Thursday, December 22, 2016

Out for a Lark

Here's a class idea I wanted to play around with ever since I read the description in Ultima III.

LARK
The predecessors of bards and jesters, larks studied Sorcery and were known to pick the odd pocket or loot an unguarded chest. They were trained in the use of all weapons, but only wore cloth armor.


Requirements: None
Prime Requisite: STR + INT
Hit Dice: 1d6
Maximum Level: None

Because of their need of free movement, larks cannot wear armor heavier than padded, and they cannot use shields. They have a need for using diverse weapons, and are able to use any kind.


Lark Level Progression
Experience Level Title Hit Dice (1d6)
0 1 Bumbler 1
2,501 2 Dawdler 2
5,001 3 Caperer 3
10,001 4 Tomfool 4
20,001 5 Fol 5
40,001 6 Disour 6
80,001 7 Bourder 7
160,001 8 Lark 8
310,001 9 Master Lark 9
460,001 10 Master Lark +1 hp only*
610,001 11 Master Lark +2 hp only*
760,001 12 Master Lark +3 hp only*
910,001 13 Master Lark +4 hp only*
1,060,001 14 Master Lark +5 hp only*
1,210,001 15 Master Lark +6 hp only*
1,360,001 16 Master Lark +7 hp only*
1,510,001 17 Master Lark +8 hp only*
1,660,001 18 Master Lark +9 hp only*
1,810,001 19 Master Lark +10 hp only*
1,960,001 20 Master Lark +11 hp only*
* Hit point modifiers from constitution are ignored

Spell Progression and Skills
Class Level Cantrip* 1 2 3 4 Pick Locks Find/Remove Traps Pick Pockets**
1 1 - - - - 17 14 23
2 1 1 - - - 20 17 26
3 2 1 - - - 23 20 29
4 2 2 1 - - 26 23 32
5 2 2 1 - - 29 26 35
6 3 2 1 1 - 32 29 38
7 3 2 2 1 - 35 32 41
8 3 3 2 1 1 38 35 44
9 4 3 2 1 1 41 38 47
10 4 3 2 2 1 44 41 50
11 4 3 3 2 1 47 44 53
12 5 4 3 2 2 50 47 56
13 5 4 3 2 2 53 50 59
14 5 4 3 3 2 56 53 62
15 6 4 4 3 2 59 56 65
16 6 5 4 3 3 62 59 68
17 6 5 4 3 3 65 62 71
18 7 5 4 4 3 68 65 74
19 7 5 5 4 3 71 68 77
20 7 6 5 4 4 74 71 80
*Cantrips are optional, see Unearthed Arcana.
** -5% per each 5 levels the lark is lower than the victim. There is always a 1% chance of failure despite a skill percent above 100%.

Lark Saving Throws
Level Breath Attacks Poison or Death Petrify or Paralyze Wands Spells or Spell-like Devices
1-4 16 14 13 13 14
5-8 14 12 11 11 12
9-12 12 10 9 9 8
13-16 10 8 7 5 6
17+ 8 6 5 4 4

Monday, December 12, 2016

Psychic Swords of the Savage Wastelands

What would a good science fiction game be without funky swords to mess with? I was looking up some thing or other a while back and flipping through pages got reminded about D&D's Intelligent Swords. Looking over the surprisingly mostly "psychic" abilities of these, I wondered why no one really did a version for Mutant Future. Just because I'm ornery, psychic swords are generally found as flashlight-looking or wand-shaped items which project a colored blade of psychic energy. So here we go.


Rolling Up a Psychic Sword
1. Find out if the sword has a special purpose (optional: 1d20).
2. Determine the sword's Intelligence score (1d20).
3. Determine the alignment of the sword (1d20).
4. Find the Primary powers of the sword (if any, d%).
5. Roll for Extraordinary powers (if any, d%).
6. Roll for the sword's Willpower Score (1d20)
7. Determine the Ego of the sword.


1. Special Purpose
A sword will have a special purpose if a roll of 20 on 1d20 is made (the ML may choose to omit this roll, carefully placing all psychic swords, as they are both very powerful and very rare). Any sword with a special purpose will have Intelligence and Willpower scores of 12+1d8, as well as one special purpose.
Special purpose is given to some rare swords by their creator. The following list gives some special purposes which may be used, or the ML may invent others. Only one special purpose may be given to any one psychic sword.
    1. Slay Mutant Humans
    2. Slay Pure Humans
   3. Slay Mutant Animals
    4. Slay Plants
    5. Slay Robots
   6. Defeat Law/Chaos (depends on sword's alignment)


When used for its special purpose, the sword will gain one added ability, according to its alignment.
    Lawful swords will stun a Chaotic opponent for 1d6 rounds upon a hit unless the victim saves vs Stun Attacks.
    Neutral swords will add + 1 to all the user's saving throws.
    Chaotic swords will irradiate a Lawful opponent with Class 1 Radiation upon a hit unless the victim saves vs Radiation.


EXAMPLE: A Lawful sword with a special purpose to slay mutant humans will stun only Chaotic mutant humans, and only if the saving throw is failed.


2. Intelligence
Each intelligent sword has an Intelligence score, one or more Primary powers, possibly Extraordinary powers, and a method of communication.
Trial & Error means that the user of the sword must figure out the powers as if dealing with a Complexity Class 1 technological artifact. Empathy means that the user of the sword will somehow know what the sword's powers are and how to use them.
Die Roll INT Powers Method of Communication
1 None None None
2 3 10% Chance of 1 Primary None
3 4 25% Chance of 1 Primary None
4 5 25% Chance of 1 Primary None
5 6 50% Chance of 1 Primary Trial & Error
6 7 1 Primary Trial & Error
7 8 2 Primary Trial & Error
8 9 3 Primary Trial & Error
9 10 3 Primary Empathy
10 11 3 Primary + 50% Chance of 1 Extraordinary Empathy
11 12 3 Primary + 1 Extraordinary Empathy
12 13 3 Primary + 2 Extraordinary Empathy
13 14 3 Primary + 3 Extraordinary Speech
14 15 4 Primary + 50% Chance of 1 Extraordinary Speech
15 16 4 Primary + 1 Extraordinary Speech
16 17 4 Primary + 50% Chance of 2 Extraordinary (roll % for each chance) Speech
17 18 4 Primary + 2 Extraordinary Telepathy
18 19 4 Primary + 50% Chance of 3 Extraordinary (roll % for each chance) Telepathy
19 20 4 Primary + 3 Extraordinary Telepathy
20 21 4 Primary + 50 Chance of 4 Extraordinary (roll % for each chance) Telepathy


3. Alignment
Determine the alignment and blade color of the psychic sword (roll 1d20):
Die Roll Alignment Blade Color
1 Lawful White
2-5
Green
6-7
Blue
8
Light Blue
9-10 Neutral Yellow
11
Gold
12
Silver
13
Bronze
14 Chaotic Pink
15-17
Red
18-19
Purple
20
Black


4. Primary Powers
Roll d% to find which Primary powers a sword might have. The number of the Primary powers generally depends on the sword's Intelligence score (see #2 above). Duplicate results should be rolled again.
Dice Roll Primary Power
01-10 Aura Reading
11-20 Dowsing
21-30 ESP
31-40 Levitation
41-50 Machine Channeling
51-59 Psychometry
60-68 Pyschoregeneration
69-77 Resist Fatigue
78-82 Resist Hunger
83-87 Resist Sleep
88-92 Resist Thirst
93-97 Sixth Sense
98-99 Roll twice more on this table
00 Roll three more times on this table


Unless otherwise noted, one Primary power may be used each round, once per round. The user must have the sword in hand and be concentrating on the power in order to use it. Duplicate results should be rolled again unless noted otherwise.


Aura Reading. The user of the sword can read the "auras" of creatures withing 20'. These auras will tell the user the alignment, race, and hit dice/level of the creature, as well as the presence of mental mutations or psionic manifestations.
Dowsing. The sword can detect water of any type up to a range of 60' (unless blocked by gold, lead, or a faraday cage). It will point in the direction of the water.
ESP. The user of the sword may listen to any one living creature's thoughts. The user must concentrate in one direction, and can only "hear" thoughts within 60' (unless blocked by gold, lead, or a faraday cage). The user will understand any thoughts "heard". This power is only usable three times per day.
Levitation. The user of the sword may move up or down in the air without any support. This power does not, however, allow the user to move from side to side. For example, the user could levitate to a ceiling, and then could move sideways by pushing and pulling. Motion up or down is at the rate of 20' per round. The user may carry a normal amount of weight while levitating, possibly another man-sized creature if not in heavy armor. Any creature smaller than man-size can be carried, unless similarly heavily laden. The duration of the levitation is 3 turns.
Machine Channeling. The user of the sword may listen to any one machine's thoughts. The user must concentrate in one direction, and can only "hear" thoughts within 60' (unless blocked by gold, lead, or a faraday cage). The user will understand any thoughts "heard". This power is only usable three times per day.
Psychometry. The user of the sword can, by touching the sword to an object, know the object's history (where it was created, how it has been used, who has owned it, etc.), functional condition of the object, and has double the chance of successfully figuring out how to operate technological artifacts (e.g., a Complexity Class 1 object would have a Base Roll of 50% instead of the normal 35%). The user must concentrate for one turn in order to learn the information on the object. This power may only be used three times per day.
Psychoregeneration. The sword will heal up to 6 points of damage at the rate of 1 hit point per round. This power may only be used three times per day. Duplicate ability rolls will increase the amount of healing and the time required by 6.
Resist Fatigue. Once per day, the user of the sword can ignore the effects of not resting for a number of turns equal to the sword's Willpower. After that period has elapsed, the user of the sword begins to fatigue at the normal rate.
Resist Hunger. Once per day, the user of the sword can ignore the effects of not eating for a number of hours equal to the sword's Willpower. After that period has elapsed, the user of the sword begins to suffer the penalties of not eating at the normal rate.
Resist Sleep. Once per day, the user of the sword can ignore the effects of not sleeping for a number of hours equal to the sword's Willpower. After that period has elapsed, the user of the sword begins to suffer the penalties of not sleeping at the normal rate.
Resist Thirst. Once per day, the user of the sword can ignore the effects of not consuming water for a number of hours equal to the sword's Willpower. After that period has elapsed, the user of the sword begins to suffer the penalties of not drinking at the normal rate.
Sixth Sense. The user of the sword has gained a precognitive ability to recognize danger before it occurs. In combat this gives the user of the sword a +1 to hit in combat, and +3 hp damage per damage die rolled in a successful attack. In addition, the user of the sword is less susceptible to surprise, reducing all surprise checks by 1 (e.g. a creature that normally surprises on a 1-4 rolled on a 1d6 would surprise the user of the sword on a 1-3 rolled on 1d6).


5. Extraordinary Powers
If the psychic sword has an extraordinary power, roll d% on the table below. Duplicate results should be rolled again unless noted otherwise.
As with Primary powers, the user must have the sword in hand be concentrating on the power. Any Extraordinary power is only usable three times per day unless specially noted otherwise.

Dice Roll Extraordinary Power
01-10 Bilocation
11-20 Clairaudience
21-30 Clairvoyance
31-40 Flying
41-50 Invisibility
51-59 Mind over Matter
60-68 Pyrokinesis
69-77 Remote Viewing
78-82 Technopathy
83-87 Telekinesis
88-92 Telepathy
93-97 Teleportation
98-99 Make two more rolls on this table.
00 Make three more rolls on this table.

Bilocation. Once per day, the user of the sword can be in two places at once, up to 20' apart, for a maximum of 3 turns. If one of the user's manifestations is killed, the remaining manifestation must make a saving throw vs Stun Attacks or be stunned for 1d6 rounds.
Clairaudience. This power will allow the user to hear noises (including speech) in an area up to a range of 60' through the ears of a creature in that area (unless blocked by gold, lead, or a faraday cage). The user must concentrate for one turn in order to hear what the creature hears. (Note: This does not grant the ability to understand speech in a language the user does not know.)
Clairvoyance. This power will allow the user to see an area up to 60' away through the eyes of a creature in that area (unless blocked by gold, lead, or a faraday cage). The user must concentrate for one turn in order to "see".
Flying. The user of the sword may fly as if using the Psionic Flight mutation, for a maximum of 3 turns.
Invisibility. The sword has the ability to cloud creature's minds, rending the user of the sword invisible to creatures who fail against a mental attack by the sword. All creatures in 30' must roll a mental test against the sword's Willpower. The effect is canceled against any creature attacked by the user of the sword.
Mind over Matter. Once per day, the user of the sword can ignore the effects of fatigue, hunger, thirst and sleep for a number of hours equal to the sword's Willpower. After that period has elapsed, the user of the sword begins to suffers from these effects at the normal rate.
Pyrokinesis. The user of the sword can project a ball of fire up to 50' away that does 4d6 heat damage to anything it strikes.
Remote Viewing. Similar to the power of Clairvoyance, however, does not supply vision through the eyes of a creature, but rather acts like a third person view of an area up to 60' away. The user must concentrate for one turn in order to "see".
Technopathy. This power will allow the user to perform the powers of the mental mutation Neural Telepathy, but with thinking machines, robots, artificial intelligences, and the like. The machine may refuse to answer.
Telekinesis. The user of the sword may move up to 2,000 pounds of weight by concentration alone. See the mutation Neural Telekinesis for more information.
Telepathy. This power will allow the user to perform the powers of the mental mutation Neural Telepathy. The creature may refuse to answer.
Teleportation. This power allows the user to teleport (as the mental mutation).


6. Willpower
(In a change from the original, "Will score" and Ego get swapped as terms, as Mutant Future uses the Willpower attribute vice Wisdom.) To determine the Willpower of a psychic (non-special purpose) sword, roll 1d20 and consult the following table.
Die Roll WIL
1 None
2 3
3 4
4 5
5 6
6 7
7 8
8 9
9 10
10 11
11 12
12 13
13 14
14 15
15 16
16 17
17 18
18 19
19 20
20 21
The Willpower of the sword is a measure of the force of its personality. A sword with high Intelligence and Willpower may try to control its user. The ML should make a control check at certain times.


Control checks. A psychic sword must be checked to see if it controls its user in five different situations:
    1. When the character first handles the sword.
    2. When the character is wounded to a point where half of her or his original hit points are gone.
    3. When a character acquires any other psychic weapon.
    4. When a character of a different alignment tries to use it.
    5. When a situation arises where the special purpose of the sword (if applicable) can be used.
To make the control check, the ML must find the Ego score of the user and of the sword. When the ego scores are found, the being with the higher total ego score, either the character or sword will control the actions of the character.


7. Ego
A psychic sword's ego score is found by adding the sword's Intelligence, Willpower, and bonuses. The sword gets a bonus of +1 to the ego score for each Extraordinary power it has, plus 1-10 (1d10) points if the sword is of a different alignment than the user.
A character's ego score is found by adding the character's Intelligence and Willpower scores and subtracting any adjustments due to wounds, as follows: if the character is damaged but no more than 1/2 the original hit points, 1-4 (1d4) points are subtracted. If the character has lost more than 1/2 the original hit points, 2-8 (2d4) points are subtracted from the ego score.
Swords in control. I f a sword controls the character, the ML must decide on the actions of the sword in certain situations. These may include:
    Leading the user past other psychic weapons found, or discard other weapons.
    Forcing the user to charge into combat to win glory for itself.
    Forcing the user to surrender to an opponent -- either one more worthy of the sword or one easier to control.
    Forcing the user to spend most of her or his currency on items for the sword (bling accessories, fancy scabbards, ornate storage containers, special protection, etc.)
The control will last until the sword is satisfied or until the situation which caused the control check has passed.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Useful Books in the Post Apocalypse

I put this list together a few years back, and finally found where I had it buried.


D100 Useful PA Books
1. A Field Guide to Venomous Animals and Poisonous Plants: North America North of Mexico (Peterson Field Guide)
2. Advanced Bowie Techniques: The Finer Points of Fighting with a Large Knife
3. Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Toolbox Manual: The Perfect On‑the‑Job Reference Manual for Journeymen and Apprentice Cooling Technicians
4. American Cooperage Machinery and Tools
5. An Introduction to Modern Police Firearms
6. Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cattle
7. Basic Freshwater Fishing: Step‑By‑Step Guide to Tackle and Know‑How That Catch the Favorite Fish in Your Area
8. Basic Plumbing With Illustrations
9. Betty Crocker Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, New Tenth Edition
10. Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Carpentry for Homeowners: Basic Carpentry Skills & Everyday Home Repairs (Black & Decker Complete Guide)
11. Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual: How to Maintain, Repair, and Improve Your Boat's Essential Systems
12. Breaking and Entering: Master Crooks Crime Academy
13. Broadsword And Singlestick: with Chapters on Quarter‑Staff, Bayonet, Cudgel, Shillalah, Walking‑Stick, Umbrella, and Other Weapons of Self‑Defense
14. Building Security: Handbook for Architectural Planning and Design
15. Building with Masonry: Brick, Block, and Concrete
16. CAMOUFLAGE: The History of Concealment and Deception in War
17. Caving: The Sierra Club Guide to Spelunking
18. Chemistry (Cliffs Quick Review)
19. Chilton's Guide to Small Appliance Repair and Maintenance
20. Clothing: Fashion, Fabrics and Construction
21. Complete Guide to Hunting: Basic Techniques for Gun & Bow Hunters (The Complete Hunter)
22. Computer Repair with Diagnostic Flowcharts: Troubleshooting PC Hardware Problems from Boot Failure to Poor Performance, Revised Edition
23. Desert Survival Handbook : How to Prevent and Handle Emergency Situations
24. Dogs: Everything About Purchase, Care, Nutrition, Breeding, Behavior, and Training (A Complete Pet Owner's Manual)
25. Dr. Beach's Survival Guide: What You Need to Know About Sharks, Rip Currents, and More Before Going in the Water
26. Farm Blacksmithing: Practical Hints for Handy‑Men
27. FM 21‑50 ARMY FIELD MANUAL : Ranger Training and Ranger Operations
28. Fundamentals of Physics by A. Einstein revised edition circa 1956
29. GIS Cartography: A Guide to Effective Map Design
30. Gold! Gold! How and Where to Prospect for Gold (Prospecting and Treasure Hunting)
31. Guide to Military Installations
32. Gun Trader's Guide: A Complete Fully‑Illustrated Guide to Modern Firearms with Current Market Values (Thirty‑Second Edition)
33. Home Workshop Explosives, Second Edition by Uncle Fester
34. Home Workshop Silencers I
35. How to Develop Self‑Confidence And Influence People By Public Speaking
36. How to Build Animal Housing: 60 Plans for Coops, Hutches, Barns, Sheds, Pens, Nestboxes, Feeders, Stanchions, and Much More
37. How to Make Your Own Alcohol Fuels
38. How to Pick Pockets for Fun and Profit: A Magicians Guide to Pickpocket Magic
39. How to Repair Your Car (Motorbooks Workshop)
40. How to Test Almost Everything Electronic
41. How Your Horse Wants You to Ride: Starting Out, Starting Over
42. Incendiary Weapons: Greek Fire, Molotov Cocktail, Napalm, Thermite, Fire Balloon, Firebombing, Early Thermal Weapons, White Phosphorus
43. Instant Boatbuilding with L.J. Gibbs: 15 Instant Boats for Power, Sail, Oar, and Paddle
44. JUMP! : Skydiving Made Fun & Easy
45. Kendo: Elements, Rules, and Philosophy
46. KGB Alpha Team Training Manual: How The Soviets Trained For Personal Combat, Assassination, And Subversion
47. Knife & Tomahawk Throwing: The Art of the Experts
48. Let's Trade: A Book About Bartering (Money Matters)
49. Life's Little Instruction Book: 511 Suggestions, Observations, and Reminders on How to Live a Happy and Rewarding Life
50. Locksmithing, Lock Picking & Lock Opening: Professional Training Manual
51. Making Native American Hunting, Fighting, and Survival Tools: The Complete Guide to Flintknapping
52. Manual on electrical wiring
53. Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence
54. Metalworking Sink or Swim: Tips and Tricks for Machinists, Welders and Fabricators
55. Natural Baskets: Create over 20 Unique Baskets With Materials Gathered in Gardens, Fields, and Woods
56. Navigation Rules by U.S. Coast Guard
57. New Fix‑It‑Yourself Manual: How to Repair, Clean, and Maintain Anything and Everything In and Around Your Home by Reader's Digest
58. Nuclear War Survival Skills: Updated and Expanded 1987 Edition
59. One Hundred Unorthodox Strategies: Battle And Tactics Of Chinese Warfare
60. Poisonous Plants: A Handbook for Doctors, Pharmacists, Toxicologists, Biologists and Veterinarians
61. Pottery Basics: Everything You Need to Know to Start Making Beautiful Ceramics
62. Professional Driving Techniques: The Essential Guide to Operating a Motor Vehicle with Confidence and Skill
63. Professional Gunsmithing: A Textbook On The Repair And Alteration Of Firearms
64. Put 'Em Down, Take 'Em Out!: Knife Fighting Techniques From Folsom Prison
65. Pyrotechny;: A practical manual for manufacturers of Fireworks, Signaling Flares, Rain Rockets, Fog Signals and Other Pyrotechnics
66. Radio, Television, and Sound System Repair: An Introduction
67. Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert)
68. Sailing For Dummies
69. Scuba Diving & Snorkeling for Dummies
70. Serious Survival: How to Poo in the Arctic & Other Essential Tips
71. Tai Chi Chuan, Yoga, Qi Gong
72. Tesla : The Lost Inventions
73. The American Red Cross First Aid and Safety Handbook
74. The Art of Fencing ‑ The Use of the Small Sword
75. The Art and Science of Flying Helicopters
76. The Classical Pugilism & Bare‑knuckle Boxing Companion
77. The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way To Perfection
78. The Complete Book of Woodcarving: Everything You Need to Know to Master the Craft
79. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Electrical Repair
80. The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Third Edition
81. The Complete Private Pilot (The Complete Pilot series)
82. The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants
83. The King of Vegas' Guide to Gambling: How to Win Big at POKER, Casino Gambling & Life!The Zen of Gambling updated
84. The Landing‑Force and Small‑Arm Instructions United States Navy
85. The Loblolly Book II: Moonshining, Basket Making, Hog Killing, Catfishing, and Other Affairs of Plain Texas Living
86. The Mountaineering Handbook: Modern Tools and Techniques That Will Take You to the Top
87. The New Healing Herbs: The Essential Guide to More Than 125 of Nature's Most Potent Herbal Remedies
88. The Prop Builder's Molding & Casting Handbook
89. The Robotics Primer (Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Agents)
90. THE RURAL RANGER A SUBURBAN AND URBAN SURVIVAL MANUAL & FIELD GUIDE OF TRAPS AND SNARES FOR FOOD AND SURVIVAL
91. The SAS Guide to Tracking, New and Revised
92. The Swimming Drill Book
93. Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, Seventh Edition
94. U.S. Army Map Reading and Land Navigation Handbook (U.S. Army)
95. U.S. Army Special Forces Medical Handbook
96. US Army Survival Manual: FM 21‑76
97. Viet Cong Boobytraps, Mines and Mine Warfare Techniques
98. Wilderness Medicine, Beyond First Aid, 5th Edition
99. Wilderness Cuisine: How to Prepare and Enjoy Find Food on the Trail and in Camp (Cookbooks and Restaurant Guides)
100. Woman's Circle, Woman's Household Jumbo Book of Patterns ‑ Book Number One ‑ *Sewing *Knitting *Embroidery *Crotcheting

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Adventure Thoughts III

This time I'll be going over various adventures from Palladium Books After the Bomb series. I played a lot of games in the setting, some good, some bad. I still maintain that this has some of the best rules for mutant animals of any RPG out there.

AFTER THE BOMB (1E)
Many of the adventure scenarios in ATB only really require modification to game mechanics and personal GM setting to be used with Mutant Future.
A lot of the adventures in ATB are dictated by the overall setting of the book, the anti-muntant pure human "Empire of Humanity" (with it's high technology), their sorta allied mutant dogs "New Kennel," the "free mutant animal" nation of Cardania, rodent mobsters of Philly, nomadic anti-human tribes of "Free Cattle," bird kingdom of Bird Island, swamp region of "Gatorland", "Wolf Barbarians" (though I felt that "Boar's Town" and its Bear Cult was a wasted idea), even a brief nod toward New York gangs, etc. While I have no real problems with the setting, for ATB at least, in my preferred Post Apocalyptic setting, I prefer an earlier state of post apocalypse, where city-states and surviving communities haven't yet started the rise of kingdoms and empires, though wandering raiders, tribals, and marauders may have large tracts of territory. I feel that this setup allows the PCs a bit more freedom in the direction they go, rather than stumbling from petty kingdom to petty kingdom and dealing with each along the way. Really mostly personal preference.
Note: Though I specify the 1st edition of the book for the purpose of these adventures, they appeared, with some minor text formatting changes in ATB2E.

Gun Bunnies & Zombies
A somewhat usable adventure, with some notable locations and rumors included. Thought the lack of mentioned map makes it somewhat more difficult to use. The plot is basically searching for a "zombie"-making facility as well as possible weapons caches, with a survivalist/militant group of mutant rabbits added into the mix. Considering the forces arrayed against the PCs, I felt the payoff (some minor parts, equipment, and maybe fuel oil) was kind of weak.

A Journey to Boar's Town
I felt this adventure, billed as "introductory" was a somewhat useful idea, but had a weak execution, more like an idea for an adventure. Also another adventure that could have benefited from a map. Unlike the previous adventure, the payout is potentially quite big (access to a pre-apocalyptic library and possibly a way to de-mutate mutant animals). Really should have had a town layout for Boston with some additional encounters, possible caches, red herrings, other factions, as well as an order of battle for the final battle.

Clem's Big Adventure
One of the few adventures included that I never actually ran. The premise never really did much for me because it felt more like a pre-apocalyptic TMNT adventure than something post apocalyptic (ironic given how easily I buy into the ant-themed side quest "Those!" in Fallout 3). Maybe it's just that fire breathing ants are a more interesting foe than "warrior" ants.

Aerial Supremacy
This adventure I've run a time or two, mostly in my younger, more impressionable days. It almost plays out like a game version of the old movie Firefox (no doubt intentionally), though with the added complication of a loosely allied band of scavengers who all seem to be in it for themselves and will no doubt turn on each other given the right motivation.

The Power of Ali Komani
This is almost a James Bond-type adventure, where the PCs race to stop the evil mastermind from unleashing his scheme for world domination. Another adventure where I felt a map (with more details than the main ATB map provides) would have been an immense aid to play, also some quick settlement generation tables would have helped the GM tremendously. Not a bad adventure, especially if you tie it into some of the other space-tech themed adventures for ATB (see Mutants in Orbit).

The Rodent Plague
Another James Bond/Superspy type adventure, though the name makes no real sense, since the nominal "plague" affects all mutant animals. Could have used maps of course, possibly a rumor table, and really has the least post apocalyptic feel of any adventure in the book.

ROAD HOGS
Possibly one of my most favorite entries in the ATB line for the TMNT RPG (Down Under comes in pretty high as well). I think the setting for this, while a bit sparser than that of ATB (1E), comes a lot closer to my preferred "just starting to build kingdoms & empires" post apocalyptic feel than ATB (1E). While the vehicle construction rules give a fairly decent toolkit for Road Warrior-style post apocalyptic action, I always felt that there were some features missing (more junk/scrap inventions, and (oddly enough) racing game features (nitrous and the like). I did feel that the Road Hogs themselves were a little off, with being led by a mutant feline, and I felt that this was a good chance to introduce other mutant swine, like warthogs, wild boars, and peccaries/javelinas. I also never really bought into the East Coast faction influence in the region. One also has to wonder how much of the Fallout series' New California Republic was influenced by the New Americorp faction of this book. (I think the idea of mixing the two settings, faction-wise would really help things a lot, more new gangs to deal with, and other groups that aren't humans or mutant animals.) On the downside, there are two communities mentioned on the map (the Seal Republic and Dolphin Free States) with no apparent real details or sufficient support to really do anything with. Aquatic type mutants are given as octopi, sea turtles, sea lions, true seals, whales, and walruses; leaving out awesome options like sharks, crabs, lobster, rays, eels, or other fish in general. In summary, this book has one of the best potentials of the ATB line, but is missing just enough information to be somewhat frustrating. Definitely could have used a sequal.

Mail Call!
This introductory adventure is generally designed to make the vehicle rules be used in play. The premise is simple and straight-forward, and the PCs get a vehicle (or vehicles) out of the deal. Not bad for what it does, but kind of exists in a vacuum for long term play, unless linked with other adventures (see below).

On the Road Again
I always felt that this was part two of the adventure Mail Call!, with the PCs basically celebrating their win or drowning their sorrows at their loss in that adventure, when, *BANG* it's time to introduce the vehicle combat system (and main villain faction of the setting). For starting a campaign in the setting you might as well just run these two adventures together, even if you're using your own or another system's vehicle rules.

South of the Border
This is a somewhat odd duck for the adventures in the book, taking place generally outside the given setting of the south west coastal area of the former US. While not given a map, the GM is instructed to check a road atlas of the areas involved, which is at least something. The biggest failure though, is that the GM is also instructed that, "The journey of almost 1,460 miles can easily provide for a long-term, Road Hog campaign all by itself. GMs should feel free to create whole new towns, countries, bandit territories or whatever they fancy." No **** there is a whole missing adventure right there, which makes no ******* sense to drop in the middle of another adventure, especially one that is essentially time-sensitive. The joke bit about "Bakersfield" being just down the road, with the hook dropping NPCs ending up in California (again how, since there's a whole campaign in that journey) because they're stupider than a bag of rocks just kills this whole adventure as something playable without a ton of work for the GM. I'll give some, minor, props in that gas and travel is discussed (though the lack of alternate routes means no PC planning, just follow the railroad tracks). After a long journey just to get there, with no way short of A-Team plot coupons to actually get there in time to do anything (seriously, it would take a long time for the dumbnamic duo to get to Cali, and then get a group to go back with them, rendering the whole scenario asinine), at least the payment (35,000 worth of gold coins) is somewhat decent.

Road Hogs: Gang War!
I like the concept of this adventure (though it falls more in the superspy genre than post apocalyptic), but it always comes across as more of a bare-bones adventure idea with some detailed notes than something usable by the GM without a lot of work.

ADVENTURES IN THE YUCATAN
I actually have to specify this, since this booklet was included in the ATB/TMNT Game Shield product release, and not included with Mutants of the Yucatan. It also replicates some material from that book. I haven't actually done a lot with the adventures in the Yucatan setting, with one exception, since the in-depth look at the setting factions and regions tends provided pretty good adventure material rather than most of the adventures themselves.

Aztec-Land
Run the PCs through a pre-apocalypse theme park? Where do I sign up? This is pretty much the only Yucatan adventure I run, and with some work one could easily use this as the basis for other theme parks, such as dinosaurs, 'cowboys and indians,' vikings, ninjas, pirates, samurai, romans, greeks, medieval knights, etc. I suppose this is one of the adventures where not including a map may actually be beneficial (just grab any amusement/theme park map, put in the features of your choice, and off you go).

Temple Crisis
This sorta-part-two (to Aztec-Land) 'adventure' is a pseudo-dungeon crawl, without a map of course, that basically boils down to a railroad of read alouds and reactions. Don't bother, there's nothing really of value in this one.

MUTANTS IN AVALON
I've had some fun with this setting, not much, because I prefer the other world settings more, but it is still better than the Rifts coverage of England. Oddly, despite the inclusion of steam power, this setting doesn't really reflect the Victorian era steampunk feel. Instead you kind of get King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, with some sort of odd French pure human group with the unlikely name of "saxons" (yeah, different spelling, but supposed to the same thing....except the historical Saxons were Germanic, not French, for that you'd want the more appropriate Normans of Normandy (French-Viking descended group)), though I suppose the post-Roman Britain where the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms developed is the aim of the author. Speaking of which, while I thought the kingdoms of the setting were fairly workable, I think the Heptarchy of the pre-Norman Anglo-Saxon era would have been more appropriate (East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Mercia, Northumbria, Sussex and Wessex). Also, while playing the King Arthur thing is kinda fun, I would have preferred some Robin Hood & Ivanhoe type stuff as well.

Firepower and Ice
Basically a war between two kingdoms, that the PCs have to act as a recon unit for. I never really used this adventure, but I suppose it's playable.

The Crystal Cave
(Shouldn't this be "The Crystal Maze"?) More of an encounter plot coupon than a real adventure, as it is supposed to introduce the PCs to Merlin, and possibly act as a means of introducing non-local PCs to the setting.

The New King
Yup, find King Arthur and bring him back to be crowned. Runs fairly well with good advice on how to handle different things in the adventure.

Dungeons and Druids
A somewhat short adventure in the King Arthur line, basically a political mission that ends in a jailbreak. I would say that it is kind of railroady, but somewhat sensibly so, and does allow for things to go off the rails.

The Tournament
Next in the King Arthur adventure line is this knightly tournament (with some political machinations in the background). Considering that this adventure takes place in Nottingham, er Nottinam, this would have been the perfect way to include Robin Hood and Ivanhoe elements for further adventures. Of course, a GM would need a Prince John figure (not to mentions the Sheriff of Nottingham, Guy of Gisborne, Maid Marian, Merry Men, and maybe King Richard, etc.) to possibly contest for the throne (or be the incumbent, as a Prince John type (of the Robin Hood type, not historical) would be more likely to resist King Arthur's overtures than other available NPCs).

Other Stuff
While there are some other adventure ideas (aside from the upcoming war with the SAECSNs) listed (including a bit on Robin Hood), the King Arthur quest line takes up most of the adventure material, and kind of feels lacking in that there is no overall adventure for uniting the kingdoms into one over-kingdom.

MUTANTS DOWN UNDER
Another of my top ATB series books, though the setting kind of feels like ATB (1E) down south, with a larger area. The big bad pure human empire this time is Jakarta (not included on the map) arrayed against a variety of mutant animal kingdoms. Mutant animal species included are the common fare one would expect from Australia of course, so that's a high point right there. With the exception of Tassieland (Tasmania), there is really very little setting detail, mostly a lot of cryptic hints. Despite the existence of airships, there isn't a whole lot that really connects the big bads to the good guys, as there's an entire continent and some seas in between them, which kind of makes conquest type stuff difficult and implausible.

Zepplins to the Rescue!
Airship stern chase to basically introduce airship rules and combat to the PCs. Not much here really.

Dreamtime Walkabout
Introduces a supernatural element to the setting. While I've run Zepplins to the Rescue!, I haven't seen any need for this skirmish to be run.

The Jakartan Bio-Weapons
Easily my most favorite adventure from MDU, since this one has plant monsters to deal with, and I love me some plant creatures. The hook and payoff of this adventure however, is pretty setting specific which means some changes there might be necessary.

MUTANTS IN ORBIT
While somewhat useful for post apocalyptic space, Luna, and Mars settings, there is only a little here of use for terrestrial Mutant Future games.

Snowjack
Basically space based, plays well, but not really post apocalyptic.

Cold War
Another space adventure, with a superspy feel (though not James Bond levels).

The Rescue of Chicken Little
While this is a spy type mission based on Earth, it is mostly a lead in (in James Bond fashion) to the next adventure. Again, like some of the ATB (1E) adventures, this is less post apocalyptic and while it could be reworked into a standard rescue mission or kidnap recovery adventure, the payoff would need to be reworked a bit.

Operation Shuttle
I always felt that this adventure, despite the way it's written, was more of an excuse to get the PCs into space so they could go on space adventures. With some work, one could use this adventure in Mutant Future, but the hook, goal, and possibly factions would likely change. Cargo cultist worshipers of the shuttle and/or rocket which they inadvertently end up activating, space crazy groups or extraterrestrial contact groups could also be involved. Really needs a good space complex map to help the GM though.

Adventure Ideas
Space stuff, might be somewhat usable, but these are basically just seeds of adventures.

TMNT LINE BOOKS
While there are quite a few good adventures in the various TMNT line books, many of them don't really work for a post apocalyptic setting.

TMNT
Some of the adventures included in TMNT&OS can be converted to a post apocalyptic setting with a little work. The first is Caesar's Weasels, obviously a band mutant raiders/thieves on a looting spree that must be stopped. The Terror Bears seemed to be popular enough to show up in more than one adventure (and they do look cool), but I've never really warmed to them as a villainous group; however they could be included as foes in a post apocalyptic setting easily enough. Lastly, Terror on Rural Route 5, which basically boils down to 'terrorists' holding a bunch of children from a rural school hostage, is easily adapted to having the raider group of your choice grab the kids and hole up in a ruined building and demand tribute from nearby settlements.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Adventure Thoughts II

Thoughts on Twilight 2000 adventures for use with Mutant Future.
I've been looking at different post apocalyptic game adventures for material I can use in Mutant Future games (hopefully without having to do a lot of rework to make an adventure playable). This time I thought I'd dig up some old Twilight 2000 adventures that I enjoyed back in the day and see what I could use from them.
First, some general caveats. Twilight 2000's setting has some basic assumptions that set the stage for their adventures. One of the biggest concerns is that most T2K adventures are geared toward overcoming the limitations of not having adequate supplies for the parties. This means that quite a bit of the material in these adventures is oriented toward how much and what type of equipment, especially the important aspects like water, food, ammunition, fuel, and medical supplies, can be acquired. Most of the time this methodology is tied into the game mechanics (which are fairly decent and workable) concerning scavenging, buying, and trading for supplies. The other basic assumptions of T2K tie more into the ideas that the PCs are either trying to survive or taking orders from some entity trying to rebuild (or conquer). This latter aspect can be kept or dumped as the GM desires when using these for Mutant Future or other post apocalyptic games.
Another general aspect of these modules is that they generally have some key features of utility that can be fairly easily transferred to other games without much work. First is that many of these have fairly good random encounter tables which can easily have substitutes of a more mutant nature plugged into them with very little work. On the downside, the same basic random encounter table is often replicated multiple times with minor variations of little note throughout each module, taking up often valuable space that could have been better used to flesh out the sandbox-like adventure settings. Second, the aforementioned scavenging/acquiring of parts and equipment sections, while quite workable, will probably need to be modified for the system of choice, especially if the GM isn't keen on keeping track of all the breakdowns and failures that the T2K system uses. The third item of note is the NPC motivation mechanics. T2K uses a motivation table based on the results of drawing two cards from a standard playing card deck, so GMs wishing to use this method will need to have the core rules in order to refer to the results. The last key feature is the extended use of rumor 'tables' (generally a list of regional rumors, with NPCs noting which rumors they produce and what methods work in getting those rumors. While the system is fairly usable for the adventures, there's often little outright false rumors, usually they're partially true or fully true, depending on the rumor. Some more 'red herring' or 'useless trivia' type rumors added to the list would further enhance their playability.

Airlords of the Ozarks
The basic premise of this adventure is that a quasi-religious group of militants, having acquired lighter-than-air and ultralight aircraft, have begun expanding their territory of control in the region of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas, have a macguffin with which to defeat their military (MilGov) enemies, and all the associated baggage with their plans and doctrines. The basic concept is easy to modify, simply by making the group either pure human supremacists or pro-mutant (of whatever type) fanatics. The basic framework of the adventure is also fairly easy to move to any mountainous type region one would want to use. I do have to admit, the 'aircraft' information did seem a little light, fully supporting the given plot, but not quite giving enough material for the GM to easily provide alternate aircraft ideas and concepts to modify the specifics of the adventure. I'd probably also recommend adding some other racial factions to the mix to help develop the plot better, by giving the main opponent tiered goals in which communities they want to dominate or destroy.

Allegheny Uprising
By dropping everything but the most basic premise of this adventure, a lost government cache that everyone who knows about it is out to get, you can make a quite usable hexcrawl with the premise of a treasure hunt as the goal. Other than that, this one would probably require quite a bit more work to do anything with.

Armies of the Night
This adventure actually has some good plot points that can be used or ignored as desired; take a census of NYC, establish a presence in NYC for the party's employer (or affiliated group), find out what happened to previous expeditions with the same basic orders, find out where a shipment of gold disappeared to, set up and/or license salvaging operations. That's a lot of stuff that probably won't all be accomplished, but provides tons of useful directions to take. While a lot of useful big city, equipment caches, subway/underground notes, and NPC information is included, the total coverage of the NYC area is kind of lacking. Especially frustrating is the constant reference to the "Armies of the Night" of the title, yet little real utility, as there are only about 17 gangs or so detailed (Mau Maus, Disciples, Simbas, Suicides, Los Reyes, Los Cuchillos, Los Diablos, Los Borinquehos, Los Discipulos del Muerto, Hizzoner the Mayor's forces, Cherokees, Black Hand, Dragon Lords, the Duke's Militia; Harbor Pirates, Ferrymen, Easters, and Hudson Vikings), with little to go on for generating or using more. The inclusion of "Dements" though was a nice touch. While this is fairly useful for generating post apocalyptic ruined city adventures, it really needs more fleshing out on gangs (some random tables would help here), and probably more random tables for the various caches discussed. More information on the greater NYC area would have been useful too (especially since some of the information is dated due to when it was published).

City of Angels
This is a bit more disappointing than Armies of the Night, as the adventure included is pretty lame (deliver a letter to some guy's family, then end up having to hunt down family members that have been taken). The support material is also only fair, with the same limitations in gang presence as Armies of Night (only moreso). However this is somewhat offset by having some other factions (communities and the Mexican invasion forces) present in the region. There is some useful stuff to mine here, but it really needs another source to get some playability. I recommend Road Hogs from the After the Bomb/TMNT line, doing some mix and match (and fixing the Mexican equipment to less "soviet era" junk and more in line with what they actually use), and going from there.

Pirates of the Vistula
This is probably my favorite adventure for T2K, I totally loved the idea of traveling a river and the types of things you encounter along the way, all Huck Finn n' stuff, but with guns and explosives. While overall, T2K's 'aquatic' adventures are pretty lacking (mostly from reusing the same material from this adventure), you could probably incorporate the few other ideas found is such adventures as Gateway to the Spanish Main, Boomer, Mediterranean Cruise, Red Star/Lone Star, and The Last Submarine. This adventure is also fairly easy to transpose to any other large river system of your choice.

The Free City of Krakow
Another classic favorite, mostly for the intrigue presented in the city. With some work and name changes, you could use this as the basis for city-based adventures, though I'd probably grab Armies of the Night for some additional city structure, information, and random table goodness.

The Ruins of Warsaw
The 'sequel' to Pirates of the Vistula (itself a sort of sequel to Free City of Krakow), this is really only usable in it's basic idea of banding survivor groups together in order to stop the conquest of a post apocalyptic warlord.

Urban Guerilla
While a weaker adventure setting than Airlords of the Ozarks, this entry in the "New America" line was still a bit better than any of the other entries for usability. Otherwise similar to Airlords or Ruins of Warsaw with it's 'stop the conquest' of a "bad guy" group theme.

Saturday, November 5, 2016

A Plethora of Owlbears

I'll admit, I've never really been fond of owlbears, mostly it's the artistic depictions of owlbears that I've seen (I find many of them lame and uninspiring), despite the interesting chimeric mix of an owl and a bear (which has a certain 'cool' factor just from the idea). However, after reading Stranger Owlbears, I became intrigued with the idea of making different versions of owlbears based mostly on mixing and matching different types of owls and bears and seeing what bizarre variant owlbears I could come up with. For the basic owlbear, I'm going with the assumption that the species involved are the Common Brown Bear (Ursus arctos arctos) and Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo). I'm using Labyrinth Lords stats for ease of use.

Banshee Owlbear
With the head of a Fearful Owl and the body of an Asian Black Bear, the Banshee Owlbear is smaller than a Basic Owlbear. With a white facial disc of an owl, marked by black patches around the reddish-orange eyes, and the slender, lightly-built body of a black-furred bear, the Banshee Owlbear stand about 6 feet tall and weighs up to 450 pounds. These creatures can be found inhabiting forested hill regions. Banshee Owlbears are notable for their ability to emit a human-like scream which instills terror in all who hear it. Any being within 30' when the Banshee Owlbear screams must save versus petrification/paralyzation or be stricken with paralyzing fear for 1d4 rounds.
AL N, MV 120’, AC 5, HD 4, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), DG 1d4+1/1d4+1/1d6, SV L2, ML 9, HC XXII, XP 135

Burrowing Owlbear
A magical hybrid crossing the head of a Burrowing Owl and the body of an American (Grizzly) Brown Bear, this Owlbear species can be found inhabiting caves and burrows in grassland regions. They have white eyebrows highlighting their yellow-colored eyes and brown fur tipped with grey as well as a notable hump on their shoulders. Burrowing Owlbears are slightly lighter and thinner than Basic Owlbears, still reaching up to 8 feet in height, but only weighing up to 1000 pounds. This lightness allows them to run faster than a Basic Owlbear. These Owlbears also have excellent nightvision and are rarely encountered during the day.
AL N, MV 150’, AC 5, HD 5, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), DG 1d8/1d8/1d8, SV L3, ML 9, HC XIX, XP 350

Care Owlbear
Having the head of a Common Barn-Owl and the body of a Sun Bear, this owlbear species is imbued with magical powers. Their coats are generally black, though they can range to reddish or gray and are marked by a distinctly heart-shaped patch on their breast which is generally colored in a highly contrasting basic color, such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or purple; their heart-shaped facial disc is pure white in color and displays their pink-colored eyes. With a height of up to 5 feet and weight of up to 200 pounds, this is the smallest of the owlbear species. Care Owlbears are typically found in pastoral wooded hill regions where they feed on honeycomb and honey produced by giant bees. Their magical ability manifests as a glowing aura from their heart-shaped breast patch which all beings in a 30' radius must save vs spells or be calmed, automatically losing initiative, suffering a -2 to hit and damage, receiving no DEX bonus to AC.
AL L, MV 90’, AC 6, HD 3, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), DG 1d4/1d4/1d6, SV L1, ML 7, HC XVI, XP 65

Elf Owlbear
Also known as the Desert Revenant, this owlbear species has the head of an Elf Owl and the body of an American Black Bear. They can be found in areas of desert with high concentrations of flora, such as near an oasis or underground aquifer. Their coats range in color from black to gray; their heads are dominated by their golden eyes. Despite their desert habitat, they have quite large builds, and can reach up to 7 feet in height and weights up to 900 pounds. While being smaller than a Basic Owlbear they have great strength and are one of the most intelligent of the owlbear species, able to use and manipulate simple tools and weapons. While they have strength and intelligence, they are one of the most cowardly of the owlbear species, rarely fighting determined or tough-looking opponents. If attacked, they have the ability to Feign Death as per the Magic-User Spell for 4d4 rounds.
AL N, MV 120’, AC 6, HD 4, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite, or weapon), DG 1d6/1d6/1d8 (or by weapon), SV L2, ML 6, HC XXI, XP 135

Fishing Owlbear
Unlike other species of owlbear, there are four subspecies of Fishing Owlbears; Swamp Fishers, Forest Fishers, Lake Fishers, and Polar Fishers. All the subspecies are of the same basic stock, fusing the head of a Fishing Owl with the body of a Himalayan Red Bear, notable for having heads with prominent, scraggly-looking ear tufts, golden-yellow eyes, and dark grey beaks. The primary difference in subspecies is their habitat and coat coloring. Swamp Fishers are found in marshy or swampy regions, with slow-moving, stagnant waters and have olive or greenish coats streaked with dull yellow. Forest Fishers can be found in forested river valleys along the banks of swift-moving streams and rivers and have brownish coats with rust colored streaks. Lake Fishers are primarily found in low-lying regions dominated by river deltas, riverine lakes, rice paddies, and canals and are distinguished by their black or dark brown coats streaked with yellow-brown, tawny, or buff colors. Polar Fishers inhabit glacial mountain areas and arctic regions and have white coats streaked with light grey or pale blue. A full-grown Fishing Owlbear is typically 7 feet tall and weighs up to 1,500 pounds with proportionally longer limbs and a more powerful build than basic owlbears. Fishing Owlbears generally prefer aquatic or amphibious prey, primarily dining on giant fish, giant crabs and lobsters, alligators and crocodiles, hippos, giant frogs, toads and turtles; if hungry enough however, they will scavenge carrion of any creature, and may attack land animals, birds, or other creatures for food.
AL N, MV 120’ (Swim 60'), AC 5, HD 5, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), DG 1d8/1d8/1d8, SV L3, ML 9, HC XIV, XP 200

Ghost Owlbear
This species of owlbear has the head of a Snowy Owl and the body of a Polar Bear. Obviously in this case, their coats are snow white in color, however their eyes are also completely white, having no irises or other colors present. In addition, Ghost Owlbears have an extremely oversized, white colored beak. They are the largest species of owlbear, standing up to 12 feet tall and weighing up to 2500 pounds. Because of their coloration and special features in their fur and feet, they are completely camouflaged and silent in snowy environments, surprising on a roll of 1-5 on a d6. Additionally, magic has given them eyes capable of seeing thermal emanations up to 90 feet away, allowing them to hunt in the darkest of night or during otherwise blinding snowstorms. Because of their thick coats, they are immune to cold based attacks. Unlike basic owlbears, or even bears in general, they do not have a hug attack, instead, their oversized beaks allow them to swallow prey up to man-sized on an attack roll of 18+ (natural roll). Swallowed prey suffers 1d6+3 points of acid damage per round as the digestive juices start to work.
AL C, MV 120’, AC 3, HD 9, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), DG 2d6/2d6/1d10, SV L5, ML 9, HC XV, XP 3100

Great Horned Owlbear
Having the head of a Great Horned Owl and the body of a Kodiak Bear, this species of owlbear is the second largest, generally meanest, and distinguished by having two large horns, reminiscent of a Texas Longhorn steer or giant minotaur, inspiring rumors that this species actually mixes three different creatures. Their coats range in color from dark brown to blond or orange; their beaks are a flat black color and their eyes are a deep gold that glow with a demonic light. The are up to 10 feet tall and weigh up to 2000 pounds. While they can gore with their horns, they prefer a charging attack that first spits the victim on the horns then tosses them high up into the air. If the Great Horned Owlbear rolls a natural 18 or better on a charge attack, they have successfully spitted the target and thrown them 1d4x10 feet into the air. The victim takes an additional 1d6 damage for each 10' they are thrown into the air from falling from that height.
AL C, MV 120’, AC 4, HD 7, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite or gore), DG 1d8/1d8/1d8 or 1d10, SV L4, ML 10, HC XX, XP 440

Laughing Owlbear
A variant species of owlbear with the head of a Laughing Owl and the body of an undetermined bear species. They have grey coats which feature either stripes or spots of red, brown, or black color; their facial discs feature a lighter shade of grey, dark orange eyes, and a grey beak. Like Basic Owlbears, they are up to 8 feet tall and 1500 pounds weight. Unlike Basic Owlbears however, they are primarily scavengers and prefer to attack by biting their prey. They are one of the most vocal of the owlbear species, emitting a variety of different chuckling, grunting, groaning, giggling, laughing, and howling sounds.
AL N, MV 120’, AC 5, HD 5, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), DG 1d6/1d6/1d10, SV L3, ML 9, HC XX, XP 200

Naked Owlbear
While Naked Owlbears retain the same basic hybridization of Eurasian Eagle-Owl and Common Brown Bear as the Basic Owlbear, they have no fur or feathers covering their body, appearing as gaunt, horrifying versions of standard owlbears. The emaciated looking bodies combined with an alien-looking head dominated by large eyes and a large beak result in many observers mistaking this species as an undead monstrosity of some sort. While they stand as tall as Basic Owlbears, their lack of body covering means that they only weigh up to about 1300 pounds or so. They otherwise attack and act as Basic Owlbears.
This body... ...with this head
AL N, MV 120’, AC 7, HD 5, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), DG 1d8/1d8/1d8, SV L3, ML 9, HC XX, XP 200

Panda Owlbear
Also known as the Ghost-Faced or Racoon Owlbear, this species of owlbear combines the head of a White-Faced Owl with the body of a Giant Panda. Their coats are white, with black patches on the legs, arms, shoulders, and tail; their facial discs are white, with a black border, black, tufted ears, and black spots or a black, racoon-like mask around the large orange-colored eyes. They stand as tall as 6 feet and weigh up to 450 pounds. Unlike most other species of owlbear, Panda Owlbears are primarily herbivorous, consuming wild fruits, vegetables and bamboo. They are aided in foraging by having opposable thumbs, unlike other owlbear species. Panda Owlbears are also one of the least aggressive species of owlbear, rarely attacking humanoids. They can be found in forested regions and often lair in hollow trees and rock crevices.
AL L, MV 120’, AC 5, HD 4, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), DG 1d4+1/1d4+1/1d6, SV L2, ML 8, HC XXII, XP 80

Shambling Owlbear
This species of owlbear has the head of a Papuan hawk-owl and the body of a Sloth Bear. Shambling Owlbear shaggy and unkempt coats are completely black, with a rust-colored V- or Y-shaped mark on the chest, and are thicker on the shoulders and back, often forming a mane; their small facial discs are lighter colored, with white eyebrows and black streaks, lemon yellow eyes and a black or dark grey beak. They stand up to 6 feet tall and weigh up to 450 pounds. Typically found in lowland forests and savanna. Shambling Owlbears, despite the name, are quite capable of climbing and swimming. While they are primarily insectivorous, they do not get along with other creatures, especially predators, and will defend their territory aggressively against intruders they encounter. While they do not hug like Basic Owlbears, on an attack roll of 18 or more, they will have successfully locked their beak onto a victim and will maul the victim for an additional 2d4 points of damage.
AL N, MV 120’ (Swim 60'), AC 5, HD 4, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), DG 1d4+1/1d4+1/1d6, SV L2, ML 9, HC VIII, IX, XIV, XP 80

Urstrix
The Urstrix is a magical hybrid that appears more like a true chimeric version of the creature known as "owl bear" than the Basic Owlbear. It has the body, tail, and back legs of a Common Brown Bear; the head and wings of an Eurasian Eagle-Owl; and an owl's talons as its front feet. Their coats range in color from brown-black to yellowish brown; their beaks are a dull ivory color. A full-grown male measures up to 8 feet in length and weigh up to 1,500 pounds. The broad, brownish-black wings emerge from the Urstrix's back and span 60' or more. Like most owls, Urstrix are completely silent while flying, surprising prey on a roll of 1-4 on a d6.
AL C, MV 120’ (Fly 360'), AC 5, HD 7, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), DG 1d8/1d8/1d12, SV L4, ML 9, HC XVIII, XP 440