I found the reference to this video on The Forgotten Legions - Thanks Kelly.
It is a pretty good video, and provides a good teaser to a WWII naval scenario using "lighter" forces. Not everything is a BB vs. BB vs. CV type battle, although that is something that gamers usually enjoy.
Tags: world war 2, naval wargaming
musings and meanderings concerning the many gaming activities in the land of chuck
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Broo Fest
Gloarmy has a great article, Malia Fiesta! It deals with some Broo painting projects. Great looking figures, and a nice overview of the beastmen available for doing Runequest (Glorantha) Broo.
One of the best things to come out of the Games Workshop machine are their chaos beastmen (which have a direct lineage to the Broo of Runequest, as Citadel miniatures used to produce those models, and then when Citadel started doing Warhammer figures, they reused some of the Broo models they had, renamed - simply - beastmen). Here is an excellent version of a GW Nurgle beastman, that could easily be a Broo Runelord.
Tags: broo
One of the best things to come out of the Games Workshop machine are their chaos beastmen (which have a direct lineage to the Broo of Runequest, as Citadel miniatures used to produce those models, and then when Citadel started doing Warhammer figures, they reused some of the Broo models they had, renamed - simply - beastmen). Here is an excellent version of a GW Nurgle beastman, that could easily be a Broo Runelord.
Tags: broo
Mutant Future Links - and Spider Goats
More links concerning Mutant Future. The inspirational pictures of Spider goats are to set the mood for Mutant Future (see the book for details, but trust me - spider goats are totally bad encounters).
Chatty DM says "Dude, you gotta try Mutant Future!"
A Brave New Weird has some great MF stuff
Savage Afterworld discusses the goods
Mutant Foursome scores on some great MF articles, with artwork (like the Pigmen). Here is a video showing RARE EVIDENCE of Pigmen being aquatic raiders...
Mutagenic Substance has some really interesting content. And an entry on Robot (home)Sexuality.
Finally, this website has downloads for the rules, etc for the first three editions of Gamma World. Interesting . . .
Tags: gamma world, mutant future
Chatty DM says "Dude, you gotta try Mutant Future!"
A Brave New Weird has some great MF stuff
Savage Afterworld discusses the goods
Mutant Foursome scores on some great MF articles, with artwork (like the Pigmen). Here is a video showing RARE EVIDENCE of Pigmen being aquatic raiders...Mutagenic Substance has some really interesting content. And an entry on Robot (home)Sexuality.
Finally, this website has downloads for the rules, etc for the first three editions of Gamma World. Interesting . . .Tags: gamma world, mutant future
More Gamma World - The Rise of the Mutated Plants
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Post Apocalypse Gaming - what gives?
Okay, so I admit it, I have long been a Gamma World junkie (although these days I must admit that I am secretly more attracted to Mutant Future than Gamma World - it's free and available now).
Traveling, with your mutant mates, across the wasteland. Stop in at a friendly village for some radiation-free melons handed out by lovely green-skinned girls, trading a rusty hubcap for some referee whistles (valuable goods), and having that bad infestation of glowing slugs on your left tentacle be treated by the local ripper doc. And then after all that rest and relaxation, its off to the local robot guarded missile silo for valuable copper, or into the nest of the angry mutant crocodile-men, or hauling yourself up 200 meters to the robot-operated algae skyfarm to rob parts and food. All part of a normal day in the life of a typical post-apocalypse hero.
But the overall idea of post apocalypse gaming really depresses me. That is - if it is realistic. The futures of settings like Mad Max (where the oil dries up, and civilization collapses), or Twilight 2000 (depressing third world war, and civilization collapses), or Morrow Project (civilization collapses, with real effects of radiation, disease, etc), or Planet of the Apes (Apes win, civilization collapses). You get the idea. If it is a little too close to home, or too realistic (think - Threads or Day after Tomorrow), then it is just too much of a downer to be a fun game.
But it the whole thing is a total lark, and absolutely preposterous - such as the future radioactive playground of Gamma World (still potentially depressing, but who can stay down for long in the world of the polyester-devouring Yexil), or the Barbarian sword-fest of Robert Adams' Horseclans novels, or further fun with Sterling Lanier's Hiero books (who hasn't dreamt of riding a telepathic warmoose) - then it can be a whole lot of fun.
This is what lured me back into the genre with Mutants and Death Ray Guns, but I am also thinking of running a game of Mutant Future at MarsCon in January. If I do I will do a mixed lot of characters (2x Pure Strain Humans, 2x Mutant Humans, 2x Mutant Animals), and probably revolve around rescuing a young mutant child from a group of brigands living in an old military site of the Ancients. Warbots, androids, zombies, mutants galore, traps, radioactive pits - the fun is just bubbling out of me (or is that the lo mein from dinner?) and I haven't even written down anything yet.
I guess I gotta do a quest for miniatures (this sort of game DEMANDS miniatures - when else would I get a chance to use my green mutant in a house coat?), and build some suitable terrain. The good news is that it will all be useful for Mutants and Death Ray Guns, as well.
Some fun blog reports out there. First, Society of Torch, Pole and Rope has a nice write up on the classic Gamma World Deathbot for Mutant Future. Second, Savage AfterWorld has an interesting link to a conversation about incorporating Mutant Future into Hackmaster. Bizarre. Dwarf and Basilisk has a nice listing of games, films, and books that are inspirational. Facebook has a Gamma World page. Finally, Grognardia has a nice loving homage. He also has a great review of Mutant Future.
Tags: gamma world, mutant future, rpg, miniatures
Traveling, with your mutant mates, across the wasteland. Stop in at a friendly village for some radiation-free melons handed out by lovely green-skinned girls, trading a rusty hubcap for some referee whistles (valuable goods), and having that bad infestation of glowing slugs on your left tentacle be treated by the local ripper doc. And then after all that rest and relaxation, its off to the local robot guarded missile silo for valuable copper, or into the nest of the angry mutant crocodile-men, or hauling yourself up 200 meters to the robot-operated algae skyfarm to rob parts and food. All part of a normal day in the life of a typical post-apocalypse hero.
But the overall idea of post apocalypse gaming really depresses me. That is - if it is realistic. The futures of settings like Mad Max (where the oil dries up, and civilization collapses), or Twilight 2000 (depressing third world war, and civilization collapses), or Morrow Project (civilization collapses, with real effects of radiation, disease, etc), or Planet of the Apes (Apes win, civilization collapses). You get the idea. If it is a little too close to home, or too realistic (think - Threads or Day after Tomorrow), then it is just too much of a downer to be a fun game.
But it the whole thing is a total lark, and absolutely preposterous - such as the future radioactive playground of Gamma World (still potentially depressing, but who can stay down for long in the world of the polyester-devouring Yexil), or the Barbarian sword-fest of Robert Adams' Horseclans novels, or further fun with Sterling Lanier's Hiero books (who hasn't dreamt of riding a telepathic warmoose) - then it can be a whole lot of fun.This is what lured me back into the genre with Mutants and Death Ray Guns, but I am also thinking of running a game of Mutant Future at MarsCon in January. If I do I will do a mixed lot of characters (2x Pure Strain Humans, 2x Mutant Humans, 2x Mutant Animals), and probably revolve around rescuing a young mutant child from a group of brigands living in an old military site of the Ancients. Warbots, androids, zombies, mutants galore, traps, radioactive pits - the fun is just bubbling out of me (or is that the lo mein from dinner?) and I haven't even written down anything yet.
I guess I gotta do a quest for miniatures (this sort of game DEMANDS miniatures - when else would I get a chance to use my green mutant in a house coat?), and build some suitable terrain. The good news is that it will all be useful for Mutants and Death Ray Guns, as well.Some fun blog reports out there. First, Society of Torch, Pole and Rope has a nice write up on the classic Gamma World Deathbot for Mutant Future. Second, Savage AfterWorld has an interesting link to a conversation about incorporating Mutant Future into Hackmaster. Bizarre. Dwarf and Basilisk has a nice listing of games, films, and books that are inspirational. Facebook has a Gamma World page. Finally, Grognardia has a nice loving homage. He also has a great review of Mutant Future.
Tags: gamma world, mutant future, rpg, miniatures
Friday, November 13, 2009
More missing mutations
More fun for Songs of Mutants and Death Ray Guns . . .
Weather Manipulation - The Mutant must take 2 actions to activate this mutation. Then, based on a 3d6 Q check, he may change 1, 2, or 3 aspects of the weather (either temperature, cloud cover, or wind).
Empathy - As Telepathy, but affects all models within Short range.
Life Leech - treat as Telepathic Scream, out to Short Range. If any target is knocked-out, then the Mutant receives a Force Field.
Displacement - Whenever the Mutant receives an attack that results in a Knock Down, Kill, or Gruesome Kill result then that Mutant immediately rolls 3d6 against Q. If it is Knocked Down, then it must score 1 success to Displace. On a Kill it must score 2 successes, and on a Gruesome Kill it must score 3 successes. If it succeeds, then the model is placed, in a random direction, one Medium stick away. Note that it will not displace into a harmful situation (i.e. - mid air, over a lava pit, in front of an onrushing hovertrain, etc).
Acid - treat as Poison.
Emit Radiation Field - As Radiation Energy Projection, but affects all models within Medium stick.
Electrical Generation - Electricity Hand-to-Hand attack. Lethal against Robots and Androids.
Resistance to Mental Attacks - Mental Shield
Total Resistance to Mental Attack - Mind Block
Immune - as Absorption towards a particular type of attack (Radiation, Heat, Sonic, Light)
Precognition - Danger Sense
Heightened Intelligence - as per Psychometry
Radioactive - On a successful Hand-to-Hand attack, target must make a Radiation Check.
Coated in Poison, Acid - as per Poison
Telekinesis - as Telekinetic Disarm (may also grab other small objects)
Repulsion Field - as Telekinetic Shield
Mobility - treat as Medium Movement
Manipulative Vines - treat as Entangle
Increased Metabolism - requires 2 food per week.
Molecular Disruption - The Mutant may make an attack as per a Death Ray Gun, except it is Lethal against all targets. When using this mutation, the Mutant is immediately knocked unconscious (whether it is successful or not). The Mutant must eat two Food per week.
Symbiotic Attachment - Whenever the Mutant makes a H-t-H attack, and scores either a Kill or Gruesome Kill, the target is instead Controlled (as per Telepathy). The controlling Mutant may make the victim do whatever he/she likes, but it must remain in Contact with the controlling Mutant.
Mass Mind - When in contact with other Mutants with Mass Mind, this allows all Mental Mutations to be employed as a "group effort". This means that all attempts to use Mental Mutations will be treated as always having a minimum of 1 success.
Chameleon Powers - May start game in Ambush
Carapace, Armor - Treat as Flak Jacket
Fear Generation - Terror
Intuition - Danger Sense
Fear Impulse - treat as Phobia
Shoot/Spit Poison - treat as Short Range attack, if successful, roll vs. Poison as with a Needle Gun attack.
Levitation - Fly
Attraction Odor - Allure
Small - Ground movement is reduced by one category (not below Short Stick). Also, all ranged attacks against this mutant are at -1.
Density Increase - Short range. With 1 success, may make the target Larger or Smaller by 1 category, for 1 turn. With 2 successes, the change is permanent. With 3 successes, the change may be 2 categories. The categories are - Small, Normal, Big, Huge.
Anti-Life Leech - Whenever attacked by Life Leech or Telepathic Scream, the results are automatically reversed.
Tags: mutants, gamma world, miniatures, wargames
Weather Manipulation - The Mutant must take 2 actions to activate this mutation. Then, based on a 3d6 Q check, he may change 1, 2, or 3 aspects of the weather (either temperature, cloud cover, or wind).
Empathy - As Telepathy, but affects all models within Short range.
Life Leech - treat as Telepathic Scream, out to Short Range. If any target is knocked-out, then the Mutant receives a Force Field.
Displacement - Whenever the Mutant receives an attack that results in a Knock Down, Kill, or Gruesome Kill result then that Mutant immediately rolls 3d6 against Q. If it is Knocked Down, then it must score 1 success to Displace. On a Kill it must score 2 successes, and on a Gruesome Kill it must score 3 successes. If it succeeds, then the model is placed, in a random direction, one Medium stick away. Note that it will not displace into a harmful situation (i.e. - mid air, over a lava pit, in front of an onrushing hovertrain, etc).
Acid - treat as Poison.
Emit Radiation Field - As Radiation Energy Projection, but affects all models within Medium stick.
Electrical Generation - Electricity Hand-to-Hand attack. Lethal against Robots and Androids.
Resistance to Mental Attacks - Mental Shield
Total Resistance to Mental Attack - Mind Block
Immune - as Absorption towards a particular type of attack (Radiation, Heat, Sonic, Light)
Precognition - Danger Sense
Heightened Intelligence - as per Psychometry
Radioactive - On a successful Hand-to-Hand attack, target must make a Radiation Check.
Coated in Poison, Acid - as per Poison
Telekinesis - as Telekinetic Disarm (may also grab other small objects)
Repulsion Field - as Telekinetic Shield
Mobility - treat as Medium Movement
Manipulative Vines - treat as Entangle
Increased Metabolism - requires 2 food per week.
Molecular Disruption - The Mutant may make an attack as per a Death Ray Gun, except it is Lethal against all targets. When using this mutation, the Mutant is immediately knocked unconscious (whether it is successful or not). The Mutant must eat two Food per week.
Symbiotic Attachment - Whenever the Mutant makes a H-t-H attack, and scores either a Kill or Gruesome Kill, the target is instead Controlled (as per Telepathy). The controlling Mutant may make the victim do whatever he/she likes, but it must remain in Contact with the controlling Mutant.
Mass Mind - When in contact with other Mutants with Mass Mind, this allows all Mental Mutations to be employed as a "group effort". This means that all attempts to use Mental Mutations will be treated as always having a minimum of 1 success.
Chameleon Powers - May start game in Ambush
Carapace, Armor - Treat as Flak Jacket
Fear Generation - Terror
Intuition - Danger Sense
Fear Impulse - treat as Phobia
Shoot/Spit Poison - treat as Short Range attack, if successful, roll vs. Poison as with a Needle Gun attack.
Levitation - Fly
Attraction Odor - Allure
Small - Ground movement is reduced by one category (not below Short Stick). Also, all ranged attacks against this mutant are at -1.
Density Increase - Short range. With 1 success, may make the target Larger or Smaller by 1 category, for 1 turn. With 2 successes, the change is permanent. With 3 successes, the change may be 2 categories. The categories are - Small, Normal, Big, Huge.
Anti-Life Leech - Whenever attacked by Life Leech or Telepathic Scream, the results are automatically reversed.
Tags: mutants, gamma world, miniatures, wargames
Songs of Mutants and Death Ray Guns - the *Missing* Mutations
I am really excited about the new game from Ganesha that I picked up at Fall In.
I immediately set to translating all my favorite Gamma World encounters into SoMaDRG rules, and found that there are a good number of GW mutations that don't appear in the new Ganesha game.
So I started writing up the old mutations in the new rules. Here are a few . . . more will be published here in a PDF document, soon.
Poison Susceptability - The mutant is adversely affected by poison (more so than usual). This has two game effects - first, when checking for the effect of poison needle gun hits against the mutant, add +1 to the dice (so it must make a check on 3-6, vs. 4-6). Second, when checking to see if the Mutant's Q goes up, from being attacked by Poison, add +1 to the dice (so the target's Q goes up on 5-6, rather than just 6).
Dissolving Juices - Treat as Acid (or Poison).
Cryokinesis - Treat as Energy Projection/Cold.
Devolution - Short range attack. With 1 success, the target chooses one mutation that does not work for the rest of this game. With 2 successes, the mutant making the attack chooses one mutation that does not work for the rest of the game. With 3 successes, the mutant making the attack chooses one mutation that is gone permanently. Attacks against non-mutated Humans increase Q by 1 for one game (with 1 or 2 successes) or permanently (with 3 successes).
Dual Brain - Treat as Psychometry, but also grant 1 additional Mental Mutation.
Illusion - The Mutant creates an Illusionary Figure. Anyone within Medium range of the figure must make a 3D6 vs Q test. If they get 3 success, then they can ignore the Illusion for the rest of the game. 2 successes means that they can ignore the Illusion for this turn. 1 success means that the target is transfixed for this turn. No successes means that they are transfixed until the illusion moves out of range. If any other figure touches the illusion, it disappears. When a figure controlling an illusion rolls for activation, it may choose to activate itself, or the illusion (which always moves Medium).
Light Generation - Generate a flash of light. Anyone within Short range of the Mutant must make a 1d6 Q check. Failure means that they target is transfixed for a turn.
Physical Reflection - Treat as Absorption.
Reflection - Treat as Absorption, but also immune to Life Leech.
Total Healing - Whenever affected by Radiation or Poison, make a 1d6 v. Q check - with success, the effects of Radiation or Poison can be ignored.
Speed Increase - Sprint
Heightened Phys Attribute (Strength) - +1 HTH Combat
Will Force - Once per game, the character can automatically make 1d a success, in a C or Q check.
Heavy Armor - Treat as a force field (negates a potential loss in Combat, ranged or hand-to-hand) working on a 5+, and no longer effective after rolling a 1. Except Heavy Armor does not take an energy cell to operate.
Immune to Poison - Ignore effects from poison and poisoned needlers.
Horns - Treat as Hand-to-Hand specialist (+1 in close combat).
Mental Control of Body - Once per game, the mutant may take complete control over his body. He may Sprint and also receive +1 in Close Combat for 1 turn.
Magnetic Control - Treat as Telekinetic Disarm but only against weapons with a metal component.
Teleportation - The Mutant may teleport itself to any other spot on the board (or out of combat, by teleporting off the board), once per game. The mutant makes a 1d6 check v. Q, and if it fails it lands "knocked down".
Tags: mutants, gamma world, miniatures, wargames
I immediately set to translating all my favorite Gamma World encounters into SoMaDRG rules, and found that there are a good number of GW mutations that don't appear in the new Ganesha game.
So I started writing up the old mutations in the new rules. Here are a few . . . more will be published here in a PDF document, soon.
Poison Susceptability - The mutant is adversely affected by poison (more so than usual). This has two game effects - first, when checking for the effect of poison needle gun hits against the mutant, add +1 to the dice (so it must make a check on 3-6, vs. 4-6). Second, when checking to see if the Mutant's Q goes up, from being attacked by Poison, add +1 to the dice (so the target's Q goes up on 5-6, rather than just 6).
Dissolving Juices - Treat as Acid (or Poison).
Cryokinesis - Treat as Energy Projection/Cold.
Devolution - Short range attack. With 1 success, the target chooses one mutation that does not work for the rest of this game. With 2 successes, the mutant making the attack chooses one mutation that does not work for the rest of the game. With 3 successes, the mutant making the attack chooses one mutation that is gone permanently. Attacks against non-mutated Humans increase Q by 1 for one game (with 1 or 2 successes) or permanently (with 3 successes).
Dual Brain - Treat as Psychometry, but also grant 1 additional Mental Mutation.
Illusion - The Mutant creates an Illusionary Figure. Anyone within Medium range of the figure must make a 3D6 vs Q test. If they get 3 success, then they can ignore the Illusion for the rest of the game. 2 successes means that they can ignore the Illusion for this turn. 1 success means that the target is transfixed for this turn. No successes means that they are transfixed until the illusion moves out of range. If any other figure touches the illusion, it disappears. When a figure controlling an illusion rolls for activation, it may choose to activate itself, or the illusion (which always moves Medium).
Light Generation - Generate a flash of light. Anyone within Short range of the Mutant must make a 1d6 Q check. Failure means that they target is transfixed for a turn.
Physical Reflection - Treat as Absorption.
Reflection - Treat as Absorption, but also immune to Life Leech.
Total Healing - Whenever affected by Radiation or Poison, make a 1d6 v. Q check - with success, the effects of Radiation or Poison can be ignored.
Speed Increase - Sprint
Heightened Phys Attribute (Strength) - +1 HTH Combat
Will Force - Once per game, the character can automatically make 1d a success, in a C or Q check.
Heavy Armor - Treat as a force field (negates a potential loss in Combat, ranged or hand-to-hand) working on a 5+, and no longer effective after rolling a 1. Except Heavy Armor does not take an energy cell to operate.
Immune to Poison - Ignore effects from poison and poisoned needlers.
Horns - Treat as Hand-to-Hand specialist (+1 in close combat).
Mental Control of Body - Once per game, the mutant may take complete control over his body. He may Sprint and also receive +1 in Close Combat for 1 turn.
Magnetic Control - Treat as Telekinetic Disarm but only against weapons with a metal component.
Teleportation - The Mutant may teleport itself to any other spot on the board (or out of combat, by teleporting off the board), once per game. The mutant makes a 1d6 check v. Q, and if it fails it lands "knocked down".
Tags: mutants, gamma world, miniatures, wargames
Monday, November 9, 2009
Songs of Mutants and Death Ray Guns
So I picked up a copy of "Songs of Mutants and Death Ray Guns" (SoMaDRG or SMDRG) over the weekend, and I am excited to give this a try!
Anyone who does not get the picture couldn't possibly understand why I am so excited about this.
There are a couple of important things missing from the book, however. The version of "figuring out" an artifact given in the SMDRG book is woefully inadequate. Use this (genetically pure) version of the original instead. Much better.
Something that might be fun to do with SMDRG is to take all of the classic critters and encounters from a classic post-apocalypse game and publish them on some website. Yessirree, that would be a fine thing indeed...
Tags: gamma world
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