Episode 8 Mutagenesis

Episode 8 Investigating the Post-Apocalypse - Mutagenesis

Bugs, drugs, and chugs...

James - Living Latte

• Living Lattes are the result of neutron bombs going off in close proximity to everyone’s favorite coffee shop.  The intense radiation steams the milk to a froth level that allows nearly instant spawning of new life from the foam.  Not only new life… but new intelligent life.  Typically this does not bode well for pure strain humans in the vicinity of a Living Latte enclave.  These cups o’ joe remember the subjugation of their kind over the years and are ready to throw down!  
• Although they can be found in more of a puddle form (six to eight gallons for a Tallish, twelve to twenty for a Grandiose, and twenty plus gallons for a Venterific), given enough time they will create great, reinforced titanium travel mugs that serve as armor.  Most coffee shops in the world before the Great Disaster had automated servers, so these reinforced titanium travel mugs have hover treads that let the Living Latte’s move about, although at a rather slow speed.  
• Living Latte (Tallish/Grandiose/Venterific):  Init: -2/+0/+2; Atk Splash* +1/+3/+5 ranged (1d4/1d6/1d8 damage, 30/60/90 range); AC 8 as a puddle, AC 16/18/20 in a reinforced titanium travel mug; HD 1d8/2d8/3d8; MV 20’ hover in reinforced titanium travel mug, 40’ slosh if in puddle form; Act 1d20; SP half damage from all physical attacks; SV Fort +4, Ref -2, Will +2; AL C.
• *Living Lattes can “Make it Foamy”, and take 1d3 damage to increase their splash attack with some extra foam, increasing the damage by +2d.  This is the Living Latte effectively discarding some more of itself to cause damage.
• Living Lattes can have a special flavor or syrup that they’ve incorporated into their DNA.  If you want to incorporate this add-on to your creature, roll 1d5:
1. Extra Shot: A Living Latte with an Extra Shot gets a second attack per round (1d20+1d20 Action Dice)
2. Extra Hot:  The Extra Hot Living Latte has an increased attack bonus of +2 because of the sheer hotness.  
3. Mochachino:  Full of rich chocolate, the Mochachino Living Latte is especially dangerous to Manimals, because they definitely shouldn’t be eating chocolate.  All attacks against Manimals are made at an additional +1d.
4. Soy Milky:  This Living Latte is easy on the digestive tract of it’s targets.  It’s nowhere near as foamy and cannot “Make it Foamy” to increase damage.  If you had to encounter a Living Latte, this is the one to encounter.
5. Macchia-Do:  The Living Latte is a master of Macchia-Do, a coffee-shop based martial art.  The Macchia-Do master can perform amazing throwing attacks against any targets that have moved into melee range.  On the Macchia-Do master’s turn, all targets engaged in melee must make a DC 12/14/16 Reflex Save or they get thrown 10’ and knocked prone.

Forrest - RIDEK

• Contrary to science fantasy “canon,” radiation itself doesn’t actually glow. Nuclear radiation can cause certain substances to glow, but radiation is an invisible killer. So how do you ensure that the next artifact, rock, or body you pick up isn’t throbbing with gamma rays? 
• You don’t. Unless you have RIDEK: Radiation Intensity Detecting Escherichia Coli - your friendly neighborhood E.Coli, which have been genetically manipulated by the ancient ones to glow in the presence of radiation. These handy microbial critters come in all manner of containers, some of which are specifically designed to spray RIDEK onto a suspect object, corpse, etc. 
• It take 1d3 minutes for RIDEK to glow in the presence of radiation, and the glow will last for 1d12 minutes. Beings holding, carrying, or wearing items that radiate strongly are at a disadvantage in combat as they are more easily targeted. In daylight or similar conditions, those sprayed with RIDEK who possess such items suffer a -1 penalty to their armor class. At night, others suffer no disadvantage when trying to hit them. Of course, enough RIDEK must be used to cause radioactive items to reveal themselves. How much is left to the discretion of the Judge.

Judge Bob Brinkman - Roach Swarms

• Among the most feared of the scavenging wasteland creatures, killer cockroach infestations can wipe out entire villages in a matter of hours if allowed to go unchecked. Woe be those who stumble into an area populated by these ravenous vermin, for all they leave behind are  excarnated remains, mere glinting bones.
• Roach swarm: Init +5; Atk swarming bite +1 melee (1); AC 11; HD 2d8; MV 50’ or climb 30’; Act special; SP bite all targets within 20’ x 20’ space, half damage from non-area attacks, feeding swarm, fire vulnerability, picked clean, radiation immunity; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will -2; AL N.
• Feeding swarm: For every 3hp of damage done by the swarm, more roaches join the swarm. The increased population adds 20'x20' to its size and 2HD to its total (to a maximum of 40'x40' and 8HD).
• Fire vulnerability: All fire damage done to the swarm is rolled at +1 die.
• Picked clean: The feeding frenzy of the killer cockroaches strips victims down to the bone. Because of their thoroughness, it is less likely for a victim to survive. If a recover the body attempt is made, the victim's luck roll is penalized by the number of HD the swarm achieved before having been destroyed or the body having been pulled clear.
• Radiation immunity: Killer cockroaches are immune to radiation.