Spes Magna Games

The 2021-2022 school year is over. This month, I’m running two one-week summer camps for students. The first starts on 6 June, and the happy campers shall spend 15 hours learning the basics of Latin grammar, some history of the Romans, and the fundamentals of anti-javelin defense. Later in June, I’m looking to spend another 15 hours teaching a group of middle schoolers how to play 5E D&D. Best of all, I get paid for the camps. Huzzah.

A few days before the end of the school year, I killed my Facebook accounts after the fifth time in a month of ending up in Facebook jail. Too often in too short a period of time I was penalized and admonished about violating Facebook’s community standards, which is absurd since Facebook isn’t a community and the enforcement of its “standards” is arbitrary at best.

The first straw was me getting incarcerated for pointing out to another poster that their opinions bore more than a passing resemblance to the eugenic racism and classism of the early 20th century. The final straw was a longer incarceration for commenting in a D&D game forum about how the players’ first response to an encounter often involves violence.

But on to other things!

I at long last purchased Mutant Crawl Classics (MCC) from Goodman Games. I’ve read most of the rulebook. I love this game, and it’s given me an excuse to dust off an idea I had many years ago. That’s right. It’s the return of Venusian Amazons Rule the Earth (VARE).

MCC fits VARE well enough. Both are post-apoc science fantasy inspired in part by TSR’s classic Gamma World (about which I’ve written before). My ideas for VARE also draw on Marvel’s awesome Killraven and DC’s even more awesome Kamandi, as well as Thundarr, the Planet of the Apes films, and a variety of pulp stories, perhaps most especially those involving Buck Rogers and John Carter.

(Nota Bene: Links to DriveThruRPG in this post are affiliate links; if you clink and buy, I get a few pennies.)

Some of MCC’s setting assumptions don’t work with VARE. Most significantly, the heroes of VARE do not live in a quasi-Neolithic world built on the remnants of an ancient civilization that commanded technology so advanced that it blurred the lines between science and magic. When the end that was nigh arrived, it was brought not by nuclear war (for example), but instead arrived when Venusian Amazons left their homeworld to conquer our world.

The Venusians Amazons have established military colonies after subjugating humanity via vastly superior Venusian technology. Massive veneriformers work around the clock to alter Earth’s ecosystems to be more comfortable for the Venusian Amazons. Countless humans and native flora and fauna have died. Others have mutated into new, often frightening forms. Human collaborators live in domed communities, protected from the veneriformers’ effects in exchange for unquestioning loyalty to Earth’s alien conquerors.

When planning how to use MCC as the engine for VARE, the first thing that changes regarding character creation relates to level-zero occupations. VARE’s cultures extend beyond MCC’s default Terra A.D. setting. Therefore, my VARE-friendly version of Table 1-2: Character Occupations:

Tags: Gamma World, MCC, VARE

I’ve not posted a new monster for 5E D&D since December 2020. Shocking, I know. So, to remedy that oversight, here’s an oldie-but-goodie glommed from 1978’s Gamma World from TSR. Merry Christmas in July!

N.B. That link goes to my DriveThruRPG store’s products, which are on sale for a few more days.

Standing nearly 10 feet tall with a wingspan of just over 25 feet, the yexil move clumsily on the ground but with grace while in flight. It has deep orange fur, a sinuous neck, and a leonine head with large eyes and insect-like mandibles. Yexils are omnivores with a fondness for eating manufactured clothing, the more colorful and fashionable the better.

Yexil
Large beast, neutral

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d10+20)
Speed 25 ft., fly 75 ft.

STR 18 (+4), DEX 11 (+0), CON 15 (+2), INT 8 (-1), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 10 (+0)

Saving Throws CON +4
Skills Perception +3
Damage Resistances cold
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages understands Common but can’t speak
Challenge 4 (1,100)

Dive Attack. If the yexil is flying and dives at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a melee weapon attack, the attack deals an extra 9 (2d8) damage to the target.

Flyby. The yexil doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.

Keen Sight. The yexil has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Actions

Multiattack. The yexil makes two attacks: one with its mandibles and one with its talons.

Mandibles. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage.

Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the yexil can’t use its talons on another target.

Searing Eyes (Recharge 5-6). The yexil fires twin beams of intense heat from its eyes, affecting a line 75-foot long line that is 10 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Tags: 5E D&D, Gamma World, monsters

Last week, I presented my version of the hisser queen, inspired by the Gamma World mutant. To recap: “This 3-meter long half-man-half-snake inhabits the more arid regions…, often settling near an oasis or well. … Their society is matriarchal, one female leading a group of…males and young. She, like a queen bee, lays all the eggs for eat settlement, and all of them hatch as males.”

(Nota Bene: I’ve updated the hisser queen’s stats a bit.)

This week, as promised, here’re the hisser drone and the hisser warrior. Enjoy!

Hisser Drone
Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 8-35
Armor Class: 5
Move: 12″
Hit Dice: 2
% in Lair: 10%
Treasure Type: Nil
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: by weapon type or 1-4
Special Attacks: Nil
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Average to Very
Alignment: As queen
Size: M (6′ long)
Psionic Ability: 105-150
Attack/Defense Modes: B/FGH
Level/XP Value: II/36 + 2/hp

The hisser drone attacks either with a weapon or else with his bite. Drones are immune to fire/heat and sound-based attacks. The hisser drone is psionic. He has only the telepathy psionic ability. Hissers have no spoken or written language.

If found in their lair, there will be double the number rolled plus 1 hisser warrior for every 5 drones. A hisser lair always has one queen who resides in the lair’s egg chamber. The queen’s treasure is kept here as well. The queen is guarded by 2-20 drones and 2 warriors who fight with special ferocity, gaining a +2 on “to-hit” rolls to defend their queen.

Hisser Warrior
Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1 per 5 hisser drones
Armor Class: 4
Move: 12″
Hit Dice: 6
% in Lair: 75%
Treasure Type: D, Q (x3)
No. of Attacks: 2
Damage/Attack: by weapon type (x2) or by weapon type/1-6
Special Attacks: Paralytic poison
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Average to Very
Alignment: As queen
Size: L (10′ long)
Psionic Ability: 126-175
Attack/Defense Modes: B/FGH
Level/XP Value: V/425 + 6/hp

The hisser warrior attacks either with two weapons or else with one weapon and his bite. If the bite hits, a saving throw versus poison must be made to avoid being paralyzed for 2-12 turns. Warriors are immune to fire/heat and sound-based attacks. The hisser warrior is psionic. He has the clairvoyance and telepathy psionic abilities. Hissers have no spoken or written language.

Tags: AD&D, Gamma World, monsters, ThursdAD&D

I delve further into Gamma World to reach the hisser: “This 3-meter long half-man-half-snake inhabits the more arid regions…, often settling near an oasis or well. … Their society is matriarchal, one female leading a group of…males and young. She, like a queen bee, lays all the eggs for eat settlement, and all of them hatch as males.”

The hisser is a tough monster in Gamma World: AC 3, 18 Hit Dice, some interesting mutations. For my AD&D conversions of mutants, I’ve been scaling back the Hit Dice. Arks, for example, have 8 Hit Dice in Gamma World, but my AD&D ark has 2 Hit Dice. I scaled the 20-HD gren way back to 1+2 HD.

With the hisser, however, I’m drawn to the idea of a hisser matriarch ruling over male hissers, who I envision has a sort of insect-like hivemind complete with drones and warriors.

So, today, we meet the hisser queen. Drones and warriors show up next ThursdAD&D.

Hisser Queen
Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1
Armor Class: 3
Move: 12″
Hit Dice: 10
% in Lair: 75%
Treasure Type: D, Q (x3)
No. of Attacks: 2
Damage/Attack: by weapon type (x2) or 1-6/2-12
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Exceptional
Alignment: Any
Size: L (10′ long)
Psionic Ability: 151-250
Attack/Defense Modes: B/FGH
Level/XP Value: VII/2,250 + 14/hp

The hisser queen attacks either with melee weapons or else with her powerful bite. If her bite hits, she constricts for 2-12 points of damage per melee round. If several strong creatures (such as 4 humans of 17 or greater strength) can grasp the queen at head and tail, the can uncoil her in 2-5 melee rounds.

Once every four melee rounds, the queen can emit a piercing hiss that causes 3-18 points of damage due to ruptured tissues to all creatures (except the queen) in a 30-foot radius (no saving throw). Creatures damaged by the queen’s hiss are deafened for a number of melee rounds equal to the damage taken (saving throw versus breath weapon halves the duration). She is immune to fire/heat and sound-based attacks.

The hisser queen is psionic. She has the following psionic abilities: clairvoyance, hypnosis, and telepathy. The latter power is the queen’s primary means of communication. Hissers have no spoken or written language.

The hisser queen is guarded by 2-20 drones and 2 warriors who fight with special ferocity, gaining a +2 on “to-hit” rolls to defend their queen.

Hissers are territorial and carnivorous. The alignment of a hisser brood matches that of the queen. Good-aligned queens tend toward benevolence and may aid travelers. Neutral-aligned queens may do likewise, but often only in exchange for goods and services. Evil-aligned queens and their broods cannot be trusted, and they often capture intelligent creatures for use as slaves and food.

Tags: AD&D, Gamma World, monsters, ThursdAD&D

Today I fight back against a nagging headache that I caught in time before it went migraine on me while offering for your consideration another AD&D conversion of a Gamma World mutant. (Nota Bene: The Gamma World link is an affiliate link. If you click it and buy the book, I get a bit of money.) I’ve already done this with fens, arks, and badders.

Today I bring to you the reclusive, peace-loving grens. To quote their entry in Gamma World: “Grens appear to be completely normal Pure Strain Humans…except for their deep green skin! They are intelligent and live secluded lives in harmony with nature. They inhabit only deep forests, where they cannot be seen or sensed by any creature until they reveal themselves.”

Translating grens to AD&D requires a bit of poetic license. Grens have 20 Hit Dice in Gamma World, which corresponds to a Constitution of 20 in terms of ability scores. Since I don’t want secluded forests full of 20-HD, green-skinned humanoids, I decided on the following:

Gren
Frequency: Very rare
No. Appearing: 15-150
Armor Class: 9 (or better for leader types)
Move: 12″
Hit Dice: 1+2
% in Lair: 40%
Treasure Type: Individuals K; A in lair
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: By weapon type
Special Attacks: Nil
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Mean: very to highly
Alignment: Neutral good
Size: M
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/XP Value: II/28 + 2/hp

In their forest homes, grens are invisible and inaudible unless a gren chooses otherwise or attacks. For every 30 grens encountered, there will be an additional 2nd-level ranger. For every 40 grens, there will be a 3rd-level ranger, and for every 50 grens there will be a 4th-level ranger. Grens will be led by a druid of 5th, 6th, or 7th level — 5th if under 60 in the party, 6th if under 125, or 7th if more than 125. The leader will have 2 assistant druids of 2nd, 3rd, or 4th level as a personal bodyguard. All these characters are in addition to the number of grens indicated by the dice.

For every 50 grens encountered, there is a 15% chance that there will be an illusionist of 5th or 6th level, accompanied by two assistants of 1st or 2nd level in addition to the other members of the group. If more than 100 grens are encountered, the illusionist will be of the higher possible level.

Grens are semi-nomadic, and they build simple villages from native materials. In their lair, there will be females equal to 200% of the males and children equal to 100% of their number. Females are equal to males, but have 1 Hit Die. Children are noncombatants. For every 50 females, there is a 15% chance there will be a female fighter of 3rd to 5th level who is imbued with great determination and skill. She adds 1 to her hit probability and damage dice, and she never checks morale. These warrior women command great respect within gren communities.

Grens shun combat. Most grens use simple weapons and shields for defense. Leader types will be better armed and armored. Grens speak their own language, a strange mixture of Common and the elvish tongue.

Tags: AD&D, Gamma World, monsters, ThursdAD&D