruled by Webra, the deadly and mysterious Spider Queen. Her mutations have turned her into a six-armed humanoid of alien and genius she cunning. her onyx throne at the top ofbeauty the holy ziggurat, bendsFrom the Spiders to her will with her mighty psychic powers. Her current schemes include plans to cultivate monsters--dangerous mutations bred from jungle predators--and use them to conquer the human civilizations and destroy the Leopard Women.
Giant Spider Body: 20 Brain: 7 Nerve: 13 Job: Jungle Predator (15) Gimmick: Spins a Web, Any Size (14); Venom (11) Weakness: Thoroughly Unpleasant (14) Skills: Climbing +3, Bite Enemies with Mandibles +2 HP: 20 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: A marionette in forced perspective Tagline: "Chhrrrrrrrrrr..." Dumb Fact: Not an insect. Not really a spider, for that matter. Notes: Spins a Web, Any Size: Giant Spiders can ensnare their prey in thick, sticky webs. Use the Gimmick Number to make a ranged attack roll to capture an opponent. Once so ensnared, the victim must make a Body roll against the Gimmick in order to break free.
Venom: On a successful bite attack, roll this Gimmick against the victim's Body. If the Gimmick wins, the victim takes extra damage equal to the difference in rolls. Armor does not reduce this poison damage. Thoroughly Unpleasant: Giant Spiders are odious company and are rarely invited to parties. At the beginning of any crossspecies social interaction, make a Weakness roll. If the Weakness takes hold, diplomacy is impossible, and the Spider will probably just try to eat the other person anyway. 31
Hideous Spider Priest Body: 15 Brain: 12 Nerve: 14 Job: Arachno-Shaman (14) Gimmick: Freakish Collection of Mutations (15) Weakness: Freakish Collection of Mutations (15) Skills: Plots and Schemes +3; Religious Furor +3 HP: 15 YY: 2 WWPHITM?: Stop motion animatronic Tagline: "Hsssss... The Mighty Dead Ones demand blood! BLOOOOOD!!!" Dumb Fact: Does not believe in the transmigration of souls. Notes: Freakish Collection of Mutations: Hideous Spider Priests have been weirdly mutated by exposure to the Bio-Ray Device. While these mutations have given them unique power, it has also weakened their physical form. A Hideous Spider Priest can spend a Yum Yum and make a Gimmick roll. If successful, the Priest can use a random mutation to give its attacks a Damage
Bonus of +3, defend itself with an Armor Bonus of +3, or give a specific action a +3 bonus to the roll. This benefit last until the end of the scene. The stress of this mutation will weaken the Priest, however. Starting the scene after a successful use of the "Freakish Collection of Mutations" Gimmick, the Priest must make a "Freakish Collection of Mutations" Weakness roll before attempting any physically stressful actions. If the Weakness takes hold, any such actions are made with a -3 penalty. This frailty disappears after a good night's sleep, or after glutting oneself on at least 10 pints of warm blood (which just so happens to be the amount of blood in the average human). The creature cannot use the Gimmick application of the ability until this frailty is cured.
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Webra, the Spider Queen Body: 16 Brain: 18 Nerve: 17 Job: Queen of Spiders (18) Gimmick: Amazing Psychic Powers (17); Polydexterous (15) Weakness: Stark Raving Mad (13) Skills: Lore of the Mighty Dead Ones +5, Monster Ranching +4,
Pole Arms +3 HP: 26 YY: 15 WWPHITM?: Bai Ling Tagline: "Take them away! Feed these foolish humans to the Quivering Blood Gnats!" Dumb Fact: Has body image issues. Gear: Slinky outfit, Arachnatrix Death-Spear (Damage Bonus +4) Notes: Webra is an incredibly dangerous opponent with lots of Yum Yums, high Numbers, multiple powerful Gimmicks, and only one Weakness. Player Characters should approach her with caution. Amazing Psychic Powers: Webra possesses a wide variety of psychic abilities, including (but not limited to) telekinesis, telepathy, and clairvoyance. By spending a Yum Yum and making a successful Gimmick roll, she can make attacks with a Damage Bonus of +4, defend herself with an Armor Rating of +4, or enhance her or her allies' actions with a +4 bonus. With a contested roll (usually against her victim's Nerve) she can hinder her opponent's actions, giving then a -4 to their actions. Polydexterous: Webra can attack multiple enemies at once with her six arms. Make one Gimmick roll and use it as a normal attack roll against up to six opponents nearby. Her opponents can defend as normal. Stark Raving Mad: Continued exposure to the Bio-Ray device combined with the Hideous Spider Priests' brutal lifestyle has driven Webra quite insane. She is prone to brooding, auditory hallucinations, and ranting. She also has a tendency to monologue to prisoners, opponents, and random passersby.
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The Jungle Phantom The jungles of Venus teem with all manner of life--plant, animal, plantimal, and fungal. A wealth of organic and mineral resources await the men and nations able to wrest it from the rich jungle soil. And yet, the jungles remain untouched. Not even mighty Otram seems willing to exploit the jungle, despite the wealth and resources it promises. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, the jungle is naturally hostile. Dangerous creatures and disease abound, ready to bring sickness and death to human intruders. The oppressive humidity and rampant plant life is detrimental to the machines necessary to raze the trees and harvest the animals. Secondly, and more importantly, the jungles are said to have a protector. Legend tells of the Jungle Phantom, a powerful and mysterious spirit said to bring vengeance and horrible death to those that would harm the jungle. Indeed, ancient jungle proverbs say: "Rape not the virgin jungle, lest the Jungle Phantom tear you asunder and drop you into a volcano." That is an exact translation. The uncanny spirit is said to resemble a lovely human female with the face of a leering skull and a voice like thunder. Her powers are vast and inscrutable, and her sense of justice is harsh and ironic.
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The Jungle Phantom No one knows if the Jungle Phantom exists, nor does anyone know the extent of her powers. If she does exist, she is more like a force of nature than a character. Much like Stardust, her game stats are nigh-irrelevant, and Game Masters should think long and hard before introducing the Jungle Phantom into their game as an adversary. It's worth noting that the Jungle Phantom is possibly the only entity on Venus with a chance of defeating Stardust. Isn't that interesting? We just thought we'd put that out there. Body: 20 Brain: 17 Nerve: 25 Job: Protector of the Jungle (20) Gimmick: Jungle Magic (20) Weakness: Cannot Leave the Jungle (But There's a Lot of Jungle on Venus) (20) Skills: Conservation +5, Philosophy +5 HP: 800 YY: 75 WWPHITM?: Theda Bara Tagline: "You who murdered the jungle-born shall meet a jungle-fate!" Dumb Fact: In the language of the Hypno-Sharks, her name is "Fan-To-Mah." Notes: Jungle Magic: The Jungle Phantom's power lets her do just about anything she wants. While within the Jungle, she has total control over matter, space, and probably time. She is especially fond of using her magic to control plants and animals and to transmogrify transgressors. When using this power to punish an unfortunate character, GMs should feel to roll on the "Random Hideous Death" table on page 80.
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Jungle Beasts This is but a small sample of the hideous beasts that prowl the savage wilderness of Venus. All of these creatures are dangerous, and most of them have found an appetite for human flesh. A wise adventurer will use caution when dealing with any of them. Ape-Thing Ape-Things resemble hideous amalgams of man, gorilla, and something else. They are shaggy and muscular with long arms, like an ape, but with the upright posture of a human. Their beetle-black eyes glitter with alien intelligence. These simian creatures are one of the few species on Venus that do not crave human flesh, although they will not turn it down if offered. Ape-Things are very territorial and protective of their jungle homes. They are no friend to humanity. Shamans of Avrok speculate that they may be secret disciples of the Jungle Phantom, hunting down those who abuse the forest and tearing them apart with their mighty, mighty arms. Rumors that Ape-Things are somehow responsible for the weird, ancient ruins that occasionally dot the surface of Venus are, of course, quite laughable. Body: 15 Brain: Nerve:715 Job: Sinister Simian (15) Gimmick: Mighty Strength (14) Weakness: Enraged by Technology (13) Skills: Scavenging +2, Wrestle +2 HP: 20 YY: 2 Tagline: "Ook!" Dumb Fact: Do not like bananas. Notes: Mighty Strength: Ape-Things have prodigious strength, allowing them to lift and carry much more than a normal human. While
performing mundane Gimmick aspurely a Second Chancefeats roll. of strength they may use this Enraged by Technology: Ape-Things find the machines, gadgets, and gizmos of humanity highly distasteful. When they encounter such devices, make a Weakness roll to see if they immediately attack the devices and the people using them.
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Hypno-Shark Hypno-Sharks are vicious fish with massive brains and glowing eyes that prowl the murky lakes and rivers of the Venusian Jungle. These creatures resemble 12-foot long, green-skinned sharks with oversized foreheads and yellow eyes that flicker like strobe lights. Hypno-Sharks are intelligent and can speak human languages. Since earthlings have settled on Venus, Hypno-Sharks have discovered that humans are quite delicious as well as nice and soft. Body: 15 Brain: Nerve:14 17 Job: Aquatic Predator (14) Gimmick: Hypnotism (13) Weakness: Overconfidence (13) Skills: Chomp! +3, Lurking Underwater +2, Psychology +1 HP: 15 YY: 2 Tagline: "You are getting sleepy... Sleeeeeeeepy..." Dumb Fact: Are, in fact, sharks. Notes: Hypnotism: Hypno-Sharks can influence the minds of the weak (i.e. humans). Roll this Gimmick against the subject's Nerve. A
character is to actively avoid the Hypno-Shark's gaze gainswho a +3 resist,attempting but suffers to a -2 penalty on all actions taken against the Shark. If the Shark succeeds, it can issue a single command to its victim that must be obeyed. Usually this command is something akin to "Stick your head in my mouth!" If the Hypno-Shark spends Yum Yums, it can issue more commands, at a rate of one command per Yum Yum. For instance, if the Hypno-Shark made a successful Gimmick roll and spent 3YY, it could issue four commands ("Go home. Grab your baby. Bring it here. Stick that baby in my mouth!"). Jungle Zombie No one is quite certain where Jungle Zombies come from. They
obviously didn't exist before humans settled (and died on) Venus. Scientists from the Cavern theorize that these shambling living corpses are created when a human dies from a combination of Jungle fungal infection and Compound N exposure. Jungle Zombies wander through the forests and swamps in packs, looking for food. Their favorite food, not surprisingly, is warm human flesh. Jungle Zombies look like desiccated human corpses with waxy, olive green skin, dull eyes, and black teeth. They aren't very smart, but posses a low animal cunning and are quite hard to kill.
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Body: 15 Brain: 5 Nerve: 16 Job: Cannibal Corpse (13) Gimmick: Hard to Kill (15) Weakness: Slow (15) Skills: Shamble +2, Bite +1 HP: 15 YY: 0 Tagline: "Uuuuurgh... lemme yer skin... " Dumb Fact: Rarely burst into eat coordinated dance routines. Rarely, but not never. Notes: Hard to Kill: Whenever the Jungle Zombie is reduced to 0 HP, roll this Gimmick. If the Gimmick takes effect, the Zombie is restored to 1 HP.
Slow: As reanimated corpses with only rudimentary motor control, Jungle Zombies are slow and clumsy. Whenever attempting a feat that requires grace or speed (lurching towards a human and biting their face requires neither) roll this Weakness. If the Weakness takes hold, the creature fails its intended action. Laser Pony The Venusian Laser Pony is not really a pony, nor does it actually emit lasers. Instead these vaguely equine, red-scaled creatures channel bio-electrical energy through special glands inside their multifaceted eyes. Early human settlers noted the creature's debatable similarity to the Laser Pony of ancient Earth legend, and the name stuck. The Laser Pony is normally non-aggressive and spends most of its day munching on the various fungi and amphibians found within the jungles. However, the creature is very territorial. If a perceived threat enters its home turf or threatens its mate or their clutch of pony eggs, it will attack with hooves, teeth, and energy beams. Body: 14 Brain: 6 Nerve: 15 Job: Herd Animal (13) Gimmick: Energy Beams! (Damage Bonus +4) (12) Weakness: Poor Eyesight (12) Skills: Foraging +2 HP: 14 YY: 1 Tagline: "Neigh!" Dumb Fact: Little girls still find it adorable. 38
Man-Eating Tree The dreaded Man-Eating Tree is not actually a plant, but a type of ambulatory fungus with bark-like skin and shaggy green "gills" that resemble fern fronds. A large "mouth" splits the creature down the middle, opening to reveal rows and rows of thorny "teeth" which it uses to devour its prey. Its favorite prey, of course, is humans. A Man-Eating Tree will slowly stalk a party of unwary explorers for hours, prowling across the jungle floor on tentacle-like roots before finally pouncing upon an unsuspecting straggler. The last thing its
victim is a woody howl of bloody triumph. Body: hears 18 Brain: 4 Nerve: 10 Job: Predatory Jungle Fungus (14) Gimmick: Camouflage (15) Weakness: Burns Like Wood (15) Skills: Bite! +3 HP: 18 YY: 1 Tagline: "Whooooooooooup!" Dumb Fact: Makes a poor building material, as the "wood" constantly seeps blood. Notes: The Bite of a Man-Eating Tree has a Damage Bonus of +3
Camouflage: The Man-Eating Tree is a cunning trickster and can easily blend in with the rest of the Jungle's mostly-benign trees. The creature makes a Gimmick roll, opposed by any observer's Brain. If the Man-Eating Tree is successful, it blends into the background, indistinguishable from a "normal" tree. Obviously, this Gimmick does not work if the Man-Eating Tree is moving or attacking. Burns Like Wood: If the Man-Eating Tree is attacked with fire make a Weakness roll. If this Weakness takes effect, the Man-Eating Tree takes double damage from the attack. Quivering Blood Gnats These tiny, dark red insects are a threat to any swamp traveler, as they infest most of Venus's swamps and bayous. The Quivering Blood Gnats (so named for the eerie, rapidly-undulating movements their swarms make, accompanied by a rising and falling buzz) travel in thick red swarms composed of thousands of individual insects. They crave warm blood, and a swarm of Quivering Blood Gnats can drain a human in seconds, leaving behind only a withered, desiccated husk. 39
The following stats are for a swarm of Quivering Blood Gnats. Treat the swarm as a single creature. As the swarm takes damage, it grows smaller and disperses. At 0 HP, the swarm breaks apart; the surviving insects are no longer a threat. Body: 6 Brain: 3 Nerve: 17 Job: Blood-Sucking Vermin (15) Gimmick: Swarm (13) Weakness: Chemical Weakness (13) Skills: Quivering +1 HP: 10 YY: 2 Tagline: *Slurp!* Dumb Fact: The people of Avrok grind masses of Quivering Blood Gnats into paste, which they use as a Lorbat aphrodisiac. Notes: Swarm: Due to its composite nature, a swarm is less vulnerable to individual attacks. It's hard to shoot a swarm of bugs with a bullet. When successfully attacked with a "single target" weapon, roll this Gimmick. If successful, the swarm only takes 1 HP of damage from the attack. "Area effect" attacks, such as fire, explosions, or gas
can bypass this Gimmick. Chemical Weakness: Quivering Blood Gnats are especially susceptible to chemical attacks (DDT, Mustard gas, etc.). When subjected to such an attack, roll this Weakness. If the Weakness takes effect, the attack's damage is doubled.
Toothbeast The Toothbeast is perhaps the most feared predator on all of Venus. Confined to no single habitat, these beasts can be found in the jungles, the swamps, and even in the mountains and plateaus. These massive monsters crave human flesh, but to be truthful they
crave the flesh of all living creatures. They are not picky eaters. A Toothbeast resembles a giant, bipedal reptile, not unlike a tyrannosaurus only bigger. It sports glistening black scales, rows and rows of shark-like teeth, three evil red eyes, and an obsidian horn jutting from its snout. Its arms are long and muscular, and its nimble hands are quite capable of shoveling unfortunate prey into its deadly maw. Body: 20 Brain: 4 Nerve: 20 Job: Alpha Predator (17) 40
Gimmick: Where Did That Come From??? (13) Weakness: Always Hungry (13) Skills: Sniff out prey +2 HP: 30 YY: 6 Tagline: "ROAR!!!" Dumb Fact: The correct plural of "Toothbeast" is "Teethbeast." Notes: The vicious teeth of a Toothbeast have a Damage Bonus of +5
Where Did That Come From???: For a creature so massive, the Toothbeast has an uncanny ability to suddenly loom out of the shadows, from around a tree, or in your rear-view mirror (not that there are cars on Venus). Roll this Gimmick to have the Toothbeast suddenly appear right behind you!!! Always Hungry: The ravenous hunger of the Toothbeast is legendary. When presented with fresh and bloody meat (say, a PC it just killed) roll this Weakness. If the Weakness takes hold, the monster will sit down and have a quick meal. This distraction will be broken if the creature is attacked while eating. Teethbeast hate having their dinners interrupted. Venusian Leopard These fierce jungle predators are the creatures that give the Leopard Women of Venus their name. Their eerie purple blood is vital in the Science Robots' transmogrification process. Unfortunate Cavernite hunters are often "honored" with the task of capturing these alpha predators and bringing them from the Jungle to the Caverns. The Venusian Leopard is a massive feline creature, ten feet long (without tail) and 800 pounds of muscle, bone, and death. Their lusterless black coats are dotted with blood red spots that shift and change with the creature's mood, and their eyes are an unsettling blue color. The high iron content of their teeth and bones make their massive saber-like fangs and wickedly-hooked
claws as strong and sharp as steel. The Leopard's strange ululating roar can make even a Greater Toothbeast freeze in its tracks. While Venusian Leopard blood is vital to the creation of Leopard Women, the mighty warrior women and these beasts feel no kinship towards each other. Body: 15 Brain: 8 Nerve: 18 Job: Jungle Predator (15) Gimmick: Fearsome Roar (14) 41
Weakness: Bloodthirsty (14) Skills: Kill +4, Stalk +4 HP: 20 YY: 4 WWPHITM?: Bagheera Tagline: "HaarrrrooOOOOooooOOOoooOOooOOoo..." Dumb Fact: Thinks humans are mighty tasty. Notes: The Venusian Leopard's metallic claws and teeth have a Damage
Bonus of +3 Fearsome Roar: When the Venusian Leopard roars, all creatures within earshot must make a Nerve check contested by the Gimmick Roll. If a listener fails, the hapless victim is frozen in fear, unable to take any actions on its next turn. The victim will remain frozen each turn until it can make a successful Nerve roll (uncontested). Once a creature resists the Venusian Leopard's roar, it is immune to further uses for the rest of the scene. Bloodthirsty: For all its cunning, the Venusian Leopard is a singleminded brute. Once it has chosen its prey, it finds it hard to do anything but fight to the death. If the Weakness takes effect, the Venusian Leopard cannot retreat or change targets until its chosen prey lies dead and bleeding.
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Chapter 5: The World Beyond Outer Space The black void beyond the skies of Venus is a source of danger and mystery. Though the human inhabitants of Venus arrived in Bible Briggs's rocket, the technology of space travel has been lost. The Science Robots salvaged the remains of the Napier for use in building the Cavern settlements. The Robots have since suppressed the science of space travel as "dangerous." The only creatures capable of traveling through space are the Flying Saurians of the Leopard Women, and even these creatures are limited to low-orbit. Interplanetary travel is impossible by all known Venusian science and magic. And yet, space is full of horrors. One of the Leopard Women's most important duties is to patrol Venus's orbit, perpetually vigilant for any dangers that might fall from the stars. Sometimes ships from other worlds appear, intent on exploiting Venus's resources. At other times rogue space probes, killer robots, alien viruses, and demons from beyond the stars tumble into the Venusian jungles.
Terrors From Outer Space At any given time, uncanny dangers menace the planet. Thankfully the Leopard Women are ever-vigilant. Game Masters are invited to use the handy chart below to figure out what Terror From Outer Space currently threatens Venus.
Terrors from Outer Space Table 1d20
My God, It’s...
1-5
Nothing. Venus is safe... for now.
6-8
Giant Kill-Bots
9-11
StarDemons
12-14
Alien Virus
15/17
Meteor Shower
18-20
Rogue Space Probe
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Giant Kill-Bot Giant Kill-Bots are 12-foottall metal monstrosities that crave human flesh. They are vaguely humanoid with massive grasping pincers and gnashing mouths full of bonegrinding teeth. Also, they breathe fire. Body: 20 Brain: 8 Nerve: 16 Job: Metal Monstrosity (16) Gimmick: I'm Huge! (15) Weakness: Ponderous (15) Skills: Destroy +5 HP: 35 YY: 5 WWPHITM?: A Ray Harryhausen creation Tagline: "Kill... rend... eat..." Dumb Fact: The Science Robots are strangely quiet on the subject of Giant Kill-Bots. Notes: The Giant Kill-Bot’s teeth and claws have a Damage Bonus of +5. Their fiery breath has a Damage Bonus of +3 but targets every opponent in a 10-foot area. Their metal carapaces give them an Armor Rating of 5.
I'm Huge!: Giant Kill-Bots are massive things possessing great strength. When trying to accomplish a physical task beyond mortal human ability you may roll this Gimmick. While performing purely mundane physical tasks you may use this Gimmick as a Second Chance roll. You may also add the Gimmick Number to Body to figure out the Giant Kill-Bot's base HP (this is already figured into the stats above). Ponderous: Giant Kill-Bots are heavy things used to the weightlessness of space. As such, they move slowly and are somewhat clumsy. Roll this Weakness before trying any task that requires speed or grace. If the Weakness takes effect, the Giant Kill-Bot crashes to the ground.
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Star Demon Star Demons are ghastly monsters from some unknown region of space. A Star Demon resembles a hideous monster head held aloft by two pairs of serrated bat wings. Three slime-dripping tentacles dangle below the creature. Star Demons always operate in packs of three to twelve.
If a Star Demon kills a human, the creature will eat the victim's head, then attach itself to the neck stump, taking control of the body. will then this host body to burst mate out withof a human and create Itmore Star use Demons, which will the human parent's stomach (male or female) in three days. The parent dies instantly, and the new Star Demons emerge fully grown and ready to kill. Body: 13 Brain: 16 Nerve: 18 Job: Predatory Parasite from Beyond the Stars (14) Gimmick: Disguise (12) Weakness: Alcohol Aversion (12) Skills: Infiltrate +2, Seduce +1 HP: 13 (but see notes) YY: 3 WWPHITM?: Robert Englund Tagline: "I feel the need. The need... to breed." Dumb Fact: Won't call you the next day. Notes: The HP listed above represents the Star Demon without a host body. When attached to a human body, add the victim's srcinal (pre-death) HP to the Star Demon's HP. A Star Demon's razor-sharp wings and nasty teeth give it a Damage Bonus of +3 Disguise: Through sophisticated voice-acting, limited shapechanging ability, and clever use of hats, the Star Demon can pass itself off as human when attached to a body. It will have no idea of the victim's personality or history, but can make a passable impression of the host. A successful Brain check against the Star Demon's Gimmick roll will see through the ruse. Alcohol Aversion: Star Demons are extremely allergic to alcohol, even something as weak as beer. If the Weakness roll takes effect, a Star Demon will be repelled by even the faintest whiff of alcohol. If the Star Demon comes in contact with alcohol, make a Weakness roll. If the Weakness succeeds, the demon will take damage equal to the roll, as the alcohol burns its flesh. 45
Alien Virus Weird diseases constantly drift down from the stars and infect large areas of Venus. Alien Viruses always manifest as a sparkling cloud of shimmering red dust, slowly drifting through the wind about three feet off the ground. Always.
If exposed to an Alien Virus, a character must make a Body roll against the Alien Virus's Virulence Number. If the Body roll wins, then the character has staved off infection. If the Virulence roll wins, then the character has become infected. The character will suffer the effect of the virus until they die or are cured. Please refer to the Random Alien Virus Effects and Random Alien Virus Cures tables on pages 47 and 48 for inspiration. Meteor Shower Giant flaming rocks fall from the sky! A meteor shower will last 1D20 minutes and cover an area 2d20 miles across. Treat the meteor shower as a character making attacks. The Meteor Shower has only one Word and Number: "Rocks Fall, Everybody Dies (13)" and a Damage Bonus of +10.
If a character is outside of sturdy shelter during a meteor shower, have the shower make an attack against them each round. The character can defend by either ducking and covering (use Body) or finding shelter (use Brain). Other Jobs or Gimmicks may apply.
Random Alien Virus Virlence Table 1d20
Virulence
1
Virulence(10)
2-3
Virulence(11)
4-5
Virulence(12)
6-8
Virulence(13)
9-11
Virulence (14)
12-14
Virulence (15)
15-17
Virulence (16)
18-19
Virulence (17)
20
Virulence(18) 46
Random Alien Virus Effects Table 1d20
Effect
1-2
Death (character loses Virulence/4 points of Body each day unless cured. At 0 Body character dies hideously)
3-4
Insanity (roll on the Random Psychosis Table)
5-6
Mutation (roll on the Random Mutation Table)
7-8
Dance Fever (Character gains the "Cannot Stop Dancing" Weakness with a Number equal to the Alien Virus's Virulence)
9-10
Frogged (Character turns into a frog* until cured)
11-12
Mostly Ghostly (Character becomes partially incorporeal and gains the "I Can't Touch This" Weakness with a number equal to the Alien Virus's Virulence)
13-14
Deep Sleep (Character falls into a coma and cannot awaken until cured)
15-16
It's My Id! (Character can no longer tell right from wrong and is totally controlled by base animal instincts until cured)
17-18
Petrified turns an inanimate(Character stone statue untilinto cured)
19-20
Synaesthesia (Character's senses are all screwed up. Character hears light, smells sound, feels scents, etc. until cured.)
*Frog Body/Brain/Nerve/HP: 2 Job: Frog (5) Skills/Gimmick/Weakness: none 47
Random Alien Virus Cure Table 1d20
TheCureIs...
1
Science!*
2
Alcohol
3
FigsandHoney
4
ChickenSoup
5
Asprin
6
BedRest
7
BreadMold
8
Sulfa-Drugs
9
The Rare Zargula Flower from the Heart of the Jungle
10 11
The Blessing of the Jungle Phantom Laughter (the Best Medicine)
12
True Love’sKiss
13
True Hate’sSlap
14
Colonic Hydrotherapy
15
Sunshine
16
Compund-N
17
Giant Spider Venom
18
Radiation from the Bio-Ray Device
19
LeopardBlood
20
Sweet Lorbat Lovin’
*A cure can only be found with cold, hard scientific study, requiring a number of hours of research equal to the Virulence of the Alien Virus and a successful Job or Skill roll with a difficulty equal to the Alien Virus's Virulence/3. 48
Random Rogue Space Probe Table 1d20
WhatTheHeck That Thing?
1-2
Old Busted Communication Satellite, mostly harmless.
3-4
Exploratory Rover, just here to look around.
5-6
Collector Probe, here to collect fauna for some weird alien zoo.
7-8
The probe is actually an alien scout ship, complete with alien conquistador here to claim Venus for its unholy empire.
9-10
11-12
Jettisoned Cargo Container from a passing rocketship. Roll on the Random Treasure Table in the QAGS 2nd Edition book to see what's in it.
Space Beacon, sending out a targeting signal to some other menace from outer space. Roll on the "Terrors From Outer Space Table to see what shows up in an hour.
Space Bacon, a metal container full of 13-14
delicious smoked meat.
15-16
Whatever it was, its reactor core is leaking and putting out weird radiation. Roll on the Random Mutation Table (page 78).
17-18
That's no probe, that's a Giant Kill-Bot!
19-20
Oh my God, it's Stardust! 49
Rogue Space Probe Outer Space is full of unknown and mysterious alien races, and these aliens often send probes out to explore the galaxy. Occasionally, these probes will crash into the Venus and cause trouble. To discover the nature of the probe, roll on the Random Rogue Space Probe Table.
Collector Probe This big, long robot has a large collection of manipulator and grabbing tentacles. It resembles nothing so much a mechanical hybrid of jellyfish and octopus. The Probe's mission is to collect various creatures from Venus and take them back to some alien zoo in a far part of the galaxy. Body: 15 Brain: 9 Nerve: 14 Job: Hunter-Trapper (15) Gimmick: Stasis Ray (13) Weakness: Overconfidence (13) Skills: Flight +3, Xenobiology +2 , Long Rang Scanners +1 HP: 20 YY: 3 WWPHITM?: Sean Connery Tagline: "A very rare specimen of Homo Sapiens Venusius! It must be mine!" Dumb Fact: Has many of the same mannerisms of a Victorian big-game hunter. Notes: Stasis Ray: The Collector Probe uses this Gimmick to attack with a crackling beam of green energy. This attack has a Damage Bonus of +5. If the attack brings a character to 0 HP, he is not killed. Rather he is placed in a state of suspended animation for a number of days equal to 20 minus his Body Number. A creature in stasis can survive the rigors of interstellar travel as the Collector Probe returns to the Galactic Zoo. Overconfidence: The concept that some puny alien creature might be able to outsmart or outfight it has never occurred to the Collector Probe.
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Alien Conquistador This alien menace has come here in his small scout ship to claim the primitive planet Venus for his home empire. The Conquistador works alone, but he is armed and armored with several high-tech devices and full of a sense of manifest destiny. Briggs, Webra, and the Science Robots would love to get their hands/claws/etc. on the conquistador's equipment. Body: 17 Brain: 15 Nerve: 19 Job: Planetary Conqueror (16) Gimmick: All Manner of High Tech Gizmos (14) Weakness: Xeno-Jingoism (14) Skills: Frontal Assault +5, Navigation +3, Treaty Negotiation +2, Surveillance +1 HP: 27 YY: 6 WWPHITM?: Dwayne Johnson Tagline: "I claim this planet in the name of the Glorious Alien Empire!" Dumb Fact: Wants to be made governor of some nice out-of-
the-way planet with beaches. Notes: The Alien Conquistador is well-equipped to conquer a planet. His baroque space armor gives him an armor rating of +5 and protects him from suffocation, disease, and other environmental hazards. His high-powered beam rifle has a Damage Bonus of +8. All Manner of High Tech Gizmos: The Alien Conquistador's collection of bizarre alien equipment functions as a kind of "Wild Card" Gimmick. If the Conquistador spends a Yum Yum, this Gimmick can become any other Gimmick with the same Number. This Gimmick lasts until the end of the scene. The Conquistador can swap out Gimmicks as often as he likes as long as he has Yum Yums to spend. Example: The Alien Conquistador needs to get to the top of a mesa. He spends a Yum Yum and transforms "All Manner of High Tech Gizmos (14)" to "Flying Jetpack (14)." Once on top of the mesa, he spots a band of Hideous Spider Priests. He spends another Yum Yum to transform "Flying Jetpack (14)" to "Invisibility Cloak (14)."
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Exploratory Rover This little robot guy is just here to look around, take pictures, and send them back to his home planet. He's not very smart, but he's kind of feisty. He's no good in a fight, but remember he's transmitting everything he sees or experiences back to his home civilization. Body: 9 Brain: 5 Nerve: 15 Documentarian (16) Job: Mobile Gimmick: All Terrain Movement (13) Weakness: Curiosity (13) Skills: Hide +3, Transmit +2, Film +1 HP: 8 YY: 1 WWPHITM?: WALL-E Tagline: "Ooh, look at that!" Dumb Fact: Homesick. Notes: All Terrain Movement: With a successful Gimmick Roll, the Rover can move through mud, underbrush, sand, snow, or any
other tricky environment without trouble. Curiosity: It killed the cat, and it's not very healthy for the Exploratory Rover. The Rover must make a Weakness check whenever it has the opportunity to investigate some new interesting thing, despite the threat to its safety.
Neighboring Planets Though the inhabitants of Venus do not communicate with other planets, the Science Robots have ways of gathering intelligence. By monitoring radio transmissions, using long-range telescopes, and interrogating visitors from other worlds, the Robots do their best to keep an eye on the neighboring worlds of Mercury, Earth, Venus, and Bloodu. Mercury With a surface temperature around 800 degrees Fahrenheit, Mercury is inhospitable to life. As far as anyone on Venus knows, the planet is completely uninhabited. Earth No one on Venus has communicated with Earth in decades. Flights out of Earth generally give Venus a wide berth, with one exception: a few years ago the thrill-seeking Earthman Space Smith and his 52
girlfriend Dianna flew their rocketship near Venus. The Leopard Women, who were conducting a routine patrol, boarded the rocket and captured Space and Dianna. Space and Dianna were able to escape from the Caverns only because of Space's transmitting belt, and because they did not encounter the Leopard Women a second time. Space Smith's high level of technology implies that the people of Earth have continued to advance. Still, anything is possible. While the fate of Earth is unknown, here are some possibilities to consider: 1. Earth is a socialist utopia where money, disease, war, and hunger are things of the past. The whole planet is united under a single benevolent democracy--a federation, if you will--dedicated to the advancement of human culture, science, and well-being. They do not miss Briggs and his followers, nor do they think much about them. 2. Earth is an apocalyptic nightmare. The permissive, secular culture quickly led to the downfall of civilization. Society has slipped into a new Dark Age. Roving bands of mutants and demons plague the blasted landscape, while small pockets of humanity
Sam Space Smith "
"
Body: 16 Brain: 11 Nerve: 15 Job: Interplanetary Explorer (14) Gimmick: Transmitting Belt (15) Weakness: Danger Magnet (15) Skills: Pilot Rocket +3, Punch +2, Flee +1, Planet Lore +1 HP: 20 YY: 6 WWPHITM?: Matt Damon Tagline: "Good gosh! We're in a tough spot!" Dumb Fact: Thinks Dianna is a great gal and all, but wouldn't mind getting to know those Leopard Women better. Notes: Transmitting Belt: Space usually wears a transmitting belt. When he is separated from his rocket, Space can use the belt to "transmit" himself back to it. By spending a Yum Yum Space can reprogram the belt to transmit to a different location, but it must be a location he has visited within the last week.
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struggle to survive among the ruins of the cities and machinery. If only they had listened to Briggs, they lament, this cataclysm could have been avoided. Mars The srcinal red planet is ruled by Skomah VIII. The first Skomah was Earth's most wanted science criminal, who fled to Mars to escape the Interplanetary Secret Service. Skomah VIII continues the family tradition of mad science. He has created a process to grow artificial life in vats, and has grown hundreds of thousands of imp men and ogres to do his bidding. Skomah VIII is dedicated to conquering the universe. He has not yet turned his sights on Venus, but who knows what the future holds?
Martian Imp Man Body: 11 Brain: 5 Nerve: 13 Job: Mindless Soldier Gimmick: Transmit Through Space (13) Weakness: Cannon Fodder (13) Skills: Bite +1, Claw +1 HP: 10 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Cutout animation Tagline: "Rrrrrrrrrrrrr!" Dumb Fact:Harbors sentimental memories of growing up in a vat. Notes: Transmit Through Space: Imp Men can transmit themselves through space using a process similar to Space's transmitting belt. Transmission occurs at roughly the speed of sound. Imp Men can only transmit in a straight line, to a pre-determined location. The ability is mainly useful for attacking ships in orbit around Mars.
Cannon Fodder: Imp Men attack in large groups. After a certain point, their numbers become meaningless. When a character makes a successful attack against an Imp Man, roll this Weakness. If the Weakness takes effect, then the attack automatically damages a number of nearby Imp Men equal to the Weakness roll. This extra damage is equal to the same amount the primary target suffered.
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Bloodu Only discovered within the last decade, Bloodu is a small planet, closer in size to a planetoid. Its name comes from its blood-red color. The surface of Bloodu is metallic and covered in wide plateaus and craters. While the exterior is too harsh to support
life, a thriving ecosystem exists in the planet's hollow interior. The native Blooduites are humanoid with long, elephantlike trunks. They are a highly advanced scientific culture. They are also obsessed with eugenics, and with proving their superiority over every other race in the universe. Every time they encounter a being from another race, they perform a blood test, judge the specimen inferior, and enslave it. They have enslaved entire races, such as the Trekurs, green thuggish creatures they use as soldiers. The Blooduites have not yet encountered any of the races of Venus.
Blooduite Body: 10 Brain: 15 Nerve: 13 Job: Scientist (13) Gimmick: Brain Leech (12) Weakness: Underestimates All Other Races (15) Skills: Eugenics +3 HP: 10 YY: 1 WWPHITM?: Crispin Glover (with a prosthetic nose) Tagline: "There is no use resisting, my friends! You must go to our royal blood-testing laboratory." Dumb Fact: Most Blooduite science is stolen from other races. Notes: Brain Leech: With a successful resisted roll, the Blooduite attaches its trunk to the target's brain. For every round until the target gets free, the target loses 1 point of Brain.
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Trekur Body: 13 Brain: 8 Nerve: 12 Job: Thug (13) Gimmick: Survive in Hostile Environment (15) Weakness: Oblivious (12) Skills: Brawling +1 HP: 13 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Peter Lorre Tagline: "Yes, my master." Dumb Fact: Starting to get skeptical about this whole "master race" thing. Notes: Survive in Hostile Environment: With a successful roll, the Trekur is immune to extreme heat, cold, pressure, or vacuum. Each time a Trekur visits a new location, roll the Gimmick. If the Trekur succeeds, he is permanently able to function in that environment with no penalty. Each roll applies only to a specific environment--just because a Trekur can endure the
Gobi Desert does not necessarily mean he can survive the fiery surface of Mercury. Oblivious: Trekur senses are notoriously dull, and they are likely to miss any but the most obvious sights, sounds, and smells around them.
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Chapter 6: Character Creation Creating a character in any role-playing game should be a collaborative experience between the player, the GM, and the other players. When everyone at the table works together to create the protagonists of the forthcoming adventures, it helps ensure that the characters mesh well. Players should work together with the GM to make sure their characters have a reason to work together--no one likes a lone wolf. It's also fun to come up with shared histories and previous experiences between different Player Characters. This he lps avoid the cliched "you all meet in a bar" scenario. When the players create their characters together, co-collaborating with the GM, it sends a message to the GM about what kind of game they want to play. A group of adventurers who all have lots of combat Words obviously want to get into a lot of fights. The GM should oblige them. If no one in the group has a character with any kind of stealth or infiltration Words, then obviously the GM shouldn't set up scenarios where the PCs are going to be required to do a lot of sneaking and trap-springing. If the team is loaded down with persuasion, seduction, and subterfuge Words, then social conflicts should be theafocus of the campaign. Of course, the PC group will probably have spread of different skills. A wise GM will rotate the focus of different scenes and adventures to make sure every player gets his or her turn in the spotlight.
Why are these characters together? It's a question any group needs to consider, especially given the wide variety of character types available in Leopard Women of Venus. A typical group will fall into one of three types: We're All Leopard Women! This is perhaps the easiest group to justify. All the PCs are Leopard Women. They work together because their masters the Science Robots tell them they have to. This kind of arrangement tends to be easy for GMs to manage, as it's very easy to get the characters into adventures. The Science Robots perceive a threat. They summon the team of Leopard Women, give them the information they need, and tell them to go take care of things. This kind of setup can get a little boring if repeated too often, so the GM will have to 57
make sure to jazz things up now and again. Players will also have to work extra hard to make sure each of their Leopard Women are distinctive from the others (see Chapter 7 for more information). This type of game is also perfect for those players who want to fully explore the social and philosophical experience of playing a mutated hyper-human whose past life has been erased from memory. We're All Part of the Same Faction!
Consider this the "default setting" for the typical Leopard Women of Venus game. Indeed, the sample adventure in Appendix 2 is based around this assumption. In this type of game, the characters all belong to the same human Venusian Faction. In most Leopard Women of Venus games, the PCs will be from the Caverns, but this need not be the case. Maybe they're warriors from Otram or citizens of Palna. Maybe they all wander the Jungles as natives of Avrok. The players and the GM should work together to decide where they want their characters to all come from. This mode of play allows for a wide variety of character types, yet still provides a logical reason for the characters to work together. For instance, a group of Otramian PCs could be a team of troubleshooters working for the King. The PCs might include a rifleman, a scout, a combat medic, a liaison from the King, and a cook. Since all the players are from the same faction, it gives them an opportunity for established relationships and shared histories. Perhaps the cook ate the rifleman's brother. Maybe the scout and the medic used to fight side by side in the Arena. Players are encouraged to work together to come up with these kinds of links, and GMs are encouraged to reward extra-creative players with more Yum Yums. We're All From Different Factions! Now we're getting tricky. This type of game allows for the greatest variety of characters, but is the hardest to justify. The GM and players will need to work together extra hard to explain why people of rival (even enemy!) factions are working together. The easiest way to do this is to follow the old adage of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." This enemy might be another faction, the monsters of Venus, horrors from outer space, or the cruel forces of nature itself.
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Take a look at the characters. Is one of the factions left unrepresented? Then perhaps that faction has access to some new power or secret that threatens all the other civilizations. The remaining factions may have forged a temporary treaty to work together against this shared menace. While not friends, the separate factions might certainly see the value of cooperation, no matter how temporary. Perhaps it will be the mission of the PCs to broker this very treaty. Or maybe, the PCs are the only ones that know about this new threat, and they must struggle against their own forces for the good of everyone! This type of set-up is great for groups that like cold war intrigue or exploring the differences between different societies. Let's not forget that Venus is home to many different threats that don't differentiate between human civilizations. The Hideous Spider Priests find humans from the Caverns just as tasty as humans from Avrok. The machinations of their evil queen constantly threaten the entirety of Venus, requiring nations to set aside their differences and work together for the one true, noble purpose: killing giant mutant spiders.
Crunchy Bits The world of Leopard Women of Venus provides an opportunity to play many, many different types of characters. You can play a hunter patrolling the Caverns for wayward monsters, a gladiator fighting in the arenas of Otram, a Lorbat handler from Avrok, or one of the fearsome Leopard Women! Throughout the "World Above" and "World Below" chapters, we have listed a variety of typical Jobs, Gimmicks, and Weaknesses for members of Venus's different human societies. While meant to be inspirational, players and GMs should not feel confined by these examples. Appendix 2 also provides a collection of pre-made Player Characters. Feel free to use these as inspiration or adopt them as your own. Players are encouraged to create their Leopard Women of Venus characters with the standard point-buy method, rather than the Qik Start character generation rules. This will allow for the maximum amount of individuality between characters. Between 80 and 110 Yum Yums should make for a nicely competent character. If players are using the Qik Start rules to create characters, then only one player should play a Leopard Woman. Since Qik Start characters only get one Gimmick and Weakness, multiple Leopard Women will have redundant abilities and lack individuality.
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ALI KAH BABLOO NE PAPH EN YAH!
"
"
Bizarre mental powers and psychic abilities were common tropes in Golden Age comics (especially for villains), and Fletcher Hanks used them in his stories. GMs might decide to allow PCs to have access to this sort of power. The GM and Players should consider the inclusion of these powers carefully. On one hand, it gives the players a few more options for their characters, which is always nice, and it fits in with the genre. On the other hand, in Leopard Women of Venus, the Leopard Women are supposed to be the main "superpower" on Venus. Including mentalism risks reducing the importance of these mighty women and their uncanny powers. Individual groups will need to weigh these pros and cons and come to a consensus. But for now, let's assume you want to use them in your game. Here, then, are the optional rules for psychic powers. Psychic powers (often called "mentalism") consist of three broad categories. Each type of psychic power requires a separate Gimmick, and usually a character will only be proficient in a single category. Telepathy includes any powers that directly affect the mind of another creature. These powers include, but are not limited to, mind-reading, thought-bombs, and hypnosis. ESP powers allow a character to extend their senses far beyond the range of normal people. Amongst other things, ESP includes farseeing, precognition, and psychometry. Telekinesis allows a psychic character to move and manipulate objects at a distance. Telekinetic powers include levitation, force fields, and psychic punches. Psychic Gimmicks are more expensive than "Normal" Gimmicks. A Psychic Gimmick only starts at 8 (as does its corresponding Weakness). Improving this Gimmick costs 3 YY per Number above 8. For instance, for a character to have an "ESP" Gimmick of 11, he would need to spend 9 YY. Buying a psychic power as a second Gimmick costs the Gimmick's Number X 6. The effectiveness of a psychic power depends on the psychic's Gimmick Number. Generally speaking, a psychic effect's Damage Bonus or Armor Rating is limited to the Gimmick Number divided by four. A power effect's ability to modify another check is limited by the same Number. For instance, a telekinetic character with a Gimmick Number of 16 could create an inertial shield with an Armor Rating of 4 or "Force Punch" someone with a Damage Bonus of +4. A psychic with an ESP Number of 10 could peek into the future and give himself a +2 against his next attack. A spy with 60
Telepathy (13) could set up a field of mental static, giving any eavesdroppers a -3 to any checks to listen in on his conversation. If a psychic character wants to attempt an effect that's exceptionally bizarre or powerful, the GM should feel free to assign a Difficulty Number to the roll and/or require the player to spend Yum Yums. The different factions have different attitudes towards psychic citizens. In the Caverns, the Science Robots consider citizens with mental powers to be a useful tool for society. The psychic effectively becomes property of the state. The Science Robots study them and use them for dangerous missions, much as they do the Leopard Women. The people of Otram do not trust psychics, and the King's Sorcerers see them as a threat to their power. Also, psychic brains are rumored to be awfully tasty. In Palna, psychics are often conscripted into the priesthood and pressed into forced meditation, focusing all their powers in an unending effort to mentally summon Stardust. Psychics have it best in Avrok. Citizens with psychic talent often become shamans, gaining access to the best hallucinogenic herbs and the sexiest Lorbats.
Aren't We Forgetting Something? Ah, but you bought Leopard Women of Venus to play a Leopard Woman of Venus, didn't you? Then you will want to continue on to the next chapter!
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Chapter 7: Playing A Leopard Woman of Venus Most characters in Leopard Women of Venus can be created without any special rules consideration, but the Leopard Women themselves are powerful, beautiful, and deadly. They require special guidance in their creation. The rest of this section assumes characters are created with the point-buy method.
Name Roll twice on the Random Leopard Woman Name Table. Combine the two names with a hyphen in the middle. For instance a roll of a 3 and 10 would give the leopard Woman the fearsome name Barbara-Helen.
Body, Brain, and Nerve Leopard Women are strong, cunning, and seductive; far more so than any mortal human. The "Leopard Woman of Venus" Gimmick (see below) represents their superhuman abilities. There is still a minimum amount of competence comes with the transformation procedure. A Leopardthat Woman character is required to have at least a Number of 8 in Body, Brain, and Nerve.
Job The fearsome Leopard Women of Venus wouldn't be nearly as effective if they were all the same. Different Leopard Women specialize in different areas of expertise. A Leopard Woman logistician will have a different set of skills and abilities from a Leopard Woman artillerist. Think about what function you want your Leopard Women to perform within the amazonian ranks, and decide what Job best encapsulates that idea. Want a Leopard Woman who is sneaky, watchful, and stealthy? Choose "Leopard Woman Scout" for her Job. Want a Leopard Woman who wades into battle with comet fire blazing and radium sword singing? "Leopard Woman Shock Trooper" is the Job for you!
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Random Leopard Woman Name Table 1d20
Hello,MyNameIs...
1
Mary
2
Betty
3
Barbara
4
Shirley
5
Patricia
6
Dorothy
7
Joan
8
Margaret
9
Nancy
10
Helen
11
Carol
12
Joyce
13 14
Doris Ruth
15
Lois
16
Marilyn
17
Elizabeth
18
Jean
19
Martha
20
Dolores
Gimmick and Weakness Leopard Women are limited in their choices of Gimmick and Weakness. Such is the price of power and glory. All Leopard Woman characters must take "Leopard Woman of Venus!" as their first Gimmick. Additionally, all Leopard Women characters must take "Blinded Me with Science!" as their first Weakness. It is recommended that Leopard Women buy a second, mundane Weakness and Gimmick if they have the Yum Yums to spare. This will help make sure that multiple Leopard Women are still fairly unique. Regardless, the mundane Gimmick and Weakness cannot have Numbers higher than the two required Words. 63
Leopard Woman of Venus! You have been subjected to the uncanny transformational technology of the Science Robots. Now you are one of the mighty Leopard Women of Venus. You are stronger, faster, and smarter than your mundane human counterparts. When trying to accomplish a task beyond mortal human ability (lifting a boulder, out-running a hovercar, working out Pi to the 999th digit in your head) you may roll this Gimmick. While performing purely mundane tasks (moving a sofa, racing to catch an elevator door,
doing long division in your head) you may use this Gimmick as a Second Chance roll. If you take this Gimmick, you are required to take the "Blinded Me with Science!" Weakness. Blinded Me with Science! You have been subjected to the uncanny transformational technology of the Science Robots. While you are now one of the mighty Leopard Women of Venus, the procedure has had a detrimental effect to your psyche. All memory of your past life has been shrouded by chemical fog and robot hypnosis. Whenever you try to remember even the most trivial of details about your past
life, you must roll to see if this Weakness takes effect. If so, then the memories escape you. Such lost memories occasionally emerge as haunting nightmares, half-forgotten in morning's light. Once per game session, the GM may have you roll this Weakness while your character sleeps. If it takes effect, your character is plagued by nightmares of your past life. You'll forget the details in the morning, but you will be unable to spend Yum Yums until your character gets a good night's sleep. One more thing--characters with this Weakness are fanatically loyal to the Science Robots. If they wish to argue with, disobey, or take any offensive action against a Science Robot, they must roll against this Weakness first. 64
Leopard Women Gear The Leopard Women of Venus are justly famous for using some of the most powerful and distinctive equipment in the known galaxy. These strange devices were created by the Science Robots for use in protecting the Caverns and, indeed, all civilized humanity. Only the Leopard Women are authorized to use these items. Anyone else caught using such gear is probably a spy or Fifth Columnist, and is subject to immediate execution. Leopard Woman Uniform When a Leopard Woman finishes her transmogrification into her new life, she is presented with her uniform. This skin-tight leather catsuit is crafted from the hide of the same leopard whose blood was used in the transformation process. The suit varies in color from hot-pink to deep mauve. Circular spots run down the arms, legs, sides, and backs of the uniform, and shift with the Leopard Woman's mood. The form-fitting suit allows for maximum freedom of movement and is comfortable in all manner of weather.
The Cavern citizens colloquially refer to the Leopard Women's uniforms as "the cat’s pajamas," but they never say this where the Leopard Women can hear them. On the rare occasions when a Leopard Woman is not on duty (recovering from injury, celebrating certain holidays, or visiting the Pleasure Pits) she typically wears a simple dress in a solid color and sensible shoes. Comet Fire Helmet This unusual weapon is the most fearsome trademark of Leopard Women. Each helmet is attuned to a specific Leopard Woman and is presented to her at the end of her training and initiation. A Leopard Woman's comet fire helmet is her symbol of honor, and to lose one's helmet is the greatest of shames.
The comet fire helmet consists of a leather helmet, much like an aviator's helmet, which buckles under the chin. The inside of the helmet is laced with intricate psionic circuitry. A slightly tapered barrel about two feet long protrudes from the forehead of the helmet. The circuity in the helmet taps into the residual Compound-N radiation left in the Leopard Woman's brain from the transformation process and channels it into a focusing chamber at the end of the barrel. This energy is then released and directed out the barrel as a fiery packet of solid destructive energy ("comet fire"). 65
The comet fire helmet has a Damage Bonus of +6. It can only be fired every other round, as it takes a full round for the helmet to collect energy. Radium Sword This melee weapon greatly resembles a classic medieval broadsword with a few key differences. The three-foot blade is crafted from glowing white radium, and the hilt and scabbard are made of lead to protect the wielder from excess radiation. The
combination of dense metal, razor-sharp construction, and glowing radiation allows the radium sword to cut through almost any substance without resistance. The radium sword has a Damage Bonus of +4 and can ignore any and all Armor Rating the target might have. Poison Whip This wicked weapon resembles a cat o' nine -tails crafted out of dark green leather and studded with black metal barbs. In fact, the poison whip is made from the barbed tongues of the elusive serpentwolves that lurk in the quagmires of the western swamps. After curing for three months in an infusion of Giant Spider venom,
arsenic, andwhips mysterious compounds knownhandles only to and the Science Robots, the are fitted with engraved ready for use against enemies of the Caverns. The poison whip has a Damage Bonus of +3 and the Gimmick Poison (10). If the whip damages a target, make a Gimmick roll against the victim's Body. If the Gimmick wins, the target takes extra damage equal to difference between the rolls. Armor does not reduce this poison damage. “
”
Beam Pistol The beam pistol is a hand-sized firearm crafted of bronze-colored metal. The curves and bulges of the weapon lend it an organic
look. A trigger button is embedded on the ergonomic grip, and the short barrel ends in a circular emitter dish. When the button is depressed, the miniature atomic reactor within the pistol's casing unleashes a pulse of destructive energy that is focused through the emitter dish into a cohesive beam of deadly radiation. The beam pistol is highly accurate and especially lethal to organic life. Its miniaturized reactor provides the weapon with unlimited ammunition and a 4000 year half-life. The beam pistol gives its user a +1 bonus to attack and has a +4 Damage Bonus against organic targets. Against non-organic targets, the Damage Bonus drops to +0. 66
Flying Saurians Flying Saurians are bred by the Science Robots to serve as the elite mounts of the Leopard Women. These reptilian creatures have long, slender bodies, gangly limbs, tapering tails, and disturbingly simian faces. The strange chemical compounds in their blood allow them to tap into the planet's magnetic field, enabling them to fly through the air and even into the depths of space.
A Flying Saurian is strong enough to carry a single person on its back. A Leopard Woman typically stands upright on the Saurian's back with one foot on either side of the ridge that runs down the creature's spine. Flying Saurians can survive the rigors of outer space, and a low-level psychic link allows them to extend this protection to their riders.
Flying Saurian Body: 13 Brain: 6 Nerve: 11 Job: Airborne Hunter (13) Gimmick: Flight (16) Weakness: Clumsy on the Ground (16) Skills: Evasive Maneuver +2 HP: 13 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Rubber Model Tagline: "Hsssssssss..." Dumb Fact:More closely related to Earth'slatypuses p than reptiles. Notes: Flight: The Flying Saurian can fly at fantastic speeds thanks to magnetic levitation. The creature can even escape the atmosphere. This Gimmick protects the Saurian and its rider from the rigors of outer space and reentry. Use this Gimmick for any rolls involving chases or maneuvers while in flight.
Clumsy on the Ground: While perfectly adapted for flight, the Flying Saurian's long, spindly limbs and low-slung body makes it ill-suited for movement on the ground. Roll this Weakness before the Flying Saurian tries to do anything on the ground that involves speed or grace. If the Weakness takes effect, the attempted action automatically fails.
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Chapter 8: How to Be a Fletcher Hanks Game Master (Without Drinking or Neglecting your Family) The GM is responsible for ensuring that her players have a proper Fletcher Hanksian experience. Since most people have not read Hanks's work, andseem those who have often proposition. find it strange or offputting, this may like a challenging Fortunately, running Leopard Women of Venus is easy if you follow a few simple rules. Just remember: if the game seems too weird, you're probably doing it right.
Character Before you begin planning your game, ask the players what sort of characters they want to play. If everyone is willing to play a Leopard Woman, it will be easy to assemble the PC group. The Science Robots call the Leopard Women in and hand them their new assignment, and the story is underway. If one player wants to play an Otramite and another wants to play an Avrokian, you will have more of a challenge on your hands, as you will have to assemble a group of characters who hate each other. Discuss these matters with the players ahead of time so that you can figure out a logical way to get the PCs together and, more importantly, keep the group together. While a group of characters that hate each other can add interest to the game, we do not encourage Player Versus Player games. The PCs need a common goal important enough to keep them together. Some role-playing games emphasize nuanced, multi-faceted characters. This is not one of those games. The people of Venus are constantly fighting to stay alive and do not have the time for a lot of nuance. Characters should have clear personalities, and character growth over time is always a plus, but the emphasis in the game is more on the characters' actions than on their internal lives.
Plot Plotting was never Fletcher Hanks's strong point. In the Space Smith story that inspired this game, the plot goes like this: Space and Dianna are flying near Venus; Leopard Women attack; Space and Dianna are taken prisoner; Space and Dianna escape; they fly away. Change the name of the planet and the name of the enemy 68
and you have the plot of every Space Smith story. Similarly, all the Stardust stories are about Stardust observing evil, flying to Earth, and punishing the evil-doers in colorful ways. Keep in mind, though, that Fletcher Hanks's stories were usually only about six pages long. Considering how short they were, they covered a lot of ground. Since your game session will probably be several hours long, your goal is to fill it with as many interesting people, places, and things as possible. Don't waste your time planning out an elaborate storyline like, for instance, a murder mystery with carefully-placed clues that the PCs must piece together. Instead, send the PCs through a string of bizarre encounters. Every session of Leopard Women of Venus should include terrifying monsters, colorful locales, startling imagery, and violence. There should also be an element of randomness. If the game slows down, roll on the Random Mutant Animal Monstrosity Table (page 76) or
Possible Plot Ideas for Your Campaign 1. Otram discovers a super-weapon that will allow it to devastate the Caverns 2. The Moglugs are prepared to make their move against the other races of Venus 3. A previously unknown army from the other side of the planet is approaching 4. The rulers of Bloodu attempt to enslave the Leopard Women 5. Skomah VIII transmits his Martian Imp Men to conquer Venus 6. The broken down Bio-Ray Device is reaching critical mass and causing even more mutations in an even wider area than usual 7. The Bio-Ray Device achieves sentience and declares itself ruler of Venus 8. A Leopard Woman begins to question her Science Robot masters 9. Compound-N has made Venus unstable, and the planet is set to explode 10. Stardust the Super Wizard is coming to judge the people of Venus 69
have the PCs encounter Compound-N and roll on the Compound-N Effects Table (page 77). Not sure how to come up with a non-stop string of insane events? Steal some ideas. It is less important that your ideas are srcinal and more important that they are interesting. Fletcher Hanks recycled standard pulp science fiction tropes in his stories and, through his singular artistic vision, transformed them into something unique. Read Golden Age comic book stories, watch B-movies, and look at the covers of old science fiction pulp magazines for ideas. Mix these disparate elements together, simmer, and serve. When the time comes to run your game, don't get bogged down in details. Act! Don't think!
Tone While character and plot are secondary in a Leopard Women of Venus game, setting the right tone is crucial. The appropriate tone for a Leopard Women game is pulpy but not campy. The difference between the two is significant. Camp provides a knowing wink at the audience, an acknowledgement that the subject matter is silly. The GM of a campy game would say, in essence, "Here's a Kill-bot from outer space. Isn't that stupid? Ha, ha! Let's laugh at how ridiculous these old genre elements are." The GM of a pulpy game, however, would say, "Here's a Kill-bot from outer space. You may think that's stupid, but you can go to hell, because I know that it is AWESOME." Just because the game is pulpy, though, does not mean that it should be childlike or innocent. When we look back at pulp science fiction, we often think of cheesy square-jawed heroes brandishing ray guns at monsters. That element is certainly there, but look at some lurid old pulp covers, and you will see that things were not always wholesome. Sometimes the pictures are creepy and offputting. Sometimes it's horrifying alien vistas you'd never want to see, or hideous pulsating brains, or slimy eugenicists wanting to vivisect nubile Earth girls. Embrace that off-putting element that makes you slightly queasy at the same time that it gets your blood racing. The tone of a Leopard Women of Venus game session should be, like a Fletcher Hanks comic, both wondrous and slightly disturbing. Don't hold back on either the awe-inspiring or the off-putting moments. Go all out on everything. A Leopard Women game that is simply "over-the-top" is not over-the-top enough. 70
The GM should discuss the game's tone with players ahead of time to make sure that everyone is on the same page. For instance, players may be under the impression that this is a comedy game. While there should certainly be funny moments, Leopard Women should not be played exclusively for laughs. There are dark, creepy elements throughout. And though the setting is extreme, and frequently breaks the laws of science, it should be internally consistent, at least in terms of its own twisted logic. The inhabitants of Venus don't think of themselves as absurd. To them, Quivering Blood Gnats are a part of everyday life. Your job as GM is to present the game's bizarre elements mostly with a straight face. Let the players grow comfortable with the setting. Then destroy their expectations and present them with a horrifying new danger, because no one can stay comfortable for long on Venus.
Setting Venus is colorful and magical and filled with endless surprises and, at the same time, it is a diabolical nightmare world. It may be helpful to think of Venus as a character, a character that seems simple-mindedly devoted to torturing and killing. No civilization thrives on Venus; all they can do is struggle to survive. Venus is run through with Compound-N, a fertile plot device that seems to ignore the laws of physics and biology. Compound-N warps reality around itself and, like Venus, seems almost malicious. Compound-N is a handy justification for plot twists. The only rule it follows is that it will never, ever work exactly as the PCs expect. Any time the characters travel anywhere across Venus, they should encounter something exotic, be it a river of tar, a mountain of 71
bones, or a deserted underground city. Be sure to include descriptive details. Never just tell the players that they are traveling through a jungle; mention the carnivorous plants, the mushrooms with blinking eyes, and the pervasive smell of blood. Keep in mind that the places described in this book cover only a tiny fraction of Venus's surface, and there are countless wonders and horrors lurking out beyond the edge of the map.
Theme
Unlike many pulpy adventure games, Leopard Women of Venus does not really emphasize the theme of Good Vs. Evil. If anything, the conflict between the Caverns and Otram is more like Pretty Bad Vs. Even Worse. While Fletcher Hanks incorporates morality plays into his work, particularly the Stardust and Fantomah stories, he focuses more on violent retribution than on any really convincing vision of "good." As such, Leopard Women of Venus is more about surviving in a hostile environment than about making the world a better place. Don't get us wrong, it's possible for Leopard Women to be heroic. They are fully capable of showing kindness or compassion. In many cases, it will be up to the Leopard Women to save the people of the Caverns, or even Venus itself. At the end of the day, though, the Leopard Women are brainwashed pawns of heartless robot overlords. To be true heroes they would need to be free to make their own choices, a scenario that is not likely to come up in a oneshot game.
One-Shot vs. Campaign If you want to run a single session of Leopard Women of Venus, you're in luck--we have provided a sample adventure in Appendix 2. Read over it, run it, and enjoy. If, however, you want to run more than one adventure, you will need to begin collecting delirious sleep-deprived ideas for your own stories. Eventually, you may want to commit to a Leopard Women of Venus campaign. In RPG terminology, a campaign is an ongoing game made up of many sessions. It generally focuses on the same group of characters, though the cast can evolve over time, like on a TV show. If a session is a single episode of a TV show, a campaign is a whole series. A campaign gives the players the chance to develop characters and let them grow.
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Traditionally, many GMs like to plan out the overarching shape of a campaign before they begin. For Leopard Women of Venus, it is best not to do too much planning. Look over the list of Possible Plot Ideas for Your Campaign and see if any of them strike your fancy. Once you've got a general idea, try not to worry too much about the big picture. Focus on one game session at a time. Let the PCs' actions surprise you and lead you along unexpected paths. In a one-shot game, it is likely that a Leopard Woman will fail a "Blinded Me With Science!" Weakness roll, and suffer from haunting nightmares about her past life. This will generally be an interesting side note rather than a key point in the adventure. If you are running a campaign, though, the PCs will continue to fail these rolls, and the issue of the Leopard Women's missing memories will become more pressing. Eventually the players may want their characters to question the Science Robots. This will be difficult for the Leopard Women at first, because of their "Blinded Me With Science!" Weakness, but allow them to pursue the idea if they wish. Eventually you may come down to a confrontation between the Leopard Women and the Science Robots. Can the Leopard Women overthrow their masters? Do the people of the Cavern need the Science Robots to keep their society running? Will the PCs be put down, and the players forced to roll up new characters? Only you and your players can answer these questions.
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How to Prepare for Your Game Session 1. Take in some trashy genre fiction. If possible, read some Fletcher Hanks comics. Other Golden Age comics, B-movies, and the novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs also work well. 2. Stay up too late. If possible, stay up late watching trashy sci-fi movies until your head is awash in unsettling images. Before you go to bed, scrawl down some game ideas on a piece of paper. This may be done on a random scrap of paper, in a battered notebook, or on a napkin. Do not use any sort of professional looking notebook, and do not worry about making sense of the ideas. 3. Get some sleep. Have strange dreams. 4. Wake up and write down what you remember from your dreams on the scrap of paper. Put the paper away. 5. Let some time pass. As you go about your life, periodically take a moment or two to think about your ideas for the game, but do not write anything down. 6. Approximately one hour before it is time to run your game, get out the scrap of paper with your notes on it. Read over it with a mounting sense of horror that you have almost nothing planned. 7. Ingest some caffeine. Feel your heart race as panic sets in. 8. Quickly try to shape your random, almost incoherent notes into something you can use. Develop a few of the images into solid ideas. Imagine a way that you could, theoretically, string together these disjointed ideas into a story. 9. Realize that, even though you are not ready, it is time to run the game. Vow to lean heavily on the random tables in the back of the book. Let go of your preconceptions. 10. Run the hell out of that game.
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Appendix 1: More Random Tables Life on Venus is fast, dangerous, and extremely random. At any moment, an unspeakable monstrosity may lunge out of the foliage, or an encounter with Compound-N may provoke a sudden mutation. If your game slows down, roll on one of these random tables to add in an element of surprise.
Random Mutant Animal Monstrosity Table 1d20
It’sComingRightforUs!
1
Bearbat
2
Bearsnake
3
Bearephant
4
Bearcow
5
Rhinobear
6
Hawkbear
7
Wolfbat
8
Wolfsnake
9
Wolftopus
10
Rhinowolf
11
Beewolf
12
Rhinobee
13
Elepheel
14
Octophant
15
Snakebat
16
Snakehound
17
Beehound
18
Bathound
19
Wolfcow
20
Cowsnake 75
For every hour a human being is in direct contact with Compound-N, or directly exposed to the radiation from Compound-N, they must roll on the Compound-N Effects Table
Compound-N Effects Table 1d20
Effect
1-6
Nothing happens
7-8
Subject develops neurosis
9-11
Subject develops psychosis (roll on Psychosis Table)
12-13
Subject experiences allergic reaction (1/4 1d20 points damage)
14-15
Paralysis (whole body)
16-17
Paralysis (only part of body; roll on Body Table)
18-19
Subject bursts into flames
20
Subject experiences mutation (roll on Mutation Table)
Random Body Part Table 1d20
BodP yart
1-2
Head
3-4
Torso
5-6
LeftArm
7-8 9-10
RightArm LeftLeg
11-12
RightLeg
13-14
BothArms
15-16
BothLegs
17-18
Right Side of Body
19-20
Left Side of Body 76
Random Psychosis Table 1d20
Psychosis
1
Auditory hallucinations (friendly)
2
Auditory hallucinations (threatening)
3
Auditory hallucinations (telling subject to do terrible things)
4
Visual hallucinations (pleasant)
5
Visual hallucinations (unpleasant)
6
Tactile hallucinations
7
Olfactory hallucinations
8
Phobias
9 10
Multiple Personality Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
11
Megalomania
12
Monomania
13
Nymphomania
14
Beatlemania
15
Paranoia
16
Sociopathy
17
Necrophagia
18
Munchausen Syndrome
19
Tourette's Syndrome
20
Jerusalem Syndrome
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Random Mutation Table 1d20
Mutation!
1
Skin changes color
2
Accelerated aging (add 1d20 years)
3
Age regression (subtract 1d20 years)
4
Increased intelligence (increase Brain 1/4 1d20)
5
Decreased intelligence (decrease Brain 1/4 1d20)
6
Enhanced strength (increase Body 1/4 1d20)
7
Decreased strength (decrease Body 1/4 1d20)
8
Turn into an animal
9
Turn into an insect
10
Growhorns
11
Growwings
12
Become a freakish monstrosity (details are GM's choice)
13
Turn invisible
14
Grow to enormous size
15
Shrink to tiny size
16
Head expands to enormous size
17
Head becomes an insect head
18
Body turns to goo (subject is still alive but cannot move under own power)
19
Changesex
20
Acquire amazing super-powers
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Random Hideous Death Table 1d20
WhatHappened?
1
You are torn apart by Ape-Things!
2
You placed into permanent orbit around the sun!
3
You are thrown into a volcano!
4
You are frozen solid in a block of ice!
5
You are devoured by spiders!
6
You are transformed into a rat, yet you keep your human face!
7
Your skeleton tears away from your own flesh!
8
Gravity is reversed, and you fly off to die in the vacuum of space!
9
Your spine is crushed by giant hands!
10 11 12
You are transformed into a worm! You melt into a puddle as you break down into individual atoms! Your head is torn off, but remains alive and sentient! Death would have been easier!
13
Your body inflates until you explode like a balloon!
14
You are transformed into a tree, then chewed to death by space beavers!
15
Your blood turns to acid, and you are dissolved from the inside out!
16
You rapidly age until you are nothing but a withered, dead skeleton!
17
You rapidly de-age until you are nothing but a quivering, unviable zygote!
18
Your body is turned inside out, and you explode in a shower of viscera!
19
You are swept high into the air by giant vultures, then released, and you plummet to your death!
20
Roll twice and combine the results!
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"
Appendix 2: Sample Adventure Menace from Space!
"
WARNING! This section is for Game Masters only. If you are a player, read no further, lest Stardust come down and toss you into
a volcano. "Menace from Space!" is an introductory adventure for Leopard Women of Venus. The adventure is more linear than QAGS games typically should be, but its main purpose is to introduce new players and GMs to the different factions of Venus and the threats found in the savage Jungle. There are still plenty of opportunities for players to go "off the rails," so GMs should be ready for all the improvisation and seat-of-the-pants storytelling that is the hallmark of a successful QAGS game. This adventure is written with the assumption that all the PCs are citizens of the Caverns, if not Leopard Women themselves. New players are invited to use the sample PCs in Appendix 3 if they do not feel like creating their own. With a little work--mostly changing the factions of the opposing GMCs--this adventure can be modified to suit PC groups from other human settlements.
Adventure Synopsis This adventure is broken down into various scenes. One scene will more or less flow into the other, barring the inevitable derailment by the players. Consider this scene structure as a soft guide, not as hard directions. Scene 1: Something from outer space has crashed into the jungles of Venus. The Science Robots send the PCs to retrieve it. Scene 2: PCs run into some big dangerous thing on the way to the crash site. Scene 3: At the crash site, the space object is gone. Several dead Palnans are torn apart on the ground. A band of Otramites attack! Scene 4: Something has dragged the space object into the jungle. While following the tracks, the PCs encounter a wandering band of Avrokians.
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Scene 5: The tracks lead to ancient ruins. The space object turns out to be a deactivated Giant Kill-Bot! A spider priest has decorated it with psycho-mystic runes, and wants to activate it under his control! It's time to stomp some spiders!
Scene 1 The adventure opens with the PCs called before the Science Robots. The PCs enter a large circular room lit by a single spotlight in the ceiling. The five robots stand in the shadows, looking down upon the humans with cold metallic eyes. Leopard Women, and possibly some of the warrior characters, are used to this sort thing. This is a new experience for any other characters, and they are probably wondering why they have been summoned for a mission. Maybe they were chosen because of their specialized skills, or maybe because they're just expendable. The reason will not be explained to them, for the Robots' motives are inscrutable. After the characters stew for a few moments, the Science Robots address the assembled party. Their voices are cold, hollow, and authoritative. Each robot takes its turn speaking, seemingly at random, sometimes switching mid-sentence. "Human citizens. One hour ago, our scanners detected a mysterious object falling from outer space. This object has crashed into the Jungle many miles from here. The nature of this object is unknown, but it must be in our possession before it falls into the hands of our enemies. Go, fetch it now! The security of the Caverns depends on it." A pedestal rises from the floor. A map sits on top of the pedestal with a large red "X" marking the crash site, about a day's journey away through the Jungle. The actual location isn't narratively important. If any player asks, the GM should just choose a random spot on the map on page 10 about an inch from the Caverns. The Science Robots will answer anyhuman!" questions. Their answer is "That is not fornot you to know, The PCs patent are free to refuse the Robots' orders, but then they will probably be arrested under suspicion of being a Fifth Columnist. The Robots expect them to leave immediately. The PCs each receive a backpack containing a blanket, a towel, a book of matches, a small flashlight, and enough food pellets and hydrotabs for seven days. One PC gets 50 feet of silk rope. Leopard Women, of course, have their Comet Fire Helmets and maybe another weapon if the GM is feeling nice. Any other PCs will have equipment appropriate to their Jobs (medical kit for a doctor, rifle 81
for a hunter, etc.). The GM should reward Yum Yums to any player who acts appropriately frightened and deferential to their mighty mechanical overlords. Those Yum Yums are bound to come in handy.
Scene 2 The PCs set off from the Caverns and into the Jungle. As they pass the outer gates, the guards give them the same kind of look you give a funeral procession. Certainly no one expects the characters to return alive. Thus is life on Venus. Looking out across the rolling jungle hills, sharp-eyed characters can spot a thin smudge of smoke far on the horizon in the direction of the crash site. Whatever fell must have been large and hot! The PCs are not given any kind of vehicle, for transports are few and far between on Venus. (If any Leopard Women ask about their Flying Saurians, the GM should tell them they are sick with scale fever right now.) The party will have to walk. It will take them the better part of a day and a half to get to the crash site. It will remain daylight the entire time. Several hours into their journey, the PCs find themselves deep within the Jungle. The GM should emphasize how hot, muddy, and bug-infested the jungle is. There are no paths or trails on their route, so they have to hack, cut, and shoot their way along. Just when things seem to be at their least pleasant, they are attacked by a terrible Venusian Leopard! Use the stats from page 41 for the beast. The creature tries to sneak up on the group in an attempt to get a sneak attack against the tastiest looking PC. Roll the Leopard's Job plus "Stalk" Skill. Have the PCs roll Brain or another appropriate Word. If any PC beats the Leopard, they can shout to warn their friends. If none of the PCs spot the beast, it can make a single unopposed attack against a PC. On the second round (or first round, if it was spotted) the Leopard uses its "Fearsome Roar" Gimmick to try and freeze a PC for another unresisted attack the following round. After that it's a straight up brawl. Once the Leopard is down to 5 HP, it will consider escaping, but will need to overcome its "Bloodthirsty" Weakness first. The Venusian Leopard carries nothing of value, but its pelt might make a neat rug if properly treated. The Leopard is a doughty foe, but the PCs outnumber it. Give one Yum Yum to any surviving characters. 82
At some point, the PCs will have to camp out in the Jungle. It's still broad daylight (Venusian days last several months, remember) but exhaustion will make sleep come easy enough. Nothing will accost them while they sleep, unless the GM thinks they had too easy a time with the Leopard. In that case, toss a Man-Eating Tree at them or something.
Scene 3 Eventually, the PCs come upon the crash site. Trees are knocked down for several hundred yards all around, and a large, 50-yardwide crater sits in the middle of the devastation. The ground and trees still smoke and smolder. There is no sign of whatever crashed here. But that's not all there is to see here. Six dead humans lie scattered around the site, four males and two females. Their manner of dress and collection of religious trinkets distinguish them as citizens of Palna. It doesn't look like they died from the crash; in fact, given the lack of decay it looks like they've only been dead a few hours. The PCs don't know it, but these are the remains of a Palnan party sent to retrieve the crashed object, just like the PCs were. The marks on the bodies suggest that they've all been killed by savage beasts. There are also signs of poison for those that have the right Words to look for it. At least three of the bodies have been totally drained of blood. If the PCs search thoroughly, they will find a battered but still functional lightning gun. The damaged gun works, but will explode on a Bad Break, inflicting 6 HP of damage on the user. The PCs find drag marks leading from the crash site farther into the Jungle. It looks like something large and heavy was dragged along the ground. It should be easy enough to follow. It's about this time that the PCs are attacked by Otramites.
Scene 4 The people of Otram are not known for their subtlety or cunning. Therefore there is no chance of the Otramites surprising the PCs. They are quite noisy. In fact, have the PCs make Brain (or whatever) rolls with a difficulty of 5. If they succeed, they hear the approaching Otramites with enough time to set up their own ambush!
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The Otramites are not in a mood to parlay. They've had a rough time in the jungle and they want to get whatever fell from the sky and bring it back to their king. Also, they are hungry, and a bunch of nice soft Cavern folk sound tasty right about now. Also, they've never eaten a Leopard Woman before, and that sounds appetizing. There is one Otramite per PC. Use the stats for "Average Otramite" as found on page 24. They are all armed with laser rifles and will fight to the death. This is a tough but even fight. If the PCs come through it, give them all two Yum Yums, more if they were exceptionally clever. Those laser rifles are bound to come in handy, too.
Scene 5 The drag marks are easy to follow. Whatever it was cleared a nice path through the jungle, so it's a fairly easy walk for once. A skilled tracker can determine that whatever made the path came through not quite a day ago. After a couple of more hours, the PCs happen upon a party of Avrokians. These folks are just passing through and have no interest in the mysterious object from space. The Avrokians are all members of the Silverfarb tribe, and there are four of them plus their pet Lorbat. They are taking the Lorbat (named "Buddy") to meet with another family so they can trade. No one has been able to impregnate this Lorbat, and they want to try with another. The Avrokians have no interest in fighting the PCs and have nothing of value except from some baskets of fruit (a present for the other family) and a small collection of Lorbat pornography (for personal use). If the PCs attack them anyway, use the stats for "Average Avrokians" on page 26. The Avrokians will try and escape if they can, but will fight with knives (Damage Bonus +2) otherwise. If the PCs talk with the Avrokians, the tribesmen will tell them that they saw a group of hideous Giant Spiders dragging a large metal object (over 10 feet long!) along this path several hours ago. If the PCs resolve this scene peacefully, give them two Yum Yums each. If it comes to blows, give them one Yum Yum each, but only if it winds up being very entertaining.
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Scene 6 Now, at last, the PCs come to the end of their search. The trail comes upon a clearing in the Jungle. This clearing is filled with the shattered ruins of a once-great temple from some lost civilization that even the Giant Spiders don't remember. Broken pillars of weird green stone lie scattered about the rocky ground accompanied by large granite slabs etched with giant runes in an inhuman language no one understands. Laying across a large stone altar is a 12-foot-tall mechanical humanoid--a Giant Kill-Bot! Luckily for the PCs, the machine is deactivated. Unluckily for the PCs, the machine was brought here by Giant Spiders! A Hideous Spider Priest named "Chl'Huuurrrr" dragged the Kill-Bot here with the aid of three Giant Spiders. The Kill-Bot was damaged in the crash and is no longer activated. Chl'Huuurr has laid the machine upon the altar and has painted psycho-magical sigils all over its body with the blood of the dead Palnans. The Priest wants to use a "magical" ritual to reactivate the Kill-Bot and place it under his control. Whether or not this will work is left up to the individual GM, but it should be noted that Hideous Spider Priests are not known for their technological acumen. The PCs will very likely have to fight the Hideous Spider Priest and the three Giant Spiders if they want to capture the Kill-Bot. Giant Spiders are not prone to negotiation, and it is unlikely the PCs have anything to bargain with. Trickery, however, is always an option. Use the stats for the Giant Spiders and Hideous Spider Priests on pages 31 and 32 for Chl'Huuurr and his assistants. However the PCs defeat the spiders, give them each three Yum Yums. Once the spiders are dealt with, the PCs have to figure out a way to drag the Giant Kill-Bot back to the Caverns. Their best bet might be to build some kind of travois or cart from the materials in the jungle. A techno-savvy character might try to repair the Kill-Bot just enough to get it to walk again, but that's a dangerous proposition at best. Time to spend those Yum Yums! Regardless of how they do it, once the PCs get the Kill-Bot back to the Caverns, the Science Robots will thank them politely for their service to the community and reward them with a day off of work. What more could they ask for?
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Appendix 3: Sample PCs The characters in this appendix are just a few examples of the types of characters you might play in a Leopard Women of Venus game. These characters are all built on a budget of 90 Yum Yums, and they are all citizens of the Caverns. Feel free to share your own Leopard Women of Venus characters with us at www.HexGames.com!
Betty-Joan , a Leopard W oman of Venus Body: 15 Brain: 12 Nerve: 14 Job: Leopard Woman Tactician (12) Gimmick: Leopard Woman of Venus (10), Highly Efficient (5) Weakness: Blinded Me With Science! (10), Unimaginative (5) Skills: Observation +2, Judo +1, Rousing Oratory +1 HP: 15 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Gina Torres Tagline: "You are a threat to the stability of the Caverns. You must burn." Dumb Fact: Has a tattoo of a unicorn that she doesn't show people. Equipment: Comet Fire Helmet (Damage Bonus +6, can only fire every other round)
Digger Dan Leary, an engineer
"
"
Body: 13 Brain: 15 Nerve: 11 Job: Engineer (14) Gimmick: The Right Tool for the Right Job (14) Weakness: Curiosity Killed the Dan (14) Skills: Hit Things With Hammer +2, Talking With Bureaucrats +2, Banjo +1, Cavern Lore +1 HP: 13 YY: 1 WWPHITM?: Nathan Fillion Tagline: "Yeah, that should work." Dumb Fact: Has built a better mousetrap and hopes to get a chance to show it to the Science Robots. Equipment: Unnecessarily large hammer (Damage Bonus +3), Tool Kit
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Dr. Jack Patchem, a physician Body: 11 Brain: 16 Nerve: 14 Job: Physician (15) Gimmick: Astounding Leaps of Logic (12) Weakness: Paranoia (12) Skills: Listening +3, Paperwork +3, Venusian History +3 HP: 11 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Jeffrey Combs Tagline: "Trust me. I'm a doctor." Dumb Fact: Actually is being watched... by robots. Equipment: Medical Kit, Stethoscope
Mark Hunter, a ranger Body: 15 Brain: 13 Nerve: 14 Job: Ranger (14) Gimmick: Trick Shot (13) Weakness: magnet Skills: SneakMonster Attack +2, Bird (13) Calls +1, First Aid +3 HP: 13 YY: 2 WWPHITM?: Thomas Jane Tagline: "Something's coming...Get down!" Dumb Fact: Actually hates nature, but deals with it. Equipment: Hunting Rifle (Damage Bonus +3)
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Millie, a psychic girl Body: 12 Brain: 13 Nerve: 13 Job: Secretary (16) Gimmick: Telekinesis (12) Weakness: Claustrophobia (12) Skills: Gossip +2, Origami +2 HP: 12 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Anna Paquin Tagline: "Guys, I'm not so sure about this." Dumb Fact: Won the "Miss East Sub-Tunnel 523" contest last year. Equipment: Nail File, Steno pad and pen
Sgt. Joe Gunnar, a g rizzled veteran Body: 16 Brain: 13 Nerve: 14 Job: Soldier (14) Gimmick: Too Mean to Die (14) Weakness: Ultra-Orthodox Robotologist (14) You Right In the Skills: Shouting +2, Dirty Limericks +1, Punch Face! +1 HP: 16 YY: 1 WWPHITM?: Brian Dennehy Tagline: "Fall in line, maggots!" Dumb Fact: Quite likes animals. Equipment: Great Big Gun (Damage Bonus +5)
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Appendix 4: Bestiary For ease of reference, we have compiled all the stat blocks for the various GMCs and creatures presented elsewhere in this book. Their full descriptions can be found in their srcinal entries.
People Average Avrokian Body: 13 Brain: 9 Nerve: 15 Job: Hunter (13) Gimmick: Immune to Lorbat Venom (15) Weakness: Sexually Attracted to Lorbats (15) Skills: Spear +3, Sneak +2, Herbs +1 HP: 13 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Brad Dourif Tagline: "Listen to the Lorbats, child, for they are ancient and wise." Dumb Fact: Enjoys eating psychedelic mushrooms and talking
with the jungle. Average Cavernite Body: 11 Brain: 9 Nerve: 10 Job: Miner (12) Gimmick: Direction Sense (13) Weakness: Unimaginative (13) Skills: Blend in with the Crowd +2 HP: 11 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: William H. Macy Tagline: "YesIssir!" Dumb Fact: quite happy with his lot in life, thank you. Notes: A typical Cavernite usually carries a couple of tools that can be used as improvised weapons with a Damage Bonus of +2 or +3.
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Average Otramite Body: 15 Brain: 7 Nerve: 13 Job: Warrior (15) Gimmick: Berserker Rage (13) Weakness: Superstitious (13) Skills: Forage +2, Chant +1 HP: 15 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Adam Baldwin Tagline: "Kill for Otram! Die for Otram!" Dumb Fact: Doesn't exactly hate the taste of human flesh. Notes: Otramian Riflemen are armed with laser rifles that emit a beam of deadly energy with a Damage Bonus of +5
Berserker Rage: With a successful Gimmick roll, the Otramite can simultaneously attack up to five opponents with no penalty. Superstitious: When confronted with unfamiliar technology, the Otramite must roll this Weakness. If the Weakness succeeds, the Otramite will believe the technology is powerful magic and attempt to flee. If the Otramite is unable to flee, he suffers a -3 penalty to all rolls. Average Palnan Body: 12 Brain: 13 Nerve: 12 Job: Militia (13) Gimmick: Always Prepared (13) Weakness: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (13) Skills: Religious Ritual +2, Technology +1 HP: 12 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Tony Shalhoub Tagline: "Once the mighty Space Wizard comes to Venus, you’ll all see the error of your ways." Dumb Fact: Secretly wants to be punished. Notes: A Palnan on guard duty will be issued a lightning gun, a silvery, lance-shaped weapon that, as the name implies, fires bolts of electricity. The lightning gun has a Damage Bonus of +5.
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Fifth Columnist Body: 12 Brain: 14 Nerve: 16 Job: Spy (15) Gimmick: Propaganda (14) Weakness: Cowardly (14) Skills: Disguise +3, Scheming +2 HP: 12 YY: 1 WWPHITM: Sydney Greenstreet Tagline: "Soon the government shall crumble, gentlemen, and then we make our move!" Dumb Fact: The term "Fifth Column" was coined by Spanish general Emilio Mola in 1936. Notes: Every Fifth Columnist carries a secret decoder ring for sending messages to Otram and a bottle of suicide pills.
Propaganda: Fifth Columnists have the insidious ability to turn loyal citizens into scheming traitors through subversive media, proOtram slogans, and other forms of brainwashing. Once per day, the Fifth Columnist can make a Gimmick roll, resisted by his target's Nerve. After succeeding a number of such Gimmick rolls equal to his chosen victim's Nerve, the subject succumbs to the brainwashing and another traitorous Fifth Columnist is born. Cowardly: The sleazy weasels of the Fifth Column have no real backbone. When confronted with direct force, a Fifth Columnist must make a Weakness roll. If the Weakness takes hold, he will flee either flee, surrender, or commit suicide.
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The Jungle Phantom Body: 20 Brain: 17 Nerve: 25 Job: Protector of the Jungle (20) Gimmick: Jungle Magic (20) Weakness: Cannot Leave the Jungle (But There's a Lot of Jungle on Venus) (20) Skills: Conservation +5, Philosophy +5 HP: 800 YY: 75 WWPHITM?: Theda Bara Tagline:"You who murdered the jungle-born shall meet a jungle-fate!" Dumb Fact: In the language of the Hypno-Sharks, her name is "Fan-To-Mah." Notes: Jungle Magic: The Jungle Phantom's power lets her do just about anything she wants. While within the Jungle, she has total control over matter, space, and probably time. She is especially fond of using her magic to control plants and animals and to transmogrify transgressors. When using this power to punish an unfortunate character, GMs should feel to roll on the "Random Hideous Death"
table on page 80. Sam "Space" Smith Body: 16 Brain: 11 Nerve: 15 Job: Interplanetary Explorer (14) Gimmick: Transmitting Belt (15) Weakness: Danger Magnet (15) Skills: Pilot Rocket +3, Punch +2, Flee +1, Planet Lore +1 HP: 20 YY: 6 WWPHITM?: Matt Damon Tagline: "Good gosh! We're in a tough spot!" Dumb Fact: Thinks Dianna is a great gal and all, but wouldn't mind getting to know those Leopard Women better Notes: Transmitting Belt: Space usually wears a transmitting belt. When he is separated from his rocket, Space can use the belt to "transmit" himself back to it. By spending a Yum Yum Space can reprogram the belt to transmit to a different location, but it must be a location he has visited within the last week.
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Science Robot Body: 13 Brain: 16 Nerve: 13 Job: Ruler of the Caverns (16) Gimmick: Bodyguard (Leopard Women) (16) Weakness: Limited by Programming (19) Skills: Science +2, Surgery +1 HP: 20 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Michael Emerson in a metal suit Tagline: "Our captives are fine specimens--we should turn the woman into a Leopard Woman." Dumb Fact: Has conflicted feelings about Spando Polanski. Notes: Bodyguard (Leopard Women): With a successful Gimmick roll, a Science Robot can ultrasonically summon a nearby Leopard Woman to its side within 1 round.
Limited by Programming: Any time a Science Robot wants to take an action that contradicts its mission to preserve the humans of the Caverns, it must roll against this Weakness. Stardust the Super Wizard Body: 25 Brain: 20 Nerve: 20 Job: Galactic Crimebuster (15) Gimmick: Super Wizard (20) Weakness: [Classified] Skills: Crush Evil-Doers with His Bare Hands +5, Dispense Ironic Justice +4, Terrify Onlookers +3 HP: 1000 YY: 100 WWPHITM?: Buster Crabbe Tagline: "In your frozen condition, you'll live forever--to think about your crimes!" Dumb Fact:Resides in a crime-detecting laboratory on his private star. Notes: Galactic Crimebuster: Stardust has knowledge of law enforcement techniques from across dozens of star systems, and access to highly advanced crime-detecting equipment.
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Super Wizard: Ancient texts tell us that "his scientific useof rays has made him master of space and planetary forces--the gas of a certain star has made him immune to heat or cold--Stardust carries with him artificial lungs, that enable him to breathe safely, under any condition--he uses new spectral rays, that can make him invisible, or as bright as the sun--he wears a flexible, star-metal skin, controlled through rays from a distant sun and rendering him indestructible by chemicals, or by electrical or violent force." In short, Stardust can fly through space, transmute matter, manipulate energy with his mind, and do pretty much anything else he wants. We would refer you to the "Random Hideous Death" table on page 80 to use against those foolish enough to oppose him.
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Webra, the Spider Queen Body: 16 Brain: 18 Nerve: 17 Job: Queen of Spiders (18) Gimmick: Amazing Psychic Powers (17); Polydexterous (15) Weakness: Stark Raving Mad (13) Skills: Lore of the Mighty Dead Ones +5, Monster Ranching +4, Pole Arms +3 HP: 26 YY: 15 WWPHITM?: Bai Ling Tagline: "Take them away! Feed these foolish humans to the Quivering Blood Gnats!" Dumb Fact: Has body image issues. Gear: Slinky outfit, Arachnatrix Death-Spear (Damage Bonus +4) Notes: Amazing Psychic Powers: Webra possesses a wide variety of psychic abilities, including (but not limited to) telekinesis, telepathy, and clairvoyance. By spending a Yum Yum and making a successful Gimmick roll, she can make attacks with a Damage Bonus of +4, defend herself with an Armor Rating of +4, or
enhance her or her allies' actions with a +4 bonus. With a contested roll (usually against her victim's Nerve) she can hinder her opponent's actions, giving then a -4 to their actions. Polydexterous: Webra can attack multiple enemies at once with her six arms. Make one Gimmick roll and use it as a normal attack roll against up to six opponents nearby. Her opponents can defend as normal. Stark Raving Mad: Continued exposure to the Bio-Ray device combined with the Hideous Spider Priests' brutal lifestyle has driven Webra quite insane. She is prone to brooding, audio hallucinations, and ranting. She also has a tendency to monologue to prisoners, opponents, and random passers-by.
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Monsters Alien Conquistador Body: 17 Brain: 15 Nerve: 19 Job: Planetary Conqueror (16) Gimmick: All Manner of High Tech Gizmos (14) Weakness: Xeno-Jingoism (14) Skills: Frontal Assault +5, Navigation +3, Treaty Negotiation +2. Surveillance +1 HP: 27 YY: 6 WWPHITM?: Dwayne Johnson Tagline: "I claim this planet in the name of the Glorious Alien Empire!" Dumb Fact: Wants to be made governor of some nice out-of-theway planet with beaches. Notes: The Alien Conquistador is well-equipped to conquer a planet. His baroque space armor gives him an armor rating of +5 and protects him from suffocation, disease, and other environmental hazards. His high-powered beam rifle has a Damage Bonus of +8.
All Manner of High Tech Gizmos: The Alien Conquistador's collection of bizarre alien equipment functions as a kind of "Wild Card" Gimmick. If the Conquistador spends a Yum Yum, this Gimmick can become any other Gimmick with the same Number. This Gimmick lasts until the end of the scene. The Conquistador can swap out Gimmicks as often as he likes as long as he has Yum Yums to spend. Example: the Alien Conquistador needs to get to the top of a mesa. He spends a Yum Yum and transforms "All Manner of High Tech Gizmos (14)" to "Flying Jetpack (14)." Once on top of the mesa, he spots a transform band of Hideous Priests. spends another Yum to "FlyingSpider Jetpack (14)" He to "Invisibility CloakYum (14)."
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Collector Probe Body: 15 Brain: 9 Nerve: 14 Job: Hunter-Trapper (15) Gimmick: Stasis Ray (13) Weakness: Overconfidence (13) Skills: Flight +3, Xenobiology +2 , Long Rang Scanners +1 HP: 20 YY: 3 WWPHITM?: Sean Connery Tagline: "A very rare specimen of Homo Sapien Venusius! It must be mine!" Dumb Fact: Has many of the same mannerisms of a Victorian biggame hunter. Notes: Stasis Ray: The Collector Probe uses this Gimmick to attack with a crackling beam of green energy. This attack has a Damage Bonus of +5. If the attack brings a character to 0 HP, he is not killed. Rather he is placed in a state of suspended animation for a number of days equal to 20 minus his Body Number. A creature in stasis can survive the rigors of interstellar travel as the Collector Probe
returns to the Galactic Zoo. Overconfidence: The concept that some puny alien creature might be able to outsmart or outfight it has never occurred to the Collector Probe.
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Exploratory Rover Body: 9 Brain: 5 Nerve: 15 Job: Mobile Documentarian (16) Gimmick: All Terrain Movement (13) Weakness: Curiosity (13) Skills: Hide +3, Transmit +2, Film +1 HP: 8 YY: 1 WWPHITM?: WALL-E Tagline: "Ooh, look at that!" Dumb Fact: Homesick. Notes: All Terrain Movement: With a successful Gimmick roll, the Exploratory Rover can move through mud, underbrush, sand, snow, or any other trick environment without trouble. Curiosity: It killed the cat, and it's not very healthy for the Rover. The Rover must make a Weakness check whenever it has the opportunity to investigate some new interesting thing, despite the threat to its safety. Flying Saurian Body: 13 Brain: 6 Nerve: 11 Job: Airborne Hunter (13) Gimmick: Flight (16) Weakness: Clumsy on the Ground (16) Skills: Evasive Maneuver +2 HP: 13 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Rubber Model Tagline: "Hsssssssss..." Dumb Fact: More closely related to Earth's platypuses than reptiles. Notes: Flight: The Flying Saurian can fly at fantastic speeds thanks to magnetic levitation. The creature can even escape the atmosphere. This Gimmick protects the Saurian and its rider from the rigors of outer space and reentry. Use this Gimmick for any rolls involving chases or maneuvers while in flight.
Clumsy on the Ground: While perfectly adapted for flight, the Flying Saurian's long, spindly limbs and low-slung body makes it ill-suited for movement on the ground. Roll this Weakness before the Flying Saurian tries to do anything on the ground that involves speed or grace. If the Weakness takes effect, the attempted action automatically fails. 99
Giant Kill-Bot Body: 20 Brain: 8 Nerve: 16 Job: Metal Monstrosity (16) Gimmick: I'm Huge! (15) Weakness: Ponderous (15) Skills: Destroy +5 HP: 35 YY: 5 WWPHITM?: A Ray Harryhausen creation Tagline: "Kill... rend... eat..." Dumb Fact: The Science Robots are strangely quiet on the subject of Giant Kill-Bots. Notes: The Giant Kill-Bot’s teeth and claws have a Damage Bonus of +5. Their fiery breath has a damage bonus of +3 but targets every opponent in a 10-foot area. Their metal carapaces give them an Armor Rating of 5.
I'm Huge!: Giant Kill-Bots are massive things possessing great strength. When trying to accomplish a physical task beyond mortal human ability you may roll this Gimmick. While performing purely mundane physical tasks you may use this Gimmick as a Second Chance roll. You may also add the Gimmick Number to Body to figure out the Giant Kill-Bot's base HP (this is already figured into the stats above). Ponderous: Giant Kill-Bots are heavy things used to the weightlessness of space. As such, they move slowly and are somewhat clumsy. Roll this Weakness before trying any task that requires speed or grace. If the Weakness takes effect, the Giant Kill-Bot crashes to the ground.
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Giant Spider Body: 20 Brain: 7 Nerve: 13 Job: Jungle Predator (15) Gimmick: Spins a Web, Any Size (14), Venom (11) Weakness: Thoroughly Unpleasant (14) Skills: Climbing +3, Bite Enemies with Mandibles +2 HP: 20 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: A marionette in forced perspective Tagline: "Chhrrrrrrrrrr..." Dumb Fact: Not an insect. Not really a spider, for that matter. Notes: Spins a Web, Any Size: Giant Spiders can ensnare their prey in thick, sticky webs. Use the Gimmick Number to make a ranged attack roll to capture an opponent. Once so ensnared, the victim must make a Body roll against the Gimmick in order to break free.
Venom: On a successful bite attack, roll this Gimmick against the victim's Body. If the Gimmick wins, the victim takes extra damage equal to the difference in rolls. Armor does not reduce this poison damage. Thoroughly Unpleasant: Giant Spiders are odious company and are rarely invited to parties. At the beginning of any cross-species social interaction, make a Weakness roll. If the Weakness takes hold, diplomacy is impossible, and the Spider will probably just try to eat the other person anyway. Hideous Spider Priest Body: 15 Brain: 12 Nerve: 14 Job: Arachno-Shaman (14) Gimmick: Freakish Collection of Mutations (15) Weakness: Freakish Collection of Mutations (15) Skills: Plots and Schemes +3; Religious Furor +3 HP: 15 YY: 2 WWPHITM?: Stop Motion Animatronic Tagline: "Hsssss... The Mighty Dead Ones demand blood! BLOOOOOD!!!" Dumb Fact: Does not believe in the transmigration of souls.
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Notes: Freakish Collection of Mutations: Hideous Spider Priests have been weirdly mutated by exposure to the Bio-Ray Device. While these mutations have given them unique power, it has also weakened their physical form. A Hideous Spider Priest can spend a Yum Yum and make a Gimmick roll. If successful, the Priest can use a random mutation to give its attacks a Damage Bonus of +3, defend itself with an Armor Bonus of +3, or give a specific action a +3 bonus to the roll. This benefit last until the end of the scene.
The stress of this mutation will weaken the Priest, however. Starting the scene after a successful use of the "Freakish Collection of Mutations" Gimmick, the Priest must make a "Freakish Collection of Mutations" Weakness roll before attempting any physically stressful actions. If the Weakness takes hold, any such actions are made with a -3 penalty. This frailty disappears after a good night's sleep, or after glutting oneself on at least 10 pints of warm blood (which just so happens to be the amount of blood in the average human). The creature cannot use the Gimmick application of the ability until this frailty is cured. Hypno-Shark Body: 15 Brain: 14 Nerve: 17 Job: Aquatic Predator (14) Gimmick: Hypnotism (13) Weakness: Overconfidence (13) Skills: Chomp! +3, Lurking Underwater +2, Psychology +1 HP: 15 YY: 2 Tagline: "You are getting sleepy... Sleeeeeeeepy..." Dumb Fact: Are, in fact, sharks. Notes: Hypnotism: Hypno-Sharks can influence the minds of the weak
(i.e. humans). If the shark makes eye contact, roll this Gimmick against the subject's Nerve. A character who is actively attempting to avoid the Hypno-Shark's gaze gains a +3 to resist, but suffers a -2 penalty on all actions taken against the Shark. If the shark succeeds, it can issue a single command to it's victim that must be obeyed. Usually this command is something akin to "Stick your head in my mouth!" If the Hypno-Shark spends Yum Yums, it can issue more commands, at a rate of one command per Yum Yum. For instance, if the Hypno-Shark made a successful Gimmick roll and spent 3 YY, it could issue four commands ("Go home. Grab your baby. Bring it here. Stick that baby in my mouth!") 102
Jungle Zombie Body: 15 Brain: 5 Nerve: 16 Job: Cannibal Corpse (13) Gimmick: Hard to Kill (15) Weakness: Slow (15) Skills: Shamble +2; Bite +1 HP: 15 YY: 0 Tagline: "Uuuuurgh... lemmie' eat yer skin... " Dumb Fact: Rarely burst into coordinated dance routines. Rarely , but not never. Notes: Hard to Kill: Whenever the Jungle Zombie is reduced to )HP, roll this Gimmick. If the Gimmick takes effect, the Zombie is restored to 1HP.
Slow: As reanimated corpses with only rudimentary motor control, Jungle Zombies are slow and clumsy. Whenever attempting a feat that requires grace or speed (lurching towards a human and biting their face is requires neither) roll this Weakness. If the Weakness takes hold, the creature fails it's intended action. Laser Pony Body: 14 Brain: 6 Nerve: 15 Job: Herd Animal (13) Gimmick: Energy Beams! (Damage Bonus +4) (12) Weakness: Poor Eyesight (12) Skills: Foraging +2 HP: 14 YY: 1 Tagline: "Neigh!" Dumb Fact: Little girls still find it adorable.
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Lorbat Body: 16 Brain: 3 Nerve: 11 Job: Giant Snake (13) Gimmick: Deadly Venom (15) Weakness: Soft Underbelly (15) Skills: Crush People +2, Sneak +1 HP: 16 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: A boa constrictor painted purple Tagline: "Hiiiissssssssss." Dumb Fact: Thinks the Avrokians are nice and all, but doesn't really want to get intimate with them. Notes: Deadly Venom: On a successful bite attack, roll this Gimmick against the victim's Body. If the Gimmick wins, the victim takes extra damage equal to the difference in rolls. Armor does not reduce this poison damage.
Soft Underbelly: If the Lorbat's underbelly is attacked, roll this Weakness. If the Weakness takes effect, the Lorbat takes double damage from the attack. Man-Eating Tree Body: 18 Brain: 4 Nerve: 10 Job: Predatory Jungle Fungus (14) Gimmick: Camouflage (15) Weakness: Burns Like Wood (15) Skills: Bite! +3 HP: 18 YY: 1 Tagline: "Whooooooooooup!" Dumb Fact: Makes a poor building material, as the "wood" constantly seeps blood. Notes: The Bite of a Man-Eating Tree has a Damage Bonus of +3
Camouflage: The Man-Eating Tree is a cunning trickster and can easily blend in with the rest of the Jungle's mostly-benign trees. The creature makes a Gimmick roll, opposed by any observer's Brain. If the Man-Eating Tree is successful, it blends into the background, indistinguishable from a "normal" tree. Obviously, this Gimmick does not work if the Man-Eating Tree is moving or attacking. 104
Burns Like Wood: If attacked with fire make a Weakness roll. If this weakness takes effect, the Man-Eating Tree takes double damage from the attack. Martian Imp Man Body: 11 Brain: 5 Nerve: 13 Job: Mindless Soldier Gimmick: Transmit Through Space (13) Weakness: Cannon Fodder (13) Skills: Bite +1, Claw +1 HP: 10 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Cutout animation Tagline: "Rrrrrrrrrrrrr!" Dumb Fact: Harbors sentimental memories of growing up in a vat. Notes: Transmit Through Space: Imp Men can transmit themselves through space using a process similar to Space's transmitting belt. Transmission occurs at roughly the speed of sound. Imp Men can only transmit in a straight line, to a pre-determined location. The
ability is mainly useful for attacking ships in orbit around Mars. Cannon Fodder: Imp Men attack in large groups. After a certain point, their numbers become meaningless. A character makes a successful attack against an Imp Man, roll this weakness. If the weakness takes effect, then the attack automatically damages a number of nearby Imp Men equal to the Weakness roll. This extra damage is equal to the same amount the primary target suffered. Moglug Body: 14 Brain: 12 Nerve: 16 Job: Spy (13) Gimmick: See in the Dark (17); Tentacles (13) Weakness: Bright Light (13); Psychotic Hatred (13) Skills: Sneak +3, Dig +2, Climb +1 HP: 14 YY: 1 WWPHITM?: Sophisticated puppets Tagline: "The wretched outworlders continue to expand their dominion, my brothers. Can we afford to wait much longer before we strike?" Dumb Fact: jovial and polite to other Moglugs. 105
Notes: Tentacles: On a successful resisted roll, the Moglug wraps its opponent in its tentacles. It can then crush its victim for 4HP (Gimmick/3) per round. A successful Body roll by the victim, contested by the Moglug's Gimmick, will allow them to break free.
Bright Light: When exposed to anything brighter than candlelight, the Moglug must roll this Weakness. If the Weakness takes effect, the Moglug is blinded for 1d20 minutes. Psychotic Hatred: A Moglug will not listen to a non-Moglug's point of view. If cooperating with outworlders seems like a logical necessity, the Moglug must roll against this Weakness. If the Weakness takes effect, the Moglug will choose death before aiding the outworlders in any way. Quivering Blood Gnats Body: 6 Brain: 3 Nerve: 17 Job: Blood-Sucking Vermin (15) Gimmick: Swarm (13) Weakness: Chemical Skills: Quivering +1 Weakness (13) HP: 10 YY: 2 Tagline: *Slurp!* Dumb Fact: The people of Avrok grind masses of Quivering Blood Gnats into paste, which they use as a Lorbat aphrodisiac. Notes: Swarm: Due to its composite nature, a swarm is less vulnerable to individual attacks. It's hard to shoot a swarm of bugs with a bullet. When successfully attacked with a "single target" weapon, roll this Gimmick. If successful, the swarm only takes 1 HP of damage from the attack. "Area effect" attacks, such as fire, explosions, or gas
can bypass this Gimmick. Chemical Weakness: Quivering Blood Gnats are especially susceptible to chemical attacks (DDT, Mustard gas, etc.). When subjected to such an attack, roll this Weakness. If the Weakness takes effect, the attack's damage is doubled.
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Star Demon Body: 13 Brain: 16 Nerve: 18 Job: Predatory Parasite From Beyond the Stars (14) Gimmick: Disguise (12) Weakness: Alcohol Aversion (12) Skills: Infiltrate +2, Seduce +1 HP: 13 (but see notes) YY: 3 WWPHITM?: Robert Englund Tagline: "I feel the need. The need... to breed." Dumb Fact: Won't call you the next day. Notes: The HP listed above represents the Star Demon without a host body. When attached to a human body, add the victims srcinal (pre-death) HP to the Star Demon's HP.
A Star Demon's razor-sharp wings and nasty teeth give it a Damage Bonus of +3 Disguise: Through sophisticated voice-acting, limited shapechanging ability, and clever use of to hats, the Star Demon passof itself off as human when attached a body. It will have can no idea the victim's personality or history, but can make a passable impression of the host. A successful Brains check against the Star Demon's Gimmick will see through the ruse. Alcohol Aversion: Star Demons are very allergic to alcohol, even something as weak as beer. If the Weakness roll takes effect, a Star Demon will be repelled by even the faintest whiff of alcohol. If the Star Demon comes in contact with alcohol, make a Weakness roll. If the Weakness succeeds, the demon will take damage equal to the roll, as the alcohol burns its flesh. Toothbeast Body: 20 Brain: 4 Nerve: 20 Job: Alpha Predator (17) Gimmick: Where Did That Come From??? (13) Weakness: Always Hungry (13) Skills: Sniff out Prey +2 HP: 30 YY: 6 Tagline: "ROAR!!!" Dumb Fact: The correct plural of "Toothbeast" is "Teethbeast." 107
Notes: The vicious teeth of a Toothbeast have a Damage Bonus of +5
Where Did That Come From???: For a creature so massive, the Toothbeast has an uncanny ability to suddenly loom out of the shadows, from around a tree, or in your rear-view mirror (not that there are cars on Venus). Roll this Gimmick to have the Toothbeast suddenly appear right behind you!!! Always Hungry: The ravenous hunger of the Toothbeast is legendary. When presented with fresh and bloody meat (say, a PC it just killed) roll this Weakness. If the Weakness takes hold, the monster will sit down and have a quick meal. This distraction will be broken if the creature is attacked while eating. Teethbeast hate having their dinners interrupted Trekur Body: 13 Brain: 8 Nerve: 12 Job: Thug (13) Gimmick: Survive in Hostile Environment (15) Weakness: Oblivious (12) Skills: Brawling +1 HP: 13 YY: 0 WWPHITM?: Peter Lorre Tagline: "Yes, my master." Dumb Fact: Starting to get skeptical about this whole "master race" thing. Notes: Survive in Hostile Environment: With a successful roll, the Trekur is immune to extreme heat, cold, pressure, or vacuum. Each time a Trekur visits a new location, roll the Gimmick. If the Trekur succeeds, he is permanently able to function in that environment
with no penalty. Each roll applies only to a specific environment-just because a Trekur can endure the Gobi Desert does not necessarily mean he can survive the fiery surface of Mercury. Oblivious: Trekur senses are notoriously dull, and they are likely to miss any but the most obvious sights, sounds, and smells around them.
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Venusian Leopard Body: 15 Brain: 8 Nerve: 18 Job: Jungle Predator (15) Gimmick: Fearsome Roar (14) Weakness: Bloodthirsty (14) Skills: Kill +4, Stalk +4 HP: 20 YY: 4 WWPHITM?: Bagheera Tagline: "HaarrrrooOOOOooooOOOoooOOooOOoo..." Dumb Fact: Thinks humans are mighty tasty. Notes: The Venusian Leopard's metallic claws and teeth have a Damage Bonus of +3
Fearsome Roar: When the Venusian Leopard roars, all creatures within earshot must make a Nerve check contested by the Gimmick Roll. If a listener fails, the hapless victim is frozen in fear, unable to take any actions on its next turn. The victim will remain frozen each turn until it can make a successful Nerve roll (uncontested). Once a creature resists the Venusian Leopard's roar, it is immune to further uses for the rest of the scene. Bloodthirsty: For all its cunning, the Venusian Leopard is a singleminded brute. Once it has chosen its prey, it finds it hard to anything but fight to the death. If the Weakness takes effect, the Venusian Leopard cannot retreat or change targets until its chosen prey lies dead and bleeding.
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Appendix 5: Hanksography Books I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets! (Fantagraphics) You Will Die by Your Own Evil Creation! (Fantagraphics) Supermen! The First Wave of Comic Book Heroes 1936 - 1941 (Fantagraphics) Art Out of Time: Unknown Comics Visionaries, 1900 - 1969 (Abrams)
On the Web www.fletcherhanks.com The official website for Paul Karasik's Fletcher Hanks collections. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher_Hanks Fletcher Hanks on Wikipedia. Not a bad place to start. www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers This collection of "Stupid Comics" contains a couple of Stardust and Fantomah stories. Be warned, they don't love Fletcher Hanks the way that we do. blastr.com/2009/08/review-you-shall-die-by-y.php An article by Paul Di Fillipo about the Fletcher Hanks collection You Will Die by Your Own Evil Creation! The article includes an image of the "Space Smith" page that inspired this very game! goldenageheroes.blogspot.com A great blog that posts old Golden Age superhero stories. They have a few Fletcher Hanks stories there, along with a treasure of other Golden Age marvels.
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Name:
Body
Brain
Nerve
Health Points
Yum Yums
Skills
Job: Gimmick:
Second Gimmick: Weakness: Second Weakness:
WWPHTIM? Tagline: Dumb Fact: Notes
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www.HOBOMANCER.com Rolling into the station in 2011
