After the Bomb Campaign Ideas

[Danger Man]

I used to play my share of Palladium RPGs (TMNT, Robotech, Ninjas & Superspies, Heroes Unlimited, and even some Rifts) back in the day (mid 80s to early 90s) and I felt the urge to revisit the TMNT game. I've always been fond of post-apocalyptic games so I thought I would work on some ideas for a potential After the Bomb campaign. My gaming schedule is full at the moment but you never know, I might be able to run an ATB game at some point so in the meantime, I'll work on campaign ideas.

I still have all of my 1st Edition TMNT and ATB books and I was lucky enough to find the more recent 'After the Bomb' book cheap at a used book store so I'm using it for my base (with some ideas from other Palladium books). I thought I would share. I'm thinking of a campaign that centres mostly on the Contested Lands. First up is the leader of a bandit group that is based on Pre-Crash outlaw motorcycle club format known as The Graveyard Reapers.

King Cezar
Real Name: King Cezar
Animal Type: Brown Bear
Alignment: Diabolic
Attributes: I.Q. 14, M.E. 11, M.A. 19, P.S. 30, P.P. 13, P.E. 18, P.B. 13, Spd. 14.
Age: 27, Sex: Male, Size Level: 8
Weight: 146 lbs, Height: 5' 5”
Hit Points: 50, S.D.C.: 84, P.P.E.: 36
Disposition: Dedicated, perceptive, passionate, assertive, calculating, greedy, and power-hungry. Never forgets a grudge or slight.
Human Features: Hands: Full. Biped: Full. Speech: Full. Looks: None.
Powers: Advanced Hearing, Advanced Smell (Tracking by smell: 80%, Recognize scents/emotional extremes: 72%), Brute Strength, and Extra Physical Endurance.
Psionics: None.
Vestigial Disadvantages: Diet: Carnivore
Level of Experience: 7th Level
Occupation: Leader of the Graveyard Reapers
Skills of Note: Boxing, Detect Ambush (60%), Farming & Gardening (64%), Fishing (90%), Hand to Hand: Basic, Hunting (65%), Intelligence (56%), Interrogation (60%), Language: English: (71%), Tracking (60%), Trapping (55%), Wilderness Survival (60%), W.P. Automatic Rifle, W.P. Revolver, and W.P. Rifle.
Secondary Skills: Body Building, Card Shark (40%), General Repair & Maintenance (65%), Imitate Animal or Insect Sound (66%), Language: Chinese (70%), Language: Spanish (70%), Literacy: Chinese (60%), Literacy: English (60%), Identify Plants & Fruits (55%), Pilot: Truck (76%), Public Speaking (35%), and Skin & Prepare Animal Hides (60%).
Natural Weapons: 2D6 Teeth.
Attacks Per Melee Round: 6
Bonuses: +1 on initiative, +1 to strike, +4 to parry and dodge, +15 hand to hand combat damage, +2 to pull punch, +2 to roll with punch, fall or impact, kick attack (1D6 damage), and critical strike on an unmodified roll of 19 or 20.
Other Bonuses: 60% trust/intimidate, +6% save vs. coma/death, tires/fatigues at one third the normal rate, +2 to save vs. disease and drugs, and +4 save vs. magic/poison.
Modern W.P. Bonuses: +5 to strike (aimed).
Personal Profile: Cezar grew up in a remote homestead deep in the wilderness. He didn't see his first outsider until the age of nine. By the age of twelve, he had a choice (a choice all males in the family have to make) – stay with his family and probably be killed by the family's matriarch, or set out on his own in search of others to start his own family. He set out on his own with his all of his belongings – his ragged clothes, one aged survival knife, and a gunnysack of cooking tools and useful scavenged items.

After living on his own in the wilderness, he encountered a small group of mutant animal bandits known as the Graveyard Reapers. They had styled themselves after the outlaw Motorcycle Clubs from the old days. The leader of the Graveyard Reapers was a thin, tough old bird (a crow actually) known as Blackie. Blackie saw potential in Cezar and took him into the gang. Cezar proved to be an useful ally with his great strength and wilderness know-how.

Life with the Graveyard Reapers wasn't easy for Cezar. Beyond the general violence and hardship (which he exceled at) there were others who did not want him in the gang – mainly Blackie's enforcer, an old, scarred, one-eyed Bobcat known as Azril. Azril took an instant dislike to Cezar and made his life miserable whenever he could. Cezar knew he had to do something about it so he formed a plan.

During a raid on a Empire of Humanity border town, Cezar gunned the unsuspecting Azril down during the chaotic battle and blamed his death on the Empire of Humanity's forces. Overall, the raid was a success. Cezar and the raiding party returned with much booty and the lifeless body of Azril. Blackie awarded Cezar with the position of enforcer for his (known) actions on the raid. Being second in command wasn't enough, Cezar had additional ambitions – he would be king.

Cezar played his role as Blackie's enforcer to the letter. He was soon considered to be Blackie's right hand. Anything Blackie asked for, Cezar did and often with much enthusiasm. Cezar's penchant for violence was becoming legendary within the gang. One night during an excessive and boisterous celebration, the Graveyard Reapers were attacked by a rival bandit group known as the Bone Legion. During the attack, Cezar was able to position himself so he was alone with Blackie. The two were able to kill off several attacking Bone Legion members. Once the fight was over, Cezar ripped out Blackie's throat and positioned the dead attackers so it appeared they were the cause of Blackie's demise.

Cezar presented the fallen leader's body to the rest of the gang and he gave a rousing speech about revenge and destroying the enemy gang to make it right for Blackie's death. If anyone had any doubts to what really happen to Blackie, they didn't raise them. The Graveyard Reapers rallied their forces and led an attack against the Bone Legion gang and completely destroyed them scattering any members in all directions. The Graveyard Reapers claimed the loot that once belong to the Bone Legion and Cezar became known as King Cezar. Some say he has ambitions to make his kingship the real thing by expanding his power over the nearby villages and settlements. He even talks of one day challenging New Kennel and the power behind them – the Empire of Humanity! In the meantime, he is busy bringing the nearby villages and towns of the contested lands under his control.

Background: Raised on the Frontier
Money: 12,300 bucks
Relatives & Connections: The character has a 25% chance of recognizing any bandits who are in disguise, hiding, or "retired."
Equipment: Basic clothing, leather jacket with Graveyard Reapers logo on back (a flaming skull hovering over tombstones/graves with the gang's name arcing overhead), traveling equipment, survival knife (2D6 damage), an Angus .48 Magnum Revolver (5D6+2 damage per round) with two speed-loaders (with eight rounds each), and a Chester 30-06 Bolt-Action Rifle (5D6 damage per round) with three extra 8 round clips.

In a waterproof duffle bag (which he normally keeps in his pick-up truck), he has a battery-powered flashlight, two extra flashlight batteries, 50' length of 400 lbs test nylon cord, 400 lbs test, a Rhode Island .38 Revolver with a box of 24 cartridges, and three extra boxes (24 cartridges/box) of ammo for his rifle.

Pick-Up Truck
Base S.D.C.: 450
Vehicle Armour: A.R.: 16, S.D.C.: 700
Passenger Armour with Plexiglass Windows: A.R. 13, S.D.C.: 350
Speed Class: 11 (Maximum 165 mph/Cruise 85 mph)
Empty Forward Swivel Mount
Security Measures: Thief Proof Locks and a searchlight.
Description: A black, suped-up pick-up truck with flames painted on the front. Has a pair of orange & black Pre-Crash fuzzy dice (worth 60 bucks) hanging from the rear-view mirror.
Value: 13,700 bucks

Cheers,
Tim

[auyl]

Seems like a good idea. The NPC write up is neat. I don't know if you intended to get the campaign printed in a Rifter or not but regardless, for campaigns I'll usually brainstorm for a bit writing down a plot hook, then flesh out some details for each plot hook to give it more flavour. Then organize all the info and try to organize it in to a coherent and linear order so that one happens after another. Then fill out any missing info on cities, communities or rival gangs that you may need if it comes up in the campaign.

[Danger Man]

I didn't even know there was a campaign printed in Rifter. I prefer to flesh out adventure/campaign details on my own anyways. I'm already working on a town called Saylem located in the south-western corner of the contested lands (at the location of Salem, New Jersey).

Here are some of the house rules I'm thinking of incorporating into the campaign.

Attribute Bonuses: Bonus to strike from Physical Prowess can be used with aimed shots from modern weapon.

Expanded Trust/Intimidate Percentages: http://paratime.ca/images/misc/trust-intimidate.jpg

Expanded Charm/Impress Percentages: http://paratime.ca/images/misc/charm-impress.jpg

Speed Chart – Bonus to Dodge: http://paratime.ca/images/misc/speed-dodge.jpg (Based on the old bonus to dodge from TMNT 1st edition)

New Secondary Skills: A player may select two new secondary skills at levels 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15. All new skills begin at first level proficiency and grow in experience as the character levels up.

Untrained Skill Use: Untrained skill use defaults to a percentage equal to the most applicable attribute.

New Skills
Hunting: Skill in finding and killing wild game using some kind of weapon (character should have a W.P. in Rifle or Bow). Character also knows how to clean and prepare animals for cooking. 30% + 5% per level. (Lifted from TMNT 1st edition)

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

And here is another member of the Graveyard Reapers.

Piston
Real Name: Krell Chaykin
Animal Type: Striped Skunk
Alignment: Aberrant
Attributes: I.Q. 10, M.E. 11, M.A. 12, P.S. 17, P.P. 14, P.E. 13, P.B. 10, Spd. 20.
Age: 17, Sex: Male, Size Level: 9
Weight: 160 lbs, Height: 4'
Hit Points: 33, S.D.C.: 69, P.P.E.: 26
Disposition: Loyal, competitive, cautious, sordid, sarcastic, and tactless.
Human Features: Hands: Full. Biped: Full. Speech: Partial. Looks: None.
Powers: Advanced Vision, Hold Breath, and Nightvision.
Psionics: None
Vestigial Disadvantages: Nocturnal
Level of Experience: 4th Level
Occupation: Bandit
Skills of Note: Boxing, Camouflage (35%), Climbing (55/45%), Detect Ambush (45%), Forgery (35%), Land Navigation (48%), Language: English (55%), Locate Secret Compartments/Doors (30%), Pick Locks (45%), Pilot: Motorcycle (72%), Safecracking (32%), and Streetwise (32%).
Secondary Skills: Escape Artist (35%), Mechanics: Automobile (65%), Prowl (40%), Tracking (45%), Wilderness Survival (45%), W.P. Chain, W.P. Revolver, W.P. Shotgun (2nd level), and W.P. Sub-Machinegun.
Natural Weapons: Stink Spray of Butylmercaptan.
Attacks Per Melee Round: 6
Bonuses: +4 to parry and dodge, +2 hand to hand combat damage, +2 to pull punch, +4 to roll with punch, fall or impact, and kick attack (1D6 damage).
Other Bonuses: None.
W.P. Chain Bonuses: +2 to strike, -3 to throw.
Modern W.P. Bonuses: +4 to strike (aimed).
Personal Profile: Krell Chaykin, better known as Piston due to his love of motorcycles, was born into a group of motorcycle bandits known as the Bone Legion. He always hung around them but they treated him like dirt and refused to allow him become a member. When he was twelve, his gang was attacked by King Cezar and the Graveyard Reapers.

During the raid, Piston was collateral damage when a member of the Bone Legion threw a grenade at the attacking gang. To this day, Piston still has a long patch on his right arm which has no fur revealing the scar tissue. Piston was about to hop onto a motorcycle when he saw one of the Bone Legion about to get the drop on a mutant raccoon member of the Graveyard Reapers. Piston felt no love for the Bone Legion. He knew who he should back so he raised his revolver and shot the Bone Legion member in the back of the head killing him. The Graveyard Legion member whose life he saved, saw that Piston wore no patch so told him to grab a bike and get out. Piston knew sound advice when he heard it and did so.

Several days later as he was travelling to a nearby village for supplies, he ran into a small group of Graveyard Reapers who were terrorising the local watering hole. Piston saw the mutant animal whose life he had saved so he approached him and asked if he could join them. The mutant raccoon, named Trash, told Piston that if he could keep up with him and his fellow bikers, then he might be eligible as a prospect. Piston did so and after four hard years he finally earned his patch and became a full member of the gang. Piston's “mentor,” the mutant raccoon whose life he saved would eventually be killed in a skirmish against New Kennel forces and Piston has never forgiven those dog bastards for it.

Background: Raised by Bandits
Money: 1670 bucks
Equipment: Basic clothing, driving suit & helmet*, leather jacket with Graveyard Reapers logo on back (a flaming skull hovering over tombstones/graves with the gang's name arcing overhead), large chain (2D4 damage), Labarre .45 Revolver, Ouachita .45 Sub-machinegun, survival knife, and a set of lock picks.

* A driving suit and helmet protects the rider from accidents. The suit absorbs half the damage taken, up to a maximum of 24 points. It does not offer protection against bullets, explosions, weapons, or hand to hand attacks.

Relatives & Connections: The character has a 25% chance of recognizing any bandits who are in disguise, hiding, or "retired," from their days on the run.

Piston's Motorcycle
S.D.C.: 100
Vehicle Armour: A.R.: 14; S.D.C.: 350
Speed Class: 14 (Maximum 210 mph/Cruise 100 mph) 700
Empty Forward Swivel Mount
Description: A black and chrome low rider hawg with armour for protection.
Value: 4350 bucks

Cheers,
Tim

[G]

looking at the build of the character, and by that I mean use of BioE and to a lesser extent skills (which are okay, but not what I would choose), I feel more like you built a brick than a leader (I understand thats the background). Its interesting all the different types of bears you can build. There is the big dumb bear, the terror bear, the leader bear...etc.

I feel a leader would have spent bio-E on things like communicate and control bears then something for 5 bioe like: sense tectonics (or cell reader)....instead of teeth, hearing, smell & PE....

Lets say you drag around 1 bear per level as enforcers...well suddenly you have 7 bears...with big teeth and claws. Likewise, as a leader skills like intelligence come in handy.

I'm tempted to add a few more psionics and have a small bear riding a normal bear with a big gun mounted on top.

...or perhaps these make lots of other good bears for your gang.
-don't forget a big bear with minigun, plate armor & big claws...using the HTH for people with no biped.
-this is where I remember its not easy to create a regular but intelligent bear...with all the normal bear abilities.

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

Danger Man,
Welcome to the Forums and Awesome first post. I like everything you've got there. The story is well done, the char build is coherent and makes sense, and best of all the char build+skill selections mesh with the story perfectly.

I can't wait to see more of what you do, to read adventure logs, and maybe (with your permission of course) borrow some of your creations for NPC's and setting info.

Good job Danger Man.


G,
Everyone builds their PC's in different ways. I agree with the way this bear is made. Raised on the Frontier limits the skill selections he could have made (pretty sure intelligence didn't make the cut). As far as the bio-e build, that also fits his concept. King Cezar is the leader of a "biker" gang. He needs to be big and bad, or alternately physically intimidating due to teeth, claws, PS and what not to make sure the other gang members see him as leader. Who would you sooner follow? Arnold Schwarzenegger the big bad @$$ to fights his way to a leadership role and holds it. or Steve Buscemi, the skinny manipulator who tricks and connives his way to power through mind games and subterfuge?

I personally have only ever had 2 Tmnt/Atb Pc's with any type of psi abilities, and even then I didn't treat them as "mind powers". The only ones I've ever had in any game are Animal Speech (which is treated more like a language skill - you can talk to whatever type of animal you are - dog cat bird etc). The other is Control Animals, that one is had by a Pc (mutant bull) who is a cattle rancher. He doesn't mind control other cattle, it is more of they see him as the Alpha Bull and just do what he says. So again, I've got to say I agree with the not a psionic char choice.

But everyone does things their own way. If you like psi chars, then more power to you.

Happy gaming.

[G]

I missed the fact it was your first post. Welcome to the board!

If each person who reads this posts a bear, you will have a varied gang of bears in no time.

[Danger Man]

The Graveyard Reapers are not a gang of bears but a mixed mutant animal gang. So far I have four of the major gang personalities done. Two of which I have already posted and there are two more coming... Gears Alder (a hamster mechanic) and Black Omack (ferret gang member). I'll be posting them as well plus the stats for the average Graveyard Reaper member and other campaign related materials (including a map of the Free Town of Saylem).

For the most part, I'm letting the dice do most of the work so most of what you see was randomly generated with me filling in the details as I go along. For example, when I rolled the stats for King Cezar, I noticed the high M.A. score and immediately knew I had found the leader of the gang.

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

Black Omack
Real Name: Omack Black
Animal Type: Ferret
Alignment: Miscreant
Attributes: I.Q. 13, M.E. 8, M.A. 14, P.S. 17, P.P. 15, P.E. 16, P.B. 20, Spd. 16.
Age: 23, Sex: Male, Size Level: 7
Weight: 85 lbs, Height: 5' 4”
Hit Points: 28, S.D.C.: 58, P.P.E.: 32
Disposition: Cruel, arrogant, hedonistic, sordid, violent, and stubborn. He is absolutely loyal to King Cezar and the Graveyard Reapers.
Human Features: Hands: Full. Biped: Full. Speech: Full. Looks: None.
Powers: Advanced Hearing, Advanced Smell (Tracking by smell: 60%, Recognize scents/emotional extremes: 64%), Digging, and Nightvision.
Psionics: None
Vestigial Disadvantages: Diet: Carnivore
Level of Experience: 3rd Level
Occupation: Bandit
Skills of Note: Boxing, Concealment (28%), Demolitions (66%), Demolitions Disposal (66%), Detect Ambush (40%), Detect Concealment & Traps (35%), Language: English (50%), Pilot: Motorcycle (68%), Streetwise (28%), Tailing (40%), Use & Recognize Poison (32/24%), and Wrestling.
Secondary Skills: Hand to Hand: Basic, Pilot: Automobile/Car (60%), Prowl (25%), Swimming (50%), Tracking (40%), Wilderness Survival (40%), W.P. Knife, W.P. Revolver, and W.P. Sub-Machinegun.
Natural Weapons: 1D6 Teeth, 2D6 Digging Claws.
Attacks Per Melee Round: 5
Bonuses: +1 on initiative, +4 to parry and dodge, +2 hand to hand combat damage, +2 to pull punch, +5 to roll with punch, fall or impact, and kick attack (1D6 damage), pin/incapacitate on a roll of 18, 19, or 20, crush/squeeze (1D4 damage), body block/tackle (1D4 damage and opponent must dodge or parry to avoid being knocked down).
Other Bonuses: +4% save vs. coma/death, +1 save vs. magic/poison, 50% charm/impress.
W.P. Knife Bonuses: +2 to parry, +1 to strike, and +1 to throw.
Modern W.P. Bonuses: +4 to strike (aimed).
Personal Profile: Omack was born into a group of bandits known as the Graveyard Reapers. He was raised with the tales of the gang's exploits and deeds. He wanted to become a full member since he could walk. He grew up running messages, telling lies, setting up innocent travelers, hijacking merchants, witnessing and participating in murder and everything in between. Black Omack, as he begain to be called, was patched into the gang at the age of sixteen. He has been a loyal follower of King Cezar since.
Background: Raised by Bandits
Money: 480 bucks
Equipment: Basic clothing, driving suit & helmet*, leather jacket with Graveyard Reapers logo on back (a flaming skull hovering over tombstones/graves with the gang's name arcing overhead), Labarre .45 Revolver, Ouachita .45 Sub-machinegun, survival knife, and a set of lock picks.

* A driving suit and helmet protects the rider from accidents. The suit absorbs half the damage taken, up to a maximum of 24 points. It does not offer protection against bullets, explosions, weapons, or hand to hand attacks.

Relatives & Connections: The character has a 25% chance of recognizing any bandits who are in disguise, hiding, or "retired," from their days on the run.

Black Omack's Motorcycle
S.D.C.: 100
Vehicle Armour: A.R.: 14; S.D.C.: 350
Speed Class: 12 (Maximum 180 mph/Cruise 90 mph)
Empty Forward Swivel Mount
Description: A black and chrome hawg with armour for protection.
Value: 4200 bucks

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

Here's my initial draft for the Free Town of Saylem (based on Salem, New Jersey). I'm sure things will change as I develop the idea. A rough map of the town can be found here: http://paratime.ca/images/tmnt-atb/Saylem-v1.jpg

Free Town of Saylem
The free town of Saylem is located on the south-western area of the Contested Lands. While the town doesn't recognize the authority of any outside government, it does maintain a brisk trade with both Cardania, the Plains of the Free Cattle, and even representatives from the Rodent Cartel of Filly.

Population: 6240
Government: Council of Five, led by a Mayor (who is selected from the council)
Current Mayor: Vesad Washton III (mutant domestic cat)
Armed Forces: Sheriff and seven deputies; citizen militia
Current Sheriff: Mosez Hues (mutant beaver)
Economics: Seafood, lumber,
Technology Equivalent: 1950s

Locations
1. Town Hall
2. Osona's Diner
3. Saylem Oak Bank
4. Saylem Sheriff's Office
5. Saylem School
6. Pledger's Trader Market
7. Church of the Sacred Light
8. Loskel & Son Electricians
9. Harvest Time Worship Center
10. Doc Smyth's Surgery
11. Marlbor Marina
12. Saylem Teamsters
13. Haddock's Garage
14. Saylem Farrier Union
15. Embur's Blacksmith

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

And here is another Graveyard Reaper gang member. I'm aiming for 6 named characters plus 2-12 typical gang members.

Shank
Real Name: Petrak
Animal Type: Frog
Alignment: Miscreant
Attributes: I.Q. 12, M.E. 8, M.A. 6, P.S. 19, P.P. 18, P.E. 17, P.B. 10, Spd. 17.
Age: 20, Sex: Male, Size Level: 7
Weight: 96 lbs, Height: 5' 3”
Hit Points: 28, S.D.C.: 63, P.P.E.: 34
Disposition: Tough, abrasive, cold, destructive, sadist, and suspicious. Addicted to barbiturates (downers) and amphetamines (speed/uppers).
Human Features: Hands: Full. Biped: Full. Speech: Partial. Looks: None.
Powers: Advanced Vision, Extra Physical Prowess, Hold Breath (34 minutes), Leaping: Feline (Standing Sill Position: 12' across, 16' high; Running Start: 16' across, 21' high; Leap down 24' without taking damage), and Nightvision.
Psionics: Danger Sense
Vestigial Disadvantages: Diet: Insectivore and Webbed Feet.
Level of Experience: 3rd Level
Occupation: Bandit
Skills of Note: Athletics (General), Camouflage (30%), Concealment (28%), Detect Ambush (40%), Escape Artist (40%), Gymnastics, Interrogation (50%), Language: English (50%), Locate Secret Doors/Compartments (25%), Pilot: Motorcycle (68%), Streetwise (28%), and Tailing (40%).
Secondary Skills: Hand to Hand: Expert, Land Navigation (44%), Prowl (35%), Running, Swimming: Basic (50%), Tracking (40%), Wilderness Survival (40%), W.P. Knife, and W.P. Shotgun.
Natural Weapons: None
Attacks Per Melee Round: 4
Bonuses: +4 to strike, +6 to parry and dodge, +4 hand to hand combat damage, +2 to pull punch, +5 to roll with punch, fall or impact, and kick attack (1D6 damage).
W.P. Knife Bonuses: +2 to parry, +1 to strike, and +1 to throw.
Modern W.P. Bonuses: +4 to strike (aimed).
Other Bonuses: +5% to save vs. coma/death, +1 to save vs. magic/poisons, 55% sense of balance, 65% to work parallel bars and rings (swing from one to the other), 62% climb rope, 72% back flip, and 30% climbing.
Personal Profile: Petrak grew up in the small village of Kwynton, located five miles south-west of Saylem. He was orphaned at a young age when his parents were killed by a fire that burnt down half of the village. With no one to look after him, Petrak grew up wild. At the age of six, he encountered the Graveyard Reavers and attempted to steal some food from one of its members. Unfortunately, Petrak was caught in his attempted theft and was whipped until he nearly died.

The 'Old Lady' (significant other) of one of the gang's members took pity on him and nursed him back to health. Petrak's new adoptive family taught Petrak the skills he would need to survive this harsh world – how to lie, cheat, kill and most importantly, how to survive. At the age of seventeen, he was patched into the gang after he had killed two rival gang members with only his knives. He also able to claim the victims' weapons & bikes for the gang. Petrak has earned the name of Shank after his favourite weapon of choice – the knife.

Shank is addicted to barbiturates (downers) and amphetamines (speed/uppers). He must take either at least twice a day or else he will start to experience withdrawal symptoms. When he is taking uppers, he is quick to anger and argumentative, but gains a +1 bonus on initiative. While on downers, he is withdrawn and quiet (-6% on all skills).

Background: Raised by bandits
Money: 790 bucks
Equipment: Basic clothing, driving suit & helmet*, leather jacket with Graveyard Reapers logo on back (a flaming skull hovering over tombstones/graves with the gang's name arcing overhead), 2 survival knives (2D4 damage each), 2 boot knives (1D4 damage each), and a Baxter 20 Gauge Pump-Action Shotgun & a box of 12 cartridges. He carries two small bags in the inside pocket of his leather jacket – each bag contains a week's worth of uppers or downers (either bag is worth 1D6x100 bucks each).

* A driving suit and helmet protects the rider from accidents. The suit absorbs half the damage taken, up to a maximum of 24 points. It does not offer protection against bullets, explosions, weapons, or hand to hand attacks.

Relatives & Connections: The character has a 25% chance of recognizing any bandits who are in disguise, hiding, or "retired," from their days on the run.

Shank's Motorcycle
S.D.C.: 100
Vehicle Armour: A.R.: 14; S.D.C.: 350
peed Class: 12 (Maximum 195 mph/Cruise 95 mph)
Empty Forward Swivel Mount
Description: A black and chrome fat boy hawg with armour for protection.
Value: 4200 bucks

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

The Graveyard Reapers

Named Characters

King Cezar (President/Leader; Brown Bear)
Piston (Striped Skunk)
Black Omack (Ferret)
Shank (Frog)
Gears Alder (Hamster)*
Moody Morik (Coyote)*

* Coming soon.

Typical Graveyard Reaper
Animal Type: Any urban, rural or wild animal with the exception of birds or purebreds
Size Level: 10, S.D.C.: 35, Hit Points: 23
Human Features: Hands: Full. Biped: Full: Speech: Full. Looks: None.
Skills of Note: Hand to Hand: Basic (2nd Level), Pilot: Motorcycle (64%), Streetwise (24%), W.P. Chain (2nd Level), W.P. Revolver (2nd Level), W.P. Shotgun or Rifle (2nd Level).
Weapons: Chain, revolver, and shotgun or rifle
Attacks Per Melee Round: 4
+1 to strike (weapon), +2 pull punch, +2 roll with fall, punch, and kick attack (2D4 damage).

Typical Graveyard Reaper Hawg
S.D.C.: 100
Vehicle Armour: A.R.: 14, S.D.C.: 350
Speed Class: 11 (Maximum 165 mph/Cruise 85 mph)
Empty Forward Swivel Mount
Description: Black and chrome fat boy hawg with added armour.
Total Cost: 3800 bucks

Motorcycle ('Hawg') Models
Fat Boy Sample: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... FatBoy.htm
Low Rider Sample: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... wRider.htm
Fat Bob Sample: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... FatBob.htm

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

Taking a break from the Graveyard Reapers motorcycle gang for a NPC of a different type. I took the ninja option from the 1st Edition After the Bomb book and came up with a wandering swordsman (instead of a ninja). I took elements from the Ninjas & Superspies book (like the Zanji Shinjinken-Ryu Martial Arts and related Martial Arts Powers and some skills). I gave the character the following base skills: 5 domestic, 2 military, 3 physical and 6 secondary, plus one martial arts style. I switched out the animal power of Extra Physical Endurance for Advanced Hearing since I figured the character was born blind and was able to compensate for it. I also took my main inspiration from the Zatoichi films (hence the character's real name).

Shintaro
Real Name: Shintaro Kitano
Animal Type: Badger
Alignment: Scrupulous with Honour
Attributes: I.Q. 15, M.E. 14, M.A. 13, P.S. 23, P.P. 16, P.E. 23, P.B. 13, Spd. 16.
Age: 32, Sex: Male, Size Level: 9
Weight: 169 lbs Height: 4'
Hit Points: 56, S.D.C.: 96, P.P.E.: 46, Chi: 33
Disposition: Adaptable, calm, disciplined, observant (with his hearing), friendly, shrewd, crafty, and generous.
Human Features: Hands: Full. Biped: Full. Speech: Full. Looks: None.
Powers: Advanced Hearing and Snake Venom Resistance (95% resistance to any venomous bite, poisoned weapons, etc.).
Psionics: None
Vestigial Disadvantages: None
Level of Experience: 8th Level
Occupation: Wandering Musician (Swordsman)
Skills of Note: Athletics (General), Bonsai* (73%), Boxing, Interrogation (75%), Language: English (75%), Language: Japanese (75%), Language: Spanish (75%), Musical Instrument: Shamisen (60%), Philosophy: Zen (94%), Poetry: Haiku (85%), Prowl (60%), Recognize Weapon Quality* (40%), Sculpting & Whittling (65%), Sing (75%), Wrestling, W.P. Spear, W.P. Staff, W.P. Sword, W.P. Sword – Paired Weapons, and Zanji Shinjinken-Ryu Martial Arts.
* -20% skill penalty for being blind.
Secondary Skills: Escape Artist (65%), First Aid* (50%), Fishing* (75%), Imitate Voice (64%), Language: Filly (75%), Locate Secret Compartments/Doors* (30%), Mathematics: Basic (84%), Pick Locks (40%), Rope Works (40%), Streetwise (48%), and Swimming: Basic (85%).
* -20% skill penalty for being blind.
Natural Weapons: None
Attacks Per Melee Round: 7
Bonuses: +4 on initiative, +3 to strike, +6 to parry, +5 to dodge, +7 hand to hand combat damage, +2 to maintain balance, +6 to roll with punch, fall or impact, critical strike from behind, death blow on a natural 20, pin/incapacitate on a roll of 18, 19, or 20, crush/squeeze (does 1D4 damage), and body block/tackle (does 1D4 damage and opponent must dodge or parry to avoid being knocked down).
Other Bonuses: +16% to save vs. coma/death and +4 to save vs. magic/poison.
Martial Arts Powers: Chi Mastery – Dragon Chi/Fu Zhensong, Iai-Jutsu, Martial Art Awareness/Zanshin (20' radius zone; does not gain Zanshin attack bonuses but also does not suffer a blindness penalty against target within his Zashin circle), Stone Ox, and Weapon Katas (Katana, Wakizashi, Daisho – Paired Weapons, Staff, Spear & Naginata).
[b]W.P. Spear Bonuses (includes Naginata): +4 to strike, +4 to parry, and +2 to throw.
W.P. Staff:[/b] +3 to strike, +3 to parry, and +1 to throw.
W.P. Sword Bonuses (includes Katana, Wakizashi, and Daisho): +3 to strike (+5 to strike with wakizashi), +3 to parry (+4 to parry with wakizashi), and +2 to throw (+3 to throw with wakizashi).
Personal Profile: Shintaro was born and raised in a remote monastery located in the Appalachian Mountains. The swordsmen monks of the Zatoichi Monastery rarely leave their mountain sanctuary. Shintaro was born blind but with his exceptional hearing and force of will, he was able to overcome this difficulty through his studies. He spent the first two decades of his life studying Zanji Shinjinken-Ryu – the ancient school of Samurai swordsmanship – from the monastery's ancient masters.

At the age of twenty-one, Shintaro left the confinds of the monastery and went out into the world. He travels from village to village, using his sword skills to defend himself and his singing and musical skills to earn his food and lodgings. He never stays too long in one place.

During his travels, he has had run-ins with Empire of Humanity forces, bandits, criminal factions from Filly, despotic rulers, and even the odd wild animal. While an expert swordsman, he prefers to highlight his singing and musical skills and keep his swordmanship a secret (along with his wakizashi walking stick) until he must reveal either due to necessity. His past experiences have taught him the dangers of modern weapons (especially those fired from outside of his Zanshin circle – which includes most of them).

Background: Raised in a Martial Arts Monastery
Money: 120 bucks
Equipment: Basic clothing, a walking stick with a wakizashi sword hidden inside (top quality blade; does 2D6 damage), a shamisen (a Japanese three-string, plucked instrument, similar to a guitar or banjo), a small napsack for carrying odds & ends (like his money).

Relatives & Connections: Shintaro is part of a brotherhood of martial arts monastery. While he can call on any member of the brotherhood for help, Shintaro also feels obligated to help when one of the brotherhood is in trouble.

Cheers,
Tim

[Alrik Vas]

I'm tempted to add a few more psionics and have a small bear riding a normal bear with a big gun mounted on top.

Just stop... *shivers in terror*

[Zenvis]

I would like to see this put together into a one night kit for beginner players. that would be cool.

[G]

I'm tempted to add a few more psionics and have a small bear riding a normal bear with a big gun mounted on top.

Just stop... *shivers in terror*

Thank you, any emotional response means I did a good job in bringing the character to life.

Thinking about it (not stopping) Any sniping weapon would do fine lets take an example of a crossbow with mental speak (allowing you to communicate to the bears silently). At first level the bear is transportation and keeps people away while you shoot them. At later levels...no one in their right mind wants to charge through bears to attack you, while you are sniping them. That still leaves lots of BioE...for something like invisible haze.

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

While Shintaro is a neat character on his own, I'm not sure how well he fits in with the other things you've posted so far. A big part of that is probably my confusion with the NSS system. I never could quite wrap my head around all of it (particularly all the nuances of the different MA forms).

Regardless of that, top notch write up. I agree with Zenvis; having your stuff compiled together (like an adventure module perhaps?) would be a very good thing.

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

I'm tempted to add a few more psionics and have a small bear riding a normal bear with a big gun mounted on top.

Just stop... *shivers in terror*

Thank you, any emotional response means I did a good job in bringing the character to life.

Thinking about it (not stopping) Any sniping weapon would do fine lets take an example of a crossbow with mental speak (allowing you to communicate to the bears silently). At first level the bear is transportation and keeps people away while you shoot them. At later levels...no one in their right mind wants to charge through bears to attack you, while you are sniping them. That still leaves lots of BioE...for something like invisible haze.

I've got to disagree G. His emotional response (of shuddering) doesn't mean you did a good job bringing the character to life. In my opinion it means you disturbed him and made him uncomfortable with your post. I said it before, other than animal speech or control animals I've never had psi chars in a TMNT/ATB game. If you want to play a super/psi powered mutant animal then (again my opinion) HU or Rifts is where you need to be.

Feel free to make your own Psionic Bear Brigade (name is copyrighted sorry) thread. I just wouldn't do it here. This is Danger Man's showcase thread.

[Danger Man]

While Shintaro is a neat character on his own, I'm not sure how well he fits in with the other things you've posted so far. A big part of that is probably my confusion with the NSS system. I never could quite wrap my head around all of it (particularly all the nuances of the different MA forms).

I first came up with the idea and wanted to see if I could pull it off. Once it started to come together, I wondered if I would use him as a NPC. If I did, I would use him sparingly since I wouldn't want to fall victim to 'uber-cool GM's pet NPC syndrome.' I could see him being in a same location as the PCs, perhaps helping out in a hand to hand combat (as long as the PCs were fighting the good fight and not doing something evil) and then moving on. Then I would have him pop up here & there as a rare recurring character -- in potential later appearances, he might just talk for a bit, drop some hints/GM exposition and then move on - that sort of thing (it also establishes some continuity to past events).

I plan on filling up this thread with various ideas and not everything will fit together in one campaign. Ideas I don't use right away I file away for a later date because you never know when they might be useful later. I'll be grabbing various bits from other Palladium books as I go along as well. I'll be taking a four-colour, gonzo approach to the campaign. Anything could show up (what do you mean there are gargoyles living in the Appalachians? *grin*).

Regardless of that, top notch write up. I agree with Zenvis; having your stuff compiled together (like an adventure module perhaps?) would be a very good thing.

I'm working on an idea for an adventure for 1st level characters. I have a travelling merchant NPC I'm working on (a mutant rabbit known as Radthero) who would be a perfect 'sponsor' for a group of PCs to act as escorts for a vital package he needs delivered to another town (he can't do it because he has other commitments). The trip would take place on what's left of the Pre-Crash road system with much of it a dirt trail. The trip would take the PCs through various 'hot spots' until they reach the noted designation.

One of these 'hot spots' could be a village under the control of the Graveyard Reapers. Since we're talking about 1st level characters (with somewhat limited equipment), there would be only a couple (actual number dependent on how many PCs are involved in the adventure) named Graveyard Reapers and typical members to fill out the numbers. I see the Graveyard Reapers as an ongoing threat (at least for a little while).

Other hot spot ideas could include wild animals*, perhaps the sighting of a Empire of Humanity helicopter flying overhead (a sighting to make the PCs wonder if they were spotted -- they weren;t but they won't know that), several strange villages (probably with allegiances to other kingdoms within the Contested Lands), and of course the final destination and whoever is suppose to receive the package. Naturally someone else wants the package so there is that potential complication. The trick would be to weave these elements together so the PCs do not get overwhelmed but at the same time, keep things interesting.

* As for wild animals in my AtB campaigns, mutated animals have supplanted the normal versions of said animal so you won't get a lot of normal animals running around because most of them didn't survive through the Crash. Those that did became the mutant versions of the animal (course there are always exceptions). To fill the environmental niche that the normal animal once had, I throw in some mutant beasties. Not all mutant animals reach sentience. Some retain their bestial nature but gain strange mutations. For example, non-sentient mutant bears may be larger than normal and have tentacles, or there are still squirrels living in the trees but they are all now albino and have a hive mind, that sort of thing.

At the moment, I'm still working out the lay of the land for the Contested Lands (of my campaign). I plan on drawing a map of the area showing the major villages, towns and cities. I will leave areas blanks for future development but I want to expand on the area around the Free Town of Saylem. Google maps have been very helpful for this. I do a screen capture of the Google map, throw it into Photoshop and then draw over it.

Once I have enough stuff ready to be compiled, I'll probably put it into a PDF. I'll share the link once I get that far. Until then, I'll keep dropping write-ups and ideas here.

Cheers,
Tim

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

I could see him being in a same location as the PCs, perhaps helping out in a hand to hand combat (as long as the PCs were fighting the good fight and not doing something evil) and then moving on. Then I would have him pop up here & there as a rare recurring character -- in potential later appearances, he might just talk for a bit, drop some hints/GM exposition and then move on - that sort of thing (it also establishes some continuity to past events).

Sounds good. It is always fun to have a recurring NPC that the players run in to (who isn't a villain).

I plan on filling up this thread with various ideas and not everything will fit together in one campaign. Ideas I don't use right away I file away for a later date because you never know when they might be useful later. I'll be grabbing various bits from other Palladium books as I go along as well. I'll be taking a four-colour, gonzo approach to the campaign. Anything could show up (what do you mean there are gargoyles living in the Appalachians? *grin*).

Would it be possible to group related ideas together under a common heading within the thread? That way (I) people will easily know what goes with what. Just a thought.

Gargoyles in the Appalachians?!?!?! PB Rifts Gargoyles or Disney's Gargoyles? One of which is decidedly cooler than the other. I don't have to say which, as the answer is obvious.

Regardless of that, top notch write up. I agree with Zenvis; having your stuff compiled together (like an adventure module perhaps?) would be a very good thing.

I'm working on an idea for an adventure for 1st level characters. I have a travelling merchant NPC I'm working on (a mutant rabbit known as Radthero) who would be a perfect 'sponsor' for a group of PCs to act as escorts for a vital package he needs delivered to another town (he can't do it because he has other commitments). The trip would take place on what's left of the Pre-Crash road system with much of it a dirt trail. The trip would take the PCs through various 'hot spots' until they reach the noted designation.

One of these 'hot spots' could be a village under the control of the Graveyard Reapers. Since we're talking about 1st level characters (with somewhat limited equipment), there would be only a couple (actual number dependent on how many PCs are involved in the adventure) named Graveyard Reapers and typical members to fill out the numbers. I see the Graveyard Reapers as an ongoing threat (at least for a little while).

A traveling merchant?! No flippin way! My first (and favorite) ATB PC is a traveling merchant Moutain Lion named Fareman Kramer. I've got a small trade route established and am making a name for myself as someone who can get you the goods you need for the right price and who shouldn't be hassled (unless of course you WANT to be eaten). He hasn't gotten to awfully far from where he was introduced yet (he keeps back tracking to do his trading and travels most places on foot or along side a ox drawn wagon. Then there is the whole killing and skinning then eating or preserving the meat and hides of everyone who tries to hassle him. It's time consuming, but worth the bother. A genuine, hand crafted Bull Skin (I mean leather!) poncho brings in more than a few bucks.. )

Other hot spot ideas could include wild animals*, perhaps the sighting of a Empire of Humanity helicopter flying overhead (a sighting to make the PCs wonder if they were spotted -- they weren;t but they won't know that), several strange villages (probably with allegiances to other kingdoms within the Contested Lands), and of course the final destination and whoever is suppose to receive the package. Naturally someone else wants the package so there is that potential complication. The trick would be to weave these elements together so the PCs do not get overwhelmed but at the same time, keep things interesting.

* As for wild animals in my AtB campaigns, mutated animals have supplanted the normal versions of said animal so you won't get a lot of normal animals running around because most of them didn't survive through the Crash. Those that did became the mutant versions of the animal (course there are always exceptions). To fill the environmental niche that the normal animal once had, I throw in some mutant beasties. Not all mutant animals reach sentience. Some retain their bestial nature but gain strange mutations. For example, non-sentient mutant bears may be larger than normal and have tentacles, or there are still squirrels living in the trees but they are all now albino and have a hive mind, that sort of thing.

At the moment, I'm still working out the lay of the land for the Contested Lands (of my campaign). I plan on drawing a map of the area showing the major villages, towns and cities. I will leave areas blanks for future development but I want to expand on the area around the Free Town of Saylem. Google maps have been very helpful for this. I do a screen capture of the Google map, throw it into Photoshop and then draw over it.

Once I have enough stuff ready to be compiled, I'll probably put it into a PDF. I'll share the link once I get that far. Until then, I'll keep dropping write-ups and ideas here.

Cheers,
Tim

Sounds good! I like the google maps idea. I've used Gmaps as well as an outdated paper fold up map and colored pencils.

[Danger Man]

I plan on filling up this thread with various ideas and not everything will fit together in one campaign. Ideas I don't use right away I file away for a later date because you never know when they might be useful later. I'll be grabbing various bits from other Palladium books as I go along as well. I'll be taking a four-colour, gonzo approach to the campaign. Anything could show up (what do you mean there are gargoyles living in the Appalachians? *grin*).

Would it be possible to group related ideas together under a common heading within the thread? That way (I) people will easily know what goes with what. Just a thought.

I'm not sure if that is possible since not even I know what I will use until I actually get to play which might be a while from now. This thread is mainly a brainstorming thread for me so I recommend others (if they want to use any of the ideas) to use what they like and ignore the rest.

Gargoyles in the Appalachians?!?!?! PB Rifts Gargoyles or Disney's Gargoyles? One of which is decidedly cooler than the other. I don't have to say which, as the answer is obvious.

PB Rifts Gargoyles naturally. I've had the thought that while very rare, now and then a rift has open and other things have come through it. One thing I won't be using is M.D.C.. I will just assign an A.R. to the creature and use its M.D.C. as S.D.C.. At least that's the initial plan. I haven't actually got that far stat wise so things might change when I do get around to doing it.

A traveling merchant?! No flippin way! My first (and favorite) ATB PC is a traveling merchant Moutain Lion named Fareman Kramer. I've got a small trade route established and am making a name for myself as someone who can get you the goods you need for the right price and who shouldn't be hassled (unless of course you WANT to be eaten). He hasn't gotten to awfully far from where he was introduced yet (he keeps back tracking to do his trading and travels most places on foot or along side a ox drawn wagon. Then there is the whole killing and skinning then eating or preserving the meat and hides of everyone who tries to hassle him. It's time consuming, but worth the bother. A genuine, hand crafted Bull Skin (I mean leather!) poncho brings in more than a few bucks.. )

Very cool. My first AtB character was from so long ago that I can't remember him. We're talking 1st Edition After the Bomb with 1st Edition TMNT back in the late 80s. It is all one big blur now. *grin*

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

One more named member of the Graveyard Reapers.

Moody Morik
Real Name: Morik Angmos
Animal Type: Coyote
Alignment: Miscreant
Attributes: I.Q. 13, M.E. 8, M.A. 16, P.S. 18, P.P. 14, P.E. 16, P.B. 8, Spd. 35.
Age: 24, Sex: Male, Size Level: 8
Weight: 96 lbs, Height: 5' 3”
Hit Points: 35, S.D.C.: 81, P.P.E.: 32
Disposition: Aggressive, intense, unpredictable, barbaric, destructive, impatient, and moody.
Human Features: Hands: Full. Biped: Full. Speech: Full. Looks: None.
Powers: Advanced Hearing and Advanced Smell (Tracking by smell: 65%, Recognize scents/emotional extremes: 66%).
Psionics: None
Vestigial Disadvantages: Diet: Carnivore
Level of Experience: 4th Level
Occupation: Bandit
Skills of Note: Boxing, Detect Ambush (45%), Detect Concealment & Traps (40%), Demolitions (69%), Hand to Hand: Basic, Land Navigation (48%), Language: English (55%), Locate Secret Compartments/Doors (30%), Pick Locks (45%), Pilot: Motorcycle (72%), Streetwise (32%), and Use & Recognize Poison (36/38%).
Secondary Skills: Brewing (35%), Language: Spanish (55%), Prowl (40%), Running, Tracking (45%), Wilderness Survival (45%), W.P. Revolver, W.P. Shotgun, and W.P. Sub-Machinegun.
Natural Weapons: 2D4 Teeth
Attacks Per Melee Round: 6
Bonuses: +1 on initiative, +4 to parry and dodge, +3 hand to hand combat damage, +2 to pull punch, +4 to roll with punch, fall or impact, and kick attack (1D6 damage).
Modern W.P. Bonuses: +4 to strike (aimed).
Other Bonuses: 40% trust/intimidate, +4% to save vs. coma/death, and +1 to save vs. magic/poisons.
Personal Profile: Moody Morik was born somewhere in the Plains of Free Cattle. His family was chased out of the region for their crimes of hunting mutant cattle for sport and food. The coyote family had gained the reputation of being cold-blooded killers. While travelling in the Contested Lands, his family encountered an Empire of Humanity patrol and were wiped out except for Morik who escaped into the bush.

After spending several weeks wandering the wilderness, he came across a couple of mutant goat children who were playing near a stream. Morik's hunger took control and he stalked the kids and eventually pounced on them. He slaughtered them quickly and ate his fill. Unknown to Morik, he was being watched by several members of the Graveyard Reavers who were scouting the area for a potential raid. They liked what they saw in Morik and approached them while he was still eating.

Morik didn't know what to think when he saw a mutant fox and porcupine approach him. He was covered in the blood of the two goats he had just killed. Morik was about to make a break for it when the mutant fox started talking to him and told him that he had potential. Morik was convinced to come with the two Graveyard Reapers to their camp. Morik was presented to Blackie (the gang leader at the time) and the rest of the Graveyard Reapers. After several years of being a prospect, Morik was eventually patched into the gang. It was Moody Morik (as he was being called now) who went with Cezar and together they had made sure that Blackie didn't survive that night when Cezar took over the gang.

While Moody Morik can sometimes be unpredictable, his loyal to King Cezar and the Graveyard Reapers is absolute. He figures there is no other group or place that can let him explore his darker desires like his brothers in arms of the gang.

Background: Raised by bandits
Money: 2060 bucks
Equipment: Basic clothing, driving suit & helmet*, leather jacket with Graveyard Reapers logo on back (a flaming skull hovering over tombstones/graves with the gang's name arcing overhead), a Baxter 20 Gauge Pump-Action Shotgun & a box of 12 cartridges.

* A driving suit and helmet protects the rider from accidents. The suit absorbs half the damage taken, up to a maximum of 24 points. It does not offer protection against bullets, explosions, weapons, or hand to hand attacks.

Relatives & Connections: The character has a 25% chance of recognizing any bandits who are in disguise, hiding, or "retired," from their days on the run.

Moody Morik's Motorcycle
S.D.C.: 100
Vehicle Armour: A.R.: 14; S.D.C.: 350
Speed Class: 12 (Maximum 195 mph/Cruise 95 mph)
Empty Forward Swivel Mount
Description: A black and chrome fat bob hawg with armour for protection.
Value: 4200 bucks

Cheers,
Tim

[Alrik Vas]

Feel free to make your own Psionic Bear Brigade (name is copyrighted sorry) thread.

Look, man, I'm barely holding it together here. No psionic bear brigade ever. I'm going to have nightmares.

Who would want to deal with a little bear riding a big bear...why would you add a gun to the equation. I need meds...


(I'll stop invading the thread now. Great work, Danger Man!)

[Danger Man]

No problem, Alrik Vas.

Just a quick note -- I went back and edited all of the motorcycle stats for the Graveyard Reapers. When I built them (using the Road Hogs rules), I based them off one of the adventures at the back of the book (South of the Border adventure). I had included passenger armour like the Bandito vehicles from the adventure. I was rereading the actual vehicle rules and it states that motorcycles can't have passenger armour. Heh heh, someone goofed there. I decided to go back and remove any reference to the Graveyard Reapers' motorcycles (a.k.a. hawgs) having passenger armour and have readjusted the bike's value appropriately.

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

Here is a travelling merchant NPC. I have to finish his personal profile but I'm going to work out his hired muscle so I can include them in it. So far I'm working on Radthero's right hand man, Sebastian Morbel (a bobcat ex-elite militia soldier turned mechanic). I can see this NPC being a recurring character in the campaign. With an unprincipled alignment, I can see him working with the PCs and sometimes working against them.

Radthero the Travelling Merchant
Real Name: Radthero Cheeth
Animal Type: Rabbit
Alignment: Unprincipled
Attributes: I.Q. 15, M.E. 12, M.A. 28, P.S. 16, P.P. 19, P.E. 16, P.B. 13, Spd. 26.
Age: 38, Sex: Male, Size Level: 8
Weight: 133 lbs, Height: 5' 2”
Hit Points: 38, S.D.C.: 59, P.P.E.: 32
Disposition: Adventurous, charismatic, curious, practical, ambitious, and shrewd.
Human Features: Hands: Full. Biped: Full. Speech: Full. Looks: None.
Powers: Advanced Hearing, Advanced Smell (Tracking by smell: 75%; Recognize scents/emotional extremes: 70%), and Extra Mental Affinity.
Psionics: None
Vestigial Disadvantages: Diet: Herbivore
Level of Experience: 6th Level
Occupation: Travelling Merchant/Teamster
Skills of Note: Animal Husbandry (65%), Athletics (General), Carpentry (60%), Farming & Gardening (60%), Farrier: Basic (59%), First Aid (70%), General Repair & Maintenance (65%), Gymnastics, Hand to Hand: Basic, Land Navigation (70%), Language: English (65%), Language: Filly (65%), Mathematics: Basic (89%), Pilot: Boating (85%), Pilot: Teamster/Wagoner (90%), Pilot: Truck (85%), Radio: Basic (75%), Radio: Scramblers (65%), Read Sensory Equipment (60%), Recognize Weapon Quality (50%), Rope Works (75%), Sign Language (68%), Wilderness Survival (60%), W.P. Blunt, W.P. Sword, W.P. Revolver, W.P. Sub-Machinegun.
Secondary Skills: Concealment (32%), Juggling (55%), Language: Chinese (40%), Language: Spanish (65%), Literacy: English (55%), Literacy: Filly (55%), Literacy: Spanish (55%), Streetwise (32%), Swimming (75%), W.P. Rifle, and W.P. Whip (1st level).
Natural Weapons: None
Attacks Per Melee Round: 5
Bonuses: +1 on initiative, +3 to strike, +5 to parry and dodge, +1 hand to hand combat damage, +2 to pull punch, +5 to roll with punch, fall or impact, kick attack (1D6 damage), and critical strike on an unmodified roll of 19 or 20.
Other Bonuses: 94% trust/intimidate, +4% to save vs. coma/death, +1 to save vs. magic/poison, 75% sense of balance, 85% to work parallel bars and rings (swing from one to the other), 70% climb rope, 50% climbing, 80% back flip, and 55% prowl.
W.P. Blunt Bonuses: +2 to strike and parry.
W.P. Sword Bonuses: +3 to strike, +2 to parry, and +1 to throw.
W.P. Whip Bonuses: +3 to strike, +2 to damage, and +2 to entangle.
Modern W.P. Bonuses: +5 to strike (aimed).
Personal Profile: Radthero Cheeth grew up in a small village that was on the border of the Empire of Humanity. Life was one that consisted of frequent raids and skirmishes from the Empire and its New Kennel allies. Compulsory militia duty within his community helped Radthero to learn how to take care of himself. Radthero wanted more than just fighting skirmish after skirmish against the Empire, he wanted to explore and if possible, get rich while doing it.

He was able to save up and buy himself an obsolete piece of crap, pick-up truck and he set out in the world. After a few life and death encounters with the Empire of Humanity, he decided to head further south away from the human bastards. While travelling south, he was able to upgrade his truck to a newer model and he started to make some money along the way as well. He knew the world was a dangerous one so he had to hire some muscle to make sure he and his goods were protected.

Background: Border Area Character
Money: 8,350 bucks cash, 12,000 bucks of tradable items
Equipment: Full set of extravagant clothing and travelling equipment, bullwhip (2D4 damage), a sabre sword (2D4 damage), a Hickory "Smoke" .22 Sub-machinegun (2D4 per round or 4D4 per three round burst), 4 clips with 20 rounds each (clips are taped together in twos), 5 boxes of 24 Cartridges in the cab of his truck, a truck tool kit (in the truck), and back up gas and oil for 200 miles.

Relatives & Connections: The character will have a 5% chance of recognizing an old buddy in any mutant animal military unit.

Radthero's 3.5 Ton Truck
S.D.C.: 700
Maximum Load: 30,000 lbs.
Vehicle Armour: A.R.: 16; S.D.C.: 700
Passenger Armour with Plexiglass Windows: A.R.: 13; S.D.C.: 350
Speed Class: 12 (Maximum 180 mph/Cruise 90 mph)
Forward Turret Mounted .50 Calibre Heavy Machinegun (7D6 damage, 3000 ft effective range)
Rear Turret Mounted .50 Calibre Heavy Machinegun (7D6 damage, 3000 ft effective range)
Gun Ports Mounted: 2 Left, 2 Right
Optional Equipment: Stereo system, 2 refreshment dispensers (One offers hot soup and ice water while the other offers coffee and fruit juice), engine readout package, trailer hitch, fuel efficiency modification, theft alarm system, thief proof locks, and a high-powered spotlight (mounted on a swivel next to the driver's seat).
Description: A large, grey truck with white and black trim. The phrase, “Bringing the goods to you,” is painted on the sides of the truck. The two heavy machinegun turrets are an obvious warning to not mess with this truck.
Value: 39,450 bucks

Cheers,
Tim

[hollowecho]

Danger man In my games I give modern weapon proficiencies +1 every 3 levels starting at 3. This only applies to aimed shots and burst fire.

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

What the #$&^#! Your merchant drives an armored 3.5 ton truck with machine guns and MY merchant drives a truck chassis and bed pulled by a team of oxen AND I've got to fight off all the raiders and bandits by hand?!?!?!?! Life is so not fair

[Danger Man]

LOL! Nate. My NPC is a major player in the area and he has been at it for over a decade, at least that's how I see him. It would be different if it was a player character. In my campaign, I'm picturing 'Radthero' being a household name. Something the PCs will (maybe) want to stride for. I doubt his truck will see any actual action in the game (unless the PCs try to steal it). I'm sure I'll be adjusting things as I work on the campaign background and NPCs.

I've also been reading the After the Bomb setting details in the revised book and I see that it has been expanded (like everything else) from the 1st Edition. I'm currently mulling over ideas about the general tone and setting background that I want in the game. I've got a lot for me to work out -- so take any character write-up in this thread with a pinch of salt. I'm sure I'll end up editing things as stuff starts to come together. I'm still at the early stage for the campaign..

Cheers,
Tim

[G]

When you are contemplating what you want the world to look like, try to keep different size levels in mind. Not everyone is 4-6' tall. Everyone perceives the world differently. The underground city of intelligent 3" tall mice is different than the living mushroom & tree forest or the birds of N'Yak or the fish people of the underwater city of Atlantis. The world is a very large place to 3" mice and a very small place to a vulture than can travel from N'Yak to LA in a day without much effort (I posted what you can use in a recent thread on NPC help).

...And thats before you start creating outliers like the 3"tall bear riding an armored normal bear in a quad barreled laser gun turret. Who just happens to be a traveling salesman to other 3" tall species. That bear can carry a lot of 3" .08 revolvers...which incidentally seem like bazookas the to mice.

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

The difference in perspective in relation to differing size levels is a good point. But stop with the bear on bear action! It's disturbing and like Danger Man said, it isn't a gang of bears. The traveling salesman is a rabbit. Only selling things to beings of a particular size level is discrimination and that's wrong!

[Danger Man]

...And thats before you start creating outliers like the 3"tall bear riding an armored normal bear in a quad barreled laser gun turret. Who just happens to be a traveling salesman to other 3" tall species. That bear can carry a lot of 3" .08 revolvers...which incidentally seem like bazookas the to mice.

Okay, that's enough of this ongoing bear nonsense for this thread. Please take it elsewhere. It is off topic for this thread. And yes, I would take the animals size into consideration when determining their culture/civilization. That is basic world building 101 (no matter the game system used). This isn't the first time I've done world building for a RPG.

Back to the topic -- I was rereading the After the Bomb info about the Pre-Crash world and the stuff about high school students creating a plague that almost decimates the human populace. No, I don't think so. I can accept that there was a lot of uplifting of animal species into sentient, intelligent beings. This would be done for areas of the world where it would be hard for humans to work/live in, like deep in the oceans, or high on mountain tops, or deep into the ground, that sort of thing.

Governments got behind the uplifting of animal species as well since they could be designed to be the ultimate warriors and/or spies. In the past, I have run a Ninjas & Superspies campaign where the various agents would be mutant animals (often supported by corporations or governments). This idea fits well into the Pre-Crash World.

I see the Crash coming in war between various governments and via terrorism from various extreme factions (anti-mutant animal, pro-mutant animal, anti-human, pro-human, repeat and rinse). Nuclear, mutagenic, and chemical weapons were used which left a hostile wasteland in their wake. Civilization has collapsed and many of the animals from the Pre-Crash world have gone extinct while others have changed greatly. There are a few animal species left that hadn't been changed by the Crash but they are rare. For the most part, new animal types and humans have begun to fill the niches left by past extinctions. New species and new cultures have begun to flourish in this new, brave world. The various civilizations of this world will range from primitive savages to modern cities (that are near their Pre-Crash equivalents) with most falling somewhere between the two extremes.

One of my sources of inspiration is the old comic series, Mighty Samson: http://www.comics.org/series/1652/covers/

As for the Contested lands, I'm seeing it has a moderate tech level in spots with its share of primitive villages. It also has several areas under the command of rulers who are attempting to expand their own power (often with allegiances with the various outside powers who want control over the area). Sort of like the situations we got during the Cold War where world powers would play out their own power struggles via proxies with smaller nations.

So now I'm going to work out what type of animals are used as beasts of burden, for transportation, for food, and so on. Same idea for general technology, customs (a group of wolf nomads will have different culture than a bunch of mutant animals from a relatively modern town), religious beliefs, etc..

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

Okay, here is my map for the Contested Lands, the lower part of New Kennel, and the most eastern part of the Plains of the Free Cattle. The map shows the major settlements (mainly towns and the cities of Filly, Barkville, and Lassiville). I didn't include the many villages that would be present to give myself some room to maneuver at a later date.

http://paratime.ca/images/tmnt-atb/Cont ... nds-v1.jpg

Some of the locations are based on real world locations while others are inventions of my own. I named most of the major locations within New Kennel after dog related terms or famous dogs. I picture a Church of Lassie is popular within New Kennel and its primary institution is based in Lassiville (hence its name).

The orange lines are the major roads. These roads are of inconsistent quality. They may be composed of Pre-Crash roadways, dirt, gravel, stone or some combination of all the above. The roads near water are often washed out during the spring (and watch out for flash floods).

The red dotted lines are boundary lines.

The green areas are forests.

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

I've been thinking about what domesticated animals are used by the inhabitants of the Post-Crash world (as it applies to the campaign). Taking cues from the various AtB supplements, I've figured giant, mutant insects are used by many. Mutant beetles, drone flies, black carpenter ants, and grasshoppers are used for transportation/riding (wolf spiders have been known to be used as war mounts). Mutant bees are also kept for their honey. Two breeds of the horse have also survived into the Post-Crash world (that haven't gained sentience) are the Stagallion and the Zorse.

STAGALLIONS
Large powerful, draft horses that have stag-like horns. Female stagallions have a small stub instead of full antlers (they do not get a head butt attack). They run wild in the plains and forests of the Post-Crash wilderness. Many have been captured and tamed and are now used as beasts of burden in farming, logging, transportation, and many other uses.
Size: 64 – 76 inches tall at shoulder
Weight: 1400 – 2000 pounds
A.R.: 6
S.D.C.: 4D6 + 20
Hit Points: 5D6 + 10
P.P.E.: 4D6
Attacks Per Melee Round: 2
Damage: Head butt does 1D8 points of damage, trample does 4D6 points of damage, front kick does 2D6 points of damage, and rear kick does 3D6 points of damage.
Bonuses: +2 on initiative, +2 to strike, +3 to damage; great strength and endurance, can pull up to four tons, a pair yoked in tandem can pull up to fifteen tons, and swim (60%).
Speed: 22, but can reach a speed of 44 + 2D6 and maintain that speed for 3D6 x 10 minutes.
Average Life Span: 18 – 26 years
Value: 600 – 2200 bucks

ZORSE
The zorse appears to be a hybrid of horse and zebra with six legs. It has the familiar black and white stripes of the zebra and the size and manner of a horse.
Size: 54 – 60 inches tall at shoulder
Weight: 1100 – 1400 pounds
A.R.: Not applicable
S.D.C.: 5D6 + 12
Hit Points: 4D6 + 6
P.P.E.: 4D6 + 2
Attacks Per Melee Round: 2
Damage: Trample does 3D6 points of damage, front kick does 1D8 points of damage, and rear kick does 2D6 points of damage.
Bonuses: +2 on initiative, +2 to strike, +4 to dodge; jump over heights of 5 to 6 ft and lengths of 10 ft, carry up to 500 pounds, pull 800 to 1200 pounds, and swim (50%).
Speed: 36, but can reach a speed of 58 + 2D4 and maintain that speed for 1D4 hours.
Average Life Span: 20 – 30 years
Value: 600 – 4000 bucks

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

A couple more animals. The first is raised domestically for food while the second often feeds on the first (and anything else it can gets its jaws on).

REPFOWL
A type of mutant chicken that are more reptile than bird. They have scaly elongated bodies with feathers on the top half, wings, and tails. Their underbelly and legs have no feathers. The scaly portions of the body tend to have a bluish-bronze colour to them while their feathers range from white to red. The roosters sport a large red comb.
Size: 24 – 36 inches long, 24 – 30 inches tall
Weight: 4 – 5 pounds
A.R.: Not applicable
S.D.C.: 2D6 + 2
Hit Points: 2D6
P.P.E.: 1D6
Attacks Per Melee Round: 1
Damage: Beak attack does 1D2 points of damage, talons do 1D3 points of damage.
Bonuses: +1 on initiative, +3 to dodge; fly for short distances.
Speed: 15 flying and 6 running.
Value: 1 buck per (living) bird.

GORE-LIZARD
A large, warm-blooded carnivore reptile-like animal that appears to be a cross between a crocodile and a monitor lizard. Their scales are white with red stripes along the body and tail. The head of the gore-lizard is bright red – red as blood hence its name. They normally live in underground burrows and come out at night to hunt.
Size: Up to 20 ft long
Weight: 800 – 1600 pounds
A.R.: 9
Attribute Note: Gore-lizards are very strong with incredibly powerful jaws. The P.S. of a gore-lizard is 3D6 + 15.
S.D.C.: 4D6 + 25
Hit Points: 4D6 + 16
P.P.E.: 1D6
Horror Factor: 14
Attacks Per Melee Round: 2
Damage: Tail slash does 1D6 points of damage (plus applicable P.S. bonus if any), front claws do 1D6 + 2 points of damage (plus applicable P.S. bonus if any), while a bite does 3D6 +2 damage (plus applicable P.S. bonus if any). A P.S. equal to the gore-lizard's is needed to pry its jaws open but only half of that to hold them shut.
Bonuses: +2 on initiative, and +3 to strike; swim (70%), prowl (50%), keen sense of smell, good sight and hearing.
Speed: 6 on land and 8 swimming.
Average Life Span: 15 - 50 years
Value: Hide is worth 50 - 100 bucks. Its tongue and liver are worth 100 – 150 bucks because they are believed to be an aphrodisiac. Its body fat is worth 75 – 125 bucks as it is used to treat skin infections, hemorrhoids or chronic pain.

Cheers,
Tim

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

Not sure what your artistic capabilities are, but I'd REALLY like to see some pictures of what you think these things are supposed to look like.

Good Work

[Danger Man]

I doubt I could do the creatures any justice. These days most of my artistic endeavours are done on the cartographic front.

I've been working on an adventure for 1st level characters which I hope to have ready in a day or two. I still need to draw up a couple of maps and finishing writing a few details (the background and major NPCs are all written up). I also came up with another wild animal beastie.

DEVIL-WOLVES
Large two-headed gray wolves with sharp bony spikes along the spine and a barbed tail. They generally hunt in packs.
Size: 4 - 5 ½ ft; tail 16 - 24 inches.
Weight: 75 – 125 pounds
A.R.: Not applicable
S.D.C.: 4D6 + 12
Hit Points: 3D6 + 20
P.P.E.: 5D6
Horror Factor: 10 for an individual, 13 when facing three or more.
Attacks Per Melee Round: 3
Damage: Bite does 2D6 + 3 points of damage, claw does 1D4 + 2 points of damage, spines and/or barbed tail do 1D6 + 3 points of damage.
Bonuses: +3 on initiative, +4 to strike, +4 to dodge, and +5 to save vs. horror factor; nightvision (30 ft), prowl (50%), track by smell (88%), can smell prey one mile away, swim (65%), can leap 3 - 4 ft high and 8 ft long, and like most canines, and can perform a leaping pounce.
Speed: 50, maximum speed is 55.
Average Life Span: 15 – 25 years
Value: Fur 50 bucks

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

And one more beastie/animal for my AtB campaign.

ALBINO MIND SQUIRRELS
These small animals resemble an average squirrel except they have a white fur coat and pink eyes. Their small stature and appearance may make them look harmless but in fact they are powerful psionicists. They are content to live out their lives amongst the treetops. They generally live in family groups of 2D4 x 10. They will only become aggressive should they or their treetop colonies be threaten.
Alignment: Any, but usually good or selfish.
Size: 9 – 12 inches body; 9 – 9 inches tail.
Weight: 1 – 3 pounds
A.R.: Not applicable
Attribute Note: I.Q. 3D4 + 6 and M.E. 2D4 + 15.
S.D.C.: 2D4 + 6
Hit Points: 1D6 + 8
P.P.E.: 3D6
Horror Factor: 4 for an individual, 9 when facing five or more.
Attacks Per Melee Round: 2
Damage: Bite does 1D4 points of damage.
Bonuses: +2 on initiative, +5 to dodge, and +4 to save vs. horror factor; nightvision (30 ft), climb (98%), prowl (90%), swim (35%), and can leap 15 ft across.
Psionics: Alter Aura, Bio-Manipulation (select specific type), Communicate with Insects, Danger Sense, Detect Psionics, Empathy, Invisible Haze, Mind Block, Mind Trap, See Aura, Sense Weather, Telepathic Listening, and Telepathic Transmission.
Speed: 8, with short bursts of up to 35.
Average Life Span: 8 – 22 years

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

And here is a species of mutant flora for my AtB campaign.

GIANT MAN-EATER PLANTS
The giant man-eater plant is a large carnivorous plant that has a large central stock that sands up to 10 feet tall and is usually covered in red and white flowers. Around the stalk are four long leaves that end in trap-like “mouths.” Around the base of the plant, is a ring of tough tendrils that can reach up to a distance of twelve to sixteen feet away. The purpose of these tendrils is to catch animal prey that the plant then drops into its trap-like mouth to devour.

The trap-like mouths snap shut when stimulated by prey. The trapping mechanism is tripped when prey contacts one of the three twig-like protusions that are found on the upper surface of each of the mouths. The trapping mechanism is so specialized that it can distinguish between living prey and non-prey stimuli such as falling raindrops. The edges of the mouths are fringed by stiff twig-like protrusions, which mesh together and prevent large prey from escaping. The holes in the meshwork allow small prey (size level 4 or smaller) to escape. If the prey is too small and escapes, the trap will reopen within 6 hours.

Size: 7 – 10 feet tall
Weight: 200 – 400 pounds
A.R.: 6 (main stem), 8 (per trap-like mouth), 10 ( per tendril)
S.D.C.: 3D6 + 10 (main stem), 4D6 + 16 (per trap-like mouth), 4D6 + 22 ( per tendril)
Hit Points: 4D6 + 15
P.P.E.: 1D6 + 2
Attacks Per Melee Round: 6 (maximum of 4 for the trap-like mouths)
Damage: Tendril does 1D8 (plus P.S. hand to hand damage bonus) constrictive points when it latches on to a target (which is a strike to entangle), and then on the next round, the captured prey is dropped into the trap-like mouths which do 3D6 points of acidic damage automatically per round.
Bonuses: +3 on initiative, +3 to entangle (with tendril), +3 to damage; great strength (P.S. 3D6 + 15), a P.S. equal to the giant man-eating plant's is needed to pry its trap-like mouths open.
Speed: 0, the plant is non-mobile.
Average Life Span: 4 – 6 years.
Value: The flowers from the giant man-eating plant, when grounded up into a paste which is applied topically, are said to cure impotency. 50 - 200 bucks.

I'm still working on my 1st level adventure. The adventure is called Red in Tooth and Claw and the basic premise is a local farmer is having trouble with something raiding his repfowl coops so he places a bounty on the culprit. Course the truth behind the attacks isn't as clear cut as first presented to the player characters. The adventure also uses some of the mutant flora and fauna that I've been posting here plus I created a band of mutant lizard savages known as The Tribe of the Crimson who worship a gore-lizard as their god. I still need to detail the primary villains' lair which is a ransacked Pre-Crash Archive (most of the Pre-Crash items of value have been unknowingly destroyed by the Archive's new inhabitants) but the adventure is getting closer to being done.

Cheers,
Tim

[G]

And one more beastie/animal for my AtB campaign.

ALBINO MIND SQUIRRELS
These small animals resemble an average squirrel except they have a white fur coat and pink eyes. Their small stature and appearance may make them look harmless but in fact they are powerful psionicists. They are content to live out their lives amongst the treetops. They generally live in family groups of 2D4 x 10. They will only become aggressive should they or their treetop colonies be threaten.
Alignment: Any, but usually good or selfish.
Size: 9 – 12 inches body; 9 – 9 inches tail.
Weight: 1 – 3 pounds
A.R.: Not applicable
Attribute Note: I.Q. 3D4 + 6 and M.E. 2D4 + 15.
S.D.C.: 2D4 + 6
Hit Points: 1D6 + 8
P.P.E.: 3D6
Horror Factor: 4 for an individual, 9 when facing five or more.
Attacks Per Melee Round: 2
Damage: Bite does 1D4 points of damage.
Bonuses: +2 on initiative, +5 to dodge, and +4 to save vs. horror factor; nightvision (30 ft), climb (98%), prowl (90%), swim (35%), and can leap 15 ft across.
Psionics: Alter Aura, Bio-Manipulation (select specific type), Communicate with Insects, Danger Sense, Detect Psionics, Empathy, Invisible Haze, Mind Block, Mind Trap, See Aura, Sense Weather, Telepathic Listening, and Telepathic Transmission.
Speed: 8, with short bursts of up to 35.
Average Life Span: 8 – 22 years

Cheers,
Tim

When you made the squirrel, did you do it like you would a PC, paying BioE for psionic powers or did you just decide what you wanted? I'm wondering if we would be able to create a PC roughly the same.

[Danger Man]

I just selected what powers I wanted for the Albino Mind Squirrels to fit the concept I had. I was picturing them as NPCs only.

Cheers,
Tim

[hollowecho]

This is looking good so far man I like the sorta gama world monsters with your own twist on them ...might have to use some in my game

[Danger Man]

Thanks hollowecho. I have more mutant beasties (to distinguish them from mutant animals) in the works. My current one is a lionfish. More about that later.

As for the adventure I've been working on, its coming along. I have the map done for the Archive that the main villains are using as their lair and now I'm writing up the various rooms.

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

I've finally finished the first draft of my AtB adventure...

Red in Tooth and Claw (444 KB)

http://paratime.ca/pdfs/scifi/Red-in-Tooth-and-Claw.pdf

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

Here's a potential NPC or Player Character. I got some lucky rolls for his P.P. and Spd.

Brex
Real Name: Brekekekex Koax Koax III
Animal Type: Frog
Alignment: Scrupulous
Attributes: I.Q. 12, M.E. 14, M.A. 14, P.S. 19, P.P. 25, P.E. 17, P.B. 10, Spd. 23.
Age: 16, Sex: Male, Size Level: 8
Weight: 141 lbs, Height: 5' 6”
Hit Points: 21, S.D.C.: 51, P.P.E.: 34
Disposition: Courageous, independent, practical, rustic, pugnacious, stubborn, tough, and irreligious. Self-conscious about his backwards origins which he attempts to hide with the tough guy routine.
Description: His body is olive green with dark green spots along his back and legs. His head is a lighter shade of green with large, dark eyes. His neck and belly are a yellowish-green colour. He wears well-worn clothing that sport many patches (from general wear and tear).
Human Features: Hands: Full. Biped: Full. Speech: Partial. Looks: None.
Powers: Advanced Vision, Hold Breath (36 minutes), Leaping: Feline (Increase leap distance by 50% with a full speed running start; leap 12' up or across; can leap 18” down without taking damage), Master Swimming (55%; swimming speed 114; survive depths up to 400 ft), Nightvision (1000 ft range), and Righting Reflex.
Psionics: None
Vestigial Disadvantages: Diet: Insectivore and Webbed Hands & Feet.
Level of Experience: 1st Level
Occupation: Adventurer/Explorer
Skills of Note: Demolitions (60%), Demolitions Disposal (60%), Detect Ambush (30%), Farming & Gardening (40%), Fishing (60%), Gymnastics, Hand to Hand: Basic, Hunting (30%), Language: English (40%), Tracking (30%), Trapping (25%), Wilderness Survival (30%), W.P. Knife, W.P. Rifle, and W.P. Sword.
Secondary Skills: Breed & Control Insects (40/20%), Cook (30%), Dowsing & Water Location (20%), General Repair & Maintenance (35%), Identify Plants & Fruits (25%), Imitate Animal or Insect Sound (42%), Literacy: English (30%), and Sing (40%).
Natural Weapons: None
Attacks Per Melee Round: 4
Bonuses: +5 to parry and dodge, +5 to strike, +4 hand to hand damage, +2 to pull punch, +8 to roll with fall or knockdown impact, +4 to roll with punch or non-knockdown impact.
Other Bonuses: +5% to save vs. coma/death, +1 to save vs. magic/poison, 50% sense of balance, 60%, work parallel bars and rings (swing from one to the other), 60% climb rope, 25% climbing, 70% back flip, and 30% prowl.
W.P. Knife Bonuses: +1 to parry.
W.P. Sword Bonuses: +1 to strike.
Modern W.P. Bonuses: +3 to strike (aimed).
Personal Profile: Brekekekex Koax Koax, who is more commonly known just as Brex, grew up in the wilderness north of the Free Town of Saylem. He is named after his father, who is named after his. It is a family tradition to pass the name down from generation to generation. Brex's grandfather told him that the name originated from an ancient book that was old even when the Crash occurred.* Brex doesn't know if what his grandfather told him is true or not, but he plans on keeping the family tradition alive. He spent most of his youth hunting and fishing the many rivers that wind through the forest.

Another family tradition is the men must leave the family at the age of sixteen and spend two years on their own. Only after that time are they welcomed back into the family. Brex has set out for the Free Town of Saylem. From his travels so far, he has heard that others have gone to the town in search for adventure. He wonders what the town will be like. For someone raised deep in the wilderness, the idea of so many people living so close together and in buildings of brick and stone is both exciting and a bit terrifying. Brex wonders what the world has in stored for him.

Background: Raised on the Frontier
Relatives & Connections: Dozens of relatives and friends close by the old homestead, where the character will always be recognized, helped and, if necessary, hidden and protected.
Money: 20 bucks.
Equipment: Ragged clothes, bush knife (2D4 damage), Basco 5.56 mm Bolt-Action Rifle (4D6 damage per single round), two extra 6 round clips, and a waterproof duffle bag containing cooking tools, a spool of fishing line, a spool of thread with needle, and a small tin of live fishing bait.


* Brekekekex koax koax is the sound the frog chorus makes in Hades. It is from the Ancient Greek comedy, The Frogs, by Aristophanes (405 BC).

And here is the character's PDF (15 KB): http://paratime.ca/pdfs/scifi/Brex-Frog-Adventurer.pdf

Cheers,
Tim

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

BRILLIANT!!!!

Has an eerily similar bio-e build to my Doc Holiday (tribute), Dr. Silas Phineas Hop.

Differences: Yours is a backwoods country bumpkin out on a Right of Passage quest. Mine is a gun slinging, gambling, traveling Dr. that brews/makes his on tonics, elixirs, and (snake oil) cure-alls. Yours (by the description) sounds like a standard Leopard Frog, where as mine has a neon orange body with lavender stripes and violet(deep purple) hands!

If you ever decide to run a play by post game I want 1st dibs at a slot in it.

[Danger Man]

Glad you liked the character, Nate. As for the type of frog, I just googled images of frogs and threw together an appearance based on the various pics I saw. I've been thinking of making up a bunch of 1st level characters so if I can talk my regular D&D gaming group in trying After the Bomb, we can get right to playing. Any other characters not selected will become NPCs (and potentially join a rival adventuring party).

If I use my Red in Tooth and Claw adventure as a starting point and the PCs are able to loot the archive, I could see that attracting some unwanted attention (possibly from those connected with the Graveyard Reapers among others).

I've never ran a play by post game (yet) but if I do, you will certainly have first dibs at a slot in it.

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

Another PC/NPC. I got lucky on the M.E. and M.A. rolls this time.

Perardo Whitestar
Real Name: Perardo Whitestar
Animal Type: Mouse
Alignment: Unprincipled
Attributes: I.Q. 11, M.E. 25, M.A. 18, P.S. 16, P.P. 14, P.E. 17, P.B. 12, Spd. 19.
Age: 19, Sex: Male, Size Level: 7
Weight: 92 lbs, Height: 5' 2”
Hit Points: 19, S.D.C.: 55, P.P.E.: 34
Disposition: Adventurous, articulate, confident, humorous, sarcastic, cautious, and regretful.
Description: Perardo has a brown coat of fur, with a white underbelly, and a long naked tail. He has a star-shaped white patch of fur over his right eye. He has many scars along his back (souvenirs from his days as a slave) that are otherwise hidden by his fur.
Human Features: Hands: Full. Biped: Full. Speech: Full. Looks: None.
Powers: None.
Psionics: Detect Psionics, Mind Block, and Telepathic Listening.
Vestigial Disadvantages: Vestigial Tail (5' long tail).
Level of Experience: 1st Level
Occupation: Adventurer/Explorer
Skills of Note: Athletics (General), Boxing, Camouflage (20%), Fencing, Hand to Hand: Basic, Land Navigation (36%), Language: English (40%), and Rope Works (30%).
Secondary Skills: Cook (30%), General Repair & Maintenance (35%), Prowl (20%), Wilderness Survival (30%), W.P. Sword, and W.P. Revolver.
Natural Weapons: None
Attacks Per Melee Round: 5
Bonuses: +3 to parry and dodge, +1 hand to hand damage, +2 to pull punch, +5 to roll with fall, punch or impact.
Other Bonuses: +5 to save vs. psionic attack, +8 to save vs. insanity, 50% trust/intimidate, +5% to save vs. coma/death, and +1 to save vs. magic/poison.
W.P. Sword Bonuses: +2 to strike and +1 to parry (includes fencing bonuses).
Modern W.P. Bonuses: +3 to strike (aimed).
Personal Profile: Perardo Whitestar grew up in a slave camp in New Kennel. To this day, he has a distrust of mutant dogs. His life was one of physical labour and hardship. He was one of many mutant animal slaves used for brute labour. At the age of seventeen, he was able to escape from his slave camp and make it into the surrounding wilderness. He was able to evade Empire of Humanity patrols and found his way into the Contested Lands.

Once there, he met an old mutant rabbit, known as Onys Half-Ear (due to him missing half an ear), who took Perardo in and gave him shelter. Perardo was touched by such kindness and he stayed with the old rabbit and helped him on his small farm. In return, Onys taught Perardo how to use a sabre and revolver. One night the small farm was attacked by a raiding party from New Kennel. Perardo was able to get Onys Half-Ear and himself away from the attacking forces but unfortunately, Onys was mortally wounded. The dying Onys gave Perardo his sabre and large brim hat and told him to get far away. Perardo watched his adopted mentor die.

In the following morning, after Perardo buried his mentor, he returned to the farm. It was a burnt out ruin. Perardo searched the ruin for anything that could be of use. He found nothing useful but what he didn't find at all was more interesting to him – the silver handled Rhode Island .38 Revolver that belonged to Onys was missing! Perardo knew if he should ever find whole stole it, that person was good as dead!

Background: Freed Slave
Relatives & Connections: The character will be familiar with at least three of the mutant animal camps, mines, or factories in New Kennel, and will know dozens of friends in each of those places.
Money: 60 bucks.
Equipment: Basic clothing, a large brim hat with a feather stuck in it, and a sabre (2D4 damage).

And here is the character's PDF (14 KB): http://paratime.ca/pdfs/scifi/Perardo-M ... nturer.pdf

Cheers,
Tim

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

Hello, My name is Perardo Whitestar. You killed my mentor, prepare to die.

[Danger Man]

Hello, My name is Perardo Whitestar. You killed my mentor, prepare to die.

Heh heh, exactly. *grin*

Cheers,
Tim

[Danger Man]

THE KINGDOM OF NEW STAFFORD

New Stafford is a monarchy currently ruled by King Faulkner II. It was King Faulkner the First who originally established the kingdom over fifty years ago. The kingdom includes the town of New Stafford and the surrounding area within a 5 mile radius. The King enforces his rule with specialized soldiers known as the Knights of the Dragon (also established by Faulkner the First). These dragon knights, as they are more commonly called, ride motorcycles with lances, swords, and sub-machineguns. They can be recognized by the stylized green dragon painted on their shields. They execute the law as decreed by the King.

King Faulkner II's ambition is to expand his fiefdom beyond the area controlled by his father. In this achievement, he will prove himself worthy and better than his father. His ultimate ambition is to rule all of the Contested Lands! King Faulkner II controls his kingdom with an iron fist. He dislikes the Empire of Humanity and New Kennel to the North, has limited contact with territories to the West, to the East is ocean, and to the South is a vast wilderness.

Permission is needed to travel into and out of the kingdom. The borders are tightly controlled by the Watch, who are overseen by the Dragon Knights. Special passes are needed for outsiders, normally traders and the like, to travel into and about the Kingdom. There are checkpoints on all major roads to make sure all travellers have the required documents. The local inhabitants live a medieval-like lifestyle but various anachronisms stand out here and there (such as the dragon knights riding motorcycles, or the Watch using radios, knightly tournaments being televised to the masses via public televisions, etc.).

Lord Faulkner II has a small council made up of his top knights and/or advisors.

The Knight Council of New Stafford
King Faulkner II
Lord Marshelder (personal adviser to the King)
Lord Barnegat
Lord Manahawkin
Lord Eagleswood
Lord Beach'aven
Lord Pinelands

Dragon Knight Background Option

Apprenticeship: Select any one from Armorer, Electrician, Mechanic, Nobleman, or Weaponsmith.
Primary Skills: Hand to Hand: Expert, Literacy, Pilot: Motorcycle, W.P. Lance, W.P. Sword, W.P. Shield, W.P. Sub-Machinegun, four Physical Skills, and any two from Pilot or Technical Skills.
Secondary Skills: Select any four.
Special Bonuses: +12 S.D.C., +1 M.A., +1 P.P., +1 P.E., +2 Spd. and +2 to disarm and pull punch.
Money: 1D6 x 100 bucks.
Equipment: In addition to basic clothing and travelling equipment, the character has a suit of chain mail (A.R. 13, S.D.C. 50), shield, a longsword (1D8+2 damage), lance (1D8 damage), and a sub-machinegun.
Relatives & Connections: In addition to having a close-knit family, the character is part of a knightly order known as The Order of the Dragon. While the character can call on any member of the Order for help, the character also feels obligated to help when one of the brothers is in trouble.

Nobleman Apprenticeship

The character was born into one of the ruling nobleman families. Children are taught the skills that are required for rulership and command. They study
Main Skills: Heraldry (+20%), Literacy (+15%), and Leadership (Military or Civilian) (+15%).
Core Skills: Dance, Language (Select Two), Leadership (Military or Civilian), Public Speaking, Tactics, and Writing. All get a +10% apprenticeship bonus.
Domestic Skills: Select any three. All get a +5% bonus.
Military Skills: Select any two. All get a +5% bonus.

New Skills (From Mutants in Avalon)

Heraldry: Heraldry is the ability to recognize the crests and coats of arms of the different Courts, Lords, Barons, Dukes and Messenger Knights of Britain, and to design new coats of arms for new nobles. Heraldry is surprisingly technical and detailed. The skill also includes knowing the correct protocol for every occasion: what to wear, what to say, how to address nobles and members of the royal family and so on. Base Skill: 40% + 5% per level of experience.

Leadership: Any character in a position of responsibility will have to know how to give orders, how to maintain morale and how to keep control of their underlings while at the same time keeping their respect. Leadership covers all aspects of controlling a group of up to 250 men. Military leadership will differ from civilian leadership, but both are equally effective. Base Skill: 30% + 4% per level of experience.

Tactics: It teaches people how to plan a battle in advance, how to pick the best site for an ambush or attack, how to position troops and how to coordinate an army in the middle of combat. Characters will still have to make actual decisions in these situations; the skill roll determines the chance of success of any action they choose. Base Skill: 20% + 3% per level of experience.

W.P. Lance: Lances are not normal hand-to-hand weapons; they can only be used by someone riding an insect or motorbike. They are also much less efficient in these situations than, say, an automatic rifle, or even a sword. As a result lances are used mostly as a symbolic or ceremonial weapon, usually at jousts or tournaments, but no high-born knight or warrior would dream of not knowing this skill. Lances cannot be used to parry, and often break during combat. Bonuses: +2 to strike at level one, add another +1 to strike at level four and at level eight.

Cheers,
Tim