War....War Never Changes

One of the articles I'm working on for the first issue of The Jewel Throne is "War...War Never Changes," being a selection of Wasteland and Fallout inspired equipment, with a focus on firearms; a project I'm working on in preparation for running some Gamma World games.

My goals are twofold: as most of the players in our group are familiar with the Fallout series, this provides a certain "resonance" for the gameplay; secondly to provide a wider selection of firearms than that provided in Mutant Future including more lethal varieties. With Gamma World and Mutant Future PCs having significantly more hit points than beginning PCs, as well as the creatures in both games having, on average, more hit points than D&D monsters, I'm interested in gun having more "oomph" to them. With your average beginning Mutant Future Human PC having 47-48 hit points, it's going to take a fair amount of d12 damage assault fire rounds to take him down.

Anyways, here's some early drafts of some of the fictional firearms I'm working on for this article:

22-3 STRIKER
Effective Range: 400'
Maximum Range: 800'
Damage Inflicted: 3d6
Shots per Round: 1
Ammunition Type: .223
Capacity: 5 round integral magazine
Experience Point Value: 850
Based on a modified rifle design, the 22-3 Striker is a bolt-action pistol designed for hunting large game. Due to the weight and recoil a Physical Strength of 12 or higher is required to effectively use this weapon.

AK-57
Effective Range: 450'
Maximum Range: 900'
Damage Inflicted: 2d8
Shots per Round: 2
Ammunition Type: 7.62 mm
Capacity: 30 round magazine
Experience Point Value: 1300
The last descendant of the AK-47, featuring an integral folding stock, the AK-57 was manufactured by China but saw distribution throughout the globe. Thousands were smuggled into North America, many by fifth columnists.

M2049A1
Effective Range: 150'
Maximum Range: 300'
Damage Inflicted: 1d12
Shots per Round: 1
Ammunition Type: 10 mm
Capacity: 12 round magazine
Experience Point Value: 250
A durable, heavy frame autoloader resistant to harsh conditions, the M2049 was the standard US military sidearm as well as being used extensively by federal agents. A more reliable revolver variant, the M2050, holds 7 rounds in a side-loading cylinder.

M2039-ACR
Effective Range: 600'
Maximum Range: 1200'
Damage Inflicted: 2d8
Shots per Round: 2
Ammunition Type: 5.56 mm
Capacity: 40 round magazine
Experience Point Value: 1500
A descendant of the M16 featuring a gas-vent system and a integral optical sights, the M2039-ACR was the chief weapon of US marines.

VP41
Effective Range: 150'
Maximum Range: 300'
Damage Inflicted: 1d10
Shots per Round: 1
Ammunition Type: 9mm
Capacity: 18 round magazine
Experience Point Value: 150
A reliable West German pistol that was popular with survivalists due to it's high ammunition capacity.

 Also, here's a first draft of the first Jewel Throne cover:

Someone Needs to Stat These Guys Up For Encounter Critical...

By DEATH METAL ARTIST Dusty Peterson, check out his site for a horde of lurid, gory monstrosities!

PS. Apologies for the lack of activities on the blog, I attribute it to several factors: summer vibes; being busy with my other hobby, playing "Kill Your Mother Music"; and smoking waaaay less pot, the last of which has the counter-intuitive effect of making me lazy/under-motivated! I'm still working on the Planet Algol booklet (as well as waiting on a stack of awesome artwork!) as well as another very cool, "Cthonic" project...

Talos Tuesday

Credit to Gene Wolfe as the Talos is heavily inspired by the Talus of the Long Sun series.

TALOS
# Encountered: 1
Armor Class: 0
Move: 9"
Hit Dice: 20
Attacks: machinegun 2-12 targets in a 10'x40' area for 4-16 damage with a range of 500' or 2 blows for 2-20
Special: can use flamethrower 3 times per day in a 40'x10' cone, inflicts 2-16 damage for 2 rounds, save vs. dragon breath for half damage, can use flamethrower in addition to machinegun or blows; has two missiles that inflicts 8-80 damage to all in a 30' blast, save vs. dragon breath for half, with a range of 1,000', cannot make any other attacks when firing a missile.; immune to sleep, charm, hold, cold, poison, paralysis, and mental effects; immune to fire, cold and electricity; can roll over slower or motionless targets for 4-40 damage.
Intelligence: Semi-low, dependent upon quality of positronics and programming
Alignment: Neutral
Size: Large
A Talos is a massive military automation composed of a the semblance of the upper body of a broad, fierce warrior with a monstrous tusked face; but below the waist it is a tracked carriage resembling an Earth tank, with the humanoid torso mounted where the turret would be. This mechanism stands 16' tall, and is composed of hardened bronze-colored alloys.
A Talos may strike with it's huge fists or giant weapons; or it may fire the twin machineguns located in it's eyes. They also have a flamethrower located in their mouth and each forearm holds a concealed launcher and one missile.

Mutant Future Friday - Android Illness

Android Illness as in This and This (btw see also This...which I'm going to use as another Plane for my campaign).

Critical Update Overload

The android enters an area subject to broadband wireless networking from surviving pre-holocaust cybernetic installations. Every day there is a 50% chance that the android will be shut-down for 1d6 hours while "downloading a crucial software update." This condition will persist until the android exists the wi-fi area or gets a cybertechnician to diable automatic updates.

Monday Mutant Future "Artwork"

While looking through one of my tattered RPG-notebooks I found this depiction of a moment from my old Gamma World/Where The Wild Things Are crossover game. That guy's companions are really after him to start wearing pants...

Encounter Critical/Mutant Future/D&D "Artwork"

These are some doodles I did over a year ago during the wait for a D&D session to start. I was also thinking about post-apoc & science fantasy, the line of thinking that eventually led to Planet Algol. Wes/Fat Cotton stole my Psychic Bear! I dig how happy missile dog looks, I think he'd be a good sidekick.

Doctor Scale Mail always packs heat and wears his armor vest and rubber boots while working in his lab just in case. Dual-wielding a shotgun and spiked bat does no good against Viper Plaskin slitting your throat. Too bad rat-man didn't smell his cigarette before the attack.

Robotcop PUNCHING THE FUCK OUT of a Martian Tripod?

The text says "Gargantuan Shrimp" in my pathetic scrawl. That saucer-clam looks smug!

Pete: "The guy on roller-skates (actually rocket-skates) looks like a dad!"

There's more than one way to fry a chicken...

One of my (former?)players was not happy when attacked by sand-sharks, "This is stupid!"


Oh no...not the baby!

He looks determined..but inept.

I would not fuck with these two without good reason!

During my 4E Weird Western D&D game, I made a point of describing Dwarves as looking like muppets and walking like Alf...

That's one happy looking giant snake! During the first AD&D Planet Algol game I used this picture to illustrate the fate of a PC...save vs. poison is a real mother at 1st level...

EDIT: The below video fits the theme and is awesome, dig those elbow nail-spikes!

"Cacotopic Stain" Weather Generation Table

I can't believe I missed this the first time... (disclaimer: not actually related to the Cacotophic Stain)

Also, here's some suitably weird radiations.