What is Role Playing

I was reading a series of older articles at the Game Design Novice that did it's best to convince people that Zelda is NOT an RPG, and found myself searching for what really makes a game an RPG.

Typical gamers will say that any game that lets you progress a character's abilities is an RPG. Well, by that definition, there are a lot of sport games that could now hang the RPG tag to their title. For example, Madden NFL games (and other sports titles) have added the feature of creating your own NFL personality and play through the game as that player. You even get to increase his stats to improve it's abilities for the team position you choose to play. You can also hire a manager (NPC) to help negotiate a contract with a new team, so you're not just stuck with one team for your NFL career. It doesn't stop there; you can also equip your character with different outfits and other "bling", just like a character from an RPG. With all that, the game is now an RPG by the standards of most video gamers.

However, a role playing game is much more than taking on the role of a character and improving that characters skills and/or stats. That difference is linearity. Video games are very linear in their score and really don't allow you to improvise. And improvisation is the true hallmark of a role playing game.

The best parallel I can make for Role Playing is improvisational theatre. Everyone takes on a role (a character) and is given the basis of a situation (a quest) which they then get to interact with other characters to resolve. The main difference is that in table-top RPGs, you have a story teller (aka game master, dungeon master, or referee) who helps the game along by taking on the role of every non-player character the player interact with through their characters.

Another thing to keep in mind is that role playing really has nothing to do with dice. Though many role playing game systems use dice roles to determine the outcome of a situation, they are not necessary to the act of role playing. There are game systems that use points, karma, and/or cards to decide the outcome of player character actions, while others that use nothing but the discretion of the story teller.

So really, role playing is best described as a form of theatre often wrapped around (but not requiring) a system of event resolution mechanics. Anything that calls it self an RPG just because you take on the persona of a character without allowing you the free reign of self determination or choice is really nothing more than a scripted story that gives you few choices, limited by it's author, to reach a predetermined ending.

If that's all you want, you may as well go buy a book.

There She Is (Video)

Ahh, the things you can find while surfing the WWW. I came across this little anthro love story from Korea. It chronicles the budding romance of a boy cat (Nabi) and girl rabbit (Doki) in a society that frowns upon interspecies relationships.

Interspecies tensions would make for an interesting background story for any AtB game. If you're up for a challenge, give it some thought.

[source]
http://www.sambakza.net/

Chickogriffen (Genetic Chimera)

These rare beasts, found scattered in the Appalachian Mountains, appear to have been created as a chimeric blend of pony and chicken. No pre-Death records have been found that detail their cration, so it is not known for sure whether they were spawned durring the golden age, or whether they were created after.

It should also be noted that these creatures have the most foul nature around other equine species, and are known to hunt feral dear and horses - both mutant and natural.

Size Level: 13 (Medium)
Size: 5' 8" long, 5' 4" feet tall (adult)
Weight: ~270 pounds
Hit Points: 25 (4D6+10)
SDC: 20
Armor Rating: 8
Psionics: Sense Weather, 5% have Invisible Haze
Horror Factor: n/a
Attacks Per Melee: 3
Damage: Bite does 1D6, Claws do 2D6
Bonuses: +2 on initiative, +1 to Strike
Natural Abilities: Basic Flight, Glide, Adv. Hearing, Adv. Vision
Average Life Span: Unknown
Habitat: Temperate Woodlands, Mountains. Normally found in the Appalachian Mountians.

Ninja Cats

What could I say about this commercial? I love the bit where he distracts the cats with the swinging light. LOL

Natural Technological Genius (New Psionic Power)

(this is a modification of the Natural Mechanical Genius as found in the 2nd Edition core After the Bomb book)

Range: Special
Duration: Unlimited
Minimum ME: 10
Saving Throw (Reliability): 25% +5% per level
Cost: 10 BIO-E

Much like the Natural Mechanical Genius, this character has an uncanny affinity for computers and electronic devices. Instead of having to study skills like Computer Operation, Computer Repair, and Basic Electronics, the character just senses what is wrong with electronic devices. The devices seem to respond to the character's presence and attention and begin operating again at 100% reliability. Better yet, this character seems to be able to fix problems by just being near the device or with any spare electronics parts that are handy.

But with all things there is a down side. The "fixed" devices only seem to continue running properly as long as the psychic stays within 250 feet (76m) of them. As soon as the psychic leaves, the device is likely to break down again (75% chance; roll once every 30 minutes of use). Even if the device continues to work it won't work as smoothly or effectively (slow file access, strange noises, programs become unresponsive) as when the Natural Technological Genius is around.

Because their work breaks down after they leave, Technological Geniuses tend to have a bad reputation. Ironically, characters with this power believe they do superior and permanent repairs, and can not be made to believe that their handiwork is due to some psychic link between them and devices they fix. Thus, they blame others for "mistreating" the computers, radios, and other electronic devices they "fix".

NOTE: Unlike the Techno-Mind, this character cannot communicate directly with these devices. Also, just like the Natural Mechanical Genius, after the Genius has performed a half dozen "repairs" on the same device, it becomes completely dependent on the psychic character to work. After the sixth repair, 2D6 minutes after the character leaves, the device will blow have a meltdown, disabling the device, and requiring a real technician or engineer to completely rebuild the device. Making maters worse, for all the Geniuses work, all future repairs will be done with a -20% skill penalty and take 1D4 times longer than normal.

Apocalyptic Island

Speaking of images to help set the scene and use as inspiration, I remember stumbling across some images of an abandoned Japanese island mining village some time back, and found it again today.

The level of decay is quite impressive for this site since it's only about 35 years old.

See the full set of photographs to get a better idea of what some ruined cities might look like in AtB.

After the Bomb & Fallout

I picked up a copy of Fallout 3 last Friday and have been hard pressed to put it down since. Now, you may wonder how this relates to AtB other than that they both take place in a post-apocalyptic world. Well, both take place in an alternate reality: Fallout in a retro-tech wasteland, and AtB in a post-golden age of science wasteland.

I like to look at the way the populace in Fallout have scrounged together the remnants of the old world and use it to work in their post-apocalyptic situation. Also, if you've had a chance to see or play Fallout 3, it could give you a good idea of what the ruins of the old world might look like.

I've a visual person, and really appreciate game books that include illustrations and artwork that help give the reader of a sense of what the author(s)of a game setting is trying to convey. Fantasy games already have a great deal of artwork to use as examples, but there aren't many post-apocalyptic artists to draw from, and even fewer post-apocalyptic anthropomorphic art examples. And since Erick has passed, we no longer have the original author to call upon.

I'll be interested to see if Palladium revisits the AtB setting some time down the road, and in what direction they take it and who they get to take the helm. However, since AtB is such a niche game setting, it's doubtfull that it will see a reemergence in the next decade.

But my fingers will be crossed.

Shane! Come back!

Techno Chicken

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. The RPOL game has been moving rather slowly, and I've been having a hard time solidifying some of my ideas into anything I can post. In other words I've gotten a bit rusty...

To make up for the lack of posts I give you, TECHNO CHICKEN!


Okay, it's not as good as a game related post, but I'm going to work on that.

Squirrel Ninjas

I think I will base my next squirrel character on this video clip.

Comedic Chipmunk Sings

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I've been working on an online AtB game over at RPOL.net (Role Playing onLine). So to break the silence I'll be posting the above video of a Chipmunk singing Queen's, "Another one bites the dust". It does get old after a bit, but it might get you contemplating what kind of music and what kind of entertainment personalities are popular in the setting.

Viper Frog (Genetic Chimera)

It is unknown whether this species of viper-frog chimera was the product of wild mutation or the creation of some geneticist from the Pre-Crash Golden Age. Regardless, it has become a very strong species and can be found as far north as the Gatorland Swamps and as far south as the rain forests of Central America. Several feral communities in these areas have taken to collecting these animals for their venom, which they use to poison their weapons.

Size Level: 1 (short)
Size: 4 to 4.5 inches
Weight: 3 to 6 ounces
Hit Points: 3
SDC: 4
Psionics: None
Attacks Per Melee: 2
Damage: Bite does 1D4+poison, Entangle very small creatures with tongue. Poison Venom will cause paralysis in any creature size level 2 or smaller in two melee rounds and will last for 3D10 minutes (save vs. non-lethal poison reduces duration by half and doubles the time paralysis sets in).
Bonuses: +6 on initiative, +3 to strike, +10 to Dodge, +10 roll with Fall/Impact, +4 vs. poison/disease, immune to psionics.
Natural Abilities: Nocturnal, Reptilian Leaping (special); Predator Burst; Night Vision 90 feet; Prowl 85%
Average Life Span: 6 years
Habitat: Temperate to Tropical Wetlands, Viper Frogs are tree dwellers and excellent jumpers.
Notes: Viper Frogs are carnivores and their diet consist of any animal that will fit in their mouths, even other frogs! Viper Frog venom can be concentrated into two types of poison:

Size Level	Diluted	Concentrated
1-5	Lethal (1D12 Hit Points/Melee)	Lethal (no save - death)
6-10	Non-Lethal (Paralysis 1D12 Hours / Save vs. Coma)	Lethal (1D12 Hit Points/Melee)
11-15	Non-Lethal (Paralysis 1D4 Hours)	Lethal (1D6 Hit Points/Melee)
16-18	Non-Lethal (Paralysis 3D10 Minutes)	Lethal (1D4 Hit Points/Melee)
19-21	No Affect	Non-Lethal (Paralysis 1D12 Hours / Save vs. Coma)
22+	No Affect	No Affect

*Reptilian Leaping: Can leap eight times their length or height both lengthwise and height-wise, and ten times leaping down from a height.

Post-Apocalyptic Images

This guy has several interesting paintings that you might think of using to help set a scene in an AtB game. Click on the image to visit his site.

Quick Adventure Creator

I was thinking what it takes to make an adventure for After the Bomb, or any role-playing game for that matter.

What I've boiled it down to are two very basic elements: Adventure Premise and Themes & Objectives. I suppose motivation could be included, but I wanted to keep this very bare-bones. So if you want to give it a shot pick up that underused D8 and give it a roll.

ADVENTURE PREMISE (roll twice)
1) Fight Evil/Corruption
2) Fetch and/or Deliver
3) Investigation
4) Search & Destroy or Recover
5) Exploration/Discovery
6) Double Cross
7) Protect/Rescue the Innocent
8) Survival/Escape

THEMES & OBJECTIVES (roll multiple times if wanted)
1) Technology/Gadgets
2) Mutants (Flora or Fauna) (Wild or Domesticated)
3) Knowledge/Information
4) Empire of Humanity (or other nation)
5) Mutagens (Natural or Man-Made)
6) Wealth/Power
7) Military/Politics
8) Lost/New Nations/Civilizations

Example of use: Robin rolls a 6 (Double Cross) and 7 (Protect/Rescue) on the Adventure Premise table. Then she a 3 (Knowledge) on the Themes. From this Robin begins to formulate the following adventure: The characters are hired to escort a Cardanian spy from New Kennel who was supposed to have stolen important information on Empire operations. However, the person who hired the characters actually a double agent working for New Kennel security using the characters to flush out the spy who actually knows about the double agents identity.

Give it a shot and let me know what you think.

Flying Monkey (Genetic Chimera)

Description: Not wanting to be outshone by the Porkopolis Flying Pigs, geneticists at the Wortman Habitat for Primates in Boulder Colorado created a chimera inspired by the winged primates from the Wizard of Oz. These creatures proved to be so popular that countless variations were created by zoos and circuses all around the world. Unfortunately, some of these creatures had to be destroyed due to genetic defects which caused a few to become extremely violent. There were several instances of them attacking and eating other animals. Following the Crash, these monkeys came near extinction due to their inbred reliance on humans. The few that survived can be found in or near human populations. Those who have broken from their domestication typically stay far away from civilization, preferring life in the woods or mountains.

Original Animal Characteristics
Size Level: 4
Build: Long

Mutant Changes & Cost
Total BIO-E: 30
Attribute Bonuses: +3 IQ, +1 ME, +3 PP, +2 Spd.

Human Features
Hands: Partial
Biped: Partial
Speech: Partial
Looks: None

Natural Weapons
5 BIO-E for 1D6 damage Teeth.
10 BIO-E for 1D4 damage Razor-Sharp Nails.

Mutant Animal Powers
Automatically gets Extra Limbs: Wings & Basic Flight.
Automatically gets Prehensile Tail (use as partial hand)
Automatically gets Prehensile Feet (use as partial hand)
10 BIO-E for Soaring Flight.
15 BIO-E for Raptor Flight.
5 BIO-E for Advanced Vision.

Vestigial Disadvantages
-5 BIO-E Vestigial Tail
-5 BIO-E Diet Herbivore
-10 BIO-E Domestication

Weird Animal Ideas

It's strange the ideas you can come up with for new mutant animal species to insert into AtB. While browsing Reddit, I came across these images:

Flying Monkey

A Really Big Fish

Snake-frog

The Frog-fly

Another Frog-fly

The Frogbat
(More Cool Frog Images)

Now all I need to do is create their details.

Weird Locations

Wouldn't it be great to find places like these around the world of AtB?

http://www.wackyarchives.com/featured/15-creative-architectural-designs-for-the-future.html

RIP: Erick

Erick passed away this weekend at the age of 57.

His fight with cancer ended Saturday evening.

Erick is one of those people who has inspired me over the years and it is a great loss to hear of his passing.

I only had the pleasure of meeting him once, during last years Open House, but what a pleasure it was.

For more on Erick, please visit: http://www.erickwujcik.com/

Tamandua

Over the past couple days I've seen several pictures of Tamandua (anteaters) dressed in sweaters and jacket posted online and today I came across this video of one striking a very cool kung-fu pose when threatened.

I'm thinking that these guys really do deserve their own martial art form for After the Bomb. Their hooked clay and meaty tail look like they could be used as a formidable weapons if properly trained.

Speaking of which, I really should post the Panda Fist Kung-Fu style I wrote up for Jing Pi - Mike Jones' Panda character.

[IN THE NEWS] Chilli the Giant Cow

Holy Heffer Batman! No, that picture has not been photoshopped, that's a 6 foot tall cow.

LUKE SALKELD writes in an article for the Daily Mail:
"The black and white Friesian bullock weighs well over a ton and at the same height as a small elephant, casts a shadow over his cattle companions who are about 5ft.

The heifer, who is almost as high as he is long, lives at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary in Chard, Somerset, after he was left on their doorstep aged just six-days-old.
Nine years on, Chilli has kept on growing, and staff believe the giant will smash a record for Britain's tallest ever cow."

Imagine this guy as a Purebreed line of cattle in the Plains of the Free Cattle. No wonder they would be able to maintain their independence.

The Secret of NIMH

I have to admit that I don't think I've ever watched The Secret of NIMH before. I know several friends have tried to get me to watch it in the past, but for what ever reason I've never taken the time to sit down and watch the movie.

Last night I fixed that mistake.

While the movie shows it's age, it is still a wonderful work of art. I do frown on the inclusion of the mysticism in the film - an element that was not present in the original novel it was based on - but it also adds an interesting element to this interpretation of the story. The Nicodemus character is a classic seer or wise man of the NIMH rats, and the similarity between him and the Great Owl really makes you wonder if he might also be a shaman shape shifter.

Unfortunately, due to the movies short runtime (82 minutes), it seems like much of the story was rushed and missing much of the exposition needed to explore the characters of Jenner and Justin in any depth. It would be nice if Dreamworks would remake the movie as a full length (100+ minutes) feature.

AtB Adventure: The Garden of Evil

last updated: June 16th
This adventure was designed for a solo or small group of characters using Second Edition rules. No special powers or backgrounds are required. Individual GMs may want to change some aspects of this adventure to better suit their group size and level.

ADVENTURE BACKGROUND
In a secluded river valley, there is a garden of mutant fruits and vegetables. Among them is a tree that bears a fruit that possess an interesting trait - the fruit that it bears bestows upon those who eat it an amount of mutagen (BIO-E). Over time the levels of these mutagens will built up and begin to (further) mutate anyone who eats a steady diet of them. Some time ago a mutant snake stumbled upon the garden and discovered its secret.

Unfortunately, the snake's extended exposure to the mutagens has also caused it to grow addicted to the plants and fruit that grow here and is very paranoid of anyone caught in his garden. This has put a local tribe of feral mutant animals at odds with the snake since they use the food from the garden in their ceremonies. Lately they have taken to sneaking into the garden to gather their ceremonial needs. This has not gone unnoticed by the snake.

The snake has since hired other mutant animals as guards to protect his garden from trespassers. Anyone caught in the garden will be brought to the snake for sentencing. If those who are caught can persuade the snake that they are innocent, the snake will insist that they find who has been stealing from the garden. If not, the snake will have the offender(s) chained in the tunnels below the garden where "the Beast" awaits it's next meal. Members of the local tribe will free characters if they cannot escape or kill the Beast, and then beg them to rid the garden of the snake.

LOCATIONS
The Mansion
Most of the mansion and its grounds are in ruins have overgrown with thickets. All that is left of the main building is the kitchen, dining room, a grand hall with staircase that leads upstairs to snakes extravagantly decorated bedroom. The snake spends much of it's time in the hall which has been set up as a throne room. In the kitchen, there is a pit which drops into the tunnels below the mansion. The pit is one meter in diameter and covered with a locked iron door.

The Tunnels
Beneath the ruins of the mansion are a series of tunnels that lead from the mansion to the garden. It is unclear as to the original purpose of these tunnels, but there are about a dozen small rooms (now empty) that are built into the tunnels. The walls of the tunnels are damp and covered in moss in most places. There are three entrances into the tunnels: the locked pit in the mansions kitchen, a small gated portal in the eastern portion of the garden, and gated stairway that leads into an old shed in the overgrown southwester portion of the garden.

The Garden
This well maintained garden covers just over four acres of land outside of the mansion. At the heart of the garden is a most unusual tree that bears an even more unusual fruit. Once every three months, irregardless of season, the tree bears approximately a dozen (1D12) fruit that contain a mutagenic nectar. The garden is protected by a very ancient, but operable, security system that is connected to the mansion which will alert the snake and the guards to any intruders. The security system includes hundreds of camouflaged motion sensors, and video cameras.

Mutant Plants
SLEEPING WILLOW
Description: These small willow trees, planted around the gardens only pond, have been engineered to emit specially engineered pollen to act as a mild sedative. The gardens designer used these threes to stun and capture interloping who might stop at the pond for a drink. Anyone coming within 100 feet of the trees or pond must save against non-lethal poison or be rendered unconscious.

BLACK CAPPED TOMATO
Description: This bio-engineered plant was designed to produce a natural toxin for medical research. After decades of exposure to the gardens mutagens it now produces a lethal toxin. Anyone who eats one of these fruits must save against its lethal poison. NOTE: Mice, Rats, Rabbits and Squirrels never pass Stage 2 symptoms.
Symptoms:
Stage 1: No Symptoms for 1D6 hours
Stage 2: Fever, dizziness, nausea for 1D4x10 hours
Stage 3: Remission for 2D12 hours
Stage 4: Coma for 1D4+3 days; usually followed by death (save vs. death)

COBRA DOLL'S EYE
Description: This plant’s berries, like a normal doll’s eye, bear a strong resemblance to an eye – white body with a black spot at the end. The difference being that the berries on this plant will actually follow any movement within 60 feet, and that it has a special bred psioinc power (Hypnotic Suggestion) which it uses to get any creature – sentient or wild – that examines it to eat the berries. The plants creator found this to be an amusing way for the plant to spread its seeds. Any character that examines the plant must save against the psionic attack. Reptiles are somehow immune to the plant’s psionic power.

PSILOCATA GRASS (False Cat Nip)
Description: This weed looks, smells & tastes better than regular catnip and is usually found growing in patches as large as thirty square feet. Anyone with Catnip Addiction will be drawn irresistibly toward it from as far as 300 feet (100 meters). Other felines must save against an 8 or better to resist its lure. All felines who come into contact with the psilocata grass must save against harmful drug (-6 if addicted to Catnip).
Symptoms: In addition to the normal affects of catnip, victims will experience anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations within minutes and can last up to 2D4 hours from when they leave, or are removed – which can be considerably difficult – from the patch.

The Village (Population ~150)
The goat village is located about five miles away from the garden and is very primitive in appearance, and has only iron age technology. The people here follow their spiritual leader, a mute elder goat they call Ol' Grady. The villagers fear the snake and believe that it must possess great powers ever since none that have gone to the garden have ever returned.

Money and credits are of no use to the people of the village. They are also not interested in any modern weapons. They will be interested in trading for food, farming supplied, work, or knowledge in building and farming techniques.

GAME MASTER INFORMATION
Encountering the Guards:When the goats first encounter the player characters, their first objective will be to disarm and ensnare them. If possible, they will try to split up any group of four or more into smaller, more manageable numbers. If your group is well armed with modern weapons, you might want to drop in a few pit traps or snares to help the guards capture the characters. You could also equip the guards with stun guns salvaged from the mansions ruins.

The Mansion Ruins & Tunnels: What mysteries does the mansion yet hold? While much of the mansion is in ruins, the players may wish to explore the ruins in search of any salvage that may have survived the decades. I would suggest rolling on the Random Scavenger Table (AtB 2nd Edition, pg 191). You could also add your own choice of items for the characters to find. Could the mansion and garden have been the property of a certain mad scientist from BIO-Spawn?

The Gardens Origin: I will leave it up to the GM to decide if they want to explore what brought the garden and the mutagen tree into being. It is unlikely that such a thing could come into this world on its own, could it?

The Mad Snake: If the characters choose to drive the snake out of the garden, or it is able to escape, might the snake try to get it's revenge against the characters? Will the snake loose some of the powers it gained while it controlled the garden? Will it try to return to the garden and regain control?

NPCs
The Mad Snake
Alignment: Anarchist
Attributes: IQ 11, ME 16, MA 12, PS 12, PE 14, PP 13, PB 6, Spd. 13
Age: Unknown Gender: Unknown
Species: Snake
Size Level: 9
Hit Points: 20 SDC: 30
Disposition: Agitated & Paranoid
Human Features
Hands -- Full
Biped -- None
Speech -- Partial
Looks -- None
Powers: Brute Strength; Infravision; Extra ME
Psionics: Mind Speak; Danger Sense; Invisible Haze; Bio-Manipulation: Paralysis, Mute, & Pain
Background: Feral
Occupation: Lord of the Garden
Skills of Note: Farming & Gardening 70%; Identify Fruits & Plants 70%; Tracking 55%; Wilderness Survival 55%; Climbing 75%; Hand to Hand: Basic; Swimming, Advanced 90%; Wrestling; Detect Ambush 45%; Use & Recognize Poison 44%/36%; Botany 60%
Weapon Proficiencies: Rapier, Dagger
Attacks per Melee: 5
Bonuses: pending
Personal Profile: The snake first stumbled into the garden seven years ago and took up residence in a nearby mansion. It found out about the special tree by spying on the older goat who made frequent visits to the garden. A few years later, driven mad by it's addiction to the diet of mutagen fruit, the snake decided that it did not want to share the garden with anyone and used a creature which had been deformed by the plants mutagens as a guardian against the goats.
Years later the beast had become unruly, so the snake locket it in the tunnels that ran between the mansion and the garden and replaced it with three goats that had tried to sneak into the garden to steal the fruit for their tribes elder.

The Beast
Species: Rat Abomination (New)
Size Level: 10 (Medium)
Height: 4ft at the shoulder
Length: 5ft snout to tail
Weight: 800 pounds
Attributes: IQ Animal, PS 20, PE 25, PP 13, Spd. 12
Hit Points: 30 SDC: 50
Horror Factor: 13
Psionics: None
Attacks Per Melee: 3
Damage: Bite does 2D6, Claws do 2D4
Bonuses: +5 Damage, +6 to save vs. horror factor, +2 to save vs. poison or disease.
Natural Abilities: Heavy Claws, Tunneling, Beastly Strength, Rodent Leaping, Color Blind, Advanced Smell, Advanced Hearing, Hibernation
Skills of Pote: Prowl 60%, Tracking 80%
Profile: Driven by hunger and a desire to be free, the beast attacks anything the snake tosses into the tunnels that run between the mansion and the garden.

Guards: Gli, Rex, Hugh
Alignment: Scrupulous
Attributes: IQ 12, ME 9, MA 12, PS 20, PE 18, PP 13, PB 7, Spd. 14
Age: 18 Gender: Male
Species: Goat
Size Level: 12
Hit Points: 20 SDC: 60
Disposition: Agitated, Paranoid
Human Features
Hands -- Full
Biped -- Partial
Speech -- Full
Looks -- None
Powers: Advanced Vision, Horns (2D4 Damage)
Psionics: None
Background: Feral
Occupation: Garden Guard
Skills of Note: Climbing, Escape Artist, Prowl, Tracking
Weapon Proficiencies: Spear, Net
Armor: Plastic Plated Armor (A.R. 13, S.D.C. 80)
Attacks per Melee: 4
Bonuses: +1 Initiative, +6 Damage, +2 Roll with Punch/Impact
Personal Profile: These three goats were once members of the local tribe, but were captured by the snake while trying to steal the fruit several years ago. Using threats against their tribe, the goats have remained subservient to the snake and begrudgingly guard him and his garden against any trespassers. To improve their capability as guards, the snake has used some of the juice of the mutagen fruit to strengthen the goats.
While the goats will not fight the snake, they will not come to his aid if they feel the characters have a chance of defeating it. Once freed, the goats will return to their tribe.
New Weapons:
Energy Net (WP Net): Causes no SDC or Hit Point damage, but character must save against pain (14+ with PE bonus) if they become entangled or loose one attack/action per melee in addition to the normal net effects. Power cell must be activated by wielder and has enough charge to last for five minutes (20 melee rounds).
Stun Guns (WP Energy Pistol): Causes no SDC or Hit Point damage, but character must save against pain (14+ with PE bonus) or be knocked out for 1D4x15 minutes, 1D4 hours, or 1D6 hours. These weapons look like over-sized pistols. Each weapon is powered by an energy cell that can deliver up to 12 shots and can only fire once per melee round.

Tribe Elder: Ol' Grady
Alignment: Principled
Attributes: IQ 13, ME 15, MA 12, PS 8, PE 13, PP 10, PB 12, Spd. 8
Age: 80+ Gender: Female
Species: Goat
Size Level: 7
Hit Points: 21 SDC: 60
Disposition: Agitated, Paranoid
Human Features
Hands -- Partial
Biped -- Partial
Speech -- None
Looks -- None
Powers: Advanced Vision
Psionics: Advanced Cell Reader, Animal Speech, Mind Block, Psychic Diagnosis, Sense Nemesis, Sense Weather
Background: Feral
Occupation: Tribe Elder / Shaman
Skills of Note: Farming & Gardening, Identify Fruit & Plants, Musical Instrument: Flute & Rattle, Sign Language, Wilderness Survival, Herbal Medicine, Camouflage, Prowl
Weapon Proficiencies: None
Attacks per Melee: 2
Bonuses: +1 Dodge, +4 Roll with Punch/Impact
Personal Profile: Ol' Grady is the spiritual leader of this tribe of goats. She was born and mutated in a farming plant before The Death. In the chaos that followed, she freed as many of her kind from the pens of the facility and took them into the wilderness. There she cared for those who became ill from the plague and nurtured them the best she could - being a mute animal. In the decades since, the tribe has become a peaceful agricultural society.
O' Grady found the garden and it's secret about two generations ago. She uses the mutagen fruit to in her healing medicines and in potions she uses in her shamanic ceremonies. She did not discover that the garden had been invaded by the snake for three years, and by that time it had already discovered one of the creatures that had been affected by the fruit and used the beast to guard the garden against the tribes attacks.

Typical Tribe Member
Alignment: Scrupulous
Attributes: IQ 12, ME 10, MA 9, PS 14, PE 14, PP 11, PB 9, Spd. 13
Species: Goat
Size Level: 10
Hit Points: 21 SDC: 60
Disposition: Agitated, Paranoid
Human Features
Hands -- 70% Full, 30% Partial
Biped -- 75% Full, 25% Partial
Speech -- 90% Full, 10% Partial
Looks -- 90% None, 10% Partial
Powers: Advanced Vision, 65% Horns (2D4 Damage)
Psionics: 3% have Mind Speak, 5% Animal Speech
Background: Feral
Occupation: Mostly Farmers, some artisans (blacksmith, potter, carpenter, etc.)
Skills of Note: Farming & Gardening, Identify Fruit & Plants, Sign Language, Wilderness Survival, Herbal Medicine, Camouflage, Prowl
Weapon Proficiencies: Club or Spear, Net
Attacks per Melee: 1

[In The News] Mutant Black Squirrels Take Over

Okay, this isn't exactly AtB relevant, but in a way you could look at it in the perspective of how mutations among some of the mutant animals could affect their populations.

I found this story in the UK's Daily Mail:

"Mutant 'testosterone-fuelled' Russian black squirrels in Cambridgeshire are giving their grey cousins a taste of their own medicine and driving them from their homes.

A Cambridge academic believes the unusual black squirrel now makes up half of the total squirrel population in the area from which they have originated.

The upstarts are the genetic mutations of grey squirrels. And although nuts may be their food of choice there have been reports of their hungry Russian counterparts savaging stray dogs.

<snip>

"Three years ago, a pack of Russian black squirrels bit to death a stray dog in a Russian park. They were said to have scampered off at the sight of humans, some carrying pieces of flesh."

This article brings to mind several things. Mostly it kind of reminds me of how the Neanderthals or Cro-Magnon diverged.

Creation of Non-Mutant Humans

While After the Bomb was created primarily with idea of playing mutant animals in a post-apocalyptic setting, there are some people who may want to play the game as a non-mutant human.

We know they exist--primarily in the Empire of Humanity, so why not offer them as a playable species. In the Second Edition release, humans were included in the species chapter for players who wanted to play a mutant human, but nothing for non-mutant humans. The following steps should be used to create a non-mutant human:

Non-Mutant Human Creation Steps

Step 1: Attributes & Bonuses
Follow the rules for rolling attributes as they appear in the book.

Step 2: Background Education & Skills
You can use the backgrounds that appear in the books (just ignore any BIO-E bonuses) or the backgrounds created by Fubarius that appear in the previous posting. Alternatively, you can also use the education tables that appear in Heroes Unlimited if you want to create a character from before the Crash. Usually these characters are pretty old unless preserved by cryogenics or some other twist of fate.

Step 3: Hit Point & SDC
There has been some discussion as to what the base SDC for a non-mutant human should be in AtB. Typically "Average Humans" have 12 SDC, but historically Player Characters have been "above average". For this I'd put academic characters at 1D6+12; athletic characters 1D10+12.
If you want to run a more powerful game, I'd use a base SDC of 30 to 35.

Step 4: Choose an Alignment
Same as always.


Step 5: Round Out Your Character
While this step is entirely optional, complete tables for rounding out a character can be found in most of the contemporary Palladium settings. What I present here is a truncated version.

Size Level
01-12% Short: Size Level 7
13-30% Below Average: Size Level 8
30-50% Average: Size Level 9
51-75% Above Average: Size Level 10
76-00% Tall: Size Level 11

Age
01-25% Teenager: 14-19 years old (13+1D6)
26-50% Twenties: 20-29 years old (19+1D10)
51-75% Thirties: 30-39 years old (29+1D10)
76-85% Forties: 40-49 years old (39+1D10)
86-90% Fifties: 50-59 years old (49+1D10) Reduce Spd by 10%
91-95% Sixties: 60-69 years old (59+1D10) Reduce Spd by another 10%, Reduce PS, PP, PE by 10%
96-99% Seventies & Eighties: 70-89 years old (69+1D20) These characters were born before the Crash or soon after. Reduce Spd, PS, PP, PE by another 10%, Reduce skills by 10%, Modify perception rolls, initiative, combat bonuses, and number of attacks per melee by -2.
100% Nineties and older: These characters were born before the Crash and should use one of the contemporary Palladium settings to generate their education/occupation (I prefer the "Occupations & Skills" section found in Beyond the Supernatural 2nd Ed). Reduce all physical stats by half, and mental attributes by 20%.

Ethnicity
Since there is a high likelihood of mixed ethnicity, your roll only indicates your characters dominant ethnicity. Roll again, or choose, to determine your secondary ethnicity.
01-25% Anglo
26-45% African
46-55% Arabic
56-65% Asian
66-80% Hispanic
81-90% Indian
91-95% Indonesian
96-00% Native American

Human Character Backgrounds

[Human Backgrounds written by: Fubarius (AtB Forum @ Palladium Books); posted with permission]

Human Renegade
Your average Empire of Humanity citizen doesn't have a whole lot of contact with your average mutant (except mutant dogs and the occasional slave of course). Your typical soldier on the other hand comes into contact with them all the time, though usually through the sights of their weapon. Every so often one of those soldiers realizes that maybe these upright walking and talking 'animals' might just be, well, people too. They also realized that trying to exterminate these 'animals' is, well, wrong. Due to the constant indoctrinization and propaganda of the EoH these attitudes rarely happen to new recruits. But after a campaign or two here, a purged village or two there, these attitudes start to creep in causing the once loyal soldier to leave the Empire of Humanity and become a renegade.
Apprenticeship: None.
Primary Skills: Hand to Hand: Expert, Running, Climbing (+5%), Wilderness Survival (+5%), Land Navigation (+5%), W.P. Pistol, W.P. Auto and Semi-Automatic Rifles, W.P. Sub-Machinegun, W.P. Energy Rifle, one Ancient W.P. of choice, Literacy (+15%), Basic Math (+10%), four Military skills of choice, and a total of two skills selected from Rogue or Technical.
Secondary Skills: Choose any 10
Special Bonuses: +5 BIO-E (for animal abilities or psionics only, more may be gained through the usual measures), +1d4 PS, +1 PE, +1d6 Spd, +3d6 SCD (plus the usual bonuses for a mutant human)
Money: The character HAD a sizable nest egg, 2d4 times 10000 EoH credits, but they were all confiscated the moment he deserted. So far he's only managed to scrape together 1d4 times 100 bucks.
Equipment: A nearly worn out EoH uniform (might work for a disguise, but not for very long or under close scrutiny), a set of civilian clothes, two modern weapons of choice (EoH Energy weapons are available with GM approval), EoH Flac Jacket (AR 11, SDC 80).
Relatives & Connections: May have a few friends in his new life. In the EoH he might have a close firend or relative who might provide assistance, but most humans will consider him a traitor.


Human Exile
You were an average citizen of the Empire of Humanity, going about your daily life with out a care in the world. Well, except for the growing population of monsters taking over the world, or so the news reels say. But then on that fateful morning something horrible happened that turned your world upside down. You pissed off the wrong person. Or you got convicted of a crime. Or they discovered you weren't "pure" enough by whatever standard they decided on that week. No mater the reason why the effect is the same, they kicked you out or you fled before they could kill you. So now you're living with the 'monsters' and trying to find a way to survive.

Reason for exile:
Note: do not use the bonuses for Mutant Human. Use the following instead.
1-20% You're an aspiring politician and your more powerful rival decided his chances of re-election was better with you gone. +2 MA, +1 IQ, +3 PB
21-30% In a fit of passion you committed a capitol crime (murder, rape, kidnapping, treason, etc) but managed to escape before your scheduled execution. Note: for good alignments the crime might have been justified (say having to kill a high ranking official in self defense), but the death sentence was still given for what ever reason. +1 MA, +1 ME, +2 PS, +2 PE
31-50% Falsely convicted of a crime. You are totally innocent but can't prove it (yet). You feel that if you can clear your name you can rejoin the Empire. But until then you're making do the best you can. +2 ME, +2 IQ, +2 PB
51-60% You worked as a researcher, accountant, technician, etc for the government, and now you Know Too Much and have been deemed a security liability. Luckily you found out about it before they could arrest you. You have 1d4 government secrets that many groups would kill for. +3 IQ, +2 ME.
61-70% Wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe you took the last donut in the cafeteria, maybe you laughed at the wrong joke, maybe some high up official just wanted to flex his political muscles, or maybe he didn't like the shape of your ears, but all you know is that one night some soldiers stormed into your bed room, tied you up, and threw you out the front gate with no explanation as to why. +5 BIO-E, +1 IQ, +1 ME, +1 PB.
71-100% Not 'normal' enough. During the latest purge they determined you weren't 'pure' enough (though they didn't mind the last 8 purges). Fortunately since you could convince them that you're 'mostly' human they couldn't kill you so they just kicked you out. +10 BIO-E, have at least one vestigial disadvantage (your choice), +1 IQ, +1 MA

Apprenticeship: None.
Primary Skills: Basic Math (+15%), Advanced Math, Literacy (+15%), Writing, History, Computer Operation, 2 Pilot skills of choice, 2 Domestic skills of choice, and a total of 6 skills combinedl from Medical, Scientific, and Technical.
Secondary Skills: Choose any 10 (Note, can only chose Hand to Hand Basic)
Special Bonuses: See above.
Money: The character HAD a small nest egg, 3d6 times 1000 EoH credits, but they were all confiscated the moment he you left. So far you've only managed to scrape together 1d4 times 100 bucks.
Equipment: A set of clothes, 1 simple ancient weapon scrounged up somewhere (club, knife, chain, staff, etc), 1d4 small high tech devices you managed to hide on you when you were exiled, and some basic survival gear you managed to trade for (matches, a blanket, etc).
Relatives & Connections: May have a few friends in this new life. In the EoH you still have a few close friends or relatives who might provide assistance, but most humans will consider you a traitor.

Attribute Checks

A player over on the AtB message boards asked about how people go about resolving attribute checks. Here are a few suggestions I have:

Option 1) Have the player multiply their attribute(s) by 3 and the result as a percentage to roll against. I cut off attributes at 30, so if you have an attribute high than that this probably won't work.

Example: Rocky is a bear with a PS of 21 and is trying to tear a door off its hinges. Multiplied by 3 you get 63. Rocky now has a base chance of 63% to tear the door off.

Option 2) Give the task a difficulty target and have your character add their attribute score to a 1D20. If the roll exceeds the target, they succeed.

Example: Rocky is trying to rip another door from its hinges. The GM assigns the task a difficulty of 30. Rocky needs to roll a 9 or better to successfully tear down the door.

Option 3) Use the character's attribute scores as a points pool to perform actions that you feel would otherwise strain them. These points would heal back at the same per-day rate as SDC. This would add a sense of stamina to all stats - Mental and Physical.

Example: Rocky isn't all that smart (IQ 9), but he is really straining to figure out the answer to a riddle. The GM might offer to charge the character 1 IQ for a small hint, or 3 IQ for a bigger hint.

Birnbaum asked:
A character (size level 2) was riding a mutant grasshopper (size level 15), when the grasshopper does one of his enormous leaps, there might be a P.S check (or P.P check) to see if the pc gets bucked off or not.

Option 1) Take the character's PS (or average the characters strength and prowess (i.e. PS+PP/2)) and multiply it by 3. Use that # as the target of a % roll, just like checking a skill. You might also want to penalize the character for the size difference; say -1% per size level.

Option 2) That's a really big grasshopper compared to the character. I'd probably give the task a base difficulty of at least 25 or 30 (that's what I figure a character of that size would need to stay on such a large mount). Again you could average the character's strength and prowess.

Option 3) It's going to take a lot of effort for such a small character to stay on the back of the grass hopper. Let's say we charge the character 1-3 PS for every minute he rides the "hopping" grasshopper. Riding a walking grasshopper won't cost him anything, only when it starts hopping. Depending on the character's PS, they will tire out pretty quickly.

Of course you could also combine any of these methods as you like as well.

Mountain of the Dead

I found an article today, while checking out Reddit, about the Dyatlov Pass Accident that happened in the USSR back in 1959. This got me to thinking that it would make an interesting adventure for a Palladium game.

For some time I've been trying to come up with a story for a mystery genre adventure for AtB, and I think this might just be the one. Actually, it would work for just about any Palladium setting.

For setting this in AtB the group of ski hikers could be either Cardanian scouts looking for a pass, or a Philly Trade Caravan moving west, through the Appalachian Mountains. Reports come back a week later that the bodies of the scouts or caravan have been found dead in a remote portion of their route.

The player characters are then sent to investigate the scene and find out what happened.

Several skills would be required by members of the group (medical, tracking, survival, wilderness survival, chemistry, etc. ) to examine the scene and/or discover evidence. People skills would be required to interrogate/question locals of the last town visited.

Several red herrings would be tossed in to prevent the mystery from being too easy to solve. Of course the adventure could be designed so that there would be multiple endings for the GM to choose from like in the movie Clue.

I'll try to create something from this story and post it in a future article.

[IN THE NEWS] Scientists Create Transparent Fish

Roger Highfield, Science Editor for the Telegraph (UK) writes: [link]

Scientists have created ghostly transparent fish to make human biology clearer. The feat has been achieved with zebrafish are genetically similar to humans and are already in widespread use as models for human biology and disease.

[snip]

The classic method for studying human diseases in animals is to allow the animal to get the disease, kill and dissect the animal, then ask, "what happened?" But in cancer and other fast-changing processes that traverse the body, this method is bound to miss something. "It's like taking a photograph when you need a video," says White.

[snip]

White named the new breed "casper", after the ghost.

Wouldn't that gene be pretty freaky to find passed down in some mutants in AtB? Actually this gives me a great idea for a Mad Scientist villain. Someone like a Splicer from Rifts who's messing with mutants and then tossing them back in the wild to see how they react or how the environment reacts to them.

I'll have to work on that.

Rifter #41: The City of Philly

After the Bomb received some attention in The Rifter #41 thanks to Erin (OmegaGirl) Lindsey.

This 24 page article brings the city of Philly to life with descriptions of the city, it's wards, history, and the Rodent Cartel and it's Families. Also included are NPC's, new mutant animals, apprenticeships, and beasts. Including the fearsome Jersey Devil!!!

And if that weren't enough, the article contains great illustrations and a full page map of the area!

If you love AtB, you've got to get this issue!

[IN THE NEWS] UK Allows Human-Animal Embryos

AFP wrote:[link]

Britain's fertility regulator said Thursday it would allow scientists to create human-animal hybrid embryos for research.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) approved applications from two universities to create "cytoplasmic" embryos, which merge human cells with eggs from animals such as cattle or rabbits.

Scientists argue the research could pave the way for therapies for diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's...

[snip]

Researchers want to produce hybrids that are 99.9 percent human and 0.1 percent animal.

[snip]

Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, head of stem cell biology at the Medical Research Council's national institute for medical research, said: "The HFEA's decision is excellent as it adds to the arsenal of techniques UK scientists can use to provide understanding and eventually develop therapies for a wide range of devastating genetic diseases."

Of course there are those who are crying fowl:

John Smeaton, national director of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), said the decision was a "disastrous setback for human dignity", creating sub-human "slaves" used as raw materials.

"Of those embryos with a smaller proportion of human material, greater uncertainty arises... as to whether such an embryo is a human being with due rights," he said.

Only time will tell if we can use this knowledge responsibly and ethically.

Story Idea: Proteus

This is just an idea I had for an AtB story or game that I wrote down on a napkin two or three years ago while I was at a local pizza joint (behold the power of napkins!). Let me know if you think this is an idea worth expanding upon.

Proteus [Pro·te·us]

• (noun) Classical Mythology. a sea god, son of Oceanus and Tethys, noted for his ability to assume different forms and to prophesy.
• (adj.) a person or thing that readily changes appearance, character, principles, etc.

PRELUDE (208x - Pre-Crash)

- A female scientist and her assistant (a mutant chimpanzee) are hard at work trying to find a way to stop the mystery plague that is killing off the human race. The scientist's child, a young boy or girl dieing of the mystery plague, is placed in cryogenic pod until she can find the cure.

CURRENT DAY (After the Bomb)

- A battle between a group of mutant animals and a detachment of Human Empire soldiers rages outside the ruins of an Pre-Death building.

- After the human soldiers retreat, the mutant animals move into the building. It turns out to be a cryogenic hospice, a place where human from before the Crash would inter the terminally ill.

- Amazingly enough, power is still being supplied to a few of the cryogenic pods. The mutant animals find all but one of the occupants are dead - the victims of rotted seals. The remaining pod is that of the child from the prelude. However, the child is now a teenager, it's aging only slowed while in the cryogenic pod.

- The pod, the human child still inside, is delivered to a Cardanian medical facility in Cambridge where they attempt to reawaken the human inside.

- Soon after he/she is awakened, the child is frightened by mutant animal doctors and runs away.

- The human child hides in the old city ruins on the outskirts of Cambridge for a couple days until being attacked by a pack of street urchins (a mix mutant animals). The child is saved when another human (actually a pleasure bunny) comes to the rescue.

- The bunny takes the child to her home, an old but luxurious cabin hidden in the nearby woods. There she tells the child what has happened to change the world and admits that she is in fact also a mutant animal. After a while, she convinces the child to return with her to the medical facility.

- Back at the medical facility, the doctors run tests on the child and discover that the child does not carry the strain of the disease that killed humans, but a variation of the disease called Proteus - the strain that gave birth to the anthropomorphic animals. However, this variation would not affect animals, instead this strain would cause a "Proteus Transformation" in humans.

- Fearful of what he/she may turn into, how the transformation may affect him/her, and whether or not he/she will survive the transformation, the child accepts his/her fate. Monitored by the medical staff during the transformation, and watched over by the bunny, the child slowly begins his/her transformation into a .

- When the child is revived, he/she discovers that the transformation has also awoken new psionic powers, including the ability to telepathically listen to other peoples thoughts.

- Soon after, the child telepathically overhears a doctor plotting to use the new Proteus strain on other surviving humans and tells the bunny. The doctor discovers that the two know about the plot and the two must escape before they are captured by security.

- Back at the cabin the two start packing to escape Cambridge, but a group of canine mercenaries hired by the doctor tracks down the two at the cabin before they can leave and a battle ensues. The two escape down a bolt hole just as the cabin is destroyed in a fiery explosion.

- Content that nothing could have survived such a blast and musing that the only cure of the Protean strain would have been contained in the child's DNA (a fact that is overheard by the bunny), the doctor returns to the medical facility to work on his scheme.

- Safely outside Cambridge, the bunny reveals that she was once a member of a group of adventurers and suggests that they might go to them for some help.

SIDE NOTES

- As the story would have progressed, it would have been found that the child's mutation was unstable and would revert (like a lycanthrope) between mutant animal and human form. He/she would also discover new psionic abilities as well, including precognition.

- The mutant doctor's ultimate goal would be to use the Protean virus against the Empire of Humanity, rationalizing that once they had all been mutated into animals they would stop warring with the rest of the animal nations.

- At some point it would be revealed that the mutant chimpanzee that assisted the child's mother is still alive and possibly a member of the bunnies adventuring group. The chimpanzee would then reveal that the child's mother had almost finished the cure when she was taken away by soldiers to work at some survivors colony. The chimp was not allowed to accompany her and never heard of her again, assuming that she died along with the rest.

- Who else may be involved in the plot to infect the humans with the Proteus virus? What will the Empire do if/when they find out about the Proteus? Could the child's mother have survived? Could she have created the cure? What did she do with the cure?