Vault #16 - A Mutant Future Encounter or An Encounter For Any Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

 Out in the middle of the New Mexican desert something has been stirring. A new super science group has been excavating out in the desert near the infamous Vault 42. The Alliance is a group of fringe super scientists who were looking for the Vault made infamous by the vile experiments that were performed there by scientists on some of the very first of the Neo Mutant species to emerge in the Shadow Years.

The PC's will be contacted by one of the so called Three AM Hunter groups, a loose confederation of mutant monster hunters and investigation groups that has emerged in the so called Altered States of  Merica. They lost contact with one of their cells operating in the area and want your group with the strike force that their sending in. They're willing to pay your group 2 major artifacts and 50 gold pieces each to the PC's for the mission.

  

There are several smaller underground communities clustered around the El Diago area of  the former state of New Mexico. Parts of the area have dug in homes where a mix of human, mutant, and pure strain live and work together. The homes are underground because of the harmful cosmic rays that bath the place frequently causing 1d4 points of damage per round of exposure. PH 9000 sunblock will help with the exposure but between the Mutant Giant Gila Monsters, the mutated Rattle Snakes, and worse. These communities hire groups of 2nd level fighter mutant monster hunter to help out with such problems. That was before Vault #16 was covered and the coming of the Feasters.

Photo by Wordbuilder - Own work

Travel down is by heavily armed truck and there will be an encounter with several different minor monsters including 1d8 road pirates as well as a mutant giant spider to keep things interesting.

 Things around the town will reveal a ghost town with mutant plants already taking over several businesses and establishments.

Photo by  Wordbuilder - Own work

A search will reveal several badly mangled vehicles, some wreckage, and the remains of several strange canisters. These canisters will have former USA markings on them. By night fall 4d6 adult Feasters will show up and begin to get up to their usual tricks. They are hungry and very horny. Another 2d6 will show up in a half an hour and try to slaughter everyone present. By dawn they will with draw to their nearby home. Vault 16 was a government funded proto type lab where the Feasters were originally planed to be stored for deployment. The Alliance triggered the activation of this vault with its secret uncovered. The Feasters are trained to return home to their secret base. The party has forty eight hours to wrap up all investigations in the community before a crack Alliance death squad of cyborg troopers is send in to wipe the monsters out, collect intelligence, and execute anyone it finds. 

Grab More Information Right Over On Chris Van Deelen's Blog

Here 

No. Enc: 4d6

Alignment:  Chaotic

Movement: 120’ (40’)

AC: 5

HD: 8

Attacks: 1 bite and two claws

Damage: 2d4+3 / 2d6+3 / 2d6+3

Save: L8

Morale: 11

Hoard Class: None

Mutations: Aberrant form (xenomorphism, natural weapons), bizarre appearance (d), dietary change requirement (meat) (d), toxic weapon (acid vomit)

Source: Feast 1, 2, and 3.

 Vault 16 is a high tech state of the art hole in the ground located not to far from the communities. There are extensive labs, and enough science equipment to make the PC's rich unfortunately the place has become a slaughter house/ breeding pit for the monsters. The equipment and artifacts are mostly intact.  But a death squad of Alliance officers will come to slaughter anything that they find including any PC's. 

The vault is a three level location with labs, accommodations, and generally enough to survive any apocalyptic event. There are 1d30 Feasters nesting in this location currently. Remember the clock is ticking on this vault. There are  a set of small nuclear devices placed at key points through out the  complex cause

it to self destruct.
         The PC's can't let one feaster escape or the cycle of depravity will continue.
Special thanks goes to Chris Van Deleen for his write up of the Feasters for Mutant Future.  

'Outta Time & Outta The Deep End' A Mutant Future Encounter Or An Encounter For Any Old School Campaign

The Encounter  Set Up 

Someplace along the wasteland  beaches of former Manchuria the PC's see a sudden & very blinding flash in the sky. There will be weird by plays of optical illusions showing ancient images of troops & soldiers dressed in both archaic & future soldiers uniforms surrounding the PC's. This weird effect lasts for 2 or more rounds. What the players don't know is that they are in a bubble of non static space time. They are in a bubble that bridges many places & times at once the anomaly is unstable & very dangerous created by the effect of a wizard using a very powerful magical relic  to summon monsters to his world's space time. The 'plague doctor' has been conjuring up all kinds of monsters from the depths of the planes. The Plague Doctor is a 15th level wizard & has access to the many 'faceted gem of the desert  of time'.



The modern Chinese military is mounting an expedition & should arrive in Eighteen  hours. The party has at least an hour or so before the monsters begin to close in & there is a nearby deserted village further up the beach. There are much more lucrative looting opportunities there. All along the beach there is evidence of the horrors that the monsters have been taking on the residents of the area. 


1d10 Random Manchurian Beach Finds Table 

1. Several random 1d10 pieces of gold jewelry worth a cool 100 gold pieces
2. The cloths of some poor mutant kid with bits of dried blood on it. 
3. 1d8 guns snapped & broken in two & three there is a 20% chance of ammo of various caliber all military grade. 
4. Bloodied Chinese soldier's sword late 1860's worth 70 gold pieces covered in a slimy film. 
5. Gas mask wet but still usable worth 20 gold pieces. 
6. Large megaphone snapped in two places. 
7. A large motion tracker still working which shows two approaching blips. 
8. Armored gauntlet with a severed hand in it, the hand belongs to an undead & will attack the nearest PC. 
9. Water logged  zombie in modern combat armor  with bits & pieces missing begins to drag itself towards the party. The thing has a combat knife & a radio worth about 80 gold pieces
10. A strange jade pin with all kinds of archaic writing on it. The thing glows with occult power & is worth at least 150 gold pieces 

What the PC's don't realize is that their in an incredible amount of danger! All along the beach there are 1d12 Armored Aquanoids. These horror have been drawn into the time & space vortex by the mystic power of the gem over two weeks ago. Many of the residence of this area have already fallen victim to them! There are two abandoned villages in this area.
Source: Aquanoids (2003)
No. Enc: 1d12 
Alignment:  Chaotic 
Movement: 120’ (40’) 
                     180’ (60’) Swim 
AC: 0 
HD: 6 
Attacks: 3 (bite, claw, claw) or head butt 
Damage: 2d4 / 1d6 / 1d6 or 3d3 
Save: L6 
Morale: 5 
Hoard Class: None

The seemingly undead skeletal horrors will rise from the oceans & close in on any lone party members & begin to attack the party. Any clerics trying to turn these horrors are in for a very nasty surprise. They are drawn to any wizards or occultists in the party as the enchantment that summoned them to this bubble of space time draws them to person's of occult power & raw supernatural energies.
Within thirty six hours the bubble of 'non static space time' will collapse unto itself & possibly strand any poor souls left behind within the confines of the weird local time space continuum gate effect. These time lost fools may profit in the brave & dangerous new world that they find themselves on.





Special thanks to Chris Van Deleen whose incredible write up of the Aquanoids (2003) film is going to cause my players undue harm in the near future. 

Review and Commentary On Creatures Of The Tropical Wastes By Chris Van Deleen For The Mutant Future Rpg System & Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

There are a few essential books out there for the Mutant Future rpg retroclone rpg system and Creatures Of The Tropical Wastes By Chris Van Deleen is one of them. This is a sixty two page package of wasteland construction from the additional rules and guidelines, to the mutant monsters, and a concise backdrop of tropical paradise weirdness thrown into the background. 

GRAB IT RIGHT
HERE

This book basically covers everything that a DM is going to need in the jungles of his alien wasteland from thirty new plant mutations to solid radiation and poison guidelines, they're all here and very well done in a slick as grease format. The mutant mayhem continues with fifty new creatures and some dangerous high weirdness that these monsters add to your games. Many of these horrors are drawn from Philippines myth and legends twisted into the Mutant Future background. This makes this a useful book not only for Mutant Future but Labyrinth Lord as well.
There's been a lot of time and care that went into this product, the art is evocative of the sort of adventure and mayhem that the author is trying to convey and does it with a slickness and style. This is a book that will get your fevered post apocalyptic dreams going in a way and direction that hearkens to fetid jungle wastelands. These are places filled to the brim with adventure and dark legends of mutant fueled mayhem.
This is the sort of book that tests and challenges a DM to construct adventures in lost worlds, hidden valleys, and places straight out of  post apocalyptic  myth and legend.

The writing here is tight and the ideas here are solidly done, easily used in your own campaign to drop straight into the backdrop of your own mutant future or old school post apocalyptic campaigns. This isn't a huge book at all but a book that allows one to take the material and run with it. 

This book is perfect for filling in some of the weirdness that PC's are likely to encounter in lost or prehistoric worlds as well. Much of the material here can be used to fill in background, plant mutations, monster variations, and all kinds of ideas to throw into your mutant dinosaur or lost world campaign as well for any old school game. 

All in all this is one of in my opinion the essential books for not simply Mutant Future but old school retroclone gaming in general. The ideas and ideals of the book can be applied across the board for adventure construction, campaign background and rules fill, and much more. Personally I rate this book a five out out five. 

'The Sun, The Moon, and The Water' A Mutant Future Adventure Encounter For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

The Atlantic waters around the former state of Maine, are deep,cold, and deadly. But the port of Yor is a welcome sight to many ships who sail the waters of  Altered America. A place where pirates, smugglers, and fishermen alike of all genetic makeups can put to port.
Here a complete port awaits a ship and crew if they are ready to put aside their weapons and trade.
The port has a fully stocked and ready mix of businesses ready to serve sailors across the port from from rope makers, to sail wrights, to inns and hotels. The port city is a post apocalyptic point of rich trade and yet piratical forces or other mutant horrors dare to attack this place.

 

The Lovecraftian races such as the Deep Ones and their ilk avoid these waters for some dark reason. Sailors for years have tried to divine the reason for this but attribute it to the presence of the 'Sea Gods' but those of the aquatic mutant races know better. For your is actually home to the 'Sea God's children'.

Ages ago a school of Mamula, a mutant race of mutant mermaids and mermen settled in the area. An agreement was struck between land folk and sea folk. And this peace has stood for over two hundred years. Until now.

Each year the best and brightest men as well as well as women are brought from surrounding communities to the beaches surround Yor. In a massive feast and mating rite, the species of Mamula continues for another generation. Such is as it has been for the past two hundred years. 

But now Deep One hybrid pirates threaten this peace with a coming attack. The Mamula family, 'The Archers' has land side agents combing the countryside for adventurers. They are making discreet inquiries for those willing to journey into Innesmouth Massachusetts. The heart of Deep One territory on the East Coast of the Altered States of  'Merica.


Photo from the horror classic Dagon.


They are offering a major artifact for the job or 10,000 gold pieces for such a risky mission. The archers have a representive willing to meet with the characters. But the secrets that the party learns about who really controls Yor may be far more dangerous then they know. The Mamula are fickle and dangerous allies at best. There is a 30% chance of them double crossing the PC's in order to maintain the secret of their control over the rich port city.
Innesmouth has been recently over the last few hundred years reconstructed and occupied. The cults of the Deep Ones have used a combination of piracy,occult muscle, and sheer slave labor to rebuilt the capital of what they feel is too be the capital of their empire and they have plans for expansion.



The PC's will be caught between the sun, the moon and the water if their not careful. 

Far More information about the Mamula can be found right over
HERE  on Chris Van Deelen's Blog. 

No. Enc: 1 

Alignment: Chaotic 

Movement: 150’ (50’) Swim 

AC: 6 

HD: 5 

Attacks: 1 bite, two claws or tail slap or two elbow slashes, or sonic bellow 

Damage:  1d6+2+special (see description), 1d4+1 / 1d4+1, or 2d6+2 or 1d4 / 1d4 or 5d6 sonic damage 

Save: L6

Morale: 5 

Hoard Class: G

Wisdom from the Wastelands Issue #49: Unique Superscience Artifacts V From Skirmisher Publishing For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic and Old School Campaigns

Here's a powerful set of super science artifacts and relics of high weirdness for your campaign's  the post apocalyptic wastelands. This issue goes into a whole host of incredible relics that can change the pace and ramp up the amount of trouble that comes a party of adventurer's way.

Grab It Right
HERE

There are eight major artifacts here that cover an entire range of subjects with mini backgrounds and setting notes for each relic. These artifacts could be mini campaign events into themselves and the Skirmisher crew knows how to create a whole range of weirdness for your wasteland with story and adventure elements for an entire campaign's worth of adventures. The writing here is solid and well done, the ideas original and well thought out. The opportunities and adventure hooks abound if you know where to look and there's plenty of them if you know where to look in the entries.
According to the Skirmisher blurb: It contains eight potent items suitable for use in many different sorts of modern, sci-fi, and post-apocalyptic games, including the Ice Fountain, Master Remote, Bear Mask, Big Al's Horn, Cat Mask, Chef Cube, Crown of Ultimate Power, and Dome of Fire — and all for just $0.99!?And their not kidding. Use these artifacts in your post apocalyptic campaign very carefully.
These are artifacts of power that can shift the entire balance of a campaign or mutant kingdom. These things can move entire communities and populations. The artifacts mark the Ancients as gods and madmen who were toying with power beyond the pale of convention. These things can and will mark a PC with their use and passing. Make no mistake the power here is frightening on a number of levels for communities no better off in some cases then cavemen.
The artifacts are a diverse lot as well. There's no Mark twenty four blasters here, instead we get a full range of artifacts from the interesting to the subtle all in one nice bite sized little nugget of high octane post apocalyptic bit of Skirmisher publisher goodness. Grab this one and roll in into the back drop of your Mutant Future or old school post apocalyptic campaigns. 

Wisdom from the Wastelands Issue #48: Unique Superscience Artifacts IV From Skirmisher Publishing For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic and Old School Campaigns

Grab It Right
HERE

There are times when a DM really needs a high level and sophiscated relic or artifact. This issue of the Wisdom From The Wastelands provides the DM with exactly those types of high level tools and gives even more options for a unique wasteland relic encounter during an adventure but there's more to it then that.
Many of the items in here were partially derived and created with material the appears in Goblinoid Games Advanced Companion as per earlier issues of Wisdom From the Wasteland in this series. It also means that much of this material is cross compatible with other retroclone and original systems of the world's most popular fantasy role playing game. Even though its meant to be used in a Science Fantasy setting. The Skirmisher crew does a nice job of providing items that can be dropped into a science fictional, fantasy, science fantasy, or post apocalyptic backdrop without upsetting the apple cart of a campaign.

The Drivethrurpg Blurb:
The unique items in this issue of Wisdom from the Wastelands are so advanced they appear magical to post-apocalyptic peoples. Although intended for use with Mutant Future, these items could easily be used in other science-fiction or fantasy games. Each has a history that will hopefully enrich, inspire, and possibly drive your own gaming story and, if desired, could become a central plot point or continuing idea for a whole gaming session or even an entire campaign. 

This issue of Wisdom From The Wasteland continues the previous series of 'Super Science' building guidelines and example for relics and artifacts that are very highly advanced. This issue places a selection of artifacts right in the DM's hands for your old school post apocalyptic campaigns. And the guys a Skirmisher do a very nice job of balancing these items out. But this relics should be very carefully used. Seriously these are high level relics and might easily find their way into a post colony science fictional space based game as well. 

This is one of my favorite of this particular series of WoW issues and its done with wit as well as style. There are seven high level artifacts and relics that can make your wasteland encounters particularly deadly. These range from the Area to the Splatter Gun and are easily slipped into the background setting of an adventure as mini encounters unto themselves. I can see these items appearing in a multiplicity of post apocalyptic games from a Metamorphosis Alpha style game of post colony generation ship hi jinks to a full blown Stars Without Number style campaign. 

The items are high level, interesting, and very well done. That being said I can also see these items being campaign wreckers or starters depending upon how they are used and where they are placed within an adventure.

The last bit in this issue is a mutation that goes right along with the vibe of the super science artifacts of this issue, Environmental Adaptation is perfect for those inter system or interstellar colony mutants. A great way to get a 'Logan's Run' Style Dome city colony upon the Exo planet of your choosing. A nice addition to a great issue of WoW, are the other issues necessary to have? No but this article will make far more sense if you do have it. This issue presents a nice set up of 'super science' relic options on the table for memorable adventure construction in the post apocalyptic world of your choice. 

Using Wisdom From The Wastelands
Issue #48
For Your Old School Campaigns

As I said above these items should be used with some caution but that goes without saying this is a great set of relics. Many of these should have limited usage to PC's as at least two I'm going to be using for set dressing and background flavor for two up coming adventures.
Placement of these items might even set the stage for the type of post apocalyptic encounter that the DM is trying to do. From a downed space craft to a post apocalyptic government facility ruin that doesn't have to be as wrecked as it might first appear. These relics have the potential to certainly challenge a party to think rather then act especially if some of these are pointed in their direction.
The skin shifter and arena have the potential to change PC's in fundamental ways and should be carefully placed in the wastes. All in all this issue puts some very high level tools right into the DM's lap and all of this for the price of a dollar menu hamburger. The fact is that this isn't dollar menu quality material from Skirmisher. 

Aliens Eternal Soldiers Hive War 2384 Part III Mutant Future Actual Play

After the events of Part II available right over HERE

Last night's game was very interesting with the PC's regrouping at the African Federal Security Agency mercenaries fortress helped to re equip them as well as get their own people back to their ship in deep Earth orbit. 

Things are pretty damn dire in Africa with the country divided along complex tribal and mutational lines as well as the invasive species influence of the cult of  the 'New Dawn'  'Bugmen' and humans lead by Avalon a charismatic Xenomorph, Human Xeno  that had been using the fusion reactors below Republica for years.
The FSA forces have had a running battle with this cult of fanatics for years and the leader of the cult Avalon has an Alien Queen as part of the cult's head. The hive has plans for a massive expansion and is at war with another hive about 50 klicks away.
This spells disaster for the mutants, humans, and tribes that are trying to scratch out a living in the wastes. 

Not to mention the extinction of the FSA forces in the area.
 

The Marine's mutant psychic received a massive assault from one of the Mutant Bugmen but was able to make some great saves for the the PC. A war began on the psychic plane though and marines became worried as the toil of the battle began to wane on their comrade. Finally the pitched battle went in favor of Marie Le Croy the Colonial marine psychic and scout. Before exploding the Bug Man's mind she was able to telepathically extract the current location of the cult and their base's layout.
More coming up! 

Aliens Eternal Soldiers Hive War 2384 Part II Mutant Future Actual Play

Last night's Mutant Future/ Alien mash up found the PC's in the wastelands of a mutated Africa, searching for survivors, equipment, and a power source that had appeared on sensors.
This part of Africa had been abandoned by Corporate forces after the events of  Alien Resurrection.
You can read the set up right over HERE


The capital city of  what was once Republica, a Con -Am mining city was nothing more then rumble, the space port was a complete wreck, the underground facilities were intact. They have yet to investigate those.



The PC's found the remains of a Con -Am mining cargo ship that wasn't what it seemed.
They were very careful and scanned the ship. The found traces of biological stasis pods, a full A.I. core capable of maintaining the cargo, and two ecology/biology  bots built into the ship itself to maintain the whole set up. They found some pretty heavy duty weapons and ammo aboard as well thinking that it was all clear. It wasn't! Some Xenomorph Lurkers (more information right HERE ) were hidden within the paneling and things went from bad to worse. One of the PC's was sprayed with acidic blood and had to stabilized by one of the other Outer Rim mutate marines.
The party's mutant psychic screamed 'incoming! ' after a particularly good solid roll! The team began to fight their way back to the drop ship point and use the explosives they recovered from the mining ship!
Info right over HERE

They found where the xenomorphs were coming from as Xenomorph, Boiler
 and Xenomorph, Spitter
spilled themselves over the sides of the ruin's walls and really began ruining the PC's days

The PC's heard the welcome sound of a  set of  XM99A Phased Plasma Pulse Rifles and were rescued as African Federal Security Agency mercenaries in M3 Pattern Personal Armor came to their add.

 
Seems that the corporation that owned Republica had abandoned the Marshals as well and they had a bit of Colonial Marine gear stashed from the last Alien Hive War.


It was time to leave however when a swarm of  Xenomorph, Crushers lead by a 

Xenomorph, Raven

One of the PC's took the brunt of an acid spray from one of the Crushers and we mourned the loss of Lt.Henderson of Rigel Four. His Sawed-off Double Barrel Shotgun has a place of honor after his recovery of a P9 S.H.A.R.P. Rifle helped even the odds during this encounter. He always like to keep his shotgun for close encounters. 

The FSA personal got the wounded marines aboard their Land Master as the marines vehicle met with the drop ship and they rolled out of there under a hail of missiles and gun fire from the cannons of the master.

After the marines sorted their own wounded and two PC's are now up for cybernetic conversion therpy under the watchful gaze of their android medic and the Colonial Marine's Medi robot.

The PC's learned about the 'New Dawn' cult of 'Bugmen' and humans lead by Avalon a charismatic Xenomorph, Human Xeno  that had been using the fusion reactors below Republica to power the head exchangers and create the optimum conditions for her hive brothers and sisters. The hive is one of the largest underground hives within this section of Africa. The FSA had been able to keep her and her forces  in check  for years.
Note that 'Bug men' cultists gain the following mutations - Bizarre appearance, meta mind, minor telepathic abilities, and they are able to hear the telepathic siren call of the Alien Queens over interstellar distances. They advance as fighters and are mutated as a result of their extended dependency upon the 'xeno zip' drug  or exposure to the Alien Queen royal jelly which causes these mutations within certain individuals with the required genetic profiles.There is a 30% chance for those exposed to the Xenomorph derivative products of developing the bug men mutations. Bug men are extremely fanatical in their devotion to certain hives and Xenomorph queens who view them as they would any other sentient. Merely fodder for the Face huggers.



There were a ton of questions for the FSA at their fortress but those will have to wait till next week's game.