Megalochelys (Giant Snapping Turtle)

[First Draft]

These monstrously large mutant turtles are known as an aggressive species, they have a long spiky tail, claws and a sharp beak and "will eat anything it can catch".

Size Level: 19 (Long)
Size: 10 feet long, 6 feet tall
Weight: 4-5 tonnes
Hit Points: 400
SDC: 3D6x100 (1300)
Armor Rating: 16
Psionics: None
Horror Factor: 15
Attacks Per Melee: 3
Damage: Bite does 3D6x10, Claws do 4D6, Trample does 2D8x10, Head Butt does 1D6x10, Tail Whip does 3D6.
Bonuses: +1 on initiative, +4 to strike, +8 roll with Impact (shell), +8 vs. poison/disease.
Natural Abilities: Crushing Strength; Predator Burst; Night Vision 120 feet; Prowl in water 60%; Iron Grip, Jaws (PS 22+ needed to pry open mouth); Natural Camouflage
Average Life Span: Unknown
Habitat: Temporate Wetlands, Primarily found in the Gatorland swamps

[IN THE NEWS] Killer Turtle Captured

BBC NEWS wrote:

A turtle described as a "submarine killer" has been captured at a country park after nearly two decades of plundering local wildlife.

The freshwater turtle, which has been named Snappy by wardens, was thought to have been released at the park by owners who did not want it.

Known as an aggressive species, it has a long spiky tail, claws and a sharp beak and "will eat anything it can catch".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_east/7014261.stm

When I read about this large "killer" turtle, I though that it would make for an interesting story in AtB. A giant "Mega-Tortoise" hides in a lake/river near a small town/village that comes out every-so-often to eat livestock, pets, or even townspeople! Eventually they petition Cardania for aid or just hire the characters to hunt down and rid them of the beast.

Of course you might want to add something to the mix (It's a mama with several eggs, it's being used by someone else, etc.) so that it doesn't turn into a simple hunt and kill game.

[IN THE NEWS] Fungus Found Feeding on Radiation

According to these articles, scientists have found that a type of fungus has mutated to survive on the radiation inside the Chernobyl reactors.

Chernobyl Fungus Feeds On Radiation

Major biological discovery…inside the Chernobyl reactor??

Imagine what this stuff could turn into in AtB after several decades!!!

Rough Team Building & Chimera Creation Rules

Here's the rough Team Building rules I cobbled together some time ago. I've never had a chance to use them in a game though. It's basically the same rules in TMNT&OS, but broken down between Background, Apprenticeship, and Animal Type.

Team Members from the same family/animal type/background
- Group receives +5 BIO-E per family (same species/animal type) member in the group.
- Each member must spend their BIO-E the same during character gen on physical characteristics (except Vestigial Traits and Psionics?)
- Group shares exceptional attribute bonuses. These do not stack, group chooses greatest bonus if more than one receives a bonus in the attribute.
- Bonus Level to only Primary Background skills per team member.

Team Members with the same Apprenticeship
- Bonus Level to (only Main & Core?) Apprenticeship skills per team member with the same apprenticeship.

The BIO-E Bonus was just an idea I tossed in to show the strength of the family unit that's grown in the harsh realm of AtB. Thanks to Tundro on the AtB forum for reminding me that BIO-E must be spent similarly in the original TMNT&OS rules.


I also tossed together a rough Chimera Creation option some time ago. This too has never been player tested...

Step 1: Roll for (or choose) the base animal archetype for Base BIO-E, Bonuses, appearance, etc.
Step 2: Build base character with starting BIO-E
Step 3: Roll for (or choose) up to two animal types for your chimeric element pool
Step 4: Starting with a pool of 50 BIO-E (plus any remaining from the base animal type) purchase Natural Weapons/Animal Powers at BIO-E Cost x 2 and Vestigial Disadvantages at cost. It costs 10 BIO-E to transplant the physical appearance of the chimera onto the base animal (head of a dog on a rat, horse legs on a chicken), 20 BIO-E to add an extra appendage (Wings/Arms/Legs), and 30 BIO-E to add a 'taur torso/flank.

Like I said it was a rough concept that I've only tinkered with to create a few odd NPC chimera for a game. Try it out and tell me how messed up it is.

Transdimesional Mutants Adventure: Sky High

-- Under Construction --

This adventure is a continuation of the adventure started in Transdimesional Mutants Adventure: Daleth.



GAME MASTER INFORMATION

When the escaping Daleth scientists popped out of this end of the Gateway, they popped right in the middle of a herd of Glesse (a type of wild cow) that were being hunted by a tribe of Anwot. Their sudden appearance frightened off the animals which did not put the scientists in the natives good graces. The Anwot took these new arrivals back to their village as prisoners for their crime against the of village by scaring off the Glesse.

While the scientists were being tried, they were visited by a woman from the village who was sent to feed and water the prisoners. However, the woman was very curious about the strangers and listened to their story. While she would not agree to setting them free she did agree to keep an eye out for anyone who would come looking for them and tell them what has happened.

When the village elders passed sentence on the strangers, they decided that they would offer up the strangers as sacrifices to the Onwi (winged creatures revered by the Anwot as divine servants of their gods) in hopes that the gods would look favorably upon them in the coming hunts.

Fortunately, adult Onwi are not carnivores. However, their young are when they hatch.

LAND OF THE LOST

Read the following when the characters finally fix the Gateway and are ready to head off after the scientists who escaped:

Blah, blah, fill-in-later, blah... The three large pillars on the platform in front of you start to emit a vibrating hum that soon seems to penetrate your whole body. The lites dim and a pool of radiant water appears on the floor between the pillars which grows and starts to form in the shape of a glimmering dome. At first you feel hypnotized by the surface of the gateway, and after a while you could swear that you see things moving beyond its surface. "The gateway is stable!" The voice of Professor Hawkes, brings you back to your senses. "I can only keep it open for a few minutes. Go, and send me a signal when you are ready to come back. Just in case the transponders don't work, I will open the gateway at the point you arrive for a few minutes every two days at noon. Good Luck!"

When the characters step (or jump) into the gateway it will feel as though they are jumping into ice water as they are turned into a stream of particles and catapulted through the dimensional rifts. There is a slight ((30-PP)%) chance that the character will be spit out of the gateway and end up face first in the dirt on the opposite end.

You find yourself standing beneath the noon sun in a grassy field on some unknown world in another dimension. In front of you the field is bordered by tall woodlands beyond which, far away on the horizon, lies a mountain range that dwarfs the Appalachians in elevation and stretches as far as the eye can see. It's ice capped peaks pierce the clouds and are nearly lost in the heavens.

Behind you the field continues into a hilly landscape. Hundreds of strange cow-like creatures can be seen grazing on a nearby hillside, oblivious that their world has just received visitors from another world.

If anyone checks the area for signs of the scientists have them roll a perception check:

8+: A trail is found leading into the woods.
13+: A pen is found lying on the ground. It is engraved with the word, "Phoenix Institute".

If the group should decide to follow the trail, they will find the Anwot village located about 14 miles away.

THE ANWOT

The Anwot are a race of anthropomorphic rabbits living in a small and primitive settlement. They do not take kindly to strangers invading their lands and will imprison any they catch. This will be a problem for the group unless they have a mutant rabbit in their group with Looks of none or partial. Anyone else will quickly find themselves facing the villages guards and hunters as they try to capture the characters. In this case, read the following:

Suddenly, a dozen or more young rabbit warriors surround you brandishing primitive spears, pitchforks, and nets. An older man dressed in robes and strange ornamentations steps up from behind the younger warriors and addresses the player characters, "So there were more of you strangers than those who came before you led us to believe. Well, you will soon come to the same fate as your friends. The Onwi will surely bless us for providing yet another sacrifice." He then instructs the warriors you are to be disarmed and taken to the stockade.

The warriors will flee if the group offers resistance with modern weapons, but if the group is only armed with ancient weapons they will do their best to disarm the characters and entangle them in the nets. Those captured in the nets will be dragged to a stockade in the center of town. The warriors will not pursue any characters that flee the village.

The woman who talked to the scientists will find those characters who escape and tell them what happened and what will happen to any characters who may have been captured. She will also tell them where the Onwi live and that there is a chance that the scientists are still alive.

If any of the characters are not rescued from the Anwot or choose to allow themselves to be taken by the Onwi, read the following:

It's late at night and the sky is set aglow by two full alien moons, a crowd of people has gathered around the stockade. In the distance, the sound of drumming can be heard echoing through the night and the crowd starts to chant. Three villagers dressed in odd costumes and carrying torches walk through crown and stand in front of the stockade.

"You strangers stain our lands by your presence," cry out the three, "and by the law of our forefathers shall be offered to the Onwi in trade for their continued protection and favor of the gods! May your spirits find their way back to whence you came and find peace."

The three villages turn and toss their torches into a large bonfire. As the fire grows, the villages pass around it and toss in herbs and incense which floods the area causing you to feel slightly lightheaded before rising into the night sky. As you watch the smoke rise, you notice a flock of large winged creatures silhouetted in the moons flying towards the village. This does not go unnoticed by the crowd which starts chanting again and throwing more herbs and incense into the air.

Several of the Onwi quickly land in the stockade and grab the nearest person while the others flutter above the villagers catching as much of the herbs and incense that are into the air. When they are done, the Onwi take the prisoners and the offerings back into the night sky.

NOTE: The Onwi will not take excessively large or heavy characters (Size Level 14+, or 350lbs.+) from the stockade - the villagers will threaten to burn these characters at the stake for being unworthy as sacrifices to the gods. It will take the Onwi an hour to fly their catch back to their lair.

THE ONWI

Traveling to find the Onwi is dangerous, and will take at least two days by foot from the Anwot village.

Possible encounters with some of this worlds wildlife?

The Onwi live in caves high up on the mountainsides.

Cave map?

Dr. Abram's secret (an alien threat?).

ESCAPE

If the characters try to use their TD Transponders while in the caves they will find that there is something in the rocks that prevents the gateway from forming. They will need to make it out onto the face of the mountain before they can get to safety back to Earth.

RESOLUTION

Back home the group will find that the Elite Cardanian Militia, under command of General Volgren, has taken control of the project by order of President Thana.

General Volgren will insist on debriefing the group about what has happened. Once he is done he will notify everyone that he is now in charge and will be keeping an eye on any and all future activities of the site.

WHAT NEXT?

Now that the stage is set and the gateway is operational, you can use it to take your players on adventures to worlds and dimensions far beyond what they might expect. However, there are a few things that will be looming over them.

• Who are the created the gateway?
• Will they be back to claim it?
• What will the Empire of Humanity do if they find out about the gateway?

I leave these questions to be answered by you as you continue your journey's through the gateway.

NPC's & EQUIPMENT

Typical Anwot

Typical Onwi

Glesse (cattle)

Dr. Abram

General Volgren

How Human Is Too-Human?

U.S. Denies Patent for a Too-Human Hybrid [link]
by Rick Weiss
- Washington Post, 2005

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected the claim, saying the hybrid...would be too closely related to a human to be patentable.

[snip]

But in an age when science is increasingly melding human and animal components for research...the decision leaves a crucial question unanswered: At what point is something too human to patent?

[snip]

"The whole privatization of the biological world has to be looked at," Newman [An opponent of patents on living things] said, "so we don't suddenly all find ourselves in the position of saying, 'How did we get here? Everything is owned.' "

IMHO, nobody should be able to patent anything that is alive.

Once we start down the road of judging life based on how "human" it is, how long until we reach the level described in AtB of the Empire of Humanity, SAECSN, or Jakarta where only "pure humans" are safe? And rest assured, someone will find a way around that too...

How long until someone patents a designer genome that they can market to prospective parents to modify their future child? Will that child be considered "pure" anymore? What if there is a small amount of animal DNA mixed in? Will they run the risk of being recalled due to a defect, or a law that limits their rights?

It's a dangerous path one walks when you start allowing someone to legally claim ownership of life. We've traveled the path of laying claim to the lives of others many times through history, do we really need to be warned of the risks we face if we continue down the path to patenting life?

Green Light For Human-Animal Embryos

Well, word has been getting around today that scientists have been given the green light to create human-animal hybrid embryos for research: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6978384.stm

Scientists want to create hybrid embryos by merging human cells with animal eggs in a bid to extract stem cells. The embryos would then be destroyed within 14 days.
- BBC News

The news even brought Kevin Siembieda to post a "murmur" on Palladium's Message Board:
http://forums.palladium-megaverse.com/viewtopic.php?p=1567968#1567968

"After the Bomb®, TMNT®, Splicers and Dog Boys could become reality! I heard on public radio driving in to work that the UK (I believe it was) is planning to pass a law allowing animal genes to be spliced with “human embryos” and “human genes.” Really."

Could AtB be Palladiums vision of a "Brave New World"