Whenever Black Dog Game Factory comes up in conversation it’s pretty much guaranteed that the splatterpunk werewolf sourcebook “Freak Legion” will share top billing with the darkly twisted and disgusting “Clanbook Baali” (and more often than not the incredible “Charnel Houses of Europe: The Shoah” will get overlooked in an urge to discuss the more over-the-top supplements they produced).

As I’m working to actually produce the game material for the Heavy Metal Mutant Future articles (which will appear once the last article discussing the scenes of the movie are done), I figured it was time to have fun mashing up the dark influences of the wyrm with the radioactive mutations of the Mutant Future. Adding these mutations to your Mutant Future game can result in something a bit darker (and grosser, and possibly less mature than a game featuring a spidergoat) than the traditional game.

Mutant Future Formori, transform and roll out!

Beneficial Mutations

Brain Eating (beneficial mental mutation)

This mutation allows the mutant to “chew up” a victim’s mind, reducing a targeted mental attribute (Int, Will or Cha) and increasing the mutant’s experience points (as he gains the lost benefits of the destroyed mental attribute). The mutant can touch a foe and trigger this power, targeting a specific ability score and forcing the target to make a saving throw against stunning attacks. If the save is failed, the target permanently loses 1 point in that ability score and the mutant gains 100 XP as he absorbs and “digests” portions of the target’s resolve, memories and personality. While “digesting” these thoughts, the mutant cannot use any mental mutations – even if the power failed to work, there is an incomprehensible flood of thoughts, emotions and personality fragments thrust at the mutant, with the same effect. It takes 1d8 hours for the mutant to regain the use of mental mutations after triggering this power.

While the actual mechanics for this power don’t involve eating the target’s brain, it works best (or at its most entertaining at least) when paired with an addiction for… well… eating brains (which calls for a new drawback mutation).

Mouth of the Wyrm (beneficial physical mutation)

The mutant gains the ability to swallow objects as large as a large dog or a small person – basically anything smaller than the mutant itself. Of course, the object must be within the grasp of the mutant. If the creature serving as lunch for the mutant is not dead when swallowed, it may suffocate if it cannot get out. The mutant will digest the creature as food – undigestible parts (bones, shoes, artifacts, teeth, etc) will be eliminated normally.

The mutant must successfully attack the target twice – once to grab the target (dealing no damage) and once again to swallow it. The target gets a single save vs death, and otherwise cannot escape unless equipped with natural weapons. The target will die in half it’s Constitution rounds unless it can cut its way out or be cut out. If the victim does damage equal to one half the mutant’s hit points from within the stomach, he has cut his way out.

Again, this is an awesome power to combine with an addiction for using it.

Savage Genitalia (beneficial (?!) physical mutation)

The mutation that always gets mentioned when this book is discussed. Teh mutant (regardless of gender) has genitals with some menacing feature(s) – male versions include excessive length, thorns, barbs and club-like weight – female versions are infamous for teeth and meat grinders. While functionless in combat, once there is sexual contact, the target is at the mutant’s mercy and can only survive with a save vs death. The “special features” are typically not evident beneath clothes, and first make their appearance in heavy petting or sexual intercourse. Even if the victim survives, he or she is likely to carry permanent emotional scars.

Is it me, or does this call for an addiction also? I just love addictions it seems.

Stomach Pumper (beneficial physical mutation)

The mutant is able to vomit forth all he has recently eaten covered in acidic slimy stomach juices. A single blast can cover a single foe. The mutant rolls a missile attack as normal with a range of 15 feet. If it hits it only deals 1d4 damage, but the target must make a save vs stun to avoid being stunned for one full round as he gags and pukes. (Give the target a penalty if the mutant has Mouth of the Wyrm and regurgitates parts of someone the target recognizes). This mutation can be used twice between meals.

Yeah, addiction completely not necessary here. Ick.

Poison Tumours (beneficial physical mutation)

The mutant is covered in grotesque tumours, cysts and sores filled with noxious pus. Whenever hit with a sharp weapon in melee combat, the attacker (and often others within five feet of the mutant) is splattered with this pus. If the attacker hits with a natural weapon, the pus automatically hits and deals 2d6 damage (and those who bite the mutant must also make a save vs stun or be stunned for 1 round). If the attacker hits with a melee weapon, everyone within 5 feet of the mutant must make a save vs poison or suffer 1d6 damage.

 

Drawbacks

Addiction (physical or mental drawback)

The mutant must engage in a particular addictive activity (taking drugs, eating brains, drinking blood, basking in radiation, offering human sacrifices to Uhluht’c or so on, depending on if the drawback is mental or physical) or suffer great pain. Roll on the table below for the mutant’s cycle length. For every cycle the mutant does not assuage his addiction, he suffers a cummulative -2 penalty on all rolls (including saving throws). When the total penalty exceeds the mutant’s Constitution, he dies of the withdrawal symptoms.

d6 – cycle
1 – Once per month
2-4 – Once per week
5-6 – Once per day

I bet you didn’t see that coming after all the addiction comments in the beneficial mutations section, eh?

Balefire Curse (physical drawback)

Whenever the mutant is exposed to radiation or mutagens he will only gain drawbacks, never beneficial mutations. Re-roll all beneficial mutations received after character creation is complete.

The Crusties (physical drawback)

Think of the worst dandruff you’ve ever seen. Now imagine it one hundred times worse and covering the entire body. The Crusties (aka the Scrumpy Scritters) is at it’s worse for 10 days out of every 30. The mutant’s skin dries out and is covered with a thick, crusty residue. This residue flakes off in large crumbly pieces. It leaves a trail of fine brown powder everywhere the mutant goes, and collects in clothes, lungs and especially eyes (-1 on all attack rolls and any Dexterity checks due to discomfort). No matter how much the mutant scratches, picks or bathes there seems to be no way of stopping it. There are rumours of mutants like Crumbly Eddy who got the Crusties so bad that they crumbled away and are now fertilizer for some outland settlement.

Worms (physical drawback)

This foul drawback infests the mutant with parasitical worms. These worms cause endless pain and periodically emerge from mouth, ears and other orifices. Unless he vomits them up at least once every few hours, the worms will swell his belly, clog his internal passages, and begin to eat his organs. If some circumstance keeps him from purging the worms every three hours, he suffers 2d6 damage which cannot be healed until he purges the worms.

Mutoid Cancer (physical drawback)

This drawback is almost a beneficial mutation. It is cyclical with episodes lasting for about a month and occuring every other month.

In the first week of the cycle, the mutant can still pass for his base stock, but begins exhibiting physical changes – growing about a foot in height and gaining one extra hit die and +1 strength. The mutant’s skin can be politely termed as “blotchy” during this stage.

In the second week, the change is more pronounced. BLotchy skin gives away to a seething, growing patchwork of scabs, running sores and rolling muscle. The mutant grows an additional foot, gaining another hit die and another +1 to strength. The mutant also exudes a sulfurous stench.

In the third week, additional useless limbs spring unbidden from the mutants body and then resubmerge just as quickly. The mutant’s skin is a thick, blood red carapace, partially solid, partially gelatinous (giving the mutant a natural armor class of 4, which is nice considering by this point no regular armor will fit him). Black, virus-rich blood flows freely from the mutant’s orifices. Those who ingest this blood (by swallowing it or getting it into open wounds) must make a save versus poison or be infected with Mutoid Cancer. Those who make the save are immune to other exposures from this mutant or any other. The massive carapace and size are now cosntricting blood flow to the mutant’s brain – reducing Intelligence and Charisma by 4 each. The mutant’s eyes are usually dead and crablike.

In the fourth week of the cycle, the mutant grows a few more feet (another +1 strength, and another hit die). This explosive growth spurt finally ends in a cataclysmic explosion. The virus replicates itself so thoroughly that the host is a walking virus bomb. This explosion can be triggered by the mutant suffering any attack dealing more than 10 damage. The mutant’s body ruptures into a shower of great clumps, with each part crawling away from the mutant. Anyone within 10 feet of the mutant when he explodes must make a save versus poison or be stunned for 1 round in disgust. If the explosion isn’t triggered by damage, it will occur on it’s own after the week is over.

After the explosion, the mutant’s original form remains behind, unconscious, naked, and with all his ability scores returned to normal. The mutant must make a save vs death or suffer a -2 penalty to Intelligence (from brain damage).