Northeastern Wargar

These large hounds are the product of mutations brought about by the aftermath of the Big Death and selective breeding by the Wolf Barbarians who often use them as war mounts.

While the Wolf Barbarians refuse to traffic in the sale of their Wargar, some have escaped into the wilderness and found their way onto the black market in Filly. Wargar are a prised item among low-tech mercenary groups and estates in the Contested Lands.

Size Level: 19 (Medium)
Height: 5ft at the shoulder
Length: 9ft snout to tail
Weight: 1000 - 1800 pounds
Hit Points: 5D6+10
SDC: 2D4x10
Horror Factor: 13
Psionics: None
Attacks Per Melee: 3
Damage: Bite does 2D4+4, Claws do 3D6+6
Bonuses: +2 on initiative, +3 to strike, +2 to parry, +6 to save vs. horror factor, +4 to save vs. poison or disease.
Natural Abilities: Rodent Leaping, Color Blind, Advanced Smell, Advanced Hearing
Average Life Span: 12
Value: $1300 for a full grown Wargar, $2000 for a Wargar cub, Hides fetche ~$800
Habitat: Northeastern Seaboard, Wolf Barbarian Territories
Notes: The Wolf Barbarians often times equip their Wargar with armored barding which offers an AR of 12-14 and 50-75 SDC.

Image Credit: Image is capture of Warg from "Lord of the Rings: the Third Age".

Guargoyle

In the late 2040's several biotech companies began to create new creatures to supplement their human security forces. It was around this time that increasingly violent anti-eugenics groups were attacking EGG manufacturers and bioengineering facilities. Since regular human guards were not very effective, companies chose to grow something a little more... intimidating. The Guargoyles were one of the more popular choices, and were individually grown with inbred loyalty and obedience to their host corporation. Guargoyle intelegence was designed to be slightly higher than a domesticated dog, but less than that of a primate, which made them quite easy to train.


In the world of After the Bomb, these creatures have changed very little, and through the past several generations they still contain their inbred loyalty and obedience toward anyone seen as a member of their original sponsor.

Most guargoyles maintain a den or camp within five miles of their sponsors building or ruins with a usual population of 12 to 20 with a social structure similar to that of a pack of wolves with the strongest acting as pack leader.

However, some have had to find new grounds as their original sponsor facilities were wiped out in the Big Death, or by marauders in the aftermath. These 'ronin guargoyles' will usually find a new place to guard and protect, or may even be found serving a new master in a wilderness fortress.

Attributes: IQ 2D4,ME 2D4,PS 5D6*,PE 5D6,PP 5D6,Spd. 3D6
*Minimum PS is 20
Size Level: 13 (Medium)
Height: 6-7ft tall
Weight: 300-350lbs
Average Life Span: 15 years
Natural Body AR: 11
S.D.C.: 80
Hit Points: 2D4x10
Horror Factor: 15
Psionics: Presence Sense**, Mind Block
**see Beyond the Supernatural or Heroes Unlimited for a full description.
Natural Abilities: Crushing Strength, Basic Flight, Glide, Color Blind, Night vision, Ultraviolet Vision, Advanced Hearing, Feline Leaping, Predator Burst
Vestigial Traits: Obedience***, Protection***, Loyalty***, Vestigial Horns (1D6 Dmg)
***Limited to anyone wearing their sponsors uniform or announcing a password.
Attacks Per Melee: 5
Damage: Claws 2D4, Talons 2D6, Bite 2D6, Flying Tackle 3D6 (counts as two attacks)
Bonuses: In addition to physical bonuses, +2 Initiative, +2 Dodge in flight, +1 vs. Psionic Attacks.

Rali Windstar

Alignment: Unprincipled
Attributes: IQ 22, ME 13,MA 12,PS 12,PE 13,PP 9,PB 10,Spd. 15
Age: 22 Gender: Male
Species: Red Fox
Size Level: 7
Height: 5' 5" Weight: 94lbs.
Hit Points: 32 SDC: 47
Disposition: Curious and obsessive
Human Features
Hands -- Full
Legs -- Full
Speech -- Full
Looks -- Partial
Powers: None
Psionics: None
Level of Experience: 6th
Background: Academic Underground
Apprenticeship: Archaeology
Occupation: Antiquarian/Archaeologist
Skills of Note: Anthropology 58%, Archaeology 78%, History 92%, Appraise Artifact 98%, Excavation 78%, Research 88%, Technical Writing 68%, Public Speaking 68%, Chemistry 88%, Pathology 78%, First Aid 83%, Advanced Math 82%, Art 72%, Computer Operation 78%, Pilot Truck 92%, Land Navigation 68%, Wilderness Survival 78%, Pick Lock 68%, Forgery (used to identify) 68%, Detect Concealment & Traps 63%, Locate Secret Compartment/Doors 53%, Athletics, Boxing, Fencing.
Languages & Literacy: French 88/78%, Chinese 88/78%
Weapon Proficiencies: Sword, Revolver
Secondary Skills of Note: Recognize Weapon Quality 63%, Cook 68%, Climbing 78/68%, HtH: Basic
Attacks per Melee: 6
Bonuses: +5 to parry/dodge, +1 to strike, +5 to roll with punch/fall/impact, +2 to pull punch, Critical hit on a natural 19 and 20, Base kick damage 1D6.
Special Weapons: Rali always travels with a Rhode Island .38 Revolver.
Personal Profile: Rali was the only son of immigrants from the Free Cattle Plains. The Underground discovered him working in his parents food stand in Smoketown, and at the age of 8 was taken to study at an Academic Underground facility in Portsmouth. Rali soon found that his interests revolved around history and antiquities, and began an internship in Archaeology under the mentoring of Lionell Barjan. Rali's internship took him to excavations in Filly, Gatorland, the Contested Lands, Baltimore and D.C. Rali now lives in Portsmouth and works at The Phoenix Club, an Academic Underground facility fronting as a club for the wealthy and business elite. As for his parents, he lost touch with them several years ago and has been meaning to locate them some day when he's not busy hunting down some new artifact or exploring some old ruins.

Two Hundred Scenario Ideas

Back in December 2004, gordyzx9r posted a list of 100 quick scenario ideas in the TMNT/AtB Forums at Palladium Books. And while the list was pretty dry, it could be used by GM's to provide a spark for an idea that could be built into a fleshed out game.

Examples:
1. A barbarian horde bent on conquest bleeds the lands in it’s path of wanton destruction
17. Act as an official emissary
62. Inadvertently trigger a thought to be defunct, rogue sleeper-cell like order that sets into motion the overthrow of the local government
99. Word reaches Smoketown that an old decrepit Pre-Death ballistic submarine has washed ashore a Cardanian beach, the race is on to secure &/or destroy it to keep it from falling into enemy hands

In January of 2006, gordyzx9r posted another list of 100 scenarios. This time however, the list mostly included ideas that were more fleshed out than the previous 100.

So now if you are facing a weekend with friends who wanted to play After the Bomb, and had a bad case of writers block, you could quickly roll a D% to pull up a quick adventure idea. Please note though: NPCs are not included.

Examples:
2. A Cardanian research team has been attempting to decipher the program of a strange pre-death communication device when they unintentionally activate some sort of beacon. They learn that the beacon is transmitting a signal for a device to hone in and kill every living creature within a certain radius of the broadcast. Scientists are able to ascertain that there is only a few days time until this “thing” reaches the city. Cardania doesn’t want to cause mass pandemonium so the PCs are contracted to intercept whatever it is that is enroute to the city and destroy it…if they can.
49. It’s dead of winter and the PCs have been dispatched to a remote radio relay station that retransmits radio traffic. While monitoring the radio during a snow storm, they hear an EoH transmission between someone on the ground and EoH fighter-bombers. The person on the ground is evidently a forward controller as he makes a call for fire and as he’s relaying the coordinates, the PCs realize that the coordinates are for their relay station. They have just seconds to escape the attack and will be left with very little of their equipment. The EoH forward controller is part of an elite EoH commando team who will try to hunt down and capture or kill the PCs.
96. While on an existing mission, roll again on this table as an event occurs that may force more responsibilities upon the PCs.

To get a copy of the full list of two hundred scenarios you can find them in Palladuims forums [here and here], send gordyzx9r a PM to get a copy in word, or you can download a plain text copy with the link below.

Download: 200 Scenarios (text format), by gordyzx9r.

Larger Map of Cardania

Here's a larger scale map of Cardania.

[click for larger image]

This map shows the largest Cardanian cities that appear in my games: Smoketown, Portsmouth, Petersburg, Patux, Cambridge, Camden, Port Pocomo, and Paradise. Also shown are the locations of the D.C. Ruins, and Baltimore Ruins.

LOCATION NOTES:

Smoketown: Cardanian Capitol

Portsmouth: Carnadia's main port (Largest city)

Petersburg: Main hub of trade with scouts and inland salvage operators.

Patux: Industrial town, frequented by those heading to the ruins of DC and Baltimore. Frequent ferry service with Cambridge.

Cambridge: Peninsula's northern port. Home of the Academic Underground's first secret university.

Camden: Home to Cardania's single largest mill works, and largest city on the peninsula.

Port Pocomo: Peninsula's busiest lumber port. Controled by Camden.

Paradise: Gateway to the North. Those who don't want to travel around the ruins of DC or Baltimore enter Cardania through this city. Large Elite Militia presence. Heavy into trade with the Rodent Cartel of Filly. Quickly becoming Cardania's largest city due to a growing shanty town north of the "accepted" Cardanian boarder (suspected to be haven for many New Kennel and Empire Spies).

D.C. Ruins: Washington D.C., capitol of the former United States, was hit by a nuclear weapon at the time of the Death. Radiation levels have dropped over the past 75 years, but it still remains a dangerous place to visit due to strange mutant that live in the ruins as well as crumbling buildings, and pockets of leathal radiation.

Baltimore Ruins: Baltimore was swallowed by the Chesapeake Bay shortly after the Death as the sea level rose. Buildings that survived the flood have been known to colapse without warning and pose a hazard to any scavengers that venture into these ruins.