The Mutant Epoch
Quick Start Rules
Quick Start Rules
The Mutant Epoch
The Mutant Epoch
Quick Start Rules
‘The Mutant Epoch’™ and the ‘Outland System’ game mechanic™ are all trademarks owned by Outland Arts™ © Copyright 2007-2016 Outland Arts/ William McAusland www.mutantepoch.com OLA1010
ISBN 978-0-9949237-5-2
First published December 2016
Introduction
The Mutant Epoch post-apocalyptic adventure RPG has been around for a few years now and every year we add one or two new books and an assortment of free and pay what you want adventures, creatures and other supplements. New adventures, source books and a novel series are in the works. This Quick Start Rules book was long overdue and surprisingly challenging to put together. The main hub rules book is 246 pages long and packed full of freaks, mutations, implants, relics, robots and other valuable game content. Trying to condense it down to a magazine sized booklet was tough. Still, what you hold has just the right mix of character types, skills, cybernetic implants and mutations to run the game and get a feel for the rules system and setting. So too, the characters you and your players create are fully transferable to the full rules should you purchase a copy of The Mutant Epoch hub rules book. Likewise, the setting part included in this QSR book, the town of Sandbarra in the Lower Freehold, is part of our first Gazetteer, and the characters can expand their adventures beyond the swamp and explore the rest of the Crossroads Region via that hefty source book. The included adventure requires just these quick start rules to play. This is a low rank adventure for beginning characters and a dangerous, tough expedition. Casualties could be as high as 40% so I recommend each player start with two characters of different types (such as a pure stock human and a mutant, or a cyborg and a mutant, etc.). This adventure was also made for current fans of the game, some who might be very experienced with the rules and setting, and can easily have their PCs thrown into the muck and find it a challenge. In some instances in the adventure text, both the page number within the quick start rules (QSR) and main hub rules (TME) are included, but for the most part the focus is on referencing this rules lite edition.
Where this version and the hub rules differ is in the scope of character types, pre-game castes, and number of mutations, implants, skills, relics, creatures and typical humans. We have left out rank gain (leveling-up), flaw mutations, minor mutations, called shots and other methods of character trait determination (like trait buying). While buyers of the TME hub rules get free membership to the Society of Excavators, and the trove of downloads found therein, those of you using these quick start rules can easily access a separate, public web bunker. All the player hand outs, maps, character sheet, game ready characters and the GM’s handy reference sheet are all included in a publicly accessible page right here: http://www.outlandarts.com/qsr.htm Unlike our other books which we don’t want downloaded from some virus infested bit torrent site, we DO want you to freely share the rules only section of this PDF and spread it to your fellow gamers and players. The Quick Start Rules Only version lacks the Sandbarra setting and Muddy Mayhem adventure; you’ll want to keep those parts for the Game Master’s eyes only. We’ve set up both a full color and printer friendly version of these rules. We also encourage you to pass along this full PDF to GMs you think might want to try something new at their table. If you bought this book as a print version (at Amazon.com), you can snag PDF versions and bonus materials via the above noted QSR link. Finally, at the end of this adventure, the characters may wish to explore more of the Crossroads Region, and dig deeper into the growing collection of source books, free supplements and ‘pay what you want’ products for The Mutant Epoch RPG. My hope is that you’ve enjoyed this offering and will explore our
The Mutant Epoch
website, the TME forum, our social media, our PDF and mail order bundle deals, or pester your local game store into stocking the game. We aim to make The Mutant Epoch the most popular, most played PostApocalyptic tabletop RPG available. Welcome to the Epoch! Will McAusland ‘Mutant Lord’
Table of Contents
Character Generation .................................................. 3 Pre-game Castes .......................................................... 8 Skills ................................................................................ 8 Cybernetic Implants .................................................. 13 Mutations ...................................................................... 15 Additional Character Details ...................................... 20 Outfitting, Arms and Armor ........................................ 21 Game Play ..................................................................... 24 Typical Humans ........................................................... 29 Creatures ...................................................................... 32 Relics .............................................................................. 37 Useful Tables ...............................................................39 Loot Table .................................................................... 42 Grid and Hex Paper ...................................................... 43 Character Sheet ......................................................... 45 Sandbarra Sample Town Setting .............................. 47 Muddy Mayhem, Adventure QSR-1 ........................... 55
Character Generation Sequence List
Using a pencil, document all traits values, skills, mutations, implants, possessions, and character details on a character sheet like the one on page 45, which can be photocopied or downloaded from our website and printed. Step 1 Character Type: Game Master (GM) has players roll for their character type using Table QSR-1, page 4, or, at the GM’s discretion, players can pick a type.
Quick Start Rules
Step 2 Trait Rolling: Roll the 8 character traits according to Table QSR-3, however, pure stocks gain a further bonus to their randomly determined traits. Step 3 Character History by Caste: Based on character type, use Table QSR-6 Character’s Pre-Game Caste Determination, page 8, and apply any trait modifiers caused by the former career. The character’s equipment, arms, armor, and more are all based on the player character’s (PC’s) caste, so too are the skills and silver coins a character starts with. Step 4 Gender: Pick or roll the PC’s gender: 50% odds either sex. Step 5 Mutations and Implants: The character’s type may mean mutations or implants are present. Implants for cyborgs are on page 13 while mutation determination tables are on page 15. Step 6 Determine Height and Weight: Table QSR-19, page 20. Step 7 Handed: Roll for the PC’s dominant hand: Table QSR-20, page 20. Step 8 Discover the character’s Swimming Ability: Table 21, pg. 20. Step 9 Establish character’s Age: Roll 17+d8 years. Step 10 Equip Character with from page 21 arms and armor Step 11 Name Character Step 12 Image: Make a sketch or symbol of the PC on the character sheet. Step 13 Establish Defense Value (DV): The base for a human is ‘0’. Apply agility modifiers and any DV bonus from dodge skills, mutations, implants or armor worn. Step 14 Establish Strike Values (SV): Most humans have a base value of 01-50. Accuracy trait modifiers, any weapon expert skill modifiers or individual SVs for a mutation, implant or weapon, are now all applied and should be noted on the character sheet in pencil. Step 15 Damage Modifiers: A possible bonus or penalty is
applied to the damage score potentials listed for each weapon on the character sheet, including damage done by offensive mutations and implants. A PC’s possible weapons expert skill, as well as brawling skill points, etc., can affect both strike value (SV) and damage (DMG), however strength scores only add or subtract damage done to non-energy weapons, such as bows, crossbows, spears, axes, fists, swords, etc. Many mutations, such as crab pincers, are subject to a strength based damage modifier since they are muscle based attacks. Complete! Character is ready for action.
The Mutant Epoch
Quick Start Rules
Character Generation Table QSR-1 Character Types Character’s Type Table
1-3. 4. 5,6.
d6
Mutant Cyborg Pure Stock human
Note: In the Mutant Epoch Hub Rules there are eight character types: Pure Stock Humans, Mutants, Ghost Mutants, Cyborgs, Clones, TransHumans, Bioreplicas and a selection of 33 Bestial Humans.
Character Traits
Traits are determined randomly on table QSR-3 by rolling d100 cross indexed with a set value, possibly adding d20 for high rolls. In the case of pure stock humans, bonuses to traits can occur randomly plus the player get 10 points to assign to traits, either all to one trait or divided up. A character’s pre-game caste, as well as some mutations and cybernetic implants also modify trait scores. There are eight main character traits, which usually act alone in game play, but occasionally a pair are added together and divided by two to get a unique trait for a certain hazard check. There is no maximum to base (uninjured) trait values, but there is a minimum of 1 trait point.
Table QSR-2 The Eight Traits Name
Code Description
One’s stamina, toughness, immunity, damage threshold prior to unconsciousness or death. This is one’s muscular development. It applies to the amount of damage done from Strength STR physical, non-energy or ballistic attacks, as well as the range one can hurl physical objects or projectile mutations. This is one’s quickness, ability to evade atAgility AG tacks and affect one’s defense value and movement rate modifier. This trait affects aim with any sort of weapAccuracy ACC on, as well as hand eye coordination, therefore altering one’s strike value. This trait encompasses memory, IQ, and Intelligence INT basic smarts and is often used in mental mutation statistics. Perception is an overall sensory trait, comPerception PER bining visual awareness, hearing, empathy and reaction time. It affects initiative. This trait illustrates one’s drive, motivation, Willpower WILL self awareness and control. It is often used for or against mental mutations One’s physical looks, based on human standards. Occasionally a mutant’s head could have a different appearance value Appearance APP than the body, which could be concealed. One’s ugliness or attractiveness is often a factor when encountering beings with human ancestry.
Endurance
END
Table QSR-3 Trait Value Determination d100 01 02 03 04 05 06,07 08,09 10,11 12-14 15-17 18-21 22-25 26-30 31-35 36,37 38,39 40,41 42,43 44,45 46,47 48,49 50,51 52,53 54,55 56,57 58,59 60,61 62,63 64,65 66,67 68,69 70-90 91-96 97-99 00
Trait Value d10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 40+d20 60+d20 80+d20 100+d20
The Mutant Epoch
Quick Start Rules
Table QSR-4 Trait Value Modifiers Trait Value
Endurance Perception Strength Strength Agility Agility Accuracy Healing Initiative DMG** Range*** DV Move Rate SV Rate* Modifier
1-4
1
-4
-20%
+4
-0.5m
-4
-2
5-9
2
-2
-10%
+2
-0.25m
-2
-1
10-34
3
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
35-44
4
+2
+10%
-2
+0.25m
+2
+1
45-54
5
+4
+20%
-4
+0.5m
+4
+1
55-64
6
+6
+30%
-6
+0.75m
+6
+1
65-74
7
+8
+40%
-8
+1m
+8
+2
75-84
8
+10
+50%
-10
+1.25m
+10
+2
85-94
9
+12
+60%
-12
+1.5m
+12
+3
95-105
10
+14
+70%
-14
+1.75m
+14
+3
106-110
11
+16
+80%
-16
+2m
+16
+4 maximum
111-115
12
+18
+90%
-18
+2.25m
+18
+4 maximum
116-120
13
+20
+100%
-20
+2.5m
+20
+4 maximum
Character Types Explained
121-125
14
+22
+110%
-22
+2.75m
+22
+4 maximum
Pure Stock Human
Pure stocks are those humans who have not undergone any detectable +4 126-130 15 +24 +120% -24 +3m +24 maximum mutations or other modifications. They are the ancestors of the old +4 131-135 16 +26 +130% -26 +3.75m +26 peoples of the earth, the former maximum ‘master race,’ the creators of all +4 +0.25 +2 each 5 those built in their image. About half +2 SV +10% -2 DV +1 maximum MV DMG above are purists, while the rest are either indifferent to mutants or their sup*Amount of endurance healed per day. **Strength modifiers to damage are only applied to physically wielded, thrown pitched porters. ‘Purist’ is a broadly used or drawn weapons, such as clubs, knives, bows, axes, spears, even crossbows term to mean a pro-genetic purity (A crossbow can be cranked or pulled further with greater strength). This damage advocate, whereby the individual is (DMG) bonus also applies to punches and mutations involving physical attacks either actively or secretly against the such as crab pincers, spiked tails, throwing quills, or fangs, etc. existence of mutants. The degree of *** Higher or lower strength affects the range one can throw, hurl or fire archaic how purist a pure stock is varies from weapons by adding or subtracting 10% or more to the meters range. It also includes those who see the growing power relic pistol crossbows, compound bows and compound crossbows, etc. of mutants and feel threatened, to those who prescribe to a strong reliNote: Normal human statistics are 25 for each trait, a basic unarmored defense value (DV) of 0 and a strike value (SV) of 01-50. He or she moves (MV) 3 meters gious background that preaches the devilry within all mutant life. per round walking and 6 running. Some purists, those typically found within free towns where the races mix, avoid publicly killing mutants, but rather, treat them as second class citizens, charge them more for food and services, make distasteful jokes about them, and make it clear they are pets not people. Many pure stocks are of the opposite mind on account that they may have been the rare child of a mutant parent, have mutant siblings or other relatives, lovers or spouses, or have mutant children of their own and will be advocates of racial equality. Pure stock player characters are often of this later group, pro-mutant supporters who don’t go for all the religious mumbo jumbo about the ruins being taboo and that mutants are the spawn of sinners, etc. They are usually
The Mutant Epoch the brothers or sisters of mutants, or have relatives with obvious mutations, alternatively, they may realize the scientific facts, know the history of the ancients, and understand that it was the pure stock greed for power, science gone mad, and genetic flukes that created the mutants around them. Certainly, they do see that mutant populations are growing, but what with the ever increasing numbers of terrible life forms arriving on the scene, they know that it often takes a mutant to stop a mutant, and that for the survival of mankind, in any form, mutants must coexist with pure stocks. While pure stocks lack the awesome mutations of the deviants, they also lack flaws, not to mention the poor treatment by other pure stocks, and the inability for many mutants to use certain relics meant for the anatomy of a pure blood. In addition, many pure stocks have financial and relic assets that have been passed down to them generation to generation, as well as land, wealth, education, and skills. Because pure stocks do not have mutations or implants to rely on, many have trained in other areas such as unarmed combat, weapon use, technology, medicine or stealth. Pure stock characters tend to come from the fittest, fastest, smartest and most adventurous among their community, and each starts out with somewhat more remarkable traits or skills than a normal ‘generic’ human. All pure stock player characters are given an extra 10 trait points to apply to any of the eight traits as the player sees fit, plus, each is permitted two rolls on the following table, with duplicated results being allowable; however, the player can elect to reroll the second result if it is the same as the first roll. Pure Stock Character Bonus Rolls: Each pure stock human gets 2 rolls on the following table at the time of character generation. Duplicated dice results are allowable or the player can elect to re-roll. In addition, and as already noted above, each character gets 10 trait points to assign to traits as he or she sees fit Table QSR-5 Pure Stock Starting Bonus Roll d100 twice 01-05. 06-10. 11-15. 16-20. 21-37 38-44. 45-51. 52- 58. 59-65. 66-74. 75-83. 84-90. 91-97. 98,99. 00.
Brawling Skill Stealth Skill Weapon Expert Skill Dodge Skill +1 to Each Trait +2d6 Endurance +2d6 Strength +2d6 Agility +2d6 Accuracy +3d6 Intelligence +2d6 Willpower +3d6 Appearance Martial Arts Skill +2 Each Trait +d6 Each Trait
Quick Start Rules
Cyborg
The cyborgs described here are humans with mechanical augmentation, as opposed to an infiltration android covered in living tissue. A cyborg differs from a person with a false leg or hand, contact lenses or some other simple mechanical replacement part in that a cyborg’s implants are wired to their nervous systems. Having electronic sensors and controllers attached to the subject’s spine and brain, the augmented human has control, including subconsciously, over the function of most implants. Due to this augmentation, the cyborg is at risk of serious damage from EM (electromagnetic) weapons, and takes damage as if the individual were a robot, yet can also be killed by poison as any other organic being. The great advantage of being a cyborg is that they are equipped with weaponry, armor and accessories that are often unavailable to a regular human. Usually a person is converted into a cyborg due to suffering amputations and debilitating wounds and wishes to be of continued use to one’s squad or society, thus making cybernetic augmentation necessary. In The Mutant Epoch era, unproductive, unfit or seriously handicapped individuals
The Mutant Epoch do not fare well, especially when one’s survival is tested on a daily basis. Additionally, few communities can support a member who is unable to work, fight or otherwise be of service. Typically, cyborgs will come from somewhat advanced societies, even from mecha factions who have brainwashed the cyborgs to serve them against mutant forces or pure stocks. Cyborgs are known by several names in the Mutant Epoch; among them are mecha-sapiens, tools, tech-skins, strapon’s, and iron-pigs. Cyborg PCs will have either escaped from their masters - those who hacked off their limbs and modified them to be more machine than human - or have been mercifully augmented by one’s own community to continue a useful existence after suffering serious injury. Cyborgs in the Quick Start Rules will be fitted with d3+1 implants from Table QSR-16 on page 13. Many of the listed implants have an additional weight to them which are added to the overall character weight, however, when listed, the implant may be serving as a substitute for a leg or arm or other body part, and so the actual added weight takes into consideration the lost weight of any amputated limbs. Many cyborgs use parts looted from fallen cyborgs, even those who may have died a hundred years ago and are found in some sealed chamber below the earth. It is common for scavengers and cyborgs themselves to salvage certain implants from dead or even captive cyborgs. Nearly all weapon implants are fitted to the individuals’ arm and can be removed, mixed, matched or traded with other cyborgs; however, armor, organs and other built in implants normally cannot be removed without killing the donor or host. Certain very advanced factions, mad scientists and robotic units can safely remove implants from unconscious subjects and then graft on new organs or implants without killing the patient, but only in the rarest, most technologically advanced facilities. While most cyborgs are pure stock humans, there is no real reason why synthetic humans, trans-humans, ghost or even regular mutants can’t be augmented as well. For the most part, cyborgs come from high tech cultures, possibly hold out factions who have existed since the great cataclysm
Quick Start Rules and wars of old and seek to keep the awesome power of implants out of the hands of their slaves and enemies. It is also quite true that the physiological structures of both mutants and bioreplicas is incompatible with the nervous system wiring requirements of most implants, making such augmentation ineffective and unreliable. Nevertheless, some new era factions have mastered techniques to correct these technical difficulties and field detachments of mutant-cyborgs. Cyborg characters start with standard trait generation rolls and heal as normal humans. If a cyborg starts game play with any weapons expert skill points, these can be applied to any offensive implants. Go To page 13 for a list and description of implants.
Mutant
In the hub rules book there are several degrees of mutant humans, including common mutants, flawed mutants, misery mutants, and the four degrees of character mutants: mild, typical, severe and freakish horror. In this set of Quick Start Rules, mutant player characters have d3+1 mutations and no flaws or minor mutations. All mutants are the mortal enemies of ‘purist’ humans, and while many pure bloods are far from supporters of the extermination minded policy of the purists, most deviants are slow to trust any pure stock they encounter. In some cases, the pro-mutant Aberration Legion and it’s doctrine of mutant supremacy appeals to a deviant character, and is expressed in everything he or she does. Many mutants are poor, uneducated, barely more than savages, and lack opportunities to gain many skills prior to the onset of game play. In addition, they posses poor equipment and few family or material resources to back them up in times of trouble. Thus, they rely heavily on their mutations, training with them and pushing the limits of their application. Due to their poor education, they are often lower caste members in any mixed race culture, and servants to wealthy pure stock landholders and government officials, a state that often breeds rebelliousness and an urge to better oneself through other avenues, including ruin exploration. Mutations and their descriptions can be found on page 15.
The Mutant Epoch
Quick Start Rules
Sample Pre-Game Castes and Skills Farmers are stout, hard work-
Pre-Game Castes
The Character’s type determines his or her pre-game caste from this short selection. In the hub rules, there are 30 starting castes. These skills reflect the sort of careers common to the player characters involved in the included adventure, Muddy Mayhem. Consider all pure stock characters as able to read and write and do rudimentary math, while cyborgs have a 3 in 6 chance and mutants a 1 in 6 chance of reading and doing math.
Table QSR-6 Pre-Game Caste Determination
Roll a d6 to establish what your character did before becoming an adventurer. Character Type Cyborg Pure Stock
Caste
Mutant
Militia Soldier
1
1-3
1,2
Nomad
2,3
4,5
3,4
Farmer Work Slave
4 5,6
6 -
5 6
Caste Details, Benefits and Outfitting Militia soldiers get +d6 to their en-
durance, strength and perception trait value and d4+1 rolls on the Skill Table. They have 3d6 silver coins, a backpack, tire-tread army boots, 6m of rope, d6 torches, tinder box, a knife, rain poncho, sleeping bag, 2d6 days rations, 1 liter water skin and whatever weapons and armor from the Arms and Armor outfitting tables on page 21, plus any weapons associated with having the Weapon Expert skill.
Nomads gain +d10 to their agility trait value and +d6
to their perception value, they can navigate by the stars, known to be accomplished horse and dog riders, and have d4+1 skill rolls on table QSR-7, this page. They start with 2d6 silver coins, a sleeping roll, four person tent, cloak, dust hood, tattered clothes, d6 candles, tinderbox, knife, 2d6 days rations, two liters of water in two separate canteens, plus whatever arms and armor from the tables on page 21, as well as any weapon determined by possibly having the weapon expert skill.
ing people who start with a +d6 bonus to their endurance, strength and perception scores. They own moth eaten wool clothing, leather boots and work gloves, d3+1 skill rolls on Table QSR-7, below. He or she will have d6 days rations, a canteen with one litre of water, d3 torches, d6 meters rope, rag poncho and sun hat, knife, d6 silver coins and a 3 in 6 chance of owning his or her own pitchfork. This agricultural laborer will also get a roll each of the arms and armor rolls on page 21 and if lucky, any additional weapons included with the Weapon Expert skill.
Work Slaves don’t belong to them-
selves. They are either undertaking an adventure as property of an employer, loaned out from one owner to another, or have slipped away to either escape or somehow earn enough silver to buy their own freedom (at a cost of 50+d100 silver coins). A work slave has been greatly mistreated as either a prisoner of war, debtor, kidnap victim, or being born into the lowest caste of any post apocalyptic society. Worked mercilessly, they are powerful, and gain +d10 to both their strength and endurance, however due to their sufferings lose -d10 intelligence, -d6 to both perception and willpower, and on account of scars and bruising, a -d10 to their appearance score. Work slaves wear sandals, torn pants, filthy shirt, a patchwork blanket as a cloak, a sack for a backpack, an old plastic water bottle filled with 500ml of puddle water, d3 days rations, a dead rat for supper, a stolen knife, and a 1 in 6 chance of 2d6 silver coins stolen from his or her master. See tables QSR-22 & QSR-23 on page 21 for whatever weapons and armor this poor wretch might start with. Work slaves have a d3 skills from the following table:
Sample Skills
Note, in the hub rules, there are 36 skills
Table QSR-7 Skills by Pre-Game Caste
d20
Militia Solider
Nomad
Farmer
Work Slave
Skill
1-3 4-6 7 8-10 11 12 13 14-20
1-3 4-6 7-9 10,11 12,13 14,15 16,17 18-20
1-3 4-6 7,8 9,10 11,12 13-16 17,18 19,20
1-3 4,5 6-9 10 11 12-15 16-19 20
Brawling Climbing Dodge Knife Fighter Medic Stealth Wilderness Survival Weapons Expert
Brawling
Often learned in the streets of new era cities and towns, slave camps, military barracks and the like, this skill implies dirty, artless, crude, and unpredictable fighting, and making only one melee attack per round. Other secondary scrapping talents of this skill include the ability to spit or throw sand in an opponent’s face and fight with or throw a broken bottle, which is very handy in a saloon or tavern.
Quick Start Rules
The Mutant Epoch
Table QSR-8 Brawling Table Brawling Strike Value Skill Points bonus
Damage bonus
Spit/Sand/ Bottle Throwing SV*
nil (d6) +1 +2
-5 +2 +4
untrained 1 2
nil +3 +5
3
+7
+3
+6
4 5 6 7 8 9
+9 +11 +13 +15 +17 +19
+d6+2 +d6+4 +d6+6 +d6+8 +d6+10 +d6+12
+8 +10 +12 +14 +16 +18
each above
+2
add +2 DMG
+2
*A bottle has a range of 5 meters, but a brawler can throw it 8m and do d12 instead of d8 damage with it, including melee use. He can spit or throw sand, powder, spices, etc. 3 meters, and on a successful strike against a target with unprotected eyes, (such as not wearing a visor or goggles, etc.) force the victim to make a type B agility based hazard check of be blinded for d4 rounds (-50% SV and +40 to be hit, half movement).
Climbing
While many creatures can climb walls and cliffs with ease, humanoids need training and hours of practice to do so without ropes, climbing spikes, harnesses and footwear. This specialized skill implies gear-free climbing, except under the ‘climb rope’ action, using bare hands and flexible shoes, or bare feet. For this skill, strength and agility are added together and then divided by two to total a new trait value for purposes of use on the hazard check matrix. One hazard check must be made for every 6 meters height climbed, with a failure at any point resulting in a slip and partial fall, with another hazard check being required immediately to snag onto another hold d10 meters down the slope or wall. If this last chance hold is missed, then the climber falls. The Hazard Check Table is on page 28. For these quick start rules, and where the Muddy Mayhem adventure doesn’t cover falling damage, apply d6 damage per meter fallen. A humanoid can ascend at half its normal move rate per round, so too can other creatures or robots which have appendages to allow climbing. Some beasts, on the other hand, such as spiders, most insects, apes, certain rodents and other life forms are natural climbers and move at their normal rate.
Table QSR-9 Climbing Actions table Climbing Skill Points
Climb Tree
untrained 1 2 3 4 5max
A A* A* A** A** A**
Climb Climb Climb Climb Rope Cliff Stone Wall Concrete Wall B A A* A** A** A**
C B A A* A** A**
D C B A A** A**
* Climber receives two hazard check rolls (attempts). ** Climber receives three hazard check rolls (attempts).
E D C B A A*
Dodge
This character has been well trained in the art of dodging all anticipated melee and ranged physical attacks. However, the character must be aware of the enemy to add the modifier to his or her defense value, since a round from a sniper rifle, which would arrive a few seconds before the sound of the gunshot if fired from several hundred meters away, could not be seen or heard in order to dodge for cover. Likewise, in a crowded saloon, a dagger thrust from a bar maid who the character had no reason to suspect, and also had his back to, would negate any chance at a dodge. Basically, when a character’s agility modifiers can’t come into play, also disallow the dodge skill.
Table QSR-10 Dodge Skill Modifiers Dodge Skill Points
Defense Value Modifier
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 each above
-5 -8 -11 -14 -17 -20 -23 -26 -2 more
Knife Fighter
Table QSR-11 Knife Fighter Table
This individual is trained to fight with knives and daggers in close quarter engagements, making two knife attacks per round. If the character is ambidextrous he or she can unleash a flurry of attacks, two per arm. A four armed character that is not ambidextrous is allowed to make two knife attacks per dominant arm’s side, thus four stabs or slashes per round; however, an ambidextrous four armed mutant with this skill could make a devastating eight attacks per round. A knife fighter gains a bonus to both his or her strike value and damage based on skill points attained. Unless starting game play as a work slave, this character begins with d3+1 knives.
Medic
Also called healers, this character is among the most sought after recruit for any expedition. Often, when all other captives are slain, only medics are left alive by their enemies, identified by the tell tale medic’s bag with its red cross. Even as captives, medics are highly prized trophies, especially by very low intelligence humanoids like skullocks who have enough human ancestry in them to be candidates for advanced treatments. The skill of a healer allows for ever more complex medical procedures, as well as better healing rates for those organic beings in ‘hospital’ care. The healing rate bonus offered by a medic is only applicable to patients that spend their time in bed or wheel chairs, or at the very least, relaxing. In addition, these patients must be getting adequate food and water, their wounds stitched and cleaned, bones set properly, skin grafted on bad burns, and plenty of sleep. The main asset a medic offers in battle is to stabilize casualties who have slipped into unconsciousness and are dying from blood loss or other trauma, and hold them at that point until an evac team can get the patient out of harm’s way.
10
Quick Start Rules
The Mutant Epoch
Knife Fighter Strike Value Skill Points Bonus
Damage Bonus
Untrained 1 2 3 4 5
nil +2 +4 +6 +8 +10
nil +2 +3 +4 +5 +7
6
+12
+9
7 8 points above
+14 +16 +2
+10 +11 +1
Reference note: A knife inflicts d8 damage while a dagger does d10.
A medic’s healer bag contains bandages, antiseptic ointments and alcohol, stitching thread and needles, basic mechanical surgery and amputation tools, syringes, sample bottles, a splint stick for broken bones, dental tools (old west tech level), snake bite kit and plaster and cotton mesh to make casts. This whole kit costs 250+2d100sp to replace, but each character with this medic skill automatically starts with a medic bag if not starting as an escape prisoner or slave.
Table QSR-12 Medic Procedures Table Medic Skill Points
Daily Healing END Bonus
Extract Venom from Wounds*
Resuscitate Drowning Victim
untrained
nil
18% chance
21% chance
1
+2
79%
48%
Set bones, pull rotten teeth, deliver babies, stitch
2 3 4 5 6 7 max
+3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8
86% 93% 96% 98% 99% 99.5%
68% 81% 92% 95% 97% 99%
Amputations, Vasectomy, C-sections, root canal False Teeth, remove tumors, replace fingers/toes Attach/detach implants**, cataracts, heart surgery Organ transplants, brain surgery Cryo freeze heads and resuscitate Cryo freeze body and resuscitate
Medical Procedures Medic can Perform Remove slivers & wood ticks, disinfect a wound
*Without a proper medic’s snake bite suction tool, anyone can attempt to cut open a poisonous wound and suck out the venom, then spit it out, either from one’s own injury, if it is located on an accessible body part, or if not, somebody else must perform the time sensitive procedure. If failure results, the poison is not extracted and the toxin affect takes hold, plus, the person extracting it might have ingested the venom in the effort, and must make an accuracy based type A hazard check or be exposed to the venom, which will normally result on another hazard check to ward off the poison’s affects as per usual. **See robotics technician table, page 54 of the TME hub rules, with a 4 skill point medic equal to a 2 skill point robotics tech as far as attach/detach implant to cyborg. In short, deduct 2 skill points to a medic when dealing with implants.
The Mutant Epoch Stealth
All beings use stealth at one time or another to both avoid detection by enemies and to steal something without being caught. Agility is the trait used in accomplishing stealthy actions, but size also plays an important role. A tiny mutant humanoid, cat, spider or other being can move more silently and utilize cover better than a heavy warrior or garnock. For gaming purposes, use the following size groups, showing the height or length of a creature (using whichever is greater), to modify stealth skill when no special mutation or notes are already contained in the being or character type’s description. Being’s height or length is under 1 meter: +1 skill point Being’s height or length is over 1m but less than 3m: normal Being’s height or length is between 3 and 5 meters –1 skill point Being’s height or length is over 5 meters -2 skill points
Silent Action is applied to any action one wishes to pull off in total silence, often doubled up with other skills such as climbing, pouring poison into a sleeping person’s water cup, letting loose a scorpion from a sack, drawing a weapon from a sheath or holster, removing the pin from a grenade, walking through the woods toward a camp fire to discover who is there, etc. Pilfer is a cousin skill to pick pocketing, but less refined and does not involve bumping into a person or cutting anything. It is more akin to shop lifting, slipping a piece of paper off a desk when a clerk has turned her back, or lifting a set of keys off a sleeping guard’s belly. Conceal Self is hiding without moving at all, slightly easier than trying to move and still stay hidden, as in Concealed Movement, which is accomplished at one quarter normal move rate. Of course, certain individuals can’t move silently at all, such as anybody wearing junk armor or full steal plate, or a robot with motors running its various leg and hip joints. The GM will make final judgment on the difficulty of any stealth action, increasing or decreasing the difficulty (hazard check letter code) as the situation warrants.
Table QSR-13 Stealth Table
Agility trait based
Stealth Skill Points
Silent Action
Pilfer
Conceal Self
Concealed Movement
untrained animal 1 2 3 4 5 max
D
D
B
D
C
E
A
B
B
B
A
B
A
A
A
A
A*
A*
A*
A
A**
A*
A*
A*
A**
A**
A**
A**
* Stealth user receives two hazard check rolls (2 attempts). ** Stealth user receives three hazard check rolls (3 attempts).
Quick Start Rules Wilderness Survival
11
Common among savages, hunters, nomads, bestial humans and humanoids, the wilderness survival skill is a one point skill. If this area of expertise is somehow assigned a second time through rank gain or at character generation, then re-roll for another random skill (or if the GM permits, players can pick any possible new skill or assign a point to an existing skill). The character has gained wilderness survival knowhow by either growing up in the wilds or having been taught the craft from a bush-wise instructor. Many new era paramilitary brigades hire primitives to train their new recruits in these skills, sometimes taking the warriors on month long excursions into the hostile frontier areas to acquire this useful and life saving knowledge. For the most part, this character has learned to fend for him or herself by foraging for edible plants, fruit, nuts, invertebrates, fish and local game. He or she can find moisture in certain plants, locate springs, pools and hidden streams; use a plastic sheet, rocks and a cup to gather water from a hole in the ground via condensation; as well as purify tainted water through a process of boiling and filtering with whatever is at hand. This character also knows how to make snares, fishing rods, lures, nets and gather bait; what the tracks and scat of various common local animals look like; how to make lean-to and tree stand shelters; start fires with sticks and generally survive in various outdoor environments and conditions. This character is also able to make a bow and 6+d10 arrows, a sling, javelin or spear, so long as he or she has access to a blade, vegetation and possibly some sort of wire or string to fashion the weapons. If able to bring down a deer or other large animal, he or she can spend an evening to make a suit of crude but effective leather armor, a wicker or leather shield, leather helmet, moccasins, water skin, hammock or other item.
Weapons Expert
This character has devoted hundreds of hours of training with this attack form, either under the tutorship of an experienced instructor, or alone by trial and error. This skill applies to either a weapon category, such as bows or rifles, or to an offensive physical mutation or implant which the character either started game play with or chooses to enhance as a result of a rank gain bonus die roll. The player can only apply the skill point to an existing weapon category, or, start a new category of weapon as long as that weapon, mutation or implant was used in the last adventure. If a character should have a weapon skill area that overlaps with a similar weapon’s related skill, such as knife fighter, the two skills combine to make this character ultra deadly with such weapons. For example, the PC already has the knife fighter skill, but has lucked out and has two weapon expert skill points which he applies toward knives and daggers, improving his SV by an extra +6 and inflicting an additional +4 DMG on those he slashes. At character generation, unless the individual’s random history determination states he or she is an escaped slave or prisoner or otherwise unarmed, the character will start play with a weapon randomly rolled from within the category that is assigned from table QSR-14 to the right. Of course, the character is an expert with any weapon in that category. Cyborgs pose a potentially confusing set of circumstances, since one may have an assault rifle built in and be a weapon expert with it, but later, find a mechanical hand attachment of some sort and then employ a regular assault rifle and wish to be a weapon’s expert with a hand held rifle. While it is up to the GM to make the final decision on this rare occurrence, it would seem plausible that the ballistic expectations, range, kick and other aspects of the two rifle system weapons would be handled almost identically.
12
Quick Start Rules
The Mutant Epoch
For mutations, only physical appendages and growths are eligible for the weapon expert skill, such as beak, bladed limbs, claws, crab pincers, fangs, gaping maw, horns, mandibles, paralysis tendrils, serpentine body, spines, tentacles, throwing quills, thrust spike, tusks, and wings. Roll first for the category of weapon expertise, then the random roll beneath it to see what the PC actually starts game play with from those weapons in his or her field of expertise. Table QSR-14 Category of Weapon Expert
d100
01-16. Knives & Daggers d6
1-3. 4-6.
knife dagger 17-31. Swords d6 1-3. machete 4-6. saber 32-47. Axes d6 1-3. hatchet 4-6. battle axe 48-62. Spears d6 1-3. javelin 4-6. spear 63-76. Bows d6 1-4. bow 5,6. long bow 77-84. Crossbows d6 1-4. crossbow 5,6. heavy crossbow 85. Sling 87-92. Clubs d6
1-4. 5,6.
club pipe 93-96. Rifles d6 1-5. musket (enough powder/shot for 2d20 rounds) 6. assault rifle (with 3d10 rounds) 97,98. Pistols d6 1-5. musket pistol (powder/shot for 2d10 rounds) 6. auto pistol (with 3d10 rounds) 99,00. Shotguns: pump shotgun (with 2d8 shells)
Weapon stats on pages 22 and 23 Table QSR-15 Weapon Expert Strike and Damage Table Weapon Expert Skill Points
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 points above
Strike Value Bonus
+4 +6 +8 +10 +12 +14 +16 +2 each
Damage Bonus
+2 +4 +6 +8 +10 +12 +14 +1
13
Quick Start Rules
The Mutant Epoch
Sample Implants & Mutations Force Field Generator
Sample Implants
Power Source: power cell
Power Duration: 200 rounds Roll d10 Select the result beneath any duplicated re- Defense Value: damage reduction of -10 per round sult. Cyborg characters start with d3+1 implants.
This device is usually housed within the user’s torso with many subcutaneous wires running to various body parts and ending in small, coin sized energy emitter nodes. It can be activated in one round and places a faint green force field around the being’s body. Each round, it will absorb up to 10 points of total damage from all cumulative damage it receives, not 10 points from each strike. There is a 1 in 6 chance that this implant will be of the advanced variety, which does reduce each strike’s damage by 10 points, and appears as a golden force field. Appearance penalty –d4+1.
Table QSR-16 Cybernetic Implants d10 1. Armor Enhancement 2. Force Field Generator 3. Manipulator Tendril 4. Optical Enhancement 5. Pincer 6. Power Arm 7. Retractable Laser Pistol 8. Surveillance Tendril 9, 10. Weapon Arm Note: The TME hub rules contains 68 Implants
Armor Enhancement
Defense Value: see table
The technicians who outfitted this cyborg added special protective measures into the design, at a slight cost to movement, but occasionally it makes the punching damage of this being far greater than before. If more than one implanted armor is present, select only the highest punch damage rating for use. Roll d10 to determine the armor type. More than one implanted armor can be fitted for this being, but not the same type twice. APP stands for appearance, with a penalty being attributed to scar tissue due to implants insertion. Roll d10:
d10 Implanted Armor
DV
1,2. Alloy plated skull -8 Alloy enhanced -10 3. skeleton 4,5. Steel carapace -31 6,7. Ballistic under-sheath -6 / -27vs bullets 8. Flame proof tissues* -4/ -30 flame 9. Acid proof tissues** -4 / -30 acid 10. Reflective plating***
-6/ -38 beams
Move
APP
Weight
Damage
-0.25
-d4
3kg
-0.5
-2d4
22kg
2d10
-1.5 -0.5 -0.5 -0.5
-4d6 -d6 -d4 -d4
42kg 5kg 4kg 4kg
2d12 normal normal normal
-0.5
-2d6
7kg
normal
Notes
head butt, d10 +13 END +20+2d20 END. +10+d20 END. nil -30 explosions* nil 50% of beam misses, deflects randomly
*Flame proof tissues also help protect the user from the blasts of explosions. ** Acid Attacks that do strike and harm the character do only half damage. *** 50% of all energy beams deflect off in a random direction.
Manipulator Tendril
Power Source: power cell Power Duration: 2 years Rate of fire/ Usage: 1 Defense Value: parry -8 Range: reels out 6 meters Strike Value: +11 Damage: d6+3 With this implant, the user can release a 6 meter long, snakelike tendril in total silence and use the mechanical human hand on the end to perform any task her regular hand could do, but with 30 strength. This tendril can wield a relic or archaic one handed weapon, and due to its length, gains +2 initiative in melee.
Most often this tendril is used to steal or explore objects at a safe distance, enter an area undetected, and replace a weapon arm when two hands are needed to use a keyboard or other technical device. This implant has no visual receptors of its own so at a distance, the cyborg must be able to see what the tendril is doing to conduct delicate tasks. This limb can be severed or blown off and has DV –30 and END 25. Torso scars reduce APP by -d6.
The Mutant Epoch Optical Enhancement
Power Source: mini-power cell Power Duration: 8 years One this cyborg‘s eyes have been replaced with an optical array orifice, and all his or her optical implants will cluster around this socket in a most gruesome fashion, reducing the subject’s appearance by -d6+3 points. Roll below to determine which enhancement this character possesses. As this is a common implant, additional rolls on this list might occur; re-roll duplicated results until a new optical implant occurs; roll d12: 1. Zoom lens: can magnify distant objects 50 times. 2,3. Flashlight: large, as the relic, page 201. 4. Night-vision optics: vision as if it were day, plus infrared mode. 5,6. Targeting optics: contributes to the aim of all physical and energy weapons employed, including pincers, fists, etc., giving this character superior accuracy of +30 trait value points. 7,8. Laser eye: strike value +10, damage 2d6+10, rate 1, range 40 meters, and gets 60 shots per hip mounted power cell. Start game play with 20+d20 bursts remaining. 9. Camcorder: films what the character sees, complete with x20 zoom lens, sound recording and export jack to download video. Live streaming of image and audio files possible when a communicator is plugged in. 10. Entity scanner: tells cyborg if a target is organic, dimensional, illusion, robotic or a combination of any of these. Range is 1 kilometer and uses digital cross hairs to pinpoint specific target. 11. Holographic projector: can display miniature 3d movie or image of whatever the character has seen or imagines, assisting in relating information or tactics to associates. Can be transmitted 20 meters away and may distract an animal to attack it instead of the character. Animals must make an intelligence based, type A HC or go after the hologram. Once the beast reaches the illusion, it will realize it is inedible and return to the character or his companions. Special 3D movies can be loaded into or downloaded from the unit’s data base via an access jack and played on other devices. 12. Multi-function: Roll for 2 different enhancements using d10.
Quick Start Rules
14
More than one pincer can be present on a cyborg, each adding 40kg weight to the being. Appearance drops by -2d6.
Power Arm
Power Source: power cell Power Duration: 4 months Rate of fire/ Usage: 1 Defense Value: -5 Range: out 1 meter Strike Value: +10 Damage: punch 2d10+16 A massive, robotic arm extends where another normal arm once was. This appendage has a very powerful metal hand on it as well as any arm mounted weapons. It has a strength of 110 and can lift or hold 110 kilograms on a strike. Once it grabs an opponent, it crushes it for d10+16 damage per round until it minces the victim. If a hand held melee weapon is used with this arm, the damage increases by d10+16 points per strike. The user also gets a –5 bonus to his DV for the shield like use of this appendage. Furthermore, more than one of these units could be present on a cyborg, growing from its back, each adding 35 kg weight to the user. Enemies could attempt to destroy the arm, which is DV -26/ END 17+d20. Appearance penalty is –d6+4. This arm is assumed to be the cyborg’s non-dominant arm: however, it suffers no o f f - h a n d penalty.
Retractable Laser Pistol
Power Source: power cell Power Duration: 60 shots Rate of fire/ Usage: 1 Range: 200 meters Strike Value: +10 Damage: d20+10 Hidden behind a flesh colored iris hatch is a specialized laser pistol which, upon activation, darts out and fires at selected targets. It is aimed wherever the cyborg looks, fired by flexing a modified muscle-trigger, and mounted either in the chest, abdomen or wrist of the cyborg’s non-weapon arm; otherwise, it is similar to the relic weapon by the same name. d6: 1-3. wrist / 4,5. chest / 6. abdomen.
Pincer
Power Source: power cell Power Duration: 3 months Rate of fire/ Usage: 1 Defense Value: -5 Range: out 2 meters Strike Value: +12 Damage: 3d10+12 A powerful, crab-like metal pincer replaces one of the being’s arms, or, if both arms already bare implants, then this will be an additional limb built onto one shoulder, adding an extra melee attack per round. This pincer, which has 90 strength, can hold a 90kg being in place once it strikes it, and can pull 90kg of weight off the ground. Once this pincer strikes and holds a victim, it can be set to automatically chop through the target for d10+12 damage per round. Foes can attempt to blast or hack off this appendage, which is DV -33/ END 30+d20. The user also gets a constant –5 bonus to his or her defense value for the shield-like presence of this appendage. In addition, like any melee weapon, rank advancement eventually means 2 attacks per round, per pincer (at 7th rank).
Surveillance Tendril
Power Source: power cell Power Duration: 5 years Defense Value: -20/END 11 Range: reels out 20 meters Strike Value: normal Damage: d12 This implant sports a concealed, belly mounted, 20m cable and reel that allows a metal snake to pop out of an iris hatch and inspect around corners or through deep brush, at 6 stealth skill points. Using a small optical and auditory sensor cluster attached to its head, this unit reports, in real time, what it sees and hears. It reels in or out at 6m per round, and If the owner is hard pressed for a weapon, it can be used to bludgeon an enemy for d12 damage. It can be blown apart or severed if discovered, however, and is DV –20/END 11.
The Mutant Epoch
Weapon Arm
Quick Start Rules
15
Sample Mutations All artwork in Muddy Mayhem and the QSR cover show mutations that are included in these quick start rules. Roll d20, selecting the result beneath any duplicated dice rolls. It is a good idea to also re-roll mutations that are already present in other player characters, at least until all the mutations have been introduced to the game once. Mutant characters each start with d3+1 mutations. Table QSR-18 Mutations d20
This implant replaces the non-dominant arm of the user and is fired by nerve and muscle tension control if no computer brain or targeting system is present. There is no off hand penalty to the cyborg’s strike value for attacking with a nondominant hand. The ammo is loaded manually using one’s free arm, and the weapon can be detached and replaced with other weapons or a mechanical replacement arm and hand. Roll below to determine the weapon and any ammo or power cells accompanying the weapon. As with all hand held weapons, this offensive implant gains accuracy based SV modifiers, and if it is a strength based attack mode, add strength modifiers as well. Implanted weapons of this sort have been heavily modified to be bolted and wired to a severed lower arm, below the elbow, and if the implant is cut off it can be re-modified with a trigger and stock mechanism by a three skill point or better mechanical technician for non-cyborgs to use. The great advantage of having a weapon bolted to one’s arm is that it cannot be dropped nor knocked out of one’s hand as can a hand held weapon. If the implant is an energy weapon, it can have a power conduit cable running within the being to a power generator or larger power supply unit. Arm weapons are the main implant for many androids, cyborgs and other intelligent beings. Important Note: Characters who start game play with this implant, who also have the weapon expert skill, may choose to apply the skill point to this, or any other offensive implant.
Roll 2d6 to determine the weapon arm a cyborg starts with: Table QSR-17 Weapon Arm Table
2d6
2,3.
Stun pistol with d6 power cells
4,5.
Auto pistol with 60 round drum magazine and spare d20 rounds
6-8.
Pump shotgun d2 full 40 round drums plus d20 spare shells
9-11.
Assault rifle with d3 full magazines plus d100 rifle rounds
12.
Laser carbine with d6+1 power cells
1. Aura of protection 2. Ballistic hide 3. Body disproportion (massive upper body) 4. Body Regeneration 5. Crab Pincers 6. Electrical Pulse 7. Heal Touch 8. Horns 9. Mental Screen 10. Mind Crush 11. Multi-Arm 12. Multi-Head 13. Night Vision 14. Poison Bite 15. Paralysis Tendrils 16. Reserve Heart 17. Shell 18. Spines 19. Stun Ray 20. Telekinesis Note: The TME Hub Rules contains 91 Prime Mutations, a wide variety of colorful minor mutations and 44 flaw mutations.
Aura of Protection
Range: user Usage: twice per day per rank Duration: user’s willpower in rounds Defense Value: -10 plus 10 pt force field
This potent defensive mental mutation takes two rounds to charge up and employ, while conducting no other action except normal walking. While in effect, the deviant gains –10 DV, plus a 10 point per round, as opposed to per strike, force field. Additionally, the mutant enjoys immunity from all mental attacks, dimensional beings, protection from gas, liquid sprays, dust-like hazards and radiation contamination during focus. Usage sessions are up to as many rounds as the mutant has willpower trait points. To use this mutation, the user must totally focus on the aura, and can do nothing else, except walk. If struck, the damage inflicted from all enemy attacks that round must exceed 10 points to break his or her concentration and force another 2 rounds to re-focus for another usage.
16
Quick Start Rules
The Mutant Epoch Ballistic Hide
Defense Value: -4 regular, -20 vs. ballistics and blunt trauma
Much like bullet proof armor, this mutant’s skin acts to both absorb and block ballistic or blunt trauma damage. This tough tissue adds a basic –4 to his normal DV, but –20 against bullets, clubbing attacks, kicks or punches, stones, dropped objects, etc. as well as taking only half damage from falls. The skin is leathery and thick, reducing the character’s appearance score by d4 points.
Body disproportion (Massive Upper Body)
This mutant’s upper body is completely out of proportion, being incredibly over muscled, with her heart and lungs also twice normal size. All totaled, this hulking abomination’s STR and END are both 20+2d20 points higher. On the downside, movement is –1m, agility –d10 points, appearance –2d4 points; plus, she weighs an extra 20+2d20kg.
Body Regeneration
While a normal human Roll man heals at about 3 en- d100 Healing Rate durance points (or other 01-12 +4 points per day trait value points) per 24 13-32 +7 points per day hour period, this mutant 33-40 +10 points per day regenerates much faster. 41-64 +15 points per day Each mutant will have his 65-87 1 point per hour or her own bonus to his or her healing rate, deter- 88-93 2 points per hour mined at birth. Roll d100 94-96 4 points per hour once on the right hand 97,98 6 points per hour table. Add the bonus to 99 10 points per hour the character’s current 00 1 point per round healing rate per day, or possibly per hour or per round if a truly rare specimen.
Crab Pincers
Strike Value: variable, see below Damage: variable, see below
While called crab pincers, these appendages are 80% likely to be mere bone hooks formed out of a hideous hand, otherwise, they are virtually identical to crab or scorpion pincers in appearance, and imply some form of very advanced genetic cross-manipulation in this character’s ancestry. These pincers have various strike values, damage potentials and movement penalties based on their size, as well as different formations. Unless a set of human arms are also present, this character cannot use triggers, keyboards or complex items, let along dress himself properly. All SV and DMG values are subject to strength and accuracy modifiers, and are eligible for weapons expert
skill point enhancements. Crab pincers are considered unsightly, and each reduces the mutant’s appearance by -d4 points if regular human arms are also present, and reduced by -d4+2 each if no arms are present. d10
Pincer Formation on Mutant
1,2. 3-6. 7.
1 pincer replacing one of the mutant’s arms. 2 pincers replacing both human arms. 1 pincer growing from shoulder, both human arms intact. 2 pincers and both human arms. 2+d2 pincers, 78% chance human arms remain.
8,9. 10. d10 1-3. 4-6. 7-9. 10.
Pincer Size small medium large massive
SV
DMG
Movement
+2 d10+1 unchanged +4 d12+3 -0.25m per pincer +7 d20+3 -0.5m per pincer +10 d20+10 -0.75m per pincer
Weight Each* +15kg +20kg +35kg +50kg
*However, minus 15kg for each human arm NOT present.
Electrical Pulse
Range: user’s willpower in meters times rank Usage: three times per day per rank Strike Value: +20 Damage: d20 organic beings, 3d20 machines By drawing upon internal energies, this mutant can unleash a lightning bolt from her hand with an effective range of the her willpower in meters times her rank (WILL x rank = meters). The +20 SV pulse must hit a target and if so does d20 damage to organic beings or other objects and 3d20 to cyborgs, robots, electronics and machines. This deviant can start fires using these lightning strikes, as well.
Heal Touch
Usage: twice per day per rank
Healer mutants can use this psionic gift on themselves or bestow healing energies on other organic beings by transmitting waves of rejuvenating power to alter the very molecular structure of damaged tissues and bones. The amount of damage healed per session is determined by the user’s
The Mutant Epoch willpower, and will heal wounded trait points for each characteristic by the given dice value shown. Healing will take effect at once. For example, if the character is damaged from physical attacks and has reduced endurance, but has also suffered harm from certain mental attacks which have reduced his or her willpower or intelligence score, these other traits are also given healing rolls. Trait value damage from radioactive contamination can be healed by the use of this mutation, but not the cumuMutant’s Trait points lative exposure nor other Willpower healed sicknesses or penalties. If 01-06 d8 the subject happens to have 07-14 d12 cancer, known or otherwise, 15-34 d20 the victim is allowed a Type B 35-64 d20+10 willpower based HC to remove 65-84 d20+20 each occurrence, and if so, all 85-105 d20+30 harm from the disease will reverse over 2d6 days. above 105 d20+40
Horns
Strike Value: +3 each Damage: d10 each
The mutant’s head supports d4 horns useful in melee to gore or slash opponents. This attack can be used alone or in combination with other melee attacks, with strength and accuracy modifiers applied normally, plus, any weapon expert skill points adding to this mutation. For each horn, add +3 SV to the overall number and d10 DMG per horn on a successful strike. Relic helmets cannot be worn, nor shell class armor unless the mutant has the horns cut off permanently. Horns produce only a slight appearance penalty of -2 points per horn. Each horn adds 2kg to the mutant’s base weight.
Mental Screen
Duration: variable Hazard Check: see below
This mutant’s mind has developed complex protective shielding from all forms of mental attacks, controls, mind readings, metal dominions, and the like. She gets to make three hazard checks from any mental attacks calling for a HC. Likewise, where either the defender’s intelligence or willpower are used as a defending trait without being used for a hazard check, consider this character’s trait scores triple for this purpose, plus, any damage from a mental attack is reduced to half. There is a 1 in 6 chance that this mutant will have the advanced version of this mutation, which reflects failed mental attacks directly back to the sender. In the case of a reflected mental dominion*, the victim must make his or her own type C, willpower based hazard check, or drop into a coma for *Expansion Rules Book 3d6 days.
Quick Start Rules
17
Mind Crush
Range: willpower x3 in meters Usage: three times per day per rank Damage: d20 endurance, plus d6 intelligence Hazard Check: intelligence based type B
Among the most common mental mutations encountered, this mental attack can both inflict serious brain injury and physical harm to organic beings who fail an intelligence based, type B hazard check. Often, even the largest animals have weak intelligence trait values, and a mutant of high rank, hurling several successful mind crush attacks in a row can bring down a behemoth whom would otherwise be unstoppable via endurance depleting. Any living being whose intelligence is reduced below zero is considered to be unconscious for 10+d100 minutes, but, could slip away and must make a type B willpower based HC to avoid death. Intelligence points of unconscious beings will heal one point per minute starting after unconsciousness ends.
Multi-Arm
This mutant has additional arms growing from his or her shoulders like an ancient East Indian Deity. Consult the character generation section to establish which hand is the character’s dominant, with the resulting right or left side making all extra arms on that side also dominant. When the mutant has rolled only one additional arm, or an odd number of extra arms, determine which side of the body the odd arm is on by rolling d6: 1-3. right side/ 4-6. left side. The total number of arms is discovered by rolling d100 on the following table, with a four armed mutant being the most commonly seen occurrence of this deviation. Due to the frequency of this mutation in humanoids, certain oversized weapons can be purchased, Additional d100 such as the formidable four Arms handed sword (+7 SV, DMG 1 01-10 2d20+10, cost 60+d100sp). In 2 11-85 some areas, individuals gifted 3 86-90 with extra arms find the combi4 91-97 nation of using two longbows or 5 98 two battle axes more appropriate, or even an assault rifle and 6 99 two shields. 6+d6 00
The Mutant Epoch Multi-Head
The mutant has one or more extra subordinate heads, each with a separate neck and adding 10kg weight to the mutant. Optionally establish unique personalities, intelligence, willpower, perception, and appearance scores for each head. These additional heads differ from the character’s main head, in that they do not control the body unless the main head is severed, unconscious, or under mental dominion or some other control; however, if the main head suddenly suffers from an insanity, the other head(s) can not take control. Each head will have an endurance score of 10% the character’s total, and if targeted and killed by a radius attack, mental attack, called shot, or critical hit, the deceased head will shrivel and eventually drop off after 2d4+1 months. Each head is 62% likely to possess one mutation (roll d6: 1. Heal Touch, 2,3. Mind Crush, 4,5. Telekinesis, 6. Stun Ray), which can be used independently of other heads allowing the main body to move around and fight, while each head employs mental mutations which may normally require concentration and stillness of body. The faces of each head may be attractive, but the overall appearance of the mutant suffers slightly. As with so many mutations which grow either on the body or the face, a player could record separate trait values for the appearance of each head and for the body. The heads of this character will tend to sleep at different times, with those staying awake at night posing as guards for the body. Due to so many heads on the watch for danger, this character gains an increase in his initiative roll based on the number of heads to a maximum of +4. Due to possible personality differences between heads and the main character’s own opinions, views, and morality, this mutant can often be a walking argument and annoy those nearby. It is not uncommon for the main head to threaten to behead the others if they cause trouble or put the main character at risk. d100
01-70 71-88 89-95 96,97 98,99 00
Additional Appearance Movement Heads Value Drop* Penalty
1 2 3 4 5 6
-d4 -d4+1 -d6+2 -d6+4 -d6+6 -d6+8
Initiative Bonus
nil -0.25m -0.5m -0,75m -1m -1.25m
+1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4
* Of the character’s body appearance value only, not each head.
Night Vision
Besides having normal daylight vision, this mutant can see as well at night as a regular person can in the day; however, there must be at least some light, including star light, for the character to see anything at all.
18
Quick Start Rules Poison Bite
Usage: four times per day Damage: d6 plus poison Hazard Check: see table below
This mutant will have small, vampire like teeth with hollow cores in them to allow venom to ooze into an opponent on a successful bite attack. The bite is a normal unadjusted attack doing d6 damage, modified by any strength, accuracy or weapon expert skill points, plus the poison’s effect. Each deviant has been born with one specific, randomly determined type of poison, to which he is immune, which can be successfully injected four times a day. This poison can be expelled into a container into which arrow heads, darts, blades or other piercing devices can be dipped, with up to 4 arrows or one blade per injection’s worth of poison. Poison tipped weapons will retain their venom for one day and be good for one inflicted wound each. d100
Poison’s Strength
d10
Poison Type
01-54 A 1-5. Death 55-84 B 6-10. Sleep 85-97 C 98,99 D 00 E Death Poison: Any creature who fails its hazard check roll
dies on the fourth round after being injected.
Sleeping Poison: After the third round, anyone who fails
their hazard check from this poison promptly passes out. The duration of sleep depends upon the strength of the poison and nothing Poison Sleep Duration can wake the victim Strength until the poison duratype A 3d6 minutes tion is up. Sleeping type B 20+d20 minutes individuals can be type C d6 hours struck at +80 SV in type D 3d6 hours melee range, and +60 type E 12+3d6 hours with missile attacks.
Paralysis Tendrils
Range: tendrils are 3
meters long Usage: three times per day per rank Strike Value: +10 Damage: d12 stun, 2d20 stun to machines and cyborgs Growing from the character’s chest are d6 tendrils, each 3 meters in length and capable of shocking targets for d12 non-fatal stun points of damage. This damage will begin to heal after one hour at a rate of 1 END points per minute and leave only discolored bruises. Robots, computers, powered vehicles, androids and cyborgs will suffer a massive 2d20 points of electronic scattering damage from each of these tendrils. Ma-
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Quick Start Rules
chines inflicted with this damage recuperate at the same rate as organic beings. Considered hideous, each tendril lowers the PC’s appearance by -4pts.
Reserve Heart
This is an undetectable mutation that is often exhibited by ghost mutants, usually unknown even to the character. Next to her normal heart, is another, which lies dormant and ready within the body. If she is deemed to be killed by poison or electricity, or a critical hit which specifically states a piercing of the heart, she will appear to be quite dead for 2d20+10 rounds. After this comatose period without a pulse or heartbeat, her back up heart will suddenly kick in and induce 2d10 endurance of healing, bringing the character slowly back to life. She will heal normally from that point, including her main heart. Once the character is fully healed, her reserve heart will return to dormancy until activated again.
Shell
Defense Value: see below
A calcium carbonate shell-like growth covers this mutant’s entire body, making him appear very much like a bipedal crab, beetle or armadillo. Depending on the thickness rating of the specified shell, defense value, movement rate, body weight, and appearance are adjusted. Due to the way this armor folds at the joints, juts and curves, etc. no relic armor other than ballistic, riot and bomb squad armor can be worn, while combat armor can be modified if given d6+1 days to adjust it. A punch, kick, or head-butt from this character will inflict 2d6 base damage as opposed to d6. d10
Shell Rating
1-4. Light 5-7. Medium 8,9. Heavy 10. Extra Heavy
Defense Value
Movement Penalty
Appearance Penalty
Added Weight
-10 -20 -30 -40
-0.5m -1m -1.5m -2m
-d4+1 -d6+2 -d6+4 -d6+6
20kg 30kg 40kg 50kg
Spines
Defense Value: see below
Sprouting all over the mutant’s body, except on his, face, chest, belly, front of neck and groin, are sharp, 10+d10cm long spines which improve his DV by -20+d10 points. While they are considered unappealing as far as one’s good looks go (-2d4 APP), they are nevertheless handy when in melee; all unarmed attacks by this mutant do an additional d6 damage, (fist or kick thus does 2d6 damage). If the mutant is swallowed by an animal, the spines automatically cut and pierce the insides of the beast doing 2d6 damage per round while inside. If sawed off on a monthly basis, this character would be able to wear relic armor.
Stun Ray
Range: as user’s willpower x2 in meters Usage: three times per day per rank Duration: stun damage remains for one hour Strike Value: +10 Damage: 2d20 stun damage, x2 to machines
Three times a day per rank, this mutant can emit a beam of blue, paralyzing energy at a range of double her current willpower score. The energy pulse temporarily scrambles the nervous systems of struck targets for 2d20 points of non-lethal damage (double this to machines such as robots, tanks and androids, as well as cyborgs). This damage remains effective within the victim for about an hour regardless of whether or not the damage was sufficient to incapacitate the individual. Stun Rays are normally launched from one of the mutant’s hands, but 17% of the time the beam is shot from the user’s eyes.
Telekinesis
Range: as willpower in meters Usage: four times a day per rank Duration: instantaneous or as
willpower in rounds Strike Value: double willpower Damage: by object This mutant can lift and hurl objects at will, four times a day per rank. Objects are typically arrows, spears, axes, helmets, rocks, ruin rubble, and furnishings. Blunt objects are treated as rocks from the archaic weapons listing on page 22, with hurling range for all objects as the user’s willpower in meters. One object can be thrown per round, with a SV double the character’s willpower. A character’s willpower determines the maximum weight of objects or individuals he can lift with his mind. The duration of a sustained lift is also dependant on his willpower trait value, with one round of telekinetic lifting per trait point. Willpower
Kilograms that can be lifted
Object Movement*
‘Rock’ Size thrown as weapon**
below 10 10-60 61-70 71-90 91 and above
1kg As willpower Willpower X 2 Willpower X 3 Willpower x4
2m 5m 8m 12m 16m
Rock, normal Rock, normal Rock, large Rock, huge Rock, huge
* Object movement applies to controlled lifting and travel of an item or life form, such as keys, comrade across a lava stream, or oneself landing after a fall. Directional changes are possible. Movement rate is one tenth user’s willpower trait value, rounded up. ** ‘Rock’ thrown as a projectile have a velocity of equal to the character’s willpower score in meters per round. ‘Rock’ could be a bottle, candle holder, pot, frying pan, chunk of fire wood, whatever is handy. Once thrown, the object is out of the user’s control and can’t change direction or chase targets.
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20
Additional Character Details Character Starting Age and Aging
Character Hand Dominance
Starting Age
In the difficult, nightmarish reality of the far future, adventurous individuals often set out on their first quests at a young age. The larger world calls to them, prompting some to either throw down the pitch fork, flee a master’s brutal whip or abandon the front lines of a senseless war. Most organic human characters start game play at age 17+d8 years old.
Character Weight and Height
In a world where great birds and bats can swoop down and lift a grown man off the ground, or rusted stairwells and crumbling walkways must be traversed, where air ducts and low ceiling caverns need to be explored, the height and weight of a character are very important details. The following table provides a quick yet accurate way of determining the body weight of a being prior to the addition of extra kilograms added for any notable mutations, implants or substantial arms, armor and cargo carried.
Table QSR-19 Character Weight and Height Character Type Pure Stock Cyborg Mutant
Female Weight
Female Height
40+2d20kg 140+3d20cm 65+2d10kg 140+3d20cm 40+2d20kg 130+4d20cm
Male Weight
Male Height
60+2d20kg 75+2d10kg 60+2d20kg
160+3d20cm 160+3d20cm 150+4d20cm
Note: 1 kilogram =2.2 pounds/ 1 centimeter =.39 inches
Sometimes it is in the character’s favor to be heavy, to avoid being carried off by winged predators, getting knocked over by a strong wind or wave. At other times, it is handy to be light, in order to make it up a set of rusted stairs or make one’s way across an old rope bridge. For height, there are times when being tall will allow a character to leap up and reach something, like a higher ledge, or peer over an object. Being short, meanwhile, can allow the character to travel down low tunnels standing fully upright and avoiding any penalties in combat or speed as would a taller person who must creep along on his hands and knees.
At first, determining the dominant hand of a character may seem like pointless detail; however, due to critical strikes and called shots, a character’s good hand needs to be pre-established prior to any injury, especially the unfortunate amputation of one’s arm. The following table is used to establish the character’s dominant hand; however, ambidextrousness is quite common among excavators yet only occurs about 1% of the time in common folk. Unless employing a two handed weapon in both hands, or due to some skill, implant, mutation or other factor, strikes made by the attackers ‘off hand’ (non-dominant) suffer a -20 strike value (SV) penalty.
Table QSR-20 Character Dominant Hand Determination d10
Dominant Hand*
1-7.
Right Handed
8,9.
Left Handed
10.
Ambidextrous**
*Strikes made using one’s off hand are made at a -20 strike value penalty. ** This character can use two, one handed weapons simultaneously with no penalty.
Character Swimming Ability
As with height and weight, and dominant hand determination, it is important to know if your character will sink or swim when dropped into the murky waters of the new era. For the purposes of these Quick Start Rules, a person can hold their breath for one minute (20 rounds) after which they begin to drown taking d6 stun damage per round thereafter. When reaching zero or less endurance from this stun damage, the victim succumbs, passes out, and will be dead in 4d6 minutes if not resuscitated by rescuers.
Table QSR-21 Swimming Ability d10
Swimming Skill
1-3. 4,5. 6,7. 8,9. 10.
Can’t Swim Poor Swimmer Fair Swimmer Strong Swimmer Excellent Swimmer
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21
Outfitting, Armor & Weapons The gear portion of a character’s outfitting is covered under their caste details back on page 8. For arms and armor, each character uses a different dice based on their pre-game caste, rolled once for his or her starting arms, and a second time for Armor: Militia Solider roll d12 Nomad roll d10 Farmer roll d8 Work Slave roll d6
Table QSR-22 Starting Arms
1. Pipe Club and d6 rocks for throwing 2. Dagger and a 3 in 10 chance of a javelin 3. Machete and a 6 in 10 chance of a sling 4. Dagger and bow with 2d6 arrows 5. Spear and dagger and a 4 in 10 chance of a crossbow with 2d4 quarrels 6. Machete, dagger and bow with 3d6 arrows 7. Sabre, dagger, and crossbow with 10+d20 quarrels 8. Battle axe, dagger and a 7 in 10 chance of a musket pistol with enough shot and powder for 2d6 discharges 9. Sabre, dagger, and musket pistol with enough powder and shot for 3d6 discharges. 10-12. Saber, dagger, and random relic from list below: Random Outfitting Relic roll 2d6 2. Assault rifle with 3d10 rifle rounds 3. Automatic pistol with 2d6 pistol rounds 4. Fragmentation grenade plus an auto pistol with d3 rounds in magazine 5. Two fragmentation grenades 6. Fragmentation grenade 7. Automatic pistol with d6 cartridges left in magazine 8. Pump shotgun with d4 shells 9. Automatic pistol with 3d6 standard pistol rounds 10. Pump shotgun with 3d6 shot shells 11. Automatic pistol with two full 20 round magazines 12. Assault rifle with two full 30 rounds magazines, plus re-roll this table using 2d4.
Table QSR-23 Starting Armor
1. No armor 2. Furs, Skins or Hides 3. Leather Jacket 4. Heavy leather 5. Part Plate 6. Junk Armor 7. Junk Armor and 6 in 10 chance of a relic Army Helmet 8. Part Plate and a 6 in 10 chance of a Junk Shield 9. Junk Armor and a 7 in 10 chance of a Ballistic Shield 10-12. Riot Armor plus 7 in 10 chance of a Ballistic Shield, and a 6 in 10 chance of an Army Helmet
Sample Archaic Weapons Listing
Table QSR-24 Weapon Human punch or kick Knife Dagger/ Bayonet Short Sword/ Machete Long Sword/ Saber Great Sword Hatchet/ Axe Battle Axe Javelin Spear Bow Long Bow Crossbow Heavy Crossbow Sling Club/ Torch/ Gun Butt Shovel Pickaxe Bottle Pitch fork Rock Large Rock Huge Rock Crowbar/ Pipe Chain Whip Musket Musket Pistol
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SV
Rate
Damage
Effective Range1 Hands2 STR3
Weight
Value4
-
1
-
1
d8 d10
3m
1
-
-
250g
d3sp
1
3m
1
-
-
500g
d6+1sp
-
1
d12+1
melee
1
-
-
1kg
d8+10sp
-
1
d20+2
melee
1
20
-
2kg
d12+16sp
+5 - /+4 - / +4 +5 +8 +12 -
1
melee
2
34
-
5kg
d20+30sp
4m
1
-
-
800g
3m
1 or 2
25
-
5kg
1/2
d20+5 d12 d20+2/ d20+4 d12 d20+1/ d20+4 d12 d20 d20+1 d20+5 d10
- / +2
1 1
- / +2 - / +3 - / +4 - / +3 - / +2 +14 +7
1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1/3 1/3
1 1 1 1 1 1/2 1 1 1 1/3 1/3
d6*
Ammo
melee
1
-
-
-
-
d6+2sp d12+14sp
20m
1
-
-
1kg
d6+2sp
15m
1 or 2
-
-
2kg
d8+4sp
40m
2
-
arrows6
1kg
d12+10sp
70m
2
22
arrows6
1.5kg
d20+30sp
60m
2
16
quarrels6
3kg
d20+40sp
100m
2
33
quarrels6
5kg
2d20+60sp
20m
2
-
stones6
150g
d3+1sp
d10/ d10+3*
3m
1 or 2
-
-
700g
d3sp
d10* d12 d8 d12+2 d6/ d6+3* d12/ d12+3 d20+3 d10+1 / d10+4 d10/ d10+3* d8+wrap d20+3 d20
2m
2
-
-
3kg
d6+3sp
2m
2
-
-
4kg
d8+4sp
3m
1
-
-
500g
10m
2
-
-
2kg
8
d4sp d6+1sp
10m
1 or 2
-
-
1kg
-
4m
1 or 2
26
-
2kg
-
2m
2
34
-
5kg
-
3m
1 or 2
-
-
2kg
d4+3sp d2+2sp
out 2m
1 or 2
-
-
4kg
out 3m
1
-
-
800g
d3+2sp
140m
2
-
powder & 1 shot7
3.5kg
2d20+120sp
25m
1
-
powder & 1 shot7
900g
2d20+90sp
1 The range shown is the effective range, but all weapons can go double this with a reduction of half the shooter’s total SV, plus, half the damage on strikes. Additionally, all physical weapons can be thrown or shot farther or lesser than the effective range shown, depending if the user’s strength score is lower or higher than average. Example: A character has a strength of 45, which adds 20% to the range of his spear, thus 15m +20%=18m range. See table QSR-4 page 5, Trait Modifiers, for the strength modifiers to range. 2 This is the number of hands needed to effectively wield the weapon, especially to load it in the case of bows and crossbows. A strong person can hold up and fire a crossbow in each hand; however, this feat requires a strength score of 50 or better, and the cumbersome weapon loses –10 SV, plus, the off hand (if the character is not an ambidextrous shooter) suffers an additional –20 SV. 3 User of weapon must have shown strength to employ or suffer a –20 SV penalty, however one could use 2 hands on a heavy 1 handed weapon to avoid penalty. If no number given, then STR is not an issue. 4 The value shown is the number of silver pieces needed to purchase or sell the item in a market place. The fluctuation is due to bartering and product availability, the mood of the vendor, etc. 5 Refers to pikes, included in the Hub Rules and not shown here. 6 Bows and longbows come with a quiver and 20 arrows. Crossbows come with a case and 20 quarrels. Slings come with a pouch and 50 rounded stones. 7 Musket weapons come with a powder horn and 24 rounds of shot in a leather pouch, plus ram rod and wadding. 8 Wrap: On a strike, user can coil whip around a log, weapon, limb, leg or other pipe-like shape. 70% chance wrap holds. Held victim needs to make strength based HC to pull free each round, with a victim of less strength than whip user forced to make a type E hazard check, while equal or stronger victims only a type B HC to break free. Person with a leg wrapped must make a type C agility based HC or fall over. * Can be used to produce stun damage for non-lethal attacks using the same dice, modifiers, and skill bonuses as a lethal attack by this weapon / When shown for both SV and Damage the backslash differentiates between one handed or two handed use of a weapon, while a backslash under Rate shows a fraction, with 1/2 meaning one shot every second round, or 1/4 meaning one shot every fourth round, which reflects weapons that are slower to reload, cock, aim and fire. Pikes show normal SV bonus and then a close in, less than 1m range melee penalty.
Sample Relic Weapons Listing
Table QSR-25 Weapon
SV
Pump Shotgun Auto Pistol Assault rifle Stun pistol Laser carbine
Rate
Damage
1 2 3 1 1
+20 +12 +12 +15 +25
3d10 d20 d20 2d20 stun 2d20+10
Range1 Hands2 STR3 30m 250m 900m 200m 2km
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The Mutant Epoch
2 1 2 1 2
Ammo/ Duration
20 8 shotgun shells - pistol ammo/ 20 round clip 18 rifle ammo/ 30 round clips power cell/ 40 shots power cell / 20 shots
Weight 4kg 1.1kg 5kg 1.9kg 3.5kg
Value4 1300+d1000sp 1400+d1000sp 2000+d1000sp 1500+d1000sp 5000+2d1000sp
1
The range shown is the effective range, but all weapons can go double this with a reduction of half the shooter’s regular SV, plus, half damage on strikes. 2 The number of hands needed to effectively wield the weapon, especially to load it in the case of bows and crossbows; however, a strong person can hold up a carbine or shotgun in one hand and fire it, or possibly hold one assault rifle in each hand as she storms into a room. This feat requires a strength score of 50 or better, and the cumbersome weapon loses –10 SV. Plus, the off hand (if the shooter is not an ambidextrous) suffers an additional –20 SV. 3 The user must have sufficient strength or suffer a –20 SV penalty; otherwise, to avoid a penalty, the weapon requires two hands if it is normally a one handed weapon. If no number is given, then strength is not an issue. 4 The value shown for relic weapons is the silver pieces one gets for selling a relic weapon. These weapons are almost never available for purchase, and if so, are double the value an adventurer gets for selling it. This price reflects a workable, but empty relic; no sane adventurer would sell a loaded weapon. Stun weapons do non-lethal damage. Unconscious victims sleep for d100+20 minutes (20 rounds in a minute). When the victim wakes, the stun damage totally dissipates.
Note: The TME Hub Rules has 47 types of archaic and 49 types of relic weapons
Sample Armor Listing
Table QSR-26 Armor type
Defense Value Movement Weight
None Furs, Skins or Hides Leather Jacket * Leather Heavy leather Studded Leather Lizard Scale Brestplate* Part Plate Junk Armor Heavy Junk Armor Scrap Relic Sports Padding Ballistic Vest * Riot Armor
0 -3 -5 -10 -14 -12 -11 -15 -25 -12 -17 -20 -18 -4 / -20 vs. bullets -25
-0.25m -0.25m -0.25m -0.5m -0.5m -1m -0.5m -1.5m -0.5m -1.5m -0.75m -0.75m -0.25m -0.5m
nil 1kg 2kg 4kg 7kg 5kg 5kg 10kg 24kg 4kg 18kg 3kg 3kg 1kg 5kg
Cost
Comment
nil Either naked or in regular clothing d8+4sp Flammable, add +1 dmg per round of burning d12+8sp d20+14sp d20+30sp d20+20sp d20+18sp 2d20+70sp d100+140sp d20+14sp d20+70sp 2d100+400sp 200+2d100sp 300+d1000sp 400+d1000sp
*This armor can be worn over other tight fitting body armor, thus adding the DV and any movement penalty.
Shields Standard Shield Junk Shield Ballistic Shield
Helmets Junk Helmet Iron Helmet Army Helmet
Defense Value -5 -6 -5 / -22 vs bullets
Defense Value -3 -4 -5
Movement Weight -0.25m -0.5m -0.5m
3kg 6kg 3kg
Movement Weight -0.25m -0.25m -0.25m
1.5kg 1.5kg 2kg
Cost
Comment
d10+4sp d12+7sp 300+d1000sp
Cost d10+9sp 18sp 200+d100sp
Note: The TME Hub Rules contains 29 types of body armor, 10 shields and 11
Comment
The Mutant Epoch
Quick Start Rules
24
Game Play Time and Game Sequence
The smallest unit of game play time is a round, which is 3 seconds long, in which a character can make one action or one combined action, such as running and firing an assault rifle, climbing a ladder while talking on a headset communicator, or zig-zagging across a battle field under a hail of arrows while pulling a grenade from her hip pouch. Most actions are single attacks or strike rolls made using a mutation, weapon, or mental attack, but due to some skills, relic weapons, or rank gain advancements, more than one strike attempt per round is possible. A turn is when each side in the combat acts, with the side winning initiative getting the first turn to proceed with whatever actions the individuals wish to conduct, such as attack, run, use a mental mutation, draw a holstered weapon, surrender, etc. Occasionally, the d10 initiative roll each side makes, results in a tie, in which case the GM can call for a re-roll, or, both sides act simultaneously, potentially killing each other. There are 20 rounds in a minute, and from here, all moments are measured in the same increments as normal time. It is important for GMs to note the passage of time during periods of travel, at night when the characters are at camp, or when players elect to post a guard at a passageway. Certain terrain areas are more heavily populated with dangerous life forms or enemy units than others, and the frequency of encounters increases here. Sometimes the GM must make an encounter check every minute, while at other times, such as in deserts, only once every hour, with the chance of an encounter increasing or decreasing by the type of terrain, or action taken by the players, such as if one team member is bleeding, if a fire is set at night, or when a gunshot or other loud noise has been made.
Movement
Normal humans walk at about 3 meters per round, or 3 kilometers per hour if they move cautiously, keeping an eye out for trouble. If a character is running, he or she can double this rate to 6m per round, or 6km per hour for a short time. Armor and other movement penalties, such as heavy mutations, are normally applied to a person’s running movement rate, not the walking rate as well. Since an armored warrior can easily keep pace with a marching, unarmored archer, his or her walking speed is not affected by mutation or armor weight unless the total negative modifiers of such appendages and armor is excessive, and the person’s running speed drops below 3m per round, in which case, a much slower rate is established. For example, a normal human wearing full plate armor* (-2m per round), who also
wears a full helmet* (-0.5m), and carries a tower shield* (0.75m), now has a running speed of only 2.75m per round, which is less than a person who is walking normally. *Found in the TME hub rules but used as an extreme example here.
Initiative
Base Human Movement Rates: Running: 6 meters per round Walking: 3 meters per round
Initiative is established by each side or group in an encounter rolling d10. The side that rolls the highest score wins the initiative and can act first. An identical dice result, after any penalty or bonus to the initiative roll is applied, ends in a tie, allowing simultaneous exchanges of attacks or leaping for cover, fleeing, etc. A penalty or bonus to the initiative is sometimes applied to the roll based on the lead character or NPC’s trait of perception. Only the lead or on watch individual on each side may roll for initiative, unless otherwise directed by the GM, The initiative roller is the person ‘on point’ who is supposed to be observing the trail ahead, standing on guard in the direction strangers are coming from, or in other circumstances where a person is in a position to observe, hear or feel other beings or threats. See the traits table, QSR-4, page 5, to determine what, if any, perception modifiers are applied to the lead character’s initiative. All creatures and robots have their own initiative listing included in their statistics. There are circumstances where resolving initiative can become complicated, such as when a being starts off gaining initiative at a distance, but whishes to charge ahead and engage an opponent in melee range (3 meters or less). In this case, the advancing entity has chosen to use up its turn to move instead of fire missile weapons, flee, or whatever else, and upon reaching the enemy, both sides must make a new initiative roll to establish who acts first again. Another situation is the arrival of a third party into a battle that is already underway. In this case, all sides roll initiative again without any modifiers from perception, mutations or other aspects, except where one party is a lone individual, or whereby the initiative scores of one entire group are all the same bonus or penalty, such as skullocks who are +1 initiative by nature or moaners which are -3. An optional rule for initiative is to have any resulting score of 10 or more always result in a tie, since any two beings of very high perception or alertness have a much higher chance of acting simultaneously, which makes for some very bloody, fast paced action.
The Mutant Epoch
Combat Rules Combat Sequence Procedure Step 1: Each side rolls to establish initiative using the lead or point individual’s initiative rating, with any perception modifiers applied to a d10 roll. If one side is stationary, as when camped or dug into a fortified position, then the closest being on guard to the advancing intruders uses his initiative rating to determine who acts first. A normal initiative roll is a plain d10, with ties resulting in simultaneous action by both sides. Step 2: The side that wins the initiative roll can undertake action, and if they elect to attack, have already drawn weapons, and are in appropriate missile or melee range of their foes, can set about attempting to strike enemies. If the battlefield is open, and both sides are approaching in broad fronts, all attackers can fire or engage in melee with either selected targets or an equal portion of enemies. For example, as part of a much larger battle scene, if four human excavators engage 12 skullocks in a melee, each human faces off against 3 skullocks in a sort of mini-battle of his own. Assign odd numbered opponents randomly. When it comes time for the defenders to make their strike rolls, the same number of surviving skullocks would then attack their assigned excavator. This process is repeated until one side in the mini-scrap is slain. Sometimes, such as on a narrow, cliff-side path or in a hall, doorway or other confined space, only one person can engage enemies at a time, which is a great tactic for a small unit of defenders facing off against far superior numbers. Typically, a path holder of great armament or skill holds the rear to allow comrades to escape.
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Step 3: Actual combat is handled by the attacker rolling her strike value (SV) or less to hit and inflict damage on the target, with any penalties or bonuses applied to the attack based on the target’s defense value, cover bonus, or inattention penalty, as when having its back turned, etc. (see Strike Value Modifiers table QSR-31, page 27). A roll of 02-05 always results in a strike, with a roll of 01 being a critical strike (see table QSR-28 Strike Potential Critical Strikes and Fumbles, page 27). Alternatively, a miss always occurs, regardless of the strike value bonuses and circumstances, on a dice roll of 96-99, while a fumble or mishap occurs on a roll of 00. The target’s overall defense value is a combination of his ability to duck, dodge and sidestep blows using agility or skills, plus any armor worn, or any cover provided as noted again on the Strike Value Modifiers table, QSR-31. The basic combat rule is to minus the defender’s defense value (DV) from the attacker’s strike value (SV), and whatever number is established is the number needed to be rolled, or less, to inflict damage on the target. Step 4: Damage occurs on a successful strike. Each weapon has its own base damage range (usually determined by a straight dice roll), but it often has an added value. Some weapons allow a bonus due to the strength of the weapon’s user, but only if physical strength can be applied to the attack, such as with clubs or bows, etc.. At other times, a skill may apply to the damage, such as when a character has
The Mutant Epoch some sort of lethal training that allows him to better injure vital areas of an opponent’s body. There are also cases in which afflicted damage may be minimized, such as when force fields absorb damage or when reflective suits bounce off laser or other beam attacks. Step 5: When a target is reduced to zero or less endurance, he is considered out of action, if not dead or destroyed. Depending on the endurance of an organism zero endurance need not mean death, but rather unconsciousness or critical condition requiring immediate medical attention to stop blood loss. See the rules for injury and death below.
Injury, Stun Damage and Death
Upon reaching zero endurance or less, a creature is out of action and is either incapacitated, dead or stunned. If stun damage constitutes any portion of the total damage inflicted on the being, that stunned amount is the lower range of any negative endurance value. For example, a character with 56 endurance takes 46 points of regular damage from a series of claw attacks, and later, is impacted by a stun beam for 16 points damage. He is now –6, but since 16 points of his damage is stun, he is really at 10 points as far as proximity to death goes. When the stun damage wears off he once again finds himself at 10 points endurance.
Table TME-27 Injury and Death Endurance plus Willpower 2-4 5-9 10-34 35-54 55-74 75-94 95-110 111-125 126- 135 0ver 135
Incapacitated Incapacitated but Conscious but Stable
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0-1 to –2 to –3 to –4 to –5 to –6
0 0 -1 -1,-2 -2 to -5 -3 to -7 -4 to –9 -5 to –11 -6 to -13 -7 to -16
Incapacitated and Dying*
Dead
-1 to -3 -1 to -4 -2 to -5 -3 to -7 -6 to -9 -8 to -12 -10 to –15 -12 to –19 -14 to –23 -17 to –26
-4 -5 -6 -8 -10 -13 -16 -20 -24 -27
An incapacitated but conscious casualty is unable to act physically, other than mutter a few words, but she can employ any mental mutations. An incapacitated but stable being is completely out, but, his wounds are not bleeding enough to make him continue sliding into further negative endurance and eventual death. An incapacitated and dying victim loses one more endurance point per minute (20 rounds) unless medical attention is given at once. The medical attention need not be from a trained healer, but must be from a being intelligent enough to know to apply pressure to a bleeding wound, or tie it off with a rag or bandage. A dying character who is given first aid, which takes a round, becomes a stable ca-
Quick Start Rules
26
sualty at whatever point of endurance loss he is at, and heals at the normal rate. Should he be struck again, dropped or mistreated, his bleeding begins once more and he commences dying again. Table QSR-27, found on this page, works by adding a being’s base willpower and base endurance together.
Healing
Organic life-forms are capable of healing, which is a huge advantage over mechanical beings such as androids and robots which must be consciously repaired. It is their ability to heal themselves which made many ancient militaries employ synthetic, bestial humans and mutant humans as frontline slave troops. Many creatures and mutant beings have unique rates of healing, as do human bioreplicas, but in general, all creatures heal at a set rate based on their uninjured endurance trait value (see table QSR-4, page 5). If the wounded being is unable to sleep, or is suffering from either dehydration or starvation or both, he or she is unable to normally heal any lost trait points, except stun damage. Alternatively, certain relics, mutations and the attention of a medic at one’s bedside can increase the daily healing rate, even on individuals lacking sleep, food and water.
Handling Stun Damage
One of the many ways to handle and record stun damage on a character sheet is by noting the amount of stun damage in parentheses with the following number being the remaining endurance score. Mark the stun damage with a small ‘s’ or ‘stun dmg’ if space is available. For example, Endurance: 46/ (-14s) 32/ 27. In this instance, the character has taken 14 points of stun damage from a blow to the head by a club, reducing his overall END to 32, The next strike against him is normal and inflicts 5 points normal damage, reducing him further down to 27 endurance. Unless otherwise stated, all stun damage heals at the character’s healing rate per hour, instead of per day. Additionally, healing bonuses offered by a medic, heal touch mutation, or other trait point recuperation relics, mutations, and methods also fix stun damage more rapidly and repair the stun depleted trait points at double the rate of lethal damage.
The Mutant Epoch
Table QSR-28 Strike Potential, Critical Strikes & Fumbles d100 Strike Roll
01
Strike Potential Critical strike, see table QSR-29, below
02-05
Automatic strike
06-95
Normal striking and missing range
96-99
Always a miss regardless of attacker’s SV
00
Fumble, see table QSR-30, below
Table QSR-29 Critical Strike Results d10
Table QSR-31
Strike Value Modifiers
Melee Combat (range 3m or less): Target has back turned and is totally unsuspecting Target has back turned, but is already engaged in combat Target is unconscious or sleeping, tied down, immobilized, etc. Target is blinded Target is sitting down Target has fallen on ground Target fleeing from attacker, back turned
1,2 Double random damage by this attack mode
7
Maximum damage by this attack, plus stuns* opponent for d4 rounds
8
Maximum damage by this attack, plus stuns* opponent for d6 rounds
9
Double maximum damage
10
Double maximum damage by this attack, plus stuns* opponent for 2d10 rounds
*Stun results in the target falling back d4 meters, if possible, and staggering about trying to stay conscious and upright. If the stun duration is more than 10 rounds, the victim collapses and slowly tries to get up. In all cases, he or she is +30 SV to strike. A stunned being cannot use mental mutations.
Table QSR-30
Fumble Results d10
d10 Result of Fumble 1,2
Thrown off balance, bad footing, bad approach; next round, all attacks are –20 SV.
3,4
Delay* due to slip, over swing, stumble, weapon jam, etc; lose chance to strike next round.
4-6 Long delay* as delay above, but lose next two rounds Mishap! Due to a fall, impact, error, mental lapse, mistaken identity or another reason, this attack is re-rolled but made against a random friendly target 7,8 or innocent bystander within range. If no such target exists, then the strike is accidentally made against yourself. 9
Exposed! Left wide open, or moved from cover, dropped guard, distracted. Enemies strike on their next attack at +20 SV.
10 Disaster! Roll as a Mishap, 7,8 above, plus Exposed, 9. * Delay results apply to physical attacks only, and not to the use of mental mutations.
+40 +30 +80 +40 +15 +10 +20
Target is on moving machine or animal mount
-10 -20 -25
Attacker making fighting withdrawal
Attacker using off-hand Attacker using a two handed weapon in one hand
-10 SV/ +10 SV to be struck -20 -10
(requires STR 50+ to avoid penalty)
Maximum damage by this attack form, plus random 3,4 damage by attack Maximum damage by this attack, plus stuns* 5,6 opponent for one round
Strike Value Modifier
Target defending from wooden wall Target defending from stone or metal wall (moves backward half movement rate)
d10 Result of Critical Strike
27
Quick Start Rules
Missile Combat: Target with back turned and unsuspecting Target unaware of attacker’s presence Target in arrow slit, stone or metal construction Target in arrow slit, wooden construction Target defending from wooden wall, palisade, wagon Target Defending from stone or metal wall, behind vehicle Target using vegetation for cover Target in fox hole, trench or ruin rubble, firing at you Target prone Target around corner and is exposing head and shoulders to fire Target is fleeing or charging in straight line away from or toward shooter Target dodging away or toward shooter, half movement rate Target is zigzagging, somersaulting, dodging, etc. move quarter rate Target is unconscious or sleeping, tied down, immobilized, etc. Target is blinded Target is sitting down
Strike Value Modifier +40 +30 -40 -30 -20 -25 -10 -20 -15 -15 normal -20 -40 +60 +40 +15
Firing while walking
-10
Firing from moving animal or ground machine Firing while running or dodging Attacker using off-hand Attacker using a two handed weapon in one hand
-15 -20
(requires STR 50+ to avoid penalty) Firing from stable machine, such as hover car, stabilized helicopter
-10
-10 normal
The Mutant Epoch
28
Quick Start Rules
Hazard Checks B
esides the harm done by physical damage, such as that inflicted by bullets, axes, clubs, acid, and beam weapons, inhabitants of the Mutant Epoch can encounter many other threats, including mental attacks, poison, radiation, diseases, and a wide range of mutations with special attack modes. Often, merely walking into a contaminated area or breathing the same air as a diseased person is enough to risk one’s life, yet at other times, one must first be struck by an attacker and then be exposed to some sort of injected venom, stun, mind control or other hazard in order to be harmed. A hazard check (HC) is often called upon to determine if a given hazard or chance of a game event occurs or not. Some hazard checks are made to achieve a goal, such as leaping a canyon, and at other times, to avoid a peril, such as an injection by poison after being bit by a snake. Often the GM, knowing the player character’s trait values, secretly rolls a hazard check and does not relate the outcome, such as if a character spots a glint of metal on the far horizon or not, hears footsteps approaching from behind, or becomes exposed to a disease. In these Quick Start Rules, hazard checks difficulty ratings go
from A (easy) to E, however in the hub rules, the severity of hazards goes from A to the exceedingly challenging M.
This is one of the most frequently used tables in the game, with a detailed explanation to follow.
Explanation of Hazard Check Matrix
Trait Value: This normally implies the use of the target being’s current trait value, not his or her starting or totally healed value. O or less is used when poison is injected into an already incapacitated victim, or when one is trying to walk a narrow rope bridge and simultaneously shot at and incapacitated. Thus, use the O trait value, as the victim cannot employ his or her normal agility or strength trait to hold onto the bridge, and instead of falling to certain doom, has a feint chance of landing on the bridge deck or tangling in the ropes, unconscious. Most creature, weapon and mutation descriptions mention the sort of trait used to make the hazard check against, but when no information is given, the following standards are the rule: Endurance is used to avoid poison, radiation, disease, and some stun attacks. Strength is used to see if a character can pry open a door, bend bars, leap across a chasm, or maintain hold on a ships rigging during a storm, etc. Agility is called upon to avoid falling objects, walk a narrow ledge or pipe, climb down an elevator shaft or across slippery rocks, etc. Accuracy is necessary when attempting to grab a branch, toss an object up into a narrow window, stick a plug into a socket while in a crashing, spiraling aircraft, etc.
Table QSR-32 Sample Hazard Check Matrix Trait Value
O or less 1-4 5-9 10-16 17-25 26-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85-94 95-105 106-110 111-115 116-120 121-125 126-130 131-135 each 5 above 135
A
Hazard Type B C D
E
10%
9%
8%
5%
3%
20%
17%
14%
12%
7%
40%
35%
31%
26%
16%
50%
44%
39%
31%
25%
60%
52%
46%
40%
33%
70%
61%
58%
52%
42%
75%
68%
66%
59%
49%
80%
76%
72%
67%
56%
85%
81%
78%
73%
62%
90%
87%
83%
77%
68%
95%
90%
88%
81%
74%
97%
95%
92%
89%
84%
98%
97%
94%
90%
88%
99%
98%
95%
92%
90%
99%
99%
96%
93%
90%
99%
99%
97%
95%
93%
99%
99%
99%
98%
95%
99%
99%
99%
99%
97%
99%
99%
99%
99%
99%
99%
99%
99%
99%
99%
18%, 65%, 97% etc.: These percentages denote the chance one has to avoid a given hazard’s effects. Roll this number or less to succeed or avoid a hazard.
Trait to use for Hazard checks
Intelligence is used when defending against some mental attacks, figuring out a rare relic, using some technician skills or win at gambling, etc. Perception is useful when trying to spot cheaters at the gambling table, notice a land mine or trip wire in one’s path, or see a sniper on a roof. Willpower is used to defend against most mental attacks, fend off insanity, not run when hearing the roar of certain beasts, exhibit self control, etc. Appearance is called upon when trying to coax an official to divulge sensitive information, get passed guards, be spared from death by humanoids who like pretty or handsome slaves, etc.
The Mutant Epoch
29
Quick Start Rules
Sample Typical Human NPCs Table QSR-33 Sample Typical Humans Human Type
DV
Armor Worn
END
Commoner, man Commoner, woman Commoner, teen Commoner, child Militia, Soldier Militia, Officer Raider Raider, Boss Bounty Hunter Scavenger Trader, Town Trader, Nomadic
-3
furs /skins
20+d20 5.75 50
LA
VP
15
Avg.
nil
-3
furs/ skins
15+d20 5.75 50
SC
VP
13
Avg.
nil
-7
furs/ skins
10+d20 5.75 43
LA
VP
10
Poor
nil
0
none
60% knife
ni
3
Poor
nil
2d6
MV SV
6
30
Weapon Code Valuables EFs Morale
Note Code
-13
leather /h
20+d20 5.5
50
SM
VP
19
Avg.
nil
-27
scrap relic/h
45+d20 5.5
54
SM/R
M
34
Firm
AGI-2/ACC-2/STR-2
-10
leather
SS
P
16
Poor
nil
-26
scrap relic
56
SS/ SC/ 57% RC
M
35
Firm
ACC-3/ AGI-3/ STR-4
58
EM/ SC/ 33%R
M
32
Firm
AGI-3/ ACC-4/ STR-3
25+d20 5.25 50 SM/ 41%RC/ 32%R
A
30
Avg.
Stealth/ 56% Wild
20+d20 5.75 50 40+d20
6
-36 scrap relic/h/ c-vest 40+d20 5.5 -20
scrap relic
-7
chainmail vest
20+d20 5.75 50
SC/ 36% RC
W
23
Poor
INT+d20
-20
scrap relic
30+d20 5.25 52
EM/ SC/ 52%R
M
28
Avg.
ACC-1/ INT+d20
Table Notes: See applicable code(s) for this person h wearing junk helmet s carrying standard shield c-vest wearing a chainmail vest ballistic wearing a ballistic vest *second DV is used against bullets ACC-1 Accuracy trait of 40 (+2 SV) ACC-2 Accuracy trait of 50 (+4 SV) ACC-3 Accuracy trait of 60 (+6 SV) ACC-4 Accuracy trait of 70 (+8 SV) STR-2 Strength trait of 50 (+4 STR based damage) STR-3 Strength trait of 60 (+6 STR based damage) STR-4 Strength trait of 70 (+8 STR based damage) INT+d20 Add d20 to any random intelligence trait value Stealth d6 stealth skill points Wild: Wilderness survival skill
Typical Human Descriptions Commoners: These people are also called civilians, civvies, peasants, mudders and serfs, and make up about three quarters of the pure stock and mutant human populations of the new era. They differ from other semi-free peoples in that their daily focus is on labor as opposed to trading, pillaging, stealing or military operations. Most male commoners are farmers, fishermen, loggers, miners or are employed in construction, while females and children tend to the family homes, livestock, gardens and
fields but occasionally act as servants to wealthier households. About half of all civilians have had previous careers as militia troopers, prostitutes, or scavengers and a scant few were once excavators and have either given up the former business to raise a family, or suffered an injury which prevented further adventures. During times of war, like all humans, these people, men, women and children alike, arm themselves and fight fiercely to save their homes and crops. Militia Soldiers: Either as conscripted young men or women of the settlement, volunteers, or hired outsiders, these fighters are usually the most common of armed citizens of any community. Normally, their low tech weapons and leather armor are their own. They typically live with their own families instead of in barracks and are most often the adult, unmarried eldest offspring in a household with about 80% of them male. In most towns and villages, they are paid 2d6sp per month and fed by the townspeople. They tend to stay on guard at the settlement and provide law and order as well as man the walls and roof tops, on rotating watch for raiders, predators or other threats. Rarely, a large center sends militia out on horse or riding dog to patrol the crop lands or trade routes, or to give chase to any law breakers or infidels who have
The Mutant Epoch fled town. Militia troops tend to lack coordination in real battles, have average morale and often break and run when faced with enormous monsters or foes who are using powerful mutations or relics. Their knowledge of local law is sketchy and their enforcement of it unpredictable and often involves excessive force when ‘arresting’ people from out of town. Militia Officers: Usually appointed by community leaders to the post of militia officer based on their family status instead of personal merit, these men and women are nevertheless well armed and are often feared by lesser ranking militia soldiers and citizenry; they act as sheriff, judge and executioner all in one. It is a known fact that troublesome, rowdy or drunken visitors to a town had best be respectful and polite when dealing with this individual. Furthermore, having money on hand is wise since bribery is often the only way to avoid the local stockade where being stripped, beaten and robbed is the norm. While not all militia officers are corrupt thugs, many are; they occasionally employ their troops to raid neighboring villages or passing caravans, taking food, water, slaves and valuables back to their own settlement to better ensure the survival of their people. Travelers, especially relic rich excavators, should steer clear of approaching militia units when in the wilds.
Raiders: The term raider is a catch all name for any sort of bandit, pirate, thug, ruffian, criminal gang member or other outlaw. These men and women might actually have been decent, community minded folk at one time, but have been reduced to marauding due to the loss of their own lands, persecution by religious or racial intolerance, starvation, or merely greed. Large groups are lead by a raider leader, bounty hunter, slaver, crooked merchant, assassin or other strong commander. These rag-tag criminals prefer to simply hold up other humans, especially traders, merchants or common folk, instead of outright
Quick Start Rules
30
killing them, since by setting these robbed people free with basic gear, crude weapons, food and water, they might survive the remainder of their journey to recoup their losses, and travel another day, only to be robbed once again. Nothing hurts a local gang of raiders worse than having a reputation for killing everybody who comes down their road or through their section of woods. Such behavior only brings bounty hunters, troops and other hirelings out to butcher them, and worse, no sane person would travel thereabouts again, leaving nothing to steal. However, raiders of course kill those who resist being robbed, show disrespect, or in order to weaken a caravan by shooting a few guards before approaching it. Every gang of raiders is unique in some respect, usually operating according to the whims of their current leader. Some units are reluctant to incur casualties of their own and retreat after only one of their number is killed, and still others are courteous to their victims, especially the women and children. Reports of captives being blindfolded and taken to the raider’s camp for the night, fed, entertained, then later let go, are not uncommon. Just as there are humanitarian raiders who steal to survive, there are also truly wicked gangs, who pass through an area once every couple of years, and whom kill and defile, torture and humiliate their captives, leaving them impaled on stakes or hanging from trees. These murderous sorts of gangs are often of a different race or religious background from those they accost, and see their victims as mere animals to kill on sight. At other times, raiders are debased, cannibals, or from some sort of cult, and take captives to either sacrifice to their gods, or serve as unwilling mates, possibly even as hostages to ransom off to the local authorities. For the new era traveler, avoiding any sort of raider while in the wilds or back allies of a town, is wise; since it is difficult to tell if the thugs are mere greedy opportunists, or psychopathic joy killers. Raider Boss: These individuals are either the toughest gang members, the smartest, or both, and have typically fought their way to the top of the pecking order and maintained their status only by beating back any challengers, keeping a good supply of loot coming in, and providing entertainment for the unit. Bounty Hunters: Cold, calculating men and women fill the ranks of this profession, They are universally feared and hated by everyone they meet except when hired by a settlement or patron who needs an elusive person tracked down, arrested or killed. Members of this caste often act as assassins or guardians to their employer, but are more brutal and flashy about their mission objectives and caste. Both regular and elite bounty hunters are always on the look out for anybody on their long list of wanted persons and whenever a printed or hand drawn likeness sheet is provided, one of these hunters can easily spot a wanted subject when meeting them.
The Mutant Epoch A character’s history may have a ‘mark’ on it, and a chance that each encounter with a bounty hunter met, that the player character is identified and pursued. Most bounty hunters are either under orders to bring a person in, dead or alive, or strictly alive, such as in the case of a pleasure slave, escaped technician or important person, but in many cases, where the status is not specific, a bounty hunter simply kills a target, cuts off the head and either pickles it or sticks it in a sack and takes it to whomever posted the wanted notice. If a client does not pay up on a bounty, the loose knit association of bounty hunters in a region take great offense and either kill and rob the cheating employer, or simply not honor any bounty offered by the faction or individual again. Bounty hunters usually hire raiders or primitives to aide them in a hunt and are often well known in the wilds from frequenting the same range month after month, getting to know the locals and trading with even the most savage humanoids. It is not uncommon for a tribe of skullocks or warmorts to share a camp with a brutal bounty hunter; get drunk together, trade relics, food stuffs and information, as well as work for each other. Excavators in particular, due to their own sordid histories and profession, bare extreme animosity toward bounty hunters, and try to bring about their demise at every opportunity. Scavengers: While similar to excavators in many respects, these salvagers, recyclers and junk collectors are far less likely to undertake any task that is heroic, noble, or helpful to a community, or anything that doesn’t involve the search for ancient debris. As is often the case, these people are fixated on the old world culture, and so gather things of no practical value and horde it in secret stashes. While most are typically loners and shun contact with regular society, they often trade with each other; gathering in small bands if the vicinity is dangerous and create secret barter forts to socialize and exchange food, water, slave-spouses, to mate, share information, and possibly organize a major raid on a tempting target.
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They are best described as the children of lone survivalists of a bygone era, taught to distrust the inhabitants of the new, emerging communities. They are not above ambushing and robbing passersby, kidnapping an attractive member of the opposite sex to make into an unwilling spouse, looting the dead and dying after a battle, or setting traps for the unwary excavator who might happen by, but for the most part, they are harmless or even helpful to other humans. Occasionally, when the need for food, water, supplies or carnal encounter is great, a scavenger may enter a small trade town to sell off some merchandise, but he or she rarely stays the night and leaves quickly, heading for whatever underground hole or fortified tree fort he or she calls home. These folk are not known to be malicious nor murderous, even to their robbery victims, and usually just let their prisoners go free after liberating them of ancient items, food, money and weapons. Traders There are two sorts of commonly encountered traders in the new era; those who set up a permanent shop behind the safety of a town’s walls, and those who travel about with wagons and mules, offering their goods to whoever has the valuables to purchase them. Town traders often have a booth in a marketplace or a mere tarp strung over a hand cart, selling everything from fish, meat, furs and junky relics, bits of useless but pretty plastic, shoddy weapons and curiosities. They make a fair, safe living, and don’t usually attract unwanted attention from thieves, as do merchants, but they must always be watchful of street urchins who pilfer their produce. Nomadic traders are rough and ready, adventuresome sorts who frequent the back country, all the while moving water, food, and an assortment of common trade goods from town to mining camps, from shanty cities to prison forts, to military garrisons, sub-human encampment and everywhere in between. When travelling, they are always accompanied by at least d3+1 militia soldiers, who are all on horses and have d3+2 pack mules loaded with 20+3d100sp in merchandise each. The members of these trade expeditions are wary when approached by excavators or other armed units, yet it is their job to meet people and trade with them, and so they are abnormally trustworthy and gladly camp with diggers, mercenaries, or nomads to gain mutual protection from raiders, humanoids and other threats.
The Mutant Epoch
Quick Start Rules
32
Ten Sample Creatures Note: In the Mutant Epoch Hub Rules there are 104 creatures, while the Mutant Bestiary One contains 173 monsters and the Creatures of the Apocalypse Codex covers 20 very detailed specialty freaks.
Aberrant Rats are man sized, freakishly mutated rodents, with each rat having a unique aberraEndurance: 20+d10 tion from the list below. They are Movement: 8m the most aggressive rats of all, Initiative: normal launching attacks on humanoids Attacks: 1 and other prey with little hesitation, and no concern whether or not they Strike Value: 01-55 outnumber their intended targets. Damage: d8 It has been reported that these Strength: 24 rats often merely kill and dismemAgility: 38 ber their victims, not bothering to Accuracy: 35 eat them, a fact that makes many Intelligence: 9 scholars insist they were designed Willpower: 30 as bio-weapons to be deposited in Perception: 43 enemy cities, to multiply and terrify. Valuables: nil
Aberrant Rat
Defense Value: -10
Experience Factors: 20 Morale: firm Size: 1.6 meters long Weight: 85kg Mutations: 1 Implants: nil
d100 Rat Mutations list 01-06. Six legs, add +d3m move. 07-13. Poison bite, type A paralysis. 14,15. Poison bite and blood, type A death. 16,17. Spits digestive acid, once daily, 6m, as bite attack for SV and DMG, burns victim for d6 rounds.
Alligator, Large, Mutant Defense Value: -8 Endurance: 30+2d20 Movement: 4m land/9m Initiative: normal Attacks: 1 Strike Value: 01-65
water
Damage: d20+5 Strength: 80 Agility: 32 Accuracy: 29 Intelligence: 6 Willpower: 22 Perception: 25 Valuables: skin worth 1sp per point of END Experience Factors: 30 Morale: firm Size: 3 to 4 meters long Weight: 410kg Mutations: 58% chance of d2 Implants: nil
New era alligators, both mutated and non-deviated, inhabit the smallest streams, underground pools, swampy bogs and the greatest oceans. They are more aggressive than their pre-devastation era cousins and are more likely to actively hunt humans. The above statistics can also apply to both salt and freshwater crocodiles.
18-25. Giant mouth, -1m MV but double bite damage. 26-31. Amphibian (can breath underwater, swim as normal speed). 32-36. Hopper, can leap up to its normal move rate in height. 37-42. Shooting quills, one per round up to 10 daily, as bite attack for size of rat, range 9 meters. 43-48. Two heads, double bite attacks. 49-58. Barbed tail (as per bite attack, but extra). 59-63. Bone and spike plated (add –10 to DV, -1m MV). 64-68. Shelled (add –20 to DV, -2m MV). 69-76. Very fast (add -10 DV, +d6+1m MV, x2 rate of all attacks). 77-81. Poisonous bite (type B sleep, make END based type B hazard check or pass out for 4d6+10 minutes). 82-92. Bat wings (can fly double ground rate). 93-00. Enormous (END x2, +d6 MV, + 10 SV, +3 DMG).
d100 Alligator Mutations 01-05. Body Regeneration, heals 1 END per round. 06-09. Mental Screen (see page QSR 17) 10-15. Paralysis Tendrils, d4, (see page QSR 18) 16-20. Crab Pincers, d3 treat as extra bite attacks. 21-29. Shell, increase defense value by +22 (DV now -30) 30-35. Shooting quills on tail, shoots d6 per round, range 15m, SV 01-60, Damage d10, max quills 60 per day. 36-40. Electrical Pulse (see page QSR 16) 41-45. Poison bite, victim must make type C hazard check, using their endurance, or pass out for 3d6+6 minutes. 46-56. Extra tough hide, +2d6 DV. 57-68. Massive head for its size, damage is +5. 69-74. Longer limbs, add d4 to land speed. 75-84. Head on long, snake-like neck, +2d8 SV. 85-91. Two headed, two bite attacks. 92-00. Massively built, add 20% endurance and +3 damage.
The Mutant Epoch
Blood Flyer Defense Value: -0 / -10 flying Endurance: 4+d4 Movement: 1m ground/8m air Initiative: -1 Attacks: 1 Strike Value: 01-36 Damage: d3 per round Strength: 3 Agility: 16 Accuracy: 22 Intelligence: 2 Willpower: 24 Perception: 13 Valuables: nil Experience Factors: 5 Morale: firm Size: 50cm Weight: 2.1kg Mutations: nil
Quick Start Rules
33
Blood Flyers are huge mutant mosquitoes, which
move noisily in an awkward up and down flutter and are easy to hear or see coming (-1 initiative). They do, however, form large swarms and attack with sharp claws and a bone proboscis outstretched for exposed skin. On a successful strike, a blood flyer attaches itself to the flesh of a victim and bloats itself on blood automatically (for d3 END DMG) each round up to a maximum of 16 endurance points ingested before detaching and flying off at half speed. While attached, these blood suckers can still be attacked, but any miss is 50% likely to result in a stray blow (roll against one’s own DV to determine if the blood flyer’s victim produced a self-inflicted injury). This rule also applies if another person tries to remove the insect with hacking, clubbing or missile weapons. The best removal tactic is flame; running a torch under the insect is 75% likely, per round, to force it to detach and fly off momentarily.
Garnock
Defense Value: -10
( thick hide) Endurance: 200+d100 Movement: 5m Initiative: -1 Attacks: 1 weapon or fist or bite Strike Value: 01-80 Damage: club 3d20+18/ fist or bite d20+18 Strength: 115 (+18) Agility: 18 Accuracy: 24 Intelligence: 2d4 Willpower: 73 Perception: 22 Appearance: 2d4 Valuables: well off Experience Factors: 125 Morale: excellent Size: 4.5 meters tall Weight: 530kg Mutations: 12% 1 QSR page 15
Implants: nil
Garnocks are giant, rust red humanoids with thick hides, toothy mouths and massive muscles. They are mutated, carnivorous off shoots of construction slaves, and while dumb and slow, are still dangerous adversaries when unleashing an ambush. They fight using enormous tools, iron beams, or other club-like weapons. Even unarmed, these brutes can pulverize a human with their fists or tear them in two in one bite.
Garnocks usually band together in small family units, or are encountered as loners, hunting or patrolling. They require a great deal of food each day and see humans as a healthy choice to much of what is found in the ruins. Typically, these monsters avoid open ground where their slow speed is a disadvantage, but can be found in all other terrain and environments. 12% have a random mutation from the list on page QSR 15.
The Mutant Epoch
Hydra Worm Defense Value: -0 Endurance: 50 body/
10+d20 per head Movement: 5m Initiative: -1 Attacks: 2d4 bites Strike Value: 01-60 Damage: d10 each
Strength: 43 Agility: 31 Accuracy: 44 Intelligence: 4 Willpower: 19 Perception: 43 Valuables: nil Experience Factors: 95 Morale: firm Size: 4.4m Weight: 680kg Mutations: nil
Quick Start Rules
34
Hydra Worms are non-burrowing terrestrial invertebrates, that
hunt alone in damp climates or ruins. Like all worms, they are slow to react and have an initiative penalty, but their slimy skin acts like glue and all manner of local trash, vegetation, dust and debris clings to its hide, allowing it blend in well with its surroundings. If a hydra worm does win the initiative in an encounter, it means the passerby has practically stepped on the beast which is already in melee range and striking with its 2 to 8 heads (2d4), each attached by a thick, snake-like neck of 3m length. Killing a hydra worm is tricky, as to slay it, each head must be cut off from the main body (each head has 10+d20 END). If the main body is killed or suffers 50 endurance, the heads continue to fight on, but are unable to pursue the victims beyond their reach. In a matter of an hour, a hydra worm with a dead body absorbs one head to become a new body, and slithers off again.
Mutant Dog Defense Value: -10 Endurance: 15+d10 Movement: 9m Initiative: normal Attacks: 1 Strike Value: 01-60 Damage: d12 Strength: 23 Agility: 38 Accuracy: 48 Intelligence: 7 Willpower: 38 Perception: 39 Valuables: nil Experience Factors: 18 Morale: firm Size: 1.6m Weight: 30kg Mutations: d2
Mutant Dogs are usu-
cific area. They always look very different from one to the other, have some hint of the parent species, such as Doberman, German Shepherd, Terrier, bull mastiff, etc., and often follow a dominate dog who is either more powerfully augmented by mutations and or implants, or is simply bigger. Skullocks often ride mutant dogs into battle.
38-43. Bat-like wings, can fly double their ground speed. 44-52. Bone studded hide, increase DV -10. 53-61. Two headed dog, two bite attacks. 62-66. Bipedal, human hands on front legs and smarter, +2d6 INT, can use crude weapons and has WC-P (pg. 39), it can’t talk. 67-73. Crab shell-like armor, -d3m MV/ add -20 DV. 74-81. Massive Jaws +4 DMG. 82-84. Massive hound, x2 END, weight d100 Dog Mutation List 01-37. Mutations from list on page QSR 15 and STR/ +6 DMG. 31-37. Back covered in throwing quills, -5 85-88. Poison Bite, Type A death. Victim DV, shoots 2 per round, range 15m, SV 01- must make a type A endurance based hazard check or drop dead in d8+2 rounds. 60, DMG d8 ea. 87-94. Six legs, first two are long clawed, adding 2 more strikes. 95-00. Vice jaws, lock in death, once strikes a target continues to do 4 pts END damage per round automatically, until killed.
ally either found as a wild pack or as trained guardians to some intelligent being. They often have the same packwide mutations, but occasionally (33% of the time) they are seen in groups where each dog exhibits its own d2 mutations. In addition to mutations, some animals have been augmented by intelligent beings (28% of the time with 1 implant from page QSR 13) and trained to serve, often set loose to guard a spe-
The Mutant Epoch
Reptilius (Also called: Reptili, Reptos, hissers and lizard men)
Defense Value: -12 Endurance: 12+d12 Movement: 7m/ swim 6m Initiative: Normal Attacks: bite or weapon Strike Value: 01-50 Damage: d10 bite or by weapon Strength: 22 Agility: 43 Accuracy: 34 Intelligence: 8+d8 Willpower: 32 Perception: 21 Valuables: Type PT each Experience Factors: 12 Morale: firm Size: 1.4 meters tall Weight: 55kg Mutations: 36% chance of 1 Relics: 7% chance of 1 weapon Implants: nil
Shorter than humans, the Reptilius are cold blooded, tribal, carnivorous lizard men who dwell deep in woodlands, swamps, jungles and ruins, in brutal, sometimes cannibalistic warrior societies. They are xenophobic, arrogant and consider all other beings as livestock, torturing and eating prisoners without any notion of interrogating them or selling them as slaves. When a strong leader takes control of the tribe by killing his or her predecessor, the first order of business is to invade and devour some other species, preferably humans who often have relic weapons. These lizard folk are not smart enough to reload shells or make muskets, but they can certainly grasp the basic principle of loading and firing a gun or laser weapon. In battle, they wear bone or sea shell armor, throw javelins, and close in with stone axes or other primitive weapons. Those with powerful mutations or relic weapons hold back from the fray and fire from the safety of cover. Mutant lizards are often employed as mounts or attack beasts, but reptilius do not consider them brothers, just as humans don’t consider horses or cows as more than meat or transportation. These beings don’t fare well on the surface during the winter months, or whenever the temperature is 12.2 Celsius (10 Fahrenheit) or lower, since cool weather makes them sluggish and dull witted; enemies gain +20 SV on all attacks, while the reptilius move at 5 meters per round instead of 7. To protect themselves from mammal adversaries during the winter months, these lizard men ensure that
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they have large amounts of meat on hand, hanging from trees or in underground pens. Often human captives are taken in the fall and kept alive until they are needed late in the winter. If characters are taken prisoner, usually after being knocked unconscious, they wake in a wooden cage, hands bound behind their backs, and are kept alive until a random winter month, when they will be fed well for a week, then butchered. Reptilius worship cruel gods, which demand sacrifices of blood and organs from any intelligent beings, even reptilius from other tribes or misfits from their own. Occasionally, a reptilius is a loner, a true individual of superior intelligence or vision, who does not buy into the superior race talk, nor the ridiculous religions and pointless wars. This reptilius may attempt to unite with other misfits and outcasts from other species, and seek adventure and wealth. Reptilius are expert swimmers and can hold their breath for up to fifteen minutes before drowning.
d100 Reptilius Mutations List
01-16. Bigger (+10 End/+10 SV/ +2 DMG). 17-23. Long legs, (increase movement +d6m per round). 24-27. Spits digestive acid, (once per hour, range 12m, SV 0160, DMG d4 per round, for d6 rounds). 28,29. Warm blooded specimen, (can operate at night or in cold climes as if it were day, faster -2d6 DV, +d3m MV). 30-32. Four eyes, (+2 initiative). 33-39. Four arms, carries extra javelin and shield (DV bonus –5). 40-46. Bat Wings (fly 12m). 47-50. Huge bat wings (fly 22m). 51-55. Elongated jaw with razor teeth (+10 SV, DMG 2d6+2). 56-59. Bone plated body (-1 MV/ improve -2d6 DV). 60-64. Shell and spike Plated Body (-3 MV, improve -3d6+3 DV). 65-67. Poison bite (type C sleep). 68,69. Poison bite (type D paralysis) 70-72. Poison bite (type A death) 73-77. Huge Specimen (END d20+20,+2 MV,+10 SV,+3 DMG) 78-83. Spiked tail (extra attack DMG d10) 84-89. Massive claws (fights with two claws and bite, DMG d10 ea.) 90-92. Sickle Arms, fights using two sickle arms, SV +10, DMG d12+2 each) 93-96. Horn on head (can gore SV +10, DMG d10) 97,98. Massive! (END d20+40, +4 MV, +20 SV, +6 DMG) 99,00. Wise-One (+2d20 INT, +d20 WILL) Roll d6 for mutation: 1,2. Mind Crush/ 3,4. Electrical Pulse/ 5. Stun Ray/ 6. Telekinesis
Quick Start Rules
The Mutant Epoch Rubble Spider
Rubble Spiders, also called Cement Crawlers,
drop down from trees or ruined structures, Defense Value: -25 gaining +3 initiative when they are first enEndurance: 10+d20 countered. If they win the initiative, they land Movement: 7m among the travelers and try to bite them. Initiative: +3 These concrete colored spiders are built Attacks: 1 bite tough, with studded carapaces and curved Strike Value: 01-55 Damage: d8 +poison spikes growing from their abdomens and leg joints, giving them considerable protecStrength: 16 tion but also slowing them down. They often Agility: 56 live in groups, weaving webs across pits and Accuracy: 32 passages, between ruined skyscrapers and Intelligence: 6 in ancient elevator shafts. Their webs are not Willpower: 38 usually a threat to man–sized beings, but if a Perception: 57 person happens to fall or run into a new web, Valuables: nil Experience Factors: 25 he is stuck to it until he either breaks free with a type E, strength based HC, or uses a Morale: average blade to cut through the web. The web can Size: 1.1 meters be hit automatically, but takes 40+d20 enWeight: 52kg durance of damage to cut through. The spiMutations: nil der’s main attack is its poisonous bite, which is often enough to knock a human out, (type
Skullock
Defense Value: -12 (junk armor) Endurance: 10+d20 Movement: 7m Initiative: +1 Attacks: 1 weapon Strike Value: 01-50 Damage: d12 javelin/ d8 knife Strength: 24 Agility: 33 Accuracy: 30 Intelligence: 2d6 Willpower: 40 Perception: 45 (+1) Appearance: 3d6 Valuables: VP (Very Poor) Experience Factors: 20 Morale: average Size: 1.3 meters tall Weight: 50kg Mutations: 10%/1 mutation Relics: 1 in 20 chance of WC-R each, pg.40 Implants: 1 in 20 chance of one, pg. 13
Skullocks, also called gremlins, peskies, rubble robbers, and nuke-goblins, are short, sinewy, savages, with pale gray or olive skin. They stand just over a meter tall, have long arms, beady red eyes, blunt ears, teeth like a dog, a stench like rotting meat, and are the most common humanoid in The Mutant Epoch. It is believed they were bio-engineered as expendable troops by ancient human factions. While their size and weak minds don’t make t h e m the same sort of threat as more advanced foes, their numbers, hyper-reproduction, and savagery make up for it. Since they often inhabit ruins and underground areas, they have uncovered
36
B, sleep poison, duration d6 hours). Unconscious prey is wrapped in a cocoon of web, hoisted 2d20 meters off the ground and later (3d6 hours), swarmed by all the rubble spiders and drained of body fluids at a rate of d6 endurance per round per spider. The cocoon can only be broken out of by someone with either great strength (type D, strength based hazard check, one try per half hour) or by a mutant using a beam mutation to blast apart the web shell (auto strike, endurance 30+d20).
a great many artifacts and can use relic weapons and modified scrap relic armor. Skullocks are too ignorant to program robotics or use computers, advanced weapons or even reload spent ammo casings, but they are able to employ more basic relic weapons, such as assault rifles, auto pistols, SMGs, grenades, rocket launchers, etc. There is a 5% chance each has a relic weapon from code WC-R, page 40, a 10% chance of a random prime mutation, and a 5% chance each one is augmented with an implant. They typically wear fabric wraps and junk armor, and throw javelins before closing in with knives. Individual skullocks can advance in rank, like other humanoids, and occasionally one exceptional individual among them masses an army and unleashes an invasion on other communities. This war typically lasts for a few weeks before greed, tribal in-fighting and religious disagreements pull the coalition apart. Smart or misfit skullocks have been known to split from their kind and join human adventure teams, trying their best to conceal their racial identity with makeup, wigs, cloaks, and perfume. They speak the common area language, poorly, and in some regions have established trade with human settlements. Half skullock, half human crossbreeds have been encountered with greater frequency in recent decades.
The Mutant Epoch
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Winged Slasher Lizard Defense Value: -5 /-25 flying Endurance: 50+d20 Movement: 6m/ 14m flying Initiative: +3 Attacks: 1 Strike Value: 01-64 Damage: d20+5 Strength: 37 Agility: 67 Accuracy: 64 Intelligence: 7 Willpower: 34 Perception: 87 Valuables: skin worth 65sp Experience Factors: 45 Morale: excellent Size: 7m wingspan Weight: 47kg Mutations: nil
Winged Slashers are odd reptiles, much like pteranodons of the Cretaceous period on earth, except that instead of a normal tail, these leathery winged terrors have a bone blade that they use to slash prey, often from behind. If winged slashers win the initiative, they attack from someplace above and behind, disallowing the target any shield, dodge or agility DV modifiers on the first attack. Reptilius can ride these creatures which move at -3m flying speed (11m when mounted). Should the winged slasher be unable to employ its bladed tail, such as when its on the ground, it can bite for d12+2 damage.
Ten Sample Relics Anti-toxin-injector: This single dose, self administered needle and chemical soup array, was intended for front line troops. It is to be injected either prior to or just after exposure to toxic substances such as bio-weapons, poisonous gas, venomous animal bites and such. The chemicals and anti-bodies injected into the skin protect against a great many venoms and toxins, counteracting them as best as they can, taking affect within d6 rounds with a 84% success rate.
iber, and pistol calibre variants exist. Modern versions also accept 100 round drum magazines, belt fed ammo, night scopes, and other accessories. The typical weapon found is standard 73% of the time, otherwise a bull-pup configuration. An attached under barrel grenade launcher is also discovered 9% of the time, loaded with d3 fragmentation grenades. This M203 style launcher uses pump action to shoot one grenade, 100m, per round, and holds up to four grenades (found with d4 frag grenades unless otherwise stated). Stats on page 23.
Assault Rifle: Second only to the automatic pistol, this weapon is the most common relic found in the new era. Its design, either traditional or ‘bull-pup’ (magazine behind trigger group), has undergone little change since 1960. However, the few changes common to all is in their corrosion resistant alloy and plastic parts, their overall reliability and ease of maintenance. They take standard rifle ammo, although high cal-
Auto Pistol: This standard automatic pistol has been the work horse sidearm for criminals, police and military personnel for hundreds of years. It is the most commonly found relic weapon, even more so than the assault rifle. The typical version has an impressive 20 round dual feed magazine, but 4% are officer issued ‘deluxe models’ which have a large 30 round clip ex-
The Mutant Epoch tending from the grip, and a superior, 3 shot per round rate of fire. All auto pistols can be fired at their maximum rate as well as single shot mode. Stats on page 23. Ballistic Shield: Used by SWAT teams of old, this blue or black, square shaped, slightly curved relic offers some protection from cut and thrust attacks, but offers exceptional cover from bullets, (DV -5/-22 vs. bullets). This shield has a tiny 5 x 10cm wide slide open window to permit a user to aim pepper spray, a stun pistol or other gun barrel from within the protective barrier.
Combot, Light
Defense Value: -25 Endurance: 40 Movement: 7m Initiative: normal Attacks: laser carbine or springspike Strike Value: carbine 01-80 / spike 01-62 Damage: laser carbine 2d20+10/ spike d12+12 Strength: 80 (+10 dmg) Agility: 40 Accuracy: 54 (+10) Intelligence: 34 Willpower: 110 Perception: 34 Experience Factors: 50 Morale: not applicable Size: 2.1 meters tall Weight: 120kg Power Supply: This unit employs 2 power packs, 1 for weapons and the other for continuous operation for 8 years before a recharge is needed. In sleep mode, it can maintain minimal operations for 79 years, waking within 2d12 rounds to full power and awareness. Light Combot: Hundreds of models of this most common robot were built, with the above statistics for an Erickson 3000 Infantry Trooper being the most typical. These units were mass produced and designed for use against human foes as opposed to larger robotic units. They have one laser carbine arm, while the other ends in a human-like hand capable of holding any regular relic, operating a keyboard or
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performing other tasks. This same hand has a spring spike built into the forearm and is used when in melee range or its carbine is out of power. The laser carbine can be removed and replaced with a more advanced weapon or another robotic hand by a mechanical or robotics technician. The programming of these units was simple: kill anyone not broadcasting the specific alpha numeric code of an ally. Or, if the combot is reprogrammed by an intelligent master, it carries out whatever the new controller commands. The laser carbine can fire 40 shots per day from onboard power, or accept additional energy from power cells, power packs or external supplies via cables and extension cords. Fragmentation Grenades are more powerful than the classic ‘pineapple’ grenades of old. This fist-sized explosive has a 4 meter blast radius, usually sufficient to harm 8 man-sized beings if the victims are grouped in typical ranks. SV 01-70, DMG d20+10. Using Grenades: Besides those launched by a machine or grenade launcher, these explosives can all be thrown like a rock, 20m, plus or minus any strength based range modifier noted on the trait modifier table, page QSR 5. Grenades were designed for weapon based launching or hand throwing applications via a manual pull-out pin and grip release system. In weapon launch mode, the grenade is usually primed to detonate upon contact with a hard surface. In hand held mode, once the pin is pulled, the grip is released, the grenade can be held for 2 rounds and thrown on the third to detonate on impact, taking one round to travel to the target. A grenade launcher can be set to make the grenade go off on the third round instead of upon a hard impact by manually priming the projectile prior to loading and firing it, allowing the grenade to bounce down a distant stairwell, hatchway, or cave mouth. Laser Carbine: Firing a single red beam per round, this energy weapon is a very effective, long range killing tool. The damage from a single strike is sufficient to kill most men. Laser carbines are somewhat effective underwater (half range and DMG), in nonatmospheric situations as well as against such foes as pit slimes and other beings unaffected by bullets or blades. Stats on page 23.
Riot Armor: Providing excellent body protection, especially when accompanied by a riot helmet, this suit is made of layers of plastic and fiber, but it is not ballistic grade nor is it designed to withstand beam weapon and explosions. Its main purpose was to deflect stones and baton strikes during riots, as protests in the old world were widespread, particularly near the end of the pan-global civilization. Stun Pistol: This handgun fires a blue laser beam of neuron scattering, muscle freezing, circuit locking energy. Those hit suffer 2d20 stun damage, which remains in effect for one hour before healing at a rate of 1 point per minute. Those rendered unconscious remain so for 1 hour + 4d10 minutes.
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Quick Start Rules
The Mutant Epoch
Pump Shotgun: The design of this simple, reliable and brutal weapon hasn’t changed much in hundreds of years. It was widely used as a civilian home defense weapon, and one of the few allowed to common peoples of earlier times. Because of its popularity, reliability and toughness, a great many have survived into the post apocalyptic era. Most versions hold 8 shells, but a police version exists, found 6% of the time, which holds 10 shells.
Useful Tables Weapon Classifications
M
any tool-using creatures and typical humans employ weapons of one sort or another, and while an adventure supplement or listing may give a specific armament for a species or group, the following tables provide a random selection for quick determination. GMs can use these tables as a guide or create their own codes. All weapon codes start with the prefix WC- to denote it differently from any other of the many reference codes used in the Outland Game System.
d10 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7,8. 9,10.
Weapon Code Classification
Examples
Primitive WC-P Standard Street WC-SS
Club, javelin, flint axe Sword, axe, bottle, chain, staff or club
Laborer WC-LA Standard Military Elite Military Standard Concealed Unconventional Concealed Relic Concealed Relic
Primitive* ( WC-P) Spear Axe Javelins, d4 Bow & club Sling & club Bow & axe Club Spear & club *plus dagger
d10 Standard Street* (WC-SS) 1-4. Machete 5. Hatchet 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Club Staff Chain Roll d8 plus crossbow Roll d8 plus bow *plus knife
Axe, pitchfork, shovel, chain, club
WC-SM WC-EM WC-SC
Bows, axes, sword, spear Crossbows, rapier, poleaxe Knife, dagger, sling
WC-UC
Poisoned dagger, needles
WC-RC WC-R
Auto pistol, sub-machine gun, dart pistol Assault rifles or shotguns
d10 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Laborer* (WC-LA) Club Hammer (DMG d8) Shovel (DMG d10**) Pitchfork Staff Chain Crowbar (DMG d10 or +2 SV/ DMG d10+3**) Sickle (DMG d8) Scythe (DMG 2d8) Hatchet *plus knife ** Two handed use
Quick Start Rules
The Mutant Epoch
d10 1. 2. 3. 4. 5,6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Standard Military* (WC-SM) Machete Long sword Hatchet Battle axe Spear Battle axe Bow & sword (no shield) Sword & javelin Sword & spear
d6 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Elite Military* (EM) Greatsword & bow Longbow & machete Crossbow & saber Heavy crossbow & machete Machete & musket with 30+3d6 rounds Machete & musket pistol with 30+2d6 rounds
d6
Relic Concealed (WC-RC) Auto pistol with 3d6 pistol rounds Pump shotgun with folding stock & 2d8 shells d4 Fragmentation grenades Stun pistol with 2d12 shots remaining
Standard Concealed (WC-SC)
1. 2. 3. 4.
Knife Sling & knife Dagger Dagger & sling
*plus dagger and no shield
*plus knife
1-3. 4. 5. 6.
d4
40
d20
Relic (WC-R)
4-7. 9. 10.
Assault rifle with 2d20 rifle rounds Pump shotgun with 2d6 shells d3 Fragmentation grenades
Dagger coated with type A, death poison Dagger coated with type B, death poison Needle ring coated with type C, sleep poison d4 knives coated in type A, death poison Fold out double crossbow Food & drink type B, sleep poison Musket pistol & 10+2d6 rounds
Possessions Carried Classifications
Approximate conversions Length 2.5 centimeters (cm) = 1 inch 30cm = 1 foot 1 meter (m) = 3 feet 1.6 kilometers (km) = 1 mile 1000m = 1 km = 0.62 miles Weight 2.8 grams(g) = 1 ounce 0.45 kilograms (kg) = 1 pound 0.9 metric tonnes = 1 imperial ton
Temperature boiling points: Fahrenheit 212° Celsius 100° freezing points: Fahrenheit 32° Celsius 0° convert to celsius: Fahrenheit temperature minus 32 x 5 divide by 9= Celsius
Unconventional Concealed* (WC-UC)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7,8
*plus a regular knife
Metric Conversion Table
Volume 28 millilitres (ml) = 1 fluid ounce 0.57 Litres (L)= 1 pint 1.14 Litres = 1 quart 4.5 litres = 1 gallon 0.03 cubic meters (m3) = 1 cubic foot
d8
Possessions Carried Classifications
Code
Very Poor Poor Moderate Well-Off Wealthy Very Wealthy Adventurer Advanced Adventurer Primitive Trophy
VP P M WO W VW A AA PT
any humanoid creatures, as well as all typical humans, carry some sort of personal wealth with them, and for M most of these beings, what they carry represents all their worldly wealth. While many pre-written adventures state what a person is carrying, many on the fly or random encounters don’t, and for the busy GM, the following possessions carried classification tables greatly speed up the process of establishing what somebody has on them when robbed or looted. The code prefix VC usually proceeds a valuables classification code, as in VC-A or VC-EX, etc.
Currency Note: 10 silver coins = 1 gold coin
The Mutant Epoch
d8
Very Poor (VP)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
A dead rat, saved for dinner Lucky rabbit’s foot Silver pieces d3 Silver pieces d6 Silver pieces d10 Plastic bits d20sp worth Semi-precious gem worth d20sp Stone jewelry item worth d20sp
d8
Poor (P)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Plastic scrap worth d6sp Silver pieces d12 Silver pieces d20 Silver pieces 2d20 Silver pieces d100 Gold coins d6 Small gem worth 2d20sp Plastic bits worth 2d20sp
d6
Moderate (M)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Silver pieces 2d20 Silver pieces d100 Gold coins d10 Tiny gems, d6 worth d100sp ea. Furs, d6 each worth d100sp Plastic bits worth d100sp
d6
Well-Off (WO)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
As ‘moderate’ rolled twice Silver pieces 100-600 Gold coins d20 Coins: d20 gold, d100 silver Gems d6 worth 100+d100sp ea. Plastic items worth 2d100sp
d6
Wealthy (W)
1. 2,3. 4.
As ‘well-off’ rolled twice Gold coins d100 Coins: d100 gold, d1000 silver d6 gems, d6 jewelry worth
5. 6.
200+d100sp ea. As ‘very wealthy’ rolled once
Quick Start Rules
d20 Adventurer (A) 1,2. 3,4. 5,6. 7,8. 9,10. 11,12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
d6
Very Wealthy (VW) Coins: 2d100 gold, d1000 silver Gold coins 3d100 2d4 gems, d6 jewelry worth
13.
300+2d100sp ea.
6.
As “wealthy’ rolled twice
14. 15. 16.
d6
Advanced Adventurer (AA)
1.
dl00 gold coins, d1000 silvers d20 gems and d12 jewelry items
17.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
worth 400+3d100sp ea. 1000-6000 silver pieces Plastic items worth 1000-8000sp Gold and silver nuggets worth 10008000sp Roll 3 times on classification (A)
1 empty relic weapon from classification (WR) d1000 silver pieces Plastic items worth 2d1000sp Furs, tusks, pear Is worth 3d1000sp 2d6 Gold nuggets worth d100gp Full power cell 3d6 rifle rounds 2d6 shotgun shells 3d6 pistol rounds Re-roll twice, using d12
d20 Primitive Trophy (PT)
1,2. 3,4. 5.
d20 gold coins d100 silver pieces d12 gems worth 100+d100sp ea. d6 jewelry worth 200+2d100sp ea.
18. 19. 20.
Tusk necklace worth 2d10sp Fine Fur cape worth 4d10sp Scalps, human, worth nothing Gold nugget necklace worth 3d100sp Glass bead bracelet worth 2d6sp Bone dice in pouch, worth d4sp Jade Knife, functional, worth 20+d20sp Shrunken Head, worth 2d8sp Gemstone necklace worth 300+d1000sp Diamond on neck string, worth 200+2d100sp Dried human body bits, (ears, fingers, penis, teeth) worthless Narcotic: gebrull joy beans, 2d4, 100sp ea., see narcotics and alcohol on page 124 (TME Hub Rules). Narcotic: kicker berries, 3d20, 10sp ea., see narcotics and alcohol, on page 124 (TME Hub Rules) Mini power cell, full, worn on necklace Power cell, full, worn on necklace Standard rifle rounds, 3d6 tied on necklace Fragmentation grenade, worn on necklace Fruit alcohol, in skin, d3 liters, worth 25sp/L Rare feathers in headdress, worth 3d20sp Hell-cougar pelt, worth 1600sp
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The Mutant Epoch
Treasure Table TME-HUB-1 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53.
Roll d100
Child’s scooter, operational, bright pink, +3 movement rate on flat ground for child-sized riders, +6m move downhill, no bonus going up hill, worth 80+d20sp Child’s plastic bucket with handle, worth 10+d10sp Baby stroller, bright blue and steel, folds up and in good condition, worth 30+d20sp Wood axe with bright yellow composite plastic handle, +2 SV, +2 DMG otherwise normal hatchet, worth 70+2d20sp Nylon bag of 12 tough plastic tent pegs, yellow, worth 20+d20sp Child’s bright pink flip flop sandals worth 10+d6sp Folding nylon and steel camp chair, US flag pattern worth 90+d100sp Plastic doggy bowl, large 4L, purple, worth 6+d6sp Nylon dog leash, 2m green, worth 7+d8sp Aquarium net, 10cm opening, 20cm long, blue, worth 5+d6sp Clip on flashlight for baseball style cap, range 10m drained, uses 1 pill power cell, worth 50+2d20sp Flask, stainless steel, max cap. 300ml, holds 3d100ml scotch worth 30+d20sp Life-size, flexible plastic adult doll, female, appearance score 60+d20, worth 100+d100sp. Not a robot. Non-responsive. Pose-able, will accept a mini-power cell to make life-like noises, heats up and vibrates Nylon 4 person dome tent, blue, fiberglass poles, water and bug proof, worth 30+d100sp Plastic wine glass, worth 4+d4sp Plastic wash basin, 40cm diameter, yellow, worth 5+d6sp Toaster, white, plug-in style worth 50+d20sp Small, cartoonish toy horse, pale blue with pink mane, worth 12+d20sp Blow dryer, black, plug-in or accepts mini-power cell for 10 hours of use, black, worth 40+d20sp Toy, automatic pistol, has removable orange tip, worth 12+d20sp Nylon duffle bag, black, 60cm long, holds 50kg, worth 70+d20sp Hard plastic suitcase, brown, 40cm long, holds 40kg, worth 50+d20sp Plastic lawn chair, tan, bulky, 2kg, 20+d10sp Plastic toy dinosaur, T-Rex, 12cm tall, worth 18+d20sp Baby teething ring set, many colors, plastic, worth 20+d20sp Fake flowers, six daisies, worth 24+d12sp Child’s toy ring, silver plastic with huge fake purple gem, worth 18+2d20sp Nylon shotgun shell holder, 5 shell capacity, slips onto but stock of shotgun, worth 20+d20sp Wrap around black sunglasses in case, like new, 30+d20sp Child’s toy piano, 1kg, red, 12 keys, actually works, worth 35+d20sp Bright red plastic clown nose, worth 4+d4sp Nylon afro costume wig, black, worth 7+d8sp Plastic sign, 10cm wide by 20cm tall, Men’s Washroom plus man symbol, worth 4+d6sp Plastic travel mug, thermal, red, for 12oz coffee or tea, worth 12+d20sp Alloy scuba knife in bright green plastic sheath, floats, +1 SV, +1 dmg knife, worth 50 +d100sp Silver cross on fine chain, worth 100+d100sp Plastic Samurai sword, cheap, sheath, looks fake only when drawn, worth 6+d6sp Bag of dark green army men, 7cm tall, quantity 3d6 each worth 2sp Bag of plastic spoons, white, 100 count, worth 30+d20sp Bright blue nylon gift wrap, 1m wide by 6m long, worth 20+d20sp Nylon body suit, woman’s medium, zipper crotch, black, worth 50+d100sp Plastic box containing 24 oil pastels, like new, worth 30+d20sp Music mini disc collection of all Elvis, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, and other 1950s and 1960s hits, 100 albums worth 200+2d100sp Nylon military action figure, 15cm tall, holding assault rifle, wearing body armor, worth 30+d20sp Plastic school binder, zippered with pockets, red, worth 10+d12sp Soapstone sculpture of weasel, 10kg, worth 40+2d20sp. Bronze statue, 30cm tall, of bearded man nailed to a cross, worth 100+2d100sp Backpack-carried water purification pump and filter set, worth 140+2d100sp Box of plastic straws, assorted colors, 200 count, worth 20+d12sp Scuba fins, tethered together as set with price tag still attached, blue, men’s, +4m swimming movement rate, worth 40+2d20sp Snorkel and diving mask, yellow, worth 30+d100sp Blow-up, 1 man plastic boat (dinghy) clear, 5kg, worth 100 +d100sp Blow-up 2 person air mattress, gray, worth 30+d20sp
54. 55. 56. 57.
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Toy military helicopter, US Army, 10cm long, worth 18+d8sp Puzzle cube, multi-colored worth 15 +d20sp Dark green plastic garden hose, 10m long, no holes, worth 40+d20sp Fold-out book light, silver, needs pill power cell for 72 hours continuous use, worth 100+2d20sp 58. Hot pink, woman’s purse with strap, worth 10+d20sp 59. Pair of woman’s knee high fashion boots, red, nylon, worth 30+d20sp 60. Policeman’s truncheon, nylon, club +1 SV, +1 DMG, worth 70+d100sp 61. Hand crank light (10m range) with radio receiver, yellow, worth 200+3d100sp 62. BB rifle, single pump, 20m range, SV +3, rate 1, DMG d4, found loaded with 2d100 steel BBs (max capacity 300 BBs), worth 300+2d100sp 63. Solar powered electric desk fan, with 6m cord between solar array and fan. Will hold charge after sunset for 6 hours use, worth 100+d100sp. 64. Magnet with sunflower decoration, worth 2+d6sp 65. Plastic mixing bowl, white, 2L, spout, rubber grip bottom, worth 5+d6sp 66. Ceramic piggy bank, baby blue swine, worth 11+d8sp 67. Small, fake, tropical plant, 50cm tall, 3kg, worth 20+d20sp 68. Plastic jewelry box, pink, wind-up ballerina, mirror, worth 70+d100sp 69. Plastic toilet plunger, black, worth 6+d6sp 70. Clear plastic aquarium tubing, 2d6m, worth 10sp per meter 71. Bright hunter orange nylon ski-mask toque, worth 6+d8sp 72. Dayglow lime green rain poncho in bag, worth 12+d12sp 73. Plastic pancake flipper, blue, worth 3+d8sp 74. Elvis deity bust sculpture, resin plastic, faded paint, worth 50+d100sp 75. Plastic Baseball cap, trucker style, camo print worth 14+d20sp 76. Stainless steel, 500ml alcohol flask, empty worth 25+d20sp 77. Plastic pill bottle, 3d6 mild painkiller tablets inside, altogether worth 10+d10sp 78. Toothbrush, like new, purple, worth 5+d6sp 79. Ski goggles, black with lime green details and strap, worth 30+2d20sp 80. Alloy hub cap, can be made into buckler style shied (with -1 DV extra bonus) worth 30+d20sp 81. Umbrella, black fabric, plastic handle, compact folding style, 500g, worth 40+d100sp 82. Red tail reflector off vehicle, 10cm x 4cm, worth 6+d6sp 83. Nylon hammock, US flag print, plus tree line cords, 3kg, bulky, in case, worth 60+2d20sp 84. Roll of plastic food wrap, 12m long x 30cm wide, clear, worth 14+d20sp 85. Electric flyswatter, mini power cell drained, auto kills insects, spiders, etc., if under 5 END undamaged trait value, +5 SV, worth 70+d100sp 86. Box of 3d6 glow in the dark stars with peel and stick backings, each worth 2+d6sp 87. Golf ball, worth 1+d4sp 88. Desk flag, worth 10+d20sp 20cm tall flag pole, 15cm long flag, faded, roll for version, d6: 1. Canada/2. California/3. Mexico/4. Australia/ 5. UK/ 6. EU/ 6. Japan/ 8. China/ 9-12. USA 89. Plastic sign, “Open” other side “Closed, please come again”, worth 3+d4sp 90. Gun magazine in plastic wrapper, worth 5+d20sp 91. Pair of reading glasses, men’s, black frame, x4 magnification worth 30+d20sp 92. Stainless steel water bottle with flip lid and strap, 1L, worth 18+3d6sp 93. Pair of men’s waterproof boots, yellow, worth 10+d20sp 94. Large scented candle, simulated cinnamon smell, red, worth 3+d6sp, burns for 12 hours 95. Pack of sandalwood scented incense, 24 sticks, pack worth 10+2d10sp 96. Plastic wallet, black, full of an ancient person’s ID, credit cards, and 3d100 dollars in US cash, wallet value 15+d8sp 97. Glow in the dark plastic toy bat, 20cm wingspan, worth 3+d6sp 98. Solar powered calculator in case, worth 100+d100sp 99. Solar powered radio with antenna charge lasts 48 hours, receives broadcasts only, can’t send, worth 200+2d100sp 100. Cleaning kit for pistols, rifles, and shotguns, like new with swabs, oil and rods, worth 200+d100sp
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Quick Start Rules
The Mutant Epoch
The Mutant Epoch™
Name:
R o l e
P l a y i n g
G a m e
Player:
Game Master:
Character Type:
Date Rolled:
Generation System:
Pre-Play Caste:
Rank :
Experience Factors:
PC's Faction: Healing Rate
/
Endurance Strength Agility Accuracy
DMG Mod:
Range Mod:
SV Mod:
Intelligence Willpower Perception
%
Protection
DV
Move
Type
Agility Mod: Armor Worn: Helmet Worn: Shield Used: Dodge Skill?: Other Skill?: Other Mods:
MV Mod:
Initiative:
Appearance
Defense Value:
Base Strike Value:
Movement Rate: Base:
Attack Mode
SV
portrait or Insignia
Armored:
Rate Range
Damage
Other:
Ammo or Uses
Skill Adds Skill pts. SV Mod. DMG
Mutations, Implants & Skills
Personality: Gender: Sexual Orientation: Age: Birthday: Weight: kg Height: Skin Color: Hair: Eye: Other Features: Handed: Swimming Ability: Read & Write?: Do Math?: Religion: Languages Spoken: Diseases or Parasites?: Cancer?: Radiation Exposure:
w w w. m u t a n t e p o c h . c o m
Equipment
Starting Pack Code:
cm
Days Rations:
Liters Water:
Bounty on PC's Head?: Debts: Valuables Carried:
.com Official character sheet TME-vertical-1b
Character’s history, non-carried possessions, property, slaves, pets, list of vanquished foes, etc. on back....
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The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules
Sandbarra
An excerpt from the Crossroads Region Gazetteer
Faction: The Lower Freehold Government: Ruled by a hereditary council: The Directors. Population: Total 503 to 633/ (Pure Stocks 250+2d20/ Mutants 190+2d20 and 30+d20 Ghost mutants/ Cyborgs 12+d12/ Synthetic humans 11+2d8/other 2d6)
Site Details: Sandbarra gets its name from its location, a long strip of sand out in the wide estuary of Barter River, which at this point in its journey to the sea has become a wide river. The sandbar exists due to a series of ruined concrete and steel supports which jut up from the river like the lower jaw of some enormous beast.
Construction: Sandbarra is built on the ancient concrete
ruins of some unidentified ancient structure, possibly the stump of a great skyscraper. Wooden pylons and scrap girders have been pounded into the sand, lashed to cross braces and fixed to the old cement and steel supports, and upon this framework a mighty and impressive fortress town has been raised. The homes within the walled community are of scrap, drift wood and mud tiles, with an emphasis on fireproof materials and sheathing used on all structures near the edges of town. Within the town is a vast dock, also strapped to the ancient beams, and protected by wooden palisades, spikes, and enclosed archer huts. A narrow bridge made of flimsy wood and rope is the only access to the southern shore, as most of the locals use canoes, rafts and rowboats to travel to and from the town. This bridge can only take 500kg of weight before it collapses, and if the town is attacked from this side, reserves of dried reeds and twigs are bundled along the underside of the bridge and ignited by defending archers using flaming arrows, which will destroy the bridge within 3d6 minutes, leaving only steel pylons behind. On the southern shore, where for a hundred years Sandbarra’s day farmers have grown excellent crops and grazed their cattle, now sit patches of farmland. These acreages have been sold to individuals and peaceful religious groups
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who while lacking Sandbarra’s direct protection, do fall under the care of the Rangers, who patrol the homesteads by day and stay at various farm houses by night, fighting off predators and humanoid raiders as needed. It is the plan of the board of directors to expand Sandbarra across Barter River and make a large, walled agricultural perimeter in that area, thus expanding the population of the place and better ensuring their survival. Anyone approved by the board can buy a 100 by 100m of farmland for 2000sp, with a yearly property tax to Sandbarra of 40sp. Buyers are expected to build their own fortress-homestead, and actively utilize the land for crop growing, plus, muster to the defense of Sandbarra if the fortress comes under attack.
Water and Sanitation:
Barter River provides adequate drinking water, while all sewage is dropped through holes in the town deck and allowed to flow out to the sea.
Technology:
The nearby Overgrown Ruins have endured generations of scavengers and excavators who have pillaged the foliage covered troves, and through various means, the relics have entered Sandbarra and stayed. Mainly, Sandbarra depends on a water turbine which produces its modest electricity needs, providing power to a single medium laser cannon, and three spotlights mounted high up on the settlement’s peaks. There are several communicators here, both owned by the directors, their military chief, as well as the leader of the local Southern Rangers. A radio tower and satellite dish are also attached to the highest concrete protrusion, allowing the directors to listen to radio shows and broadcasts from far off lands. It is said that the satellite dish sends and receives transmissions between the Lower Freehold and the Northern Freehold office in Overpass, allowing the coordination of anti-Aberrationist or anti-Purist operations. Also attached to the town’s tallest ancient ruin is a transmitter beacon, connected to a small broadcast setup within the Director’s Headquarter Building. Here, Radio Freehold is transmitted throughout the region, and anybody with a transistor radio or other receiver can tune in and catch a mix of poorly recorded local music, old world tunes, as well as the intermittent propaganda by the Southern Rangers who operate the station.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules
Dangers: While Purist attack is possible, and has occurred from time to time, the real threat to the continued habitation of Sandbarra is the constant Aberrationist pressure from the north side of Barter River. Mutant Supremacists have launched repeated raids and full out attacks on Sandbarra, but have so far been repelled by the tenacious, well fortified inhabitants and the notorious, devastating power of the laser cannon, nicknamed ‘The Mauler’ by the Sandbarrians. The area of land directly across the creek is occupied by the Dominion, but, often taken from them by Southern Rangers and militia, or else by the Wadango nation of reptilius. These green reptilius also take their toll on the people of Sandbarra, killing and eating travelers, fishermen and shorefarmers whenever they can, and occasionally making forays up and over the town walls and into the streets to butcher and drag off the unwary. To deal with this constant peril, the directors of town offer a 5sp per reptilius head bounty.
Law Enforcement: By Freehold Militia and Southern Rang-
ers. The punishment of non-violent criminals is often forced labor and fine payments, while those convicted of being enemy spies, rapists, or the perpetrator of an attempted murder or actual murder, are tied by their feet and dragged downstream of town, where a rather large mutant alligator, ‘Butch’ and its kin wait to devour the condemned. Often, Butch can be seen sunning himself on the extreme western edge of the sandbar, and he is protected by the authorities, and all newcomers are warned not to swim in the waters around town nor to annoy or in any way harm the great beast, who is considered the town’s mascot and good luck.
Military and Defense:
The Sandbarra militia consists of 40+d10 pure stock and 34+d10 mutants with one minor mutation each, (GM: consider mutations cosmetic only for game purposes unless dealing with individual militia personal). There is also a detachment of 12+2d6 Southern Rangers dwelling in their garrison. If the town is attacked, the rest of the population, commoners and slaves for the most part, will arm themselves with bows and daggers and man the walls, knowing that either the Purist or Aberrationist human factions, or the reptilius, will massacre the townsfolk if they are conquered by these enemies. If the town seems doomed, the people will try to escape via boats and rafts, during the night, heading downstream to the tainted sea and along the coast to Memory, or else, if the attackers occupy the river, they will escape to the southern shore and flee down the Steppe Road to Sorrow or Steel Hill. The main defenses employed by the town, besides the mutant alligators which inhabit this stretch of river, are 4 catapults, 4 heavy ballista, and their primary weapon, ‘The Mauler’ a medium laser cannon which is mounted on a steel plated platform affixed to the tallest concrete ruin. This cannon is on a track, which carries its crew in a 360 degree rotation of the turret, allowing the weapon to either be fired at any attacker, or be swung around to the far side of the massive concrete pillar to protect it from enemy fire (SV +40/ rate 1/ DMG 3d100, range 53km/ 1 crew/ 30 shots per power cell). Because the gun is enclosed and hidden when not in actual use, it is difficult for enemies to fire on the weapon and determine if they hit it and its crew or not. On several occasions, Aberrationist commandoes have tried to take out the cannon with rocket launchers and other projectiles, but while damaging the steel plating of the turret, they have never successfully damaged the gun or its crew. This gun turret is always well guarded by 5 militia soldiers, so too, the base of the tower is joined to the
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main Southern Ranger garrison, who observe whoever is approaching the steel and stick staircase going up to the various outcrops, decks and balconies on the great slab. The directors of the town are usually well known merchants or community leaders (treat as commoners for stats), and while they lack any sort of military skills, they are each armed with a relic weapon (WC-RC) and a communicator, wear tactical armor during war times, and are well respected, able to muster the populace to defend their town to the death. Finally, visiting excavators, many of which make Sandbarra a regular stop before undertaking their arduous journey through Twisted Wood on their way to Overpass, are known to add their strengths, mutations and firepower to the defense of the town. These travelling dig teams often act as elite squads to make nighttime raids on enemy encampments, or go on the ever popular lizard hunts in the swamp to the east, collecting reptilius heads for both bounty and sport.
Visitors to Sandbarra: Like all towns in the Lower Freehold,
the big concern for the gatekeepers is whether or not a group of travelers is from an enemy faction, part of a pirate sabotage unit, or possibly a pack of murderous thugs. The gates are a single door, plated in steel with a few gun barrel hatches in it. From these holes the militia troopers will observe approaching strangers, conduct interviews and outline the terms of entrance. Groups of all mutants or all pure stocks will be told to leave, get away from their bridge and not come back under penalty of death, as these groups will be seen as enemy agents. If, however, a group arrives that has a mix of races, with some pure stocks, maybe a cyborg, bestial human, or plantoid or two, one or more visible mutants, or ghost mutants able to prove their powers, then the whole group will be admitted, pending payment of the entrance fee of 1sp. The regulations are fairly straight forward, stating limitations on what one can carry about in town, especially into the pub. The rules state that nobody can carry around a chain gun, rocket or grenade launcher, no flame units, grenades, land mines, or larger weapons, while no solider robots or larger machines can leave the visitor’s room. Cyborgs with restricted weapon implants must likewise stay in their rooms, while carnivorous pets must be muzzled and leashed at all times, or kept in their master’s room. Vehicles and animal mounts are to be kept in the stables, at a cost of 5sp per night, with the owner responsible for posting a guard on such devices. If the town comes under attack, it is the obligation of all guests to arm themselves as fully as possible, even with restricted weapons, and make for the walls and report to any militia soldier or Ranger for orders. Finally, the guards will make it clear that Sandbarra is a law abiding town. There is no dueling nor brawling allowed anyplace, no swearing around women and children, and no sex act to be performed with companions, locals or even hookers while outside of a private room or household.
Brief History:
Sandbarra has been populated by humans since the cataclysm, or at least shortly thereafter. Nobody actually recorded the date when it was first settled, but what is known is that building occurred when the tidal waves and great flooding had ceased, when the sea began receding, and the majority of the nearby old world culture had been eradicated. Back then, as is still true today, fishing at the mouth of Barter River has always been exceptional, if not dangerous due to the predators. Nearby, on the southern shore, a wide assortment of crops could be raised, and because the area was open, the agricultural lands could be protected by ballista fire, managing to keep raiding herbivores out, or on the menu.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules In the year 2283, the ruling family, not much more than a gang of thugs, were finally driven from power and impaled on the highest iron bars of the concrete ruin. From that day onward an elected council of Directors had been appointed by the people. This directorship always hired a Chief Officer, who directed the town’s defenses during troubled times, and many tests arose during the following decades. In 2295, the Purist nation was gathering steam and sweeping over the villages that once dotted the vicinity. The pure stock army swept down from Twisted Wood, devastating the independent settlements one by one until being stopped cold in their tracks against the imposing, strange looking walls of Sandbarra. At that time, ‘The Mauler’ had not yet been gifted to the town, and so, the low tech defenders were hard pressed to throw back successive waves of Purist attackers. Only when mutant irregulars from the north west seized the poorly defended Purist camp, killing all whom they found there, did the Purist force retreat. Within weeks, the mutants of the north demanded that Sandbarra surrender to their warlord. Refusing, knowing that the pure stocks within the town would be mutilated, the townspeople stalled the Aberrationist envoy, seeking help from a powerful team of grave robbers called the Murrr Group, who held a small fortified camp near Silver Lake. The Murr group was given a house, full citizenship and two seats on the board of directors in return for leasing an as yet un-powered, laser cannon to the citizens. Once hooked to the water wheel turbine, this powerful beam cannon was put into use on the morning of August 16th 2296, when the Aberrationist hoards began to cross Barter River in shoddy rafts. The beam cannon obliterated the command raft, killing the enemy warlord and his elite monstrosities, and threw the whole invasion into chaos. Since that time, repeated attacks by the Purists and Aberrationists have restricted Sandbarra from growing beyond the confines of the ancient ruin they inhabit, however, recent developments and homesteads have been initiated on the southern shore. Here, farmland is being sold to brave, self reliant families and clans, as well as non-racially aligned, non-biased religious orders.
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Social Details:
Sandbarra is the most conservative of the Lower Freehold towns, having little patience for rough housing, drunkenness, whoring, dueling or even swearing. The authorities are trying to promote the settlement and southern farming initiative as a prosperous, friendly place, which welcomes trade and settlers. The common people are friendly to those they’ve seen around for awhile, but are intolerant toward rudeness, bullies and crime of any sort. Visitors who break the law will find no help from the citizens, and will be dragged before the Board of Directors for a swift trial and immediate punishment. They are as conservative in costume as they are in behavior and belief, with the men wearing oiled hides and unadorned wide brimmed hats, the women in wool and fur shawls, with their shirts buttoned up to their necks. The few prostitutes who do work the pub are from other towns, and while they may be as professional and experimental as the whores in Steel Hill, they do not flaunt themselves as immodestly as others, nor work the streets. Even in the Pub, these floozies are far less aggressive in their attempts to drum up business, and wear clothing that exposes very little cleavage or leg.
Resources and Industry:
The gathering of food for local consumption, as in most small towns, is the key activity in Sandbarra. However, the export of fine ale, salted fish and a surprising amount of grain are also important income generators. While excavators do come here on their way to and from Overpass, they don’t often stay long as the ruins to the south and west are better reached via Memory, Sea Home or Sorrow, so too the morally restrictive ethics in Sandbarra make the place unfitting for diggers to spend their new found wealth, set up permanent residence, or celebrate with vigor and lust.
Accommodations: Due to the many traders and excavators
passing through this town, a modest hotel called Raftman’s Inn has been established. These lodgings sit above a small bar called simply ‘Rafters Pub’. There are no bath houses
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules nor brothels in town, however, one can hire the hotel staff to run a private bath in a room behind the kitchen, for a exorbitant cost of 5sp. There is a stable in which horses and other mounts can be kept for 3sp per night, or 10sp for small vehicles like motorcycles, ATVs, tracked robots, etc. The stable is guarded by d4 commoner men with crossbows and hatchets, but they claim no responsibility for lost or damaged animals or units inside. Travelers are welcome to post their own guards within the stable, which can sleep on a stack of hay if they like. Longboats from the towns of Memory and Sea Home, even as far away as Rusted Hulk, often come here to trade, and travelers can buy passage to these other locals. There is a 2 in 6 chance per day of a long boat, heading to d6: 1-3. Memory, 4sp per person or mount / 4,5. Sea Home, 6sp per person or mount /6. Rusted Hulk, 8sp per person, no mounts allowed. Additionally, there are a few lone hunters, treat as savages, using heavy crossbows, who hunt reptilius for their 5sp head-bounty, or other valuable fur or skin bearing creatures, who for a cost of 10sp per day, or 40sp overnight, will guide adventurers deep into Bitter Bog to kill the lizard men. Many of these savages have hidden shacks within the bog, usually built high up in trees and practically undetectable to all but the most experienced eyes. These savage guides will often provide shelter for their guests within these tree forts, and enjoy hearing of the outside world, trading, and possibly forming alliances for future times of need.
For the Excavator: What the characters know about Sandbarra: “On
the one hand, the place doesn’t offer any excitement, other than the possibility of being hemmed in by an enemy siege for half a year, since the constant threat of attack by the damn Purists or the freakoid Aberrationist fascists is very real. “Ah, but friends, spending time inside the town is safe but boring. You can’t brawl or can’t get drunk in the streets and you sure as hell can’t go making eyes at the local women. Sure there are some unremarkable whores, but phew, they ain’t much too boast about. Hell no. “Sandbarra is just a stop over for people of your caste, a safe place away from the reptilius, which seem to
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be everywhere in them God damned, stinky, worm infested swamps these days. Oh, but don’t forget there is a five silver coin reward per head on them lizard folk. “Where was I? Oh yes. Sandbarra is a good spot to spend the night, maybe heal up, and have few rounds of their excellent ale, then get back on the road south to Sorrow or wherever the hell you are going. There is a one silver entrance fee, and they have this huge bloody pet mutant alligator that lives right on the edge of the sand bar, and they feed the criminals to it, so don’t break the damn laws, okay?”
For the Game Master:
Sandbarra presents an excellent stop over for a character group that may have had to fight its way through the twisted Woods, and while it is not a crime ridden place, there is the danger of being involved in a siege, since both the Purist and Aberrationist forces lay claim to this parcel of land, not to mention the hordes of Wadango reptilius who are always watching the fortress for some weakness, or opportunity to pursue and devour weak travelers. Many adventure teams must stop here for one reason or another, and so it is a natural meeting place for characters who become separated from each other. A common phrase is ‘If we get separated, meet me at the Rafters’ meaning, either be at the Rafters Pub every night thereafter, in person, or leave word with the bartender that I am okay and linger in Sandbarra until I can join you.’
Unique Encounters
Note: Always re-roll duplicated dice results.
Daytime Street Encounters: There will be com-
moners about, numbering d6 -2 (0 to 4) men, d6-3 (0 to 3) women d6 -3 (0 to 3) teens, and d6 -1 children. There is a 1 in 6 chance of d4 militia soldiers watching the PCs from the nearest wall. A 2 in 10 chance of a unique encounter per passage from the following list, d6: 1. A nomadic trader, wearing torn up scrap relic armor, a
bloody bandage on his head and obviously favoring a leg, limps up to the characters, smiling and extending his hand. “Good day, brave ones, my name is Rufus, I’m a wholesaler of pelts, plastic and arrow heads. I was directed to you by the local militia. Anyhow, I was wondering if I might travel with you to another town, any town really, where I can hawk the rest
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules of my wares. You see, while coming here, the lizard things got after me and my guards and well, I am the only one of us what have survived. I will give you each a fine plastic pendant.” If the characters take him along, he will give them a bit of plastic on a string each, worth 2d6 sp, but he never shuts up the whole journey. 2. A Southern Ranger passes the characters, gives them a friendly nod and then turns around. “Excuse me, outlanders, may I ask if you are looking for a meaningful path? You know, we Rangers are always looking for fit, independent sorts to defend this hard pressed but noble land. Why not go to Steel Hill and look into the benefits of joining. No obligation. Tell them Harmoth sent you.” 3. d4 scavengers pass the characters, carrying a pole each, on which dangle the heads of d3 Reptilius on each pole. The PCs notice people nearby clapping, giving the dirty loners the thumbs up and nodding with approval. “Hey, strangers,” one scav cheerfully calls to the characters. “Five silvers per head, it ain’t bad pay considering these things come looking for us anyhow, and some of ‘em carry their own loot as well. Why not buy a canoe and try your luck bounty hunting reptos in the bog?” 4. An alarm bell rings out from someplace high above, possibly from the main concrete slab. People stop whatever they are doing and run into the street, looking up at the great, structure encrusted monolith. “What’s going on?” Asks a nearby trader, leading his ponies toward the gates. “Trouble,” mutters an old fisherman, shaking his head. Within a few minutes, a squad of militia soldiers enter the streets, marching purposefully passed, the trader calls after them. “What’s the matter? Where are you going?” One soldier turns and says. “We’ve just received radio confirmation from our scouts that Aberrationist forces have been seen on the far side of Barter River heading this way. We are locking the town down. Anybody who wants to get out before we shut the town and dismantle the bridge has about fifteen minutes to pack up and get the hell out. If you stay, you could be here for a week or two, and are obligated to join in the defense of the town!” If the characters elect to leave, they can either go by boat if they arrived that way, or can join the other panic stricken visitors and traverse the rickety bridge and head south on the Steppe Road. There will be d6 nomadic traders on ponies, 3d6 commoner families, a 30% chance of a bounty hunter and his d6+2 raider guards, all on horseback, a 17% chance of a slaver and his d6+2 militia solider guards, all on horseback with 4d6 slaves on foot in chains, moving only 3m per round, plus d6 scavengers, d6 savage men, and d6 prostitutes. This odd collection of refugees stick together for mutual protection, but have no sense of being quiet or keeping their fires concealed at night. Camping and traveling with them will mean double the number of encounter checks, although in such great numbers, these people will be safe from most foes. If the characters stay in town, the gates will be locked up and the bridge dismantled half way up from shore. Each day, there is a some chance that the lock down ends as the all clear is given. There is also a chance, however, that an army of Aberrationists arrives and lays siege to the town. Roll d10 per day: 1-3. False alarm, bridge re-built and you are free to come and go as before/ 4-9. No sign of trouble, but the defenders seem edgy and preparations for a siege are ongoing./ 10. Aberrationist irregulars arrive, surrounding the town on both shores, plus, have longboats fitted with light ballista, d4 upstream, d4+1 downstream, each filled with mutant militia soldiers (one cosmetic mutation each) On the north shore,
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the mutant army of 200+2d100 dig into trenches, use sand bags and set up 2d4 catapults to commence a bombardment of the town, while on the south shore, are 100+d100 more mutant militia, also concealing themselves from ‘The Mauler’, which every hour or so fires a few shots and decimates the enemy, blasting through timber bunkers, the tops of catapults, and occasionally, sinks a longboat. The siege lasts for 2d6 days, and for each day of the siege, there is a 1 in 6 chance the walls are stormed by mutants on rafts. If this is the case, there is a 3 in 6 chance that a group of Aberrationists commence climbing up the character’s section of wall and must be thrown back. The walls are 5 meters tall, built of timbers and broken stone, thus fairly easy to climb, rate 1m per round. There will be 2 mutants per player character, and if they manage to defeat the characters, or force them to flee, consider that the same tragedy has occurred all over town, and the place is overrun, the populace slaughtered or enslaved, the characters forced to leap from the walls into the water and escape to shore. Aberrationist irregulars are like regular militia, but oddly shaped, abnormally colored, and often hideous to behold, wearing olive green trousers and vests with a two headed eagle symbol on the front. They use hatchets and round shields, but in ranged combat use normal bows. 5. 2d6+3 local women, all hard working, no nonsense, serious looking mutants and pure stocks, are busy beating another women in the street, pulling her hair, throwing stones at her, kicking her and scratching her with their nails. Other street occupants just give the fray a wide berth and keep to their own business, quickly leaving the violence behind. “You cheap slut!” Screams one woman in particular, who seems to be doing most of the beating. “We should throw you to Butch, but he might not have you, unlike other males around here! Come here, you dirty, Steel Hill whore! You’re time here is over, bitch, how dare you sleep with my husband! I outa put a knife between your ribs!” If the characters decide to intervene, the other women step away, but the irate one just shoves at the characters, manages to kick the bleeding prostitute in the face and then turn back to the characters. “You outland perverts! Get the hell outa my face before I call the watch! Go!” She whips out a curved knife and gestures it toward the now unconscious whore. “I ain’t goin’ to kill the little jezebel, just goin’ to carve up her fricken face so she won’t tempt no other men!” If the characters make to grapple her as she turns and kneels down to mutilate the fallen woman, she screams and fights like a maniac. If the PCs do nothing, she will do as she says and cut horrendous wounds in the prostitute’s face and body and leave her bleeding in the dusty street. Should the characters rescue the hooker and take her away from the irate woman, she later wakes and is exceedingly grateful and begs the PCs to take her to either Steel Hill, or whichever other town they are planning to go to next. She says she can cook and clean and keep the fire going, use a bow and keep watch at night, whatever it takes to get her out of Sandbarra. The authorities do nothing about the incident as long as the irate woman is not seriously harmed. 6. A longboat arrives after coming up the river from the sea and in so doing causes a great deal of commotion and excitement. Children run passed heading to a trap door area where a hand cranked cargo crane begins to unload the battered vessel. You see 3 crewmen and their captain (treated as militia soldiers with crossbows wearing oiled cloaks and relic sunglasses), emerge and toss hard candy to the gathered children. “We’re back!” Declares the captain, an older man. “At least for tonight. We set sail for Steel Hill at dawn for any-
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules body who is interested, a cost of 10sp each, but no mounts as we need the room for the grain and kegs.” If the characters are interested, they can sign up and leave at first light.
Nighttime Street Encounters: There will be commoners
about (d6 -3 men, d6 -4 women, d6 -4 teens and no children). There is a 1 in 6 chance that a patrol of 4+d4 militia soldiers shadow the PCs for 2d6 minutes then drift away. There is a 3 in 10 chance per passage of a special encounter from the following, d8: 1. Reptilius Raiders! The PCs turn a corner and happen to see d6+3 of the green lizard men skulking into an alley, dragging away a limp form. Any other street occupants just arrive, not seeing what the characters just saw and ignore them. If the PCs investigate, they enter the alley and see that 3d6m down the crooked passage, the gathered lizard men begin to crouch down around their victim and are about to start carving it up with steel daggers. One notices the characters and the reptos all leap up. Roll initiative. Once the fighting begins, they hiss and there is a 2 in 6 chance that this call attracts more of their kind who have been eating a commoner man further back in the alley, bringing 2d6 more of the beasts to the fight. The limp figure, if rescued, is a teenage slave, pulled from his or her quarters through a back window, and is still alive, but his or her master is later found dead, thus, the youth now belongs to the characters who they can set free. 2. d3 Aberrant rats 3. Spider, rubble 4. Lizard, winged slasher 5. Insects, blood flyers, d4 per each PC and street occupant. 6. A lone woman steps out of a shadowy doorway and whispers to any men in the group, directing most of her sales pitch to the most attractive male. “Pssst, hey, handsome, why don’t you join me for some tea? You can catch up with your friend’s after sun up. I assure you that I am courteous, discreet and very affordable at only 7 silvers for the whole night’s warmth.” If a character agrees, roll d6: 1-4. The prostitute was a professional lover, a good listener and a great hostess, even going so far as to feed the character a fine breakfast, asking him to join her again the next time he is in town, but, “Please, sir, my profession is not accepted in this town as in other places, I beg you to not speak of your time here, especially around the local women, who are intolerant and ignorant of my caste and the needfulness of my services.”/ 5,6. The prostitute is the favorite of a prominent Sandbarra militia officer, who shows up sometime after the lovers fall asleep. Having a key, he is not noticed until standing over the character, in a furious, jealous rage, drawing his saber just as the PC wakes. If the officer is killed, the prostitute insists they the she and the character will never get a fair trial, and be fed to the mutant gator if caught. She begs the PCs to take her with him, and head for Steel Hill. On the other hand, if the officer’s body is disposed of, there is only a 2 in 6 chance investigators will track down his last known movements and lead them to the hooker’s hovel, taking d6 days to accomplish.
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7. A group of cloaked men step out of the shadows around the characters, equal in number to the PCs plus d4, treated as raiders. If there are no visible mutants in the group, these men draw long swords and silently attack, attempting to kill the pure stock looking individuals. During the fighting, the PCs realize the attackers are mutants, and one among them has d3 mutations from the list on page QSR 15. If there are visible mutants in the PC group, however, this attack doesn’t occur, as these men just watch the characters move along, but giving any pure stocks and their replicas, nasty looks. If the characters do have to fight and begin to get the upper hand, the Aberrationist thugs will flee. It will be revealed in the morning that the men were locals, but had not lived there long, and are declared Aberrationists spies, their bodies thrown to the gators. 8. There is a clamorous ringing of alarm bells, spot lights turn toward one side of town, and within a moment, a bright fuchsia beam illuminates the misty sky as the ‘Mauler’ springs to life, emitting death. A patrol of 2d6+2 freehold militia soldiers run passed the PCs toward the commotion. The characters can either stay where they are, or follow the militia to their post. If the PCs stay put, the encounter ends, and they hear what happened later the next morning. If however, the characters follow, they can climb up on one of the stout walls and look over to see a spot light aiming on a now burning cargo barge, blazing figures leaping overboard, while on the walls around the PCs, archers are firing down upon the lone craft. ‘Incoming!” Shouts somebody nearby as a huge black orb strikes very close by and knocks part of the wall back into town and taking several screaming militiamen with it. The medium laser cannon far above on the concrete slab fires again and eliminates the catapult on the deck of the barge, blasting several more times until the vessel is a mess of scrap wood, flowing down Barter River, amid gorging alligators, the unknown attackers trying to get ashore under a hail of arrow fire. In the morning, the characters learn that Aberrationist soldier were found dead on the far shore, some sort of probing attack has clearly been defeated.
Encounters in Rafter’s Pub: Patrons present: 3d6
commoner men, 2d6 commoner women, d6 modest prostitutes, d6 -2 thugs (treat as raiders), d6 -3 nomadic traders, 1 in 6 chance of d4+1 off duty militiamen. There is a 2 in 10 chance per hour of an encounter from the following list, roll d6: 1. A drunken, pure stock fisherman gets up from his seat at the bar and staggers over to the characters. If there are any obvious mutants in the PC group, he randomly points at one of them and see Statement A, below, or, if there are no mutants, but only pure stocks and cyborgs, he selects one of them and see Statement B: Statement A: he says “I don’t care what they say, just ‘cause you associate with pure bloods, it don’t mean you ain’t God damn Aberrationist pigs! You are! Don’t deny it! I will never be your slave! Do you hear me! Huh!?” The bar tender comes over and gently ushers the man away, looking back to you and whispering, “Never mind this old fool, he’s a drunk. He won’t remember what he said in a few hours. Have a drink on the house, okay?”
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Statement B: scoffs at you, saying: “Look at you, sitting here. I know what you are, you’re Purists ain’t yeah!? I can always tell, God damn it! I know you come from them far off Purehold Republics to the east, where they blend men with machines to fight the Mecha, but I know your secret, you plan to control all humanity, and kill all the mutants you can find! Now get the hell outa this bar or I swear I’ll get my axe and cut your fricken head open! Get!” The serving girls come and grab the man’s arms and ease him back to a far corner of the bar, while the bar tender is quick to refill the PCs drinks and apologize. 2. A woman who so far hasn’t been either drinking nor serving beverages gets up from her spot at the end of the wooden bar and approaches the PCs, smiling and moving with cat like grace. She rests her hands on the shoulders of the most attractive male and whispers into his ear. “I am Katarina, concubine to all brave digger men, and I shall be yours tonight, upstairs in my room, until dawn. The cost of the room and wine, candles and incense is only 12 silvers for the evening, what say you?” If the character refuses, she only smiles and turns to the other males in the group and makes more or less the same offer. 3. A nomadic trader and his d3 militia soldier guards are at a nearby table, picking at their food and looking grim. The trader notices the characters looking at him and he speaks up. “Never mind us... we just lost our ponies, our cargo and three men to the reptilius fiends. Ah, we were trying to get around the Aberrationist lines at the bottom of Twisted Wood, and got kind of turned around someplace and ended up in the bog. We knew we were in trouble, but just used the sun to guide us. Guess we surprised them lizards as much as they surprised us, but they outnumbered us four to one. Our chums are probably roasting on a spit as we sit here. Take my advice, strangers, and avoid the swamps at all cost.” 4. A fisherman (commoner) enters the bar, excited and loud. “Hey, guess what? I heard them Rangers talking and one says to the other,
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he says, ‘Josh, I heard the report from Steel Hill, that a fleet of three Purist battle barges are moving out towards the open sea, possibly heading this way. I sure as hell wouldn’t be taking no ship to Memory or anyplace else this week!” 5. A serving girl leans over the character’s table to collect empty glasses and plates, and whispers to a random PC. “You look like a nice enough bunch, so I am going to warn you that sometimes Aberrationist killers enter the town in disguise, or make it over the walls. Also, The reptile people, they are also known to venture into the town and kill people, so watch yourselves if you must enter the streets by night.” 6. A commoner woman enters the bar and stomps across the room, grabs another young woman by the hair and slams her head face first into the table, then lets her fall to the floor. “That’s for taking advantage of my husband, you worthless whore!” The bar tender leaps over the bar and grabs the screaming woman, pulling her back from the bloody nosed prostitute, who had been sitting alone, saying and doing nothing. “If you’re not gone by this time tomorrow,” yells the commoner woman. “I will cut your tongue out and throw the rest of you to the gator!” The belligerent woman is taken out of the place by some local men who seem to know her. The prostitute gets up and starts for the stairwell, passing the characters, and collapsing against one of them. ‘I’m okay,” she nods, getting up. “Sorry, strangers.” She pauses suddenly and looks down at the PCs and manages a thin smile. “Excuse me, but are you people heading to Steel Hill or Sorrow in the morning? Anywhere, really. I need to get out of this fricken little town.” Curious about the Crossroads Region Gazetteer?
Visit www.crossroads region gazetteer web page here
54 The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules
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Beginning Adventure for the Mutant Epoch’s Quick Start Rules Written and illustrated by William McAusland
Introduction to Muddy Mayhem
The intention with this adventure was to create a short One Day Dig using just the elements in the Quick Start Rules book. Clearly I failed. In fact, nearly every adventure I write ends up ballooning with options, side plots, clashing personalities and random elements, all of which make the adventure playable again and again with very different perils and outcomes. Of course, the GM will no doubt need to accommodate brief side trips and dead ends, but always try to subtly steer the dig team back to the prepared adventure. In short, Muddy Mayhem is about ten times the size I had planned, but I am very pleased to present it. Enjoy the adventure, William McAusland
Background
The characters grew up together and served at various professions before returning home to the town of Sandbarra in an area called the Lower Freehold. Sandbarra is a small walled community built on a ruins encrusted sandbar in Boss Gus, Employer and debt holder to the characters Barter River. It is both a trading outpost and a garrison, serving as a barrier between their people and the Mutant Supremacists to the north west. The PCs dream of being adventurers, but instead toil as oarsmen to a cantankerous, greedy merchant called Boss Gus. Pigs are on the deck of their cargo raft as they push upstream into the swamp to sell their master’s livestock to scattered backwater villages before eventually docking at distant Steel Hill, the capital of the Lower Freehold. The route is arduous and convoluted, the way unclear and treacherous. Lizard men called Reptilius infest the ruin dotted swamps while rumors have reached the crew at the local saloon about incursions of skullocks, ruthless mercenaries accosting dig teams, and of missing fishermen. The only two men who know the correct passage through the bog are the merchant Gus and the old rust colored mutant soldier and helmsman, Oliver.
Read to players When you were young, you all agreed to form an adventure team and make it rich as excavators in the far off Great Ruins near Pitford. Instead, you are all back in your home town, serving as oarsmen for a grumpy merchant who your parents got into debt to. You inherited your family’s debt when your parents became unable to pay the twenty six silver per month loan. You wake before dawn on a damp morning and prepare your employer’s trade raft. You load it with a dozen squealing hogs and await Boss Gus and the opening of the walled, inner harbor to begin your soggy journey. A steady drizzle falls as you push off and exit the open inner harbor of Sandbarra and swerve out through the wood and scrap metal river doors. You each use long wooden poles to shove against the bottom of the wide, slow moving river and begin the journey up stream. Your community is built out on a ruin studded sand bar in Barter River, the sleepy place connected to the south shore by a rickety junk and wood walkway. To the north, across the river and beyond a patch of cleared forest is Twisted Wood and the disputed border with your enemies, the Mutant Supremacists. To the west, far down stream through wild hills and tangled forests, is the way to the Tainted Sea, while to the south, stretch the vast open farmlands of your small faction, The Lower Freehold. Your destination however, is east and through the treacherous swamps and onto the capital of your besieged nation, Steel Hill, where you intend to sell whatever hogs are left after a few quick stops at several backwater villages. Your boss, and the man your families owe their debts and livelihood to, Gus the Fair, is sitting in the large, junk and timber raft’s aft hut, keeping dry. At the rear of the 8 meter long vessel is his head man, Oliver, a short tempered former Freehold Ranger. The rust skinned mutant wears relic tactical armor, and besides two swords on his back, has an assault rifle slung low at his hips. He controls the huge metal rudder and keeps a wary eye at both of the boggy shorelines as you leave sight of town. He says “Watch out for Butch. That old gator hasn’t eaten since we threw those two thieves to him a few days back. Our town’s scaly guardian will be getting hungry again by now.”
Entry MM-1, Events During the Journey: There are potential events while pushing their way east into Bitter Bog, occurring after the hog raft leaves the main river to
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peskies rushing along the shore. Maybe you outa turn back and go get a beer with us back in town.” Your master, Gus, gets up from his pillows and steps from the tin roof of his shelter, shaking his head and letting his many chins flap about his neck. “Maybe later... if you’re buyin’, boys. We got us some hogs to trade and a cargo waiting in Steel Hill for our return trip. Thanks for the warning though, and good travels to you, brothers.” Random Events after leaving Sandbarra, roll d10 or 4. To your right, there is a sudden uproar that makes GM’s choice everybody aboard, including the pigs, turn to look with fright. Snapping branches, a deep howl and a splash1. Your vessel docks at a nameless, newly built village ing is heard. Only partially visible through the tangled out in a a wide spot in the muddy water. The collection vegetation, is a massive, olive green, bone studded huof stick and scrap metal huts are festooned onto a pile manoid shape. The giant seems to be rushing your way!’ of mossy concrete slabs with a rickety wooden stair case “Garnock!” Calls out the old soldier at the aft of your leading up from the single dock area. Here, the lobarge. “Push for the far shore! Push or die!” cals, most of whom are hideously deformed Even Boss Gus gets up off his pillows, and mutants covered in sores and clad in pulls out a rusty automatic pistol, raising it fish scale ponchos are grim faced in his shaking hands and aiming at the and unfriendly. They don’t allow any indistinct, shrouded shape of the hulkof you off the barge, and instead ing brute that splashes and crashes their headman, an enormous, through the thicket trying to get to multi armed, two headed freak the four meter wide stream. covered in spines, handles all GM: If the character refuse to the trading. They buy five hogs use their poles to propel themin exchange for a bundle of selves forward and escape, they rare pelts. The villagers, numwill be attacked by the Garnock bering about a hundred from which uses a steel beam as a what you can see, keep their club and one by one, will flatbows and spears handy durten the characters. It craves the ing the dealings, and eye you flesh of pigs, and will either kill or with as much hunger as they knock out all the humans to get do the squealing pigs. access to the livestock, eating 2. You come across a half two of the swine before tying the submerged rowboat floating rest in a line and leading them off downstream. The craft is of to its lair. the sort your own people build, Should the PCs do as they are but here and there it is covered told and propel the barge upstream, in arrows shafts and streaked with they manage to steer the vessel into fresh blood. a wider area of the waterway and turn a Oliver, the helmsman Boss Gus speaks up. “Wadango Lizard folk, bend, losing the monster before ever really no doubt.” getting a good look at it. Oliver, working the tiller, shakes his head and spits to Garnock: DV -10/ END 200+d100/ MV 5m / Init. one side before speaking. “No, master. Those are skull- -1 / Attacks: 1 weapon or fist or bite / SV 01-80 / DMG ock arrows. A new incursion... as skullies ain’t tolerated club 3d20+18, fist or bite d20+18 / STR 115(+18 DMG) by the reptilius filth. And I recognize the boat as that of / AG 18 / ACC 24 / INT 2d4 / WL 73 / PER 22 / APP 2d4 Jack Stroth’s. He went missing a week ago... yet that / Valuables: WO (Well-off) / EFs 125 / Morale: excellent blood is fresh.” / Size 4.5m / 530kg / Mutations: nil. 3. Ahead of you, approaching with care at first and then 5. You pass a large, mutated alligator that suns itself on full speed, is a canoe bearing two shaggy looking men. a mossy heap of concrete and rusted self driving sedans. You all recognize the old hunters as Jax and Pollard. Both The beast is stretched out with its mouth open, allowing are leather and plastic clad old timers who know these tiny birds to pick the scraps of meat from between its back waters exceptionally well. Jax is a mutant with a teeth. Nearby, floating in the water about the beast are smaller twin’s head growing from his chest, while Pollard the bloated, half eaten corpses of three gray skinned, is a pure blood with wild red hair and a pump shotgun. bald headed, skull faced humanoids. You notice that one They wave to you and pull along side, smiling broadly. corpse has a red feathered, dark stained arrow shaft pro “Holy piss,” says Jox, pointing back the way they truding from its skull. “Reptilius arrow,” says the helmscame. “Are we ever glad to see you dogs! We were shot at man, Oliver. “Them friggin’ lizard folk hate skullocks as back there about five clicks. Swear we saw some friggin’ much as they hate us. Keep your eyes peeled, girls.” veer north into a narrow back stream and pole their way to their first destination. If wanting to run a quicker game, skip this section and go to Entry MM-2 on page 59, otherwise, either randomly roll one or two of these events, or use them all. These encounters and events are designed to both add a sense of the passage of time and distance, as well as add mood to the setting.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules 6. You all peer to the starboard side and see a group of hunched, humanoid lizards moving parallel with your barge. They are using cover and keeping back from the water’s edge by about a dozen meters, and don’t seem to be waiting in ambush as much as they are cautiously observing your progress. From what you can see, they are shorter than the average man, tailed, and armed with bows, javelins and crude spiked clubs. After a half hour of being followed in this way, and counting at least four dozen of the things, you loose sight of them while passing the pillar-like protrusions of towering concrete ruins. GM: There is a 66% chance that more reptilius do wait in ambush, if so, read here: There is a hissing sound and then a tremendous whoop of war cries. From both sides of the sluggish stream, up pop green and brown skinned reptilian humanoids with bows! On the barge’s starboard side they are 3d6 meters away, while on the port side, 4d6 meters away. They number 6+d6 and each fires a bow once before shrieking triumphantly and dashing away. GM the PCs each get a chance to return fire once at the fleeing reptilius before they are lost from view. Reptilius: DV -12/ END 12+d12/ MV 7m or swim
6m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: bow, bite or by handheld weapon/ SV 01-50/ DMG bow d12, bite d6, club d12/STR 22/AG 43/ACC 34/INT 8+d8/WL 32/PER 21/ Valuables: PT/ EFs 12/ Morale: firm/ Size 1.4m / 55 kg/ Mutations: nil
7. Somebody calls to you from shore. “Hi Gus! Hey, over here!” You all turn to see a pile of weeds on shore stand up ten meters away. The figure flips back the hood of vegetation to reveal a fine looking middle aged woman’s smiling face. “Drena,” Mutters your helmsman, Oliver, smirking. You recognize the camouflaged woman from around town; although she only appears about once a month to buy supplies at the store. All you know is that she is some sort of hermit and healer, who sells rare mushrooms, herbs and curiosities to the town medic. Some say she has found a cure for aging and is over a hundred and fifty years old, although looks no older than thirty five. Rumor has it that she and your own man at the rudder, Oliver, have a sordid relationship on the go. “Hello Drena,” says your boss, Gus. “You scared the shit outa me. You want a ride up to Soggy Hearth?” She shakes her head. “No thanks. I’m happier alone... but listen, I saw skullocks coming from the north, couple weeks ago. They were on an armored barge, towing rafts, well organized and had some fine relics
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with ‘em. You be careful and don’t linger in these parts. See you back home... you too, Oliver.” 8. A log has fallen into the stream blocking your way forward. Boss Gus orders four of you at random to grab axes and go cut it in half and unblock the passage. “And do it quick before we are discovered here and trapped! Lord knows what is watching us from the thicket!” GM: There is a 4 in 6 chance of an attack, that indeed the Barge is watched, and that the tree was cut down recently to pin traveling vessels. If an attack occurs, 4+d4 blue skinned, spiky reptilius archers pop up and fire arrows at those PCs who were assigned to chop away the log. The lizard folk are using cover and gain a -20 DV bonus, and do not leave cover to engage in melee. The log can be cut through in d6 more rounds, thus freeing the barge and allowing the craft to flee the scene before more reptilius show up. Reptilius: (d4+4) DV -12/ END 12+d12/ MV 7m
or swim 6m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: bow, bite or by handheld weapon/ SV 01-50/ DMG bow d12, bite d6, club d12/ STR 22/AG 43/ACC 34/INT 8+d8/WL 32/PER 21/ Valuables: PT/ EFs 12/ Morale: firm/ Size 1.4m / 55 kg/ Mutations: nil
9. One of the villages your boss intended to sell hogs at, appears to be totally abandoned. The gray, silent place is a jumble of shacks on stilts out in a wide, lagoon. All the boats are gone, no smoke rises from the pipe chimneys nor do you hear the excited sounds of children or bark of agitated dogs. “What the hell happened here?” Asks your master, Gus, looking back to the helmsman, Oliver. The old, rust colored soldier shrugs and steers the barge away from the docks. “Looks like they left. You’d think somebody would have told us, unless they traveled in the last few days. I suggest we steer clear of it. We are not excavators, nor Rangers, nor damn heroes. The dead can buy no pigs.” Agreeing, Gus waves his hand forward and to the opening in the stream ahead. “On to Soggy Hearth... and profits.” 10. You see a young human man gripping a log and flowing right in front of your barge’s raised ramp. He is clearly wounded and has an arrow in his shoulder. “Grab him!” Boss Gus orders one of you at the front. “I recognize this fellow! He owes me money!” Pulling the grievously wounded fellow aboard, Boss Gus steps up to him as you sit the man up against the hog pen. “What happened to you!?” Asks Gus. Sputtering up a mix of swamp water and blood, the shaven headed hunter looks up, saying “I was this
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules side of Soggy Hearth... ran into a boat load of friggin’ skullocks. Me and Dave... in our canoe. Chainsaw... cut Dave apart. I dove for it... their archers did this. They were invaders... five rafts. We need to warn them — .” Coughing up streamers of bight red blood, the man passes out. Your master, setting the dying hunter down, looks to the armed helmsman. “The river splits into a fork at Soggy Hearth. If we hear or see trouble, we just go around the place. But if all is well, then we dock quick, tell them what Mathews here told us, trade some hogs, then get outa there quick.”
Entry MM-2, Arrival at Soggy Hearth: Show or pass around player handout MM-1 from page 116 showing the PC’s first view of Soggy Hearth Read to players: Just before arriving at your destination, late in the morning, you hear gunshots in the distance. Turning around a bend, you catch sight of the burning village of Soggy Hearth. Whatever raid took place here, seems to be mostly over. Rag clad villagers splash buckets of water on huts while others hoot arrows out into the river at the last boat load of attackers. Several small, grey skinned humanoids, known as skullocks, are out in a damaged, arrow encrusted rowboat. Three of them are using their cupped hands to bail water out, another is busily rowing the damaged craft, while a fifth is shooting a relic semi-automatic rifle back at villagers on the badly damaged wharf. When spotting your vessel arrive on the scene, the skullock shooter aims his rusty weapon toward your craft and fires off a few bursts. Oliver, your helmsman at the raft’s rear snatches up his assault rifle and rushes forward along the fenced off hog pen that sits in the middle of the raft. As he rushes to the raised, front ramp at the bow, he takes two rounds from the distant enemy, one in the armpit, another at the base of his neck. The old ranger shrieks and drops to the deck. A moment later, the skullock boat rows to the north, up a narrow channel in the river and disappears from view. GM: The row boat is too swift to catch by the slow moving hog barge. The rifle used is a survival rifle. It is not part of the relics listed in the Quick Start Rules, but similar to an assault rifle with these features: Rate 2, strike value bonus +14, damage d20 (standard rifle round), magazine capacity 10, range 800m, weight 1.3kg.
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Read to players: All at once, from the far bank opposite the village, and slightly to your rear, a weed covered raft shoves away from the shore only nine meters away. It is full of skullocks. Some at the front of the 4 x 6 meter raft raise machetes and scream savagely, others use poles to propel the craft toward you, while two more throw grappling hooks toward the deck of your freight raft, snagging hogs and decking and yanking hold of both. The leader of the humanoids is a huge iron plated brute. He howls and raises an electric powered chainsaw that whirs into life. This monstrosity prepares to board your vessel first! GM: There are 2 machete brandishing skullocks per player character, plus the chainsaw wielding brute:
Regular Skullocks (2 per PC): DV -12 / END 10+d20/ MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 weapon/ SV 01-50/ DMG d12 machete/ STR 24/ AG 33/ ACC 30/ INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: VP (very poor)/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: nil
Brute Skullock: DV -30/ END 46/ MV 5m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: Electric Chainsaw/ SV 01-70/ DMG 3d10+3/ STR 44/ AG 24/ ACC 76/ INT 14/ WL 53/ PER 35/ App 5/ Valuables: 5d10sp + pink fanny pack worth 20+d20sp/ EFs 40/ Morale: Excellent/ Size 1.9m tall/ 98kg/ Mutations: nil The skullock war boss’s chainsaw will operate for 100+d100 more minutes on the current bank of two power cells (20 rounds per minute). He has d3 spare fully charged power cells, with each supplying 100 minutes
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules use, in a bright pink nylon hip pouch. The pouch has cartoon ponies on it and is worth 20+d20sp. Chainsaw stats:
SV +10, Damage 3d10+3
Entry MM-3, Raft Battle Follow up: With Oliver wounded, Boss Gus will take control of the raft’s rudder and order the PCs to dock at the village. Read to players: As you shove your raft to shore, you see a dozen men and twice as many skullocks lay dead after a fierce battle. Several wood huts burn brilliant orange in spite of the steady drizzle and wet conditions. The headman, a hideous, junk armored mutant with a plated body, bulgy lower arms, long white beard and armed with an assault rifle, welcomes the barge and its owner. “I am called Captain Basher,” explains the sweaty faced, hunched mutant, appraising you and your fellow crewman approvingly. “I am the headman here in Soggy Hearth. Thank the Old Gods and Saint Kennedy for your arrival! Come, my men will bring your wounded man with us. Lets get someplace safe in case their sniper returns. We need to talk at once!” The Characters, along with their master Gus and the wounded helmsman, Oliver, are led up through the village and find numerous burning huts, families tending to their dead and wounded, while goats and chickens run about. Filthy locals stop to peer at the new comers as if they were reinforcements from the city or something.
Event Rolls While Walking through Soggy Hearth
Roll d6 for an event, or use all three, directing the attention to a random character:
1,2. Read: A pregnant young woman with a bandaged arm, clad in a leather skirt and a torn top, staggers up to you and grabs your arm, saying “Thank you for driving off those horrid peskies. The Lord in the Earth only knows what would have happened had you not come when you did. How many warriors are in your unit?” GM: If it is explained that the PCs are not warriors but indebted barge workers, and no other help is coming, the woman will drop to her knees and sob in grief. “We
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are doomed when darkness comes! All of us eaten... our bones stacked high.” 3,4. Read: A wild eyed, bearded man with three stubby arms steps in your path. He leans heavily on a crutch and is supported by four dirty children. Tears are in his eye as he greets you and says “Thank the maker for you! You saved us! Please... if we cannot recover the engineer... the machine... before dark... it will be bad for us here. You must take my children with you when you flee! Here! Please, I will pay you all I own! He extends his blood soaked hand and reveals a dozen silver coins. GM: The man will give the characters the coins if they agree to take his children away on the barge, although Boss Gus will take no refugees with him. If this desperate father is refused by the characters, he will lower his head, nod dejectedly and turn away, weeping and leading his children to a burning hut, where they stand and watch the place crumble in on itself. 5,6. Read: An old woman with a bulbous, misshapen head and her outfit decorated in bones, scalps, tiny army men and bits of colorful plastic, steps away from the wrapping of her husband’s arrow filled corpse. She grabs one of you and shakes your hand. “I saw you in a vision! I saw you come and take revenge against Kane and his defilers! You will save us, and in so doing, rise up to become the greatest excavators in the land! May the old ones shine through you! May you hold their artifacts of power and crush the wicked!” After an event, Read here to players: You are led to the largest house in the village. It is three floors tall and clad in old automobile doors, aircraft wings and slabs of concrete. The structure is far more fireproof and fortress-like than the other barns, shacks and grass huts that comprise the rest of the village. Two blood stained guards armed with crossbows and clad in bone armor, step aside to allow the procession to enter the inner meeting hall. Inside you are joined by a yellow and green striped mutant woman with an especially long torso and elongated, sleek arms. She has the wounded helmsman, Oliver set down to one side and tends to his wounds.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules A cook fires crackles in the middle of the room and the Headman, Basher, invites you to sit around the fire. He explains what happened. “We were attacked by skullocks commanded by a mutant called Kane the Invincible, a half-human, half skullock bounty hunter and relic trader. They stole the village’s sacred relic, called ‘Smokey’ a generator which we rely on to power the spot lights and energy fence that surrounds most of the village. Without the shock fence, the local lizard men and other night predators will devour us all before dawn. Also, a prisoner was taken. Somebody as important to the community as the generator itself… my own adopted daughter, Sawndraa. She is our only mechanic and we need her to run the generator. Kane got half his skullocks killed in the raid just to get her and the machine. He knew where to look, since he’s been here often and seems to have become smitten with Sawndraa, who spurned him... so he kidnapped her.” Basher sits back and lets you mull over what he just said. You all know Sawndraa. She’s a fine looking cyborg woman who visited your home town of Sandbarra every month or so to buy parts, and then drink and gamble in the Rafters Pub. None of you ever got to speak to her, other than a passing hello, as the wealthier diggers, mercs and guardsmen with full coin purses were always crowded around the popular dark haired beauty. Saving her would certainly get her attention, either for potential romantic ends, possible employment, or friendship. The bone plated old mutant turns to your boss Gus “I now plead with you to follow Kane’s boats up the north waterway, and recover the generator and my daughter. In return, we will buy all your hogs, feed your crew, and offer our hospitality whenever any of you pass this way again… for the rest of your lives. We need you!” Your boss, Gus the Fair, gets up, shaking his head. “Apologies, but we must depart at once. You have no silver or gold, nor any relics to trade. How can you ask us to risk our lives for people who can’t pay their bills? Worse, look at my crew here, they’re not heroes. They are mere slaves. I own their family debts, so own them! We leave at once and wish you the best of luck.” The woman tending to Oliver goes to the village leader and whispers in his ear, and the plated mutant man nods and speaks once more. “My witchhealer here, Gabriella the Slippery, says your man is hurt bad and will die if he travels now. Surely you will not leave him to suffer at the cruel hands of the lizard folk? And what of your rowers here? They look tough. What do your so called slaves have to say?”
GM: The players should each get the chance to say what their character will do, either flee with their boss and debt holder, or stay and either fight for the village or go search for Sawndraa and the precious generator ‘Smokey’.
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Any PC who says he will disobey Boss Gus, is reminded of his or her employment contract, and family debt. Read to players: Gus frowns at you, his indebted, contracted rafters. “If you don’t row my barge to Steel Hill, you will be charged with mutiny and no doubt fed to the great gator. Worse, I will call in the debts owed to my family by your parents and siblings and force them into the street, or slavery, your homes being forfeit against their old debts!” GM: At this time, you can ask the players if they want to know about their debts. Either assign, randomly roll, or use the following debts as inspiration to create your own financial obligations which will force the characters to obey. Simply killing Boss Gus will not erase the debt, and the character’s families back home will be both punished for the crime, and owe the debt to your master’s family and business partners. Fleeing the Lower Freehold is another option they might consider, but bounty hunters will be dispatched to arrest the characters should they disobey, or flee, or kill their boss.
Random Debt Circumstances for Characters
These debts began decades ago. For each player character the amount his, her, or its family owes is 200+4d100sp. Monthly payments are being made, however, out of the 26sp paid, only 2sp is going against the original debt, the rest is interest. The reason for the debt should be different for each player character. Either roll d8, assign, or use these as guidelines:
1. Your family needed money to keep their home. This mortgage loan was mainly incurred when your father broke his leg and couldn’t work for two years. You grew up in extreme poverty. 2. Your mother became very ill and your father and grandparents sold everything, and later, borrowed money from Gus to pay for medicine that a local witch doctor promised would cure her. She died. The witch-doctor fled town. The debt remained and grew. 3. After a few years of bad crops, predators took your families sheep. Thefts, arson, a string of structural repairs to your shack, fines for your father’s bad behavior at the Rafter’s Pub, and other costs, your family just got deeper and deeper into the debt. 4. Your families cook stove caught fire and burned down half of your parent’s house, and all of the neighbor’s house. The judges made your family pay for the reconstruction of the next door shack, or else submit to slavery. Your father borrowed from Gus, but the amount of the repairs were too steep to fully fix both the adjacent house and your own, too. Subsequently, your house had a fabric ceiling and sticks for an outer wall. You grew up on a shack that was drafty and damp. You have never known comfort. 5. Your father had a serious drinking and gambling problem. He borrowed from Gus to pay off a local gang of raid-
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules ers who he owed hundreds of silvers to. Gus was said to also enjoy your mother once a month, as part of the deal, although you were told this was a cruel lie told by other kids to tease you. Some kids say he is your real father. 6. Your uncle was accused of serving an enemy faction, and your dad borrowed money from Gus to pay a bribe to the hangman to let your uncle slip away. Your uncle has never been seen or heard from since, and some say he was quietly murdered in his cell, never getting away at all. Since then, your family’s loyalties have always been questioned. You swear you are being followed whenever you walk around town. 7. Your older brother fancied himself a digger, convinced your parents that he would make his fortune in the nearby Overgrown Ruins, bought a heap of fine excavation gear, outfitted his friends and they set off to the west to loot. Only one of his friends returned home alive, and was maimed and half insane thereafter. The debt, lived on, however, and your father is a pitiful drunk, your mother works two crappy jobs, and the borrowed money came from Gus. Interest and paper work fees have ballooned the debt to what it is now. 8. You father had a family before he met your mom. One of the daughters of that previous marriage ended up in the underground Deep Slum of Steel Hill, the main city of the Lower Freehold (page 90 to 106 of the Crossroads Region Gazetteer) where she ended up as a drug addicted prostitute. Your father borrowed money from Boss Gus to pay a squad of Excavators to seek her out and bring her safely home to Sandbarra… which they did… and now she is a whore in the Rafter’s Pub, by her own choice she says, while refusing to pay back the money used to get her out of the city. Your family suffers in poverty and humiliation. Rumors have it that your step sister at the bar is owned by Boss Gus. The characters must decide to either obey Gus, or stay behind and forfeit the homes and futures of their families, and perhaps become outlaws themselves. If they obey see Choice 1, Entry MM-4, this page. However if they decide to help the villag-
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ers and immediately go seek the generator, see Choice 2, Entry MM-5 page 63.
Entry MM-4, Choice 1: Obey your Master: Read to players: It is not yet noon. Boss Gus seems pleased with himself and stands at the front of the raft, arms behind his back, chest out as he directs you to pole for far off Steel Hill. You will all endure a long, uncertain night out on the boggy river. He insisted that you bring along the retired ranger, Oliver. The wounded man lays under the shelter, wheezing and clutching his assault rifle to his chest. When he sees you looking his way, he shakes his head and whispers “This is a bad idea. Should’ve friggin’ stayed at that ville. We need them as much as they needed us… especially once it gets dark.” Your raft heads up stream against the sluggish current. Vegetation and concrete columns stand thick along either shore nine or so meters away. The rain begins to come down in sheets, the hogs are agitated and noisy, and you’ve only gone a kilometer from Soggy Hearth when you see a band of hunched, blue skinned bipedal lizard men moving along the village side of the shore. Their numbers are unclear because of the undergrowth, but at least fifty. Many are armed with crude spears and axes, but roughly half carry bows. They are heading toward the defenseless village and have spotted you. Some in fancy feather and bone headdresses bark orders to others, and bring up a dozen archers. These creatures, commonly called reptilius, form a line and prepare to fire their bows at you! The characters are allowed to either take cover among the frightened pigs (gaining -20 DV), or fire on the reptile men. Each PC is shot at by one arrow, and if reptilius are dispatched or wounded, others simply emerge from the weeds to launch arrows into the raft.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Reptilius: DV -12/ END 12+d12/ MV 7m or swim 6m/
Init. +0/ Attacks: bow, bite or by weapon/ SV 01-50/ DMG arrow d12, bite d6, club or spear d12/STR 22/AG 43/ACC 34/INT 8+d8/WL 32/PER 21/ Valuables: PT/ EFs 12/ Morale: firm/ Size 1.4m/55 kg/ Mutations: nil During the exchange, if the characters are busy hiding or shooting and not propelling the craft upstream, the vessel will begin to spin and drift back toward the village. Boss Gus is hit by two arrows, one in the leg and the other in the chest. Maimed and screaming in agony, Gus calls to the PCs to do the following: Read to players: “I won’t make it to Steel Hill or the other villes. Got to get off this raft before I die! Do your duty and take him back to that cursed, filthy friggin’ village at Once!”
GM: If the character’s obey, they turn the vessel about and make good time and speed downstream, spinning and occasionally snagging on drifting trees and rubble heaps. The villagers cheer when they see the crude hog barge turn the bend. Meanwhile, at the outskirts their militia begin to repel the first waves of reptilius.
Entry MM-5, Choice 2, Disobey Gus: The characters will need to mutiny against Boss Gus and tie both him and his henchman, Oliver up, leaving them in the care of the villagers. There is no other raft able to immediately undertake the pursuit of Kane’s Skullocks, so they must steal the hog barge. Following this course of action will mean that even if the PCs succeed and save Soggy Hearth, return Sawndraa and the generator, they will do nothing to relieve their family debt, but will also be outlaws. They will be forced to leave Lower Freehold lands with bounty hunters alerted to their identities. Should the players consider this, and still decide to take the hog raft, Captain Basher is thankful and gifts them each one item from table MM-1 on page 65. Following that, they can get underway. Go to entry MM-12 The North Arm, on page 65 and proceed from there.
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GM: The characters can be escorted to the south and the east and the landward fence, see entry MM-7 below, or… if the characters refuse to man the rickety walls of the village, they can either steal the raft and flee (see entry MM-9 on page 64) or else hide someplace, see entry MM-8, page 64.
Entry MM-7, Defend the village Fence: Read to players. Several terrified villagers lead your team through the mud shacks and still burning houses of town to the outer, east facing wall. Here, you see a poorly made, raised wall that sits upon a berm of earth and rubble. The wall of junk, corrugated metal, woven wicker, and occasional logs do offer you some protection from incoming arrows. You notice thick relic wires running along the inside of the barrier and here and there, merge with another wire that runs through the wall and out to a strange, wire and bulb encrusted black pole about four meters from the defenses. A teenage boy in junk armor with long shaggy hair and trying to load an arrow in his shaking hands, notices you looking at the black pole and says “That’s the energy fence. When its on, a blue light joins them all, and no man or beast will pass through it.” Beyond the wall the villagers have cut the vegetation back about a dozen or so meters. Here and there along the wall, local people stand with you, many with bows, but most wielding crude spears and clubs. Out of the mossy woods and sheets of driving rain come the first wave of lizard folk. Their numbers unclear as they charge forward in a hissing mass.
Entry MM-6, The Return to Soggy Hearth: Read to players The chieftain meets you at the docks, ordering his people to tend to Gus and Oliver and bring them to the great hall. The rain, meanwhile, has turned into a downpour and reduces visibility to twenty meters. The bone plated village leader turns to you “Grab your weapons and come to the wall! The lizard folk are testing our defenses! They know the generator is silent! That the energy fence is down! They mean to devour our children!”
GM: Each PC is shot at by one arrow, although behind their defenses, they gain a -20 DV (defense value) bonus. The characters can each return fire with whatever missile weapons they posses. Consider a mass of 10+2d6 reptilius to be attacking the PC’s section of wall from 14m away. And will reach the characters in two rounds if not dispatched by missile fire. Should the reptilius reach the wall, the PCs continue to enjoy a -20 DV bonus.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules If the PC’s lose this battle, and are killed or abandon the line, the village is overrun, the populace devoured in a two day ritual torture-feeding ceremony, and the village brunt to the ground and abandoned, never to be rebuilt. Emboldened, the assorted clans of the Reptilius called the Wadango, join forces and begin to launch night raids on Sandbarra itself, inflicting terrible casualties, distributing trade and causing food shortages.
Reptilius: DV -12/ END 12+d12/ MV 7m or swim 6m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: bow, bite or by weapon/ SV 0150/ DMG arrow d12, bite d6, club or spear d12/STR 22/ AG 43/ACC 34/INT 8+d8/WL 32/PER 21/ Valuables: PT/ EFs 12/ Morale: firm/ Size 1.4m/55 kg/ Mutations: nil
Go to Entry MM-11, this page for post battle follow-up.
Entry MM-8, Hide during the attack: Have the PCs hear the carnage for awhile, as the wall defenders are hard pressed and small squads of reptilius get inside the compound and butcher the human villagers. Eventually, wherever the PCs try to hide, they are attacked by a wave of the lizard men, numbering 2 per PC. If defeating this number, treat the victory as a wider win, the lizard man assault is thrown back and calm returns to the village. See entry MM-11, on the right.
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Read to players: You arrive just in time to see the defenders at the eastern wall fall back and a wave of reptilius begin to break into the village. The brave men and women fighting there happen to see you, become heartened at the sight of reinforcements and stand their ground, some of them waving for you to come help, and one woman with an arrow in her shoulder cries to you saying “Come stand with us, warriors, and we will survive this day!” What do you do? If the characters try to flee, see entry MM-8 whereby reptilius break in and find the PCs anyhow. If the character do rush in, they face 2 reptilius each. If they defeat these lizard men, then see Entry MM-11 Victory, below.
Entry MM-11, Victory over the Lizard folk!: If the lizard men are killed, the rest of the bipedal reptiles take this defeat badly and a general retreat is called, with the creatures falling back to gather in numbers and return that night to wipe out the hated, delicious humans. The surviving characters are summoned by their employer-debt holder, Gus. It is only mid day. The big man is unable to fight or move, and cowering inside the fortified chief’s house alongside Oliver, the helmsman, He has been talking to the headman of the village, and explains the following to his oarsmen. Read or paraphrase to the players:
Entry MM-9, Steal the Raft and Flee: Abandoning their employer and the doomed villagers, the characters don’t get far. Fleeing downstream via the raft they discover that the rainstorm and flood have dislodged dozens of trees and obscured the course of the river. The raft gets stuck in a mass of trees and mutant alligators gather, worse, on raised strips of land and ruin pillars, gather more reptilius, keeping to cover. These cold blooded predators seem to be waiting for the PCs to make a mistake, or nightfall to come many hours later. The characters can push away from the blockage and return in disgrace to the village, if so, see entry MM-10, or else stay and face the night and their likely doom. The GM will need to conceive of how the night unfolds for the PCs, and should they survive and somehow go upstream to the village, they will find it is now infested with hundreds of reptilius who feed on the populace in a most gory, cruel fashion. The lizard men will eventually burn the village to the ground and abandon the bone littered site. Entry MM-10, Return In Disgrace: After trying to flee
the village by stealing the raft, the characters return to the Soggy Hearth just as the battle is turning against the villagers. Reptilius have broken through the crude wall on the south east side of the settlement and rush in.
Your wounded boss, laying on a bloody mat on the floor of the main lodge, peers up at you. “You all wanted to grow up and be friggin’ heroes, right? Well now is your blasted chance! Please, do as Captain Basher says, go reclaim the generator and his daughter, Sawndraa. Bring the girl and the machine here before dark, or we will be wiped out! Save us all, including yourselves. Do this, and I swear I will revoke all your debts to me. Your families will be rid of the loans, will own their homes outright, and you will be free to leave Sandbarra and pursue your dreams as ruin looters.” The village leader, Captain Basher, nods, holds up a handful of old world lined paper sheets and adds “I have here the freshly signed debt relief forms. I will hold them until you return. If your expedition succeeds but any of you die in the struggle, then Gus will honor this receipt for your family’s benefit. They will know of your sacrifice and honor your name, debt free from this night forward. And this former Freehold Ranger, Oliver here, is a witness to this agreement. Should you fail, flee, or decline this offer, then the debt will continue, and we will all parish. What do you say?” GM: If the PCs agree to the terms, Captain Basher will explain the situation further.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Read to players: “The filthy skullock appear to serve under the treacherous halfie, Kane. They stole or sunk all our boats so you must take your raft to go get the generator and return with it and my daughter before night. My witch-healer here will tend to any of your wounds, while I offer you each something which might help in your quest, and show our thanks for your help.” Any wounded character is quickly taken aside by the green and yellow striped woman, Gabriella the Slippery, who has the mutation ‘heal touch’. She applies strange, bitter smelling ointments to the injured character and whispers the following in his or her ear “I don’t use this power on your boss or his henchman, as I want them injured and so forced to stay here. Your boss is a selfish waste of skin, and if he were able to flee, would abandon us, taking you and your comrades with him. Sit still, while I mend you as best I can.” Wounded PCs recover d20+10 endurance. The Headman, Captain Basher, hands each PC one random item from the following list, re-roll duplicated items. Table MM-1 Gifted Item by Captain Basher 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10
11
12 13
14
Roll d20
d6 pistol rounds d6 rifle rounds d6 shotgun shells Bow and quiver with 20 arrows Heavy crossbow with 20 quarrels Suit of junk armor Anti-Toxin Injector, relic Ballistic Shield, relic Pocket Flashlight* with mini power cell (200 hours use when fully charged but this one has only 3d6 hours remaining in charge, 20m range, 250g weight, worth 180+d100sp if sold Communication headset* with another headset given to the helmsman and former Freehold Ranger, Oliver, who says he demands regular updates from the PC who is given the headsets ** (100 km range, 3d6 days charge left in mini power cell, worth 400+2d100sp if sold) Iron Breastplate, which slows the wearer by -0.5 meters movement per round, but adds -15 defense value and can be worn over other armor 30m length of hemp rope with a grappling hook, along with a lantern and 8 hours oil Pocket pistol* with d6 pistol rounds in the 6 shot magazine (SV +5, rate 2, DMG d20, range 120m, 600g weight, will fetch 900+d100sp if sold) Jar of Gabriella’s Holy Healing Jelly™ (enough for 6 applications to any wound, will heal 2d6 Endurance points damage.)
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15 Jar of Gabriella’s bug-away lotion™ (enough for one day’s application to skin and clothing. The witchhealer explains that it will keep away all insects from stinging and biting the PC. If applied, it might work, or make things worse. When attacked by insects, the team will notice that there is a 5 in 6 chance no blood flyers attack the character wearing this lotion, but on a 6, the lotion actually attracts the bugs, with every hostile insect going solely for this PC!) 16 Leather holster and Shotgun pistol* SV +15, rate 1 or 2 barrels simultaneously rolling for each barrel to hit or not, damage 3d10 but can attack up to 3 man sized beings if in a group, range 20m, ammo, holds only 2 shells at a time, and takes 2 rounds to reload, comes with zippy bag of d3 spare shells besides the two loaded in the weapon already, worth 900+d1000sp if sold 17 Razor Sword* which was the Headman Basher’s great, great grandfather’s. So desperate to see his village survive, that he gifts it to the PC (SV +8, Damaged 20+11 (before any strength based or weapon expert with swords mods are applied), rate 1, worth 800+d1000sp if sold 18 Army helmet (improves Defense value -5, but reduces movement by -0.25m per round, worth 200+d100sp if sold. This particular, dark blue helmet has the word ‘SWAT’ written on its front, as well as a pocket flashlight identical to the one noted on roll 9 on this table, plus, safety goggles 19 Leather holster and automatic pistol with d4 rounds in magazine, rusty and wrapped in an oiled rabbit pelt 20 Fragmentation Grenade *This is a relic included in The Mutant Epoch hub rules book, added here as an adventure extra. ** Oliver the ex-Ranger could be contacted to send a detachment of 6+d6 village militiamen to help deal with Kane, This unit could arrive at the adventure site after one hour of being called for. These tough men and women will be armed with bows and machetes and arrive via a hastily thrown together raft.
After tending to any wounded PCs and gifting them each an item from the village stores, the character’s are bustled off to the hog raft. The pigs have been removed and a band of militiamen, under Captain Basher’s guidance, shove the PCs off toward the north arm, in the direction the skullock boats departed. Go to Entry MM-12, The North Arm, below.
Entry MM-12, The North Arm: Game Master, have the players tell you which character is operating the rudder at the back of the hog barge, and which characters are located on the port, and starboard sides of the scrap metal and log vessel. They use their poles to shove the now much lighter hog-barge upstream, heading along the narrower North Arm of the barter river, moving away from Soggy Hearth and in the direction Kane and his skullocks fled with the stolen generator ‘Smokey’ and the headman’s adopted daughter, Sawndraa.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Read to players: Your voyage upstream is at first uneventful. The shore is roughly six meters away on either side. In some places the gray sky is blocked out by vast mutant trees which shelter you from the constant warm rain. You pass the occasional alligator, that lurch off the shore and disappear into the brown, murky water before you get too close. Assorted swimming things surface to feed or breath, revealing only a slippery black tail, spine covered fin, spiked back or whiskered snout. The rain seems to be keeping the insects grounded, although you see on the undersides of vast branches or umbrellalike leaves, are immense eagle sized dragon flies, an occasional spider as big as a hog, and gigantic mosquitoes bigger than roosters. The characters come across something interesting. Either roll d6 for a random event, or if enjoying a longer game session, reveal any or all of these. Roll d6
1,2. Read: Your raft turns around a tight bend in the river and ahead, about a dozen meters to the starboard side, you see a half submerged rowboat like those seen at the village. The craft contains three dead skullocks filled by crude arrows of the sort used exclusively by reptilius. You grew up in these parts, and recognize the crude bone tipped, rigid reed shafted projectiles, observing the typical fish gill feathers favored by Wadango lizard folk of the area. No reptilius are visible in the tangled thorn bushes, choking vines and other vegetation, but by the bright red blood flowing from the gray skinned humanoid corpses, the attack could not have taken place more than an hour ago. GM: If the characters decide to stop and check the bodies for valuables, there is a 4 in 6 chance that they find a spare magazine for a survival rifle under one of the corpses, although the gun it fits has been taken. The magazine has 10 standard rifle rounds in it and also fits a regular assault rifle. Regardless of whether they find anything or not, there is a 1 in 6 chance that the reptilius are hiding among the vegetation and open fire, shooting at each PC with an arrow once before the character’s can react. There are as many reptilius as PCs, plus 2d6 others that are 9m away with clubs who stay out of view. They will not try to assault the raft unless killing half the PCs. Reptilius: DV -12 although well concealed and so
-32/ END 12+d12/ MV 7m or swim 6m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: bow, bite or by weapon/ SV 01-50/ DMG arrow
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d12, bite d6, club or spear d12/STR 22/AG 43/ACC 34/ INT 8+d8/WL 32/PER 21/ Valuables: PT/ EFs 12/ Morale: firm/ Size 1.4m/55 kg/ Mutations: nil
If the characters shove away from the half sunken rowboat, the reptilius will cease their attack.
3,4. Read: The rain let’s up for a few minutes and the sun beats down from above, trying to burn through the haze. Ribbons of fog lift up from the water and weed choked shoreline, limiting vision. All at once, you hear a buzzing of insects, and emerging from the shore on the port side, appear a mass of enormous mosquitoes! GM: There are 3d6+6 blood flyers, range 9m when first spotted, they swerve, dip and dart side to side in an erratic flight path, making them very hard to hit with missile weapons or when in melee range. They split up and divide themselves among all the PCs (except for anyone wearing Gabriella’s bug-away lotion™, who 5 out of 6 times seems invisible to the bugs, but if a 6 is rolled, all these blood flyers attack this PC only! Insects, blood flyers (12 +1 per player character):
DV 0 ground or -10 air/ END 4+d4/ MV 1 or 8m flying/ Init. -1/ Attacks: 1/ SV 01-36/ DMG d3/STR 3/AG 16/ACC 22/INT 2/WL 24/PER 13/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 5/ Morale: firm/ Size 50cm/ 2.1kg/Mutations: nil/ NOTE: On a successful strike,
a blood flyer has attached itself to the flesh of a victim, and will bloat itself on blood automatically (for d3 END DMG) each round up to a maximum of 16 endurance points ingested before detaching and flying off, half speed. After the battle with the blood flyers, the dark clouds return above the swampland and the rain falls steadily once more, the fog dissipating and the way ahead another thirty meters to the next bend, made clear.
5,6. Read: Your passage brings you into a wide watery expanse filled with ancient concrete rubble, twisted metal, upturned rusted out automobiles and a mangled fuselage of an old world civilian aircraft. You will have to steer carefully to make your way through the maze of debris without snagging the sides or log underside of your elongated hog barge. Likewise, you hear the splash of something unseen someplace ahead, sloshing its way through the muddy waters. You can’t tell if something is getting clear of your path or approaching, as the splashing it makes echoes of the tall, moss covered ruins about you. GM: Whoever is operating the rudder must make a Perception based type B hazard check. If he or she suc-
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules ceeds, then the PC has successfully navigated their way through the maze and gets clear of the half submerged rubble. If successful, see entry MM-13, below, while failure means the helmsman has steered them into a blockage and for several minutes the raft is stuck fast. If stuck, see entry MM 14, bottom of page.
Entry MM-13 Successful Navigation: Read to players: You’ve shoved away from the last pillars and collapsed walls, around a heap of rusty wrecks and out into the channel, moving north once more. Looking back, you see a massive, hunched, manthing wading through the water. Due to the driving rain and mist, it is unclear what the hell it is, but it seems to be some sort of hunched giant wielding a metal beam as a club in one hand, while in the other, it holds a block of concrete. It roars and throws the block of man-stone overhand. In horror, you watch as the block tumbles end over end through the air, snapping through overhead vines and branches and heading right for your raft! There is a 2 in 6 chance the block hits the raft, otherwise it splashes down about a meter from the starboard side. If it hits the raft, it has a 3 in 6 chance of also impacting a random character, who must make a type B agility based hazard check to side step the block. If missed, the block punches a hole clear through the deck, but if it hits the person, treat it as regular attack with a strike value of 01-80 doing d20+18 damage, plus knocks the character out cold. An unconscious character wakes much later in time to deal with entry MM-17 The Docked Rowboats on page 68.
Entry MM-14 Stuck Fast!: Read to players:
You’ve caught on something in the narrow between a heap of rusted old cars, and a rebar encrusted, weed covered concrete column. It will take all of you working the poles to push away and try another course, but in the meantime, you hear a mighty roar echo out across the swamp. Birds and bugs lift off every branch and rubble pile about you and take flight at the horrendous, deep sound. You can hear splashing as something begins to wade closer to your location from the far side of the concrete column you are stuck to. It could be upon you in a minute if you don’t work together to shove off! Total the strength scores of all the characters who man poles and work together to push the raft free. PCs who decide to grab weapons and be ready for a fight can-
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not contribute to this effort. Below is a quick table showing the total strength scores with the odds of shoving off per round. However, each attempt (each round spent) results in a 1 in 6 chance of the approaching creature getting around the rubble and appearing alongside the raft’s port side. If it appears before the PCs shove off, see entry MM-15, below. If the characters shove off, either during an attack by the beast or before hand, see entry MM-16, page 68. Table QSR-2 Shoving Off Odds
Roll d10
Combined Strength of PCs Odds to shove off per round
01-100
1 in 10
101-200
2 in 10
201-300
4 in 10
301-500
6 in 10
501 and up
9 in 10
Entry MM-15 Caught by the Beast!: A garnock appears and will use an iron beam as a club to attack a different PC each round it gets. As this is a low rank, beginning adventure, the Game Master may wish to have the club inflict stun damage (which heals at the PCs normal healing rate per hour), in order that the impacted PCs might survive to carry on the adventure later. Perhaps this flesh eating giant prefers to store captives upside down in a nearby old car parkade, keeping them fresh and succulent until he is in the mood to eat. Should all the PCs be knocked out, they might all wake, tied by vines in an underground ruin area, naked and without weaponry. The might observe a floor littered with the skeletons of men and beasts, as well as plenty of discarded relics, gear and cast aside armor, including their own gear. Give them a chance to escape and endure a memorable side adventure, yet having wasted a few hours in their main quest. Read to players: Another immense roar shakes the swampland around you as appearing around the corner of the concrete column is a muscular, stone gray skinned giant of a humanoid. The nearly five meter tall mutant freak raises a metal beam in both hands and flashing its bent yellow teeth in a snarl. It is first seen six meters from your port side. GM: Roll randomly each round to see which PC the garnock attempts to smash. Any miss cracks the hog raft’s railings and deck and underlying logs beneath. If the humanoid takes half its endurance value in damage, it will break off the attack and flee, crying out in a booming wail, which is answered by another howl far off in the distance.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Garnock: DV -10/ END 200+d100/ MV 5m / Init. -1 / Attacks: 1 weapon or fist or bite / SV 01-80 / DMG club 3d20+18, fist or bite d20+18 / STR 115 (+18 DMG) / AG 18 / ACC 24 / INT 2d4 / WL 73 / PER 22 / APP 2d4 / Valuables: See below / EFs 125 / Morale: excellent / Size 4.5m / 530kg / Mutations: Normally 12% chance of 1, but this one has no apparent deviations.
In a large hip pouch it carries a mix of stolen items including 3d20 silver coins, d20 gold coins, 40+d100sp worth of fancy plastic, an anti-toxin injector, 3d6 shotgun shells, 3d6 standard pistol and 2d6 standard rifle rounds, d4 fragmentation grenades and an assortment of cheese, breads, wine and dried meat. All of it manufactured in the PC’s home town of Sandbarra and in perfect condition. Having dealt with the garnock, the PCs can push upstream. See entry MM-17, below, The Docked Rowboats
Entry MM-16 Shove off!: The characters have managed
to push away from the blockage and drive the raft back. As the current is flowing against their upstream progress, they now propel backwards at speed, spinning once in a whirl pool and getting many meters back from the block. If they had been involved in an attack by the beast, they get clear of it and into deeper water where the giant dares not go. In frustration, it wades away and out of sight after d4+1 rounds, roaring (in which time it could take missile fire from the PCs and be dispatched and perhaps its body searched for valuables). In the distance, perhaps a kilometer away, an answering hoots and howls reply. Once free of the blockage, the characters can navigate free of the maze and get upstream once more, see entry MM-17, below.
Entry MM-17 The Docked Rowboats: About a kilometer upstream the characters locate the spot where Kane and his skullocks have taken their prisoner and the stolen generator ashore. Read to players: Turning a bend you see four of the village’s rowboats pulled up on shore beside five crudely made rafts. Many of the vessel have arrows stuck in their sides, as well as several deceased gray skinned humanoids who are now swarming with flies. A pair of mutant dogs growl at you from further ashore where they have dragged off a skullock corpse and half consumed it. As you near, they run off. Beyond them you see a game trail leading up a tall bank between two pillars of concrete, the way beyond obscured mossy trees. Other than the dogs and flies, there is nobody about. GM: The PCs must abandon their barge and go ashore. The tracks of many booted and bare human-like feet are easy to follow. Have the players select a single file marching order and note it on a scrap of paper. This done, they set off, tracking the skullock raiders with ease.
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Several events take place between the river and the lair of Kane, see Entry MM-18 Alpha.
Entry MM-18 Alpha: Read to players: Your lead character spots a clearing in the trees and vines ahead about twenty meters. Blood has splashed the tall ferns and grass and here and there, snarling beasts are hungrily feeding and fighting over a kill about twenty meters away. GM: If the PCs advance, getting within 12 meters they soon see a few dead skullocks laying spread about, while a pack of 6+d6 mutant dogs are feeding on them. The biggest dog, the alpha, having a spiked and bone plated body, barks at the characters and makes a rush towards them, stopping only 6 meters away. The other hounds, of which one has two head and another is bright orange with blue spots, growl and fan about in front of the PCs, blocking their way.
Dogs, mutant (6+d6): DV -10 armor (alpha -30)/ END 15+d10 (alpha 25)/ MV 9m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: 1/ SV 01-60/ DMG d12/ STR 23/AG 38/ACC 48/INT 7/WL 38/PER 39/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 18/ Morale: firm/ Size 1.6m/ 30kg/ Mutations: The alpha has a spiked covered armored shell (DV -30), while one other has two heads and bites twice per round, and the bright orange, blue spotted specimen has a poisonous bite (anyone bitten by this dog must make a type C endurance based hazard check or succumb to paralysis, collapsing yet hearing, seeing and feeling all, and unable to move for the next 3 to 18 (3d6) minutes.
These wild dogs will flee if their alpha is killed outright with one strike before the rest of the pack is engaged, otherwise, they hold their ground to keep the intruding humans from their feeding site. The PCs might elect to simply go around this area trying not to get lost in the swampy vegetation -- and pick up the trail on the far side. If so, see entry MM-19, Off Trail, next page. If instead the characters are belligerent and elect to fight the dogs, they may attempt this. If losing the scrap, and the PCs decide to run away, the dogs are 50% likely to give chase and rip them apart, otherwise, returning to their feast. If the
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules
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character’s win, or merely kill half the pack and drive the rest off, they may proceed along the contested trail. Read here if they defeat the dogs and see what they were eating: Read: On the other side of the trail are the remains of about six skullocks — although there could have been more of them as the remains are so torn asunder and blood splashed that its hard to tell. They appear to have been wearing junk armor and carried bows and machetes. Laying about are five bows, three dozen arrows in crude quivers made of human skin, along with three machetes. Beyond this grisly scene, the trial winds left then right through trees, around concrete pillars and sunken, boggy pools, in an eastward direction. GM see entry MM-20 Traitors, this page.
Entry MM-19 Off Trail: The characters have decided
to simply leave the trail and go around the territorial hounds. Read here: Going around the vicious, blood soaked dogs seemed wise at first, but a few meters off the trail, amid the rain, vines, prickle bushes and fog, you’ve momentarily lost your way!
Any PC with the Wilderness Survival skill will be able to lead the team back to the main path within ten minutes, otherwise, the group becomes disorientated. Now truly lost, they wander about for 20+d20 minutes before the lead character pulls back some branches and sees the way ahead covered in a vast spider web. Within the web are dozens of small cocoons with the legs of insects sticking out, while to one side, is the skeletal remains of a humanoid lizard, dressed in junk armor and still holding a bow and quiver of arrows (3d6). The characters have unwittingly wandered into one of many rubble spider territories. All at once, they can hear a scuttling above them and look up to see d3+1 rubble spiders descending on thick webs of glassy looking silk, range 3d6 meters!
Spider, rubble: DV -25/ END 10+d20/ MV 7m/ Init. +3/ Attacks: 1/ SV 01-55/ DMG d8+type B sleep poison with d6 hours unconsciousness*/STR 16/AG 56/ACC 32/INT 6/WL 38/PER 57/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 25/ Morale: average/ Size 1.1m/ 52kg/ Mutations: usually none.
*Those bitten must make a type B endurance based hazard check to avoid unconsciousness.
After dealing with the spiders, which will pursue the characters relentlessly, the PCs happen to find their way back to the trail only twenty meters from where the dogs are busily feeding on dead skullocks. See entry MM-20 Traitors.
Entry MM-20 Traitors:
Occurring at area 20 on map MM 2, page 112. Read to players:
You leave the scavenging dogs behind, but are unsure whether the skullocks they fed on were killed by the hounds or some other peril. Following the trail another kilometer, you slip and slosh down a long muddy slope to a ravine between massive toppled concrete wedges and into a heavily wooded area. Ahead, and to one side of the trail you see two more dead skullocks with nooses around their necks. One is thin, the other muscular, both clad in only loin cloths and their hands tied behind their backs. A wooden signs hangs about the neck of the smaller figure with the word “Tr8turz’ carved into the wood slab. You see nobody else and the trail leads away and toward an open area beyond. Suddenly, a scratchy female voice calls out from someplace high up on one of the concrete masses that flank you. Her voice echoes and is hard to place. “They were murdered by Kane, for questioning him!” She calls down to you. “He gettin’ my entire clan wiped out for nothin’! Just to take the hume bitch as his lover. To try and coax her to be his own… instead of me! He chose a hume whore over his father’s kind. Go ‘den, we not stop youz. Go kill that liar pig! Go to da mound an’ get back your half metal hume slutto and riddens to you all. We not traitors… he is! Go now, before we change our minds and skin youz ugly things.” GM: With that, the screechy voiced woman’s goes silent. She neither shows herself nor responds to questions. Regardless of how long the PCs wait, no further event occurs here. Once the PCs decide to move on and see where the trail leads next, go to entry MM-21 The Footings, next page.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Entry MM-21 The Footings: The PCs now advance to the
end of the trail and the main site of this adventure. At location 21 on the Map MM-2, found on page 112. Read to players: Although the rain falls hard and the ribbons of mist lazily drift about, you can clearly see that some sort of clearing lays just beyond. After hiking through a soggy low area where at points the trail disappears into ankle deep water, the ground gradually rises up and on either side you see masses of broke concrete, glass, rusted automobile husks and tangled thorn bushes. The trail you take seems to be the only way forward and slopes upward. The trees ahead seem to end. All at once you step up onto a ledge overlooking a remarkable scene and peer north out onto a water filled moss and tree covered stump of an ancient concrete structure. The one kilometer by two kilometer footprint of a once immense structure was so vast that it has formed a square lowland amid the tree covered bog that surrounds it. Scattered about the lowland are cement protrusions and piles of twisted machinery, junk and rubble. A tree and bramble covered mound of rubble sits in the middle of this watery expanse. At once, you all see a plume of smoke rising from various points upon the hundred meter tall hillock, and for a second you think you here old rock and roll music.
Show the game participants player handout 2, View of the Mound, from page 117. Also available as A PDF and a jpeg screen shot at our website at http://www.outlandarts/qsr.htm Once the players look at the handout, read on:
You stand on the south shore. Immediately before you, the trail you had been following turns into a recently built, shoddily made single file catwalk. This crude, bridge-like pathway extends out across the putrid swamp, veering left and right around rubble piles, sick looking shrubs and eventually zig zags up to the top of the mound. You see black smoke spewing from the top of the mound-island. You can either proceed at once, or conceal yourselves amid the vegetation and debris and observe the distant mound for a moment. From top of the junk, facing the tall hill of rubble that rises up about three hundred meters away, you notice that the trail here is littered with the slashed open bodies of five crow-sized mosquitoes. All at once, you hear a buzzing and from both sides. Rising out of the weeds, concrete and leaves all around you are over a dozen huge, mutant mosquitoes. Smelling warm blooded prey they swarm up high into the sky and once reaching ten meters in height, turn and dart toward your team!
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There are 12 blood flyer, plus 1 per player character.
Insects, blood flyers (12+1 per player character): DV 0 ground or -10 air/ END 4+d4/ MV 1 or 8m flying/ Init. -1/ Attacks: 1/ SV 01-36/ DMG d3/STR 3/AG 16/ACC 22/INT 2/WL 24/PER 13/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 5/ Morale: firm/ Size 50cm/ 2.1kg/Mutations: nil/ NOTE:
On a successful strike, a blood flyer has attached itself to the flesh of a victim, and will bloat itself on blood automatically (for d3 END DMG) each round up to a maximum of 16 endurance points ingested before detaching and flying off, half speed. GM: Note how the characters defeat the insects, especially if they use relic or archaic firearms which will potentially alert those on the mound to the intrusion. If the PCs advance at once, see Entry MM-22 Advance, below. Or, of they wait and watch, see Entry MM-23 Wait & Watch, bottom of page.
Entry MM-22 Advance: There are actually three ways to advance on the mound; although don’t volunteer this fact to the players. The PCs might choose to tackle the walkway, or walk all the way around the mound and see what they can see from the far side, or thirdly, they can simply go down and step off the safety of the ground and walkway and wade through the shallow, watery plain and make their own way across. If the PCs decide to follow the walkway, see Entry MM 26, page 73, however if they wish to walk around the flooded lowland and scout the mound from the far side, see entry MM-24, Go Around the Lake, page 71, however, the third option is to step off the trail and wade through the filthy water and make a direct approach to the mound, see Entry MM-25 Wade Through the Lake, page 72. Entry MM-23 Wait & Watch: Roll d6 each minute that
the characters wait and watch over the vast ruin enclosed lowland lake.
1. You see a swarm of a dozen or more blood flyers take to the air and fly off out of view, as if having hatched on the vast lake surface and taken to flight together. 2. A huge, winged lizard with a wedge shaped head and bladed tail appears over the swampland, five hundred
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules meters above, circling lazily amid the sheets of rain and wisps of low gray cloud. Like a bird of prey, the enormous mutant monster circles, taking several minutes to move on and search the rivers and tree shrouded bog lands further east. GM: The beast is a winged slasher lizard, and will not attack the PCs hiding and observing it unless they expose or somehow draw attention to themselves. Stats shown just in case the PCs are exceedingly belligerent: Lizard, winged slasher: DV -5 ground or -25 air/
END 30+d20/ MV ground 6m or fly 14m/ Init. +3/ Attacks: bite or tail slice/ SV 01-64/ DMG d20+5/ STR 37/ AG 67/ ACC 34/ INT 7/ WL 34/ PER 87/ Valuables: skin 65sp/ EFs 25/ Morale: excellent/ Size 7m wingspan/ 47kg / Mutations: usually none.
3. As the breeze turns your way, you all hear loud rock and roll music belching from the mound. 4. You notice a long, slightly arched rope or cable trailing away from the mound’s upper heights and vanishing far off at a cluster of upright, weed and shrub covered ruins on the east shore wall, to your right. 5. Something large splashes out in the muddy lake, having snapped up one of the giant mosquitoes as it flew low over the water. 6. You hear a dog’s bark from someplace within the distant mound.
Entry MM-24 Go Around the Lake: This is both an arduous and perilous option and you should make it clear to the players that the bush is thick, the terrain uneven, and there is no trail to follow. Read the following: You’ve spent a half hour and traveled only a few dozen meters. Skirting around the footings of the ancient mega structure is slow going. Vines with razor sharp thorns, huge cobwebs, sink holes and quick sand. The ground under foot is often covered in slippery, moss covered mounds of shifting rubble and rusting machinery. GM: If the characters decide to continue on this course, present them with three events which might show them how dangerous and wasteful of time this journey around the lake actually is. Read if the PCs continue:
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Finally, after another half hour and only traveling a hundred or so meters, you hear a noise out in the thicket to one side. Although it doesn’t see you yet, you all happen to notice a enormous dark purple, spike covered worm with six heads. Each head ends in a ring of eyes and a tri-mandibled beak. The enormous monster is over four meters in length, and slithers along unhindered by the junk and vegetation. GM: Unless attacked, or the PCs are stupid and make noise to attract it, the thing stays 20m away and eventually moves off. If the PCs do attract it, here are its stats:
Worm, hydra worm: DV 0/ END 50 body and 10+d20 per head/ MV 5m/ Init. -1/ Attacks: 6 bites (6 heads)/ SV 01-60/ DMG d10 each/STR 43/AG 31/ACC 44/INT 4/WL 19/PER 43/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 95/ Morale: firm/ Size 4.4m/ 680kg/ Mutations: nil. Again, should the characters press on around the lake, they travel another hundred meters before something else happens: A random character slips on a mossy slab of concrete and spills off the old foundation, falling, bashing their head and bruising their body going down the landward side of the footings. Treat the fall as an attack, strike value 01-70, damage d12 stun and d6 lethal. The fall costs the team another five minutes as the unfortunate must climb back up the slope to join them. If the characters are especially stubborn, have them travel only fifty meters before another calamity occurs: The ground beneath the team is unstable and gives way in a short slide down into the lake itself. Each PC must roll his or her accuracy trait or less on a 10+2d20 roll or fail to grab hold of something solid to catch him or herself from going for a spill into the putrid water. Anyone who falls in to the water causes a splash which attracts trouble; roll d6 if trouble shows up: 1-3. A swarm of 3d6 blood flyers lift off the lake’s surface 100+d100 meters away and begin to flutter their way./ 4-6. A large mutant alligator emerges near the PCs. Although the characters who are in the water can get up and on the ruined foundation which encloses the 1km by 1km lake, the reptile follows the progress of the adventurers all the way around, waiting for an opportunity for the PCs to slip up again. Should the team persist in going around, other resistance could include a flooded river that is 8m across and filled with hatching Blood Flyers. Or, the PCs might spot a camp of 30+3d6 Reptilius warriors who seem to be observing the smoking mound in the middle of the lake, while another option is that they come to a solid concrete wall that stretches from the lake and runs 500+2d100m off into the swamp, is slick with mold and moss, and towers 30+d20m in any given spot. On the top of the ancient wall, strung between the rusted rebar shafts, are spider webs (2d4 rubble spiders control this area, with one of the giant spiky arachnids standing on the edge looking down at the PCs).
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Yes, this is what is called ‘railroading’ in role-playing game terms, but to flesh out every potential option available here is impossible and would make this adventure three hundred pages longer. If the characters decide to turn back and try the walkway to reach the mound, see page 73, Entry MM-26. On the other hand, wherever they are at, they might elect to wade through the putrid waters to the walkway or mound, If so, see entry MM-25, below.
Entry MM-25 Wade Through the Lake: Characters who
chose this option are clearly brave, either that or have low intelligence scores. Read: Even before you step out into the muddy, weed and bug infested waterway, you see that here and there large creatures surface from the cloudy depths to feed on bugs, birds and other small creatures, while the occasional blood flyer rises up from rubble, rotting log, or tombstonelike wedge of rusty metal. It is about three hundred meters to the rubble hill in the middle of the lake, although the raised walkway is much closer to you. Proceeding, you pick your way forward, feeling the bottom with either a stick, spear shaft or shuffling along with your feet. It seems that the lake has filled in a vast flat concrete rooftop, parking level or some other flat surface, although old stairwells, collapsed areas and access holes are soon discovered. Following the lead digger, you make your way through the waist deep swamp water.
GM: Each PC must roll for an event while the team wades forward, the events occurring minutes apart. Also use these events if the characters step off the walkway. Table MM-3 Wading through the Swamp Lake
2d6
Note: Any result with an asterisk beside the number can only occur . once, so re roll these special duplicated results
2*. Read: You kick a large, fleshy form beneath the surface and all at once, the lake water next to you explodes as a five headed, giant worm lurches up four meters in the air, blotting out whatever sunlight gleams through the early afternoon sky. The thing bellows and uses one head to bite at you while the rest turn away as the creature begins to veer away. GM: This Hydra worm is well fed and makes only one bite attack out of fear, and will not engage the character’s further. It will, however, swim in a circle around the PCs, keeping back thirty meters and making a wake in the water as it goes. In time, it vanishes down some deeper hole in the lake bottom. Worm, hydra worm: DV 0/ END 50 body and
10+d20 per head/ MV 5m/ Init. -1/ Attacks: 5 bites (5 heads)/ SV 01-60/ DMG d10 each/STR 43/AG 31/ACC 44/INT 4/WL 19/PER 43/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 95/ Morale: firm/ Size 4.4m/ 680kg/ Mutations: nil.
3. Read: The submerged floor beneath you gives way and you drop down through a cavity in the lake bottom! GM: Any character behind the PC can make an agility
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based type B hazard check to try and catch the falling PC before he or she goes under, otherwise, the PC sinks down either treading water if able and not too heavily armored. However, if the digger is wearing part plate armor, or being a cyborg with the implant Armor Enhancement, then the PC sinks down 2d6 meters into a blast hole. Drowning, the character takes d6 endurance stun damage per round, although each round he or she can try and claw upward if making a strength based type D hazard check and pulling him or herself out of the hole and back to the surface and safety. If succumbing to drowning, the PC will add his or her bones to the vast collection already present deep in the underground parkade below. 4. Read: You step on something meaty and powerful beneath you and some appendage of the creature smacks you so hard it knocks you off your feet and beneath the surface of the water. Whatever it was, it doesn’t attack you.
5. Read: A blood flyer comes zig-zagging across the surface of the lake from well over a dozen meters away. You see the giant mosquito coming at you and have time to either shoot it or prepare some weapon. GM: If using guns or other loud attack modes, any defenders of the mound might hear the report. Blood flyer stats bottom of list, next page. 6. Read: Far off to one side, along the shore and hundreds of metes away, you happen to see what you thought was an elongated chunk of rubble as it slips away and enter the lake, vanishing beneath the surface. GM: This is actually a large mutant alligator that had been resting on the shore. For whatever reason, it decides to return to the water, either to investigate the human travelers, or merely hunt fish. 7. Read: You think you hear old world rock and roll music carried on the wind, but then it fades away as the rain picks up and drowns out any sounds from afar. 8. Read: You step on something squishy underfoot which seems to pop. Several bubble float up about you and as they burst, they give off a nasty, nose hair curling stench. 9. Read: A blood flyer high above your team begins to corkscrew down toward you, being about forty meters up when you first see it. GM: Blood flyer stats next page. Any gunshots may alert those inhabiting the rubble mound. 10. Read: Far to the west, circling low over the treetops and broken spires of moss covered ruins, you see the shape of a large winged reptile. The creature seems to be circling well away from the lake area and either hasn’t spotted your team yet, or isn’t interested in you. 11*. Read: You snag your foot in something beneath the water and feel the blockage crack and snap as you shake it
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules free. Amid the turbulence, silt and dead weeds that churn up beneath you, you see a humanoid rib cage momentarily float up to the surface. Attached to the spine is the elongated, toothy skull of some sort of reptilian humanoid. 12*. Read: You pass a wedge of rubble sticking up out of the lake. What at first looked like sticks and gray weeds is actually a small, desiccated gray humanoid whose flesh has mostly been eaten away leaving raw bones. Several vultures sit on the top of the wedge, while about the neck of the skullock is a wooden sign with crude writing carved into it. If the character can read, it states “Tr8tur to Lord Kane’s Will.” Insect, blood flyer: DV 0 ground or -10 air/ END 4+d4/ MV 1 or 8m flying/ Init. -1/ Attacks: 1/ SV 01-36/ DMG d3/STR 3/AG 16/ACC 22/INT 2/WL 24/PER 13/
Valuables: nil/ EFs 5/ Morale: firm/ Size 50cm/ 2.1kg/ Mutations: nil/ NOTE: On a successful strike, a blood
Flyer has attached itself to the flesh of a victim, and will bloat itself on blood automatically (for d3 END DMG) each round up to a maximum of 16 endurance points ingested before detaching and flying off, half speed.
After crossing the open water of the lake, and approaching the island-like mound, the PCs come to the raised walkway as it nears the mound and can climb up onto it and advance. They have bypassed one serious peril by taking the risky move of wading, thus advance them to Entry MM-21, The Watchers, on page 74.
Entry MM-26 The Walkway:
The raised, single file catwalk seems to lead up and over fallen slabs and pillars of concrete weaving its way between insect covered, filthy looking pools. If the characters decide to continue following the trail they encounter trouble twice. Incident one happens at location 26 on the Map MM-2, found on page 112. Read to players: So far you’ve avoided attracting any attacks by the frequently seen giant mosquitoes, but after traveling about fifty meters along the recently made, lopsided and crude walkway, your lead adventurer stops and points twenty meters ahead. A large alligator lays across the catwalk, sunning itself. Nearby is the bloated, half eaten corpse of a skullock, floating face down in the water.
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On closer inspection, the gator is quite clearly mutated, having six legs, an elongated, heavier jaw and extra thick plates along its back and sides. The brute ‘s mouth is open and small birds move within its jaws, picking at scraps of meat from the animal’s gums. This gator, called ‘Grumpus’ by the local peskies, has been living in this swamp long before the characters were born, and is highly territorial and will not move for the PCs as they approach. Kane feeds traitors to it, but so too, the beast takes the occasional skullock who falls behind any patrol. If shot at with ranged weapons and it suffers any damage, Grumpus will roar and slip into the water with a splash, submerge and vanish for 3d6 rounds. The water is a shallow, yet filled with the moving shapes of fish, eels and large water bugs, as well as deep square shaped depressions. The gator hides in one of these dark pits, in the cavity of an old office, and waits alongside the trail for the PCs to walk by, attacking a random PC. Any strike on a PC that inflicts more than 15 points damage means the gator has managed to grab and yank the PC off the catwalk and pull him or her under. Besides drowning (Quick Start Drowning Rule: the PC takes d6 stun damage per round, and when reaching zero
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules or less endurance blacks out and goes limp and on his or her way to death, although if rescued before drowning, the subject recovers all these specific stun points within five minutes), the gator will make a death roll, trying to shred the victim. A death roll allows the gator to automatically make its bite attack damage each round until either the PCs is dead and torn asunder, or the character (or comrades shooting from the surface or diving into the waist deep water to engage the gator in melee) inflict 10 or more points damage on the animal. At any time, if this old beast takes 30 or more points of damage in total, it will call off the hunt and flee to some deep waterhole to recover itself, only reemerging at the GM’s discretion, at some entertaining, climactic point in the adventure.
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incoming missile weapon fire due to the cover and concealment they employ. The old bolt action 30-06 is not included in the relics shown in the quick start rules, nor hub rules, however its stats are as follows: SV (strike value) bonus to shooter +5, or +15 if taking careful aim and using two rounds to properly lead the target. Damage d20+15, range 500m, or 501 to 1000m long range at a strike value penalty of -50% and half damage on a hit) rate 1 shot per turn (or once every second round if aiming carefully), value if sold in town 1000+d1000sp, so long as it comes with at least three rounds of ammo. Spare 30-06 rounds can sell for 40+d100sp each.
Grumpus Gator Alligator, large: DV -20/ END 30+2d20 (67 endurance)/ MV 4m land, 9m water/ Init. +0/ Attacks: bite/ SV 01-65/ DMG d20+10/ STR 80/AG 32/ACC 29/INT 6 /WL 22/PER 25/ Valuables: skin 1sp per END pt/ EFs 30/ Morale: fair/ Size 3-4m/ 410kg/ Mutations: 6 legs (+2m move), elongated, heavier jaw (+5 DMG extra) and extra thick plates along its back and sides Entry MM-27 The Watchers: At location 27 on the Map
MM-2, found on page 112. A skullock sniper team is concealed high up on a wedge of sheered off concrete, amid moss, brambles and the rusted spires of rebar. The pair of skullocks have been told to watch for a counter strike by local reptilius, who control the whole swamp and aim to wipe out Kane and his followers. These two watchers are somewhat surprised to see the characters approaching and at first mistake the PCs for mercenaries which Kane has sent for. As the PCs don’t match the descriptions of the mercs, the skullock decide to open fire on the PCs when they are 100 meters away and at the X symbol on the GM’s map and alert those within the mound of the intrusion. One pesky has a beat up old relic bolt action hunting rifle that he will use as soon as his observer who watches the catwalk with a pair of binoculars, sees the PCs come into view. The shooter will take an extra round to aim carefully and ensure a hit, targeting the first intruder in the PC marching order to gain +10 SV (but shooting every 2nd round instead of once per round). The rusted rifle has no scope, but rests on a crossbrace of metal to help steady the weapon for long shots. The 30-06 has a five shot magazine, fully loaded, while the bigger of the two skullies who wields the rifle carries an old freezer bag filled with 3d6 spare 30-06 cartridges. Both skullocks are in their typical junk armor, but wear clumps of grass, vines and other vegetation to help conceal themselves. Both carry machetes and knives as back up weapons and use a knotted rope to get up or down from the fifteen meter tall protrusion. Once they shoot their weapon, each PC is allowed a type B perception based hazard check to spot the muzzle flash and thereafter detect where the sniper hide is located. They enjoy a -10 DV ( Defense Value) bonus from
Skullock Sniper Team: DV -22 in cover, normal -12/ END 10+d20 (20 and 30 for shooter)/ MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 weapon/ SV 01-50 (30-06 rifle +5 SV, carefully aimed +15: SV 01-65)/ DMG d12 javelin or d8 knife or d20+15 with bolt action rifle/ STR 24/ AG 33/ ACC 30/
INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: VP (very poor)/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: nil
GM note: Any shooting taking place in the area will alert the occupants of the mound’s entrance that invaders have discovered their base, and some peskies (another name for skullocks) will be on their guard. Should the character somehow not take fire from the skullock sniper, or avoid using loud attack modes themselves to reach the entrance of the mound, then the GM will have to adjust the preparedness of any defenders.
Main Level Areas of the Mound Entry MM-M1 Entrance Cavern Read:
After advancing up the zig-zagging pathway along the west side of the rubble mound, you eventually come to the end of the trail. The cliff-like faces of old concrete walls block any further access upward or to either side, and before you is a mesh of
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules
woven wires which form a easily opened screen. On the ground to either side are dozens of fish bones along with the freshly killed remains of at least a dozen giant mosquitoes. Here, the tunnel enters a crudely cut hole that slopes downward into darkness. Mangled steel, pipes, wires, and crushed concrete form the walls of this circular cavern, which is roughly two meters in diameter. Although the junk is hundreds of years old, the excavation here looks very recent, with a total lack of cobwebs, moss, or gathered dust and weeds so typical of most holes in the new era. If the characters somehow eliminated or bypassed the skullock snipers in entry 27, and avoided the use of loud attack modes when dealing with blood flyers or other adversaries, then no alarm has been sounded and no skullocks will be on duty here. The unit noted below will instead be lounging in the guard room at entry M2. Should shooting or other loud noises have transpired out in the swamp, including gunfire when dealing with blood flyers or the mutant gator, then defenders will come from the guard room to investigate the commotion. Roll d6 to see which guard unit appears, with the unit being 3 meters inside the entrance cavern, standing in the shadows. Any PCs to come up the trail will have been observed, and these peskies will be waiting in ambush and get +4 to their d10 initiative roll (skullocks incidentally have an initiative of +1 already so roll d10+5 for these humanoids. Table MM-4 Entrance Guardian
55/ MV 4m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 6 machetes/ SV 01-60/ DMG d12 +1 each/ STR 24/ AG 33/ ACC 30/ INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: A pouch containing 3d6 silver coins minted in the Dominion of Aberratia, an unopened bottle of Overpass Vodka, 3d6 standard pistol rounds and an antitoxin injector / EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: 6 arms/ ambidextrous/ shell
Follow-up: Once any guards are dealt with in the entrance cavern, the PCs may proceed down the 24m long passage. Read to players here: The crude cut, circular tunnels begins to give way to an ancient concrete corridor, stretching six meters due east and being three meters wide and tall. Shredded nylon carpet covers the floor, along with dried mud, fish bones, and scraps of old paper with faded images and text on them. The corridor is lit by a single electric bulb that has been recently screwed into a crack in the ceiling, and powered by freshly added extension cords which run along the floor and come from around the bend in the hall. The hall ahead of you ends in a frosted glass door, although also continues to the right, heading south giving you two options.
1,2. A single skullock with a pump shotgun loaded with d8 shells. He is accompanied by his pet mutant dog which has two heads and so bites twice per round.
ACC 30/ INT 12/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 9/ Valuables: VP (very poor)/ EFs 30/ Morale: average/ Size 1.4m tall/ 60kg/ Mutations: nil
Two headed mutant dog: DV -10/ END 24/ MV 9m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: 2 bites/ SV 01-60/ DMG d12 each/ STR 23/AG 38/ACC 48/INT 7/WL 38/PER 39/
Valuables: nil/ EFs 18/ Morale: firm/ Size 1.6m/ 30kg/ Mutations: 2 heads 3,4. Three skullocks armed with bows and sheathed machetes. They will fire their bows at the first two people to look in the cavern, then throw down their bows and charge, drawing their machetes. Skullocks (3): DV -12/ END 18, 22, 28/ MV 7m/
If the characters investigate the glass door, see area M2 below, however if they ignore it and move south along the hall, it goes anther six meters before extending east fifteen meters to a smashed open, rusted security door. See Area M3, page 76.
Entry MM-M2 Guard Room: Read to players: The Frosted glass door is stained with rust and mold, as well as small, human-like hand prints made from dried blood, grease, and mud. Besides a low steady purple light, the flicker of a small flame can be seen through the glass, but no other movement.
Init. +1/ Attacks: bow or machete/ SV 01-50/ DMG bow d12, machete d12+1/ STR 24/ AG 33/ ACC 30/
INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: VP (very poor)/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: nil
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5,6. A mutated skullock with six arms, bone plated hide, and huge, hunched body. This brute attacks with six machete attacks per round. Skullock with 6 arms and shell: DV -30/ END
Roll d6 for Guardian
Skullock with shotgun: DV -12/ END 26/ MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: shotgun or knife/ SV Shotgun 0170/ DMG 3d10 shotgun or d8 knife/ STR 24/ AG 33/
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The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules If the characters push open the unlocked door, read on: You see a 6m deep by 9m wide room. The Place is filled with old office furniture and the remains of several computer monitors, keyboards and small black cups. A printer lays on its side in one corner, smashed and covered in cobwebs, fish bones and dust, while in another corner, surrounded by tattered office chairs is a campfire. The blaze is fed from a stack of faded documents, brochures and small paper stubs stowed in large blue plastic bins. The fire itself is burning in a steel barrel connected to an over head vent and exhaust pipe that leads up through a crack in the roof and out someplace deep in the mound. An orange extension cord runs along the floor and up the far wall, attached to a bare electric bulb which illuminates the room in a purple light. If the PCs came upon this room without alerting the guardians, as noted in area M1, then roll on table MM-4, previous page, to see what guards are waiting here. Unaware of the PC’s presence, they automatically loose initiative and have their back’s turned, being +40 strike value easier to hit on the first round. If the character search this old office, they find 3d20 silver pieces worth of plastic trinkets, d6 freshly caught mutant fish, d4 dead rats cooking on sticks, 3d6 assorted pens and pencils each selling for 5sp, and a 30cm tall figure of an ancient deity in white, wearing sunglasses, with dark hair and holding some sort of silver communicator. For any character who can read, the tiny plaque at the bottom of the figure reads ‘ELVIS’. Statue worth 300+d100sp. The computers here are all destroyed beyond repair. The ticket stubs and brochures show imagery of the same white clad figure as the statue and for those PCs who can read, the faded text tells of the Elvis Presley Theme park, the stubs being tickets.
Entry MM-M3 West Hall: Read to players: This hall runs straight east for fifteen meters. It is lit by a single flickering blue electric light hanging from a crudely fashioned outlet on the left side of the wall. Like the previous passage, extension cords and recently added wiring run along the floor and ceiling. You can hear loud, rhythmic music from the old world, playing a song about a hound dog. Ahead, the corridor opens out into a large chamber. Flashing red, blue and orange lights dance around the otherwise darkened space ahead. There is a 3 in 6 chance that as the characters get half way down this passage, an event occurs, if so, roll d6. 1,2. The heaviest character steps on a weak spot in the floor and it partially collapses under them. The PC must
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roll his or her agility trait value, or less, on a d100 or not only fall waist deep in the jagged hole, but fail to grab hold of the rebar and thus fall 6m down to a sealed off, half buried room in an abandoned lower level, landing on rubble and twisted metal. For the purposes of these quick start rules, treat the fall as an attack with an SV of 01-60 doing d20 stun damage and d10 regular (lethal) damage. PCs above can throw a rope down to a PC who falls in and pull him or her up in d6 minutes (incidentally, 1 minute equals 20 rounds). If the player asks the GM if his or her character sees a way out in the lower level, or any valuables, explain that the doors are all collapsed and buried, however, let a searching PC find 3d6sp worth of bright, colored plastic and an anti-toxin injector, along with d4 standard pistol rounds. 3,4. A mutant dog has returned from its wanderings out on the ruin mound, and has tracked the character’s unfamiliar scent to this corridor. It snarls and charges from the bend in the hall, 6 meters away. This strange hound has a long bladed tentacle growing from its back (treat as second bite attack, except that it can also strike at opponents at its rear or up to 4m away. GM note: If the PCs use firearms or employ other loud attack modes to deal with this beast, any occupants of the grand Lobby (area M4) will be alerted. Dog, mutant: DV -10/ END 15+d10/ MV 9m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: 2 bites/ SV 01-60/ DMG d12/ STR 23/AG 38/ACC 48/INT 7/WL 38/PER 39/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 18/ Morale: firm/ Size 1.6m/ 30kg/ Mutations: 4m bladed tentacle on back, treat as second bite attack. 5,6. Read: A skull faced, concrete grey colored humanoid turns the corner up ahead and staggers into view. The thing holds a near-empty bottle of wine and leans heavily on the wall, observing you for a second, making no move to call out or go for the machete hanging from its belt. He squints and begins to walk forward. “Who let youz humes in here!?” He asks. “Is you Kane’s reinforcements?” This skullock is drunk on stolen wine and thinks the PCs might be mercenaries that his master has hired for extra muscle. He wipes his toothy mouth, grins and extends the bottle to the first character in the marching order, then asks. “Oh, right. What’s ‘da pass- word?” The password is ‘Jail Bird Rock’ and lets the PCs pass unhindered. This skully, called Bobbola, will go outside, climb the junk hill and sleep away the rest of the day under a tree.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules If the wrong password is given, this intoxicated skullock realizes the PCs are attackers and throws the bottle at the nearest PC, screams and if able, runs back the way he came calling out “Intruders!” The PCs might kill or knock out the skullock with ease, however, who being drunk, has the following stats: Drunken Skullock ‘Bobbola’: DV -12/ END
10+d20 (21) / MV 5m/ Init. -2/ Attacks: 1 weapon/ SV 01-40/ DMG d12+1 machete/ STR 24/ AG 33 (drunk
12)/ ACC 30/ INT 5/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 8/ Valuables: VP (very poor)/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations and Implants: nil
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Somebody has scrawled an ink signature across the front of the strange container, while as part of the propped up display is an ancient machine with a black glossy disk on it. GM: This is a turntable with an original record on it. Although the Album -- Elvis is Back from 1960 -- is authentic, the turntable is a retro model made in 2218 and although looks ancient, will run on a standard power cell for 240 hours. The record is worth 200+2d100sp, while the portable turntable 300+3d100sp if sold to the right collector in a larger town like Steel Hill or Overpass.
After traversing the corridor, the characters creep up to a broken open steel door that looks like it had only recently been disturbed as the damaged lock and hinges reveal newly exposed, non-rusted metal.
Entry MM-M4 Grand Lobby and Elvis Gallery: Read: Peering out from the hallway, next to a wide open, steel security door which until recently appears to have kept the chamber ahead of you sealed, you see a bizarre sight. Above, from the darkened, metal and wire fixtures on the ceiling, flash an array of red, orange and blue strobe lights which turn, spin and aim about in different direction, seeming to change with the beat of the ancient music. You hear the lyrics of a man singing “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog, Cryin’ all the time, Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit, And you ain’t no friend of mine”. On a raised platform is a dancing, strutting man in a white old world outfit, complete with bell bottom pants and gem studded, tasseled jacket that is open at the front. The singer holds a mic and belts out the tunes. You notice that lights pass right through him as he sings and struts. About him, on the raised, central stage are empty bottles of wine and beer, some broken, other tipped over. Animal bones litter the entire area, and along the walls are dozens of screens showing the same man, although in different costumes and body shapes, singing before unbelievably large and enthusiastic crowds. The music in the chamber is deafeningly loud to your unaccustomed ears, and you now doubt that anybody within that area, or the five yet unexplored exits doors which lead off of the 9m wide by 24m long gallery, could have heard any gun shots from outside the mound or even in the entrance areas.
If the PCs wish to loot this area, read here: As your eyes adjust to the lights, you notice several cabinets along the walls, all of them glass and most of them smashed open. Whatever was in them has long since been stolen. In one cabinet, however, you see a large square of card stock with a faded picture of the man seen everywhere.
The PCs will also find a stash of d4+2 bottles of red wine from a place called Sea Home (Crossroads Region Gazetteer page 74), each worth 25sp, as well as an 8 litre keg of beer brewed back home in Sandbarra worth 60+d20sp While looting this area, there is a chance that several skullocks show up, turning the far south eastern corner from an open corridor. Due to the noise of the music, they are entirely shocked to see the characters and roll initiative at d10 -3 instead of d10+1. This unit numbers one skullock per player character and are all armed with machetes, except for one who hangs back and fires a relic. Roll d6 for the relic this one uses, with the stats of the weapon while deployed by this skullock shown.
1,2. Auto Pistol Ammo: 10+d10 rounds of pistol ammo. (SV 01-62, Rate 2, Damage d20, range 250m) 3,4. Pump Shotgun Ammo: 4+d4 shot shells (SV 01-70, rate 1, Damage 3d10 but can attack up to 3 people if grouped together, range 30m)
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules 5,6. Stun Pistol Ammo: Power cell yields 20+d20 shots (SV 01-65, rate 1, damage 2d20 stun, range 200m) Skullocks (1 per PC): DV -12/ END 10+d20 (leader with relic has 30 END) / MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 weapon/ SV 01-50/ DMG d12+1 machete/ STR 24/ AG
33/ ACC 30/ INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: VP (very poor)/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations and Implants: nil
Entry MM-M5 Gift Shop: Read: The Door to this room is made of frosted glass, although stained with rust and smears of a dark red color. Within, you can see jumbled shapes and a single, flickering greenish light on the far wall. It looks to be a large, square space, so too, the door has no lock on it and can merely be pushed inward. What do you do? GM: This is the Elvis Presley Museum’s Gift shop, although the skullocks have converted it into a sleeping den. They’ve used old clothing as bedding and books, posters and gift cards as fire starter. Read to players from here: As you step in, looking left and right cautiously, you see that this area has been turned into some sort of sleeping area, as hundreds of T-shirts, hoodies, sweat shirts and even a few tattered leather jackets have been spread out into sleeping mats, the garments now torn and filthy. Here and there, stacks of torn posters, cards and books lay in a heap next to a smoldering fire pit. The smoke from the cooling fire wafts up through a ripped open section of ceiling and exits out a ventilation pipe. The only light in here is a single green orb hanging on the far wall, which flickers as the power supply fades and then returns in fits. To one side, four bald headed, gray skinned humanoids are stretched out, all of them showing bloody wounds under badly wrapped bandages made from T-shirt material. Only one, a female who has a black feathered arrow still stuck in her upper chest, tries to sit up upon seeing you, raising a hand out and saying “Water, please hume.” This pesky female is in a bad way and if given water, or better yet, administration by the mutation Heal Touch should any character possess it, she will revive somewhat and hold up both hands in surrender. She wears a blood soaked black tank top, hole riddled yoga pants, and carries no weapons. If not threatened or beaten or abused in any way, she will say the following to the characters. Read here: “Holla, dem calls me Kallaxi. No fight youz. Surrender I did. Not wanna be here, serving Kane. He liar and murderer. Him just wants hume borgy woman from ville… he disrespect Catwalk Collette, and banish
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her… she who be our true mistress. You promise let me go… and I tell youz where to find Kane and the hume strap on chick. Yes?”
If the characters agree to spare her life, she will relate the following. Read: The wounded she-skullock says that Kane led Catwalk Collette to the swamps from the great forest to the north, with the promise of riches and the expansion of Collette’s father’s territory. Kane had been Collette’s mate, up until he stole a cyborg woman from the village where the generator was taken. He aimed to keep her as a second wife, but Collette would have none of it, and in an argument after the raid on the village, he beat Collette and sent her into the swamp. Several warriors who spoke up against Kane were hanged or shot on the spot. Most of the skullocks, being from a different family than Catwalk Colette’s and eager for loot and to start their own skullock clan, followed the half breed, Kane. They were ambushed several times on the way to the mound by local lizard boys, who presently seem to be gathering in ever greater numbers. Now, distrustful of all, Kane has taken the prisoner to the upper floor, trying to sing God-Elvis to her and make her his new lover. The other three skullocks seem near death and don’t regain consciousness during this discussion. Nearby are d6 machetes and d6 javelins, plus d6 bows, each with a quiver of 20 arrows. If the PCs ask about defenders or traps, etc., read this to the players: She will say that there is some sort of robotic gun at the south hall heading to the old shaft, but never seen it operational in the week that they have been staying in the mound. Although, now that the stolen generator is providing power to the ruin, anything is possible. As for what is upstairs, she has never been trusted with joining Kane’s most loyal, handpicked warriors above. She says to not open the steel plate in the south room, and to the north, the dogs are kept hungry, and any skullock who dies, is fed to the hounds. Kallaxi is too wounded to help fight beside the characters, and may not really want to be seen associating with them. If given healing, or her wounds tended to, she will at least live, and get up, gathering a bow, quiver of arrows and travel pack and make her way out of the mound to try
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules and reunite with Catwalk Collette, her true leader. If given any food, a water skin or extra items to aid in her survival, she will offer one more bit of advice in thanks, saying: “Kallaxi, owe you, and say that if you meet my mistress, a tall tattooed Skully with long silver hair…. To call a truce, offer wine or food, and mebbe youz works together against Kane and his ass clowns. Do that soon, too, as the lizard boy army comin’.” As for valuables in the room, the characters will find 3d6 music disks featuring the entire life time works of Elvis Presley (both his music and movies, worth 20+d20sp each), along with 3d6 Elvis T-shirts of wearable condition. If washed, these will fetch d20+10sp each. Well hidden in a toppled clerk’s desk at a digital payment kiosk, in a false drawer that is cracked and reveals a secret compartment odds of spotting this are slight, with each player who declares his or her character is searching for valuables allowed a type E perception based hazard check to notice it. Inside is a fully loaded automatic pistol and spare, full, 20 round magazine.
Entry MM-M6 North Hall: Read: A rusty, crudely fashioned chain link door blocks this darkened north bound, three meter wide and tall passage. A simple metal latch is all that holds the newly inserted door in place. Opening it, you view a twenty meter long, cracked and rubble littered corridor. Freshly gnawed bones of large fish and small humanoids also lay along the length. Ahead, your lights reveal a heavy, steel braced iron door. Beneath the door a blue light can be seen gleaming through the crack. See Entry MM-M7, below, if the characters decide to investigate his well sealed door.
Entry MM-M7 Collapsed North Room: Read: The door here is shut and braced. You see a faint blue light flickering from a centimeter wide gap along the floor. For an instant, a shadow moves across the light within, revealing that someone or something is locked within. What do you do? If the PCs choose to back away from this mysterious room, they may do so, but, if they decide to open it up, the brace bar weighs twenty kilograms and not easily hefted by anyone of 20 or less strength (who must make a type D strength based hazard check to do so without dropping the bar on their foot and inflicting d3 damage to themselves). PCs of over 20 strength can lift and set aside the braces without making a noise.
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Read to players: Pulling open the heavy door reveals a large, partially collapsed ancient room filled with warehouse shelving. The place is illuminated by a row of fluorescent overhead lights five meters up on the high, cracked ceiling. The room is shadowing, rubble fills the back half only 9 meters away, although the room is wide and in total runs 21 meters east and west. The four metal shelves are stacked high with plastic drums, crates and deteriorating wood-fiber boxes. All across the floor are sheets of plastic bubble wrap, foam packing peanuts, and the bones of fish and small, toothy jawed humanoids. There is a grunt, a growl, and a snort, and between the shelves emerge four muscular, cruel looking mutant pit bulls. Drool seeps from their mangled, misshapen faces as they appraise you, cocking their heads and whimpering slightly, each taking a step closer. The PCs have found the kennel, as well as where Kane and his loyalists dispatch troublesome traitors who either don’t follow orders or are known supporters of Catwalk Collette. The four dogs, seeing that the characters are armed and not their usual handlers, snarl and lunge forward. The PCs, if thinking quick, can leap back and slam the door shut again, trying to brace it in time. If the characters attempt this maneuver, allow the player of the character who first suggested the deed to roll his character’s agility or less on a 20+d20 roll to accomplish the task. Failure results in the dogs smashing open the door and getting among the characters in melee range.
Each has a different mutations:
Brown and white dog: Endurance 62/ Mutation: Body Disproportion (has more endurance) Black and white dog: Endurance 23/ Mutation: Body Regeneration Heals 1 endurance point per round All black dog: Endurance 21/ Mutation: Paralysis Tendrils (3m long, 4 tendrils, SV 01-70, DMG d12 stun) Bone plated dog: Endurance 25/ Mutation: Shell, DV -30, but -1m move (now 8m per round). Dogs, mutant (4): DV -10 or -30 for bone plated dog/ END by dog (see above)/ MV 9m or 8m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: 1/ SV 01-60/ DMG d12/ STR 23/AG 38/ACC 48/ INT 7/WL 38/PER 39/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 18/ Morale: firm/ Size 1.6m/ 30kg/ Mutations: As noted above.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules If defeating Kane’s pets, the characters can waste time looting the old warehouse. They soon find that the skullocks, or previous inhabitants of the mound, have already rooted through the place, yet none too carefully. Each PC who searches finds something of value or utility, roll d20, re-rolling duplicated results: Table MM-5 Warehouse Loot table
d20 once per PC
1. Small iron box with locked latches. If broken open reveals faded banking documents, tickets to a starship voyage to an off-world colony, plus a fully loaded automatic pistol with spare 20 round magazine and nylon underarm concealing holster. 2. Tube of 3d6 old world silver rounds (coins) each 1 ounce buffalo coin is worth 5 currently minted silver coins. 3. Solar powered E-Reader, loaded with 400+d1000 old world fantasy and science fiction titles, worth 300+d100sp 4. Anti-toxin Injector 5. ID Card with auto-response chip* 6. Solar powered calculator, bright pink, worth 30+2d20sp 7. Drained power cell 8. Rifle cartridge 9. Thirty centimeter (1 foot) tall bronze statue of an ancient man in fancy clothes holding a guitar (Elvis Presley) worth 20+d20sp to an uneducated relic buyer in Sandbarra, but in a large town like Overpass or Steel Hill, to somebody who recognizes the remarkable treasure, will fetch 300+d100sp 10. Shotgun shell 11. Box of 3d6 small, hand painted 10cm tall Elvis action figures, each worth 20sp 12. Pistol cartridge 13. Case of 6d6 Elvis Presley chewing gum packs. Each pack worth 5sp. 14. Air tight, poly sealed case of 200+d100 Historical Brochures of somebody called Elvis Presley. These full color tri-fold brochures will fetch a silver coin each back home. 15. White, tasseled leather jacket complete with fake, glittery jewels. If worn as armor will improve wearer’s defense
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value by -5 and can be worn over other armor, yet slow the PC by -0.25m movement. Worth 50+d100sp if sold. 16. Magazine for an automatic pistol with d20 rounds loaded 17. Box of 3d6 black nylon Elvis Presley Wigs, each worth 20+d20sp 18. Sealed stack of 3d6 mini-music disks. Each disc contains the entire lifetime recordings and movies of somebody called Elvis Presley. Each disc worth 20+d20sp in a large town like Steel Hill, or d12sp in Sandbarra. 19. Magazine for an assault rifle loaded with 3d10 rounds 20. Fragmentation grenade *Relevant when entering Entry MM-U8-C, page 94 . Light Combot won’t shoot this PC nor harm him or her in any way.
Entry MM-M8 Collapsed South Room: Read to players: The door to this space is broken outward and reveals a 18m long by roughly six meter wide room, although along the entire east side the wall is collapsed and tons of rubble and gravel fill the space. At the far end you see that the floor is covered in sheet metal and weighted down by hundreds of kilograms of concrete rubble and iron beams. Even from where you stand, you can hear something beneath the metal scraping and clawing at the blockage. There appears to be nothing of value here, although fish bones and reeking heaps of feces dot the floor. Should the characters be reckless enough to pull away the blockage and free whatever lies beneath, roll d6 to see what emerges: 1,2. An Albino, subterranean garnock with two heads, which will devour any PC it can catch. 3,4. 4d6 Reptilius warrior’s armed with clubs. They intend to claim the mound as it is deep in their territory. They will not discriminate between killing and cooking humans or skullocks wherever they can be found. 5,6. A Hydra worm, which will slither into every area of this floor and eats anyone it can catch, making this level its new lair and laying 3d6 eggs that very night.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Entry MM-M9 Elvis Karaoke Bar: Read to players:
The rock and roll music and hologram of the ancient singer continue to blare and flash behind you as you approach this grease and blood stained, glass door. Within you see the same man on a screen at the far end of a gently, downward sloping, 18m long by 12m wide hall. Within, meter tall words in the old language flash across the screen above the man, with a bouncing yellow ball touching each word. You realize that the words the man sings are a match to the written ones. You also notice that the place is full of dozens of young pure stock humans, mostly females, all in white or plaid shirts, red lipstick and flowing skirts or blue jeans. They dance and cheer and sway, all facing the stages, and so too, all slightly ghostly and see-through. They do not take any notice of you standing outside looking in. GM: Have each character roll a perception based type B hazard check, with the first successful characters noticing something odd amid the holograms, if so, pick or roll d6, with only one outcome being present: 1,2. There are d4+2 skullock warriors crouched down and along the walls, each armed with a crossbow and aiming at the entrance and ready to shoot the first PC who walks in. If the PCs don’t notice these warriors, and decide not to enter the karaoke hall, then these zealots of Kane will emerge behind the characters as soon as they start up the Long Hall (Entry MM-M10) and fire on them once the remote turret comes into action. Should the PCs have seen the peskies, then they can either back off and wait for the skullocks to charge out, or shoot through the glass door. The door is heavy plate glass and while crossbow bolts and arrows won’t do more than scratch it, relic bullets or musket shot will shatter it and allow an exchange of missile weapons to take place thereafter. Skullock (d4+2): DV -12/ END
10+d20/ MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: crossbow and machete/ SV crossbow 01-58, machete 01-50/ DMG crossbow d20+1, machete d12+1/ STR 24/ AG
33/ ACC 30/ INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: VP (very poor)/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: nil. 3,4. There are several (d4+3) green and yellow skinned, horn headed lizard men tied to the south wall, hands above their heads, and ankles tied to their slithering, spiky tails. They seem to have been beaten badly and many have bleeding wounds which seep onto the floor. If the characters enter and try to converse with the reptilius, they do not
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speak human and merely snarl at the PCs. If freed, they will rub their ankles and wrists and do nothing until the last of them is freed, and thereupon, attack the characters with their toothy jaws, fighting to the death. Reptilius (d4+3): DV -12/ END normally 12+d12,
but these are wounded and so have 3d6 endurance each/ MV 7m or swim 6m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: bite or by weapon/ SV 01-50/ DMG bite d6/STR 22/AG 43/ACC
34/INT 8+d8/WL 32/PER 21/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 12/ Morale: firm/ Size 1.4m/55 kg/ Mutations: nil 5,6. Read: One of the young woman is not dancing, nor dressed like the others. She lays on her side on the floor dressed in a leather skirt and tank top, her hands and ankles bound in rope. Bruising is visible on her bare legs and arms. She faces away from you, her long blonde hair a tangled mess about her head. GM: If PCs go in and check on the figure, they find that the person is a young pure stock woman who if shaken, will revive and flinch in terror upon seeing the characters. If not harmed, she sits up and asks who the characters are and if they’re Kane’s reinforcements. If the characters explain who they really are, and why they have come, read to players: The woman, calling herself Maria, is from Steel Hill, the sole survivor of a flotilla of cargo rafts heading up to Sandbarra. She says they were attacked by an armored, unique looking barge commanded by Kane, who, along with his skullocks in other rafts canoes, ambushed her group, killed many of her clan members and took her as a personal slave. She says Kane has been trying to get her to ‘go steady’ with him, and made her dance and sing Elvis Presley with him late into the night. She adds that a female skullock was with the half breed raider boss, and the female was very jealous and came and beat and humiliated her when Kane wasn’t around. GM: Maria is weak and unable to fight, but will beg to accompany the characters as they explore the mound and try to defeat Kane. Maria doesn’t care for anything beyond revenge and seeing both Kane and Catwalk Collette murdered for the mistreatments they showed her. She will steal a knife, or any other small weapon and conceal it on herself until such a time as she can run the blade through the eye socket or heart of any one of the two who so abused her. She also detests skullocks, and will seek to slay them under any circumstances.
Maria, Commoner Woman: DV -3 / END 15+d20 (wounded 15)/ MV 4m / Init. +0 / Attacks: fist or knife / SV 01-50 / DMG fist d6 stun, knife d8 / STR 18 / AG 32 /
ACC 29 / INT 38 / WL 62 / PER 24 / App 39 / Valuables: nil / EFs 13 / Morale: Average / Size 1.5m / 60 kg / Mutations: nil
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Entry MM-M10 Long Hall: Read to players: The corridor before you is about forty meters long and ends in a closed, heavy looking metal door. About twenty four meters up and on the right is a gap in the wall as if another side corridor leads off of the passage. Beyond that, 36 meters from where you stand, up on the right wall near the roof, is a sleek, black relic weapon turret hanging from the ceiling. A short barrel is aimed your way, a tiny green blinking light visible on the underside of the ancient unit. Dry Ice, billowing in from the main Elvis gallery, rolls along the floor and may reveal something to the characters. Allow the first two characters in the marching order a type B perception based hazard check. If they are successful, one or both PCs see faint red laser beams crossing the hallway about six meters up the corridor, revealed by the low fog that churns about the floor. Should the characters not see these beams, and proceed, they will step through the beams and alert whoever is controlling the gun, who will open fire, see entry MM-M10-A, below. If the character do see the laser beams, they can all step over them and make their way forward unmolested, at least until getting to Entry MM-M11, next page, where the collapsed south hall is reached. Alternatively, the characters can decide that they’ve already made enough noise and simply take aim on the distant remote turret and open fire on it. Doing so will automatically initiate the weapon’s auto return fire settings and, if surviving the first volley from the PCs, will unleash on the intruders. See Entry MM-M10-A, below, for the turret’s stats.
Entry MM-M10-A, the Remote Turret: A skullock, called
Nigel who sits up in Kane’s lair at a computer work station controls this gun with a joystick. He is only alerted to the character’s presence if they step through the laser beam at the entrance to the long hall or else open fire on the gun itself. If the gun is shot at, it automatically returns fire long enough for the controller to either take manual control or switch it off.
Remote turret’s stats:
DV -30/ Endurance 36/ rate of fire: 1/ Strike value 01-75/ Damage 2d20+10 STUN/ Power supply, hooked to facility, which as the generator Smoky is operational, is unlimited.
Anyone who succumbs to the stun beams of this weapon will remain unconscious for 3d6 minutes before waking but being immobilized and useless to the team. Stun damage heals at the character’s healing rate per hour, instead of per day, with the healing
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rates noted on table QSR-4 Trait Value Modifiers, page 5 of the QSR or page 10 of the TME hub rules. This weapon is a unique laser carbine, which can be set between stun or lethal emitter modes and is currently switched to stun mode. It has no trigger or butt which would make it useful as a handheld weapon. If the computer and joystick were taken, and this weapon not destroyed and fixed to a barge or village structure, and supplied by the sort of remarkable power that the all-fuel accepting generator ‘Smokey’ burns, it could be a devastating defensive measure to any community. To bring this back the character’s home town of Sandbarra and present it to their the Council Directors, would make the PCs into hero’s, and their families’ debts erased… their freedom assured. If the PCs destroy it, however, it is thereafter useless scrap metal.
Entry-MM-10B, the Iron Door: Read to players: The iron clad door in front of you looks to have been very recently repaired, as a new iron fitting replaces what must have been a rusted away locking mechanism. There seems to be no handle on your side nor mechanical lock to pick. Whoever built this was keen to see that only those on the other side could open and close it through normal means. Of course, the old metal door could be smashed or hacked down if a determined intruder had the time and strength. This robust door as a tiny spy hole about a meter up where a skullock guard on the other side could observe who is coming and going. Due to the very recent raid on Soggy Hearth however, the guard is upstairs celebrating the arrival of the generator and the relic wonders it has brought to life in the old structure. The characters can try to either smash the door inward with brute strength, or else commence to use old pipes, battle axes or even shot gun blasts to try and eliminate the lock and shove the door inward. Have them decide. Smashing the door in, by having one or two PCs run at it and try and shoulder it inward, is a long shot, but pos-
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules sible. Total the strength scores of a maximum of two PCs and consult the following matrix. Each smash attempt takes three rounds, and is noisy. The door can take 200 points of damage from smashing at it, but there is also a percentage chance the door shatters per smash.
Damage to Door
Chance Lock Shattered and Door Opens
01-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-90 91-130 131+
d4 d6 d8 d10 d12 d20 d20+10 d20+30 2d20+30
2% 4% 6% 8% 11% 15% 21% 33% 48%
If deciding to blast or hack at the lock area, which like the door can take 200 points of damage before breaking inward, with one PC allowed to assault it at a time, he or she does automatic damage upon it each round. Once the door is open, see entry MM-M12, this page.
Entry MM-M11 Collapsed South Hall: Read to Players:
On your right, you see a short, collapsed hall running about nine meters due south. It appears that somebody has jammed heaps of rusted metal, cinder blocks and other debris in this corridor very recently, as there is an absence of fungus, mold or dust on the blockage. Here and there, fresh burn marks and spatters of blood mark the floor and walls.
This somewhat triangular room has a moldy red carpet, benches along the north and south walls, and expands out to a pair of open elevator shafts before you. The one on your right is jammed full of office chairs, desks, rubble and metal, while the other appears wide open with a recently added metal floor blocking off lower levels. A wooden ladder runs up the interior of this open shaft, but no ropes, cables or other alternate means of access are seen. Also in the lobby area, to your left, are five dented oil drums. The liquid within them gives off the reek of ethanol fuel, of the sort you often see back home. Any character that can read will see that the writing on the drums states ‘Steel Hill Spirits and Fuels Co-Op’. Also, if the characters discover Maria (from Entry MMM9, on page 81), and she accompanies the team at this point, she will tell the characters that these oil drums were part of the cargo on her father’s trade raft. Although sealed, these old drums give off fumes and any fool to set a lantern or torch down on top of the drum, or otherwise detonate a grenade or some other flammable device near the drums, will trigger a fire, and ultimately, an explosion which will engulf the long hall behind them and jet up the elevator shaft, destroying the ladder. If detonated, each character is baked and thrown aside taking 10+d100 damage. If miraculously surviving this detonation, the PC is rendered unconscious for 3d20 minutes.
If the PCs investigate the elevator shafts, read here: The right hand, junk filled shaft is impassable as the 3m by 3m concrete lined vertical tube has been purposely blocked, perhaps to stop things from crawling up from lower levels, or down from the floors above. Likewise, the left hand shaft with the ladder has had its lower level covered by freshly lain metal cladding and braced by strips of bolted down scrap metal. There is a whiff like that of decaying corpses coming from beneath the cladding. The ladder is crafted from freshly cut wood and lashed together with electrical cables and twine and tilts steeply up the shaft several floors to a dimly lit opening identical to the one you stand in. A thin catwalk of scrap metal allows those stepping off the ladder to more safely cross the opening to whatever lobby waits above. The ceiling of the shaft above the ladder seems to be blocked off by an enormous slab of fallen concrete. Echoing down the square, tube-like passage are the sounds of excited cheers and hoots, rock and roll music and the banging of metal on metal. The din above has allowed your passage through the metal door to go unnoticed.
When Kane and his loyal skullocks first broke into this mound, they found that there were access points into lower levels and various side openings, many of which were inhabited by terrible beasts and mad machines. At this location, reptilius savages tried to sneak in and were only barely repelled. If the characters pull away the rubble here, which will take an hour, they discover a set of emergency steps leading down into lower, unexplored and unlooted levels of this ancient facility. You, the game master will have to design and populate the lower reaches of the mound. The characters can go to the metal door at the east end of the long corridors, passing the remote turret, see entry MM-M10-B, previous page, If the laser trip line beams were bypassed at the other end of the hall, then this gun remains silent, regardless of what the PCs do to the door, which is behind the turret’s line of sight once behind it. Likewise the PCs can decide to safely smash the gun to junk.
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Entry MM-M12 Elevator Lobby: Read to players:
Table MM-6 Iron Door Smashing Strength of PCs
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Go to Entry MM-M13 if the PCs decide to climb the ladder.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules MM-M13 Open Elevator Shaft: GM have the players
confirm their marching order, deciding on who will climb the ladder first. The ladder was made for skullocks, who only weigh 50 kilograms on average (about 110 pounds), so if more than three PCs try to go up the ladder at once, mention that the wooden contraption begins to displace and bend the metal cladding that blocks the cadaver stinking expanse below. If four or five PCs try and climb at the same time, then there is a 1 in 6 chance per round that the weight of the ladder snaps the bolts and metal straps, and the cladding begins to fold in on itself and threaten to drop the ladder down. Those on the ladder, if it begins to drop into the shaft below, can either hasten up or down before it punches through the floor. Allow each PC on the ladder to make a type C agility based hazard check to either get up to the next floor, leap off the ladder and press themselves to the ridged inner walls, or else if not half way up yet, scamper down and get clear of the floor cladding. Failure to get clear of the ladder as it falls through means the ladder and all those on it suddenly torpedo straight down, still clutching the ladder as it drops d6 floors to the rubble and water filled depths below. While it is up to the game master to flesh out any possible, unexplored basement levels, doing so might be too dangerous for already injured characters, and expend precious time. The fall, while dramatic, lands the PCs into putrid water filled with the rotting week old corpses of reptilius who launched a raid on the mound once they discovered the skullocks had moved in. The fall injures each PC for d12 stun damage and d6 lethal damage. Climbing back up along the slippery, pitted sides of the shaft takes ten minutes. Once accomplished, the PCs will need to climb up to the upper floor without the luxury of the ladder, and so must employ ropes. The odds of a PC falling while climbing is small, but still a risk. Have each PC make a type A strength based hazard check to get to the upper floor without falling all the way down to the flooded lower level, and if falling, taking 2d12 stun damage and 2d6 lethal damage. When the PCs do reach the upper floor, see entry MM-U1, this page.
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Upper Mound Areas Entry MM-U1 Upper Floor Elevator Shaft: The first two
characters to either climb the ladder or the inside of the shaft may encounter trouble if the ladder fell or some other loud crashing sound came from the shaft itself. If so, read the next paragraph titled Entry MM-U1-A Noisy Ascent, however, if the PCs climbed up silently, then see MM-U1-B Silent Climb, page 85.
MM-U1-A Noisy Ascent: The cacophony the characters made while climbing up the shaft has attracted 3 curious skullocks. The lightly armed, junk clad peskies share a bottle of wine and peer down just as the first two PCs reach the top and climb up on the rickety catwalk where the ladder’s topmost rungs end. Although drunk, they have the presence of mind to realize they are under assault. Have the lead PC roll for initiative, with the skullocks getting +1 as usual for their kind. One will throw the bottle at the second highest intruder and then kick at the face of the lead, highest PC, another stabs with a machete, while the third turns and runs for the half open, newly inserted scrap metal double doors. The bottle throw is SV 0150 and if hitting the second character up will shatter and do d6 damage plus if the character is not wearing safety goggles or some other face covering, gets red wine and broken glass in his or her eyes and is blinded for d6 rounds and fights at -40 SV, with any fumbles or auto misses (rolls of 01-05 on d100 attack rolls) as being attacks on the nearest comrade (roll again to hit teammate). The face kicker is trying to knock the lead invader off the lip of the elevator and back down the shaft. Its attack is made at SV 01-50, with any hit meaning the PC takes d6 stun damage and must make a type B agility based hazard check or be dislodged from the top of the shaft and tumble head over feet all the way down the shaft, suffering 3d6 stun damage and 3d6 lethal damage from the fall. If the PCs lost initiative and don’t dispatch the skullock who is running for help, he will open the door and be out of the lobby on the second round, screeching. Unfortunately for him, his voice is drowned out by the very loud rock music and distant cheering. Undeterred, he will dash up to a group of fellow rubble goblins (another name for skullocks) and alert the workers, who are replacing bulbs (page 86).
Skullocks (3): DV -12/ END 10+d20/ MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 weapon/ SV 01-50/ DMG machete d12+1 or d8 knife/ STR 24/ AG 33/ ACC 30/ INT 2d6/ WL 40/
PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: nil / EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: nil.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules If defeating the skullocks, regardless if one escaped to go get help, the characters can clamber up and find themselves in an identically shaped 9m wide by 6m deep lobby area to the elevator room below. Stacked on either side are sacks, barrels and crates, as well as some scattered belongings that look human-made. The PCs may not have time to search the stockpiles if the skullocks down the hall have been warned, as the one who ran off, plus 4 others, will have snatched up machetes and come running to deal with the characters, while a fifth humanoid has bolted off to warn his master, Kane. If they do search, see MM-U2 below for loot.
MM-U1-B Silent Climb: Read to players: As you reach to the top of the elevator shaft, you confirm that it is blocked above you by a massive slab of concrete, while the elevator shaft door is open before you. The lobby within is identical to the one below in proportions. A solitary electric light hangs on a hook and is attached to an extension cord and illuminates the 9 meter wide by 6m deep, triangular shaped room. You smell mildew, sweat and the reek of burnt meat, and hear muffled, yet very loud music from the other side of a set of newly added scrap metal doors. The double portal appear to be ajar and, through the crack, you can see a poorly lit passage beyond. Gray skinned figures are a dozen meters down the hallway beyond, working on something in the ceiling and unaware of you. You see nobody guarding this room, but do see recently manufactured cargo.
If the PCs climb up see Entry MM-U2.
Entry MM-U2 Upper Elevator Lobby: PCs find the lobby
empty of skullocks however do find supplies stacked up along the both walls including barrels and bottles of stolen wine, a barrel of salted fish, quivers of spare arrows, wooden crates of salted meat, dried fruit, spices, beans and grains as well as several bloody back packs and hip pouches that look like they were made by the character’s own people. If the adventurers are under attack, after making a noisy climb up from the lower level of the facility, they won’t have time to search the packs, and instead can either shut and brace the scrap metal doors, or fling them open and shoot into the hall at the four machete wielding skullies as they come, range 9m. If closing the door and holding it shut, for each minute the PCs hold the door, another d3 skullocks will arrive (to a maximum of 20), although these are armed with bows as well as blades. Also, each minute there is a chance that the peskies shatter the door and force a huge melee battle at the doorway, with two skullocks able to fight side by side against a single human sized defender. The odds the door is shattered per minute is 1 in 12. If the PCs are not being attacked, they may search these packs and find 3d6 torches, 3d6 candles, d4 tinder boxes, a total of 3d6+10m of rope, d6 knives, 3d6
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days rations, and 4 rolls of the following treasure table, roll 3d6:
3. Automatic pistol, with magazine containing d6 rounds and hidden in an easily overlooked side flap. 4. Anti-toxin injector 5. 2d8 silver coins from the Dominion of Aberratia 6. d4 gold coins from the Holy Purist Empire to the East. 7. Magazine for an automatic pistol loaded with 2d6 rounds 8. 28mm pewter miniature of Elvis Presley, unpainted collectible, worth 10+d20sp 9. Set of Elvis Presley playing cards, worth 20+d12sp 10. Bottle of beer from Steel Hill Brewing, freshly brewed 11. One rifle round 12. One pistol cartridge 13. One shotgun shell 14. Headlamp flashlight with 3d6 minutes worth of illumination remaining in battery. 15. Elvis Presley exaggerated hairstyle wig, worth 20+d20sp 16. Nylon belt pouch, overlooked and slipped into a side pouch, contains 2d6 shotgun shells 17. Magazine for an assault rifle, loaded with 3d6 rifle rounds 18. Fragmentation grenade Once their search of the elevator lobby area is complete, the PCs can advance west along the long corridor of entry MM-U3. If the skullocks did not attack them previously (either the PCs killed any skullocks that came to investigate noisy PCs, or a battle already took place), then there will be no skullocks working in the corridor, go to entry MM-U4, page 86. If the skullocks in the hall were not alerted, see entry MM-U3, below.
Entry MM-U3 Upper Long Hall: Read to players: Entering this concrete lined, 3m wide and 3m high corridor, you are assailed by rock music, and amid the echoing guitar and thumping bass, you hear a man singing: You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
Maybe I didn’t hold you All those lonely, lonely times And I guess I never told you I’m so happy that you’re mine The dim hall is lit by several sputtering amber lights along the ceiling. Along the left side of the hall 18 meters ahead, is a rubble strewn cavity, while much further away, about 40 meters, is a torch lit, cave like area where some sort of mining operation looks underway. A side passage up there turns to the right.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules If the characters already dealt with the four skullocks who might have been warned, then there is nobody in this long passage, see entry MM-U4, on the right. On the other hand, if the PCs have been silent to this point, or dispatched any nosy skullocks in the elevator lobby after a noisome climb, then up ahead there are several inattentive peskies working on the lighting fixtures. Read here: Just this side of the broken open wall ahead, and about fifteen meters away, you see four skullocks trying to change a light bulb. Two are standing back passing a bottle of something between them and giving advice, another holds an aluminum step ladder, while a fourth is up working at the light bulb of some crudely wired, newly added junk crafted system. They don’t see you yet, and can’t hear your footfalls over the deafening rock music. Sooner or later, one will glance your way, but just how close you can get to them before that, remains to be seen.
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Entry MM-U4 Upper South Collapsed Hall: Read to players:
You see that at one time, the corridor you stand in veered off to the south, but now, only 7 meters in, the way is blocked by rubble, tubes, wires, car parts and metallic, half buried, vaguely humanoid shapes. The metal men are crushed under rubble, although some parts appear to have been recently removed, including arms and power cells. There is nothing of value left here, nor any guardians. The PCs can transverse the remaining 20m to entry MM-U5, below.
The skullocks are 15m away from the lobby door. If not shot at, the characters can get within 8+d6 meters before one of the booze guzzling peskies happens to glance over in that direction. Roll initiative, with all these skullocks armed with machetes and knives. Three will stand and face the invading excavators, while one screams and runs off, the others draw an hurl their knives before engaging in melee. If the skully who runs off turns the far corner 25m away before being shot down, consider the lair of Kane to be alerted from this point in the adventure onward.
Game Masters Post Adventure Idea: If inclined, and perhaps returning to the mound after dealing with Kane, the excavators could spend 3d6 hours digging and yanking away the debris here to clear the blockage, and find a set of emergency stairs down and to the west leading to unexplored ruins. Within these sealed off rooms are many wondrous relics, but all of them protected by more light combots, automatized turrets such as those from entry MM-M10, as well as an advanced computer which controls a micro-nuclear power plant and a row of ancient technicians, lawyers and politicians who are in cryogenic sleep. These frail, yet ruthless and cunning elites (lawyers, bankers, politicians and famous actors and actresses of their era), await their chance to return to the world and dominate local communities. They will of course need mercenary thugs, like the PCs, to commence their hostile take over of Sandbarra and beyond.
Drunken Skullocks (3,+1 who runs for help): DV -12/
Entry MM-U5, Mining Operation: Read to players:
END 10+d20/ MV 6m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: 1 weapon/ SV 01-45/ DMG d12+1 machete or d8 knife/ STR 24/ AG
23/ ACC 30/ INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: 3d6sp worth of Elvis collectibles/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: nil The bottle the skullocks were drinking from is straight potato vodka with a label stating Czar Fiesta Vodka, Proudly brewed in Overpass 2359 AD. It is half empty, has an outrageous alcohol content and is quite flammable. Any character to drink a mouthful or two will become tipsy and be at -5 SV and -10 agility for the next hour. If thrown at a flammable object, like a wall mounted torch, it will send up a burst of flame and potentially ignite those within 3m doing d6 damage per round for d6 rounds. After dealing with the skullocks, the PCs can proceed two abreast ahead, soon reaching the broken up left hand cavity at entry MM-U4.
A roundish 9m circular excavation has been conducted in this otherwise crushed section. Two wheel barrows and five picks and four shovels are scattered about, all visible because of several burning torches stuck in cracks in the toppled concrete. About a half dozen deep cracks, as wide as a man, veer off from the main circular cavity, and from these emerge four human men clad in rags. These bruised, dirty fellows are unshaven, their clothing cut open and reveal angry red cuts. They hold pick axes at the ready and stare at you as if seeing ghosts. If the commoner woman, Maria is present, she will recognize one man as her father, Mazz, and others as the crew from her family’s raft flotilla. If she is not with the party (either Maria was not randomly discovered or
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules otherwise became separated from the team if they did find her) then these men will stagger forward, lowering their picks, but getting no more than a meter from the mouth of their tiny caves when the chains at their feet stop them from advancing further. “Who are you?” Asks a heavy set man with a gray streaked beard. If the PCs explain who they are and why they are there, the men beseech them to break their chains and let them join the characters in seeking revenge on the halfie, Kane and his pesky thugs. If freed, they will arm themselves with pipes (wielding in two hands) and follow the PCs. If asked what they are doing, they will explain that Kane has them working on expanding the base, but also looking for any military relics, and buried robot parts. They say that with the availability of power, that should Kane hire somebody with the right technical skills, he could have many robots built to serve him. They have seen no operational robots thus far. If questioned about Kane or what waits to the north in the yet unexplored mound level, they will reveal one of the following: Roll d6 or pick one or more replies to questioning and read to players: : 1,2. Read: One wild man with a bleeding lip and missing teeth, sputters as he shakes his head. “This is as far as they dragged us. Two others they took a few days ago… younger men, and said they were being invited to participate in a feast. We have been chained here for days, beaten and made to sleep in our own excrement. I will spend the rest of my life killing every last skullock I can find. Give me a weapon and I will go first and butcher these gray devils!” GM: This is Mazz, if asked about numbers of the enemy, he will only say that there are probably a dozen at least up ahead, some armed with relics, others being mutants and cyborgs. 3,4. Read: A man with a bushy, gray streaked beard and patch over his missing eye spits to one side before speaking. “Their boss, Kane, plucked out my eye and fed it to his dog because I disobeyed him! His skullocks have taken and eaten one of us each day, and he is as evil a man as ever walked the earth! He will torture you all. It is madness to go further, as he has many skullocks, over a dozen, some with guns, some are muties and some strap ons. Worse, now, with the power he has enabled, who knows what other horrors he can unleash. If you insist on taking him on, then you young folks better let me and my brothers go first, allow us to avenge ourselves, and maybe open a gap so you can get a clean shot at Kane. Hand me that pipe and I will break some heads!” 5,6. Read: A scrawny man with a long white goatee and face covered in faded scars and stitches, points down the hall to the north. “None of us have returned from going up there. They have eaten one of us each day, after a lengthy torture which we could all hear. Up there, is
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Kane’s quarters, as well as the lair of his trusted followers. The number at least fourteen, and one is a cyborg with a shotgun arm, and another is a mutant with strange powers to make you think your brain is about to gush out your mouth. Also, they just got the power running to the colored lights and then all this awful music started up. We also heard a metal plated man stomping about up there past the north hall, Whoever he is, the skullies are very excited about him and I heard one say that the lizard boy army will be annihilated by him. Please, hand me one of them pipes so I can break that generator and cease this old world devil music.
Here are the stats for these four pure stock commoner men:
Drane (bald guy): DV -3 (leather rags)/ END 18/ MV 5.75m / Init. +0 / Attacks: 1 pipe in two hands/ SV 0153 / DMG d10+4 / STR 28 / AG 21 / ACC 24 / INT 16 /
WL 42 / PER 28 / Valuables: nil / EFs 12/ Morale: average / Size: 1.5m / 68kg
Peelo (white gaotee): DV -3 (furs or skins) / END 32/ MV 5.75m / Init. +0 / Attacks: 1 club two handed / SV 01-53 / DMG club d12+6 / STR 38 (+2 DMG) / AG 28 / ACC 26 / INT 24 / WL 380 / PER 19 / Valuables: nil / EFs 20/ Morale: excellent / Size 1.8m / 90kg
Kritch (One eyed): DV -3 (rags) / END 26/ MV 5.75m / Init. -2 (one eye) / Attacks: 1 pipe in two hands / SV 01-53 / DMG d10+4 / STR 27 / AG 16 / ACC 21 / INT 31 / WL 26 / PER 14 / Valuables:nil / EFs 12/ Morale: average / Size 1.7m / 72kg
Mazz (Maria’s father): DV -3 (furs or skins) / END 42/ MV 5.75m / Init. +1 / Attacks: 1 pipe in two hands / SV 01-61 / DMG pipe d10+12 / STR 66 (+8 DMG) / AG 34
/ ACC 64 (+8 SV) / INT 26 / WL 53 / PER 52 (+1 initiative) / Valuables: nil / EFs 32/ Morale: excellent / Size 2.1m / 103kg There is nothing of value in this mining site. To continue, see Entry MM-U6, next page.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Entry MM-U6 Upper North Hall: Read to players: The hall is three meters wide, the concrete passage badly cracked and sand has fallen in and formed little piles along the wall every few meters. You hear loud music, hooting, shrill shrieks and the crash of a glass bottle from ahead. The hall is just over 20 meters long and seems to open out into a wider chamber ahead. A door once stood at the far end, but has been battered down and lays on the floor like a metal welcome mat. A torch stabbed into a crack in the wall sputters out, although strung along the wall are a collection of gently twinkling, multi colored lights which brighten with each thump of the music’s beat. If skullocks escaped from the long southern hall where several were changing a light bulb, they will have dashed ahead to warn Kane and his followers. The blaring rock music will still be playing, but the reception very different; see entry MM-U6A. If no skullocks were allowed to alert their master, then see entry MM-U6B.
Entry MM-U6A, Skullock Alerted: Read here: Eighteen meters up the hall, you see four skullock warriors with bows, two kneeling, two standing behind them. The entire group taking cover behind a plate metal half wall that is fitted on two old tires. This pavis, or archer screen, of iron is a meter tall and looks like it is impervious to bullets. “Fire!” One skullock shouts. Roll initiative. These skullocks are armed with bows and machetes and enjoy a -20 DV bonus from their 1m tall metal screen. If the PCs freed the four work slaves, these revenge-minded men will raise their pipes and rush ahead of the characters, shouting “Murdering Pesky filth!” And die fighting in an attempt to get at the skullocks. If the characters rush the gray humanoids, too, instead of firing ranged attacks at them, they can engage the skullocks on the other side of the pavis at melee range, but not easily. The front rank will toss their bows and fight with machetes, while the next rank will reload their bows, retreat back four meters into the larger chamber behind and fire at the heads of the taller PCs as they try to climb over the barrier. Note: The archer screen blocks the entire length of the north bound passage. Secondly, shotguns fires a spray of lead, and in this circumstance, one blast of buckshot (which is what is in a standard shell unless stated otherwise) can attack all four skullocks as they are tightly packed together. After defeating the skully archers, the characters can easily hop over the pavis and proceed into the area beyond (MM-U7), the central hall. They might also elect to use the wheeled metal contraption to screen themselves at some point, which two PCs can push at a rate of 3m
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per round, and all those crouching down behind the 1m tall (3 foot high) barrier gain -20 defense value.
Entry MM-U6B, Skullocks Unaware: At this point, the
skullocks are unaware that the characters have managed to reach the upper floor of the mound. The PCs may also have agreed to free the four slaves (one of whom is the NPC Maria’s father, although if she was not encountered or present at this time, the character’s won’t know this). Roll a d6 to see if anything occurs while the characters proceed up the passage:
1.2. Skullock patrol! Read: A hunched, muscular humanoid with a skull-like face suddenly steps into the passage from the far end. You realize that the thing is a cybernetically enhanced brute, with an optical implant scanning you as it simultaneously brings up its left arm, which has been severed from the elbow down and replaced by some sort of drum fed weapon with a single, stubby barrel. “Intruders!” It cries out, but its voice is drowned out by the thumping rock music. It aims at you and prepares to fire. GM: This cyborg pesky has a semi automatic shotgun implant arm, and can fire once every round and has 3d6+6 shotguns shells loaded in the implant. If it wins initiative, it will fire down the hall and its blast attacking the first three PCs or NPCs in its path. Should gunfire erupt, there is a 3 in 6 chance that the skullocks in the rest of the base hear the shot and are considered ‘alerted’ from this point forward. Skullock Cyborg Stats: DV -30 (alloy plated)/ END 44/ MV 4m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: shotgun blast or pummeling/ SV blast 01-65, pummeling 01-70/ DMG Shotgun 3d10*, pummeling d20 stun damage/ STR
54/ AG 12/ ACC 30/ INT 9/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 4/ Valuables: ammo/ EFs 50/ Morale: excellent/ Size 1.6m tall/ 120kg/ Implants: Shotgun implant* shotguns can strike up to three man sized targets if group together or standing one behind the other in a 3m wide area. Ammo 3d6+6 shot shells. The shotgun implant can be hacked off and sold for 400+2d100sp, minus any looted ammo from the magazine. If using the full hub rules to play this adventure, the GM could allow the weapon to be carefully detached and fitted on another cyborg by a robotics technician. 3,4. Skullock cheering: read: You hear a thunderous roar of many raspy voices cheering over the sounds of old rock and roll. Then suddenly “Kane! Kane! Kane!” Rings out and more cheering. The sounds seems to be echoing down the passage from ahead, yet further away than the large, six meter wide passage visible ahead of you. 5,6. No event. The way ahead is unhindered. The characters can proceed to entry MM-U7, the Warehouse Hive, next page.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Entry MM-U7 Warehouse Hive: This densely packed area is a warehouse where skullocks live amid steel shelving, skins, sticks and boxes of junk.
Read to players (perhaps showing the illustration below): The first of you to peer out into this large 6 meter across by roughly 18m long chamber see that it has a very high ceiling and is filled with a maze of rusty metal shelving. There are six shelves per each of the four stout warehouse racks. On each shelf are what appear to be a half dozen tiny sleeping nooks made from animal skins, old Elvis Presley T-shirts, cardboard boxes, faded posters, sticks, pelts, reptile skins and bones. The skulls and scalps of men and animals hang above each hut’s opening, while rickety ladders lead up to each level. So too, high up on the fifth and sixth tiers, lengths of freshly cut timbers and junk form narrow walkways connecting the highest sleeping cavities. To your right, only nine meters away the warehouse ends and you see a wide steel pull-down shutter door blocking the way out, although it is open by a hand’s width at the bottom and allows brilliant, flashing lights, painfully loud rock music and the hoots and cheers of celebrating skullocks to emanate from beyond. In the other direction, barely visible due to all the piled cardboard, empty glass bottles, shredded T-shirts and spilled promotional materials for the facility, you can see a meter wide trail that winds its way through the tall shelves to a recently dug cave that turns out of view to the east. Daylight faintly reflects down the shaft. If the skullocks were already defending this area with the archer screen, or other peskies came and alerted Kane and his followers, then this area will be occupied by waiting defenders who one by one or in small groups, leap out at the PCs from hidden corners, dark dens or piles of junk. Meanwhile, the skullocks in the western area beyond the shutter doors are working themselves
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up into a battle frenzy, expecting the intruders to burst through the door, but will not abandon their positions and come to the aid of those in the warehouse. On the other hand, should the PCs have miraculously gotten this far without alerting the inhabitants, then there will be no hostile reception planned, however, their arrival could still trigger an event (see random table below). If either nothing occurs or after any resistance has been neutralized, the PCs can either stay and look for loot, or move either left to The Steel Shutter Door (Entry MM-U7A, page 91), or right to the East Cave (Entry MMU7B, page 92). Depending on the strength and health of the PCs, the GM can adjust how many back to back attacks are launched against the characters while they wait in the Warehouse. If the alert has previously been sounded, roll d6 and add 6 to the number and consult the following table, however if the PCs have not triggered an alert and enter here, or linger to loot or move to the east and the cave, roll a straight d12 without modifiers on this same table. Any grenade blasts or gun shots fired in this area will ensure that the skullocks throughout the base are now alerted. Roll d6+6 if skullocks alerted, or d12 if not alerted:
1,2. Nobody home. Read: It appears that there are no defenders here, although several of the high-rise sleeping dens have animal skin curtains pulled across their fronts so might conceal sleeping or hiding foes. GM: There is a 4 in 6 chance that as the PCs peer about themselves, or enter the warehouse, that one of the curtains suddenly opens to reveal a female skullock clutching a baby to her bare chest. She inadvertently peers down at the PCs, but in terror pulls the curtain back and does or says nothing. 3,4. As the PCs emerge into this warehouse housing district of the base, they peer up to see a skullock male standing on a high, sagging wooden catwalk, urinating down against the old concrete wall across from you, his back to the PCs, one hand holding a half empty wine bottle, the other tightly grasping the steel upright of the shelving.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules This drunken pesky has no idea the PCs are there, and if not shot off his perch, will stagger back into a top floor den and collapse again, having no interest in anything going on beyond his own drunken rants and visions. 5,6. Read: As you enter this area you discover an active hive of young skullocks along with a half dozen pregnant females, who instead of clutching weapons, hold suckling babies to their bare chests. Upon seeing you emerge from the hall, they at first freeze up in utter terror, then one makes a run for it and pandemonium breaks out. Skullocks no higher than a man’s knee run about, some going passed you, others up ladders, some leaping under the massive steel shelving, while many run both east and west, screaming at the top of their lungs and trying to be heard over the deafening rock music. GM: These skullocks are non combatants, but, if cornered will grab a club or pull a knife, yet otherwise will not attack the PCs but instead hide or flee. Several of the tiniest, pot bellied youngsters will wail and squeeze themselves under the steel rolling-shutter doors that lead to Kane’s lair at area U8, and immediately tell the occupants of the PC’s arrival, while ethers will scamper down the cave toward area U11, and either hide or begin the risky climb down the face of the junk concrete and weed encrusted cliffs to get clear of any fighting. Pregnant non-combatant Skullocks (6+d4): DV -0/ END
5+d12/ MV 4m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 weapon/ SV 01-40/ DMG d8 knife/
STR 16/ AG 16/ ACC 25/ INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 5/ Morale: poor/ Size 1.1m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: nil Young Skullock non-combatants (3d6+10): DV -5/ END
2d6/ MV 9m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 club/ SV 01-40/ DMG d8 stun/ STR
9/ AG 43/ ACC 30/ INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 10/ Morale: poor/ Size 30 to 90cm tall/ 5 to 20kg/ Mutations: nil 7,8. Shooting gallery: Above, and using the metal shelving, skulls and stick walls as cover, 2d4 skullocks emerge with ranged weapons and begin to take pot shots the PCs as they enter the area, concentrating on the first two people to emerge from the north hallway (U6). These skullocks are each armed with a bow and twenty arrows, as well as a knife and fully prepared for the intrusion by the PCs. They fire with about half their body exposed but pull back to reload, getting a better defense value. Skullock Shooters (2d4): DV normal -12, half
cover -30, hidden and reloading -50 / END 10+d20/ MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 weapon/ SV 01-50/ DMG d12 arrow or d8 knife/ STR 24/ AG 33/ ACC 30/ INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: VP (very poor)/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: nil
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9,10. Crazed Young Skullies: Yearning to prove themselves to their parents and the older zealots, a horde of young skullocks clad in loin cloths and for the females, halter tops, too, snatch up lengths of rebar and pipes. They issue a screeching war cry and begin to either dash out, drop down and emerge from the cardboard junk piles, coming in waves of d4+3 at a time. The GM can determine how many waves depending on the previous injuries and number of PCs remaining. These youths do stun damage. Young Skullock Zealots: DV -5/ END 3d6/ MV
9m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 club/ SV 01-50/ DMG d10 stun/ STR 12/ AG 43/ ACC 30/ INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER
45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 10/ Morale: average/ Size 1.1m tall/ 30kg/ Mutations: nil 11. A mutant skullock leaps down from the top of a shelf right at a random character. This fellow has four arms, each wielding a baseball bat. The freak has eyes all around its head and is entirely naked. Four armed nudist Skull-
ock: DV -5/ END 38/ MV 9m/ Init. +4/ Attacks: 4 baseball bats/ SV 01-50/ DMG d12+4 stun each/
STR 24/ AG 33/ ACC 30/ INT 5/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 7/ Valuables: Bats are +2 SV, +2 DMG relics, worth 50+d20sp each if sold/ EFs 40/ Morale: Excellent/ Size 1.6m tall/ 70kg/ Mutations: 4 arms, 8 eyes (+3 initiative). 12. Madness! Combine rolls 5,6 and 11 into one result.
Looting the Warehouse-Den Shelving: The characters may want to
spend a few minutes climbing up into the sleeping dens of the warehouse apartments to look for loot or hidden skullocks, although they may realize that the occupants of the remainder of the base might be aware of them by now and preparing a counter attack or stout defense. Likewise, this mission is time sensitive, and they need to recover the generator and its attendant mechanic before dark. If the characters decide to forget about looting the filthy sleeping platforms, go to Entry MM-U7A, page 91, the Shutter Doors, and have them proceed from there. Allow each PC searching to find 3d6 silver pieces worth of Elvis Presley collectible cards, buttons, pins, pens and post cards, while one PC strikes the mother load and finds one of the following items, roll d4: 1. Under a pillow made from human skin, is a fragmentation grenade. 2. In a plastic box with a cracked lid, beneath a dozen freshly pulled reptilius teeth, the character finds an assortment of ammo: 3d6 pistol rounds, 3d6 rifle rounds and 3d6 shotgun shells. 3. Used as a crib and hanging from the ceiling in this one cubby is a ballistic police shield (user can’t use two
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules handed weapons but gains -5 defense value, but -22 against incoming bullets with a reduction of -0.5m movement per round). 4. Hidden under pelts and filthy, urine smelling T-shirts is a fully loaded pistol grip pump shotgun with folding stock, sling and built in barrel flashlight. The light has enough power remaining for 3d6 hours use, while the gun has 8 shells loaded. While wasting time looting, there is a chance that a patrol turns up: 4 in 6 chance if the base has been alerted, while if the base is not alerted is only 1 in 6. The patrol will consist of 4+d4 regular skullocks with javelins and knives and commanded by a mutant skully with two heads, massive build and wielding a battle axe in two hands. He also wears thick armor made from wires, computer parts, keyboards and loops of cable. This squad appears from behind the PCs from the north-south hallways after having climbed up the elevator following a swamp patrol to the north. Skullocks, Regular (4+d4): DV -12/ END 10+d20/
MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 weapon/ SV 01-50/ DMG d12 javelin or d8 knife/ STR 24/ AG 33/ ACC 30/ INT 2d6/ WL
40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: nil Skullock two headed brute with battle
axe: DV -30/ END 52/ MV 4m/ Init. +2/ Attacks: Battle
axe/ SV 01-70/ DMG d20+4/ STR 44/ AG 29/ ACC 38/ INT 9/ WL 60/ PER 35/ App 7/ Valuables: Belt pouch holds 4d6 gold coins and d100 silver coins along with an anti-toxin injector and Elvis Presley commemorative gold figurine worth 300+2d100sp. Only reveal this if PCs declare they loot the bodies of defeated skullies!/ EFs 60/ Morale: excellent/ Size 1.9m tall/ Weight 190kg/ Mutations: Larger plus has two heads +1 initiative, if one head neutralized by mental attack of sniper shot, other head continues to operate the body.
Entry MM-U7A, The Steel Shutter Door: Read to players:
This warehouse style industrial door has been nearly sealed by those on the other side, although is not locked nor particularly robust looking. It is also open 15cm along the bottom (half a foot) and you can see flickering lights and shadows moving about within. Exceedingly loud music pounds and rattles the rusty metal door. You can either drop down and take a peek through the gap, or try and grab hold and thrust open the portal and face whatever is on the other side. The characters can either have one or more PCs reach down, grab and thrust open the door, or, have one or more lay on his or her belly can peer under. For the former, more assertive deed, read the next paragraph Assertive Deed, but if the PCs peer under, skip the next paragraph and go to the Peering Under the Door Table, on the right.
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Assertive Deed: The door flies up and opens with a crashing of metal and hail of rust. Not only was it not locked, but it was counter-weighted to open and close with only a touch. If Kane and the base have NOT yet been alerted to the arrival of the intrusive PCs, see roll 1-4 on the Peering Under the Door Table, below, however, after reading that, tell the players that their arrival has now been made obvious, and rushing at them from the holograms are 2 skullocks per PC, each is armed with a Javelin, who throws it at the character before coming on with drawn, rusty knives (stats same as regular skullocks on left). If the base has been alerted to the characters, then the same number of skullocks are standing right in front of the PCs, and instead of throwing their javelins, try and stab forward. If surviving the battle with the skullies, the PCs may advance into the large room, see entry MM-U8, page 92. Table MM-7 Peering Under the Door Results
Read to anyone peering under the door, although if the base is alerted to the PC’s intrusion, roll d6+3, while if the skullocks are still unaware of the characters, roll a regular d6:
1-4. Read: Your eyes must become accustomed to a series of flashing, multi colored lights, yet you soon see an assortment of work benches, curtains, wires running across the floor and a mixture of small, muscular gray skinned figures in junk armor, mixed among ghostly green and blue young human women in skirts dancing and cheering up at the Elvis God on a raised, hologram stage holding a device to his mouth and gyrating his hips as he sings to the crowd. You get the impression that you are looking at a large, high ceiling room, although the back, right hand side is collapsed and thousands of tons of debris have filled part of the vast chamber. On the work benches are man-shaped machines, many of them in pieces, some with missing legs, crushed chests or no heads. A sheer curtain seems to block your view deeper into the room, although you can see the silhouetted shapes of several skullocks cheering something further north and out of your view. 5 and up. Describe roll 1-4, above, to players, then read here: You next observe several pairs of feet, both booted and sandaled leaping in front of the door from either side and then the pointy ends of javelin tips as gray skins try to stab you in the eyes! GM: For each player who declared his or her character was looking under the shutter door, make an attack on the character’s eye. Only the character’s agility, dodge or any helmet’s DV bonus applies, so ignore any defense value from the PC’s armor. A hit means a javelin tip has punctured the character’s left or right eye, if so, roll d6 here: 1. Brian puncture and instant death for the PC (unless having two heads, in which case only the one head dies, wilts and eventually drops off after 2d4 months. 2,3. The javelin tip sticks fast through the eye. As the
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules weapon is withdrawn, the eye is yanked free. The character must make a willpower based type D hazard check or pass out from the pain for 3d6 minutes plus suffer 4d6 damage. 4,5. As the javelin is withdrawn, the eye does not get yanked free, but is badly damaged and the PC loses use of the eye for 6d6 months and in that time fights at -10 SV. 6. Eye is missed by a centimeter and gashes the PC’s check, causing a permanent scar that reduces the PCs appearance score by d4+1 points. After this eye stab attack, the skullocks on the far side yank the door open and charge forward. They number 2 per PC. If surviving this scrap the characters can advance into Kane’s lair. See entry MM-U8, bottom right, this page.
Skullocks (2 per PC): DV -12/ END
10+d20/ MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 weapon/ SV 01-50/ DMG d12 javelin or d8 knife/ STR 24/ AG 33/ ACC 30/
INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: VP (very poor)/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: nil
Entry MM-U7B, The East Cave: Read to players:
Even as you enter his narrow, meter wide passage, you can smell fresh air, although it is the familiar, boggy, vegetation scented air of the swamp. It appears as though the passage was recently cut, as the tool marks are fresh, the dust and cobwebs limited.
There is a 4 in 6 chance that the PCs run into one or more skullock guardians near the end of this short cave. If so, they appear 4 meters away and must be dealt with single file, with the team’s first person in the marching order doing all the fighting, unless, he or she is shorter than the person behind by 50% or kneels to fire so the person behind can shoot over his or her head.
Roll d6 for what occupant appears: 1-3. ‘Krush’ the Cyborg Skullock: Read: A gleaming, thickly built, metal and junk clad skullock stands tall in the path ahead of you. It glows a dull green and exhibits one shining red eye, the other is a sunken eye socket. One of its arms are huge and so heavy that the humanoid leans to the other side to balance itself. In its other limb, which is also amputated and replaced by a cybernetic killing tool, it holds out the barrel of a gun, aiming at your foremost excavator. Roll initiative….
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GM: This special cyborg stands guard day and night here, never sleeping, and having its food, power cells and excrement conducted to or from it by regular skullies. It will neither chase nor retreat from diggers, but stands its ground and only lets skullocks it recognizes slip passed him. The exception to this is if he is called to help from either Kane, or either of Kane’s two concubines. He will fire his stun pistol arm first, and if engaged in melee uses its power arm. This freak gleams because he also has a force field generator in operation, which reduces total damage received per round (not per attack) by -10. Krush, Skullock Cyborg Guard-
ian of death: DV -31 (-10 DMG per
round due to force field)/ END 64/ MV 5m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: stun pistol or power arm / SV pistol 01-65, power arm 01-60/ DMG 2d20 stun, power arm d20+16/ STR 24, power
arm 116/ AG 33/ ACC 30/ INT 4/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 2/ Valuables: spare fully charged power cell in hip pouch/ EFs 70/ Morale: average/ Size 1.9m tall/ 190kg/ Mutations: larger than normal/ Implants: weapon arm stun pistol, power arm, armor enhancement steel carapace (-31 DV, increased endurance, slowed), force field generator -10 damage per round (not per strike against it) against it. 4-6. Mutant skullocks, horny male and shocking female: One bulky fellow with two horns, leads the way. He is followed by a stick-slender female who hangs back and shoots electrical pulses from her forehead. The horned male will crouch low and make to gore the first PC in line in the crotch, allowing his mate to shoot over him at taller humans. The female, keeping back four meters, is 2nd rank and can fire 6 pulses per day. If the PCs dispatch the male, she will run back down the cave to area U11 on page 99, and join any other defenders, hiding behind cover (-20 DV bonus) and waiting for the intruders to appear. Skullock Mutants: DV -12 / END horned male
38, slender female 22/ MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 weapon or mutation/ SV machete 01-50, horns 01-56, pulse 01-70 (range 160m)/ DMG machete d12, horns 2d10, electrical pulse d20 or 3d20 to cyborgs and machines / STR 24/ AG 33/ ACC 30/ INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER
45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: none carried/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: male 2 horns, female electrical pulse.
Entry MM-U8 Kane’s Lair: This is most likely the most complicated encounter in the adventure, and the primary engagement between the PCs and Kane’s followers. It is a good idea to pre-read this section prior to running this portion for your players.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Whatever method the characters use to enter, read the following to describe the large chamber: The chamber you have just burst into is large, being 24m long from north to south, and 20m deep. Although the brilliant lights, and cheering ghostly crowd make it hard to see much of anything, you can see that the cracked ceiling is at least nine meters above you. In both the south west corner and along the east wall, the walls have long ago failed and tons of rubble, rusted automobiles and junk fill the place from floor to ceiling. Loud rock and roll music belches from a series of speakers while ceiling mounted strobe and spot lights flash and cast their beams about the place, making you squint. Holograms of hundreds of screaming 1950’s teenage girls move about the entire place, all facing a raised, holographic stage upon which a dark haired, suit clad ancient man sings and gyrates his hips, interacting with the transparent fans. Amid the cheering crowd are metal work benches and trays covered in tools. On five of the benches lay the shattered remains of tall, metallic humanoids, many missing arms or heads. However on the sixth table, swinging its legs over the edge and getting up, is one more of the machines, who looks fully operational. It has a cable running from its back, along the floor and running to the rear of the room near a plastic curtain. There, smoking away and blinking is a barrel sized generator with about three dozen cords plugged into its open access panel. A skullock pours an amber liquid into the top of the machine. Closer at hand, between you and the now standing robot and generator, you observe over a dozen small, unarmed, pregnant female skullocks — some bald and others with long flowing white hair, yet all with the same hideous skull-like faces as the larger fighters you’ve met elsewhere. These heavy bellied females run about in sheer panic, trying to snatch up foot tall youngsters and crawling baby peskies. These terrified non-combatants have seen you and run into the two massive rubble
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mounds, seeking cover in holes. With their grayish skin, the creatures seem to vanish into the debris. At the furthest reaches of the chamber, over twenty meters away and behind two tied-back silk curtains, is an open bed chamber. There in, you get a glimpse of Soggy Hearth’s Headman’s adopted daughter, the beautiful cyborg mechanic, Sawndraa. So too, you see her captor, Kane the Invincible. The Half breed mercenary wears riot armor and has a submachine gun hanging on his back by a strap. Although surprised, he manages to put on his Kevlar helmet and goggles and regard you briefly before all hell breaks loose.
The arrival of the PCs here will not go unchallenged. If Kane has been warned of the PC’s approach, see entry MM-U8-A. If, by some miracle the PCs reach the lair of Kane without the half breed being notified, see entry MM-U8-B, at the bottom of this page.
Entry MM-U8-A, Kane Alerted:
Kane hesitates until the last minute before leaving. He wants to get a look at those who are screwing with his operation and hindering his romantic liaisons. Furthermore, he gives no warning to non-combatant skullocks in order that they might serve to draw fire away from him. He abandons the generator, but will not abandon the woman he is so smitten with. He has Sawndraa cut free of the chair, but her hands remain tied behind her back by stout plastic coated wires. Furthermore, he has two remotely pretty female skullocks help him hustle the prisoner away toward the escape tunnel at the rear of the room. Having met eyes with the PCs, and memorized their faces, he departs. As he goes, he orders his defenders to hold the lair, protect the generator, and counter attack. The PCs must content with Kane’s warriors before pursuing the man and his hostage. See Entry MM-U8-C, page 94 for the defense of the lair.
Entry MM-U8-B, Kane Surprised: The characters have somehow arrived here via stealth, and now, blast or bash through the shuttered steel door with little effort and burst in.
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Read here: Besides the holographic singing man and his screaming fans, you also observe a skinny, bespectacled skullock at a computer station, looking up from the screen as the other rubble goblins scream and run off. Beyond him, over twenty meters from you, Kane, at the far northern end of the vast, partially collapsed chamber, spins about from where he was busy lip-syncing Elvis love songs to his bound hostage, Sawndraa. The attractive cyborg is tied to a metal chair, with her right fully mechanical arm bound extra firmly in industrial zip-ties. She is dressed in a torn black T-shirt and leather overalls and wears knee high leather boots. Two somewhat pretty skullock females in skirts and high heel shoes stand nearby, one holding a relic makeup kit, the other a tray with two half full glasses of red wine on it. Kane, thinking fast, says something to the two skullock attendants while he himself leaps behind the chair and his hostage for cover. The pesky girls, assisted by their master, simply lift her chair and begin to crab walk out of view toward the right. Your line of sight to her is broken by holograms of screaming generic women and hysterical, hideous skullock females. A second later, Kane and Sawndraa are gone, having slipped out some passage not visible from your vantage point. Between you and them, the ancient robot looms up, raising its right, gun festooned arm in your direction.
Entry MM-U8-C, Battle in the Lair: Kane’s defenders
have orders to repel any intrusion, and if winning are to pursue the interlopers all the way out of the mound and kill them someplace in the swamp beyond. Among his defenders are several unique skullocks plus a recharging combot. The combot is hooked to the generator by a 6 meter long power cable and can not go beyond this energy supply without detaching itself and going dormant after d6 rounds. It has not yet been programmed but knows not to detach itself from the power supply. It will stand and fire its laser carbine at the PCs, and if engaged in melee, will slash and stab with its spring spike. It will not harm or shoot too closely near any character who might have randomly found an ID card from Table MM-5 Warehouse Loot table, on page 80. This auto responding card broadcasts an identity sequence like those worn by its former masters. You may mention that the robot aims at the PCs, rolling randomly among the targets but openly excluding the PC who happens to have the ID card. This hint dropped, might make the player consult his or her character sheet to see what reason, or possession, makes the robot act in this way. This PC could in theory walk up behind the combot and unplug it, shutting it down in d6 rounds.
Light Combot: DV -25 / END 40 / MV 7m / Init. +0 / Attacks: laser carbine or spring-spike / SV carbine 0180 (range 2km), spike 01-62 / DMG carbine 2d20+10, spike d12+12 / STR 80 (+10 DMG) / AG 40 / ACC 54
/ INT 34 / WL 110 / PER 34 / Valuables: nil / EFs 50 / Morale: NA / Size 2.1 m / 120kg / This unit can fire 40 shots per day with its laser carbine, as well as have the weapon accept standard power cells, power packs or plugged in cables from vehicles or installations. This recently put together unit has just been hooked to ‘Smokey’ the generator and has no independent power beyond the 6m cable it is attached to. Once powered up, it will however kill Kane and all his skullocks as it serves cryogenically frozen ancient elites trapped elsewhere in the mound. These ancient ‘one percent’ fear and detest mutants of every kind and have programmed the robots to kill non generics (non-pure stocks) on sight.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules The unique skullocks will not emerge from their hiding places until the old military robot is dispatched, or else the PCs are being defeated and begin to break and run. The skullocks present are 3 of the following individuals, rolled randomly or pre-selected by the game master during adventure set up. They will work together, either attacking in melee, using mental mutations or relics from afar, but doing their best to give their master, Kane, and his would-be future mistress, Sawndraa, time to escape in the opposite direction of the PC’s advance. Any unused unique skullocks can appear elsewhere if needed but only if the PCs are having an easy time of this adventure with few deaths and most of them at more than half their endurance values. Table MM-8 Unique Skullocks Table d6 Pick or randomly roll three freaks
1 2 3 4 5 6
Metal Pincered Cyborg Shooter Skullock Shelled Tendril User Crazed Biter Telekinetic Bikini-Clad Skullock Mind Masher Skullock
Metal Pincered Cyborg Skullock: DV -32/ END
80/ MV 6.5m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 2 cybernetic pincers/ SV 01-62/ DMG 3d10+d12 / STR 44/ AG 21/ ACC 34/ INT 8/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 90/ Morale: excellent/ Size 1.9m tall/ 170kg/ Mutations: nil/ Implants: two pincers. Having an alloy enhanced skeleton, this broad, stitched together freak employs a pair of cybernetic pincers to mince its victims within close range. Once the robot is dispatched, it will shriek and pop up from behind a metal work bench and run at the characters, range 9 meters away and attack to the death, shouting “Elvis be praised!”.
Shooter Skullock: DV normal
-25, in cover -45/ END 28/ MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: assault rifle (rate 3, range 900m) or machete/ SV assault rifle 01-62, machete 01-50/ DMG rifle d20, machete d12/
STR 24/ AG 33/ ACC 30/ INT 11/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 14/ Valuables: spare magazine with 3d10 rifle rounds/ EFs 30/ Morale: excellent/ Size 1.4m tall/ 60kg/ Mutations: nil/ Relics: assault rifle. This skullock wears riot armor and wields an assault rifle. He is also crouched up among the rubble pile to the east, 18m from where the PCs enter the lair and 12m from where the combot is situated, covering his master’s retreat. As soon as the combot is defeated, this marksman will open fire from the cover of the concrete rubble (-20 DV bonus, shooting at a rate of three cartridges per round
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with each bullet at a different random PC). He has a spare magazine with 3d10 rounds of ammo in it, while the mag in the weapon currently is fully loaded (30 rounds).
Shelled Tendril Skullock (2nd rank): DV -40/ END 46/ MV 5m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 4 tendrils (6 times per day) or bash/ SV tendrils 01-60, bash 01-50/ DMG d12 stun or 2d20 stun to cyborgs and machines/ STR 34/
AG 28/ ACC 30/ INT 9/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 2/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 40/ Morale: excellent/ Size 1.7m tall/ 170kg/ Mutations: Shell and paralysis tendrils. Having a crab like shell, massive build and instead of arms a series of sticky tendrils, this shelled nightmare will attempt to rush toward the bulk of the characters. Its 4 paralysis tendrils each have a reach of 3m and will dart out and slap enemies, doing d12 stun to organic beings or 2d20 stun to cyborgs and other machines. This stun damage remains for 1 hour then heals at a rate of 1pt per minute thereafter. Its shell is Extra Heavy, and if this freak uses up its 6 paralysis slaps per day, will simply bash into one opponent per round doing 2d6 damage per hit.
Crazed Biter Skullock: DV -50/ END 32/ MV 15m/ Init. +3/ Attacks: 1 bite/ SV 01-60/ DMG d10+ type C paralysis venom/ STR 44/ AG 77/ ACC 53/ INT 7/ WL
40/ PER 104/ App 5/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 40/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: poison bite This naked skullock is insane and runs on its all-fours. It has an oversized set of jaws and bites its victims, trying to nip them with its venomous fangs and inject paralytic venom. Anyone bit by this freak must make an endurance based type C hazard check or collapse and become immobilized. The victim can hear, see and feel everything, but cannot move for the next 3d6 minutes. This dog-like, naked humanoid is exceedingly quick and hard to hit. Once it dispatches a victim it will rush to the nearest standing opponent and try and naturalize that target, too.
Telekinetic Bikini-Clad Skullock: DV -0/ END 36/ MV 1m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: Telekinetic throw (range 40m)/ SV 01-80/ DMG d20+3 stun/ STR 5/ AG 10/ ACC
18/ INT 29/ WL 40/ PER 12/ App 3/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 40/ Morale: average/ Size 97cm tall/ 80kg/ Mutations: telekinesis This skullock has no legs or arms and sits amid pillows like a sack, her tall, forehead topped by a tuft of pink hair, her eyes squinty, a constant stream of drool flowing from her mouth, and a yellow polka-dot bikini strapped to her bulbous torso. She uses telekinesis to hurl the limbs of robots at the PCs, and being 3rd rank, she can hurl 12 objects per day. Treat each object as a blunt chunk of metal doing d20+3 stun damage only.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Mind Masher Skullock, 2nd rank: DV normal -
Post Battle Follow-Up
If somehow surviving the battle with the combot and subsequent trio of Kane’s defenders, the PCs may choose to do one, none, or some combination, of the following:
A. Confront the nerd skullock hiding behind the computer desk, who does nothing except soil himself in fright. B. Go to ’Smokey’ the generator, unplug it and take it with them. C. Forget about Kane and Sawndraa the hostage and return the way they came up though the elevator shaft, trying to get the generator back to the Village of Soggy Hearth before Dark. D. Go to the rear of the chamber and find out where Kane and his two attendants took Sawndraa. Results of Post battle choices:
A. Confront the nerd skullock:
This teenage skullock is half human, although very smart considering his lineage, and devoted to Kane. He wears a pair of tattered scooby-doo® underwear and a stained Elvis T-shirt. He carries no weapon and will curl into a ball to make himself look as nonthreatening as he can in hopes the PCs ignore him. If any character looks at the computer monitor, it reveals four camera views. Read here what the PCs see: The screen is divided into four live video feed views. One shows the remote turret on the lower level, another captures the still smoldering village of Soggy Hearth as seen from high up on a ruined spire across the river, revealing the villagers walking about burying dead and repairing the defenses. The third view shows the square lake that you crossed to get to the mound, but the view is from the mound’s top and facing the right side and looks along some sort of cable that leads from the mound down to a cluster of tree studded ruins on the edge. The final camera, which is also mounted on the mound, pans coun-
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ter clockwise, showing the lake and surrounding swamp forest. All at once, it reveals the catwalk where you came across. Swarming over the catwalk, and wading through the water alongside the raised walkway, are hundreds of crudely armed green and yellow skinned reptilius lizard folk, massed for the attack. Some carrying ladders, a few with relic guns, while others show off the heads of skullocks, pure stock humans and mutants high above on trophy poles. There are at least four hundred of the lizard warriors, and they are heading your way!
12 , in cover -22/ END 18/ MV 4m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: Mind Crush (6 times per day, range 120m) or punch/ SV punch 01-50, mind crush: targets gets type B intelligence based hazard check or suffers d20 END damage and d6 INT damage, punch d6/ STR 12/ AG 15/ ACC
19/ INT 26/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 4/ Valuables: nil/ EFs 40/ Morale: average/ Size 1.1m tall/ 40kg/ Mutations: Mind crush. This orb headed, striped freak carries no weapons and instead fires Mind Crush from where he sits in an old lawn chair on the far side of a computer monitor and desk (gains -10 DV). He will pick a random PC each round to launch Mind Crush on, although like the others, waits to see if the robot can eliminate the PCs before exposing himself to harm.
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Half-Skullock Nerd (Nigel): DV -8/ END 22/ MV 6m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 2 Martial arts expert, 4 skill points or 1 weapon/ SV martial arts 01-67, weapon 0156/ DMG 2d6+3 fists or d8 knife/ STR 29/ AG 74/ ACC
58/ INT 49/ WL 27/ PER 45/ App 13/ Valuables: nothing carried/ EFs 40/ Morale: poor/ Size 1.6m tall/ 54kg/ Mutations: nil Nigel, one of Kane’s eldest sons, the halfie is actually a very skilled marital artist, and while cowering and pleading for his pitiful life is his primary tactic, he will not hesitate to lash out and try and fight his way free. If left unattended, or with one guard, he will try to knock out the guard then grab a stash of hidden supplies and a fully loaded automatic pistol and disappear up through a hidden hole in the south west rubble pile, then escape across Square Lake via a small raft he has stashed on the north side, and row east and try to get aboard Kane’s armored swamp barge. Once aboard, he will conceal himself and wait for the chance to emerge with his pistol and one by one, eliminate the PCs should they have taken control of the craft. He hates Sawndraa, too, and will do everything to seek revenge against her for not accepting Kane’s love, and bringing about his downfall.
B. Unplug and commence to take the generator:
As soon as the PCs begin to unplug the chugging, smoking machine, the lights at the south half of the chamber switch off. GM: If the PC turn off the machine completely and unplug the cords, all lights, music and other systems will fall silent and dark. The generator is an extremely advanced machine and weighs 65 kilograms, requiring two strong characters to heft and do nothing else. Fur-
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules thermore, when tipped on its side, hot fuel spills out on one random character, burning his or her hand.
C. Forget about Kane and Sawndraa and return the way
they came: If the generator was switched off and taken, all internal lights have gone dark within the mound. So too, if the characters did not look at the computer monitors, they will not see the horde of reptilius approaching the mound’s first floor. When the characters get to the cave mouth and look out, they will see hundreds of reptilius rushing up the side of the man made hill, 3d12 firing arrows at the PCs as they emerge. Quick thinking PCs will retreat inside the mound, and possibly climb up the elevator shaft again and somehow detonate the stored fuel at the lower lobby, collapsing the shaft and killing dozens of lizard folk who will have pursued the PCs into the facility.
D. Go to the rear of the chamber and find out where Kane and his two attendants took Sawndraa. See entry MM-
U9, below.
Entry MM-U8-D, Kane Flees with his dream girl: Kane decides to retreat to a safe location during the fighting, and will have two skullocks drag his bound and beloved prisoner, Sawndraa the mechanic, along behind him as he makes his escape out a back tunnel (entry U9), and flees. Have the characters spot the armored half breed fleeing with the captive, Sawndraa, getting a glimpse of the fine mechanic who they will recognize since she has been to Sandbarra frequently to buy parts and socialize in the Rafters Pub. Any male character with an appearance score over 30 will also be recognized by her, and she will call out to the man, by name, for his help! If more than one male PC has such fine looks, she will call to each of them. Kane’s aim, if the battle goes poorly for his people, is to first hook up then shove Sawndraa ahead of him and then take the zip line himself off the mound and get to his armored barge at the edge of Square Lake. If not receiving the all clear flag from the large cliff side cave, he will know he has lost both the mound and generator and so have his remaining loyal skullocks row him away to safety deeper into the swamp. Entry MM-U9 West opening to secret tunnel: Kane, his two female side kicks and the object of his primary obsession; Sawndraa, have fled into this tunnel and are well ahead. If the PCs give chase, read here: The rough-cut passage is between a meter and two meters wide, almost two meters high at best, and dips down, turns around impassable masses of concrete, then climbs up over other blockages. Every so often the lower areas are filled with knee deep pools of filthy water. There seem to be no side passages.
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If the PC eliminated all opposition in the lair within one minute (20 rounds) and are now in hot pursuit of Kane’s group into this passage, then see entry U9-A. On the other hand, and most probably, if the characters give chase many minutes later, see entry U9-B, bottom, this page.
Entry U9-A: Realizing how close the PCs are, that his new robot and elite defender’s failed to cover their retreat, Kane orders one of the half breed’s devotee concubines, called Krooty, to hang back at the half way point and wait in ambush for the PCs. At about the half way mark at the X on the map in that tunnel, a grenade wielding fanatic blocks the character’s way. She presents a frag grenade and puts her finger in the pull ring, shouting at the characters and saying. “Stop hume dogs, or I’ll bring us all death!” If the PCs don’t retreat at once, or attack but lose the initiative roll, she tosses the explosive. The blast shreds her (for d20+10 DMG), and surges down the cave and engulfs the first d4 PCs in the single file marching order, who instinctively duck and try to survive the blast: strike value 01-60, damage d10+5, plus, the passage rattles and each PC is attacked by a piece of falling debris (SV 01-50, damage d8). If proceeding, go to Entry MM-U9-B, below, upon reaching end of the tunnel. Entry U9-B, View from escape tunnel: The characters traverse the escape tunnel without incident, read here: You see daylight beaming down the passage ahead, and a moment later, your lead two comrades peer out on a huge cavern that has been excavated from the hard packed rubble. The far eastern side opens out to the open air and you can see the misty tree tops and jagged skeletons of ancient buildings far into the distance. In the middle of the cave is a wood and scrap metal scaffolding. It rises up and almost touches the precariously braced ceiling nine meters up. A heavy cable runs from the back wall, sags a bit under the weight of a dozen hanging handles, before running through a wheeled cranking system and then down and out the opening in the west side and across the brown waters of the square lake. The cable heads to a cluster of tree shrouded ruins at the edge of the vast, flooded plain. As you watch, you see the subject of your chase, Kane, speeding away on the zip line, holding one of the handled trolley contraptions. Right in front of him, her hands bound and hanging above her and looped through the handles of another trolley, is Sawndraa, the cyborg mechanic woman from Soggy Hearth. If Krooty did not confront the PCs with a grenade, then she and her fellow concubine, Zasher, will be waiting here, see entry U9-C, next page. However if she did detonate the grenade, killing herself, see entry U9-D, also on page 98.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Entry U9-C, Krooty and Zasher: To cover their master’s retreat one spotted skullock female has listened to the progress of the advancing invaders, and throws a fragmentation grenade at the front of the cave mouth, forcing the PCs back to seek cover (reduced potential harm to first d4 PCs in cave mouth, SV 01-60, DMG d12). The explosion partially collapses the tiny cave opening and forces the PCs to kick and pull debris away, wasting d6+1 minutes. In this time, the two skullocks plan to escape by way of the zip line; Zasher will snatch up a crossbow and prepare to shoot at the PCs as soon as they emerge the other, Krooty, pulls forward two zip line trolleys and makes ready for her and her bed-sister to escape. As soon as the PCs come free of the rubble, read here: Shoving away the last of the rubble, you peer out through the dust and falling craps of old plastic sheeting to see one spotted skullocks aiming a crossbow down at you from the top of the 4m high scaffolding, while the other diminutive female pesky speeds away down the zip line, clutching the handle tightly. Roll for initiative, with the female skullock, Krooty, on the zip line getting -20 DV and traveling 12m per round along the alloy cable. If the crossbow user is naturalized and the escaping pesky either let go or shot free of the line, the PCs will observe Kane and his hostage disappear into the vegetation within the cluster of ruins. They can either abandon the cyborg woman, who the village needs to run the generator and energy fence, or else send one or more of their own up the scaffolding and take the zip line in chase. It is assumed that at least some players will select this option, if so. See entry MM-S1, page 99.
Skullock Concubines (2): DV -5/ END Krooty 18, Zasher 21/ MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 weapon/ SV 01-50/ DMG d20+1 crossbow or d8 knife/ STR 24/ AG 33/
ACC 30/ INT 12/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 18/ Valuables: plastic jewelry worth 100+d100sp each/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 40kg/ Mutations: nil
Entry MM-U9-D, Zasher:
Having helped her master, Kane and his prisoner, Sawndraa, escape via the zip line, the remaining concubine, Zasher, turns to see the characters emerge from the escape tunnel and begins to shout “Help! Hume intruders! Krush, come save masta!”
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GM: If the PCs have not already explored the south east, short tunnel leading from the warehouse hive, then “Krush’ from roll 1-3 of that entry emerges from the other side of the scaffolding, 18m away, and attacks the characters. See Entry MM-U7B, The East Cave, back on page 92. If nobody comes to Zasher’s aide, she reaches out, grabs a handled trolley and tries to shove off and speed away, down the cable and away. If she wins initiative or is simply allowed to leave, she gains a -20 DV bonus while riding the zip line. If shot and dispatched, she falls dozens of meters to splash down amid the shallow, brown waters of Square Lake, a red tinge coloring the water about her and attracting aquatic scavengers. Once any fighting has taken place, the PCs can turn their attention to the large 18m wide opening in the eastern wall of the cave, and the destination of the zip line. Read to players: Far below, 900 meters away and now having made their way safely across Square Lake to the cluster of tree enshrouded ruins at the eastern edge, Kane and his prisoner disappear into the trees, their zip line ride over as they reach ground level. Nearby, hanging at the ready up on the top of the scaffolding, are nine more handled trolleys.
It is assumed that some PCs will be brave enough to hasten up the ladder to the top of the scaffold, grab a trolley, grip the handles firmly and get a run forward, going after Kane and his beautiful, highly skilled and very important captive. If so, see entry MM-S1, page 99.
Entry MM-U10 East Opening to Secret Tunnel: Unless
opened from the inside, with a couple of good kicks to knock free the scrap metal and piled blocks of rubble, the characters will not see this tunnel exit up on the north western side of this roundish, roughly excavated chamber. If for some reason the PCs left several PCs here to watch this area or were clever and came back here after Kane’s departure from area U8, then they will see the hidden escape tunnel burst open. Spewing out is the half breed skullock, Kane, tugging the cyborg woman, Sawndraa, and followed by two skullocks women. Kane and the two female peskies will be entirely surprised to see the characters, whom the PCs will get the drop on as they hear them smashing down the plug in the cave and have time to take cover and aim.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Any shots directed at the skullocks that miss are considered directed at Sawndraa, and the PCs could quite easily kill her. Kane, grabbing his submachine gun from the small of his back, has no such concerns about hitting the intruding excavators and will open fire. See his NPC section on page 109, while Sawndraa’s write up starts on page 108. For the skullocks concubine’s statistics, go back a page to Entry U9-C, Krooty and Zasher to see their stats. Krooty holds a fragmentation grenade and will throw it at a random PC as soon as she gets her turn to act. If the PCs are too many and too tough, Kane will yank Sawndraa with him, using her as a human shield and go back into the escape tunnel, forcing a GM directed hostage crisis, especially if victorious PCs are at both ends of the passage. Important Adventure Note: The Reptilius Horde: At this point, if the PCs area not already aware of it from viewing the computer screen in area U8, an invasion force of over 400 reptilius are making their way to the lower level entrance of the facility, and swarming up the exterior of the mound. If a stand-off transpires, allow the characters to hear the war cries of the lizard folk, which Kane too will eventually hear and may try to deal with the PCs, saying “Let’s set aside our unprofitable differences and all take that zip line down to safety. You can have the silly generator and this cold hearted bitch, just let me and my concubines depart in peace. We’ll never return to these stinking bog-lands, but, if we meet again, I want to hire you bad ass mercs myself! Do we have a deal?” If the PCs agree, then he sends his concubines down the zip line first, then has several PCs go before Kane frees Sawndraa and, stealing a kiss on her surprised face, sends her off down the line. Reptilius arrows dart about her as she goes, and by the time Kane and the last characters ride out the cave mouth, 3d6+6 reptilius warriors climb into the opening below them, jumping at the characters and throwing javelins as the they whir away to safety.
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See Entry MM-S1A, Riding the zip line: The outcome of the zip line ride can be conducted by consulting two tables included in that section on the next page, with the weight and strength of the PCs determining their chances of a safe landing. As for what happens at the bottom, and if Kane or the PCs keep their word, that is off script action. If the PCs number 4 or less, wounded or perhaps carry valuables worth robbing them for, he will break his word and have his minions try to hold up, strip and enslave the PCs to serve as oarsmen on his barge.
Entry MM-U11 Cliff Cavern: The short cave leads out into a vast circular cavern which opens out to the sky on the eastern side. Here, Kane and his followers use a remarkably well fashioned zip line to winch freight up from the edge of the square lake’s edge, and as a way of rapidly escaping if needed. A wood and scrap metal raised tower sits in the middle of the 24m wide cavern, the pylon being 4m tall. The zip line has a dozen tandem wheel, stainless steel trolleys with handles, although no safety harnesses nor hang-down seats. There are however two dozen large buckets tied to ropes, and one long rope which is coiled next to the scaffolding and lashed to a special trolley with a hook hanging from it. Kane’s skullocks used this rope to pull up gear and their comrades from the far edge of Square Lake. See entry MM-S1, below if a PC wishes to take a zip line ride.
Entry MM-S1, Riding the zip line: Should the characters
wish to pursue Kane down the zip line, they may do so by unknotting a handled trolley and shoving off. The ride is terrifying, with the character getting up to a speed of 12 meters per round or more, and skimming along the swamp only meters from the water’s surface as they approach the cluster of tree shrouded ruins at the far east side of the footings. Taking the zip line is no easy thing, especially for weak or very heavy adventurers who might weigh the cable too far and either speed right into the shallow lake, or else smash into the low concrete wall that spans the front of the lower ruin before the zip line ends, shattering themselves. All characters taking the zip line must make a strength based hazard check, which differs according to his or her weight category on the following table. A second peril applies mainly to heavy characters who might make the line sag too far, and put them in the water or against the concrete wall near the end of the ride. Each character must face each table to follow, first testing their strength, and secondly, determining if their weight puts them in jeopardy or not….
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Table MM-9 Zip Line Strength Test
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Table MM- 11 Zip Line Weight Test
Character’s Weight
Strength Based hazard check to hold on
Character’s Weight
Below 40kg
Type A, but allowed a second check if failing the first
Below 40kg
nil
nil
41 to 60kg
Type A
41 to 60kg
1 in 20
1 in 20
61to 90kg
Type B
61to 90kg
3 in 20
2 in 20
91 to120kg
Type C
91 to120kg
5 in 20
4 in 20
121 to 140kg
Type D
121 to 140kg
10 in 20
7 in 20
Over 140kg
Type E
Over 140kg
16 in 20
11 in 20
Characters who fall from the zip line drop into the brown waters of the lake. See the GM’s map MM-2 from page 112 for a large scale view, or map MM-5 on page 115. With the unlucky PC dropping 30+d80 (d8x10) meters from the edge of the Clustered Ruins and the end point of the zip line ride. Roll 2d6 for the outcome: Table MM-10 Falling from the Zip Line Results
2d6
2. PC falls onto a sharpened metal protrusion and impales him or herself for d100 damage. 3,4. PC falls into a very shallow area where the concrete of the barely submerged ruins below are impacted with full force, inflicting d20 stun damage and also treated as an additional lethal attack, with the PC armor perhaps saving his or her life: SV 01-70, damage 2d20 lethal. 5,6. The PC lands directly into the water but on splash down, smacks one leg across a concrete wall which lies just under the water. The leg is shattered. The PC, while surviving the fall, has a broken leg and moves half speed for the next 3+d3 months. 7,8. The PC splashed down well, landing deep in a pool and emerging safely. There happens to be a submerged wall top that runs all the way to the eastern edge of the lake and parallel to the zip line’s course, allowing the character to walk all the way to where the cable disappears over the low wall. 9,10. As in roll 7,8, however the character’s mighty splash attracted the attention of d4+2 blood flyers which appear from 3d6+6 meters away to the north and rise up and attack him or her. 11. As in roll 5,6. however, the character’s landing attracted a large mutant alligator that begins to splash and pull itself through the water directly at the PC from the south, range 20+d20 meters away! 12. The hapless character lands right on a partially submerged large mutant alligator, feet first at the base of the animal’s skull and inflicts 3d10+10 damage to the previously sleeping beast. If doing more than 30 damage on the first drop, the gator splashes madly and drives down beneath the surface getting as far from the PC as possible. If less than 30 damage was inflicted by the character’s fall, then the gator roars and attacks the PC mercilessly.
Chance cable sags into lake
Chance Hits Concrete wall
If a character sags into the lake, it means he or she skims the surface of the predator infested, shallow lake, dragging his or her legs through the fetid water and risking injury or being snapped at by something below the surface. Roll 2d6 for what occurs to sagging characters: Table MM-12 Results of Dragging Through Lake
2d6
2. The PC sees a large alligator emerge out of the brown water directly ahead of him, its mouth opening in anticipation of the easy meal. The character can let go with one hand and either fire a one handed weapon, throw a dagger or try and kick the gator’s snout aside. If this attack fails, the excavator slides feet first into the waiting monster, up to his or her armpits. The jaws of the gator snap shut on the PC making a +30 SV attack. If the monster’s attack hits, the gator submerges with the PC in its jaws and chews and crushes the PC beneath the water, getting +30 SV each attack thereafter. Plus, the PC takes d6 extra stun damage per round from drowning. If the PC does 30 or more damage to the alligator, it will spit him or her out and vanish, allowing the lucky character to bob to the surface and swim to the nearby ruins. 3-5. The character splashes through a swarm of freshly hatched blood flyers, numbering 2d4, which burst into the air and give chase to the PC as he or she skims through the water toward the cluster of ruins, attacking the individual and any other warm blooded beings they find at the landing scaffold and vicinity. 6-9. The PC skims across the brown water, ripping through water lilies, vines and freshly laid blood flyer eggs. He or she has lost much momentum and faces the concrete wall of the ruin cluster… too low! Increase the odds of hitting the concrete wall by adding +5 in 20 (example, if weighing 91 to 120 kg, the PC would normally have a 4 in 20 chance of hitting the wall, but now, having lost speed, it is 9 in 20). 10,11. Dragging across the surface of the lake, the character’s foot snags on a upturned length of rusty rebar and tears him or her violently from the trolley handle. The PC tumbles head over heals and finally comes to rest on a shallow ledge of partially submerged concrete. Any holstered weapon is 50% likely to have come free of its bindings and sunk into the murky waters, lost forever. 12. The PCs skims along the water surface for many meters, dodging upturned rusty rebar, stepping over the
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules snapping jaws of a waiting mutant alligator, crushing three blood flyers as they hatch and made their first attempt at flight, and then, miraculously, shove off a concrete protrusion in time to save him or herself and get some height to automatically clear the low concrete wall at the end of the zip line ride. Table MM-13 Results of Hitting the Low Wall
2d6
If not yanked free of the trolley handle, then he or she might still be too low to pass over the wall and into the tree shrouded cluster of ruins beyond. If hitting the wall, roll 2d6 here: 2,3. The PC comes in far too low, and in a panic, tries to shift to one side and merely skewers him or herself on some jagged, outwardly jutting rebar stakes. There are 3+d3 sharp bars, each is treated as an attack on the character: SV 01-70, damage d12+2 each. If surviving, the PC is stuck fast and if not pulled free by comrades, is found here within 10+d20 minutes by hungry reptilius warriors, who commence to eat the doomed PC… slowly. They cut strips of flesh off the still living, shish kabob, starting with his or her legs and moving up. 4-6. Smack. The PC hits the lower part of the concrete wall full-on, face first, knocking him or herself out cold, toppling backward into the brown water and sinking in a deep spot. If not rescued, the PC will take d6 stun damage per round from downing. If saved, this drowning damage is immediately revered, but keep it separate from any other stun damage that may have befallen the character. 7-11. The PC’s legs smack into the wall. Each leg is 50% likely to break, with each reducing the PC’s walking movement by half. Should both legs be broken, the character can only pull him or herself with their arms at a rate of 1m per round. A PC crawling about on his or her belly suffers -20 to all melee attacks he or she might make, and is easier to hit and so attackers get +20 SV against the subject. 12. Shattered! The concrete wall in this spot breaks away as the PC smashes clear through it all, taking d6 stun damage and d6 lethal damage. The wall topples away behind him or her and is no longer a threat to any subsequent PCs who might come down from the mound.
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Entry MM-S2 Zip Line Landing Scaffolding and Ruin Enclosure: See map MM-5, on page 115, or download from
our website at: http://www.outlandarts.com/qsr.htm
Hidden from view amid the squarish, keep-like clustered ruins at the eastern lake shore, is the end of the line for the zip trolley. Two skullocks will be situated at the top of the wood and junk pylon, which stands 4 meters in height and is topped by a partial screen of wire, chain link fencing, canvas and sharpened stakes to keep blood flyers and winged slasher lizards from feasting on those stationed here. The guards can hear the cable twang and vibrate whenever an incoming trolley is speeding down the line, and listen to the incoming contraption as it begins to slow upon reaching the lowest dip in the cable and rises up for last few dozen meters to an easy landing. They are in visual contact with the Iron Rooster — the name for Kane’s metal clad cargo barge — which sits in a sluggish river which passes by Square Lake within mere meters before veering away to the east then south again. There are two peskies on watch in the screened in upper deck of the barge, keeping an eye on the those on the scaffolding. There is a skeleton crew of 4+d6 skullock regulars on the Barge, each armed with a machete, knife and crossbow, as well as a trusted captain half skullock mutant called Glowmax the Terrible. He has several mutations and a relic assault rifle. Finally, six prisoners are chained to the bottom deck, each positioned at an oar bench where they sleep, eat and defecate. Several possible events can happen down in the overgrown ruin cluster, but most likely Kane and Sawndraa arrive — the woman still his prisoner -- the characters arriving minutes later after Kane gets aboard his barge. The other, though unlikely possibility, is if Kane had to make some sort of deal with the PCs to get them all off the mound prior to the reptilius take over. This later possibility requires substantial game master oversight and creativity. See Other Outcomes 2, on page 107 for some thoughts on how to resolve this circumstance. If Kane arrives with Sawndraa, along with any surviving concubines, he will immediately let out a similar warning whistle as he speeds in for a landing. This specific whistle will make those on the scaffold cry out a warning hoot to the waiting barge, notifying the entire crew of approaching trouble. The barge captain, Glowmax, will prepare the Iron Rooster for emergency departure while the skullocks on the scaffold will use lengths of flexible tubing to slow Kane and Sawndraa’s arrival. Once seeing them safely on the raised deck and to the ladder, these skully guards will turn their attention to their own crossbows, aiming at any incoming characters who might be following their master. Once Kane and his prisoner hustle aboard the Iron Rooster it will take only 2+d3 minutes to cast off, and begin to turn fully about and point north toward the main river channel (not shown on the map).
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules Characters who successfully speed down the zip line without letting go, being eaten or smashing into the low wall in front of the small ruin enclosure, will see that they are about to be shot by two crossbow using skullocks and can do little about avoiding the steel tipped bolts. Read or paraphrase the following: As you speed down the zip line, you notice that the cable begins to level out and you are no longer picking up speed. Ahead is a cluster of ruins that are built right into the remaining footing uprights, and it looks like the cable takes you between these ruined protrusions and over a lower, rebar bristling wall and into the tree, vine and moss covered shadows beyond. There is a wooden scaffolding a dozen or so meters within the square mass of ruins, from which you see Kane departing by way of crude steps. Also on the scaffolding are two skullocks in junk armor, aiming crossbows at you and making ready to fire! Unless you decide to let go and drop down to the ruins and predator infested muddy water below, all you can hope to do is rely on your armor, or swivel about to make yourself a harder target. Waiting for the quarrels to puncture you, you look on only to see several arrows fly from the north and strike the crossbow users, who collapse screaming. As you land on the deck you see an armored barge docked only a dozen meters away on the
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other side of yet another wall, out in a twenty meter wide backwater river. The barge is being assailed by arrows from your side of the river, but to the north of you; the shooters not visible due to the rubble and vegetation. All at once, a female skullock with ornate black tattoos and clad in leather bikini steps out of the bush from the north, smiling and holding her bow in one hand, an arrow set on the string yet aimed at the ground, her other large hand flashing you the peace gesture. GM: Perhaps show players the illustration from page 110, Catwalk Collette, then read on or paraphrase: “I’m Catwalk Collette,” she says, smiling through broad dark lips and sharp looking yellow fangs. “I spoke at youz humes before you went onto da lake. Kane ditch me for your hume whore, and I venge him and his low borns. Hurry now, tallies, fight with us to take that water tank, and we row away before us all eaten by lizard boyz!” She points behind you, beyond the tall trees and concrete slabs of the enclosure and back the way you came. You see that along the raised walkway across the lake, and the lower levels of the mound itself are now swarming with dark shapes of reptilius who begin to pour up into the cave where the zip line is situated. Worse, many dozens have seen you ride through the sky… and where you went. With spears and bows raised high, they chant a hissing, raspy cry and begin to wade in your direction. You’ve got minutes to act. If the characters seem hesitant, or waste time, Catwalk will sense this and if not directly threatened or attacked, will make another attempt to urge the PCs to join with her few skullocks, Read here: “No fricken way youz or my few loyalists can out runs ‘em lizzies,” says Catwalk Collette. “Not on foot. Not into da bog.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules
Join us, and once we well away, we go ashore and back to our kind, you keep fricken barge for youz self, and we friends if meets’n future. Deal?” If the characters agree with Catwalk Collette, read the boxed text below, however, if the characters decline, panic or merely run off along the rubble strewn and shattered wall to the south, see entry S5, page 104. If they decide to stay and fight for the barge, see entry S3, below. Note: Catwalk Collette’s stats are included in the NPC section on page 110. She could become a very useful NPC, and perhaps make return appearance in future adventures, especially if she gets infatuated with one of the male PCs.
Entry MM-S3, battle for The Iron Rooster: Read here: Catwalk Collette draws and aims her bow to the east toward the armored river barge. The rusty, flat bottomed cargo vessel has three large oars per side, lacks a mast, and is dotted by arrow slits and gun ports. It has a raised rear poop deck and a typical landing ramp raised at the front end. The craft is about 6 meters wide and 14m long, and somewhat smaller than an average open water barge of its class. The ship, now with Kane and his captive aboard and hidden, begins to pull away from the lopsided wharf and turn about to the port side, its intention seems to be to head north. Suddenly, you see grappling hooks on the ends of bright yellow relic ropes fly high into the air from unseen throwers, the hooks clattering onto the barge. Skullocks on board the vessel fire crossbows, while a large, fat bodied shape in the upper tower unleashes an assault rifle, blasting away at those on the near shore. The skullock woman next to you fires her bow, the arrow narrowly missing the huge, obese mutant skullock. She looks to you. “Come, old kind, we attack together! Help us venge! Get away from liz-boys and slow death!” What do you do? The grappling hooks stop the Iron-Roosters from escaping and begin to pull it to the near shore. As the characters move up they can take cover along the low wall that overlooks the river, dock and barge, enjoying -20 DV cover. Read here: As you get into firing line along a low, crumbling wall, you get your first look at some of the skullock woman’s loyalists. They number about ten strong, and wear swamp grasses and moss tied to their limbs, armor and heads, making them look like walking shrubs. Although well hidden, they are being wiped out by crossbow bolts and the well placed shots of a large skullock on the raised deck. His assault rifle blazing out bright yellow muzzle flashes with each burst.
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The barge is 12m away from the characters and will soon be pulled against the shore so long as the grappling hooks are not cut free. Three peskies on the barge will set aside their crossbows and draw blades to cut the lines, exposing themselves and being only -12 DV for 2 rounds. The characters, along with the she-skullock, can stay and used ranged attacks, or try their luck going over the top, and rushing the barge, trying to board the craft and climb up to the covered rear deck. The big skullock, Glowmax, and his remaining skullocks, gain -20 DV from cover. Glowmax will turn all his fire on the PCs if they should begin to shoot relic weapons or mutations at him or his crew, or rush to board his ship (reminder that his crew consists of only 4+d6 regular skullocks). Kane, at this point, will stay out of sight in a lower cabin and busy himself securing Sawndraa to a chair with heavy rope, emerging after 4+d4 minutes if the barge has not already been boarded. Whenever he turns up or is confronted, he will use his submachine gun to blow away anyone who accosts him. See Kane’s NPC write up on page 109 for stats and details on a submachine gun (which is not part of the quick start Rules relic inventory). Glowmax the Terrible, warlord Skullock (4th rank): DV -32 in cover, normally -12/ END 88/ MV
4m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: assault rifle or battle axe in two hands/ SV rifle 01-80 (rate 3 shots per round), battle axe 01-72/ DMG d20 each bullet, or battle axe d20+14/
STR 82 (+10 DMG)/ AG 12/ ACC 61 (+6 SV)/ INT 11/ WL 92/ PER 18/ App 4/ Valuables: Carries a spare full 30 round mag for his rifle, cleaning kit worth 60+d100sp, tooth and scalp collection of no sales value, plastic worth 100+d100sp, and assorted jewelry items from victim worth 200+d100sp/ EFs 110/ Morale: Excellent/ Size 1.8 m tall/ 180kg/ Mutations: Abnormally huge and hideous/ Relics: assault rifle and spare magazine Glowmax is loyal to Kane because Kane has brought repeated victories and wealth to Glowmax and his family back in the tribe’s homeland in Twisted Wood. Glowmax’s clan have fallen from favor by the current leading families, including Catwalk Collette’s kin. He hates the female, and will not hesitate to harm her if able to capture her. Skullock crossbow crew (4+d6): DV -32 in
cover, normally -12/ END 10+d20/ MV 7m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: 1 weapon/ SV crossbow 01-58, knife 01-50/ DMG crossbow d20+1 or d8 knife/ STR 24/ AG 33/ ACC
30/ INT 2d6/ WL 40/ PER 45/ App 3d6/ Valuables: 3d6 silver pieces on each/ EFs 20/ Morale: average/ Size 1.3m tall/ 50kg/ Mutations: nil. Like most of the skullocks loyal to Kane, these barge crewmen are from the low status, shamed and banished
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules
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clans of the northern tribe, and looked to Kane to settle them in a new territory and bring them wealth and infamy. They take the loss of the mound hard, yet blame the intruding excavators, not Kane, for the arrival of the reptilius army. Should they get their barge free of the grappling hooks, and the vessel slips away, they are likely to muster 3d6+6 other skullock survivors of the mound and return to the village of Soggy Hearth within a few days, looking for the characters, and vengeance.
9. Old mutant man (DV -4, END 20+d20, MV 3m, base SV 01-50, with one prime mutation from the list on page QSR 15, or if using the hub rules, page 58, table TME-1-57. 10*. Skullock, one of Catwalk Collette’s twenty three siblings 11*. A teenage girl who you recognize as a neighbor’s kid from Sandbarra (DV -0, END 22, MV 5m), won’t fight. 12*. A random character’s grandmother ‘Lulu’ (DV -0, END 14, MV 3m) won’t fight, but will swear.
See entry MM-S4 below, if the PCs board the Iron Rooster.
If Kane is killed, the PCs can search the back cabin and forward cargo hold for Sawndraa (assuming she was taken aboard as a prisoner by Kane). They will find her tied to a chair. If any of Kane’s two concubines survived any encounters with the characters, they will be here, holding a dagger to Sawndraa’s throat and standing somewhat behind her. “Lord Kane say if he not have her, none shall!” The concubine will cut the cyborg woman’s throat if she wins initiative, with a random result, roll d6:
Entry MM-S4 Going Aboard the Iron Rooster: If the PCs
manage to kill Glowmax and the crossbow using skullocks, and get aboard the Iron Rooster, they will have to confront Kane, who will be waiting for them and hide on the far side of the chained oar slaves, using them as human shields and gaining -20 SV, range 9m. Every missed missile weapon attack is considered to automatically hit one of the six prisoners. This includes any misses from the five shots per round that Kane’s SMG fires!
Random NPC oar slaves: Re-roll, or pick the next result down, of any result with an asterisk beside the number. Roll 2d6: 2*. One random character’s long lost uncle ‘Lowgun’ (DV -5, END 36, MV 4, SV 01-60, add +4 to strength based DMG) 3. A pure stock human covered in purist wavy dagger tattoos. During the coarse of the battle he will swear and curse all mutant and cyborgs, making no attempt to duck or hide from projectiles (DV -4, END 35, MV 5m, if freed will try to bite the throat of the nearest mutant PC, SV 01-55, DMG d6, with a critical hit resulting in an opened throat and the PC taking d6 damage per round until helped by anther PC). 4. Cyborg (50% either a man or woman) has been busted up and all ammo taken from any implants, blind folded and badly injured to half endurance (END). Has 2 random implants. DVD base -6, END 30+d20, MV 5m, strong (so add +4 to strength based damages, SV +6 base 01-56.) 5. Pure stock man, a trapper from Soggy Hearth (DV -4, END 20+d12, MV 5m, if freed is SV +4 due to high accuracy score. Will be recognized by Sawndraa). 6. Ghastly, corpse like mutant that snarls and bites at everybody. (This is a moaner from page 164 of the TME hub rules, DV 0, END 20+2d20, MV 5m, Init. -3, Attacks 2, SV 01-60 in darkness or 01-40 daylight 01-60, DMG 2d8+2, EFs 25) 7. Sickly mutant man who has only revolting growths, deformities and bleeding sores (DV -0, End 3d6, MV 3m) 13% chance this man is a mutant supremacist from the Dominion of Aberratia to the north west, and will seek to sabotage the barge or kill any pure stock character. 8. Pure stock man who has been so badly mistreated and starved that he can’t stand up on his own. DV -0, END 3d6, MV 3m, 17% chance he is a purist from the Holy Purist Empire to the east, and will attempt to murder any mutant or cyborg PC as soon as he gets the chance, possibly even trying to sink or set afire the barge).
* Re-roll if duplicated result.
1. Read: Sawndraa screams briefly then dies, her neck opened and her life spraying the floor. The skullock concubine will next kill herself, plunging the blade through her own heart. GM note: If any character has the mutation of heal touch, and has not exhausted the uses already that day, he or she can slap a hand to the open wound and use the healing energies to try and knit the wound together and save the cyborg. 2-4. The knife cuts deep, but a tiny, subcutaneous wire saves the cyborg woman from having her jugular cut. Still, she takes 3d6 damage and unless given attention at once, will bleed out and die. The skullock cuts her own throat thereafter, dropping to her knees, grinning as she dies in front of the PCs who killed her beloved. 5,6. A stainless steel conduit in Sawndraa’s neck takes the brunt of the knife cut. There is some blood, and the woman yelps, but she only takes d3 damage. The skullock, thinking she has finished the object of her beloved masters obsession, and ultimate demise, stabs the blade in her own heart, falling back and dying before hitting the floor. See Entry MM-S6 for a post battle follow-up, page 105
Entry S5, Freak out and run in Panic: If the characters freak out and run away from the barge, and away from the fighting which is at the north edge of the clustered peninsula of ruins, read here: You are heading south along the raised, often broken foundation of the once massive building. After going a few dozen meters, you see the ground to the east open out into a water hole and shrub covered expanse, but because of the dense vegetation and mist, it is hard to tell how far the dry area goes before you will find yourselves in water once more. The sounds of gunshots and the war cries
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules
of skullocks and lizard folk seem quite distant suddenly, as if the trees, hanging moss and fog are muffling the din of battle. Allow the PCs to go 3d6+20 meters before they spot a war band of 3d6+10 reptilius. The lizard men are fanned out across a twenty meter skirmish line, advancing slowly, half with bows at the ready, the rest with crude spears. They haven’t spotted the characters yet and are 50 meters away to the south. The idea here is to hint that the characters are in a very bad situation of they decide to cut and run, although they could try and swim the river, south of the barge battle and find soggy patches of ground for many kilometers. With dark coming, and many of them no doubt sporting bloody wounds, the night predators will be upon them soon enough. Failure to return the generator, and possibly Sawndraa with it, to Soggy Hearth is quite likely the end of that community, too. If curious, see entry MM-S7, page 106 for possible fates of Soggy Hearth depending on the success of the characters and their assigned mission.
Entry MM-S6, Post Barge Battle Follow Up: The Barge
captured, with chaos on the oar deck and hordes of reptilius begining to arrive all along the shore, any surviving skullock loyalists of Catwalk Collette’s pile onto the barge and take cover, grabbing crossbows and loading them and one by one, passing them to the PC’s to fire. If the six oars are manned, and the crew told to row, and a seventh person going to the aft rudder room on the main deck , the characters can coax the barge to go either north or east and away from the lizard folk and their arrows and javelins. If Sawndraa is alive, and healthy enough to control the rudder she will tell the PCs the following, “Take the east channel for four kilometers, don’t turn down any of the first three side rivers as they end in flesh eating weeds and certain death. Take the fourth, to the south and it will lead us right to Soggy Hearth.”
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If Sawndraa has not survived to this point in the adventure, then the skullock leader, Catwalk Collette will tell the characters this: “Go up dis north, river, then more north, then west through the tangled bit. Watch for dem garnockers, they eat humes like youz. Den, go on south arm at round ruin of the metal gods, stayin’ quiet or youz wake their gun… then down to the hume ville that Kane burn. We get off half way there, and friends when meet again. Deals?” If neither Catwalk nor Sawndraa are alive to guide the characters out of the maze of rivers, then they will be in quite a mess. The odds of them taking the barge in the right direction back to Soggy Hearth is based on the best guess of the smartest character. Have that PC make a type D intelligence based hazard check to navigate a coarse that successfully gets them back to the village before dark. Failure means the PCs spend the night aboard ship in a wide point in the river, with a 2 in 6 chance being attacked by a random encounter. If so, roll d6 here: Table MM-14 Random attack on the Barge at night
d6
1. Garnock, who shoves the barge to shore and begins to tear it apart one plank at a time, doing auto damage (the barge can take 300+d100 endurance damage, moves 12m per round while being rowed full speed.) If the humanoid is attacked by the crew (PCs) it will use a club, standing chest deep in the water, and fight them at melee range. Once killing or knocking out two people, it will grab them and drag them off into the dark to devour them in peace. 2,3. A swarm of 3d6+6 reptilius with clubs swim out to the barge and try to silently board the ship and take it, eating all those they kill or capture. If the players state they have posted guards on the rear poop deck, allow each PC on guard a type B perception based hazard check to hear or see the approaching lizard men, and either open fire on them or have the barge row well away.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules 4. 4+d4 winged reptilius fly down and land on the deck of the barge, and attack using captured skullock machetes. Meanwhile, a flotilla of 2+d3 canoes loaded with 8 reptilius each are approaching from the shore, 400+d100m away. The winged reptilius aim to capture the rudder room, snapping off the handle so the barge can’t steer and will eventually crash into the muck or rubble of the shoreline, allowing the flotilla to catch up and size the craft, dispatching and devouring all those aboard. 5,6. A swarm of 30+d20 Blood Flyers. If the PCs decide to go below decks and shut the hatches, the giant mosquitoes will leave after 3d6 minutes.
Entry MM-S7, The Different Fates of Soggy Hearth: If
the characters return before dark with the generator and Sawndraa, then for the time being all is well. She will have no problem getting ‘Smokey’ up and running within a half hour, feeding it fine ethanol fuel, the energy fence keeping back several waves of reptilius and other, larger and unidentifiable nightmare beasts. The Characters are heroes, given medical treatment (healing an extra 2d6 endurance as well as their regular healing rate overnight), plus a fine meal of roast pig, bread, wine and greens. Several of the now widowed men and women of the village flirt with the PCs, suggesting that the characters forget their dreams of becoming adventurers and instead settle down in the village and spend their lives there as fishermen, dirt farmers and trappers of the swamp. Boss Gus will honor his word, and the PCs debts are erased. Upon returning to Sandbarra, the characters are free to embark on their new lives and new adventures. Should the generator be brought back to Soggy Hearth, but Sawndraa misplaced, kidnapped by Kane or killed, then the generator is hooked up as best as the villagers can manage, given fuel and as dusk falls, the village leader, Captain Basher, pushes the ignite button....
Roll d6 1. It explodes, killing Captain Basher and inflicting d10 damage to all those within ten meters The main stronghold has also ignited into flame, fire spreading to nearby huts. Panic breaks out. Every predator and humanoid in the area sees the brilliant flames at the village and converges for an easy feeding. The characters, along with d6 locals each, end up in makeshift rafts and leaky boats, and shove off down stream making for Sandbarra.
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Somehow, your employer-owner, Boss Gus, survives, and although you failed the village, you got him home safe. He forgives all your debts so long as you make another pig run the following week. 2,3. It starts up, and runs throughout the night, although it sputters and the fence vanishes for minutes at a time, yet does the job and keeps the reptilius away. By dawn, the generator shorts out and catches fire. It will never run again. The village must be abandoned before dark. The PCs, along with Boss Gus, Oliver and Captain basher, spend the day making rafts from whatever they can salvage. By late afternoon, the flotilla and entire population of the village is flowing down stream to Sandbarra to a new life. Reptilius begin to enter the village even as the last raft pushes off, and for the next hour, swamp creatures, especially reptilius, harry the rafters. Once reaching Sandbarra, Boss Gus publicly decrees that the characters are debt free. Having failed to save the village of Soggy Hearth, however, the survivors of that community grow to hate the characters, and make life for them in Sandbarra a trial. 4-6. They can’t get the generator to start up, and don’t understand how it works. They demand that the smartest character try and fix it. To handle this, assume there are d60 (d6x10) +20 minutes before dark and the attack of the reptilius. The smartest PC is allowed an intelligence based type E hazard check, once every ten minutes, to get the generator going and properly hooked to the complicated, unimaginably crude and yet complicated wiring system of the energy fence. Any attempt that fails with a roll of 95-100 on the hazard check is bad, and results in a massive explosion, see roll 1, but the PC is ‘attacked’ by the blast SV 01-80, damage d100. Any success means the generator starts up and works flawlessly for the next 3d6 nights until a proper electrical technician can arrive from Steel Hill and fix the sloppy job the character did. The PCs, as heroes, have their debts forgiven by Boss Gus. They are now free to undertake a life of adventure upon returning home to Sandbarra. Should the PC be unable to get Smokey going before dark, panic begins to set in and one by one, people begin to gather their families, weapons, and valued belongings and make their way to whatever rafts and boats the community had assembled during the day— just in case. As the sun goes down, and the blue gleam of the energy fence goes unobserved, squads of reptilius probe the edge of the woods beyond the open space on the east side of town, while out across the river on the west side, more gather, massing to see if they can swim across.
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules If the PCs do not commence to flee with the others, they are allowed 4 more chances to start up the generator and save the place. If they fail, they may find themselves alone in the village, without a means of transport, and surrounded by 3d12+30 reptilius. These lizard folk, incidentally are not of the same group attacking the mound, and represent a separate branch of the Wadango Reptilius nation. They have no idea about each others actions, and in fact are blueish green with spike elbows, while those that attacked the mound, are green with yellow bellies and have horned heads.
Other Outcomes Other Outcome 1: Prisoners to Kane
If the PCs are defeated by Kane and his skullock minions, and surrender or are knocked out or otherwise captured, they will suffer a miserable fate. First off, Kane will be outraged that the village sent mercenaries after him, and will have the PCs stripped to their underwear, tied to the metal shelving in the main warehouse lair (at area U7) and left to be humiliated and abused by the young skullocks. Thereafter, the PCs will be beaten and then tied in a line and marched along the lake catwalk , to the east and then up to Kane’s armored barge to become oar slaves for the remainder of their days.
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As oar slaves, the characters will be ill fed, whipped and mistreated daily and never heal more than 50% of their endurance, yet should be given the opportunity to either escape, or break free and seize the barge.
Other Outcome 2: A Deal with Kane
In brief, Kane is impressed with the characters for getting to him at all, and would genuinely like to recruit them to serve as formidable henchman, and set forth on a series of raids against small swamp villages until a new base of operations can be found. The only reason he made a deal with the characters is because he was losing the fight against them, and offered to give back Sawndraa and the generator if they let him go. There is a 71% chance he follows though with this deal and will board the barge and row north, leaving the PCs, and their rescued hostage, to find their own away back in the swamp. There is enough wood laying about, along with the what can be salvaged from the dock, to make a serviceable raft. Sawndraa, knowing the local waterways, will guide the team back to Soggy Hearth, hook up the generator and charge the energy fence in time to save the community. The PCs will be heroes, and given a burnt out hut to rebuild and call their own, permanently.
Non Player Characters Boss Gus
Male mutant/ age 48/ Merchant Gear: Ballistic vest and scrap relic, armor/ Auto-pistol with two full mags/ anti-toxin injector/3 fragmentation grenades Gus the Fair is the third son of a wealthy Steel Hill merchant. For all his local success in the eyes of the Sandbarra populace, he is an enormous failure as far as his father is concerned. His two older brothers are both very prominent, well married with many children, and own properties, slaves and debt-locked employees. Tired of the comparison, humiliation and inability to get ahead in the faction’s capital, Gus moved to Steel Hill decades ago and began to buy up small businesses, lend money to those who he knew couldn’t pay back the principle, and tried to make a name for himself away from his tsk-tsking father and brothers. Gus Koalbear has done well, and recently bought a bar and brothel in Steel Hill and is using the excuse for selling pigs to travel through the swamps and get into the capital without his family noticing him. He sells hogs as both an opportunity to make coins, but also an excuse to travel discreetly to the south east. He has long admired the prowess and camaraderie of the oarsmen (the characters) and hand picked them for this mission because he
knew the dangers of the bog. Although he thinks of those who are indebted to him are scum, he does want to see how obedient, tough and creative they are, in hopes of elevating them to the caste of hired goons. If surviving the ordeal at Soggy Hearth, and forgiving the debts the characters and their families owed to him, he is 78% likely to approach them later to undertake other expeditions on his behalf, either escorting him to other towns, threatening those who owe him money, transporting valuables to other lands, or serving as his body guards when trouble with a ruthless competitor erupts.
DV -35 or -51 vs bullets (scrap relic -20 DV and ballistic vest -4 or -20 DV, Dodge skill 3pts -11 DV)/ END 62/ MV 5m/ Init. +0/ Attacks: Auto Pistol, SV 01-68, rate 2, DMG d20 ea./ saber SV 01-56, DMG d20+6/ STR 52 (+4 DMG)/ AG 34/ ACC 57 (+6 SV)/ INT 77/ WL 84/ PER 19/ APP 13/ Morale: Average/ Size 1.9m tall/ 127kg/
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules
Oliver
Male mutant/ age 41/ Former Lower Freehold Ranger Gear: Tactical armor/ communicator headset/ assault rifle with two full mags/ two long swords/ 2 fragmentation grenades This rust colored mutant used to be a Lower Freehold Ranger, but after a post-ambush disagreement with a superior officer, which came to blows, he was dishonorably discharged. Boss Gus found him in the Rafter’s Pub, passed out in his own vomit in a back hall. He great man had become a drunken gambler, his name a disgrace, his wife divorced him and married another ranger, his daughters calling another man ‘daddy’. Boss Gus cared for Oliver and saw him back to health, placing him in command of his most challenging trade expeditions. The old soldier has taken up relations with several women, some who visit Sandbarra only rarely. Word has it that several of the kids running around the streets of Sandbarra are his, whom now live in his fortified shack along the western wall.
Captain Basher
Male mutant/ age 52/ Head Man of Soggy Hearth Village Gear: Assault Rifle with 1 full mag and 3d20 spare rnds. This bizarre, multi fingered, hunched and plated mutant was born in the Bitter Bog swamp. He has dreams of making Soggy Hearth into a town the size of Sandbarra, and has been sending out word to local communities that they welcome trade, and migrants to move to that meeting of the waters and enjoy the good soil, plentiful rain, lush vegetation and security of the energy fence. The energy fence and ‘Smokey’ the generator are devices Basher found on a derelict barge located in the swamp. That was six years ago. On that barge was a teenage girl with long curly dark hair, a cybernetic arm and internal implants. He adopted the girl, who turned out to be an invaluable asset to the village. Captain Basher gets his name from his years spent as head of the Soggy Hearth militia, and kept the name when elevated to chief once the previous leader was consumed by an alligator while fishing. He is a practical man, and that without the generator the village is doomed, that his people cannot cope with the skullock attack and
Sawndraa the Technician
Female cyborg/ age 24/ Mechanic of Soggy Hearth Gear: Cybernetic Power Arm Sawndraa is an adopted survivor, found by Captain Basher in the swamp six years ago. Her adopted father and fellow villagers discovered that while she couldn’t recall where she came from or who her parents were, or why she was on the barge, she was a gifted technician with the ability to read, write, do complex math and work wonders with electronics and other machinery. She has a well equipped workshop near the Central Hall, and herein, tinkers on whatever bits of old tech she can put
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Oliver admire the oarsmen (The PCs) and help his employer select them. Without saying it, he is secretly thrilled with the calamity at Soggy Hearth, and hopes it is the chance for the surviving PCs to prove themselves, earn their freedom and do great things with their lives.
DV -54 (tactical armor -30 DV, Dodge skill 4pts -14 DV)/ END 61/ MV 6.5m/ Init. +1/ Attacks: Assault Rifle SV 01-81, rate 3, DMG d20 ea./2 swords SV 01-69 (Ambidextrous), DMG d20+12/ STR 77 (+10 DMG)/ AG 76 (-10 DV, +1.25m MV)/ ACC 81 (+10 SV)/ INT 33/ WL 64/ PER 49 (+1 Init.)/ APP 15/ 3rd rank/ Morale: excellent/ Size 1.9m tall/ 93kg/
the gathering threat of the local reptilius. The appearance of Boss Gus and his tough looking crew bring cheer to his heart, and hope. If Sawndraa is returned to his people, he will do his best to try and hook her up with the best looking male from among the heroes, hoping the freed oars crew will make Soggy hearth their new, permanent home.
DV -43 (Junk armor -12 DV, bone plates -18 DV, dodge skill 1pt -5 DV)/ END 96/ MV 5.25m/ Init. +2/ Attacks: Assault rifle SV 01-80, rate 3, DMG d20 ea. or Battle axe (2 hands) SV 01-72 DMG d20+12/ STR 66 (+8 DMG)/ AG 71 ( -8 DV, +1.25m MV)/ ACC 63 (+6 SV/ base SV 0168)/ INT 55/ WL 98/ PER 69 (+2 Init.)/ APP 6/ 4th rank/ Morale: excellent/ Size 1.7m tall/ 113kg/
together, with many love struck excavators, bringing her parts instead of flowers. While enjoying the attentions of men, and pleased that the appearance of dig teams on a frequent basis keeps the trade routes and game trials free of brigands and many monsters, she has no intention of marrying any of the men who have sought her hand. Sawndraa befriended Kane because he brought her numerous spare parts, and of late, presented her with an Elvis Presley Music disc and Video collection, complete with hand held player, solar panel, collector T-shirt and leather jacket. She kissed the fishy smelly half breed
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules on the cheek upon receiving the gift, but meant nothing romantic by it, seeing Kane as merely one of many men attracted to her. When arriving week after week, with more wonders, including the entire arm of a robot complete with inoperaT tive laser carbine, and proposing marriage, she denied him, and when he grew angry, she told him to never return, and threw all his gifts in a mud hole. When Kane’s army of skullocks arrived and swept over her village, killing most of the warriors and kidnapping her, she was horrified and only agreed to go with him as his prisoner if he stopped killing her people. The later appearance of the characters at the mound, all of whom she had seen around Sandbarra on her relic buying expeditions, have thoroughly impressed this dark haired, incredibly talented and beautiful cyborg. The fact that the men of the team did not come to seek her hand in marriage, but instead save her people — she not knowing of their debts to Boss Gus and their real motivation — becomes infatuated with the most handsome of them.
Kane
Male half skullock-human / age 32/ Warlord & Slaver Gear: Tactical armor and helmet with communicator headset/ Submachine gun with two full mags/ saber Kane wears tactical armor, has a submachine gun with two full 50 round magazines, as well as a saber, three daggers and an anti-toxin injector. He also has the mutations heal touch, which he will use on himself after taking injuries (able to use it 8 times because he is 4th rank so gets two usages per day per rank). He prefers to hang back in any fight, and let minions and concubines do his bidding while he falls back to wait and see what happens. Kane the Invincible, formally calling himself Kane the Defiler, but also going by the Magnificent and the Merciless at times, is a half breed skullock human, although his mother was a mutant human slave in a tribe of forest dwelling peskies. Being a half breed was difficult for young Kane, growing up so slowly, yet in time towering over his tribe-mates, enjoying the benefits of this mutations and becoming a skilled, and ambitious warrior. Still, his family were not elites among their people, and the fact that his mother was a captured excavator and slave, a hindrance. In
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DV -39 (no armor, Agility -10, Arm -5, Dodge skill 4pts -14 DV)/ END 44/ MV 7.25m/ Init. +3/ Attacks: Power Arm punch SV 01-81, rate 1, DMG 2d10+16/ STR 34/ AG 77 (-10 DV, +1.25m MV)/ ACC 88 (+10 SV, base SV 0171)/ INT 92/ WL 57/ PER 91 (+3 Init.)/ APP 66/ 3rd rank/ Morale: average/ Size 1.4m tall/ 64kg/ GM note: If using this NPC with the TME hub rules, this woman has the following skills: Junk Crafter 4pts, Technician areas: Robots 3pts, Electrical 4pts, Mechanical 5pts, computer 1pt, chemical 2pts
frustration, he departed his homeland as a teen, traveled, joined a human raiding party, tried his luck at piracy along the coast of the Tainted Sea, served as a mercenary in the Irregulars of the Dominion of Aberratia, and eventually became a slave trader and dealer in relics. His travels took him back to his hive in the woods, where having grown powerful and ruthless, managed to work his way into the confidence of a prominent raider boss. That boss was Catwalk Collette, who was also from a low favored family, and together they hatched a plot to establish their own nation, Kane and Catwalk managed to slip away with a several hundred loyal followers, all promised riches, status, and the chance to set up a new colony at a site in the swamp that Kane had discovered some months before. Having stopped at Soggy Hearth several times, and falling in love with the cyborg woman Sawndraa, Kane decided that he would add one more concubine to his growing collection, having grown tired of Catwalk Collette, especially as she seemed unable to give him an heir and spoke often of returning home and making amends with her true people. In a fight the night before the raid on Soggy Hearth, Kane banished Catwalk Col-
The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules lette to the swamp, and she, along with a few dozen loyalists, were expelled with only their weapons and a few days rations. While Kane’s attack on the the village was conducted to steal the generator, his main purpose was to kidnap Sawndraa, then use the advanced generator to power the karaoke machine, newly added lights, speakers, holograms and computer as well as charge up a metal guardian. He thinks if he can just maintain power to the facility, Sawndraa will eventually come around to his way of thinking, and fall in love with him if he just lip syncs enough Elvis to her. He is exceedingly patient, and will not harm her nor let his fellow peskies touch her, except for a pair of his concubines, Krooty and Zasher, who help tend to Sawndraa like hand maidens, although adore Kane and will die for him happily, believing he is blessed by the ancestors and has a direct line to God.
Catwalk Collette
Female skullock (25% human)/ age 32/ Twisted Wood Clan minor noblewoman Gear: Bow and 30 arrows Catwalk Collette is taller than most skullocks, and unbeknownst to her, she is actually one quarter human. She is covered in ornate tattoos and dresses in only a leather bikini, since she relies on speed, agility and skill at dodging away from harm more than the thickness of armor. So too, for a skullock, she is very attractive and uses her beauty and curves to sway the minds of male comrades, and strangers alike. She has the mutation of body regeneration and heals 4 trait points per hour. Catwalk joined Kane when he returned after years away, his e x ploits and tall tales intriguing her. She thought he loved her, but once away in the swamp mound, she learned that he had used her to convince disaffected skullock kin to join their search for a new colony, and that Kane’s real aim was to acquire a hume woman from a well defended, yet tiny village. She refused to take part in the raid to collect his future bride, saying he already had her and the two other empty headed devotees. In a rage, Kane expelled her. Those who favored her, slipped away to join her, others who spoke out, she later learned, were imprisoned, sent first against Soggy Hearth’s defenses, or hanged as traitors.
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If Kane loses Sawndraa to the PCs, and she is returned to Soggy Hearth, and he himself escapes, he will return on another occasion to kidnap her again, with mercenaries, and try wooing her with ancient music again but this time the tunes of Frank Sinatra.
DV -58 (tactical armor -30 DV and tac helmet -6 DV, dodge skill 4pts -14 DV)/ END 77/ MV 7.25m/ Init. +4/ Attacks: SMG SV 01-85, rate 5, DMG d20 ea. or Saber SV 01-73, DMG d20+20/ martial arts* (4 skill points, rate 2) SV 0188, dmg 2d6+13 ea./ STR 72 (+8 DMG)/ AG 62 (-8 DV, +1.25m MV)/ ACC 92 (+12 SV, base 01-77)/ INT 33/ WL 88/ PER 97 (+3, skullock +1 = +4 Init.)/ APP 9/ 5th rank/ Morale: excellent/ Size 1.7m tall/ 84kg/ *Martial Arts is a skill contained in the TME hub rules.
Now, she hates Kane and seeks his death at any cost, and inadvertently despises Sawndraa and might kill her for stealing her man from her. Once she sees Kane dead, she aims to return to her people in the north, and beg for forgiveness for leaving them. When Catwalk first sees the rescue party (the characters) approaching Square Lake and the mound, she knows exactly what they are there for, and immediately realizes they could be the tip of the spear as far as her goals of revenge go. So too, she is single now, and observes the male humans with keen interest, wondering for the first time that perhaps returning to her old clan is not the only option.
DV -38 (-12 agility + Dodge skill 7pts -26 DV)/ END 40/ MV 8.5m/ Init. +3/ Attacks: bow SV 01-75, DMG d12+12. or Brawling SV 01-73, DMG d2d6+6/ STR 46 (+4 DMG)/ AG 87 (-12 DV, +1.5m MV)/ ACC 59 (+6 SV, base SV 01-65)/ INT 51/ WL 49/ PER 76 (+2 Init.)/ APP 21/ 3rd rank/ Morale: excellent/ Size 1.4m tall/ 51kg/ Skills: Dodge 1pt, W. Survival, Stealth 3pts, brawling 4pts (+9 SV , +d6+2 DMG), Weapon Expert Bows 4pts (+10 SV, +8 DMG)/ Mutation: Body Regeneration: heals 4 trait points per hour
1 hex = 10 meters
Map MM-1 Muddy Mayhem
The Village of Soggy Hearth
1 Central Hall 2 Chicken Coops 3 Orchard 4 Sheep Pen
Map Key
5 Barn 6 Healer’s Hut 7 Sawndraa’s Workshop 8 Headman’s House
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Player handout MM-1 Muddy Mayhem For The Mutant Epoch RPG Quick Start Rules
The Village of Soggy Hearth
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The Mutant Epoch: Quick Start Rules
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The Mound in Square Lake
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The View out the Cave
Player handout MM-3 Muddy Mayhem For The Mutant Epoch RPG Quick Start Rules
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