Friday, June 11, 2010

20 Random Wild Mutations

Not every animal in the world of AtB was mutated into an anthropomorphic intelligent being.

Here is a list of wild mutations you might consider adding to some wild animals that your characters can encounter while traveling the wilderness. These creatures can also be used to terrorize a border town for a quick game session. As always, use your imagination.

Table of Random Wild Mutations: (roll 1D20)

  1. Bone Spurs
  2. Horns
  3. Tusks
  4. Venom
  5. Extra/Fewer Appendages
  6. Extra Heads
  7. Unexpected Appendage(s)
  8. Multiple Eyes
  9. Cycloptic
  10. Gigantism
  11. Mutant Power (See Heroes Unlimited)
  12. Animal Psionic Power
  13. Bald
  14. Odd Covering (i.e. scales instead of fur)
  15. Odd Color
  16. Diet Change (i.e. carnivore instead of herbivore)
  17. Habitat Change
  18. Sickly/Leprous/Disfigured (HF 12+)
  19. Siamese
  20. Unstable Mutation

Brief descriptions for the non-obvious Wild Mutations:

Bone Spurs: The Calcium in the creatures bones have grown into several sharp bony protrusions that have pierced the skin and can be used offensively as weapons, or defensively as armor or spikes.

Extra/Fewer Appendages: The creature is missing or has a few extra arms and/or legs. If this is a chimera, the extra appendages can be from a totally different animal.

Unexpected Appendage: This includes antennae, horns, mouthparts, wings, gills, walking legs, tentacles , swimming legs or fins, and parts of the tail that don't normally occur on the creature (ie: an elephant with elk horns or tail of a dolphin).

Cycloptic: The creature's eyes have grown together into a large single eye.

Gigantism: This creature is huge. Double or add 10 to the creatures size levels.

Mutant Power: Grab a copy of Heroes Unlimited, Powers Unlimited, or copy of the Rifter and pick a suitable, or outrageous, power to add to this creature.

Bald: Obviously this doesn't apply to a creature that doesn't already have hair. If that's the case, just add a whole lot of hair instead. This works best when added to another Wild Mutation.

Odd Body Covering: Hairy Dolphin, Scaly Cow, Chitinous Gopher... Just change the skin normally found on a creature to one that is way out of place.

Habitat Change: Funny, you don't normally find Polar Bears in the Tropics... Does your creature normally live under water? Well, now it burrows underground (Land Shark!).

Sickly/Leprous/Disfigured: Oh, the horror!! This creature is scarred by sickly soars, oozing pustules, and/or rotting flesh, etc... Anyone who sets eyes on it must make a Horror Factor check or run in terror (House Rule: NPCs are -10 to all HF checks).

Siamese: Two creatures (not necessarily the same species) are joined at some part of their anatomy. Some may speculate that this to be some form of chimera that didn't work out so well.

Unstable Mutation: Every so often this creature goes through a metamorphosis that changes it. Be it a new unstable mutation, a change to it's appearance, a new power or disadvantage, or even a chimeric addition; you never know what you'll be facing from one encounter to the next.