TEXT: wisdom
  Wastelands
  From
  The
  By Derek Holland and the Skirmisher Game Development Group
  This publication is dedicated to providing useful information, game content, and ideas to players of modern, science
  fiction, and post-apocalyptic table-top and role-playing games in general and to fans of Goblinoid Games’ Mutant
  Future RPG in particular. The material contained herein are compatible with it and any others that use the “Basic”
  system introduced in the most popular role-playing games of the early 1970s and are easily adaptable to many other
  games (especially successor systems, to include those covered by the Open Game License).
  Issue #29:
  Mutualists I
  Inside this issue
  Coral Eel, Big Bass, Shore
  Forager Shrimp, Black Mush ................. 2
  Harpy, Wall Rat ......................................... 3
  Slimy Skaken,
  Earth Lord, Cluck ................................... 4
  Sardine Fishermen,
  Green Fuzzy Fly ...................................... 5
  Active Coral
  No. Enc.:
  0 (3d8)
  Alignment:
  Neutral
  Movement:
  10' (3')
  Armor Class:
  3
  Hit Dice:
  16
  Attacks:
  1 (crush and spines)
  Damage:
  3d10
  Save:
  L8
  Morale:
  12
  Hoard Class:
  XII
  A smooth brain coral found throughout the warm shallow
  waters of the tropics, active coral formations can reach 20'
  in diameter, although most clumps are much smaller. It
  appears harmless — until a victim ventures near. Then the
  creature opens a series of hidden spine-filled, craggy maws,
  which it uses to “inhale” its food, kill it, and cut it apart.
  T
  o mangle a paraphrase from John Donne, no mutant is an island — unless your mutant is an island. And even then
  it probably does not live entirely alone. Whether you are part of a community or a party of adventurers, Ancient
  philosophers from the Liver Pool had it right: everyone gets by with a little help from their friends. When two or
  more different species help each other, the cooperation is called mutualism. The coexistence may be symbiotic, where one
  creature lives on (or in) the other, like human gut flora; or it may be less intimate, like bees simultaneously feeding from
  flowers and pollinating them. In some cases, one species domesticates the other, like humans and dogs (or vice versa), while
  others just adapt their behavior to one another, like some large mammals standing lookout for each other at watering holes.
  The creatures below illustrate varying degrees of this cooperative behavior, whether living in constant and necessary proximity,
  or just trailing along, one behind the other, hoping to snag a snack. They are listed as pairs or groups, making it easier to find
  creatures that operate together.
  Corals over 5' wide have two mouths, those over 10' have
  four, and those over 15' have eight. Anything bitten is trapped
  and takes damage every round until it dies or the coral is
  killed. The only animals the coral will not attack are the
  cleaner wrasse (tiny fish) and coral eels, which both live in
  and around the coral, eating leftover bits of the coral’s meals
  while maintaining and protecting it. Although it might seem
  like a good sentry creature for underwater races, the coral
  makes a poor guard, because prey must come to within a few
  inches of a mouth, and the eels are nasty to have around.
  The coral is vulnerable to ranged and chemical attacks, and
  to predation by worms, snails, and other little critters that
  can feed away from the mouthes and avoid the eels.
  Mutations: aberrant form (natural weapons), special.
  
  2
  Wisdom from The Wastelands
  Coral Eel
  No. Enc.:
  0 (5d10)
  Alignment:
  Neutral
  Movement:
  Swim 90' (30')
  Armor Class:
  7
  Hit Dice:
  2
  Attacks:
  1 (bite)
  Damage:
  1d6
  Save:
  L1
  Morale:
  8
  Hoard Class:
  None
  Like the clownfish, coral eels partner with the coral that acts
  as home and ally. They eat or drive away fish trying to eat
  the coral, and feed on bits of anything the coral kills. The
  come in two distinct types: one that is 6' long, green/brown,
  and active during the day; and an 8' long, black/brown
  version, active at night. Even though the two different species
  look different and do not interbreed, they are mechanically
  the same. Being part of a reef ecosystem means other kinds
  of fish will eat the eels, which are protected by the coral,
  both actively (with the mouths) and passively (with the
  limestone skeleton). This can sometimes turn out well,
  because the eels draw larger fish within striking range of the
  coral’s mouths, turning predator into prey.
  Mutations: none.
  Big Bass
  No. Enc.:
  0 (2d10)
  Alignment:
  Neutral
  Movement:
  Swim 180' (60')
  Armor Class:
  6
  Hit Dice:
  6
  Attacks:
  1 (bite)
  Damage:
  2d6
  Save:
  L3
  Morale:
  9
  Hoard Class:
  None
  The shallow waters of lakes and rivers are home to these
  mutant smallmouth bass. No longer small, the fish are 6'
  long and prey on whatever comes along — with one
  exception: they act like sheep dogs around shore forager
  shrimp, eating eat them only when other food becomes scarce.
  Some communities have tried farm-raising the bass, but this
  has met with mixed results: the fish are large enough to take
  a hand or arm, or even swallow smaller humanoids.
  Because the fish and the shrimp are found together, and
  the shrimp range farther than the bass schools (and go on
  land), some people use the crustaceans to show where the
  bass spearfishing will be good. Some fishermen prefer a
  greater margin of safety, and use electrical mutations, like
  lightning, or explosives. Using a fishing pole is a futile
  technique, as an angler would just lose his bait and hook
  when the fish easily bite through the line.
  Mutations: gigantism.
  Shrimp, Shore Forager
  No. Enc.:
  0 (8d12)
  Alignment:
  Neutral
  Movement:
  90' (30')
  Swim 120' (40')
  Armor Class:
  4
  Hit Dice:
  2
  Attacks:
  1 (bite)
  Damage:
  1d4
  Save:
  L1
  Morale:
  6
  Hoard Class:
  None
  Huge, mutant descendants of green prawn, the shrimp grow
  to between four and six feet long. The amphibious crustacean
  is mostly found in rivers and lakes, or on the shores nearby.
  They are often seen at night, cropping grass and other plants
  within 500' of the water, while during the day they clump
  together underwater.
  Their size and terrestrial habits might make them seem
  to be a great source of food for waterside communities, but
  most humanoids find the shrimp nasty and unpalatable, acrid
  because of the toxins in the grasses they eat. Some mutant
  cattle, giant insects, and fish people (including fishmen) do
  enjoy throwing these shrimp on the barbie, considering them
  a piquant delicacy. Even though humanoids do not like them,
  they do track the shrimp, using them to find the more
  appetizing, more dangerous big bass.
  Mutations: gigantism.
  Black Mush
  No. Enc.:
  0 (d20 or more)
  Alignment:
  Neutral
  Movement:
  0'
  Armor Class:
  8
  Hit Dice:
  30 per 100'
  Attacks:
  1 per target (tentacles)
  Damage:
  3d8
  Save:
  L8
  Morale:
  12
  Hoard Class:
  VI
  
  Issue #29: mutualists i
  3
  Most underground ruins have few permanent residents
  because these places usually cannot provide a consistent food
  supply. One exception to this is black mush, a fungus found
  on subterranean walls and floors throughout the ruins of
  temperate and subarctic cities. It grows in dense patches,
  sometimes miles long, clogging sewers and subway tunnels.
  The fungus is unusual because it can be both prey and
  predator, and can support a great many creatures in a
  subsurface ecosystem. Mostly, black mush is food for insects
  and other fungivores. But when eaten down to a critical
  thickness of about one foot deep, the remaining mush
  suddenly turns carnivorous and consumes everything it can
  touch with 10' long tentacles that erupt from everywhere.
  After the resulting massacre, the mush has an amazing
  growth spurt, regaining a depth of four or five feet, and
  returning to its original, harmless state. Intelligent creatures
  can usually tell when the mush is about to turn, so they can
  either run for the surface or feed the fungus with dead plants
  and animals.
  Black mush has not invaded the surface world because
  any amount of ultraviolet light kills it. Even reflected sunlight
  causes the outer layers to die off. If enough fungus dies, and
  the light is removed, this can trigger the fungi’s remaining
  mass to change into the carnivorous state.
  Mutations: aberrant form (bud sport, if you have access
  to this mutation), epidermal susceptibility, toxic weapon.
  Harpy
  No. Enc.:
  3d6 (8d8)
  Alignment:
  Neutral
  Movement:
  Fly 180' (60')
  Armor Class:
  7
  Hit Dice:
  1/2
  Attacks:
  1 (cry)
  Damage:
  1d4
  Save:
  L0
  Morale:
  7
  Hoard Class:
  VI
  Harpies are descended from greater black back gulls that
  adapted to nesting underground. The birds are just over a
  foot long, with a beak harmless to humans, so they do not
  appear threatening. But their piercing cries are sonic
  weapons, able to damage everything within a 10' radius.
  Because of this, harpies are silent unless disturbed.
  They normally feed on insects and rodents drawn to black
  mush, but do occasionally forage on the surface at night.
  People living in mush tunnels frequently drive harpies to
  the surface in an effort to help the fungus; the birds return
  with food and create waste that adds minerals and mass for
  the fungus to feed on. While harpies frequent areas with black
  mush, they can be found anywhere underground that has a
  prey population.
  Mutations: night vision, shriek (special).
  Wall Rat
  No. Enc.:
  1d4 (5d8)
  Alignment:
  Neutral
  Movement:
  5' (1')
  Climb 90' (30')
  Armor Class:
  6
  Hit Dice:
  1
  Attacks:
  1 (bite)
  Damage:
  1d3
  Save:
  L1
  Morale:
  5
  Hoard Class:
  None
  Wall rats are unusual rodents that graze on black mush and
  other fungi. In their dim underground habitat the rats might
  be mistaken for small dogs, but their feet have grown
  abnormally large, covered in hairs that help them walk on
  walls. Their tails have also changed, becoming very strong,
  almost prehensile, and able to catch them if they fall. Wall
  rats are so adapted to the vertical they can barely move on
  horizontal surfaces (and not on ceilings). They only go to
  the ground voluntarily when the mush turns carnivorous,
  there is a fire, or the food runs low. These rodents have also
  adapted to their food source, developing spade-shaped teeth
  that are better suited for slicing fungus. Because of their diet,
  some wall rats do carry fungal-based diseases, so they can
  
  4
  Wisdom from The Wastelands
  contaminate food stores. But on the whole, they are much
  less a threat than standard giant rats.
  Mutations: gigantism, new movement type.
  Slimy Skaken
  No. Enc.:
  1d4 (d8)
  Alignment:
  Neutral
  Movement:
  60' (20')
  Swim 30' (10')
  Armor Class:
  6
  Hit Dice:
  3
  Attacks:
  1 (bite)
  Damage:
  1d6
  Save:
  L2
  Morale:
  5
  Hoard Class:
  None
  Although black mush can do well all on its own, the skaken’s
  arrival is like sounding a dinner gong for the fungus. This 6'
  long, red-brown salamander has slimy skin, a small head
  crest, and a bony jaw that can rip into flesh. Skaken also
  have a strong, sweet odor that drifts up through subway
  entrances, basement doorways, and manhole covers, drawing
  many different kinds of creatures (even intelligent ones) from
  miles away. The waves of insects, animals, and the occasional
  olfactory-equipped plant lured underground provide both the
  salamanders and the mush with plenty of food.
  Fortunately, skaken are very rare in most regions because
  they also attract their own predators. But a group of skaken
  in a subway tunnel or basement can survive because their
  odor is left everywhere — predators cannot zero in on the
  salamanders by scent. In fact, they will not be able to smell
  anything at all, other than the skaken. Only when bred by
  others do skaken thrive. And, aside from the problems
  presented by their scent and dentation, raising them in
  captivity is remarkably easy: they are kept in cages, on a tray
  able to hold some water. Because of this, humans living in
  mush lairs use skaken to draw all kinds of edible creatures.
  Mutations: prey scent, gigantism.
  Earth Lord
  No. Enc.:
  1d4 (6d6)
  Alignment:
  Neutral
  Movement:
  30' (10')
  Burrow 90' (30')
  Armor Class:
  6
  Hit Dice:
  8
  Attacks:
  1 (bite)
  Damage:
  3d4
  Save:
  L4
  Morale:
  5
  Hoard Class:
  None
  At 15' long and 8"-10" in diameter, these huge earthworms
  can churn up a lot of soil across the temperate regions. This
  drives insects and other animals to the surface, where
  carnivores, like clucks, grab them. In return, the herbivorous
  earth lords eat plants sprouting in the clucks’ guano. Some
  have tried to “farm” earth lords, using them to till and fertilize
  fields, but the worms have a talent for escaping restraints.
  Also, their subterranean activity poses a threat to most any
  permanent settlement, forming small sink holes and
  disrupting small building foundations. Humanoids do hunt
  the worms, which reportedly have a taste and texture like
  beefy calamari steaks when properly prepared. In the wild,
  giant birds, giant moles, and other mutants living
  underground hunt earth lords, which forces the worms closer
  to nearby permanent communities.
  Mutations: aberrant form (natural weapons), gigantism.
  Cluck
  No. Enc.:
  0 (5d10X10)
  Alignment:
  Neutral
  Movement:
  90' (30')
  Armor Class:
  8
  Hit Dice:
  1/2
  Attacks:
  1 (peck)
  Damage:
  1
  Save:
  L0
  Morale:
  3
  Hoard Class:
  None
  
  Issue #29: mutualists i
  5
  Clucks are one of many, many mutant chickens found in the
  world of Mutant Future. This particular type ranges from
  9"-15" tall, has lost its wings, and is extremely social. Clucks
  are carnivorous, eating whatever earth lords drive to the
  surface, and whatever small animals wander by. The birds
  might seem unremarkable, but they are a danger no one
  expects — not in themselves, but as the favored prey for
  many predators. Those not familiar with the species collect
  the birds, and then have to deal with increasingly frequent
  raids by large predators hunting both clucks and earth lords.
  Mutations: aberrant form (wingless).
  Fishman, Sardine
  No. Enc.:
  0 (4d8)
  Alignment:
  Lawful
  Movement:
  Swim 120' (40')
  Armor Class:
  5
  Hit Dice:
  4
  Attacks:
  1 or 1 (weapon or fist)
  Damage:
  Weapon or 1d3
  Save:
  L4
  Morale:
  6
  Hoard Class:
  VII (anything that floats)
  Like the fishmen in the Mutant Future core rulebook, these
  humanoids have arms, speak, and can breathe both above
  and below the surface. But unlike the others, sardines are
  larger than normal, standing about 5'-6' tall, and do not hate
  land dwellers. This might be because their shoals (or schools)
  are usually far from land.
  Sardines live near the surface, close to gyres, collecting
  the circling trash and selling it to boaters, or fixing items for
  their own use (they can use any technology they can figure
  out). Each family has its own barge made of floating trash.
  These function as working surfaces and lure in the occasional
  fish or other swimmer. Because they can get quite large, the
  barges are allowed to drift with the current, rather than being
  pulled.
  Because there is very little food so far out to sea, most
  shoals maintain swarms of semi-domesticated green fuzzy
  flies. To do this, the fishmen devote space on their barges to
  fuzzy green fly maggot production. The sardines provide
  waste (fish and other aquatic carcasses) where the flies lay
  their eggs. Since there is no where else to breed, the flies are
  stuck living with the fishmen, who catch the adult flies after
  they lay their eggs. The flies are fed fish, turtle, or other
  paste, and are eaten when times are lean.
  Mutations: aberrant form.
  Green Fuzzy Fly
  No. Enc.:
  0 (10d12X10)
  Alignment:
  Neutral
  Movement:
  30' (10')
  Fly 90' (30')
  Armor Class:
  8
  Hit Dice:
  1
  Attacks:
  1 (bite)
  Damage:
  1d2
  Save:
  L0
  Morale:
  4
  Hoard Class:
  None
  Green fuzzies get their name from being an aggregate of
  flies and algae. The algae in their fur allows the flies to survive
  long periods without food, but this is rare because they can
  eat just about anything organic. The 2' long adults are a
  common sight — indeed, so common many flying predators
  imitate their buzz. The flies are found throughout temperate
  and tropical regions, but are usually near water for breeding.
  The maggots are 2"-26" long and aquatic, some varieties in
  freshwater while others need salt water. Those found out to
  sea are drawn to sardine shoals by the odor of rotting meat
  or blood. Some people have tried (and most failed) to train
  them for minor skills, but the flies are just too dumb. Sardine
  fishmen have had the most success, managing to partially
  domesticate the flies.
  Mutations: epidermal photosynthesis, immunity to
  poison and disease, special.
  
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  Wisdom from The Wastelands
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  rights reserved.
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