Commentary On The 'THX - 1138' 1971 Movie For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

There are films that stay with you and crawl into your subconscious rooting around to find a place at the back brain of your subconscious and they sort of bother you for years. George Lucas's 'THX -1138' was made way back in 1971 and is disturbing in its own right. The film is a depiction of a post apocalytic society and is a dystopian future in the extreme. Before there was Indiana Jones and Raiders Of The Lost Ark. This was the film that marked the debut of George Lucas.

Way before Star Wars, THX- 1138 burst onto the scene and made a post apocaltytic impression on those of us who saw it.
Wiki describes the film thus: 

THX 1138 is a 1971 science fiction film directed by George Lucas in his feature directorial debut. The film was written by Lucas and Walter Murch. It stars Robert Duvall and Donald Pleasence and depicts a dystopian future in which the populace is controlled through android police officers and mandatory use of drugs that suppress emotion, including sexual desire.

Friends have described it as the Anti 'Logan's Run' actually. Its a film that echoes many of the themes of science fiction from the 1970's. Stark, shocking, and dangerous in its vision of a possible future. 

What possible use is this film when doing OSR style post apocalyptic adventures and the answers might surprise you. The film presents a very interesting way of getting PC's together quickly, concisely, and in a way using a Seventies sci fi cult classic to motivate your adventures very easily.

Deeper Down The Rabbit Hole 

THX -1138 could be thought of as a quick motivator for jump starting a PA game. Given it's plot and its stark visuals. This film really stays with the audience. Wiki has a pretty solid point by point reduction of the basic plot:

'In a city of the future, use of mind-altering drugs is mandatory and sexual intercourse is prohibited. Drugs are critical both in maintaining compliance among the city's residents and also for ensuring their ability to conduct dangerous and demanding tasks for long periods of time. Everyone is clothed in the same white work clothes all the time, except the chrome-faced police androids who wear black, and robe-wearing monks. At their jobs in central video CCTV control centers, SEN 5241 (a man) and LUH 3417 (a woman) keep surveillance on the city. On LUH's face there can be seen clear signs of some emotional distress.

LUH has a male roommate, THX 1138. The two share "nothing but space". He works in a factory producing androids that function as police officers. The work is hazardous as it requires handling explosive and radioactive material. He leaves the job after his shift has ended, while the loudspeakers urge the workers to "increase safety", and congratulate them on their record of "only losing 195 workers" in the last period, to the competing factory's 242.

Returning from work he stops at a telephone booth–like personal Unichapel, one in a row of many, and mumbles prayers about "party" and "masses" while sitting there under the gaze of a wall portrait of a man's face, a being known as "OMM0910". A soothing voice greets THX and offers to share his problems. OMM ends every confession with a parting salutation: "You are a true believer, blessings of the State, blessings of the masses. Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents and be happy."

Back at home, it's an empty space almost without any fixtures except the in-wall drug cabinet with inbuilt lens, which greets him with "what's wrong?" when he opens the cabinet's door, and offers him medicine to "improve calmness". He takes his drugs, watches a holo-broadcast of a naked dancing African woman in an empty room while engaging with a masturbatory device, then switches to scenes of brutal beating of a person by police officers, afterwards.

LUH alters her drugs intake, ignoring warnings of dangerous "drugs interaction" coming from the lens in the cabinet. She secretly substitutes her pills for THX's medications. THX finds himself experiencing emotions and personal affection for the first time. They engage in love-making. Knowing that their physical relationship is illegal, THX must decide whether to return to using the prescribed drugs, or escape with LUH. He knows that he will not be able to function without his drugs while at his demanding job, but he does not want to lose what he has created with LUH. She suggests an escape out into a "superstructure," but he is indecisive.

THX is confronted by SEN, who uses his position as LUH's superior to change her shift, admitting he wants THX as his new roommate. THX files a complaint against SEN for the illegal shift change. Without drugs in his system, THX falters during critical and hazardous phases of his job, while being monitored by his increasingly concerned supervisor. A control center is alerted to the situation and executes "overriding mindlock" on THX to immobilize him for further arrest for drugs evasion. This occurs at a critical juncture of android construction, which almost leads to a minor nuclear disaster. The control center disavows responsibility for the incident.

THX and LUH are arrested. THX is imprisoned in an area that resembles a white limbo world. He enjoys a brief reunion with LUH—one disrupted by the enforcer robots, not before she reveals to him she is expecting a child. At THX's trial the prosecution demands he be destroyed but the defense argues there still must be some "use" in him. Defense wins. THX is consigned to another region of limbo, this one populated by a collection of other prisoners, including SEN. Knowing that THX filed the complaint against him, SEN nevertheless rallies him to join his undescribed cause.

Most of the prisoners seem uninterested in escape, but eventually THX and SEN decide to find an exit. They encounter SRT 5752, who starred in the holo-broadcasts. SRT says he has tired of "being a hologram" and wants "to be a real person" now. Exiting their unguarded prison, THX and SRT are separated from SEN. Controllers in the city learn of the escape. A budget of 14,000 credits is allotted for their recapture. Chased by the robots, THX and SRT are trapped in a control center, from which THX learns that LUH has been "consumed", possibly for organ reclamation (since bodies discovered earlier had, as SRT put it, their "insides...gone") and her name reassigned to fetus 66691 in a growth chamber. This suggests that she has been declared "incurable", and "used".

Alone and hunted, SEN makes a tentative exploration of the limits of the city's underground network. Cowed by what he sees, he finds his way to an area reserved for the monks of OMM. Alone, SEN prays directly to OMM - which is a wall–sized portrait in an abandoned TV studio - before being confronted by a lone monk who notices that SEN has no identification badge. SEN attacks him before the monk can report him. Returning to the "central web", SEN wanders into a child-rearing area, strikes up a conversation with children and then sits aimlessly there until police androids apprehend him without a fight.

THX and SRT escape and steal two cars, but SRT crashes his into a concrete pillar. Pursued by two police androids on motorcycles, THX in his car flees to the limits of the city. Abandoning his car, THX eventually locates a ventilation shaft leading to the surface. The police pursue him up an escape ladder, but are ordered by central command to cease pursuit, even though close to capturing him, as the expense of his capture exceeds their pre-determined budget by 6%. It is then revealed that the city is entirely underground, as he stands before a giant red setting Sun in the evening sky, seeing this view for the very first time in his life.'

Using THX -1138 As Fodder For 
Your Old School Post Apocalyptic  Campaign 

THX -1138 presents several areas that may allow PC's to suddenly meet within the confines of the white limbo asylum section of the massive underground city of the film. I've used the environs of the film at various times as fodder for decks of the Warden from Metamorphosis Alpha first edition. I've used the  whole film as an adventure location in Gamma World and Mutant Future. Various security and police bots are humanoid and have chromed heads in my post apocalyptic campaigns. I've used the various city dwellers and characters as part of cryptic alliances and as backdrops for interaction in PA games over the years.

Way back in college I first encountered this film as a book by Ben Bova.  I picked the novel in  up at a used book sale and then while working in the video store in Boston sought out the film.


After reading the book, one thing that struck me was the possibility of the aftermath of the events of the book. Its possible that the entire underground world of the novel is part of a grand series of  post apocalyptic mega dungeons waiting to be explored by PC's with various android policemen just waiting to beat the hell out of PC's and all kinds of high 1970's style weirdness just waiting for the PC's.
For a game like Mutant Epoch, THX -1138 offers a rather unique opportunity. The film's elements are perfect fodder for a dark,gritty, middle level challenge to adventurers within the wasteland and many of the types of PC races in the game as well as the various elements within are right in the main rule book of the game.
 It seems to me after recently reviewing the film again for this blog entry. The novel is actually one of the best sources for designing adventures based around the film. Wiki actually has the reasons broken down nicely : 

 The novel  follows the plot of the movie closely, with four notable additions:

• There is an additional character, Control, who is the accountant-like ultimate administrator of the City. Several passages depict the events from his point of view.
• After having sex with LUH 3417, THX 1138 consults a psychologists and admits everything. This psychologists transfers the confession to Control, leading to the overriding mindlock and arrest in the factory.
• LUH 3417's trial and death are depicted first-hand from her point of view, and from that of Control.
• Instead of climbing outside to witness a sunset, THX 1138 climbs up and spends the night in the superstructure, and exits in the morning to find other humans living outside.
  The addition of 'Control' enabled a few of my PC's in various incarnations of Gamma World 1st edition to find 'Control's' computer journals and the addition of other cities which the novel talks about. This offers the PC's brand new sources of artifacts, weird encounter opportunities, and more chances to dive into the world of 'THX -1138'. 
  In the end THX - 1138 is not the perfect source material for a post apocalyptic but it makes a great mid level filler for PC's who need a whole other challenge from their treks into the wastelands.
  And remember the state-sanctioned deity OMM 0910  ends every confession with a parting salutation: "You are a true believer, blessings of the State, blessings of the masses. Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents and be happy."
  
  More Information on THX 1138
  Right Over
  HERE
  
  This blog post is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant as a challenge to the trade marks, copyrights or properties of the film or any of the rpgs named within. This post is merely pointing to a potential resource and is used for educational and entertainment purposes only.  

Commentary On The Various Incarnations Of 'Logan's Run' and Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

This blog post was prompted by the Skirmisher Publications Facebook post and dialogue on creating a Logan's Run source book for your old school post apocalytic campaign.
Available right over
HERE
I've been a Logan's Run fan since I was a kid back in 1976 when the movie first aired at the local drive in. Maybe because the movie is so strongly associated with the first edition Gamma World rpg for me. I've heard the movie described as badly dated and its not aged well but let's take a deeper look into the worlds of Logan and Jessica Six. 

Youth culture, social based internet applications, Lord of the Flies style tribal based societies, the lethal time clock like  ageist society, and much more are all a part of the post apocalyptic world of Logan Run.
Where this all begins is with the William Nolan book, Logan's Run. The novel depicts a whole different set of motivations, and ideas many of which are familiar to players of many post apocalyptic old school rpgs. Let's dive into the deep end of the novel.

 Logan's Run The Novel By William Nolan


Briefly the plot goes something like this according to wiki: 

Published in 1967, it depicts a dystopic ageist future society in which both population and the consumption of resources are maintained in equilibrium by requiring the death of everyone reaching a particular age. The story follows the actions of Logan, a Sandman charged with enforcing the rule, as he tracks down and kills citizens who "run" from society's lethal demand—only to end up "running" himself.

"The seeds of the Little War were planted in a restless summer during the mid-1960s, with sit-ins and student demonstrations as youth tested its strength. By the early 1970s over 75 percent of the people living on Earth were under 21 years of age. The population continued to climb—and with it the youth percentage.

In the 1980s the figure was 79.7 percent.

In the 1990s, 82.4 percent.

In the year 2000—critical mass."

In the world of 2116, a person's maximum age is strictly legislated: twenty one years, to the day. When people reach this Lastday they report to a Sleepshop in which they are willingly executed via a pleasure-inducing toxic gas. A person's age is revealed by their palm flower crystal embedded in the palm of their right hand that changes color every seven years, yellow (age 0-6), then blue (age 7-13), then red (age 14-20), then blinks red and black on Lastday, and finally turns black at 21.

Runners are those who refuse to report to a Sleepshop and attempt to avoid their fate by escaping to Sanctuary. Logan 3 is a Deep Sleep Operative (also called Sandman) whose job is to terminate Runners using a special weapon called the Gun, an unusual revolver which can fire a number of different projectiles. Runners are most terrified of one called the Homer which homes in on body heat and deliberately ignites every pain nerve in the body, killing the target. Sandmen practice Omnite, a hybrid martial arts style. On his own Lastday, Logan becomes a Runner himself in an attempt to infiltrate an apparent underground railroad for runners seeking Sanctuary—a place where they can live freely in defiance of society's dictates. For most of the book Logan is an antihero; however, his character develops a sympathy towards Runners and he becomes more of a traditional hero figure.

Jessica 6, a contact Logan made after he chased her Runner brother Doyle 10 into Cathedral where he was killed by the vicious preteen "Cubs", helps him, despite her initial distrust of him. Francis, another Sandman and a friend of Logan, catches up with Logan and Jessica after they have managed to make it to the final staging area before Sanctuary. He reveals that he is actually the legendary Ballard, who has been helping arrange their escape. He explains that he is 42, that his palm flower is faulty and does not change color and he uses plastic surgery shops to disguise his appearance. He is working from within the system as he believes that the computer controlling the global infrastructure, and buried beneath Crazy Horse Mountain, is beginning to malfunction, and that the society will die with it.

Sanctuary turns out to be Argos, a previously abandoned space colony near Mars. Logan and Jessica escape to the colony on a rocket that departs from a former space program launch site in Florida. Ballard remains to help others escape.

The Logan's Run 1976 Film 

Many of the themes of Logan's Run are almost the same ones that we see in the earlier works of H.G. Wells and Aldus Huxley. Artificially created societies based upon pleasure and mountains of the dead who help to sustain the pivotal points of  the so called elite or ruling class who have forgotten even their origins.

More over here on Wiki:
HERE

In the year 2274, the remnants of human civilization live in a sealed domed city, a utopia run by a computer that takes care of all aspects of their life, including reproduction. The citizens live a hedonistic lifestyle but understand that in order to maintain the city, every resident when they reach the age of 30 must undergo the ritual of "Carrousel" [sic]. There, they are vaporized and ostensibly "Renewed." To track this, they are implanted at birth with a "life-clock" crystal in the palm of their hand that changes colors as they approach their "Last Day."

Most residents accept this promise of rebirth, but some realize it is a brutal population control, and go into hiding to avoid Carrousel. These fugitives are known as Runners, and there are Sandmen who are assigned to pursue and terminate them.

Logan 5 and Francis 7 are partner Sandmen. After terminating a Runner, Logan finds an ankh among his possessions. Later, he meets Jessica 6, a girl also wearing an ankh pendant. Logan takes the ankh to the computer, where he is told it is a symbol for a secret group who helps the Runners find "Sanctuary". The computer instructs Logan to find Sanctuary and destroy it. It then changes the color of his Lifeclock to flashing red, four years early. In order to escape Carrousel himself, Logan is now forced to become a Runner.

Logan regroups with Jessica and explains his situation. Together, they meet with the underground group that leads them to the periphery of the city. Logan finds the ankh symbol unlocks an exit from the city. They come out into a frozen cave, with Francis following closely behind. In the cave, they meet Box, a robot designed to capture food for the city from the outside. Box also captures escaped Runners and freezes them like artwork. Before he can freeze them, Logan and Jessica escape from the robot, causing the cave to collapse down on Box.

Once outside, Logan and Jessica notice that their Lifeclocks are dead. They discover that the wilderness has overrun the remains of human civilization. They explore the area, which was once Washington D.C.. In the ruins of the United States Senate chamber, they discover an elderly man. His appearance is a shock to them since neither has ever seen anyone over the age of 30. The old man explains what happened to humanity outside of the city and the fugitives realize Sanctuary is a myth. However, Francis has followed them and he and Logan fight. Logan fatally wounds Francis and as he dies, he sees that Logan's Lifeclock is now clear, believing Logan has Renewed.

Logan and Jessica convince the old man to return to the city with them. Leaving the man outside, the two enter and try to convince everyone that Carrousel is a lie and not necessary. The two are captured by other Sandmen and taken to the computer. The computer interrogates Logan and asks if he completed his mission, but Logan insists "there is no Sanctuary." This answer is not accepted by the computer, even after scanning Logan's mind, and the computer overloads, causing the city's systems to fail and release the exterior seals. Logan and Jessica regroup with the old man as the citizens flee the ruined city. There when the citizens are all released outside they see the old man who is the first human they see far older than 30, proving that they can live their lives much longer, bringing them freedom.

 There are several adventure locations and a mega dungeon or two lurking in the background of the movie that will keep any party busy for a campaign's worth of adventures. 

There are ton of artifacts and elements from the film that can be easily be co opted into a post apocalyptic old school campaign. The most usable  of the Logan's Run properties is the shortest incarnation. The Logan's Run television series had only a limited run and yet it was the most usable as the Logan's incarnations went. 

The Logan's Run Television Show
1977 -78
As Fodder For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Wasteland  

The television show plot goes something like this according to wiki : 

The series depicted Logan and Jessica—pursued by Francis (Randolph Powell, billed as "Randy Powell")—traveling in a futuristic hovercraft-like vehicle on a cross-country trek to Sanctuary in a post-apocalyptic America. The domed city was seen only in the pilot and two other episodes, using recycled footage from the film. In a change from the book and film, the television series had the city run by a cabal of elderly citizens; Francis has been promised a life beyond thirty as a city elder if he can bring back the fugitives. Logan and Jessica were joined on their journey by an android named Rem, played by Donald Moffat.

 The pilot of the T.V. show had  many of the elements of the novel oddly enough but introduced a cabal of council members who actually work behind the scenes and rule the city using the limited resources of the 'Domed Cities' . If we look into the plot there are many elements that can be used for a wide variety of PA campaigns :

 In the 23rd century, survivors of a nuclear war live in a domed city where they are allowed to stay alive only until age 30. "Runners," who refuse to die in the extermination ceremony known as Carousel, are hunted down and killed by enforcers called Sandmen. Logan is a Sandman who's begun to question the system, and he and a woman named Jessica leave the city to look for a mysterious place called Sanctuary. Along the way they meet an android named Rem, who joins them in their quest. The three of them are being pursued by a Sandman named Francis. 

 The very short lived television show only ran from 1977 to 1978, but many of the elements of the show are perfect fodder for use as an old school post apocalyptic campaign. From the three adventurers and their hover car to the various hazards that the party faces. When creating adventures in the world of Logan's Run its easy to forget that both Mutant Future and Mutant Epoch already have the weapons, elements, etc. built right into them. Many of the various incarnations of Logan's Run have elements of Huxley's ' Brave New World' and H.G. Well's Time Machine there as well. These elements on their own are very controversial.   The hedonistic pleasure erotica of the 'Domed City' seems to be forgotten today but in the 1970's this was hot stuff. And pure strain human society with its caste based color branded designer humans and wide scale genetic engineering are all there lurking in the background waiting to encountered by your party of mutant adventurers.
Another nice setting element that we find in the television series is the use of studio locations and neighborhoods for the various episodes, this lends adventures set in the world of Logan a familiar yet artificial characteristic. Something that as a DM I've used several times. Used very sparingly this touch can jar players especially in backgrounds such as deep space.
Many of the Logan's Run setting details are easily mixed and matched. The Deep Sleep operatives make an excellent post apocalyptic faction for a game such as Mutant Future. The Domed City a great encounter location for Mutant Epoch as well.
 I've used Logan's Run as fodder for adventures aboard the Warden as well with some surprising results. The fact is that these have been some of my most successful games back in junior high, Metamorphosis Alpha first edition  was made for use with classic Seventies sci fi like the Logan's Run television show.
 All in all there are ton of things that can be done with William Nolan's creation and its various step children in the post apocalyptic wasteland.

This post is for entertainment purposes only and is not a challenge to the properties, trade marks, copyrights of the various owners of such. This post is for entertainment purposes only. 

1d10 Weird Random Fossilized Lovecraftian Finds Table For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

Your adventurers stumble upon a safe, strong box, or other unusual vaults with some strange pre holocaust fossils, the finds give off unusual psychic emanations and could be quite valuable. This table contains some weird and unusual finds that may puzzle,kill, or put the fear of the ancient gods in your party.

1d10 Weird Random Fossilized Finds Table

1. The preserved head of ancient soldier in amber from the time of the last Ice Age that was used as the genetic basis for a faction of super soldiers who are willing to pay over 300 gold pieces for the artifact. The brain of the preserved skull actually has 1d8 mental mutations and is directing its cloned army of psychopathic mutant warriors from beyond the grave. 
2. This piece of amber contains a preserved giant musiquto and the horrid mutant plague germ that was used in the creation of one of the most horrid weapons of the Holocaust. There is a 30% chance of handling this artifact will infect the user with a variation of Edgar Allen Poe's Red Death disease. Worth 500 gold pieces because a special serum can be made from the cloned germs found in this item. 
3. A preserved claw cut crystal is actually an artifact of the ancient serpent men of Valusia and allows one to contact the ancient serpent overlords across space and time telepathically. There is a 40% chance of one of these ancient horrors trying to possesses the PC. The claw is worth 600 gold pieces and acts a cursed item ala Labyrinth Lord Rules. 
4. A alien  giant leech from 400 million years ago, now part of a rock. The thing's life force still echoes through eternity and allows the user to access 1d6 random mental mutations. There are still alien elements out in the universe searching for this thing from another world and a cult of worshipers on Earth who will kill the owner for this artifact. 
5. A giant crystallized fish from the waters around the Crypt of Cthulhu. This artifact retains 1d8 random visions from the telepathic mind of the Great Old One and will try to drive insane anyone possessing it. There will be a recovery party of 1d8 Deep One half breed warriors who will want this thing.  
6. The preserved brain of an ancient insect from Mars who will try to dominate anyone within forty feet of this thing. The alien mind will want to carry out its ancient agenda and not be aware that thousands of years have passed .This ancient  warrior will try to contact its brothers from beyond the grave. It may be able to summon 1d10 ancient alien specters or worse from with in the solar system. 
7. This ancient preserved fossilized plant is actually all that remains of a hyper intelligent plant species that will try to contact its own descendants in the post apocalyptic wasteland. This plant's agenda extends to several off world colonies and ventures where its interests are. There is a 20% chance of a lone group of alien hunters will seek out the finder of this stone. The stone also acts a predatory magnet drawing many mutant predators to the PC. 
8. This rock has trapped within it a complex clock work mechanism that originally could not have come from the time period preceding the current one. The mechanism is one of the time travel pieces of the Great Race of Yith and they are looking for it. Uncovering this artifact will allow 1d8 Great Race to kidnap the PC's in order to devise their plans for this artifact and other treasures that the PC's might have. 
9.  This green soap stone carving actually has the preserved eye ball of some ancient monster within it. The thing will whisper and telepathically laugh at the PC's and then try to mentally dominate the PC's. The thing will try to chance a PC's alignment to Chaotic evil; 
10. This ancient fossilized heart actually belongs to a Saurian wizard who was one of the key causes of the Apocalypse. For his crimes his heart was removed and scattered across time. He will try to observe the goings on around him. The heart may grant 1d10 mental mutations and knowledge of the ancient past as well as the resting place of 1d4 random ancient treasures. 

Slicing Even Deeper Into Wisdom From The Wastelands Issue 41 From Skirmisher Publishing For Mutant Future Or Any Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaign

Grab it Right
HERE

Radiation is one of the corner stones of the Mutant Future rpg game (or so it would seem but there have always been other apocalyptic events that could trigger the PA 'future' of  the game), radiation is however is key to the WWIII 1950's sci fi pulp ethos that we all know and love. This issue by the Skirmisher Publishing folks delves deep into the various real world basis for using radiation and the comic book style energy sources that can give teens the powers of a mutant spider and beyond.
This is all done with the usual Skirmisher eye toward quality and pocket book savings as well.
The Blurb according to Drivethrurpg : 

As one of technology’s four horsemen, radiation is a important part in Mutant Future and other post-apocalyptic and sci-fi games: hazard, theme, bringer of mutation, waster of civilizations. The game mechanics assume a single kind of radiation, which reacts in a single way with the human, animal, or mutant plant body. But in real life, this isn’t the case. Radiation comes in different forms, with different intensities and different ways of being used or causing harm. This issue considers these different types of energy, and introduces many possibilities brought by a few hundred years of scientific progress, industrial ingenuity, and alien contact.

Wisdom from the Wastelands is dedicated to providing useful information, game content, and ideas to players of modern, science fiction, and post-apocalyptic table-top and role-playing games in general and to fans of Goblinoid Games’ Mutant Future RPG in particular. The material it contains are compatible with it and any others that use the "Basic" system introduced in the most popular role-playing games of the early 1970s and are easily adaptable to many other games (especially successor systems, to include those covered by the Open Game License).

Our goal is for each thematic issue of this publication to contain a variety of useful and earnest content that will inspire Game Masters and players alike and provide them with things that they can immediately plug into their games. We very much hope you will find this and subsequent issues of the Wisdom from the Wastelands to be useful and enjoyable!

The whole issue is basically an adaption of one of the original classic  radiation systems from a PA rpg system we know and love, expanded and fleshed out in a more complete state. This is a perfect system for adapting to any number of retroclone rpgs. With Goblinoid Games smoothing out the rough bits between their own systems and OD&D retroclones this is one that can easily be used for all sorts of applications in old school campaigns 

Using Wisdom From The Wastelands Issue #41 
For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns 

This system of radiation based hazards makes Deathlands such as those found in the old school post apocalyptic campaigns an element that can be adapted into other old school game systems as well. 


Adventurers will have to deal with ancient toxic waste dumps,deadly deserts, and more. Radiation checks often come in the classic fantasy games and there is a tradition of this dating back to the Seventies and Eighties with films like Wizards by Ralph Bakshi studios and
'The Elf Stones Of Shanara' novels use this trope to great effect in the series. This makes radiation and deathlands a subtle as well as a dangerous hazard in PA fantasy as well as science fantasy rpgs.
I've also used radiation hazards as invisible guardians of artifacts and treasures where such items can and will kill PC's unless the players are truly careful.
With game campaigns such as  Carcosa and other retroclone settings this system adds a touch of subtle danger and insanity to a gonzo setting. Used correctly this can increase the weirdness and horror of such settings.
With very little work this system can also work as a DYI apocalyptic element adding in more of a science fiction feel to space based games. The mutant PC's in SSSSSSSPPPAACE is a classical pulp style PA trope that can be ruthlessly exploited by a DM with this system making adventuring hazardous, weird, and very dangerous.
There really are a myriad of uses for this issue of Wisdom From The Wasteland making this classic issue one that you'll be reaching for again and again as a DM! 

1d10 Weird Abandon Industrial Site Encounters Table For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

Your adventurers stumble upon the ruins of some industrial site deep in the wastelands when something unexpected turns up. What possible encounter opportunities might happen? Here's a table of the odd and the strange to get the PC's to encounter the high weirdness in the post apocalyptic wilderness.

1d10 Weird Abandon Industrial Site Encounters Table 

1. Thirty three black plastic coffin shaped sleep pods each containing organic liquid slip with a wide variety of organs, gore, and worse. The stuff starts to move as soon as the lid is opened. The contents smell vaguely of cotton candy and human sweat. 
2. A small device that has parts from a personal computer, cobbled together digital and analog displays, and more is sitting on the lap of a mutant's corpse dressed in a clown suit with full make up on. A cardboard sign nearby reads,'Caution Working Time Machine! ' 
3. A brand new pre apocalyptic car wrapped in a Mylar plastic covering and sealed with a big bright red bow! There is a fully charged fuel cell in the engine and a pure strain human corpse in the trunk with a suit case nuclear device handcuffed to the wrist of the corpse. 
4. A full functional traffic light that swings from an imaginary breeze. The sound of a rail road crossing's warning sign sounds nearby. Strange streaks of blue white lighting arch over every metal surface causing 1d6 points of damage to any exposed flesh or electronic equipment present. The signal light vanishes in a puff of smoke in 1d4 rounds. 
5. A small companion droid sits in a lost little corner and suddenly comes to life and speaks with an outrageous French accent, asking who is the leader here? The droid is actually an assassination device and will explode if taken to such a leader otherwise the thing passes itself off as a comedy model programmed to serve in strip joints and low level clubs. 
6. There is a strange glass like device with multi coloured liquids on the floor. The device is made from hand blown glass and contains a strange alchemical mixture that will turn anything its poured on to stone or a crystal like substance within 1d8 rounds. You must break the glass to access this mixture. 
7. Three thousand pairs of humanoid eye balls in bio liquid suspension, these parts are still alive and aware. They may remember you should they be tampered with. The parts are worth 400 gold/silver pieces on the cybernetic black market. 
8. Twelve pounds of mutant high grade hallucinogenic herbs, they are capable of putting a grown mutant male into a 1d10 hour stupor. The user will be visibly astrally and a demon or other half planar creature may try to possess the individual using these substances.  The user's skin will turn vivid blue when using these drugs. 
9. A sealed specimen pod containing the preserved corpse of a mutated cultist of Cthulhu. The prisoner will spring to life if given the chance and murder anyone present with a jeweled knife. The knife is worth several hundred silver pieces by itself. The cultist is looking for a certain space device that will allow his cult to build space/time bridges to Earth's ancient past and his alien masters. 
10. A humanoid corpse of an alien 'Grey' that needs to get back to his own kind. The corpse actually belongs to an undead horror that will do anything to get back to its own dimension. This bastard will try to mentally dominate anyone it runs across.  

Slicing Deeper Into The Free OSR Source book Swords of Athanor As Fodder For The Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea Rpg

Savage Swords of Athanor is a science fantasy campaign setting and rules supplement for Swords and Wizardry. Athanor is a dying world with crumbling ruins, lost technology, dinosaurs, and ancient slumbering evil. Savage Swords of Athanor includes: new character class (the Rogue); modified spell lists and rules for magical mishaps; new races; a wilderness map, encounter charts, and key; and new monsters and items. This supplement includes material presented in the Savage Swords of Athanor blog, compiled, cleaned up and expanded as well as new material.
Grab Your Copy Right Over
HERE
Right under the archive material is the sourcebook for download.

I've been looking into running a possible sword and planet setting made for the sword and sorcery retroclone Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea. There have been several times when I've used the game as a game engine to run several old school Mars campaign adventures. Today, I looked into the writings of Doug Easterly, namely his Savage Swords of Athanor setting. A classic old school sword and planet setting from back in 2009 and I was thinking how fantastic this free setting would work with Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea as an rpg engine. The setting is well done, concise, and easy to convert to your favorite retroclone!
 There is a ton of material that can easily be adapted to the AS&SH, this includes new races, spells, items, etc. all in the traditional sword and planet vein with a pulp spin. Given the setting's sword and planet spin the book is a bit humanoid heavy which makes it a perfect resource for AS&SH.


The fact that its available free is an added bonus and it was originally intended as an addition for Swords and Wizardry. The author does a nice job of setting out the material and keeping the source book moving. There's plenty of trouble for PC's to get into with this setting and a campaign might a short three or four session affair could last for years.
 The Swords of Athanor book  fits very well with the variety of  PC options for AS&SH and there are number of ways that this might be played. With a bit of work a teleport gate from Hyperborea might drop a party right into the middle of the setting. The AS&SH boxed game could be used to run the complete Swords setting easily. There could be a two way system of gates from Hyperborea to Athanor and perhaps beyond.
There are even counters for Anathor and a ton of maps for even more expanded play on the blog . And while the charm of Hyperborea is its setting. The expansion of even more OSR action is one of my favorite appeals for the game. Grab a copy, some friends, your AS&SH box set and let's make Athanor another option for your old school sword and sorcery games. One of my favorite parts? The inclusion of dinosaurs for that added bite for your games! 

Review and Commentary On The Free Post Apocalyptic Monster For The Mutant Epoch Rpg Or Any Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

Grab it For Free Right Over
HERE

The Quasi is a great mid level free monster tribal species from the Mutant Epoch game to challenge your adventurers in the post apocalyptic wasteland. The author does a fantastic job with this monster and sets a tone of penance and high weirdness that makes this horror from the Mutant Epoch game stand out.
All of the Free Mutant Epoch game's free monsters have been mini post apocalyptic monster kits with a small variety of options that really keep the players on their toes and add a bit a random customization factor to each one with treasure tables, random mutations, and a bit more. The Quasi keeps this tradition up. This is a fun monster to play around with.
According to the Drivethrurpg blurb:

Its play time with Quasi!

Try to avoid getting your character mangled by this hunch backed humanoid. It means no harm. It just has to squeeze its beloved pet so tight!

The Quasi, written by James Butler, is so named after the literary character of Quasimodo. The difference here is that this powerful, childishly curious and moody freak has none of the nobility, empathy or wisdom of the hunchback of Notre-Dame. It instead spends its life making traps, harvesting foodstuffs, and obsessing over a pet or object. Woe to any excavator who becomes the focus of its all-consuming attention, as the Quasi is likely to manhandle, toy with and eventually shatter the person, abandoning the broken pet in some filthy hole or ancient room before turning its attention to whatever takes its fancy next.

     This, our 8th Free Creature of the Apocalypse, comes in a 5 page PDF with a list of Quasi mutations as well as sampling of random pets and items the humanoid currently obsesses over. Also included is a full page, text free image of cover art for use as a player handout.  

     Although crafted for The Mutant Epoch role-playing game, using the Outland System Game Mechanic, a GM can easily modify the stats for the Quasi and use the beast with another post-apocalyptic game system.

Using The Quasi
In Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaign 

Think of these monsters as the ultimate tribal  stalkers, the obess over their latest acquisitions and pets, namely the PC's. A combination of mutant hill folks and 'Hill Have Eyes' rejects these monsters present a perfect set of guardians for the DM's latest ruins.
These monsters also make excellent urban encounters for the edge of ruined cities, small towns, and other frontier style adventures. They present a weird combination to torture, taunt, and play hide and stalking games with a party of adventurers. That being said these mutants can be an absolutely ruthless set of challenges for a group of adventurers.
Because this is a five page free pdf there's lots of potential to use these mutants as mid level encounters players. Use them carefully as they can and will cause plenty of mayhem for a group of characters.
Because of the almost human nature of the Quasi the skin crawling factor of the monster is strong. There's a feeling that these horrors are just around the corner in the wasteland of your favorite PA game system. This is one of the marks of a classically made mutant monster in my opinion. All in all these horrors are something that are at once something to be avoided in the wasteland and an asset for a DM.
These mutant monsters are a nice addition to the free mutant monsters that are  available for the Mutant Epoch game. They can easily be converted to your favorite old school post apocalyptic OSR games as well. The stat blocks, ranges, etc. all given for the Quasi are great baselines to use for your favorite game systems.
The author does a nice job capturing a monster who is both menacing and weird by turns that can easily crush the life out your adventurer while seemingly capturing the essence of the Mutant Epoch rpg in one free sample package. 

1d10 Weird Random Storage Facility Finds Table For The Mutant Future Rpg and Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

Your adventurers stumble upon some barrels outside  a ware house. What possible weird finds are waiting for you? This table might actually help to fill out an odd or weird encounter  that is waiting to happen in the deeper wastelands.



1d10 Weird Random Storage Facility Find Tables

1. There are 1d100 barrels each contains the mummified remains of a undead that were a part of a cryogenic facility. Should any of these beings escape confinement they will attack the nearest victim desperate to devour the victim's liver and eyes. 
2. There are 1d6 barrels full of hundreds of  gallons a mutated erotic martial aid, the stuff will drain any victim of moisture it can. The stuff will escape into the nearby woodland and begin to ravage the nearby countryside.
3. There are two shipping containers with 1d30 companion androids that have been converted into war droids with light laser rifles. They will burst into action and strip the PC's of any useful equipment before heading off on a pre programmed mission of warfare. 
4. A single barrel sits alone waiting for someone to blunder upon it. There are 1d8 fungal growths waiting for someone upset this barrel. Each of these fungus monsters will cause a PC to glow with a blue green light radioactive glow. Although harmless the glow will attract any mutated predators to attack the PC and spread the fungus. The PC must seek medical care or sprout with 1d8 fungal growths across their bodies. 
5. There are 1d6 barrels full of rainbow coloured chemicals that will dye a person's skin permanently unearthly colours. After 1d8 days several different planar Lovecraftian creatures will hunt down the PC. There are several artifacts that can easily remove these colour but they are rare  in the post apocalyptic wasteland.
6. Behind a wall of barrels and boxes are 1d8 mutant hunting robots that will burst upon the PC's and take genetic samples from all of the PC's. And each robot will seek to escape to their Genetic Purist masters so that they can hunt them down later or as part of a slaver cloning scheme. 
7. A large box like storage container contains 1d30 'House Wife' android units and each of them has been reprogrammed as assassin bots. The androids will react as normal until an opportunity presents itself to murder the PC's. 
8. A large container has an alien power crystal that will begin to glow and throw off radiation that will cause a radiation hazard immediately. After 1d8 rounds a large flying saucer to claim the thing. Plants and building material will be mutated and strangely warped.  
9. A large storage container contains thousands of human and humanoid hands. These undead horrors will suddenly burst to life and attack the PC's. On the inside palm of each hand is a ringed suckered mouths which will try to suck the blood of a victim. 
10. This incredibly large PKE unit has a large nuclear cell that powers this unit. It contains 1d100 specters and ghosts that will flee from the unit. There is a 30% chance that one or more of the entities will try to possess any of the PC's. 

Review And Commentary On Skirmisher Publishing's Vintage Clipart: Ships & Boats Volume 1 For Your Old School Rpg Campaigns

Grab It Right
HERE
Back when I was a kid wandering through the various craft and hobby stores one of the first things that I stumbled upon as a DM was clip art. With a simple photocopy I could show my players what their PC's were looking at and what wonders they were encountering. Who was trying to slice off their heads. Now Skirmisher Publishing has put together a collection of clip art that can be printed out and used however you'd like.
This collection reminds me of those old vintage books of great clip art that can not only show your players your vision of the adventure but be a source of new adventures to come.
It does exactly what it says on the Drivethrurpg blurb:
This book contains more than 20 vintage clipart images from a number of sources and which were originally or subsequently published between 1880 and 1926. All have been scanned at 600 dpi and are provided individually as or grayscale JPEGs and/or as black-and-white TIFFs, and one has been provided as a full-color JPEG (25 image files total). The purchaser of this collection is granted the non-exclusive rights to use these images in any commercial or personal projects they choose subject to the conditions of the included license. 

An eye toward variety has been taken in compiling this collection, and it contains an assortment of styles and themes, including various combinations of complementary images that could be used in conjunction with each other. Several images suitable for use as full-page or cover illustrations have also been included, as have several suitable as text decorations or for rounding out pages. Specific sorts of vessel depicted in this collection include Viking longships, Chinese junks, Egyptian riverboats, Greek and Carthaginian galleys, Crusader warships, a fantastic galleon, and a number of smaller craft like dugouts, dinghies, and canoes. 

This download includes both a low-resolution screen-friendly preview PDF that displays just one version of each of the images and a high-resolution printer-friendly catalog of all the included image variations.

I've got an Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea rpg campaign coming up and all of the various cultures that happen to be shown in this product represent some particular aspect of a Hyperborean culture's water craft. This makes creating a particular impression or player hand out for adventures rather easy.
There are ton of uses for this book for a post apocalyptic campaign as well. Need a set of raider for that village that the wizard has been threatening. Thumb through and their in there. Need a  Neo trader's Chinese Junk and that's there too. Need a particular style of Human Purists who model themselves after the Crusaders and use their style of ships? Those are in there too.
The use for any old school fantasy game that has a Greek style culture is right there as well. These vintage art pieces echo a particular style that reminds me of some of the covers of Edgar Rice Burroughs original edition artwork.
All in all the collection isn't that expansive at all but it does a good job covering a particular subject and does a nice solid job hitting some of the best cultural high notes and does it very well. All in all I liked what I've seen in this series and this pdf makes a very nice addition to the DM's arsenal of tricks to pull from for OSR style games. Grab and download this one while you can.  

1d10 Weird Random Minor Treasure Table For Your Old School Sword and Sorcery Campaigns On The Dark Corner Blog

Your adventurers brave a set of ruins from the time of the Green Death in Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea. But what are these treasures and what effects will they have on your PC's? Find out right over
HERE

1d10 Weird & Unusual Dumpster Finds Table For Mutant Future or Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

Do your Mutant Adventurers check each and every cache and garbage dumpster? If so we've got a few random surprises in store for them!
Don't forget to check the dumpsters when your out in the deep post apocalyptic wasteland!

1d10 Weird & Unusual Dumpster Finds Table

1. In the bottom of this dumpster is a sleep pod that contains a small green dwarf  psychic mutant of a species unknown to  the PC's. The entire interior of the dumpster has been converted to a biomechnical lair. Several skulls with unusual holes bored into the foreheads lay scattered around the lair. Several simple indicators flash from red to green and there is the sound of frozen gas escaping from the pod. 
2. This dumpster contains thousands of decaying flesh parts all belonging to the exact same being. There are tattoos with bar codes on each part and weird lettering on toe tag like signs hanging from each part. A few of the parts begin to twitch as you approach them. Suddenly the parts begin to come to life and surge over one another. Bits of flesh move everywhere. Roll save vs disease for any exposure. 
3. There are thousands of old fashioned cameras in this dumpster all broken and with cracked lens. Each and everyone of these cameras has film in them. Having the film developed will reveal different snap shots of body parts all from different bodies. At the very bottom of the dumpster is the mangled body of a companion android he has three cameras around his neck but is powered down. A new bio fusion cell is needed to power him. 
4. This dumpster contains thousands of android heads. The heads resemble decayed humans but all have been made up to look like zombies. Each head is from a common domestic android and should they be attached to a body will come to life as a twisted psychotic killer. The personality of the androids each has been patterned off a famous psychopathic killer from history. 
5. This dumpster is filled with literally thousands of empty and drained energy cells. Any attempted to energizer the cell  will result in the thing exploding for 3d6 points of damage and the PC nearest will have their skin dyed in a primary colour. The colour will not wear off for 1d8 weeks. Predatory animals especially mutant monsters will be attracted to the PC. 
6. At the bottom of the dumpster is classic energy weapon with an empty cell and a slightly decayed human ear. A strange piece of blue velvet like fabric about the size of a handkerchief is nearby. There is an air of menace and melancholy about the items. 
7. The dumpster is part of a trans dimensional gateway and it will lead to a metallic hall way done in the same colours as the dumpster. The PC has just entered a multi level dungeon. The place has twelve levels of absolutely insane traps and tricks. The PC's are now part of an alien psychological experiment. 
8. The interior of the dumpster has been converted into a lair of a group of mutant kobolds who are raiding nearby farms and forcing the farmers to cut off their own fingers . They then force the farmers to tell them fairy tales from which the kobolds extract the essence of dreams from them. This essence is collected in special magical vessels and sold to the 'fairies' of a nearby dimension. The kobolds have thirty two vessels and tribute awaiting instructions from the 'Fey'.The vessels murmur and sing to each other at night.  
9. There is a phone at the bottom of the dumpster and as soon as you see it, the phone begins to ring. Those who answer it can't remember what was said but they all have unusual markings upon the throat and a vague sensation of dread. 
10.  This dumpster is filled with Lovecraftian artifacts, texts, and several maps to places that don't exist anymore. The whole treasure is worth up to 987 gold pieces. 

'Tentacled Love' A Mutant Future Encounter Or An Encounter For Any Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaign

 The PC's bump into a strange purple mutant humanoid named Larry whose a second level fighter/adventurer drinking a bottle of hard liquor in the early morning hours. Larry is perfectly sober and explains that his people the C'rhru are metabolically dependent upon certain types of alcoholic beverages. His people are are in deep trouble and he's on a mission to find adventurers to help him out. They're distillery and storage facility upon the Isle of Nuclear Scotia has been ravaged by a species of unknown predators. The C'rhru are master brewers and distillers who use a combination of super science artifacts, secrets handed down to them through the ages, and specialty ingredients to create unique and special brews.
The  Broken Tap Pub and Tasting Room located within the village of Om has lost radio contact four days ago with The C'rhru communities on the mainland. Larry has been sent to find out what has happened. 
They are renowned throughout the Altered States for their alcoholic creations and survive on their skills as  brewers.
Even though his people's primary facility has been destroyed there are two warehouses that will enable his people to survive the coming winter and with a bit for trade with others. He's willing to offer one major artifact and the services of his people for life. 

He's got a boat charted out to Nuclear Scotia and the ride over is pretty uneventful. The PC's will be greeted by rolling waves and a lovely scenery. The facility is a devastated ruin, the small fishing  village of Om was a thriving community with deep ties to the  C'rhru which includes the Broken Tap Pub and Tasting Room. This is the only structure still standing besides the abandon village. The warehouses are intact. 

Om is a ghost town and seems haunted and  abandoned. There are very few mutated or even regular scavengers. There is a strong scent of decay and rotted death in the air of the streets of Om. There is 30 % chance of finding some minor artifact when rummaging around the village but the place looks as if it was hit by a hurricane. Here and there are puddles of slime and weird glowing muck.

Strolling down the street will reveal the following random finds :

1d10 Random Finds Of Om Table 

1. A desiccated pure strain human hand holding a partially charged energy ray pistol. The weapon has five shots left. 
2. A mutilated  mutant Great White shark carcass with hundreds of small bite like marks taken from the flesh of the thing. The lower jaw is missing
3. A partially decomposed humanoid mutant head with a look of shock and terror on the face. No other corpse parts are around. 
4. A high band radio transmitter unit covered in gore but with a full charge. 
5. A fully intact bottle of rot gut still sealed and ready for drinking. Worth 10 silver pieces 
6. A humanoid torso decayed with hundreds of sucker marks and bites taken out of the decaying flesh not more then four days old. 
7. Two hands holding automatic machine gun pistols, the clips are entirely emptied and the guns need cleaning. The fingers of the hands are still gripping the triggers. The hands reek of  strong alcohol. 
8.  A case of flares partially opened and with some of them used. Part of the case is covered in slime. 
9. Seven cans of kerosene and six home made Molotov cocktails made from the rot gut of the brewery. Also slime covered. A careful search will reveal a pre-holocaust wedding band and a man's finger. 
10. A huge 20 foot long partially decayed tentacle belonging to some unknown monstrous species.
    The PC's will run across a very shaken and terrified NPC named Ann Le Rou, a purple skinned  C'rhru survivor of the mascare of Om. She will tell the following information. She's hiding out in one of the warehouses. 

The Village of Om has become the focal point for a colony of Grabbers who were drawn back to their ancestral home by the call of flesh and the fact that  The C'rhru have developed a new very potent whiskey which does +2 damage to the Grabbers flesh. The Grabbers have developed a hive mind like intelligence and decided to attack and destroy the village.
They've left it partially intact to draw in more humans and mutants.

The C'rhru it seems are mortal enemies of the Grabbers and only by consuming vast amounts of 'drink' will the PC's make themselves poisonous to the monsters which are now breeding around the village. As soon as the sun goes down the PC's will encounter 3d20 of the monsters hell bent on destroying them. They come mostly at night, mostly. 

DM's should play this encounter for laughs as well as thrills. As well as see the 2013 movie Grabbers more background on the monsters.
Or see even more below with Chris Van Deelen's great little write up.

Grabbers 

Far More In depth Write Up Right Over On Chris Van Deelen's Blog 

HERE 

No. Enc: 1 or 3d20

Alignment:  Neutral

Movement: 240’ (80’) or 90’ (30’) (note the second set of stats are for newly hatched)

AC: 6 or 2

HD: 20-30 or 1

Attacks: 10-15 tentacles, or 1 harpoon or bite / 1 harpoon or bite

Damage: 10-15 2d6 or 4d4 plus blood drain or 5d6 / 1d4 plus blood drain or 1d6+1

Save: L20 or 1

Morale: 11 or 5

Hoard Class: None

Mutations: Aberrant form (multiple body parts, natural weapons), dietary requirement change (blood) (d), requires water to survive (d), vulnerability to alcohol (d).

Source: Grabbers (2013)

Review and Commentery On The Free OD&D Setting Book By The Folks From The Semper Initiativus Unum OD&D Blog

 Today on the Dark Corner Blog we take a quick look at this great free setting book for OD&D and its classic retroclones. This is a great little free download that we dissect and get into right over
HERE

Special thanks to the Semper Initiatvius Unum Blog for the free OSR gaming goodness. 

The Random 1d10 Phone Booth In the Deep Wasteland Encounter Table For Mutant Future Or Any Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaign

Your mutant adventurers run across a pristine American phone booth in the middle of the deep wasteland with power. The door is open and the light at this point is off but then the light flips on and the phone starts to ring!

Random 1d10 Phone Booth In the Deep Wasteland Encounter Table 

1. This is not a pone booth but a trap for a mutant cannibal family of inventive Morlocks who maintain the ancient relic as a trap for the unwary. They have a number of very nasty and dangerous traps all around the area. This happens to be one of the most obvious of them. 
2. The phone both is as it appears a time lost relic, the peace has been caught in a time space warp. Anyone answering the phone will hear a desperate voice on the other end pleading in a dialect of the common tongue for help. The call will be interrupted by static and followed by the black plastic hand set of the phone heating up to an uncomfortable temperature. If the DM is feeling particularly mean he may call for a radiation and mutation check after 1d4 rounds. There is a 5% chance of the PC getting catch in the time space warp and whisked back in time to the actual apocalyptic event of WW III. 
3. Anyone answering the phone will have the sensation of their mind being touched by millions of telepathic probes. This isn't a phone booth at all but an alien probe built to look like a phone booth after the mind probe of an unfortunate pre holocaust alien abductee. The PC holding the phone receiver must make a save vs poison or be affected by a paralytic contact poison. The PC will be aware of everything going on around him but can't react as some very weird other worldly aliens cart him away. 
4. The phone booth is just as it appears and is worth a fortune to the right collector but there will be little that the PC's can do to move it because its cemented to the spot. 
5. The phone booth is actually part of an infernal pact made by a mutant for his soul and a planar demon from the Outer Darkness. Anyone stepping into it will find themselves in a Lovecraftian Hellish plane with strange tendrilled horrors wheeling in a black and green sky over head. Here and there light green flames from beyond the pale light up the landscape basking the phone booth in their green glow. In 1d6 rounds a demonic soldier creature will come to investigate. 
6. This phone booth is actually a matter transmitter from another star system and will transport anyone stepping into it three billion light years from their present position onto another even more alien post apocalyptic landscape. Hope you packed your towel. 1d8 alien gargoyle like creatures come in for lunch, you. 
7. The phone booth is actually a communication device sent back in time from the future. They're willing to reward you for a small task that your PC's have to perform. The DM will fill you in one the details. 
8. This phone booth is actually part of a chain of devices used to order from the Intergalactic Department Store chain. The operator asks you in common what you would like to order? Name a minor artifact and within 1d8 rounds it will appear. Within 1d10 rounds four very large IDS goons in power armor will appear demanding payment. They will have max hit points and be exceedingly dangerous. 
9. This isn't a phone booth at all but actually a mutant telepathic metamorph whose taken on the appearance of a phone booth from the mind of a former victim. This horror will not only try to eat you ( the maw is actually the floor of the phone booth with tongue like tendrils for sucking you in but it will digest you as well) but if you should escape there will be 1d6 eggs implanted in any wounds. 
10. This phone booth's call is from Cthulhu.