Hot Spot An Encounter For Mutant Future or Any Old School Post Apocalyptic campaign

The fertile valleys of the Ruined Midwest are often hot spots of phenomena of unknown agencies. 
These  regions of activity belong to a  group of legendary  monsters of the wastelands known as Hiders. They're often rumored to be operating in the arid wastelands of the Midwest  near communities with Relic nuclear power plants and sometimes near major fault lines in the cracked Earth of the wastelands. Often these rumors sometimes center around super science corporate farmlands. Reclaimed and terraformed  Earth and lands also seem to attract them as well.
They're signs and symbols are everywhere but folks seldom notice these in the area. At night strange lights, weird craft, and other strange things bedevil areas where these monsters operate. Because of the nature of these horrors, they're handy work is seldom seen.  Yet here and there can be found their strange often menacing technological items. Sensors, probes, weird tools, and more are often found stuck in the ground or simply lying out in the open as if someone just put these objects down.

 

Hiders often seem drawn to nuclear power plants and will often sneak or break into such places. Sudden strange drops in power, computers or equipment going off line, drops in power output and more are often their work. The popular theories as to why they are drawn to these place run the gambit but most center around these monsters reclaiming their once incredible technologies. Space craft, strange relics, and more all seem to attract the attention of these beings. Yet it is unclear why such beings are attracted to these things. The overall goal of the Hiders remains hidden and menacingly alien even to the most understanding and emphatic councilors. 
There are certain groups of super scientists who are actively hunting these horrors of the wastelands. 'The Understanders' are a group of scientists from just outside of Denver who have seen the actions and handy work of these horrors when one of their community reactors almost went critical. Denver's cabal of super scientists made a study of these monsters.  They concluded that these horrors might be from another universe all together. Several artifacts recovered  by the Understanders points to the incredible technologies of the Hiders.
Energy leechers, wand shaped energy transfer devices, and more are all tools of the trade of the Hiders. They're technology is thousands of years advanced beyond the current excuses for high technological devices out in the wastelands.  Yet 'the Understanders believe that the Hiders are a race fallen from grace. Beings whose very existence on this planet might be a punishment from a much more advanced race. The Understanders own  and operate one of the last  nuclear power plants in the United States in the state of Colorado. Many think that the plant is merely bait to attract the attentions of the 'Hiders'. They're a race that has one over whelming goal, to leave the planet behind and resume relations with their brothers out  among the stars. 
The Understanders have a standing bounty of 200 credits for a live 'Hider' or a three hundred pounds of trade goods including seeds, and foodstuffs. It is believed that the 'Understanders' have a working craft belonging to the Hiders. They need several key pieces of Hider technology to get the craft working. Chief among these items is a sub dimensional cell drive system key. This key will power any Hider device including a space craft.
1d10 Random Hider Find Table 

1. 1d4 power cell draining devices worth about 100 gold pieces on the black markets. 
2. A packet of powdered water which cane be added to a dry meal for instant liquid. Worth 20 gold pieces 
3. A full note book outlining several keys of the 'Hider' race 120 gold pieces 
4. A meta scanner device worth 200 gold pieces and it will act as a radiation detector 
5. A bottle of trillions of nanites that will do quick repair work on any mechanical devices. 
6. A special holo map of a four hundred squire block radius surrounding you 140 gold pieces. 
7. A bottle of special tonic, this stuff will take 1d30 years off of the user but there's a 10%  chance of gaining 1d4 additional mutations from using this stuff 200 gold pieces 
8. A strangely piece of metal that can control the local weather. Has 1d4 charges when found. The piece is a able to pull moisture from the air. It will do 1d6 points of damage. 
9. A holoprojector that is able to display a perfectly detailed representation of the user. This holographic is perfectly detailed copy. The thing will have 1d6 charges when found. 
10. A slab of alien metal that will act as power word kill and stun anyone handling this piece. The thing will allow a user to access its powers but doing so will attract 1d4 hiders.  

Hiders often operate within the structure of command within the wastelands,  They are often found wandering the hallways of nuclear power plants, missile bases, and more. 

More Information On Hiders On Chris Van Deelen's Blog HERE

No. Enc: 2d20

Alignment:  Chaotic

Movement: 90’ (30’)

AC: 6 (or by armor)

HD: 6

Attacks: By weapon or 2 claws and one gas attack

Damage: by weapon or 1d4 / 1d4 or class 18 poison

Save: L6

Morale: 3

Hoard Class: V, VI, VII, XVI, XXI

Mutations: Aberrant form (natural weapons), bizarre appearance (d), chameleon epidermis, dietary requirement change (blood) (d) toxic weapon (class 18 poison), vulnerability to water (d)

Source: Signs (2002)