New Alien Race For The Cepheus Engine Rpg System - The Amoeba Men -

Gemini said

The Amoeba Men from Mystery Comics #4 (1944) are a classic example of Golden Age sci-fi weirdness. They are a parasitic, hive-minded race of translucent, protoplasmic beings from the "Green World" (a hidden jungle-world beyond our dimension) that seek to conquer Earth by absorbing and replicating human forms.

Here is a conversion of the Amoeba Men for the Cepheus Engine (or any 2D6-based sci-fi RPG).

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The Amoeba Men (Alien Race)

Characteristics

Attribute	Modifier
STR	2D6+2
DEX	2D6-2
END	3D6
INT	2D6
EDU	1D6
SOC	0

Racial Traits

• Amorphous Physiology: In their natural state, they are translucent, gelatinous blobs. They can squeeze through any opening that isn't airtight and are immune to falling damage and "critical hits" from piercing or bludgeoning weapons.

• Osmotic Absorption: To "eat" or kill, they engulf a target. An engulfed victim suffers 2D6 damage per round and must win an Opposed STR Check to escape.

• Mimicry (Parasitic): After absorbing a human, an Amoeba Man can assume their physical likeness. However, they lack a complete understanding of human social cues, suffering a -2 DM to any Deception or Social checks to pass as human for extended periods.

• Vulnerability (Cold/Dryness): They thrive in humid, tropical heat. Extreme cold or dehydration-based attacks (desiccants) deal double damage.

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Biological Overview

The Amoeba Men are essentially massive, sentient single-celled organisms. They do not have internal organs; their "brain" is a decentralized neural network within their protoplasm. This makes them incredibly difficult to kill with traditional firearms—bullets simply pass through their jelly-like mass with minimal disruption to their vital functions.

Tactical Behavior

In the 1944 comic, they rely on stealth and infiltration. They prefer to ambush lone victims in foggy or damp environments, absorb them, and then use the victim's identity to sabotage defenses or lure more prey.

Referee Note: If an Amoeba Man successfully mimics a Player Character, do not tell the other players. Hand the "mimic" player a note instructing them to act slightly "off" or overly logical until the moment of betrayal.

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Cepheus Engine Stat Block

Amoeba Man (Infiltrator) STR 9, DEX 5, END 12, INT 7, EDU 3, SOC 0 Armor: 4 (Semi-liquid body reduces kinetic impact) Skills: Stealth-2, Melee (Unarmed)-1, Deception-1 Attacks: Pseudo-pod (1D6) or Engulf (2D6 per round)

Weapon: Model-5 "Atomizer" Ray-Gun

The Model-5 is an experimental directed-energy weapon from an era of "Rad-Science." It doesn't fire a coherent laser beam; it fires a wobbling bolt of ionized particles that disrupts molecular bonds.

Cepheus Engine Stat Block

• Weapon Type: Pistol (Energy)

• Range: 20m (Short) / 40m (Long)

• Damage: 3D6 (Special)

• Weight: 1.5 kg

• Magazine: 10 Shots (Internal Capacitor)

• TL: 12 (Experimental)

Special Rules

• Molecular Disruption: On a Natural 12 to hit, the target's armor is ignored for that shot as the ray bypasses physical density.

• The "Green World" Synergy: This weapon deals +1D6 damage against Amoeba Men and the Glistening Death, as its frequency specifically destabilizes non-solid biological matter.

• Unstable Power Cell: The Model-5 cannot be recharged with standard ship power. It requires a Science (Physics) or Electronics check to "bleed" energy from a Fusion Core, or it must use vintage Rad-Ampule batteries.

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The "Retro-Science" Mishap Table

Because this is pulp technology, it is prone to "scientific" flair. If a player rolls a Natural 2 (Snake Eyes), roll 1D6:

d6	Result	Effect
1-2	Overheat	The fins glow white-hot. The weapon cannot be fired for 3 rounds without burning the user's hand (1D6 damage).
3-4	Frequency Shift	The ray turns a strange color (Purple/Green). The next shot deals half damage but forces the target to make an END check or be blinded for 1 round.
5	Feedback Loop	A spark jumps from the grip. The user takes 1D6 electrical damage and the gun is depleted of all remaining shots.
6	"The Big One"	The vacuum tube shatters. The gun is destroyed, but it releases a 5m pulse that acts as an EMP, disabling all electronics in the room.

Alien Day Memorial One Shot Hostile Rpg Mini Game - Session report

 

So the other day we got together for a quick Hostile rpg one shot, this was something that I threw together. We only had a night to do a tribute for Alien day 4/26/23 but we managed to pull it off. A bit of background here. We were on a long hauler  Rockwell Harbinger and dropping off colonists to a small worldlet in the Tempus system. That's the set up. We based this quick mini game on Mark Schultz artwork from Dark Horse Comics Aliens series. It's from Aliens: Apocalypse - The Destroying Angels 3. I claim zero ownership nor is this mean as a copyright nor trademark infringement. It's a piece of artwork that I've admired for years & used it as inspiration for our game session. Zozer Games nor the game's author has anything to do with our mini game session nor the use of Mr. Shultz's artwork. 
The colonists had come across a 'founders' temple and events went South from there. 

The PC's came in with the place overrun by xenomorphs and we had to save as many colonists as possible. And we had a compliment of exmarine mercenaries on board. And those NPC's got finished off quite quickly I might add. 
And my lawman got it in the first half of the adventure as DM Steve was running the game. We had a diffferent goal which was to detonate the colony's reactor because it was the only way to be sure. We had left the Harbinger in low orbit with the captain with orders to take off if we didn't make it. 
And we made our way passed everything else but the reactor. And point of fact the players didn't bother with the temple at all. Steve made up everything on the fly. We lost two PC right on the outside of the colony as we got swarmed! We each had three PC's to attempt the almost impossible. And other PC's died from falls, accidents, and a case of friendly fire. 

Finally after 21/2 hours we were able to get the colonists and set the charges around the reactor. And then downloaded the files from the computer's mainframe. Then it was two burns to get our ship into position. Leave the colonists aboard the shuttle scan the colonists twice for infection and then move the cryo pods back on board! 

We blasted outta of there and detonated the reactor! It was the only way to be sure.
Will this session have far reaching consquences?! You better your behinds it will. This was a multi billion dollar facility & the fact that it was destoryed is going to go bad for the corporate owners. And this could set off a Zibatisu rpg shadow war coming up! Which it damn well will!  

Review & Commentary On The Hostile Solo Rpg By Paul Elliot From Zozer Game

 "Hostile Solo is a stand-alone solo roleplaying game set in a grim and gritty future, inspired by movies like Outland, Alien, Dark Star, Pitch Black, Event Horizon and The Thing.  It allows a single player to create and play the roles of a group of blue-collar workers out in deep space, overcoming difficult challenges and facing unknown terrors. Although the name and the cover art suggest that the player will create only a single character, in fact the game is best played with a ‘crew’ of characters. Your crew will interact, fall-out, develop their own schemes and build bonds of friendship. Steer them through their chosen career; either asteroid mining, exploring, freight shipping and salvage, corporate troubleshooting, colony operations or US Marine interventions." 

"Both full-colour and printer-friendly versions are provided. PRINT VERSION TO FOLLOW IN SEPTEMBER, Hardback and Softback. Please check the product Discussion Forum at that time. "

Sweet mother of God, I wasn't expecting the pdf rpg package that Paul Elliot dropped on me this morning. The Hostile Solo rpg is two hundred & thirty pages of conscisely laidout and entwined 2d6 solo rpg Hostile goodness! And it rocks! Hostile Solo brings you all of the Hostile rpg action that you can handle alone! This is a great rpg and clever at what it does. Where do one begin?! At the beginning with Hostile Solo, we get all of the world of Hostile introduction we can handle from career prospects, Earth in Hostile, quick sample bites of technologies, politic, the interstellar scene, etc. In other words everything you need to turn out a PC with several quick rolls of the 2d6 dice. 

And there's something to remember that everything in Hostile Solo is designed to get you to play and this game is a love letter to the 2d6 system that gave it birth. You a  bit of everything right from the start highly sectionalize,  organized, & sampled out. So that the player ( that's you) can literally make a character from scratch as soon as you have the pdf. The layout is well done, the artwork captures the world of Hostile and the interstellar scene from work, to duty, etc. is layed out in spades. 

Hostile Solo is a working man's or blue collar interstellar world where the hazards are there right in the front of the book. You can & will die repeatily within Hostile Solo and that's alright because's it's dead easy to create a PC's and Hostile Solo does a solid job of bringing the reality of your situation to you the reader. 
Paul Elliot has an easy & breezy sense of style about his writing & game design. The man has done many products over the years & it shows. Ian Stead, Shawn, Fisher,&  Paul Elliott all handle the artwork like pro's giving a simple, effective, and forceful number of artwork pieces that showcases and yet, implies the menace of the world of Hostile. 

And while other companies are moving in weird or strange rpg directions Zozer Games continues to impress with games such as Hostile Solo. Paul Elliot does a brilliant job of showcasing his chops by giving us the next generation of his Solo rpg in the form of Hostile Solo. The fact that this game allows you as the player to take charge of your own play, destiny, and 2d6 gaming means that you can chart out a whole Hostile campaign from the inside out. And this allows the DM to pull their own adventures apart as both the player & the DM. And while this isn't revolutionary it puts the pressure back on the DM where it belongs. And the fact that the author includes a print friendly version of the game means that he wants this game played tonight! 

Hostile Solo is a game of our times designed with the asthetic to be played and used. This isn't a sit on the shelf or sidelines game. Hostile Solo is designed by the a man whose played lots & lots of 2d6 solo games and he's taken that experience into this his latest Hostile publishing project. And given the fact that it works with all of the Hostile rpg products that's an incredibly good bonus. 

So inconclusion there's lots to like about Hostile Solo and it's great value for 20.00 for what you get. Hostile Solo is a complete rpg in every sense of the world. This book is all you need to get in on the ground floor of running your own Hostile adventures tonight!  

The Hostile Solo Rpg  By Paul Elliot From Zozer Game Is Available Right Over Here.